The Beastly Piece

Okay, so I think I'm ready to revisit the antique dresser.  This was one of the most difficult pieces I have ever refinished.  It was very large and very beat up.  I had never worked with a piece that had peeling veneer, so I was unsure of what to do with it.  Should I replace it, pry it off or patch it with some wood putty?  Turns out I did two of the above.  Some parts were too far gone to try and repair, so they required complete removal, other places I fixed with wood filler.  Prying off old veneer sounds like it'd be relatively easy, but I was wrong.  It took lots of elbow grease, a hammer and a blade to get that stuff off.  I had to chisel away slowly in order to get it off in one piece, otherwise it would split and that was not good.
So I ended up prying off several pieces on the drawers and on the inner side.














Once I got all that off, then it was time to sand.  That all went well, then the primer went on.  I allowed that to dry and then mixed up my concoction of paint. I used a light gray called Woodlawn colonial gray and mixed it with a white I had on hand until I achieved the pale gray I was looking for.  I gave it two coats.  I then applied an antique glaze to give it a worn look. After it fully dried I gave it a coat of clear semi gloss poly acrylic. 
I debated over what hardware to use, I searched high and low for something that would do this piece justice.  But in the end found nothing in my price range, so I decided to try and spray paint the old ones. 
They looked pretty, so I decided to go with it.












Once it was time to put the handles back on, it got a little tricky.  If you look closely, you can see there was a plastic part on the handle that I took off.  That made it a little more difficult because the screws didn't line up the same.  Let's just say I wanted to throw my screwdriver in the woods and never look back.  But finally I made it work.
Then it was time for the doors to go back on. I made the mistake of not marking where each screw and hinge was to return.  So it took me several attempts to get them back on right.  Because when they don't line up correctly the doors won't close.
Ugggghh!  This was the most frustrating part, but eventually I got it right.  So from now on I will be taking note of each and every screw and hinge I ever take off in the future.  Let that be a lesson to you.
So even though I've had my time with this thing, I still love it dearly.  It was a great learning experience overall.   Please see the after here.

Side tables before/after

As promised here are the side tables I've been working on for the past week.  These were very nice tables, solid wood, no defects of any kind.  It's so much easier to work with a piece that requires little improvements.I purchased these tables from an estate sale a while back.  They had great structure and elegant details.

Before
                                                         I sanded the tops down really well, and applied a dark walnut stain.  I didn't sand the rest of the piece, just used oil based primer.  I painted it a mix of a pale green, gray and white.
After
  


























Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed the eye candy, because everyone loves a good before /after!
Have a great day :)



*Update- SOLD


Linking this to
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2010/08/spinning-plates.html
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/08/strut-your-stuff-with-plaid.html
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2010/08/under-100-linky-party_18.html
http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/2010/08/get-your-craft-on-thursday-and-give-way.html
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2010/08/show-off-your-stuff-party-41.html
http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/08/18/hookin-up-with-hoh-13/
http://terelauritsen.blogspot.com/2010/08/its-party-time-thursday-15.html
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/08/furniture-feature-friday-link-party_19.html
http://www.remodelaholic.com/2010/08/remodelaholics-anonymous-meeting-33.html
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2010/08/feature-yourself-friday_19.html
http://decormamma.blogspot.com/2010/08/44th-edition-of-frugalicious-friday.html
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/08/welcome-to-84th-metamorphosis-monday.html
http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/2010/08/motivate-me-monday-32.html
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/08/sunday-showcase-party-w-csn-stores.html
http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-your-craft-on-tuesday-21/

New Camera! ...And a recipe

Last night I finally got a new camera!  Lately I have been borrowing my mom's Nikon D90, which is a fantastic camera but waaaaay out of my price range.  So after lots of research and talking to people about what camera they like, I decided to go with the Nikon D60, which I got a pretty good deal on since they have been replaced with the Nikon3000.  So I have been playing around with it this morning, but need to fully understand the manual and how to use it before I start posting it's pics.  So I leave you with one of my favorite recipes...  Also my dresser is featured at House of Grace today!

Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meat Loaf

 Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups mixed greens

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400° F.
  2. Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, the parsley, red peppers, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish. (See Tip, below.)
  3. Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165° F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
  4. Whisk together the remaining mustard, the vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
  5. Divide the greens among individual plates and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Serve with the sliced meat loaf.
I hope some of you really make this, because it really is good!

Mountain Trip

This past weekend my husband and I went on a camping trip with a large group up in the foothills of the Appalachians.  The site was located just outside Asheville NC in a small little town nestled in the hills.  This place was unbelievably beautiful.  The weather was great and the land we stayed on was perfect.  It was owned by a sweet lady that had lived there for over 30 years and took great pride in her property.  She had previously been a farmer, but now primarily caters to private groups.  The house was over two hundred years old and she had fixed it up and made it a lovely home. 

I loved the front porch, with the overgrown ferns.   You could hear the little stream that ran next to the house while you relaxed on the rocking chairs.                          Several animals also lived on the land.  She had a few dogs, couple of cats, horses, a pony and a donkey.  They were all super friendly and happy as could be living in this amazing slice of heaven.
 There was a garden where she was growing corn, tomatoes, and squash.  Along with several species of flowers.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend as well!

I heart Estate Sales

Last weekend I was able to go to an estate sale sans kiddo.  My hubby stayed with our angel as I rummaged through some old lady's junk.  But it turned out it wasn't junk at all.  It was a pretty cute house albeit infested with mold, but cute nonetheless.  I was able to score some great stuff, and since I went the last day everything was half off!
Here are some cute bedside tables~  I like how they are both different.
     











Here is a sweet little high chair I also discovered in the mold ridden basement.  I'm not kidding you, this basement was a health hazard.  I was only down there for a total of 5 minutes and I started to feel the mold creeping it's way into my lungs.

And also these great lanterns found in the shed out back.
Not sure if they work, but I'll probably just clean them up and use them as decoration.


Just FYI, there is a great website out there called Estatesales.net where you can put in your zip code and it will email you when an estate sale is in your area.
Tell me your funny estate sale story- did you go into a smelly house, or the house of a hoarder? I'd like to know!

Vegetarian Lasagna

Once again another recipe I got from Real Simple, their magazine may be getting repetitive but I always seem to score a new recipe or two. Lasagna is one of my favorite meals.  It is so rich and filling.  It's the perfect summertime treat.  Wait, I mean wintertime.  Regardless it tastes good all year round.  I had a dinner party not too long ago where I made this tasty, heavenly dream.

Broccoli and Three- Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce container ricotta (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 1 pound frozen broccoli florets—thawed, patted dry, and chopped
  • 2 1/4 cups grated mozzarella (9 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 16-ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the foil
  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, broccoli, 2 cups of the mozzarella, ¼ cup of the Parmesan,½  teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and cream.
  2. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, a quarter of the remaining sauce, and a third of the broccoli mixture; repeat twice. Top with the remaining 2 noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan.
  3. Cover tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake until the noodles are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Toss the greens with the olive oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna

Big Reveal!

The reason I'm making such a big deal out of this one is because it has been a beast of a piece.  This has taken me a week to finish, longer than any piece of furniture I've ever worked with.  Probably because it was the biggest and most damaged.  I worked many hot, sweat filled days on this and I'm very proud of the way it turned out.  First of all, it had a lot of veneer on it that had started to peel and was difficult to get off.
Exhibit A~ Before                     It also had a good bit of dings and scratches.         Exhibit B~

Exhibit C~The top was also a little worse for wear.
                               But nothing a little sand paper and elbow grease couldn't fix!
Are you ready?  First another before~

Here she is in all her glory~
AFTER
   I decided to go with the original hardware, but obviously I changed the color a bit. 














