The Six Hour Kitchen Table Makeover

Have you ever refinished a table? How many days did it take you? Sanding, painting, sanding, sealing, sanding.....Now, if you're one of those people who has a violent reaction every time you see someone paint something that is made of wood, STOP HERE. DO NOT CONTINUE! I AM GOING TO PAINT A ONCE BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WOODEN FURNITURE! Okay, for the rest of you that chose to continue on this journey...here we go. So, how do you paint and seal a kitchen table in just six hours?

 

Well, today was the second day of rain here in Chattanooga, so it was time for a project. I told you how my little Sweetie #2 likes to carve into furniture, right? Around here, when you like to ruin furniture, you get to be Mommy's NUMBER ONE HELPER for the entire duration of the revamp. Ah yes, after our project was complete, she vowed to never ever carve another thing as long as she lives...we shall see. Step 1: Clean all the nasty gook off of every surface of the table. I took a butter knife to all the nooks and crannies while Sweetie #2 worked on the rest.

 

 

Supplies: How did you guess? Why yes, it IS my most favorite furniture-painting paint of all time, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I usually wax the furniture I paint with chalk paint, but because it's a kitchen table, we are going with Annie Sloan Lacquer on this one. The dense foam furniture rollers work great for the paint and the lacquer. I also used a brush for the nooks and crannies.

 



 

Look at the top of this poor table. I think we bought it in 1999. The finish is shot and you can't even see the wonderful carvings from Sweetie #2 in this picture. And that shine on the rest of the table is just so....shiny! I'm just not into that much shine anymore.

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Start painting. You heard me! Slather it on, no sanding necessary. Also, no need to move into a ventilated area, because there is NO smell. And that's why I love chalk paint, people! So here's what we looked like after the first coat.

 

 

No need to wait around, because by the time we got the first coat done, the paint was dry and we started on the next coat. I added a splash of water to the paint before applying the second coat because it helps to get a smoother finish. I applied three coats to the top and I was then ready for Step 3: Lacquer. I applied one coat to the base and three coats to the table top. Drying time for the top is the only reason the project took six hours. It's still super fast because it's water-based lacquer.

 

During drying times, we prepared and ate lunch, played backgammon, and watched a show the kids put on about bugs called 'The Beetles'. In case you were wondering, Mr. Skeptic was on vacation this week, so he was keeping the other three kiddos occupied while we were painting.

 

The lacquer needs to cure overnight before we can use the table. I will probably use some steel wool on the top to smooth out a few rough spots, but that's it! I am done!

 

 

French Linen is a new color for me and I really like it. I thought about white for about half of a second, then I laughed hysterically for a few minutes and moved on. I will let you know how the lacquer holds up to my Demolition Crew. We eat almost every meal at this table, so I'm hoping it will be durable.

 

If you have never used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, check out her website, anniesloan.com. You won't be able to find it at your local home improvement store. You need to find a stockist close to you, and they are listed by state on the website. I ordered my last batch from Robyn Story Designs and it was delivered to my doorstep. Also, you may have sticker shock. It will cost you about $35 a quart. Yes, I said quart, but I only used about a third of a quart on my whole table. It goes a long way! And think of all the valuable time you save by skipping all those sanding and drying steps. Once you try it, you'll be hooked! Happy painting!

 

Nicole















It's Been a Year!

Today is the anniversary of our move from North Carolina to Tennessee, and what a year it's been. My last post really expanded the name of this blog to encompass so much more. Many thanks to all of you for your love and support. That post has been read over 600 times! We continue to heal and grow, and I am tested every day. They test me to see if I am able to be trusted, worthy of their love. About a month ago, I was in the car with my youngest and she said, "Hey Mommy, I need a daddy but I DON'T need YOU!" It was like someone stabbed me in the heart, but I didn't respond. "Mommy, did you HEAR me?" My quiet, simple response, "Yes, I did." The End. She was looking for a reaction and she didn't get it...time to move on. In my heart, I knew she didn't mean it. Every night when she goes to bed, she wants that same Mommy to hold her. She snuggles into me and I rock her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and I sing...you know the song. And she listens to my heart beating and knows she can trust me.

