We’ve all had them. Those weeks or days where it feels like nothing is going right and you just want to hide under the covers. Well, you might have noticed a slight leave of absence last week since I was most definitely having one of those weeks.
My husband had been working in Haiti so our communication had been a little less than ideal, meanwhile I’d been pulling some major hours of my own. In the middle of all our working, my cat, Slater, got sick with a kidney disease and suddenly passed away. It was a complete shock and while I got him to the vet in what we all initially thought was enough time to save him, he curled up and let go before they could even try. Needless to say, it is not fun to call your husband, who is in the middle of reporting on such a terrible tragedy, to tell him terrible news of our own.
A week later things are looking up. Although Meatball is lonely, he’ll be getting a new buddy soon. Floyd is home safe and sound, and the weather Gods gave me a snow day. Yes, I’m getting tired with all the snow and winter too, but I must say it was nice to have a forced day to lay around the house, watch bad movies and eat junk food. I can always eat healthy tomorrow right? Besides, snow shoveling is a major calorie burner!
That said, I do have something fun to report. My first Before and After DIY project! Yeah, fist bump baby! A friend of mine recently moved and I snagged some of her old furniture that was in too rough of shape to justify the moving expense. We are in major need of furniture for several rooms, but I’m trying to watch the budget and do things thoughtfully over time. So in the meantime, I thought this little shelf might work nicely in the guest room once it received a little love. Turns out I was right!
After:
Here’s how I worked it. First, I sanded it with some sandpaper we had lying around the garage. This is an important step to ensure the paint doesn’t bubble and sit on top of the old stain. Next, I used white semi-gloss spray paint and covered in two coats. It took about 10 minutes a coat and two cans. Finally I bought a quart of Behr semi-gloss paint in Hidden Meadow, and painted only the backside of the case. I really wanted a color that popped. So while it was so intimidatingly bright on the sample chip that I got a lecture from the Home Depot lady about color testing, I went ahead with my gut instinct that it would provide a fun cheerful look that wasn’t too overpowering once filled with books. Total cost, approximately $15.
So what do you think? Should I continue down the DIY path and tackle her old end table next?
