DIY Entry Table

Here's a project I've been wanting to share for quite some time. Remember waaay back in August when I told you about that little unfinished console table I ordered? Well, here it is! Thankfully, the project didn't take near as long to complete as it did for me to photograph and share it. ;) In fact, I did the whole thing over a long weekend.  

Here's the table in its birthday suit. It's the Bombay Console Table, just so you know. I chose it specifically because of its shallow depth. My entryway is long and narrow and I didn't want a big, bulky piece sitting there. Also, the simple shape was not so intimidating for my first real adventure in wood finishing. 

My Product Arsenal

I've been obsessed with trying General Finishes Milk Paints since I discovered it's what one of my favorite design shops uses for their custom furniture. I thought if I could master this, I could have the same look they offer for a fraction of the price. I'm incredibly impressed with everything I've used from General Finishes. The paint has great coverage, self-levels fantastically and is really, really foolproof. And the top coat is in a realm all of its own. I've never used anything like it.

I was going for a distressed look. I wanted the piece to look like an old family heirloom that's been painted over and over again and well-loved throughout the years.

 I'm really happy with how it turned out. Here's how I did it:
1. Even though the furniture is "ready-to-finish" it still needs some light sanding before the first coat of paint.
2. Distress the piece. I beat it up pretty good. Use a screwdriver for scratches, nails for small dents, the claw part of the hammer for larger dents, and then hammer along the edges to bang them up a bit. Depending on how aggressive you are, you may need to sand a bit to smooth out any rough edges the distressing causes.
3. Start painting. I pretty much followed the directions on the paint. I painted one coat of color, let dry, sanded lightly to eliminate brush strokes. Painted another coat, repeated the sanding, etc. Keep going until you're happy with the coverage and the color.
4. Before you add your next layer of color, do a layer of top coat (and sand when it dries) to prevent color-mixing.
5. Add your next color layer. Originally I wanted the table to be yellow, so my bottom layer is blue, then the next layer is yellow. When I got the yellow on, I decided it would look terrible with my wood floor. I panicked thinking that I'd have to start all over. But I decided to keep going and see what I could do.
6. After the yellow, I painted another layer of top coat, sanded it, then moved onto the final layer of blue.
7. Once the final color layer is on and dry, sand the edges until the bare wood shows through, sand anywhere else until you get to the desired paint layer. I wanted some yellow peeking out in spots. This is the part where you can disguise any of your "imperfections."
8. Glaze any of the exposed bare wood with a darker color so it looks like aged wood. I used a fine artist's brush for this part.
9. After you're happy with the results, give it a couple coats of the top coat to protect it.
10. Now stand back and enjoy your new "old" table.

 A couple notes:

• I'm really pleased with the quality of the table. When you order things online, you just don't know what you'll get. But this is nice and sturdy, and easy to assemble. Plus, it shipped for free and arrived really quickly. I've since ordered several other unfinished pieces.
• One thing to remember when painting: be patient. The results are well worth taking it slow. Also, be vigilant to watch for drips. When you're focused on one surface, it's easy to neglect what's going on underneath or off to the side of that specific surface. If the paint runs over an edge and dries in a drip formation, it takes a lot of sanding to smooth it back out. Same goes for the top coat. Watch for drips. Got it?

I believe the grand total I spent on the table and paint was about $175. I priced out having something similar painted by the pros, and it was over $400. Well worth the time and effort, I'd say!

An Embarrassing Admission

I'm mortified to admit this. I don't even know when it happened. But my children are spoiled. Not in the Veruca Salt I-Want-It-Now type of way. But in the I-Can't-Do-Anything-For-Myself kind of way. I first realized we had a problem when tripping over abandoned shoes and backpacks became a daily occurrence for me. The problem escalated further when even the simplest of tasks were handed over to me:

• "Hey Mom, can you get me a drink of water?" 
• "I can't get dressed. Can you do it for me?" 
• "But I like it when you brush my teeth."

Every time I ask anything of the kids, one quickly responds with "I can't" (Translation: I don't want to); while the other stands like a statue, unmoving, staring at me like I'm an alien directly from the planet Zebulon. 