 

I looked around today and realized that I have made progress on the house as well. Backsplash is in place, although not fully grouted, the cabinets have their crown molding back, and beams are wrapped. My awesome brother-in-law had a few church members come over a few Saturdays ago and they did some drywall and spackling work on our ceilings and stairwell. So here's what we are looking like these days...

 



Slowly but surely, we are getting there. As we continue to make this house our own, the best thing about it is with whom we share it. We thank God that He is bringing peace to our home. No amount of renovations can do that.

Nicole

A Different Type of Home Improvement: Turning Point Camp

I haven’t had the opportunity to get many projects completed lately. We have been working on a different type of home improvement. As most of you know, the entire Demolition Crew is adopted. Mr. Skeptic and I were foster parents for six years, and in that time, we were blessed with four amazing children. But I don’t call them the Demolition Crew without cause.

 From the outside, our family looks perfect. Four little smiling faces all in a row, beautiful charming children that don’t know a stranger. But as Ash Beckham says, everyone has a closet. Coming out of the closet is having the hard conversation that nobody wants to have. As an ACoA, I have lived in closets all my life, lurking in the shadows of what my reality has been. But I have learned that secrets are toxic to the body, mind and spirit. Today, I am stepping out of my closet with the hope that it will encourage others to do the same. Let’s face it, we all struggle at some point in our lives. Why is there shame in the struggle? I write these words to create awareness, not pity.

Our oldest daughter was 17 months when she came home. She was moved around at least six times before she came to live with us. We had a rough start, and spent about three years on and off in therapy learning how to help her with her “attachment issues”. I think I cried every night for the first six months we had her, wondering if we made the right decision for our family. By the time she was four, things were seemingly getting better. Then she started Kindergarten and settled into a routine. But at the same time, she questioned everything and talked incessantly. She was in a constant battle for control. Then there was that incident with our new little dog. I was at work when Mr. Skeptic texted me a picture of my oldest with a huge gash in her face. Eighteen external and four internal stitches later, she continued to antagonize the dog. He went to live with my sister-in-law.

My other kiddos had some quirky behaviors that I wasn’t too concerned about through the years. I would sometimes find items from around the house hidden in the back of our pantry or food wrappers stuffed under a bed. My son seemed to have impulse control issues and was very forgetful when it was convenient. Things in our house just seemed to get destroyed, whether it was toys, furniture, clothes, you name it. About a year ago, I found some serious carvings in the top of my nice dining room table. Someone was deliberately trying to get my attention. After three days of lying about it, my second oldest admitted to the deed.

All of the children were becoming increasingly disrespectful to me and aggressive toward each other. I found myself becoming angry and yelling way too often. I was exhausted from the moment I woke up. My stress level was over the top, but I was still in denial.  Then we moved.

Our move was for all the right reasons. I wanted to be closer to my sister and her family, and Mr. Skeptic could easily transfer. I truly felt like God was placing this desire in my heart. We would soon find out why. My oldest hadn’t moved since the day she came home. Now we were doing the unthinkable in her mind. She started becoming defiant and oppositional over seemingly miniscule things like where she had to sit in the car or what pajamas she was wearing. EVERYTHING became a battle. Then the rages came with a vengeance. She was screaming, hitting, kicking, spitting, scratching, breaking, and for hours at a time. Our house was in complete chaos and I didn’t know how to fix it.

As I sat at our kitchen table trying to drink my coffee on a warm August morning, I finally said it. I looked at Mr. Skeptic with tears streaming down my face and said, “Our family isn’t normal.” He looked at me and nodded his head, “I know, but God gave us these kids for a reason.” Yes, He did.

