Decorating continued...

Wanting to fancy up the dresser I made a trip to Lowe's hardware and went hunting for wood elements to add to it.  I found this:

I am going to attach it to the top of the dresser where the riser is, but first I had to find a way to attach it.

Breaking out the jigsaw, I cut a small block of wood from a left over 2 x 4, and glued it to the back.  I then used a C-clamp to hold it together and let it dry for a good 24 hours or so.

Then it was time to start painting it.

First coat applied, I moved on to the furniture itself.

This is the top coat paint, paint I had mixed for my walls, and as you can see I have a whole gallon left over.

I applied a coat to the end table.

It needs one more coat, then I can distress it.

And while the paint dries I have lots of other things to do.  I bought some pretties to dress up my lamp shade, but when I went to start on it I realized I was out of Tacky Glue.   I picked some up after work yesterday so now I am ready to go.

And I promised my best friend that I would come over to her house today dragging all my flower arrangement supplies and help/teach her how to make swags and arrangements.

It's gonna be a busy day.

Maybe I will manage to get a coat of paint on the dresser.

Next project!

This piece actually has a long history in my family.  It's been sitting in my basement for some time, and at one time I had two, but I believe my ex threw the other one away.

This belonged to my mother, before that it was part of a vanity, you can still see where it was attached to the central piece.  Sometime before my mom received the pair, it was taken apart and made into night stands.

Mom had painted them way back in the '70's.  She had 'antiqued' them.

When she passed away in the 80's, I somehow ended up with them.

This was an era when wood was 'in'.  So I had begun stripping and refinishing every piece of wood furniture I had, including an old oak dresser that was my sister's, then mine and had about 8 coats of paint on it.  I still have that dresser.

But anyhoo, as you can see, I refinished it at that time.

But years later, it does need a redo.

So I am painting it.

In my limited experience painting furniture, I learned to be patient.  The last piece I painted, I was in too much of a hurry to get it done, and the paint stayed 'tacky' forever.

First, I sanded it lightly with fine sandpaper, so the wood will hold the paint better.  (I've been researching.)

I also had to remove the drawer pull.

Unfortunately, it was stuck so fast that WD-40 and a butter knife (since my flathead screw driver is missing) wouldn't get it off.

Time to take out the BIG GUNS!

Gotta love power tools!  WALA!!

The prep work done, I was ready for my first coat.

Big difference all ready.

The hard part was the details.  

This will look real pretty distressed.  

But I am going to wait a couple days before I put another coat on.  

One tip, don't bend over and get your hair in the paint can.

Two reasons...you don't want hair in your paint, and you don't want paint in your hair.

I am going to go wash the paint out of my hair now.

:/