Our Big Family Decision

3:37 PM



Sorry no DIY or refurb project in this post, but I thought I would let you in on some news we've recently made for our family.

First of all, I hope you are all having a fantastic summer and are staying cool in all this heat!  We are doing well here in Dallas and little Collins is adjusting perfectly to life on the outside.  Brooks is one of the most caring big brothers I have ever seen and loves bringing “Ca-Ca” (aka. Collins) his blanket, pacifiers and holding his foot if he’s crying (it’s adorable).
I love watching their future forever friendship blossom and it’s with a heavy heart and mind, we have made a decision about their future, and mine.   I have decided to put my cell phone down, my e-mails away, and focus on them 100%.    Chris and I have discussed it and think that me transitioning into a full-time mom is what is best for our family right now.   
I have absolutely LOVED my time being a full-time toy sales rep and am so thankful to my boss to giving me an opportunity to have a career with as much leeway has I’ve had.  I've been able to travel all around the country (CA, LA, WI, NV, PA, and NYC just to name a few) and even the world (Hong Kong, China 2x!) and will always love looking back on those opprotunities
ate chicken feet in China....
spent many many winters in NYC for trade shows and even got to work with Mark Cuban on a couple of his Shark Tank lines
I have been in my industry for 6 years and am VERY sad about leaving, but excited about the future ahead.  As I’m sure all of you are aware, babies turn into toddlers, who turn into big kids, who turn into teenagers, way too fast.   
In addition to being MUCH more available to my kiddos, it also opens up some nap time hours to get back into blogging and DIY!  We have some SERIOUS things lined up for our little house and can't wait to share the news with you in the coming weeks.
So there you have it!  I am one HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY mama and am beyond blessed to also have such a great supporting husband to help make this decision.

I'll try my best to be back before the end of the week to share our big, upcoming news, but trust me, its a doozy... Any guesses?!

Dual Tone Blue Dresser

3:16 PM

So here's a quick little project that I was able to do after the little ones went to sleep at night.

I got this awesomely-cool looking dresser, (yes, dresser, not a filing cabinet) off a Facebook yard sale group for $40.

Solid wood and in really good shape, I thought it would be a great match for B's room and the Texas flag desk I just made (as remembered here)

I still had a lot of the "Napoleon Blue" Annie Sloan chalk paint left, so after removing the drawers, I started to paint the outside shell.
Have I mentioned how much I love Annie Sloan chalk paint and not having to prime a piece?  Because I do.  I LOVE it... It makes me all happy inside, not having to spend the extra time or money pre-painting something is a good reason why I keep coming back to it, even when its a bit more expensive ($42 for a pint)
 After one coat, we were looking pretty good.
 When the second coat finished, I had debated painting the drawers, or at least spray painting the handles, however I decided to put the drawers back in and see how they looked unchanged.
Actually, I really like it.  A lot.  It kinda gives it a bit more of an industrial look and keeps it looking a little more unrefined even with the fresh paint.
Plus, the wood grain is pretty and I like how the handles don't distract from the wood.
 Here's the before and after as a quick reference.
Sadly however, I clued into the fact that this dresser is 60" tall... Brooks is big for an almost-2-year-old, but not THAT big, and it wouldn't really didn't have another spot for it in our tiny little house.

I ended up selling it on Craigslist for $250, so $210 profit plus less than an hour to paint (20 min each coat) isn't too bad of a turn around.  Money for more projects?  I think so...

-Samm

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