Soon after, a friend told me about a website, attachment.org. It listed symptoms for Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and my world fell apart. I sat reading with my mouth wide open, eyes glued to the screen. Not only did my oldest have almost every symptom, my other children all had about half of the symptoms:

• Superficially engaging & charming
• Lack of eye contact on parents’ terms
• Indiscriminately affectionate with strangers
• Not affectionate on parents’ terms (not ‘cuddly’)
• Destructive to self, others and material things (‘accident prone’)
• Cruelty to animals
• Lying about the obvious (‘crazy’ lying)
• Stealing
• No impulse controls (frequently acts hyperactive)
• Learning Lags
• Lack of cause-and-effect thinking
• Lack of conscience
• Abnormal eating patterns
• Poor peer relationships
• Preoccupation with fire
• Preoccupation with blood & gore
• Persistent nonsense questions & chatter
• Inappropriately demanding & clingy
• Abnormal speech patterns
• Triangulation of adults
• False allegations of abuse
• Presumptive entitlement issues
• Parents appear hostile and angry

Any of the following conditions occurring to a child during the first 36 months of life puts them at risk:

• Unwanted pregnancy
• Pre-birth exposure to trauma, drugs or alcohol
• Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
• Neglect (not answering the baby’s cries for help)
• Separation from primary caregiver (i.e. illness or death of mother, or severe illness or hospitalization of the baby, or adoption)
• On-going pain such as colic, hernia or many ear infections
• Changing day cares or using providers who don’t do bonding
• Moms with chronic depression
• Several moves or placements (foster care, failed adoptions)
• Caring for baby on a timed schedule or other self-centered parenting

So, what now? My head was spinning. I kept searching the website for answers. I found a conference in October only 15 minutes from our house. I had to learn more. I sat in the front row, eyes red from crying. Everything Nancy Thomas said that day was my reality, and the room was full of parents just like me. That day in October I found a family, a support system, people who could help us on this journey we were about to begin.

A month later, after attending our first parent support group, we signed up for camp, Turning Point Camp, right here in Tennessee. Thank you God! Jennie Landreth, an amazing mom who had found healing for her daughter through camp, saw a need for a camp in Tennessee. The camp we attended in March is only the second one at this location.

The four months that followed are now a blur of power struggles, rages, lies, chaos, and tears. When we arrived at camp, we were all a complete mess. This picture says it all. I was laughing to keep from crying.

 

 

There were twenty-two families at camp, adopted internationally and domestically, some with children adopted at birth, even a few with biological kids that spent time in the NICU. We were from all over the country with one goal. We all love our kids and want them to heal. Many of the volunteers were parents who had been to a previous camp and wanted to give back to help more families heal. The week we spent together made us lifelong friends.

 

Our Christmas card in 2012 shared this verse, "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:37-39"

At the time, we were unaware of the battle ahead of us. Camp changed our lives. We came home with amazing support and the tools to use for our kids. The rages have become rare, one or two a month compared to one or two a day. We are gaining control and respect in our household again. Indeed, we are more than conquerors, and although we may have a few more battles, we have come so far! Recently, our oldest was officially diagnosed with RAD. Of course, we already knew this but we needed documentation to be able to get her some of the help she needs. As our household heals, the smiles are returning, and the clouds are parting.

 

 

My projects will still be there whenever I am able to pick them up again. In the meantime, I have a much more important goal, and thanks to Turning Point Camp, I know that it is attainable!

 

Please share this post with anyone you know that may be struggling with RAD or attachment issues, and with families you know that have recently adopted.  Awareness is the key. Thank you for reading and spreading the word to help heal families.

 

Nicole



Building a Banquette (a.k.a. a Window Seat)

Like many people, we have a bay window in the eating area of our kitchen. We watch the sunrise every morning from that window and eat dinner there every evening. When we got our hardwoods installed, we didn't install the baseboards right away. Our bay window looked like this.

 

After awhile, I started getting annoyed at dinnertime when the demolition crew would knock their chairs into those windows. So, a few weeks ago, I took an inventory of my scrap wood and decided it was time to get the power tools out again. First, I framed it out.

 

 

Notice the heating vent. I used the original vent cover and just framed out a box to fit into the banquette. It's much better this way. We don't have to vacuum it out anymore to remove food and Legos :).

 

 

I then measured for my luan pieces that would cover the sides. I bought a 4'x8' piece at the Home Depot for around $15 and had them cut it to size. So all I had to do when I got home was jigsaw out the hole for the heating vent. I had some MDF left over from another project, so I just cut out three pieces to fit the top and hinged the middle piece for some hidden storage.

