Craigslist dresser RE DO all under 100 bucks!!

Once upon a time (last April) I bought a dresser off craigs list. It was solid wood, and for 65 bucks, it was a steal!

It was a cherry wood color, with ALL the scratches to compliment it (can't tell from my photo). My original plan had been to use it for my sons room. I sanded her down:

After I sanded it down, it sat for 8 months. YES, EIGHT FULL MONTHS.
Something about it just didn't scream "boys room" to me. And so for eight months she sat alone in our den until I was done painting Ethan's room one day last week and it hit me!

I thought, well we are painting our bed white, and our current dresser is retro (authentic 60's / 70's mod family hand me down) VERY VERY VERY nice, however, the drawers are so small.

It hit me then, that we'd use our old retro dresser for Ethan's room and I would paint this one WHITE to match the farmhouse bed and go with our new cottage bedroom.

PERFECT! This Sunday I put the last coats on it and she came out PERFECT! :)

Ignore the fact I didn't put all the pulls on yet. I was going to buy them off Ebay when it hit me again, WAIT, I don't have to go to a hardware store and spend 2 bucks or more a pop for new pulls, I have the old kitchen cabinet pulls that I saved when we switched out new pulls in our kitchen.

The previous owners had salmon pink walls and elderly people taste, these floral pulls were not my taste at all. I decided to scuff them up and spray paint them with rustoleum's oil rubbed bronse. PERFECT :)


I may fill in that shell design that is on so many pieces of 80's and 90's furniture with wood putty and paint it lol:)

I took my time doing this piece, and didn't cake on the paint, I made sure it would be a wonderful piece, so much infact the wood grain shows right through the paint :) I am so tickled pink!!

The top looks lighter due to the flash. Yes, I have spray paint and etc on my den carpet, don't worry it's my next room redo:) That carpet is so old it's probably original to the home.



Finally, complete!! Now I can start Ethan's!

I am so in love!! You can not touch a solid wood refinished piece for under 400 bucks by us. TRUST ME, i tried every thrift store in this city. They were selling ugly pieces (original beat up stain) for atleast that price.

Total cost breakdown:

*craigs list dresser - $65
*Olympic white semi gloss paint from lowes - $24
*Good paint brush - $13
*Dresser pulls - FREE (old cabinet pulls)
* Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint - (about 5 bucks had it laying around so FREE)
*Sand paper - $5

Total: $112
You just can't beat that price for a brand new piece of furniture! Can't wait to get this bedroom all together!

Crib Recall & More DIY Projects

So, I must say, for an unlucky girl, I have been pretty lucky lately (knock on wood). First I accidently stumble upon a link to see Ethan's crib (that was my daughter's and is 6 years old) has been recalled. So the link said to take it back to wal mart. I did, and they gave me 172 bucks for it, NOT bad for a 6 year old crib that retailed at 250 years ago! And of course PERRFECT timing while I was redoing his room and considering nixing the crib all together. What am I doing with that money? I went and spend 60 bucks in lumber to build the toddler farmhouse bed @ knock off wood:)

I must admit though, I am still not finished with the queen size farmhouse bed.

The center panels in the directions were the wrong size, so had to fit it accordingly with a smaller piece of wood:( Just a little bump along the way. I thought about painting or staining her white. Then black. Then back to white.

Now? Well, now I just sort of love the unfinished pine wood color, it's just beautiful to me. So I am thinking currently - I will just seal it.

The next lucky thing? Well I bought this bed at wal mart on clearance for 80 bucks 3 years ago, it retails on wal marts website for 250 currently. I posted it on craigslist and some guy purchased it for 70. :) Gotta love that the 3 years I used that bed I only paid 10 bucks for it:) That money? Well, it will go towards the stain and finishing Ethan's dresser and his bed room.

So many projects, so little time, but I am so excited to be able to do this!

Dresser Re Vamp

Okay, remember months ago I was on the hunt for a dresser for Ethan? But even the wal mart ones were too pricey for me? (yes, say it, I am cheap - I know this).

I'd tried craigslist a gazillion times also to no avail, either no one would respond or it was already taken. (drats).

Then one day I got lucky - oh yes, yes, I did! Not only did I come into a 100 dollar bills (haha). I found a solid wooden beauty on Craigs List for only 60 bucks. I hopped on it, and was glad she wasn't taken. I got even luckier that said couple delivered dresser to my door FREE:D

so 60 bucks later I have this HUGE ole 90's dresser, scratched up, ugly brass pulls, but functional and I have a dream for her!



It only took a couple weeks and i invested in a sanding sponge..and a FUCK TON of elbow grease, but I started the process of making her pretty:



Did I mention hand sanding is a pain in the rear? Well, IT IS..two hours later I finally have the top sanded down to the wood:



annnnd, I took off those gangly 90's brass hooker knobs.


Now, I just need to finish sanding the rest of everything and then she will be an espresso finish and PERFECT for Bubby's room!

Can you tell I am elated to begin this project?

Now let's just hope I finish it, as you can tell my farmhouse bed is still incomplete LOL!

A creepy craigs list tale (worth blogging)

Generally speaking, we are always paycheck/paycheck living. I mean our bills get paid, sometimes they are a little behind, but never the less, we don't have much room in terms of extra cash.

I have been trying to find our son a decent used dresser that I could purchase for cheap and fix up myself with the help of a sander and some paint..

I admit I have browsed craigs list daily in search of said item, and usually I get no response when messaging a person, or they tell me it's already sold (drats, just my luck!) hehe.

So earlier I was once again browsing the craigs list furniture section for my local city and saw the title said something along the lines of "flea infested couch". I thought to myself, what in the hell? Who is selling a flea infested couch and DAMN they are BRUTALLY honest.

When I opened it up I found the story was actually opposite and cringed:

http://fayetteville.craigslist.org/fuo/1585022945.html
Flea infested CL couches

::SHIVERS::

We have had fleas before, and I know first hand they are ANNOYING to get rid of! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, so reading that post really made my skin crawl. But it also made me think, how many people do this? Have a bug problem and sell their bug infested furniture?

I have to admit after reading that I don't think I will EVER purchase fabric furniture from ANYONE I DO NOT KNOW. I almost want to sent the couple an email of sympathy.

I think in short, I am done browsing craigs list for the day.