Oh, what sweet bliss it is to walk into a thrift store not knowing what you’ll find, and walk out with a piece of history at your side. My kids and I went to get some play clothes and I walked out with more than I came for. BIG SURPRISE, right? What you see below is a giddy me perched on top of an antique dressing table about to become a desk.
Who would leave this behind with price tag of $10 and also had a 35% off coupon burning a hole in their pocket? Not ME! tee hee!
Do you have a bucket list? Ya know. A list that holds either coveted events, or places you’d like to go? In all the years I have been working on furniture, there are a few different types or styles of furniture that I haven’t had a chance to work on. Today, I’m taking one of them off my bucket list and showing with you how easily I refreshed this Broyhill hutch desk with my favorite sprayer and removable wallpaper. Yes, I did say removable.
You might be wondering why a hutch desk would be on my bucket list. Well, they are versatile, functional, and are typically kinda boring like this one. I wanted to take a sort of ugly duckling and make it shine. This one in particular caught my eye because it had nice form and was a Broyhill hutch desk, however, it was dated. Don’t you just love the pressed acorns? I half expected a squirrel to scamper by
Do you ever find you are drawn to an era, either because of family lines or maybe just the design style suits you? For me, it’s anything that has a story. Particularly for me that have a utilitarian function within a home. Take this vintage secretary desk radio, for instance. Yes, it was a radio and a desk at one point. It looks to have seen many faces in its time, and was even given a slightly dark face currently.
It was painted black on only certain parts was to hide the fact that it has replaced doors. This is actually a Red Lion Cabinet Company radio cabinet with secretary desk on top. While the bottom was the space used to house the radio. You can see what this originally looked like
As a kid, I remember my parents taking me to farms and country properties to go to auctions. Mmm…the smell of the outdoor spaces and the thrill of the hunt. Especially for me as I was knee-high to a grasshopper and had the perfect height to dig through the boxes looking for treasures. Sometimes those days lasted long as we waited for the items to come up for bidding. I remember my dad picking me up and telling me to lay my head on his shoulder. It wasn’t long before I was sound asleep in the best place ever.
My mom knew how to sniff out a deal at a garage sale and also knew how to haggle over prices. She would usually allow me to pick some sort of treasure while on our hunts, and like most garage sailing, sometimes you come up empty and sometimes you strike it rich. Oh…those were the days.
My parents are my treasures that I feel sometimes I have yet to fully appreciate. Do you ever long for a rewind button? My days fly by and it seems time is slipping away too fast. One thing that hasn’t changed is their love for me. Take this oak desk for instance. It could have been cast aside as my dad went through the newly purchased property he had acquired. He’s been a fixer upper long before that title became a household word, and, I must say, the best one there is. When he asked me if I’d like to have it, I said, “Sure!” I mean…who wouldn’t, right?
At first glance, the only major issue was with the top. Somehow, one of the
I was born on a farm and I live in farm country, so you can best bet I was tickled to see that our Themed Furniture Makeover Day was going to be all about FARMHOUSE. Yee Haw! I have had oodles of things going on that should have kept me from joining up this month, but I didn’t want to miss out because I had the perfect project I had been aching to work on. Meet my farmhouse desk straight from the farm…literally.
I saw this desk listed by a local lady who owned an antique shop and called to inquire. She told me it had some damage with nicks and such, but it was in good structural shape. So, I sent my hubby to pick it up and he said it had been stored in her barn for quite some time. This is what I found…
Ummm….that’s more than the “little bit of damage” she mentioned.
Last week while I was working on my curbside settee makeover, my oldest son had picked a new project for himself to work on as well. He recently reworked a little girls vanity and it sold quickly from my shop, and we were looking for another large piece for him when I spied this vintage desk on Craigslist.
It had been for sale for a little while and I was keeping an eye on it for a potential project for myself. Since I had plenty to work on, I asked my son if he wanted to have a try at it. I contacted the owner and it turned out to be a neighbor two houses down. Small world, eh?
She was so nice to let us come over and take a peek. I was a bit hesitant to let my son take on the desk because the top had a split in it where the boards had warped and lifted. I didn’t have much time to spare to help him out fixing it, but we decided to take it anyway.
Ready to get your tool groove on? It’s Power Tool Challenge time! Today, I am working with a fantastic group of DIY bloggers and we are going to show you how to make use of a basic tool – the jigsaw. My project: a super-cute hedgehog pencil holder.
If you missed the last challenge using only a common drill, you’ll want to stop by to see how to build this rack (with endless possibilities for variation). No cutting needed, just a few simple materials and a DIY attitude.
Today, I have a back-to-school project that is fun and functional. Meet my sweet little hedgehog pencil holder…
She’s a cutie patootie, but also versatile too. With this basic shape, you could create a rainbow, a bear face, a car, a bumble bee….endless possibilities for this shape!
*affiliate links are included in this post so you can find the products I love too! (see full disclosure)
To say I’m excited would be the biggest understatement of the YEAR! I still cannot believe that 2 years have passed so very quickly and I am in awe of God’s goodness.
I want to thank all of you that participated in this event, from my lovely sponsors, my family, and of course, my readers! Do know that I wish with all my heart I could give each and every one of you this prize.
Enough of the sappy stuff, right? Let’s get on to the WINNER!!
Wahoo!! I’ve made to my 2nd year blogiversary and I want to thank YOU readers for all your love and support. Without you I wouldn’t be here! Just wait until you see the gift I have for you!
Let me take a minute to reflect on my beginnings. It all began on Mother’s Day two years ago when I signed up for my blog, though didn’t actually start posting anything until the early part of the following June. I took most of May to learn, set things up, and create graphics. I was bleary eyed from all the code, but having a blast learning. As of last May I was new to being a mom of 6, had to run in high gear because I had medical bills to pay from being in the NICU with our babe, so off I went like a mad-woman painting and selling furniture in my shop. There were times we needed the money the next day and I was scrambling around trying to figure out how we were going to make the payment, and my latest piece would be listed and sell within a half hour. BAM! God is so good. He knew what we needed and when. Like when I finished this feed sack chair. It sold lightning fast and was a hit on the internet. 
I like to highlight some of my favorite pieces over the last year. One was an antique table makeover with my favorite color: Aqua 
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