Decorating Delimmas Party...Round 5!

Today I am not going to be tardy to the Party! I am participating in Amanda's Decorating Dilemmas (or in my case, Solution) Party:

http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/2010/01/decorating-dilemmas-partyround-5.html

NEW HOPE for this CHEST!

Isn't this delightful? In an 80's kind of way? This isn't a photo of my actual Hope Chest (do people still call them that?), as I got all caught up in my project and forgot to take a before photo, but this is very similar to what I started with...except this sad fabric is way, way better than what I actually started with ~ yes, it was THAT bad. The oak finish is the same, and the lovely handles are identical as well, so work with me here.

You may even be wondering why I would bother to redo this chest, but it really does have a deep sentimental value to me as my DH bought it for me one Christmas when we were dating. It is a cedar lined Lane Hope Chest. It currently holds all kinds of memories from our life together and I don't think I could ever bring myself to get rid of it. Although I can't part with it, I was for sure convinced it needed a face lift.

So, I grabbed some fabric, light grained sand paper, wood filler, tack cloth, black paint, natural cherry stain, new knobs, and in 8 easy steps I had a "new" chest.

1. First, I removed the upholstered top and recovered with fabric using a staple gun
2. Next, removed original handles and filled holes with wood filler/Spackle and let dry (the original handles had 2 screws but the new ones only had 1)
3. Lightly sanded the original oak finish to make it adhere to the paint better and to smooth out where I had filled the handle screw holes
4. Wiped it all down with a tack cloth to remove any sanding residue
5. Painted with fast drying black latex paint (2 coats) - let dry
6. Brushed on 1 coat of Minwax Polyshades (stain & solyurethane in 1) of natural cherry satin stain on the lip below where the upholster top, which I wanted to leave wood grain but needed it to be redder than the original oak finish to coordinate with my new knobs - let dry
7. Re-attached upholstered top
8. Drilled holes for new knobs and attached!
   

TAAAAAHDAAAAH!

Cost of project, less than $20! Time, less than 1 day depending on drying time!

My number must have come up this week...

Now y'all remember that on Tuesday my car DIED on me. It has been in the shop and as of yesterday afternoon the mechanic could not get it to "act up" for him (geez). DH told him to keep it a few days and see what happens.

Well, low and behold, this morning I was driving the MomVan to take the kids to school and guess what???? It starts having an identitiy crisis and starts squealing and smoking like some hopped up teenie bopper. Yes, you are reading that right...I have 2 seperate vehicles that have broken down on me in a 2 day period! NOW, how many folks can lay claim to that, I ask you???

When DH arrived on the scene to yet another of my car emergencies he calls over to the mechanic that has my car, and says we are going to just come pick it up and drive it until it "acts up" again. LOL You know what? It finally decided to "act up" yesterday afternoon and so they started taking it apart and it was still in pieces this morning!!! So, my car is in pieces and the MomVan is not doing much better. Our trusted mechanic doesn't work on the brand of van I have but he did give us a recommendation on where to take it. Yep, I have 2 vehicles in 2 different repair shops as we "talk".

Oh, yeah...it is going to be an expensive week.