Finished Night Stands with Crappy Photos

Here's an update on my latest rehab project:

 

This week I took a little time to transform these dated nightstands, which if you remember, cost me $15/pr:

 

 

To these:

 

 

 

The tops were warped, chipped, and stained. I cleaned them thoroughly, then used 2 coats of CeCe Caldwell's Natural Chalk and Clay Paint in Seattle Mist that I purchased in Falls Church at Stifel and Capra After that, I coated everything with a water-based top coat for protection. I distressed them ever so slightly around the sides and edges so that it wouldn't seem traumatic when life happens to them (and it will).

 

I know most of us wanted to switch the handles out for something contemporary for my friend's more modern tastes. However, the 2 inch spread of the holes made it really, really hard to find replacement knobs, so I decided to stick with what we had. Hopefully the glossy white paint will work with my Arnebya's décor. If not, I'll sell them on Craigslist and keep looking.

 

The drawers were grimy inside so I cleaned them and lines them with gray and white scrapbook paper, secured by spray adhesive: 

 

I'll let you know if she likes them.

 

 

Tim's mom and Margaret are in the kitchen making gingerbread cookies, Tim and I will go out to a concert in a few hours, and Shadow is here at my feet. From my house to yours, I'd like to wish you love and peace this week.

Chicken Wire Memo Board

On September 8, the crapiversary of Jack's death, Tim and I were both feeling weepy.

We tried to work a little bit from home and ended up grabbing a sandwich at Potbelly.

I asked him if he could help me with a quick project that I just hadn't gotten around to. We took a huge (32"x40") empty thrift store frame ($1.50) and attached chicken wire from Home Depot to the back with a staple gun. It was so nice to have two people to hold the wire down so that it wouldn't spring up and attack. That stuff freaks me out a little. The whole process took about 10 minutes!

I'd painted the frame in the spring using CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint in Seattle Mist. Using tiny clothes pins, I hooked photos and mementos on the board. It hangs in the kitchen where our much smaller bulletin board used to be.

 

 So easy, and I love having these sweet faces looking at me!