side table re-finishing

i know this isn't the round tables below.  sigh.... i forgot to take a before picture so i took a picture of their ugly step sister still in her original form.  if you can picture her circular instead of a rectangle then you will know exactly what my two round tables looked like before they were made over.

i started with sanding. (actually my kind hubby did it for me.) thanks b.  got all of that lacquer finish off of there for a nice clean surface.

i then mixed 1/2 cup paint and a little less than a 1/2 cup water. 

i slowly brushed on the paint.  waited for it to dry for about 20-30 seconds and then took a lint free cloth (you can buy them at the hardware store.)  make sure to get the ones that say lint free as you don't want lint rubbing off on your paint.

you take the cloth after the paint has dried for 20-30 seconds and rub down the paint.  the goal is to rub it into the grain.  it gives a nice patina look to the furniture.

i did this on each piece twice allowing 30 minutes between first and 2nd coat to dry.

after two days of curing i sanded down the edges on the top and some areas on the legs to make it look a little more worn.  i used 220 sand paper.

i then sprayed three coats of poly urethane on to keep them in good shape for their next owner.

i spray painted the bronze hardware with rustoleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint.

they are up for sale now on craigs list.  hoping to fetch a good price so i can redecorate the boys playroom and add shelving to hold all of their loot. :)

end of the year teacher thank you

here is a little something i put together so my boys could let their preschool teachers know how much they appreciated them at the end of the school year.  i don't know how those ladies do it i tell ya.

i started out with some mini clay pots.  remember that chalkboard project i did?  well i had a lot of chalkboard paint left over.  so i used it on these pots.  that way they can re-use them and write herb names on them or whatever.  two coats of paint brushed on is what it took to get these babies looking good.

when we were done we planted lavender in them, something that will grow and help them relax this summer.  lord knows they need it after this school year.  i added some torn colorful fabric around it as well as a little tag that thanked them for being them signed by the boys.

a simple little project that took a little time but will hopefully make the teachers smile.

sooooooo TWO

this is the face i see most of the time these days.  don't get what we want and erupt into a river of tears.

what's that you say? all this crying is still not working? well then... 

i'll try something a little more dramatic like this.  still crying and yelling NO. (our new favorite word, maybe our only word these days.)

tell me friends when does this end and why can't my kids be on the same page at the same time.  brady is all smiles and cooperation these days it seems they have flip flopped.

sigh....

i know we will make it through this and i won't remember how terrible it was a year from now lets make that two years. i have forgotten, well almost forgotten what brady was doing at this age.

motherhood.  not for the weak of heart.  love you logey we will make it through this...

the new bedtime

this is the new bedtime in our house.  books on the ipad.  the boys love them almost as much as their daddy does.  what on earth are these guys going to read from to their kids? time will only tell.