The Saga of the Many-Colored Coffee Table

First off, I would just like to say that I realize what a horrid blogger I've been. I realize how INCREDIBLY behind I am on posting things and on reading everyone else's blogs. I realize it has been AGES since I've done a proper post on my children and about 193,648 other things that are probably much more fun to read about than my coffee table. But. I've been sick this week. And I'm behind in everything else as well. So, this is what you get: an entire post dedicated to a piece of furniture. I'm ok with it. I hope you are too. Don't leeeaaaaaave me!! don't give up on me yet, dear readers!!! :)

If you have read my blog for any length or time or happen to know me personally, you must know that I like to paint things. I paint anything and everything that can be painted, sometimes more than once... as is the case with our coffee table.

It all began not long after we moved into our house, when I began the search for the perfect coffee table. I wanted it to be round, I wanted it on the smaller side, and I didn't want to spend a fortune on it (ie. over $50 dollars. I'm cheap.)

I searched high and low, in every goodwill and thrift store I could think of, at Target and Walmart, even in furniture stores (which of course, was pointless). Nothing. Meanwhile, we continued to drag the piano bench over in front of the couch whenever we needed a place to set drinks or rest our feet. Those were dark days indeed (haaa).

And then, one Saturday I headed downtown to The Five and Dime Antique store (Woolworths, as you Bakersfieldians know it) just to browse. At this point I had given up on my search and was simply waiting for a table to fall into my lap. Wouldn't you know, that was almost what happened. I turned a corner and saw, sitting there, piled high with old books and dishes, a little oval coffee table. It was very shabby and dingy and old-looking, painted an ugly flat white. It was dirty and dusty... and it was perfect. I cleared off all the other junk, grabbed it and took it up front where I paid $40 to bring it home and love it.

Obviously, it needed paint. I was only too happy to oblige, and I spray-painted it blue.

November, 2007
See, the thing was, this was before I had really found my decorating legs, so to speak. I didn't have the "feel" of our home and my own style pinned down yet. Not to mention that this sort of thing is always evolving anyway... so, it was only a matter of time before I started to bemoan my blue coffee table and want to paint it again. I wanted something different, something fun that would pop.
Enter sister-in-law Jessica, who supplied me with a can of brilliant green paint. YES. and our coffee table was reborn yet again!

June 2009
I'll be honest, I LOVED this color. I still do. And if it wasn't for the fact that this paint, for whatever reason, started to chip quite badly and peel off in places, our coffee table might still be green.
But, since it NEEDED to be painted, well, who was I to refuse?

I knew exactly what color I wanted it to be: coral. I've fallen in love with coral as of late. It's so pretty and warm, and just the right amount of girly without offending the male sensibilities.

I also knew that this time I wanted to do things right and really prep the table so this paint job would last. A great idea, right?? I thought so too. However, 5 hours into the SECOND day of prep-work, as I continued to scrape and work in the hot sun, after my fingertips were tender from grasping and peeling back miniscule bits of paint and I had cut my wrist on the scraper, as I was pouring down sweat and muttering "kill me now" under my breath... NOT SO MUCH. I finally gave up, having only gotten a little further than this with the tabletop:

Never again. There's a reason I'm a slap-a-coat-of-primer-on-and-then-paint kind of girl. I sanded the whole table down as much as I could, primed it, and then began the part I really love: painting.
Behold, the finished project:



Sometimes it looks more orange, and sometimes it looks more pink-ish, depending upon the way the light hits it, as you can see. I love it. The coral is so cheerful and bright!

And how long will the table stay THIS color, you ask? I do not know, for only time will tell.

Home.

cheerfully vintage teapot and creamer, freshly painted breadbox.

thrifted chair (first seen here), painted funky blue. I like it.

gathering of hoops. The bicycle one was an old t-shirt with which I just couldn't part.

"Happy heart" print by tank&tink. Hi Molly!! :)

I adore birds,

and thrifted plates,

and this collection of loved things that sits on my old beaten-up shelf.

the cozy place.

old shutters? yes please.

green paint+old frames+pretty paper=craft project I love, and one of my favorite things-to-hang-on-a-wall ever.

Happiness.
Love.
That's home.

what are some of the favorite things you have in your home?

mighty pleased.

today, amidst the swirling dust filling our Bakersfield air (ew), we made our way to the mall, my three girls and I. After a brief stop in See's candy to get our free samples (yum), we got down to the business of the day: shopping for fall clothes. You see, with our cooler temperatures finally here, Emma has been wearing jeans that are starting to show her ankles. And Rosalie has been wearing long socks and onesies to bed since she has no warmer pj's. This simply will not do.

Well, I most happy to report that our expedition was a smashing success. After only two stores --The Children's Place and Old Navy, many clearance racks, and lots of strangers telling me how cute my baby is in her leg warmers (it's true, she is), we came away with all of this:



That right there is
3 pairs of matching pj's (how fun is that?)
10 shirts
4 dresses
2 incredibly cute plaid hats
2 pairs of shoes
1 pair of knee-high socks
4 pairs of leggings
3 pairs of pants
2 baby rompers (I think that's what they're called?)
and 3 skirts.