 



 

The final step was trim. I trimmed it out with cheap 1'x4's and used a decorative trim around the top. And that's a wrap. I'm going to paint it when I paint the rest of the trim. The angles were a little tricky, but not too bad. The project took about three hours and only cost $50, since I had almost half of the supplies on hand.

 

 

 

I will eventually cover it with cushions, but it serves the purpose for now. The kiddos love it and no more chairs banging into the windows. You will see it again all pretty and painted when I finish the rest of the kitchen. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

Nicole



 









I Am An Island

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and all the shopping you could stand, if that's your thing. We stayed home and decorated for Christmas, then went downtown and saw the coolest boat parade ever! I really love Chattanooga.

So, I've been a total slacker in the blogging department because I've been so busy trying to finish up. Well, TRYING is the key word here! My sister and I have also kicked off our sign-making business and we need to stock up for some upcoming events.

  

...and then there was that screw through the thumb incident (sorry, no pics). So that's almost healed and I'm on a roll again! Backsplash tile is almost complete, drywall is getting patched, baseboards are going in, and my banquette will be finished after another visit to the lumber yard. But what I really want to show you this time is my kitchen island. I decided to paint it, and I'm very pleased with the results. Here are some 'Before' pictures. It's such a great piece. Rachael and Josh from Backyard Wonders are amazing! They custom-built this piece for me and delivered it to my kitchen for $660. Please consider finding a local craftsman before ordering from Pottery Barn. You will get great quality, help support a local family, AND save money!

 

 

I was considering leaving the island the dark color, but then I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, of course, and decided to go for it. After a few hours, I was finished...

 

 

Painting is an interesting thing. I know some people gasp every time I talk about putting paint to wood. But it's really about personal preference. I needed a little contrast. I dry brushed with a latex flat paint then sanded a few spots the next day. Mr. Skeptic (a.k.a. my husband) asked me when I was going to put on the second coat. That's it, folks! No second coat here...he thought I was joking. I may sand a few more spots eventually, but I think it looks pretty awesome the way it is!

 

Thanks Rachael and Josh for an amazing piece that I am sure will withstand the test of time AND my little demolition crew, and be the center of our kitchen for years to come!

 

Lots more to come! I will hopefully be tying up a bunch of loose ends before Christmas.

Nicole







Farmhouse Sink Installation

So, have you seen all of the beautiful pictures of farmhouse sinks on Pinterest lately? They are everywhere! I knew I wanted one, but didn't want to pay a fortune. Ikea came to the rescue, of course. I spotted their DOMSJO Double Farmhouse Sink for only $313 and knew this was it.

 

It seems a little intimidating, right? It's BIG, which is one of the many things I love about it. And plumbing scares people for some reason. So, first I did my research. I found some good info At The Picket Fence about how to use a 36" sink base for this sink.

 

Let me start by saying that MY sink was only $100. As most of you know, I am a Craig's List junkie. The day before I drove to Atlanta to buy the sink, I checked Craig's List. What are the chances, right? But I checked anyway, and to my amazement, my sink was there! A couple bought it and decided not to use it. They didn't want to drive back to Atlanta to return it, so I scooped it up for $100. WOOHOO!

 

My sink base ended up being 33" instead of the 36" base I needed. So, off to Home Depot I went. I found a 36" base in stock that just about matched my cabinets. You won't even be able to tell the difference once I paint them. At 20% off, because I just happened to hit a sale, it was only $160. So, after a fairly painless process, this is what I ended up with. I installed my faucet before I placed the sink. Don't be jealous of my backsplash.

 

 

Aren't these cardboard countertops fantastic? Disposable countertops are the next new fad, I'm sure. If you have a solid surface countertop that you would want to reuse, you would have to find someone that could cut it for you onsite. If you have laminate or butcher block, you can definitely make the cuts yourself. Again, check out At The Picket Fence for a step-by-step on cutting the laminate countertops. This project is definitely easier if you are in the middle of updating countertops.