I used a mix of oops paint, a light gray mixed with a bright white.
Then I used an antique glaze and heavily distressed it.  I spray painted the handles Heirloom White by Rustoleum.









And one more, just because she's cute~

I absolutely LOVE it!  Thanks for stopping by, have a great day :)
PS- I'm sorry there is not a more detailed "how to" on the piece, it was a very difficult process and I'm not sure I'm ready to relive it yet.  I'm linking this post to 
http://thegirlcreative.blogspot.com//                    http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/08/show-andtell.html
http://www.luckystarlane.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2010/08/32nd-power-of-paint-party.html
http://www.bargainshoppingparadise.com/
http://meandmybucket.blogspot.com/2010/08/show-us-what-youre-workin-with-23.html
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2010/08/under-100-linky-party_11.html
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2010/08/book-smarts.html
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/08/strut-your-stuff-with-creation-corner.html
http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/2010/08/get-your-craft-on-thursday_11.html
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/08/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link.html
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2010/08/feature-yourself-friday_12.html
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/08/sns-44-brings-you-your-most-favorite.html
 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/


















How to: Red desk

So, I've received a lot of questions about the red desk.  I probably should have included this with the original post, but I wasn't aware I had so many readers that would want to know how I did it :)  Which by the way thank you all for your lovely comments regarding the desk!
Originally, I didn't start this blog as a "how to". For a couple of reasons.  When I'm working with a piece I usually don't have a plan.  I have a picture in my mind and I do everything to make it look how I imagine.  Whether that means mixing paint colors I don't know the name of because I get them as"oops paint", or changing the color in the middle of the project because I was inspired by something else.  I'm always learning new techniques through trial and error, and I encourage you to do the same.
So I will try my hardest to remember exactly what was done, in order for you to achieve a similar look.
     
So basically this desk was in fine condition, it just needed sanding to remove the top layer of stain .
After I sanded it, I wiped it down very well with a damp cloth.  You must make sure your surface is clean before you paint.
I had found a red I liked in the "oops paint" which was called Rum Runner by Olympic.  Then I chose another red off a swatch called Quiet Red by Valspar.  I mixed them together until I achieved my perfect red color.           
I brushed on the red and let it completely dry before I applied my stain.  I used one of my husbands old white t-shirts to apply the dark walnut stain, in a haphazard way.  That is where you must get creative.  I'm not sure exactly how it came out the way it did, but I was happy with the result.  Then I did a coat of clear polyacrylic. The stain must be dry before you do your clear finish.  This does take time, waiting for everything to dry before you go on the next step is very important.
That's pretty much how it was done.  I can't reiterate enough that you must be creative in your work.  Creating a vision for your piece and making it happen is very rewarding.  Good luck!                                   

Sneak peek

Here is what I've been working on the past couple of days.  Don't mean to disappoint but there is not an after......yet.
I've been outside sweatin' to the oldies, sanding, priming and painting this monster for the past week.  It just gets too hot and I have to take lots of breaks.  I find that I can only work on it in the morning and evening, so I don't pass out from heat exhaustion.This has been one of the most difficult pieces I've worked on so far.  But one of my favorite pieces!  Can't decide if I will keep the original hard ware.  It's pretty dirty and grimy, anyone out there know of a good way to clean it?  I may just go with something new.  Stay tuned next week for the big reveal!

Easy dinner

This is one of the easiest and tastiest dinners I have in my recipe book.  I know most women who cook for their families are always looking for the next easy less than thirty minute recipe and this is it.  (Except for the fact that it takes about 40 min for the chicken to cook). But other than that it is fast!
Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks
  • 12 chicken drumsticks                                 
  • 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  1. In a shallow bowl, mix together salt, pepper, and cheese. In a separate bowl, beat egg until lemon colored. Dip chicken in egg, coating well. Roll in cheese.
Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, or until brown. 

I served the chicken with a box of this couscous and a crisp romaine salad with feta dressing