Five-On-Friday: 5 More Down

Joining Amy at Love Made My Home for Five-On-Friday. Hope you'll find the time to stop by and join in.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we purged more large items from the house and garage this week. It sure seems like we would be done by now, but we're trying to clear out every crack and crevice. We even cleared out all the stuff stored in Rubbermaid bins in the overhead area above our garage. 

Here's a list of the four things that are gone and one thing that is being "re-loved" this week:

1. The Oval table

The garage-sale-purchased oval table, in this picture from last fall, went to The Resale Barn for someone else to love. I have had an obsession with tables and might be in need of a 12-step program to help me get rid of one or two more.

The Resale Barn is my favorite place to donate as they use the money they make from selling donations to fund a local, free food bank and other charitable acts. Over $3M dollars has been raised by the community through this organization of volunteers.

2. Large Bin of Men's Shirts

The shirts accompanied the oval table to the Resale Barn.  I've given up on the idea that I could make a lap quilt with men's shirts, or even make the adorable doggy neckbands that Laura at Decor To Adore made for her sweet dogs in the picture below. Warning: Laura's darling picture might start you hoarding men's shirts!

Decor To Adore

3. Beadboard Shelf 

This piece joined the bin of shirts and the table on the journey. This poor shelf has been abused enough by me! I've tortured it with paint, a hammer, and various hand tools. I had fun making it over but, when it came down to it, I didn't have a place to hang it. I hope it finds a sweet home that has teacups, which the new owner  might hang from its shelves. 

Of course I can't find a picture of the finished project, but here's two pictures of the victim "during" and "before" its make-over. 

The "before" was a little too "1980's" sweet.

4. Hanging Wooden Office Cabinet

This piece went with the others to the Resale Barn. I'm hoping it goes to a better life where someone might show it some love. After the poor thing lived in the garage for a year and a half, I realized I didn't want to spend time working on it. Next time I'll think twice before I buy another "project" piece -- no matter how cheap it is.

5. Next is the piece that stayed! 

Getting rid of the oval table left a place for our round pub table and four counter stools that have been in and out of the garage and halfway finished for about 9 months...or 15 years... depending on which way you look at it. 

I painted the pub table and two of the counter stools white a good while back, and then I got the crazy idea to VERY heavily distress them all. Big Fail! So the pub table hid in the garage in shame and the stools sat in a corner like bad school children. 

I thought I'd give this Country Living textured paint, by Caromal Coulours, a try. 

The color is called Parchment. It's a kind of creamy white that doesn't go towards yellow. I avoid, like the plaque, any white with a yellow base.

When I opened the new jar of paint, I thought it was a little too thick for my project.  I put about a cup of paint in a recycled salad dressing jar and added water until it was the consistency I wanted for the project. 

Please note that I bought the paint myself and receive no payment for showing this (or any other product) on my blog. I can honestly tell you that I loved this paint and will be using it for future projects. Two thumbs up Country Living!!!

Anyway, the pub table and stools are all getting painted the same color, and then black numbers will be stenciled to the back of each stool. I let go of all those other project pieces so I can devote time to this one project alone. 

And you know what? I was surprised at how much better I felt getting rid of those projects. For the first time in months, I couldn't wait to get busy painting! As soon as the oval table was gone, I turned over the pub table base and put on the first coat of paint.

Before painting the table base, I replaced the worn out plastic brads on the bottom of the four legs with these soft cushioned ones that pound in with a hammer.

I hope I'm not the only one who hoards project pieces and saves favorite clothes, for a long time, just for the nice material that could be used for quilting or other projects that I never get around to.

Please...tell me what your secret "stash" contains and what you plan to do with it.  I'm feeling a little alone right now with my obsessions and need some company.

Thanks for dropping by!