Happy July and a Desk Makeover

Wow, it's July already.  Happy new month!  I'm particularly glad to see it, although it's not usually one of my favorites.  Here in Northern VA,  July is typically hot and muggy and buggy.  Not my favorite combination.

But this July is different.  You see, a couple of weeks ago I had a numerologist give me a reading at a Solstice fair in Shepherdstown -- an adorable little town in West Virginia.  The woman looked at my numbers and the first thing she said was, "Have you been having a bad year?" 

Honey, you don't know the half of it!

But the good news was that my year was almost over, and would change in July, my birthday month.  So here I am, ready for new energy and positivity!  (Is that a word? Well it should be if it isn't!) 

One of the good changes we've had around here is we've taken our house off of the market, and have decided to stay here awhile.  That means no more getting up early every morning to make sure the house is sparkling clean by 9am for showings. No more gathering up the dogs and trying to find something to do with them for an hour while people were looking at the house.  Sometimes we had to do that two or three times a day.  What a hassle that's been -- especially when my foot was broken!

So although I was kind of looking forward to a new place to decorate, I'm really glad we're staying.  That also means I've been able to start painting furniture again. 

Like this desk.  I got it a couple of years ago at a thrift shop.  Yes, it's been sitting in my basement, then garage, for more than two years! 

It needed a lot of work.  When we pulled it out of the pile in the garage for me to get started on it, part of it fell off!  So first it went to my furniture repair guy, who knows much more about this stuff than I do.  He took it apart and re-glued and nailed it back together.  Luckily I got it cheap!  Now its as sturdy as new, but the top was badly scratched and some of the veneer was coming off on the side.

So I sanded the top until it was smooth and patched the veneer.  Then I gave it two coats of ASCP in French Linen, lightly distressed and waxed it.  I replaced the original hardware, which I left with its original patina.

Here it is now, at my booth, given a new life.  I love taking sad- looking pieces and giving them a second chance! 

 

 

 

 

Next up is a dresser which I'll get started on soon.  The weather today is hot, humid and labeled "unhealthy" by the weather service, so I won't be painting.   A typical July day!

Hope your month is off to a great start!