Dining Buffet - Before And After

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity to try out a new line of paint.  However, I was waiting for the right piece to try it out on!  That took a little longer than expected.  But good things really do come to those who wait because I ended up landing the most beautiful dining buffet at the most beautiful price. :)

I knew I would be painting the body of the table light grey as well as upgrading the hardware.  But I wasn't quite sure what to do for the top of the table until I saw this photo from  Confessions Of A Serial Do-It-Yourselfer.  If you haven't checked out Christy's blog, do it!  She does some really fun things!

Source

Inspired by Christy, I knew I wanted to do a very dark stain on the top of the buffet as well as the small strip inbetween the two drawers.  So to work I went!

I started with three coats on the drawers and doors.

 And then got to work on the body.  Here is the first coat...

 And here she is with three coats!  Looking good!

The whole piece (except the top) then got a bit of distressing.  Here is a pic of the doors and drawers.

 

I prepped the already painted areas for the stain.  You can go two routes with this particular type of stain - 1) paint it on and wipe it off, repeat or 2) just paint it on, repeat.  I went with the latter and LOVED the results.

 

And here she is!!! 

I love the mix of original hardware with some new!  And since I decided to keep this piece (I just HAD to!!) I lined the drawers with teal paper to match my living room lamps.  Here she is in our real life, ha....

-Ashley

It's Party Time!

In just one month, my little boy will be celebrating his 2nd birthday!  He is into everything sports related, so naturally, a baseball themed party seemed fitting.  That was until he become obsessed with basketball...  Unfortunately, a baseball party is already in the works, soooooo a baseball party we shall have!

I thought it'd be fun to show you how the party planning is going!  First off, the invitation!

This was put together by Vens Paperie and I just love it.  The guy I worked with really helped me personalize this party package for Hudson.  You can find the entire collection here - I can't wait to decorate with all these items!

Following the color scheme, I found these tableclothes at Hobby Lobby.  I also found matching tissue paper to add to classic white party bags.

 

I plan on printing out pieces of the collection on sticker paper and using them on bottles, napkins, party bags, etc.  It is one of my favorite craft items to have on hand!  And don't forget to use your Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon on this guy. :)

During Easter I found fake grass.  You'll notice by the picture on the tag, it was meant for Easter eggs, but I thought these would make the perfect centerpieces for the party.  Just add a few weathered baseballs and I'm good to go!

The next three items I'll credit Pinterest for the inspiration.  Burgers, Hot Dogs and Fries are on the menu, so what better way to serve them up than in burger baskets!

And check these out!  I was so happy to find these at Party City!

And finally, our little all-star will be celebrating in his own baseball tee.  I plan on adding a large "2" to the back.

There is still a lot to do to put the finishing touches on this big birthday bash, but I am so excited to celebrate such a special day with lots of family and friends!

-Ashley