Murphy's Table

Murphy's law states, "Whatever can go wrong will."

Meet Murphy's table.It looks innocent enough. A well built little table that someone else had done a makeover on. It was just a few dollars at the thrift store. You would likely buy it if you saw it, right? I did.

Now I'm going to share with you some lessons I've learned (or re-learned) from this little project.
Lesson #1-If you decide to paint on top of a manufacturers paint job, give that paint a thorough sanding. Many manufacturers use an oil based paint. If you paint with a latex paint it will not adhere well.
Lesson #2-Use a good primer. It appears that the original owner may have primed this table first, but if you don't use a quality primer, after sanding, your nice paint job will chip easily.

A GOOD PREP JOB=A GOOD PAINT JOB.

Lesson #3-If you buy someone else's makeover, first do the fingernail test. In an inconspicuous spot dig into the paint with your fingernail. If it chips off with the pressure of your fingernail, no amount of new paint will fix the problem of a poor base coat. If you have a poor base coat you'll need to strip the entire piece.
Lesson #4-Be sure to clean the item before painting.
Lesson #5-Don't be in a rush or be doing too many things at one time. This is a hard lesson for most women to learn. I accidentally dropped my cute table and cracked one it's legs because I wasn't following this rule.
Lesson #6-Wood glue and a clamp can fix just about anything. Notice that I said wood glue? (Refer to Lesson #10)
Lesson #7-A few light coats of paint are much better than one heavy coat. Too much paint usually results in drips and/or brush lines.
Lesson #8-Lightly sand between coats of paint.
Lesson #9-Let the paint dry thoroughly, between coats and on your final coat.

Lesson #10-Use the right tool to make the job go faster. Oftentimes taking what seems to be a shortcut actually takes longer than if you would have used the right tool.

Now that we've reviewed our

ten furniture makeover lessons,
may I present to you,
the new and improved Murphy's table....Doesn't it look right at home next to my PB chair?

Have a Seat in My Foyer

Look at my Pottery Barn chair. I snatched it up at a thrift store for three bucks a few months back. I had no clue where I'd put it, but who could pass up that price! When I got it home I noticed that one back leg had been broken, but it's been repaired well and is nice and solid.
Last week after I moved my table into the foyer, the chair that was there looked out of place. So I washed the cover of my PB chair, and sanded and painted the legs black. Now it has a prominent place in my home.While we're in my foyer, let me show you around. This area measures 8 feet by 11 feet. It's a great size, but there are doors and openings on every single wall, which makes it a bit of a challenge to decorate.This is the backside of my front door. When we moved here, there was a door and a separate long window. We replaced it with this door and side lights, which was a nightmare job for our poor carpenter. My hubby and I put up all the decorative molding. I really wanted to make a statement on this wall. We put lighting in the crown molding. It makes for a cozy light during the day, as well as at night.This little piece was on my doorstep one day. My neighbor was helping her daughter de-clutter and she thought I might like this. I do!
My hubby and I were given permission to remove this mail slot and elevator button from a very old hotel just before they demolished it years ago. Little kids always ask if my closet is an elevator. Wouldn't that be nice.
Well, that's it for today. But I'm thinking that my new chair needs a little something sitting right next to it, so I'm off to work on tomorrow's post.
Make it a good day!

Bouquet Abundance

In my ideal dream world, I would have a big decorating budget. Part of that budget would be used to fill my home with fresh bouquets. I think this dream is brought on by gazing at so many home design magazines. Isn't there a fresh bouquet in practically every photo?
Then it occurred to me. I could achieve my dream! I didn't need an unlimited supply of money. All I needed was a little creative thinking. I needed to think beyond the florist shop. Now I'm enjoying fresh bouquets throughout my home.

A bunch of cat tails freshly cut
from the side of the road,
while on a date with my husband.

A few fern fronds picked from my yard.An inexpensive flower bunch from the grocery store,
placed in several jars for more impact.It just goes to show, that with a little creativity,
you can achieve your dreams!

This One's For You

Two posts in one day? Yep, cuz my blogging friend Shirlee wants some inspiration from a little project that she noticed in one of my previous posts.I bought this wooden clock face at the thrift store. It was someone's unfinished project. I brought it home, finished the paint job and distressed it, then added some big chunky ball feet. I use it to as an anchor for my vignettes.
I'm always willing to help out a friend. Good luck my friend!

Change With That Sale

Look what I found on the garden clearance!

Isn't it a fun accent?
Although I like the rusty finish, it doesn't match
the other garden accents in my front yard.
So there's just one thing to do---
get out the spray paint!
Can you guess which color?I like it even more now!

It's lost it's rustic qualities and has found it's elegance. It looks so nice on my front porch,
with the fake grass that I don't have to water.
It looks so nice that I'm feeling the need to change out my porch decor.

Doesn't this bouquet look summer-y?
I rescued that metal thing from someone's garbage pile.

I bought new pillows at the thrift store
for my old church bench.
And the frame came from there too.
The topiary is one of those items that gets moved
all around my house.
I need a rest from the heat of the summer
and they say "a change is as good as a rest".
I think they may be right!

Table of Contents

Look at this lovely little table!

Can you guess what it's made from?Does the hole in the bottom corner give it away?For years it served as a short, four panel door
in someone's home.
It still has the original weathered stain.
I just stained it's top to match.
Don't you think it's a-door-able?