Kitchen Table

I'll be honest, this was a full weekend project for two people, but the result is better than I expected for my first attempt at staining! I had an idea in mind for a kitchen table, but couldn't find a table in the furniture stores that matched the look (or price) I had in my head. So I headed to Craigslist. The $90 solid oak table was in pieces to make it easier to move, but I regret not taking more "before" pictures. After years of children, pets, and some major splatter disaster on the legs, the table was loved, to say the least:

What you'll need:

• A piece of furniture to stain!
• A tarp
• Rubber gloves
• Basic cleaning materials to scrub down the piece of dirt/food splatters, etc. 
• Sand Paper (80 Grit, 150 Grit, 220 Grit) - Variety packs available
• Hand Sander- we decided an electric sander would be awkward on the nooks and crannies, but if you have both to use, by all means, do!
• Tack Cloth
• Varathane Wood Stain (Red Oak) - 1 Quart can from Home Depot was plenty
• Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Premium Latex Paint (Gloss Almond) - 1 Quart
• Miniwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish (Clear Satin) - 8 oz. can was just enough
• Patience. Don't rush through the sanding or the paint drying between layers! 

Step 1 was to clean it and sand it down. As mentioned before, it required a lot of cleaning and I was very happy to have some extra gloves lying around. This was the most labor intensive and probably what caused the sore muscles on day 2. We first used a very tough paper (80 Grit) to get the original stain off, followed by alternating lighter papers (150 and 220 Grit) to smooth out the wood. Sand WITH the grain. You want it very smooth, this is where you'll be eating dinner!

We were anxious to start the staining after how long the sanding took. It was important to do long strokes (rather than short back and forth strokes) so as not to show streaks. You also want to make sure you aren't leaving ridges of stain from the strokes or drips at the end of the wood. The imperfections won't go away when you dry, so you should take your time. 

We used Varathane Red Oak Wood Stain We let the first layer dry overnight and decided to add a second layer the next day. The color was significantly darker after the second layer, so be sure you want that before opting for a second layer. 

After that layer dried, we did a top layer of Polycrylic protective finish, this required 4-5 layers, completely drying and dusting with a tack cloth in between each layer. This is what "seals" your table, so it can be used day-to-day and easily cleaned.

We chose Rust-Oleum Gloss almond latex paint for the legs and frame of the table. It was a pleasant cream that was very handsome with the stain. We did not sand the legs and painted each leg detached from the table. Once they dried, we screwed them into the table and painted the table frame. We learned the hard way that you should paint the leaf of the table separate if you ever want to take the leaf out again, as the dried paint will make it stick together.

The chairs were difficult. We tried to get away with only sanding the seats, but we found that the paint wasn't sticking and it was strip the previous paint with each stroke, leaving a clumpy finish. The sanding was awkward but worth it in the end. We stained only the seats and put 4-5 layers of finish on each of them as well (not on the painted portion). Make sure to get every side of the chair. There are a lot more nooks and crannies on there than you'd think!

Voila! The finished table!

It was a lot of work, but it was a labor of love and makes the piece special! Everyone is surprised when they find out I didn't buy it from a furniture store. I'd definitely do this more frequently and sell them if I had the space!

"America the Beautiful" Greeting Cards

$20/10 pack with envelopes. Please feel free to contact me before then if you are interested in purchasing a variety pack or single photograph set. 

"O Beautiful for Spacious Skies"

"O Beautiful for Heroes Proved"

"Alabaster Cities Gleam"

"Freedom Rising"

"Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms 1"

 "Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms 2"

Bachelorette Invitations

My only sister is getting married and as her Maid of Honor, I wanted to do something special for her bachelorette party. As I planned the night, I sent her a picture of Carrie Bradshaw and her girls walking glamorous through NYC and Cameron Diaz rocking out with wine and a winter hat in The Holiday, asking which she'd prefer.  She said a little of both, but I was having trouble finding much outside of the average crazy bachelorette ideas, so I was on my own for a theme. I decided to get out of the Twin Cities and go up to a cabin on Lake Superior in Duluth, MN, where we spent a lot of time camping as kids. I walked down to Paper Source one night and came up with this for the invitations --

I was planning on doing something with birch bark/woodsy, but that no where to be found, I opted for these white boxes instead. They were light enough that shipping wouldn't be terribly expensive and my mind was filling with things I could put inside to go with our theme.

I don't have a printer at home (and was too impatient to get started!), but I felt like decoratively writing the invitation would add to the personal touch. I had already purchased this paper since I was designing her wedding invites, but you don't need to use fancy invite paper if you don't want!

I had enough paint at home from past projects, that I could mix colors to make a purple (her wedding theme color). Feel free to go over several times or remix the paints to end up with the shade you want. I also had decorative stickers, stamps, etc. that I could add for extra charm. Be creative! You don't need to spend tons of money for each new project, use leftovers from past ones! The C was orange and kind of ugly and I was always missing the rest of the letters to create a word, so I painted it and used it for Courtney's box. The beauty of DIY projects is that you can make them however you want! Make sure to let the paint dry before adding anything and use a glue gun to add anything lacking an adhesive. 

There was really no rhyme or reason to how I did the boxes. I knew the girls weren't likely to see anyone else's so they could all be unique!

This 3D ring sticker was perfect for the box I was sending to my sister.

I cut a few pieces of scrapbook paper to lay in the bottom of the boxes and asked each girl to write a note, advice, or a memory on them to later be placed in a mini scrapbook for my sister. I also requested they each bring a picture, so I'll put the book together including pictures of the night as a fun memoir.

I wanted the girls to open up the boxes and get a glimpse of our upcoming night of fun. I picked up the cute gloves on sale at Old Navy, loved the Mason Jar shot glasses at Paper Source, and also put in two (unwrapped) pine scented tea light candles from Target.

I was thrilled to hear later that they did indeed smell piney when the girls opened them!

On the back of the invitation, I added some of the details for the evening that my sister didn't need to know.

Finally, I added some bows with ribbon to a few of the boxes.

I wrapped the boxes in brown packing paper to send and was able to add the postage (about $5) to the corner. I was very pleased with the satchels that I ended up with. Think Narnia or Anne of Green Gables ;) I added the bow to the bride's with a little help from the hot glue gun. My sister and the girls loved them and I had a fun time putting them together, so it was a successful project! More to come on the decorations for the night!

Trash to Treasure

I found this old frame of wood sitting next to the trash bin in our alley and figured I could use it for something. I spray painted it white to match my room, bought some cute cheap knobs from Hobby Lobby and voila!

I have so many pretty scarves that it is a shame (and a struggle) to keep them stored away, so in the colder months I wrap them around the hooks and sides and hang them from the corners.