We've been busy during June and July working on some furniture for the baby's room. Dean and I each had old dressers (that had once belonged to our dads) which we decided to restain so they'd look nice and kind of match the crib. (We only need one now, but I figured it was easier to do both of them now so we don't have to bother when kid #2 comes around.) And while we were at it, we decided to make the changing table we bought match, too, since it had a whitish paint on it which was rubbing off in places.
My parents came over twice and Dean's parents once to help us strip, sand, and stain the darn things. It turned out to be a lot more work than I'd anticipated, particularly since it took us a while to get the hang of the stripper so we had to redo almost everything after the first try. The fastest part was the sanding, when we had several people and four power sanders going at once.
The first coat of the stain went pretty quickly too, although I have to offer a word of advice: never, EVER buy a 2 in 1 stain and polyurethane. You think you're skipping a step, but you're really just buying a product that doesn't work as well. Any product that gets less even the more brush strokes you apply is a waste of money b/c you can't go back and correct mistakes. I was honestly a bit upset after seeing the first coat on the changing table (that was the hardest, since it had some many small pieces and angles.) I thought of all the time and energy we'd put into prep work and was so disappointed with the result. I didn't want all that effort to have been a waste! Well, thankfully the second coat evened it out quite a bit, and so you can't really tell that it's uneven in places unless you get up close (and who's going to do that to a changing table?) And it definately looks better than before.
Everything sat in the garage for a few weeks (while my poor car was subject to the elements in the driveway) so the smell would go away, and then we had to dust everything off when we brought it inside. But now we're closer to having the nursery furnished! 
This will be the last blog entry before our vacation. Dean and I strike out for Rome on Friday morning! Whoo hoo! For once in our lives, we managed to get a lot of packing done early, so we're feeling pretty prepared (although there's still a fair bit to do before we go.) Once we get back, we'll post some pictures of the three of us (hee hee) at various locations in Rome. See you all on the flip side!
2 comments:
Wow, the furniture looks way better than the last time I saw it. We, and in particular you two, did a great job. It was a stinky process, wasn't it? Have a wonderful time in Rome!
Love, Mom xox
E&D, you have all my admiration for tackling such a job -- and that is saying something, considering we're renovating a whole house. But refinishing furniture -- my worst nightmare. And such a gorgeous result...I wonder if, some day, Zaxxon and his or her siblings will appreciate the group project of their mom, dad, and grandparents. It's a lovely gift. And I'm straining here to recall the dresser that was Eileen's dad's. Lord knows, when I was a kid, I spent enough time dusting the furniture in our house, you'd think I would recall every piece in detail. Perhaps, as with labor, it's something that fades with time. (no comments, please, about ageing brainpower. ! ) I have thought of you two every day of your Italian trip, and look forward to hearing as much as you want to share.
Ciao, Aunt Catherine
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