Desk in Country Grey and Duck Egg Blue { Before and After}

My latest thrift store find is this beat up mahogany desk that had seen better days.
The top was pretty scratched up, there was mold growing on the sides and what is an old barn fresh piece of furniture without a few mouse droppings.
Everything that was wrong with it could easily be fixed.

I first sanded the top with my orbital sander and started with 80 grit sand paper.
Then 120 grit
Finished with 220.
The top was smooth and perfect.
 I love being able to sand down a piece of furniture and see the original wood come through.

 I wiped it down reeeeaaaal  gooooood.
No I did not  use a tack cloth, I am bad about that.
But I did use my leaf blower to blow all the dust off.

I then stained the top with a mahogany stain.
When I am staining I like to use an old t-shirt that has been cut up and folded, I feel like I have better control over how it is applied.
I then use another piece of t-shirt to wipe of the excess. This is done several times to get any stain that has beaded up.
This is an important step because if you do not remove the excess it will never completely dry and remain tacky.
I know this because I have made the mistake.
It will eventually dry I told myself.
Never happened.

After it has completely dried, about 24 hours, I bring it into the house to apply the top clear coat.
By bringing it into the house I do not have to worry about Betty/Martha hair floating onto my perfect finish.

I have started using General Finishes Gel Top Coat and I absolutely LOVE IT!
You apply it with a rag and wipe it on. EASY PEASY with no dripping, bubbles, streaks nothing.
Just love it.

Once I have finished applying all the top coats I then start on the body of the piece.
I painted this one with Country Grey by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on the main porting of the piece and used Duck Egg Blue on the drawers.
Sanded the paint by hand using 150 grit sanding block and finished it off with clear wax.

The refinished top makes it look like a brand new piece of furniture.

I was able to use the original hardware. 

Always a bonus.

And now it is finished and ready for a new home.

Tuesday at Mosby's

Pretty exciting huh?

Sam takes 2nd at NC Freestyle States

My Mother's Day gift from my son Sam was a day spent with him while he competed in the North Carolina Freestyle Wrestling States in Mooresville, NC.

Getting up at 5:15am to drive to the tournament while he slept in the backseat. 

Whenever we are getting ready to do any of these tournaments or anything really that requires my having to extract information from my 14yo son the conversation usually goes like this.

Me: Sam are you going to do the tournament? I need to know so that I can register you.

Sam: mnmnmmmmmcmcmmmcm (mumble mumble mumble)

Me: OK. How much do you weigh? I need to know so that I can put it on your registration. Weigh yourself at school so I can register you.

Sam: 

Me: SAM! Did you hear me? 

Sam: WHAT?

Me: Just do it.

We have this conversation about 4 times prior to my registering him. 

The thing is you have to know how much you weigh so that they know what weight class you are in. Most tournaments are so that if you do not make weight then you cannot wrestle. I did not want to drive all the way there and have him be .4 ounces over and then be sent home.

So we finally get the registration done and his weight class is  120lbs. 

I keep reminding him to ask coach about a singlet. They need to have a specific singlets for this tournament..one red and one blue. Apparently this went in one ear and out the other without stopping in between because Friday night before we leave I ask him if he has a singlet.

No.  Realy kid? Seriously? We are leaving at 5:30am and it is 9:00PM on Friday night and you do not have a singlet? 

I text the coach and ask him if he has an extra, thankfully he does and will be at the match at 9:00am. 

Saturday morning rolls around and he is getting ready to weigh in and finds out that he has to have a singlet on to weigh in and cannot wear is underwear like he was planned. Remember that weigh ins are at 8am and the coach will not be there until 9am.

Imagine that. Mom was right.

So he scrambled and borrowed one from someone else. And he stood in line.

And he weighed in.  

120.4 

He is over by .4 lbs and has 15 minutes to lose .4lbs.

Let me tell you there is one place you DO NOT WANT TO BE and that is anywhere near the men's room. 

He managed to make weight in those 15 minutes and and registered at 119.7lbs.

I then ran to Hardee's and picked up 2 sausage biscuits.

His first match he won with a pin.

That is his coach in the yellow.
Cracks me up with his body language.

Notice the red singlet.
Borrowed.

The other guy was winning with points.

Not for long...Sam pinned him.

Second match.

Sam racked up the points.
I won't even begin to explain how that is done.

He just ran up the points and won by a teck fall.

That is when you have 10 more points that the other guy.

Kind of a mercy rule.

He won his second match.
The third match will be for 1st place.

I know he could just taste that first place medal.
He has never won one.

His third match was against this guy and he was good.
Strong.
Sam did his flip thing he does when his foot gets picked. (he is in the blue this time)
But it wasn't enough for the 1st place medal.

Second place at Freestyle States is nothing to sneeze at.
He did awesome and I am so proud of him.

After he readjusted his nose from being seriously bent out of shape for losing that match he regained his sense of humor.

Harrison's dad thought he was being funny.
I laughed.