Do you still have the first piece of furniture you painted?
Well, I will be sixty in a few weeks and I still have the Lowery Blue Desk.
In 1975, I graduated from The University of South Carolina and moved 70 miles up I-20 to Camden, South Carolina to the King Haigler Apartments ...
and my first teaching job.
I had a bed, a dresser, an orange plastic Parson's table and a black and white TV. Oh, and a round wicker chair.
So each grandparent, aunt, uncle, and cousin pitched in to pass their extra furniture to me. My granny gave me my father's childhood desk. It is a two-person desk - the drawer slides out both sides.
It was an indeterminate wood of a brown finish with tons of scratches and dings.
My first project in my new abode was to refinish this desk. I spent some money (gave up a couple of meals) for a Formby's (I think) antiquing kit in blue.
My parents refinished furniture when I was growing up so I had an idea of what to do and I followed the directions on the kit.
There are obviously no before photos from 1975.
People did have cameras.
I did not.
I painted the desk the blue after mixing the paint - it was milk paint, by the way. Yes, way back when. Then I glazed it with the gray gel provided. It gunked up a little on the top, but I loved the outcome.
Fast forward to early last week when I pulled this desk from the attic where it had been for 20 years.
I still loved it!
I just took the hand sander to it and distressed it more and gave it two coats of Minwax.
I think it is quite lovely.
I bet very few of you have an original piece from decades ago.
I call this Lowery Blue because my father's eyes were blue.
I do not. I have Guillebeau brown eyes.
Here Lowery Blue sits outside the craft/computer/guest room waiting his turn to be shoved, er, carefully placed.
Sorry about the wonky photo. I had to stand on the stairs to take it.
No, not my childhood play house though it is identical to mine. It once belonged to the lady around the corner. No one in her family wanted it.
Really?
We pulled some more memories from the attic this afternoon.
I will take photos for you to see.
I promise.
See y'all!
FABULOUSLY CREATIVE FRIDAY at Jennifer Rizzo
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
The Cottage Market Presents Junkin Joe Every Friday
Party Junk #211 at Funky Junk Interiors Every Friday
Sunday Show Off Party at Twigg Studios
It has been decades since I bought and used milk paint. The last time being somewhere back in the age of big hair - early 1980's. So I decided after a year of mixing up my own chalk paint (which is similar, but not quite the same) I would actually shell out real money for a small bag of Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Sea Green.
I found this table and thought it was the right candidate for the job.
It was a pretty good marriage of old pieces put together and very sturdy. It only needed a light sanding on the skirt and the legs.
The top needed more sanding because of stains.
It cleaned up right nice. I almost just tung oiled it, but I had committed to the milk paint test.
Since I had used this product many times, I took liberty with the instructions while mixing a batch. I use those small plastic containers with the measuring lines down the sides.
Three full spoons of the paint, four full spoons plus a tad extra of water. Screw on the top, put on a good CD (yes, a CD - at least I did not say record!), and shake, shake, and shake some more. Probably this is the most important step - you do not want any dry particles.
I applied two coats to the underneath and four coats to the top with a foam brush. I had a little left over to paint a couple of baskets which I forgot to photograph. Take it from me - they looked great on the table!
Just use your imagination.
This is the top as it was drying. If you want a thicker coverage without seeing the wood grain, follow the directions on the package. Please remember this stuff really covers many square feet of furniture.
It does not store well, but I have kept it for a week with a piece of plastic wrap over the surface and the top of the jar sealed tight. I placed it in the bottom of the refrigerator.
Next the waxing. Milk paint like chalk paint must be sealed. It will water-spot easily.
I used Howard's Citrus Shield in Dark Oak.
Here is one leg completed and the other waiting while I took the time to take a picture.
Is your furniture patient while you do this?
Often mine has the temerity to go ahead and dry without me!
You can also seal with a varnish.
Do not, I repeat, do not try this at home. After waxing half the table and taking a photo, I had a devil of a time waxing that line out. Lucky for me it was a warm day and the wax was very soft.
I buffed with a cheap paper towel, then a soft rag to get a shine.
