Coral Striped Headboard

This is a simple headboard that I painted grey with a coral stripe down the center.

I've never used stripes on furniture before and I was a little hesitant to try. I just used regular blue painter's tape (not the expensive stuff). I painted the coral in the middle. Taped off the sides. Sealed the tape with the coral color and then painted the grey. After a few coats and a couple of days I peeled off the tape and I had a perfectly crisp line.  Easy Peasy!

The paint colors are Behr's Creek Bend and Youthful Coral. I just purchased the testers for $3 at Home Depot. 

You can find this piece for sale in my Etsy Shop. 

Visions in My Head

The past couple of weeks I've been on a mission to find a buffet. I wanted to use it as our T.V. console, entertainment center or whatever it is that you want to call it. Well, I found one for $50. Bargain!

The hubs and I carried that 70 pounder up two flights of stairs because oh yeah we couldn't live on the first floor.  It's $200 more  a month for the same apartment that just happens to be on the first floor. The bargain shoppers that we are, we just couldn't justify paying $200 more. So, back to the point. Yes, we carried this 70 pound buffet up 2 flights of stairs.

It was quite comical. The hubs is 6'5" and I'm 5'5" and I'm not necessarily what you would call strong in the physical sense. Up the first flight we tried flipping it over and over again until we reached the second floor landing. Then the second flight of stairs we did a little by little, inch by inch, pick up put down method. Anyways, we made it to the third floor and into our apartment exhausted but no injuries.

I was so excited about this buffet that I couldn't wait to tackle it. I started sanding it the very next day. The second day I put 2 coats of paint on it. The third day a third coat and 2 coats of stain. By the fourth day it was finished and I stood, head cocked sideways, staring and thinking, I'm not sure this is what I envisioned.

Convinced, however, that once we got it inside and the T.V. on it and the decor around it I would see that it was in fact what I had envisioned in my head.

Wrong!

The hubs and I lugged it into our living room and he put the T.V. on top of it. Again, I stood, head cocked sideways, staring and thinking, No, this is definitely NOT what I envisioned! Darn it!

It was all wrong. All wrong! Ugh! I just spent 3 days making it into what I thought I wanted and it was not at all what I wanted.

First, lets start with the paint choice. I chose white because I recently added some white decor to the living room and I thought it would tie in nicely with that. Also, I thought it would brighten up the space. Next, I chose a mahogany stain. What you need to know about me is that I've never stained before. This was my first go at it. I don't know a lot about staining except what I read on the back of the can. However, it was relatively very easy and it seems like it would be difficult to really mess up. My only problem with this particular stain was that it was way more red than brown. I was looking for brown. Even though on the can it had a picture of the color it was and it looked like a dark brown with a hint of red which is what my coffee table and end tables are. Needless to say, this red wood was not matching with my  space at all.

Still determined to try to make it work I decorated it. Put all our DVDs and games in it. And, as the hubs told me to do, I let it marinade for the night.

As I was watching T.V. I knew that it was just wrong for our living room. It didn't fit. It didn't work and I could try to force it but I was not going to be happy with it.

So, the next day, the hubs and I AGAIN moved it and brought our old entertainment center back to its spot.

I was disappointed. I really thought it would be awesome but it wasn't.

Here's where this story takes a turn. I decided to put it in my Etsy Shop. Within the first hour it already had 21 views. Which, for me, is a lot. Some items can take days to get 21 views. Anyways, within 2 hours someone was emailing me telling me it was exactly what they were looking for and really wanted to buy it. I was ecstatic! This would be the first time I sold a piece of furniture on Etsy. Yes, I've sold a few things on Craigslist but not furniture that I put a lot of time and love into like this one.

Now, time to ship this 70 pounder! Uh oh...

Here are before and after shots and a link to my inspiration which was by Perfectly Imperfect (Awesome!). Have a look~see!

Before... Bleh!

After

Tickle Me Turquoise

I recently accepted a job where I get to work from home. Yay! My parents gave me this armoire that is actually a computer desk armoire.

Since I need to fit a home office in my one bedroom apartment and still have room for my husband this was perfect. And I can simply close the doors at the end of the day and I don't have to stare at my work while eating dinner.

All it needed was a splash of turquoise.

Topped off with some chocolate brown glaze. Voila! Home office complete!

If you want to do-it-yourself only a few items are needed:

1. Paint - Norway Aqua by ColorPlace (Wal-Mart, $10)

2. Glaze - Chocolate Brown by Valspar (Lowes, $17)

3. Paintbrush

4. Dishcloth

5. Something to paint

This is a very simple project. You don't have to have a lot of experience. Glaze is ever so easy and it gives any item that aged vintage finish we're all looking for. You simple apply it with a brush and wipe it off. If you are painting it on a flat surface like I did, then you do have to pay close attention to your brush strokes. Be sure to keep them even and going in the same direction. Also, a little goes a long way.