Ikea Toddler Table Re-Do

I saw this red Ikea table and chair set in someone's trash the other day and nabbed it. There were 4 chairs, but I just took 2.

 The red didn't match my house, so I saw what paint I had on hand: gray chalk paint and  green spray paint.  I tried a much prettier shade of green first, but the can jammed and I switched. It was nap time, and I knew my painting window was not going to last forever.

Not my best painting job ever. I just noticed one of the chairs needs another coat. But that's the nice thing about free-- It FREES you up to do a half-way job and not feel guilty about it.  I think Andrew likes it!

Lead Paint, and Lead vs. Led

When Jack and Margaret were little, I did a lot of furniture refinishing. That's how some of you found me here on the blog. Because I like weathered, chippy furniture, I was particularly careful about lead paint and had all of my antiques tested by a professional.

Years later, I found a treasure, "The Dumpster Dive,"  an enormous green cabinet sitting by the side of the road. When I found it, the kids were way past the paint-licking stage, but I didn't want to take any chances, so I left it outside under the carport for years rather than bringing it inside.

When we moved into this house 3 years ago, I knew I had the perfect place for it in our family room, and because Margaret was a teen by that time, I didn't see a risk of having it inside. It looks terrific!

A few days ago, however, I was playing on the floor with Andrew, when I looked up and realized The Dumpster Dive could very well have lead paint on it. A quick test I ordered on-line confirmed that it does. I can either try to seal it with some kind of poly coating, or get rid of it. I feel like such a dummy for not even thinking about it until now, and I really hope Andrew hasn't suffered any ill effects from it! I'm just sitting here staring at it today, because it's huge and whatever I decide to do will have to be done with Tim's help when he gets home. Gah.

****
All of this LEAD talk made me think of something else entirely.

Many people mix up the words LEAD and LED.

I see a lot of great writing every day, and this seems to be a common error, even in published books. I'm not judging-- I recently put the word asses in a blog post when I meant assess! So, what have I noticed? I commonly see phrases like, "I felt lead to write this article." This is incorrect. The person is not talking about a metal. It should be, "I felt led to write this article."

SO, how does one remember the difference? I don't know.

LEAD (as in lead paint, a bucket of lead) and LED (as in I led the dog down the hill yesterday, I felt led to share this with you) sound exactly the same.

LED is past-tense.

Of what?

The word LEAD (rhymes with seed)

LEAD (verb, what a LEADER does) sounds different. "I hope he or she will lead our nation with grace and dignity."

Not sure why I'm riffing on this today, but if it helps anyone catch it in his/her writing, that would be great.

Now if we could only eradicate: "Thank you for the support you have shown Kevin and I," and, "Please give it to Kevin or myself."

Gallery Wall

I have a lot of artwork to hang in the new house. I'd like to paint a few rooms first, so most of the paintings and pictures and mirrors will lean against a wall in the basement until I get around to it, say next summer? I love the paint color in our family room, however, so it was time to get some things on the walls! I started with twice as many pieces as made it onto this wall, so they'll find homes elsewhere in the house.

My first step was looking at what I thought would go well together. This included a painting by my mother in law of the "house that made me," some high school artwork by my mom, inspiring paintings by friends, and an amazing portrait of Jack by one of his classmates. Yeah, an 8th grader did that. Wow.

I had signs, too, one purchased from TJ Maxx and another hand painted by Kristi from Barn Owl Primitives with the words my sister said about Jack at his funeral, This is what she learned from him:

I wanted art from Margaret and Jack on there as well, so you'll find her fish painting plus his watercolor Tiffany window. The wooden piece is  a slat/spindle (?) from the porch railing of my great grandparents' house that is no longer standing in WV, and it hangs below a tender painting of Jack and his cousin.

I tried Martha Stewart's technique first, of cutting brown kraft paper the size of each piece and then taping them to the walls. But the paper got curly and kept falling down, so I moved to the floor. I taped off an area the same size as the space on the wall and just arranged and rearranged until I liked it.

Then I had Tim start the nailing, so I could step back and see if it was coming together the way I wanted.

It's so nice to have these sweet paintings on the wall. Makes me want to get going and personalize more of the house.