• Time to put on your shoes.  I can't. // Bewildered stare
• Put on your seatbelt.  I can't. // Bewildered stare
• Take your dishes to the sink, please.  I can't. // Bewildered stare

I'm the cause of the whole problem. It's embarrassing to admit, but it's the truth. Oftentimes, it's easier (and quicker) to do things for my kids than to coax and plead and listen to their never-ending chorus of complaints. Clearly the path of least resistance is getting us nowhere fast. So it's time for some changes. 

I'm mentally prepared for the imminent eye-rolling, whining and protesting as I unveil and enforce our new plan. But it's high time I teach my children to be self-reliant. They'll thank me for this someday. And even if they don't, I'll know I did my best. And that's worth something in my book.

My plan: Simple, realistic, non-negotiable chores and expectations. No rewards. We all live here; we all get to help. And I promise to stop doing things for my children that I know they can do for themselves. Easy, right? 

To make things a bit more exciting and motivating, I've made some visuals.  Everyone gets their own daily dry-erase checklist. Even the grownups. (Who doesn't love a good checklist, anyway?) That way everyone can see we're all helping out. And I've got "chore sticks" for some additional weekend fun.

Wish me luck as I stand my ground and teach my kids some good life-lessons. I'll let you know how it goes. 


Nolan will be teaching a free seminar on new and unusual dishwasher unloading techniques this weekend. Come learn from the expert. 
And if dishes aren't your thing, Charlotte will be teaching a mini-class on leaving an array of hand- and footprints on refrigerator doors. It's her special talent.

The Everyday

One of my goals for the new year was to take more pictures of the ordinary, everyday things we do. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

This guy loves the fridge. And the dishwasher. And the vacuum. And throwing things in the toilet. Awesome.

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And here's Charlotte's first blog tutorial: How to Make a PB & PB sandwich. (Because jelly is super gross.)

Step One: Pull up your sleeves. This is serious business.

Step Two: Big glob of peanut butter + minimal spreading = perfection. If you're having trouble concentrating, just stick out your tongue. Problem solved.

Step Three: Lick the knife. This is kind of the whole purpose of making a sandwich, right?

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This is where I should make excuses for being a bad blogger lately. But I don't have any excuses. I'm just kind of not into it right now. I'm spending most of my free time house-hunting (we're moving again) and taking care of sick kids. It's nonstop. Seriously. Hudson has had a fever for a straight week now. And Nolan puked all over me before bed tonight. I have a feeling tonight's going to be one for the record books.

But I'm still here. And I'll be back to blogging regularly someday. Probably.

Unfinished Business

I've been meaning to share a peek at our current home here in Wyoming. While we were living in California, I did a home tour for Jackie. I probably never would have taken photos of our home otherwise, and I'm so glad I did. It's really fun to look back on what our home looked like. Ever since then, I swore I'd take photos of all the subsequent homes we live in so our kids can remember small details that would otherwise be forgotten.

I've shied away from sharing our current home because there are so many projects waiting on my to-do list, and so many furniture items on my to-buy list. But the winds of change are taking us to another new home in a few short months...so we'll just have to remember this one as a work in progress.

There you have it. Part of my sparsely-furnished family room (and a solitary blurred-out sock abandoned in the hallway). I'll have more of my unfinished house tour accompanied by details of our new adventure coming soon.

February

February is here! At long last, we've pulled out our Valentine's decorations. The kids have anxiously awaited the return of their mailboxes. They stay up late creating little notes for one another and awaiting their special deliveries. Leaving love notes and surprises for my favorite people is a welcome way to break up the monotony of winter. 

Valentine's Day has to be one of my favorite holidays. It's sweet, simple and no-pressure. I don't have to keep any secrets, or hide any presents. The kids know I'm the one leaving the goodies in the mailboxes, so if I forget one day it's no big deal.  I love the charm and simplicity of decorating with paper hearts. It really doesn't get any easier than that.

Happy February, Everyone!