"Goodwill" Ambassador

So remember that one time that I was doing my bedroom over?  Yeah, me too.  It's coming along nicely around here.  Projects a plenty.  I have two more dressers to paint and the room itself, but whatever....I'm not sweatin the small details here people.

What I DO want to talk about are the projects I have done.  And Goodwill.  And my favorite new neighbor friend Kalli and her amazingness.

Story goes...this adorable new family moved into the neighborhood in like, August.  They bought this cute little house just across the streetish from me, with window boxes full of flowers and a wee porch.  Said house is the EXACT same floor plan as mine, so of course I was intrigued to see what she'd done with the place.  One day I ran into her at Wal-mart (shhh say nothing) and told her I'd been planning on re-doing my bedroom and maybe she had some thoughts. A LONG while later we were at a Relief Society lunch and as she was leaving I just boldly said....can I come over and see your house right now?  She's so gracious and said of course.  So, Maggie and I toodled right on over and.....OH.MY.GOSH!  I was in love.  Her house is adorable, beautiful, light, bright, amazing and heaven all in one.  And herein lies my FAVORITE part.  EVERY.SINGLE.THING in her house (beside her redonkulously high bed and her couches) is from Goodwill or Craigslist.  Yep, everything.  Wall decore, lamps, tables, crib, dressers, whatever.  She just finds deals, paints 'em up and wahla, gorgeousness.  And sometimes, she buys things for 5 bucks and then paints them all pretty and sells them for a 100 bucks on Craigslist.  I love smart and thrifty people like that.

All this is a VERY long explanation to say....we have now bonded and shopped IKEA together, discuss Goodwill on the regular and squee over fun finds.  She's been over to consult on paint colors and I've gone to her house, well, mostly to just take in the eye candy and look at her latest finds.  AND I am now a total Goodwill whore.  I've gone at least 3 times this week.  Don't even tihnk for one second that I don't have my eye on a round kitchen table that I'm hoping to get on 1/2 price Saturday for 25 bucks.  And furthermore, don't think that I haven't already purchased a few bargains or 10 all for the bedroom.

Not the least of which was this nightstand I'm about to show you the before and after for.
I reallllllllllly wanted a round table, just a small little thing, to go next to my bed.  I'm moving my nightstand to Jeres side and I wanted something petite and pretty on mine.  But wee round tables are apparently hard to come by.  And, let's face it, I'm cheap, and poor and not willing to pay a lot of money for one.  Plus, kalli totally screwed me out of the ONE she found in Sun City...so wahtever. I'm not bitter.  Anyway, as I was in the Goodwill yesterday morning this sad, scraggly and ugly nightstand caught my eye.  I filed it away as a maybe and went on my merry way with a pretty milk glass bowl and some berry wreaths that I got for a DOLLAR!

Today, after pondering it I decided what the hey.  I can get that table for TEN bucks and make something of it.  And, if it sucks and I happen to find that ellusive round table, well then, whats 10 bucks.  Plus, I'd jsut recently seen this very style of table on Better After and it was so cute when redone.  So, I went with my bad self and bought the table.  And in my utter haste to get it redone, I forgot to take a picture of it when it was still dust covered and gross.  The picture I DID take is when i've cleaned it all up and had already started putting the primer on.  IDIOT!

Yep, she's ugly in all her yellowy wooded "glory."

And her shape...I don't love so much.

BUT, on better after the lady added pretty little curved legs, and I want to too.  However, for the record, Home Depot does NOT carry such things.

JERKS!

So, here is my After, and I must say....I really love her.  Even if Jere DOES mock me for the color and the glaze.  Speaking of, let's just get it out there that this is only the second piece of furniture I've ever painted and the FIRST that I've ever glazed.  Glazing scared me, and Kalli was nowhere to be found for my virgin voyage.  I forged on and well, just appease me by saying you like it.  Ok?  OK!

She looks so pretty in my room, next to my bed, even with my still beigey walls.  Makes me all the more excited to get it painted.  So, new nightstand for a total of about 20 bucks with paint, knob and nightstand purchase.  NOT BAD!

While I was at it, I decided to paint my already existing nightstand.  Jere thinks I'm totally crazy and wierd for suddenly all this furniture painting, and just rolls his eyes at me.  MEH, it makes ME happy, so there.

Once upon a time when I was 15 my parents redid my bedroom and bought me "the most beautifulist dresser and nightstand EVER."  And I'm fairly sure I'll STILL be using said dresser and nightstand until death do us part.  Anywhozle, they have definitely worked hard for me and been good.  But, it was the random realization one morning that "hey, I want to paint my dresser." that started this entire, re-do the room thing.  Sometihng needed to be done, and paint is cheap.

Just so "woodsy".  But I will say, these bad boys were built to last.  Solid wood all the way around.  And HEAVY as all get out.

But, the wood color and brassish hardware had to go.

First a couple of coats of a light gray.  It will be against a white wainscoting, so I wanted it to have some color variation.

Then the glaze to bring out some detail.

And that's him....all done.

I like it better in person.  But, what ya gonna do.

For the record....I did not sand any of these AT ALL.

Just cleaned them, and then sprayed primer on them.  Let them dry a couple hours and then painted them.  I also spray painted the hardware a metallic black.  It looks cool and works great.  Honestly, if I could just spray paint everything, I totally would.  SOOOO easy!

Yeah, we have mismatching nightstands and I love it.  This room is gonna look so completely different when all is said and done.  And all I know is, it will feel fresh and light and pretty and inviting and that's all that matters.

BUT, the moral of this story is....Goodwill is AWESOME!  I think I might have found a new love.

This is your Goodwill Ambassador signing off!!