So, what do you think of the piece of furniture beneath the gallery wall? We call it "The Dumpster Dive" because I got it out off someone's trash pile about 8 years ago. I have never loved Tim more than when he helped me remove it from the curb and get it inside the back of the minivan without making any snarky comments.

It lived in the carport at the old house and I knew that when the movers came last month it would be my one and only opportunity to get it inside after 8 yrs of waiting. Even at the last minute, the (male) movers and my (male) husband were debating the wisdom of bringing it inside a house and saying things like, "well, maybe if you fix it up." Puh-lease. Ain't no changing the Dumpster Dive.

There is a teeny weeny issue in that I think it is infested with carpenter bees. And that the latent larvae inside the bee tunnels may hatch sometime next spring and start feeding on the wood of our house, thereby reducing it to a pile of rubble.

Small issue, I'm sure. I mean, look at how great it is!

Spring is in the Air, and On the Curb

For those of you who aren't into furniture re-dos, I'm sorry for yet another dumpster diving post!

But spring is in the air, and that seems to correlate to the quantity, if not quality, of stuff to be found curbside.

Here is the dresser that 2 sweet 9 yr old girls helped me load into my car Friday night:

Great shape, but a distressing job-- handles and all-- that that was a bit...distressing.

Despite a carport work area beseiged by rain, blowing blossoms, and pollen, this is how she ended up:






First I primed her with Kilz using a small foam roller. Two coats of semi-gloss paint in a putty color from Lowe's "Ooops" shelf. Then I rubbed on finishing wax/paste. I primed and painted the drawer pulls in Heirloom white spray paint. Oh how I wish the photos did her justice, and that I had room for her in my house!

Total cost: $3.00

I love spring!

Linking up to:





Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed.

Manic Monday Post

So much to share, peeps! Tom and Jake spent the weekend on a pilgrimage to Legoland in sunny California, while Molly and I wallowed in rain and self pity.

And by wallowed I mean:

Found an awesome dresser curbside, WHILE MOLLY HAD A FRIEND IN THE CAR. It's amazing what two 9 year old girls can lift when they're in a hurry. I think I may have found 2 new assistants. More details on the mammoth dresser to come, but let's just say I now know the answer to the question, "Is it possible to use too much glaze?" Uh, yes.

Discovered we've been banned from the public library. Ok, not exactly banned, but our account has been "Locked" until we return our books and pay a $20 fee. Molly remembered she has a book tucked in her desk at school (now locked up for Spring Break,) so I guess we'll stick to TV and movies for now.

Ate popcorn for dinner two nights, and cereal for dinner the other two. Lunches were: Taco Bell, Panera, McDonalds, and "It's 3 pm already? Let's just have another bowl of cereal."

Saw "Soul Surfer" at the theater. What an inspiring movie! I loved watching it with my little girl.

Watched (sans Molly) a "Hoarders" marathon until 1 am. Not a great idea considering that with the addition of the new dresser, my carport looks like this: Shopped at the mall. Went into Aeropostale for the first time, per Molly's request. She's been dying for Aeropostale clothes for a while, but was too nervous to go in and see if they carried her size (micro-peanut).

Having witnessed Bethany Hamilton on the big screen learning how to surf with one arm, Molly was emboldened to forge bravely ahead into the land of graphic tees and madras shorts. She bought 3 t-shirts with her own money....

which led me to wonder...

If teeny-tiny 4th graders are shopping in teenage shops, where does that leave the teenagers? Nothing can stay "cool" when it gets that far down the pipeline. I mean, in 1985 would I have enjoyed my "Forenza" sweaters as much if I knew they were hot among the 4th grade set?

Speaking of the 80's, I saw CROP TOPS on 2 occasions this weekend. Dear Lord. Okay, back to our weekend round-up:

Painted Furniture. AKA: "What the *#$%! did Anna do to Great Uncle Earl's Chair?"

It went from bad to worse to this: I'm thinking I'll land a spot on my friend Lindsey's "Better Before" feature on her awesome blog.

I hope to re-visit this chair makeover when I have my wits about me, but before "Hoarders" finds out where I live.