Everything all together cost less than $150. Now, in case you didn't do the math, that is an average of a little over $4 per item.

Booyah.

As a reward for my diligent bargain-hunting, I got myself a few things too... of course. :) These adorable flats literally fell into my hands as I was rummaging through other things. The fact that they were children's shoes didn't stop me from purchasing them. (what. I have small feet.)

I had to laugh at my $2 shirt because really, it's just so true for us right now. And in all honesty it will probably be worn as a pj shirt-- while we watch TV and cuddle and be the homebodies that we are. Very appropriate indeed.

So, yes, I am quite pleased-- and grateful-- with the results of our afternoon's endeavors, and very excited to dress my girls in their fun new things.



I think they're pretty excited too. New clothes are always a cause for glee, wouldn't you agree?

a-thrifting we will go

If you know me at all, you know how giddy and excited and happy a great bargain makes me. You know that I very rarely, if ever, purchase ANYTHING full-price. Some may say I am cheap. I prefer to call it "frugally creative".

You may also know that I adore a good project, and an opportunity to take something that was old and ugly and make it unique and pretty is a call I can hardly resist.

So, given my love of these two things, you should find it no surprise that a good thrift store makes my little heart go pitter-patter. I LOVE thrift stores. Everytime I step inside one I can't help but think "the hunt is on!" And when I walk away from that store having found exactly the thing I needed (even if I didn't know it) for a ridiculously cheap price, it is a heady victory that leaves me with what I can only refer to as a bargain hunter's high. Who needs drugs? I've got THRIFT STORES, baby!

Well, in the past month or so, I have been so blessed as to enjoy many such victories in my thrift store excursions. It all started when we were in Denver visiting my family, and my mom and sisters and I decided to make a Goodwill trip. Lydia really wanted to find a desk for her room (which she did, a VERY cute one for $10!). Seeing as how we were over 1000 miles from home with a van full of luggage and kids, I really had no intention of buying anything for myself. And then, I saw it. A chair. THE chair.

The price tag read $14.99. It was in perfect condition, other than a slight fading of the upholstery. It was clean. And cushy. And SO CUTE. I knew I had to have it. I did stop to wonder for a brief moment if my husband would kill me for purchasing a CHAIR when we were halfway across the country... but it was a very brief moment. So, I pulled the tag to take to the cashier, already so excited at my wonderful find.

And then, oh wonder, she told me that all furniture was half-off that day (seriously? Why don't any of OUR Goodwills have sales like that??). Which brought my chair to a grand total of a little over $8. EIGHT DOLLARS! That's euphoria right there, people.

It now sits in our living room, and my plan is to paint the dark wood a light blue, just to lighten it up a bit and bring out some of the color in the fabric. If you look at the back of the chair, where it's not as faded, you can see that there are some really beautiful colors in there.

I love the spindle detail of the legs, and have a feeling you'll be able to see it even better once it's painted.


On that same shopping trip, I also came across this grand bowl for only $4.99:

This is one of those things I needed and didn't even know it. I've since used my beautiful bowl all the time, for lots of different things. The shape and color is so perfect.

After this wonderful (and very exciting) thrifting experience, I was left wanting MORE. So, a few weeks ago, my dear bestie Jessica and I headed downtown for a kid-free, therapeutic afternoon of shopping at some of our local thrift stores. Our good friend Stacie (who is a thrift-store aficionado), had tipped us off to a couple places we'd never been, and we couldn't wait to see what was in store! Well, they did not disappoint. At the first one, I found a pair of very chic barely-worn shoes...

and this adorable teal jar...

...among some other fun finds that weren't as picture-worthy (a few games and books, baskets, etc.).

The next place we went seriously looked like a hole-in-the-wall, and I was a bit dubious as to what we would be able to find there. Turns out that yes, it was most definitely a place filled with a fair amount of dirty old junk and extrememly out-dated ugly clothes... but, with a fair amount of digging, there were LOTS of treasures to find. Also, everything was incredibly super cheap, so when we did find something, it was extra exciting.

Behold, my treasures:
REAL leather boots, exactly my size, exactly the kind I've been wanting for fall. $3.


Retro dishes. 50 cents for the big plates, 25 cents for the small. (there was only one good big plate, so I use it as a platter, but I got 7 little ones.)


This was my favorite find of the day. A vintage (probably from the 60's or 70's, judging by the tag) dress! I love the colors and the stripes, and it fits me just right. The price? One dollar!

And look... pockets! I adore a dress with pockets.


Thank you, thrift stores, for being so good to me and my wallet. I will always love you without fail and most passionately.

What about all of you? Have you had any good finds lately? Do tell!!