If you wish, a light sanding before waxing gives a gleam to the finished product.
Another of the same after photo as above. Remember you are supposed to use your imagination to see the beautiful baskets with fake hydrangeas stylishly placed on the table.
I was sure I took that photo.
Sometimes I am super-fast on the delete button!
Okay, will I use this milk paint again? Well, this is not a product-endorsing post. The company does not even know I exist. So I had to pay for the bag of paint and there is a bunch left. Yes, I plan to use it again. I am looking for another candidate this easy. The table had no finish on it so it was easy to prepare. There is a whole slew of preparations for pieces with a paint or stain finish on them.
I know I usually show you what I bought over the weekend today, but it has rained buckets here. I have not even unloaded the car. I am promising a show soon.
OOPS! Now you know I painted this table two weeks ago. My bad.
See y'all!
I'll be over at Donna's Funky Junk Interiors for Party Junk 191 all weekend long!
Tucked into the corner of the porch last week was a brown paper wrapped package. I was thrilled to see the return address was Tammy Monahan from Homespun Happenings. It was my very special prize I had won.
I whisked it inside and carefully unwrapped the package. I am one of those people who believe the wrappings are just as important as the gift, and evidently Tammy believes this too. There was a handmade box top, burlap, and kraft paper squares! Oh, my!
And there nestled a beautiful piece of folk art. A blue milk painted box with the cutest leather handles. Inside was a bag of the same blue milk paint so Little Boy Blue can have siblings!
Here is Little Boy Blue after Tammy finished him. Read My Milk Paint Test by Tammy. I fell in love and had plans to do something similar with a tool caddy I had . BUT on Tammy's link party Rustic Restorations Weekend, she announced she was giving him away. I immediately put my entry in, but really did not hope to win. I have never won anything!
Imagine my surprise when I saw on the next week I had won the little box. Even Old Sandy could not prevent Tammy from promptly sending him to his new home.
Thank you so much, Tammy! If you love primitives, vintage, and painting, you have to check out the links on her party. Also, each week she posts wonderful projects she makes for her business and her home. Some of my favorites recently have been Printed fabric pictures and A Simple Piece.
Now, probably to your horror, what ever happened to that precious little box I named Little Boy Blue and all that cool stuff in the box?
The burlap was immersed in a concoction of green dye and coffee. Then it went to live outside being the drop cloth for dying the bottle brush trees, and finally he was spritzed with some shiny paint.
You will have to wait and see what comes next - I am not through distressing this piece of burlap!
I cannot let brown kraft paper go to waste, and Tammy had taken the time to cut out rectangular pieces. So I took three pieces to wrap around LED tea lights from Dollar Tree and stuffed them in the box for part of my fall centerpiece on the dining room table. (Which as you may remember only I can enjoy!)
I sit and ponder life by the warm glowing light from Little Boy Blue.
(Sorry! I could not figure out how to get a good picture of the box and a good picture of the glow. Thus TWO lousy photos for your enjoyment!
I was not finished with the list of duties for this box. I turned him upside down to use as a riser on the table. The little Beswick mouse stands atop him trying to reach a treat.
That beautiful primitive blue goes so well with fall colors.
I made sure the leather handles could be seen.
Here I used him to display some of the bleached bottle brush trees. This may have to be part of my Christmas display.
I used the handmade boxtop for my background. That is one rustic piece of cardboard. I have some ideas for it.
Turned upside down again to display some trees fixing to take a bleach bath.
I cannot decide which way I will use Little Boy Blue during the Christmas season, but I know he will be a wonderful addition.
I really love him!
See that arrow? That is where Tammy signed her work. All folk artists should sign their work.
So On Thursday nights, be sure to go over and join the fun with Tammy at Rustic Restorations Weekend. I will guarantee you will find something you will love! Oh, and all the people there are friendly!
See y'all!
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I painted the desk the blue after mixing the paint - it was milk paint, by the way. Yes, way back when. Then I glazed it with the gray gel provided. It gunked up a little on the top, but I loved the outcome.
