El Table de Chevron

This project happened on a Thursday. I work from home, which sometimes drives me stark, raving mad. I was having a particularly busy and frustrating day, so by 4pm.... I was DONE. By done, I mean DOOOOOONE. I could not stare at the computer screen any longer.

Later that evening, my roommate and I were expecting company for dinner, although, at this time we didn't yet have a dinner table. Thankfully, our friends are willing to sit on kitchen counters. I could have gotten dressed up for them. I could have. Instead, I put on my number 5 (a term we used in the community service group I traveled with for almost 2 years for the worst clothes you own... the kind you don't mind ruining with paint, sweat and whatever other gross things come your way). To give you a description... I was wearing a hoodie I found a few years ago in a lost and found bin where I worked. The hood was so tight I assume it originally fit a girl with a toothpick for a neck, so I ripped that sucker. The pants were a pair of tights I used for dancing in the show I was a part of with the community service group. One day, while on tour, I was too tired to do laundry, so I wore my dance tights to a service project where we painted a house. They became painting clothes after that. My hair, as usual (because I'm a tomboy who doesn't like to blow dry) was in a frizzy bun on top of my head. I'm not sure why I felt the need to describe my clothing, but there you go. As my roommate would say, I looked like an orphan.

I have these two tables in the living room that have traveled with me across states, and I can't bear to get rid of them. I'm not even sure why I love them.... probably because they were free. I can't pass up a good deal. FREE?! Yes. Free. I literally pulled them out of the dumpster when I was working for Bath and Body Works about seven years ago. There was also a ridiculously cute hutch, but there's no way I could have gotten that sucker into the Ford Focus (thanks to the 2 transmissions I had replaced, it was also known as, "THE WORST CAR EVER.") The tables had been taking up residence in my little brother's room at my mom's house for the last couple of years. I'm surprised they weren't dented/burned/demolished/broken/smooshed/slammed/stained. He is 17, after all... that's all that 17 year old boys know how to do....destroy things. When I moved into this new house, I immediately confiscated the tables, like a thief in the night....along with my stool (from the baby sister) and desk. Sorry kids, get your own furniture! :P

The tables are an ugly beige color. See below.

Ugly, and you ain't got no alibi.

I forgot to take a before picture of the little table, and now that I think of it.... I forgot to take an after... so that'll have to come another day... It's a story in itself, anyway.

This time around, I was a smart girl, and bought myself a mask from Home Depot, along with Kilz primer (thought I'd give it a whirl), and some Rustoleum Heirloom White (apparently, in the blog world, Rustoleum is the new pink).... I was on the fence about if I wanted it to be white and aqua (because I'm Aqua Obsessed) or if I should use a darker blue (as seen on the ugly owl here). My roommate decided aqua (Krylon's Ocean Breeze), so I obliged.



Because I've spent the better part of a month drooling over Twice Lovely's Chevron Dresser, I knew it was time to try my hand at it. Because I'm impatient, I decided to eyeball the pattern with painter's tape. It took awhile, but it was good mind-numbing fun. I think it turned out pretty well. I wanted it to have a non-chalant, hand-painted attitude.

Look into the table, you're getting sleeeeepier....

I then went for the aqua, while my poor friend, Anthony, watched and told me his latest girl stories. At this point, everyone was at our house, but I was determined to finish this project, dinner party or not. Worst hostess ever, right?

Taking my lead from All Things Thrifty's Glazing Tutorial, I knew that it was time to glaze away. Glazing is interesting. I had no idea if I was doing it correctly. You basically put on a bunch of tinted paint, try to get it in all of the nooks and crannies, and then, in my case, take an old ratty t-shirt to wipe it off. You can adjust the amount of glaze you slop on, and adjust how many coats of glaze, to give it a different look. It took a little trial and error. (Probably more error.) I put on several coats of glaze until I really felt like it was staying on the table, rather than completely wiping off. I do think it'd be easier to glaze if the piece had been more aged, carved or even somewhat less smooth than a baby's butt. Regardless, I really love how the piece turned out. I did later decide to attempt some sanding to give it a more aged, beachy look. I wish I had thought to do it before glazing, as I think that would have looked better. 

Check her out... what do you think? 

Hey, girl, hey!

I heart you, aqua chevron table.

I do need to take some better photos of it in the house. The lighting here just makes it look dirty. It really is adorable and brings some funk into our living room.

Update: I couldn't stand looking at those gloomy pictures, but my awesome camera is dead. These iPhone pics are going to have to suffice:

My grandmother hacked up my Hyacinth plant because, apparently, I was killing it. EEK. 

Linking this baby up here:

• Furniture Feature Friday
• Centsational Girl
• Transformation Thursday
• Frugal Friday
• Bass Giraffe
• Fab Friends Thursday
• Keepin' Company Thursday
• Stumble Through Thursday
• Terrific Thursday Blog Hop
• Thirsty for Comments Thursday
• Thrifty Thursday
• Thrilling Thursday
• Traveling Through Thursday
• Show and Tell Friday
• Social Parade Follow
• Remodelaholic Friday
• Boost my Blog Friday
• Weekend Blog Hop
• Buzz on By Thursday
• Best DIY Project of April

What's a Chevron?

So sometimes I feel like I'm giving myself a crash course in home decor trends and furniture restyling via the blogosphere. I wish I could say that I knew anything about any of this before now, but I'd be a big, fat liar. I read blogs, stroke my chin and say things like, "Ah yes, that's a lovely damask pattern on her valances." Then, I snap out of my trance and wonder where I am.

I've collected quite a long list of home/decor/furniture painting/glazing/crafts/vintage stuff/everything in between blogs on my Safari toolbar. So many that I've started organizing them into folders. This is how I learned the term, "Chevron." Chevron, to me, is a gas station. I'm still trying to figure out what the gas station across from my grandmother's house has to do with fabric patterns. I'm sure, someday, via the Inter-web-net Information Highway, all will be revealed. In the mean time, I'm jumping on the "OMG CHEVRON IS WAY CUTE" bandwagon.

For those who still have no idea what I'm talking about... Chevron, is a fancy way of saying "zig zag." Whenever a simple idea is replaced with an SAT-style word, it reminds me of my Film Theory classes in college. I was a total film geek, but not a film theory geek. Film Theory kids say things like, "I believe the red lighting of the fern alluded to the protagonist, who was a self-loathing misanthrope representing an anthropomorphic realization of the true nature of humanity, much like an Afro-Japanese electro-jazz song," rather than saying, "I really liked Mariah Carey in Glitter." When they would start throwing out words they could neither spell nor define, I would have minor rage blackouts and stare at them with disgust. Thus, my changed major.

I was beginning to see how adorable Chevron patterns were being used on curtains, throw pillows and rugs... until the heavens opened up... and a light shone down upon:

This beautiful hunk of burning love from Twice Lovely.

Be still, my heart. Look, I'm a practical kind of girl. I'm not sure I believe in love at first sight.... but I adore this dresser. Something about the colors, the pattern, whatever.... I'm in love. If I had the means and time, I would drive to Phoenix and buy this from her. Because I have a job, and I'm pretty sure this wouldn't fit in my sweet Corolla, I decided to make something of my own.

Tomorrow, or possible the day after, I will reveal my own Chevron adventure, inspired by Twice Lovely.

BEHOLD:

The..
Aqua...
Chevron...
side...
table.