 

 

There is a gap from the false drawer that I removed that will be covered with a piece of trim. So, that was easy enough, but what about the plumbing? Really, It's not as bad as you think. Don't be scared. You will need to look at where your drain comes out of the wall to decide on the right setup. (By the way, when you pull out your old sink and plumbing, you will need to stuff an old rag in your drain pipe and then cover it with a plastic bag or you will be overwhelmed by the sewage gases filling up your kitchen!) The plastic bag you see in this picture is covering the opening for my dishwasher drain which will be installed later.

 

 

My drain comes out of the wall by the left sink, so my right drain ties into the left. If your drain is more in the middle, you would use a T configuration. The piece that looks like a U is called a trap. You need it because it stays full of water and traps the sewer gases from leaking out of your drains. They have all the supplies and a nice employee that can help you figure it out at your local hardware store. Snap a few pics with your phone to help you in the purchasing process. And save your receipts in case you didn't quite get the right configuration. (Not that it ever happens to me...only three times...duh.) All of the plumbing pieces that you see, including both sink drains, cost about $25. First, you need to set your sink drains. Make sure you buy some Plumber's Putty and apply it to your sink.

 

 

Then set your drain making sure it is centered well.

 

 

Follow the instructions that came with the drain and place the rubber gasket and ring below and hand tighten. DO NOT overdo it! Don't try to use a wrench to get it super tight or you could actually cause it to leak.

 

 

Remove any excess putty from the sink.

 

 

 

Then add your plumbing pieces. Be sure to add all of the rubber gaskets that are supplied with the pipes. You may need to trim the pipes a bit to fit. If you don't have a small saw, be sure to buy one. You can get a small hand saw that cuts this pipe for about $5.

 

 

Now, you need to see how well you did. Place some kind of basin below the pipes and turn on the water, one side at a time. If you see any drips, tighten that specific area, wipe with a dry cloth, and run the water again until you have no leak. Still leaking? Did you make sure to add all of the rubber gaskets?

 

 

That's it. Not so bad, right? You can do it! I have been loving my farmhouse sink and I can't wait to get the rest of my kitchen completed. Here it is with my new countertops.

 

 

I know what you're thinking! The reflection of that beautiful backsplash is amazing in the Steel Grey granite. Yep, I still have a long way to go. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

 

Nicole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Half Time and Budget Check

Well, it's been two entire months since I started tearing up our house and a month since my last post. We have been consumed by the huge task of ripping up all of the existing floors so we could finally get our new beautiful hardwoods installed. I am pleased to announce that as of yesterday, we can walk barefoot anywhere in our house without threat of nail, splinter or shards of tile!

 

I also finished the reconfiguration of the kitchen. We went 6 days with out a sink and 3 weeks with cardboard countertops (very trendy, I know). I hung the last of the wall cabinets this morning! So here are a few pictures at half time. I am reposting the before pictures for comparison.

Before

 

Half Time

 

Before

 

Half Time

 

Before

 

Half Time

 

 

I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but it's mostly cosmetic. The layout is fantastic! I can now dust off my beloved paint brush! (Literally, it's been sooo dusty in here!) Everything looks very dark right now, but the cabinets are going white. My original plan was to leave the top of my awesome custom-built island dark and go light on the rest, but I'm having second thoughts. The barstools will be painted first, then I will decide. So, what's left besides a LOT of paint? Backsplash tile, lighting, and drywall repair. I will eventually plank the ceiling and wrap the beams as well.

 

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

 

We've been doing well on the budget, although we are over because Mr. Skeptic was kind enough to hire someone to install the floors. We found some great deals on appliances that we weren't originally going to replace, so these are now listed in the budget. My sister talked me out of wooden countertops because they wouldn't be as durable as granite. Also, my dad blessed us with an unexpected gift of $1000.

 

Tile Removal  $200

Flooring          $2900

Padding           $200

Installation      $1200

Granite            $798

Ikea Sink         $100 (found it on Craig's List)

Sink Cabinet   $160

Electrical         $285

Structural        $1950

Backsplash      $430

Spindle Wall   $62

Paint                $150

Stove               $600

Dishwasher     $410

                       ($1000) for items sold on Craig's List

TOTAL          $8445

 

Not too shabby for a kitchen, living room, dining room makeover! I will be sharing some tutorials soon, I promise. Until then, happy DIYing.

 

Nicole