All of this exciting weekend business left only a wee bit of time for socializing:

Sorry for the sour puss look on my face. You know how those lovers' quarrels can be. Doesn't Brad look torn between 2 lovers, feelin' like a fooool?

Seriously, though, the wax museum made a fun outing to wrap up a long weekend. I knew I'd been reading too many decorating blogs, however, when instead of taking a pic of Generals Grant and Lee seated at a table at the end of the Civil War, I took a pic of the cool paint treatment on the wall behind them.

Old Painting to Cool Chalkboard

I found a huge (4 foot by 3 foot) painting in someone's trash. After determining that it was a "Genuine Reproduction" as it said on the back, and realizing it reeked of cigarette smoke, I had to have it!

I'd been looking for a big frame to turn into a chalkboard.

Sorry this isn't smell-a-vision, but trust me on the smoke thing. I left this on my carport for 2 months to air it out, and to arouse suspicion among my admiring neighbors that I had, indeed, become a hoarder.

Tom popped the painting out of the frame for me and I threw it away, as it was the smokiest part. Then my neighbor took IT out of MY trash...Circle of Life, I suppose.

I cleaned the frame, and spray painted it Winter Gray. It was all I could do NOT to paint it my beloved Heirloom White. I felt a little unfaithful.

Next, I glazed the heck out of it using black glaze and an old towel. I think I may have overdone it, but it took about 5 minutes and was oh-so-fun!

Then I went to Home Depot and bought a $4 piece of MDF. They cut it for me for free.

I spray painted it with chalkboard paint, then glued the MDF into the frame using Liquid Nails.

Here it is, above the fireplace:

I'd like to enjoy it a while, then try to sell it on Craigslist.

Furniture Transformations

I have two projects to share today.

Found this little table on a trash heap on a very rainy day. The top is still a little ripply because of all that rain. Primed it, spray painted it Winter Gray, and tried a little distressing with sand paper. I think it's super cute. It needs a little more gluing of the bottom shelf before it hits Craigslist. What do you think? Bedside table? I hope I can find someone to love it.

I bought this desk for $11.00 at the thrift store. What a deal! It's almost 6 feet long and oh sooo heavy. The top was pretty scratched up, but the handy little sander I bought for with birthday money (Thanks, Aunt Betty!) worked like a charm.



Tom primed and painted it for me with a semi-gloss latex we bought to match Heirloom White. The hardware got a coat of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

I promised Tom I'd try to sell it, but I lied. I don't think he minded. Now it sits happily in my office where all the "blog-magic" takes place. Hee. Hee. I need to get metal frames to hang files inside the drawers. My desk chair is the suede one I found in the trash last year and spray painted. Yep, the suede and all. It sure is easier to take risks with things when they were headed to the dump anyway.



My old desk, which I've had since I was twelve, will have to be the one to find a new home, maybe after a fresh coat of black paint.

The One that Got Away

So on leg 10 of my 13 legs of driving and schlepping the kids around yesterday (is this boot camp for Back to School?), I passed a lovely bench on a trash pile. It looked like the one above, but without the artfully placed teacup and throw, natch.

Things working in my favor:
It was in the front yard of a house with an "Under Contract" sign on it.

The house was fancy-schmantzy, indicating the people probably bought nice stuff.

Moving causes a desperate need to unload treasures.


Thing working against me:

Very full bladder. Like seriously, intensely full.


I decided to rush home to avoid losing bladder control in my hometown while dumpster diving. When I returned with my helpful son in tow, the bench was gone.

Waaahh.

What about you? What's the one that got away?

So the Thing That Separates Me From Fred Sanford is What?

My name is Anna See and I have a problem with CHAIRS.


Today we will take a tour into the seemy underbelly of the See household to discover just how many chairs I've accumulated over the years. Prepare yourself for lots of dog hair, Legos, bad paint jobs, bad judgment and even worse photography.


Note: no dust bunnies were harmed in the making of this blog post.


I would like some lovely new chairs. They should be comfortable and stylish. Slipper chairs from Target, perhaps?

