Recap and good deals!

I have had several questions about painting the table and hutch.  I am just going to answer them on here because I can't find a link back to some of your pages.  So if you have don't have any questions feel free to  skip this section.  I did a posting on the furniture when I first started and you can check it out here.   We didn't like the engraving that the furniture so I filled it in with wood putty and then sanded it until it was flat. After that I started out by primering both pieces of furniture.  I found a primer at Lowes that doesn't required sanding.  It is Valspar Multi-Purpose Primer.  I then painted  the furniture several times with this until it was completly covered (probably 2 or 3 good coats).  I used sponge brushes and then sponge rollers for the flat parts.  They work best because there are less drips to deal with and it goes on smoother.

After letting the primer dry I started by painting it black. I chose a semi gloss as the finish.  I didn't want it to be too dull but not too shiny.   This took several coats as well.  We also used all sponge brushes and sponge rollers so we didn't have as many drips and brush marks.  Since we use the table A LOT we wanted to put something on the table to protect it so we didn't chip the paint or anything.  I have read that several people have used polyurathane to put on the table.  When we asked the lady at lowes she said she didn't know if it would strip the paint off or not because it was pressed wood.  She reccomended  Deft Clear Wood Finish, it is a Semi Gloss Brushing Lacquer.  I haven't heard anyone say that it stripped the paint but didn't want to take a chance at doing it all over again.

I then covered the chairs with a white vinymaterial I got at Joanns.  It really looks pretty close to white leather in my opinion.  It wasn't really that hard to cover.  I had never covered anything before so I looked at the way the material was put on before and just copied the corners.

Things I wish I had done or knew:
1.  We couldn't decide which finish to use so there was a few weeks in between painting and then gloss.  So the table got messed up a little from heat from plates. So decide what you are going to do and do it before using the table.
2. Don't rush.  I put paint on too thick on the chairs trying to not have to paint them again and in some spots it doesn't look as nice as I would like.
3.  I would have left the house after the gloss was put on  because it was a VERY strong smell.  We had to hibernate downstairs all afternoon.

I think that covers it for now.  If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.  If you leave an email I can answer you directly.
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Jason has been out of town this whole week.  Once again I will say it again....I give MAJOR props to all single moms or army wives that their husbands are stationed elsewhere.  It is totally crazy how much a toddler can wear a person down.  I know I do it all day everyday, but I at least get a break in the evenings of sharing duties.  I am totally worn out and I am totally ready for him to be home this evening.

Bailey and I went out to shopping last night just to get out of the house.  Wow there are LOTS of sales going on out there.  We went in Pier One and they had great deals going on.  If I didn't have Bailey with me I would have spent lots of money.  But considering its not the type of store to let a toddler run around in without breaking things I couldn't stay long.  Then we ventured over to Target.  If you haven't checked out their clearance stuff you need to get there NOW!!!  I bought Bailey a wooden highchair for her babydolls that was originally $20 for 4.97.  If you know someone that is into dinasours they had one there that was originally $200 on sale for $37.  Lots of good deals and they all weren't on just the toys.  There was clearance in every department.  Just thought I would share that because I have never seen sales as good as the two had going on.

I also have been doing a lot of thinking recently.  I am going to try and start eating healthier and try and get rid of my pepsi addiction.  So far I haven't had any caffiene since yesterday morning and oh boy is it hard.  I have had the worst headache since yesterday evening. I have taken tylenol twice and tried to sleep it off and its still here.  I tried to post last night but just looking at the computer screen last night made my headache worse. Don't be surprised if my next posting admits I am back to drinking it again!

As you can tell one dog loves to be outside (its like 41 degrees) it feels like spring time because I am so used to it being like 15 out.  The other one could care less she just wants to eat!!!!!!

Due to the lack of caffiene this posting has very random things in it.  Enjoy your weekend!!!