Coffee Table Makeover, Part 1

The other day as I was running out to the market, I saw a sign that I just had to follow..."Garage Sale -->." It was calling my name I tell you! (they often do..ha!) Anywho, I was sort of in a hurry, so I browsed quickly. About three minutes later, I was walking away with this beauty I got for a steal- just $5! It's solid wood (perhaps maple or cherry?) with fun, curvy lines and no structural problems. Yay! All it needed was a little paint to give it a face lift. :) I have been wanting a coffee table for our living room so I could put my "Hope Chest" in a different location which currently serves as our coffee table, so this really was a great buy!

Fast forward a week and a half and it was time to start revamping my new find. After some researching on the internet and several failed attempts at sanding it by hand, I decided it would be wise to invest in an electric sander. After a trip to the Home Depot, I was able to find a superb (and fairly inexpensive, only $30) electric sander. I knew this would prove to be invaluable for all my future home projects.

Back at home I got right to work. Step one: sanding. I started with a 60 grit sandpaper, then 120, and finally to 220 working in a circular motion. FYI, the higher the number, the finer the grit. The progression of different grit papers made the wood super smooth to the touch when I finished. I sanded the detailing and legs by hand. If you use an electric sander for these, you will end up with squared off legs..and that would not be good!

After sanding (which was such a breeze! It took less than 30 minutes), I wiped the entire table thoroughly with an old cloth. This ensures you're not getting dusty grime in your paint when you move onto that part of the process.

Step two: priming. I did this very quickly, brushing with a soft 2" brush because the primer I was using dries fairly quickly. I wasn't worried if it didn't look perfect, I knew I could come back with the sander later and smooth out any uneven areas.



About an hour and a million mosquito bites later, I was finished with the priming and happy to push the last steps to completion for another time. I was getting eaten up! Tune in next time for Part 2, it's gonna look awesome!

Baby Shower at the Gaffins

In the name of "every baby is worth celebrating", Matthew and I decided to host a shower to honor the birth of Gwen & Matt's 2nd born little one, Levi Samuel. It was a fun evening and I hope Gwen & Matt, Miles and Baby Levi felt honored and special. We love you! Here are some photos of the evenings fun & festivities:

Sweet sister Glo grabbing some goodies from the refreshment table

I hung large tissue paper flowers from monofilament from the light fixture overhanging the refreshment table with "rubber ducky" lemon curd cookies, lime punch, devil's food chocolate cupcakes, and a bowl full of strawberries. Yum!

Mommy Gwen with Levi Samuel

We played a game called "guess that nursery rhyme". The person up front had to either act it out like charades, or draw pictures. Here's Matt drawing "star of wonder, star of bright..."

I made a "Blessings Tree" from some branches by spray painting them white and affixing them in a large pot with green moss. Every guest was encouraged to write a note to Levi, to be read when he was older.

Levi & Miles surrounded by Grammy & Grandpa Pittman, Great- Grandma & Pepaw Cole, Great- Papa & Mema Pittman, Great- Oma & Popi Sutphin, and Great-Great Granny Grace. Lots of Love!

Mommy Gwen, Brother Miles, and lots of Aunts with Levi Samuel

Sprouts + Me = One happy gal

Today was a good day. I had a Bible study this morning, which made me wake up early (and on a Saturday that is a rare thing...I have been known to stay in my PJs until after noon...yikes!) But today, I was up at 8 am and raring to go by 9. My study was great, and when I got back home in the afternoon, I knew two things needed to happen before that evenings events: laundry and grocery shopping. I had been neglectful in these areas all week and was feeling pretty badly about it. Poor Matt was out of jeans and the fridge was looking bare. :( By the way, that is not a good combination. So, after some procrastination, checking email, and stalling some more, I finally got down to business.

First, laundry. I got a good sized load in, cramming about 6 pairs of jeans in and other shirts of Matt's as well (he was running out of shirts, too). Gotta love front-loaders! They are amazing! You can put 10-15 pairs of jeans in at a time (if you have that many) and they come out wonderfully. So, check for laundry! Yay!

Next, grocery shopping. It can be a daunting task on a Summer afternoon, with trying to juggle grocery bags into a hot car and all, but this time I was actually excited to go. I was going to Sprouts! If you've never heard about Sprouts, shame on you! Just kidding *wink*. But really, if you have never been to one they are in the Whole Foods/health food genre...and if you know me, that's totally up my alley! But compared to Whole Foods, which in my opinion is way too expensive, Sprouts is considerably cheaper. In fact, it has become some what of an obsession to where when I see the ad in the newspaper revealing their weekly specials, I get so excited! I'm a little crazy, I know. Ha!

To sum it up, here's what I love about Sprouts the most:

*It is very clean and well-organized

*The lighting is softly bright, not overpowering, so it makes all the produce stand out in all their glorious colors.

*Their "Sprouts" store brand has wonderful options for just about anything

*They have a bulk section with fine dry goods in large, wood barrels stock full of nuts of every kind, granola, rice and beans, cereals, etc.

*Their produce is wonderful and wonderfully priced, too. :)

*Their organic section is reasonably priced

*The staff is very friendly

*Their meats are great! No added growth hormones or other junk, and usually nice and lean.

*Their beauty section usually has great deals on shampoo, organic soaps and face washes.

Anywho, that's my story for the day! If you have an obsession with a store (be it grocery or besides, do share!)

Happy shopping in the places you love!