What can you say?

What can you say when the unthinkable happens? When something horrific and violent, like a shooting at a theater or a mall or a school, shocks you out of your daily routine and makes it impossible to just be... happy.

I cannot grasp how these things happen and I'm just so terribly sad for the families involved. Those that are innocent victims and those that cannot understand why their children would do something so awful. What was so terribly broken in these minds and hearts that they thought this was a viable response to the world around them?

Tonight, our synagogue had our annual menorathon: we bring our family menorah and candles and light them together. It's a beautiful sight to see so many lights burning brightly... reminding us to be a light to the world, to continue the chain of tradition, to reflect on years past, to burn with hope for the future. Tonight it felt like a reminder that there is light in the world and that we need to fan those flames when we have dark days like today.

Praying for peace and healing.

Sometimes my brain goes on vacation without me...

You know how sometimes you can reaaaaaaaaaally mean to do something and you just... don't? Not things like taking out the trash (I forget that on purpose) or putting laundry away (that's just a self defense mechanism) but just other things that seemed important and then... weren't.

I forgot to post finished pictures of the square end tables:

Nothing really changed from this picture, tho. I waxed them and put their hardware back on and I wish I had a large enough living room to really use them before they find a new home. Unfortunately, my living room will not expand so these puppies are just sitting in the garage until someone realizes they NEED them. 

Originally listed them at $75 for the pair on my Facebook page but holidays are approaching and if I want to be able to acquire anything new to work on, these guys need to go. $55 makes them yours, peeps!

More sale prices coming up soon!

Ikea hack - French grain sack theme

This dresser is actually one of a pair we own. I think it's an old version of the Tarva or Rask? I don't know for sure. It's 4 to 6 years old tho. I know I put it together while big and pregnant, I'm just not sure who was baking. haha. 

I actually unpacked and took all the pieces upstairs so I could put it together in the hallway and not have to carry the assembled frame/drawers up. Just couldn't wait for the hubby to help, I guess. 

So! It's just a simple yellow pine dresser. It wasn't finished but when I tried to stain it yesterday, you would have thought that was a lie. It would NOT accept any stain except for in the one spot that I'd sanded a water mark off. Ugh. I wiped it all down (sorry! I didn't think to get pictures of this mistake) and took it outside and hand sanded the dickens out of the top. I just wanted to stain the top to contrast with the white, you see. Anywhoo. It looked much more 'receptive' but I guess it just wasn't good enough. I stained it again with English Walnut and it only took the stain with any conviction in the few places my 80 grit had gouged. Double ugh. 

And this is when I did what any self respecting DIYer would do: I mixed up some chalkish paint and painted the whole dadblasted thing. 

Right before I got started tho, I dug out some massive chunks of hardened Plaster of Paris or grout from my gallon of off-white. Triple ugh. I should have taken pictures but A. I was alone and B. both of my hands were covered in paint. 

Anywhoo! I painted this puppy during the girls' nap and then started googling to see what I could do with it. I thought about doing some grain sack stripes and found a couple pieces via Pinterest and Google: this is my favorite.

In progress...

Yes? No? Still deciding on the new hardware. I wanted to get some pretty red ceramic melon knobs but then I found these: 

and now I am not so sure. 

Magazine table, take.... 4?

Another lucky find at a local ReSale store. I just can't turn away from these types of tables. They're too cute! This one has plenty of life left in it and it just wants a bit of color...

After a quick cleaning, Glen here got a nice coat of Cobblestone from Maison Blanche. This is starting to be a favorite of mine because it's so nicely neutral. A few turquoise or white knick-knacks would look cute on this table. 

The little jewelry box doesn't come with the table but is available. :) 

What to do with a pair of chairs?

A dear friend of ours was having a yard sale recently and, like good friends do, let me know about a few items of interest. :) A couple of things will simply get new life here with the kiddos but these chairs will be looking for new homes soonish. 

These chairs are in good shape, if a little sad looking. They've seen some use and the back of one had to be re-glued. I love this style, tho. Small enough to not be always in the way but big enough that they don't look like kid chairs. 

I sanded them down a bit, brushed off the loosened finish on the leg and back turnings and broke out the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. 

I wish I had a little breakfast or nook table that matched them but this little wine table makes a decent stand-in. For picture taking, anyway! :) 

Adventures in PaintLand...

Some weeks ago, I painted two hefty end-tables. 

I love this color and I use it on just about everything. It distresses prettily, contrasts with just about any color you can set your heart on, and a coat of wax makes it just perfect. 

BUT! these are end tables. So they needed something a bit more durable, right? Something that could withstand a bit of use and the occasional toy car race. 

Or, you know, invasion. *teehee*

Unfortunately, my trusty water-based polycrylic turned on me and I ended up with a table that looked like it had been the sole repository for a chain smoker's exhalation for about 20 years. Yikes! It was awful. Terrible. It was a terrible, no-good, very bad result. 

Yup. I had to drag the table outside and sand the daylights out of it to get all that yellow, nasty funk off. At least the girls had a good time running around in the driveway, playing 'go to sleep, kitten!'

Re-finished table finale coming soon. Once I get the wax out...

Dresser in French Enamel

Ignore the messy kitchen and the *ahem* beer kit in the background. This dresser came from my husband's grandmother via his mother. It looks so melancholy, does it not? 

Nothing a nice coat of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in French Enamel can't fix! I originally thought I would paint the whole top surface as well but... I do like a stain/paint contrast. So I'm going to haul it back outside tomorrow and sand the dickens out of it, making it ready for some red mahogany stain. I <3 that color so much.

Now, here's the only thing I don't care for when it comes to milk paint. When you sand it to give it that baby-bottom finish, it smells like soured milk. I don't know anyone who's a fan of that. But at least it doesn't retain it for long and it's definitely worth putting up with for the end result. 

Update:

It needs new hardware on the top drawers. I'm thinking something funky from Anthropologie would be a good touch.