The problem is, this house is already full of chairs. Chairs seem to seek me out wherever I go. You may have already read about these chairs I found in the trash and fixed up:




They have two buddies--adirondack chairs-- chipping away in the yard and a few more "finds" on the back porch which, thankfully, can not be seen too clearly in this photo.

The suede chair I snagged out of the trash and spray painted is suffering right now. Her legs have started to separate from her body. Not sure what to do about that.

And you remember my thrift store dining room chairs. I bought 7, but only 5 survive. Not the most comfy things, but I LOVE how they look with their fresh coat of heirloom white.

But there's a lot around here I haven't shown you. The 6 Ikea dining chairs I got for $3.00 each are scattered around the house with various slipcovers and degrees of dog hair. They are comfortable and versatile.


I want to stain or paint the grungy legs of the ones that are in the kitchen, but I haven't gotten motivated to do it.

They can also be found in my office and our bedroom.

Also in the kitchen is this bench. It's an old church pew. It used to be in the front hall of my home growing up. My mom would hide her Tab and Coke behind it so we couldn't drink it. Now I use that same space as a pseudo-pantry. It's probably the only piece of furniture in the house that is safe from a can of white spray paint.

When I think of getting a nice built-in window seat here, with drawers underneath, I can't bear the thought of getting rid of this bench. This is where you will find Shadow perched (!!!!) waiting for me to get home from work.

"Pantry" view:






Then there is this elephant in the room, the dining room to be precise. Remember how I told you my grandparents were furniture people? Well, in addition to the broken settee and chair I have waiting for a new home in the basement I have this huge chair in my dining room, one in my bedroom, and a corner chair in my upstairs hall, all from the same Victorian furniture set. That pea green upholstery from the 70's is a terry cloth towel, I believe.

Wouldn't they look fun and funky painted a dove gray with black and white and hot pink upholstery? But that still wouldn't make them any more comfortable.

There's also the one that represents my first foray into spray painting and recovering furniture using a staple gun. This one is hanging out in a corner, looking for a new home.

Then we have these 2 wing back chairs. When I was growing up they were green and gold velvet. I had them covered in denim about 15 years ago and they could use some sprucing up again. Silhouette pillow courtesy of my super-creative friend Theresa. Every Thanksgiving my parents sat in these at either end of our really long dining room table.



What about my mom's little cane chair next to her antique desk? I remember her sitting there in our old house paying bills and writing notes on thick correspondence cards-- all January Jones-like with her blond hair and housecoat. Later, this became a good spot for me to sit and talk to boyfriends on the phone until the wee hours.




Do we dare venture upstairs to the top of the house?

This dainty chair was used by the smallest relative each Thanksgiving. I was the youngest, so that was usually me!



What about this one in Jake's room? It is huge AND uncomfortable, but for some reason we all love it. I'm mad at myself for getting rid of the slipcover my grandmother made for it in the 50's. Darn. How do you like all the crap on it? Keeping it real.

In fact, I'll admit that there's no way we could possibly SIT on all of the chairs I'm showing you, given their varying degrees of uncomfortableness (?) and disrepair, but they do make good holding areas for stuff.

Guest room time. This old chippy wicker rocker was on our screened porch growing up. It's the chair I rocked (and rocked!) my daughter in when she was a baby.



I love this armless rocker in the basement. Unfortunately, it got punctured in the moving van (by another chair!) and has a hole in it. My grandpa tried to talk me through how to re-cane it before he died, but here it sits. It was in my bedroom growing up.




Any tour would not be complete without a peek into the creepy unfinished basement area:


A favorite platform rocker from my Dad's parents. It needs a new arm.

Yes, those are stacks and stacks of other chairs. I do believe these pictures clearly illustrate the dangers of having storage space. Thank God I don't have a garage.

So, I guess it's beginning to become clear why there are no new Target slipper chairs in my future. I really do want fresh, stylish furniture, but I can't help but be drawn to the Charlie Brown aspects of hand-me-downs and cast-offs. I feel like they can be redeemed. And if not by me, then by whom?

Which may explain why I did not hesitate before picking this up at the thrift shop on Thursday for $2.00.


Yes, I know, Tom is a saint.