A $64 Dollar Desk

Hi Friends. I wanted to show you today how I restored an antique desk.

The desk style I liked was the Whitney desk from Pottery Barn. But seriously? $999 for a desk? Me thinks NOT.

Here is another one at ONLY $949 plus tax.

Enter the Craigslist disaster. For $35 I got antique, missing pulls, scratched, and even stickers.

Here are some close ups:

scratches and dings

Look at those scratches on the top.

Talk about your fixer upper. This thing looked like it was in need of stripping to restore.The saving grace is that it is sturdy with good bones. Confession: I used this for the past two years in this condition. How unsexy. In our new home, this will be the man's desk. I want him to be able to use a nice desk when he works from home. We need to bring sexy back to this desk.

Solution: A trip to Home Depot for Restor-A-Finish ($8.98) and staining pads ($3.98).

I followed the directions on the bottle and purchased new pulls from Ebay ($15 with shipping). Make sure you measure ALL the pulls' distance to center. This baby was at 2.5 inches for the top pulls and 3 inches for the bottom. 

Look at the top, it removed those scratches. Best of all, this took me under an hour to restore. Really amazing stuff I tell you. 

Ta-da! the after, bringing sexy back! Don'tcha wish your desk were hot like mine?! Restor-A-Finish people. If any of you restore any old desks, please show me. I will do a round up of all your desk projects.

Here is the comparison:

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Total Cost:
Desk                        $35
Restor-A_Finish         8.98
Staining Pads              3.98
Tax                             1.04
Ebay knobs                 15

Total                           $64
Pottery Barn Desk  $999 plus tax

A total savings of  $935 (plus tax)

Until next time friends.

Nicole

Guest Blogger: Michelle of Sweet, Heart & Soul

Hi All. Well as you know, I am still in the middle of packing up the house so I have scheduled some guest bloggers. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing all of you to Michelle of "Sweet, Heart, & Soul". I have been to two events that she has created for and let me tell you, it is nothing short of spectacular. Just read on to see what she is all about. She is also showcasing her latest event, a vintage tea party. Thank you Michelle for taking time to share your work with us. Until next time friends.
Nicole

To walk into a party and be amazed by all the details is just wonderful.  However, to leave the party at the end of the night feeling absolutely blown away by every single element is…  UTTERLY AMAZING!  That exact feeling is what triggered my desire to start a business that would allow individuals to not only amaze their guests with the presentation of their party décor, but to also experience the same contentment upon seeing what I could offer.  At that moment, “Sweet, Heart & Soul” was born – a company in which I could provide individuals many options to make their social events stand out through beauty & originality.  I have always had a passion for creating everything – art, crafts, and desserts… anything I could get my hands on.  Therefore, it was only fitting to develop a company that would allow me to do what I love doing most.  “Sweet, Heart & Soul” was developed with the intention of putting my heart & soul into making sweet memories for anyone who would allow me to.  With the assistance of my supportive husband, my kids, my family & close friends, I have been able to continuously work a number of great events since March of this year.

Although I offer many various products to provide for an event, I mostly specialize in creating dessert tables, party favors, and décor.  My absolute favorite is being able to create fabulous dessert tables for my wonderful clients!  Upon booking, clients tell me what their theme & color scheme is.  From there, I begin to map out what their dessert table will look like, and start the process of purchasing all the essential supplies needed in order to make the table look stunning.  Words cannot explain how much I LOVE planning out my tables.  Who wouldn’t love being able to purchase beautiful props & décor to help make the table look exquisite? Working on dessert tables is not only fun, but it also allows me to utilize my creativity by showcasing my style, and furthermore create delicious desserts for others to enjoy.  

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity of working on a dessert table for a bridal shower.  The theme was a “Vintage Tea Party” which incorporated the colors White, Yellow, and soft beige tones.  This request brought me so much happiness, as I find it to be so much fun to rummage through items in search for beautiful vintage décor.  They say a picture says a thousand words, so rather than describing what I did… here are the visuals:

 So there you have it – my life in a nutshell.  I’m loving life because I have 2 beautiful kids who motivate me to work hard, a wonderful husband who pushes me to pursue my dreams, a great family & true friends who support everything I do… and a great business that allows me to utilize my creative skills and artistic ability to showcase what I love doing most!  Our official website is still under construction, but to see more of our work, feel free to follow us on Instagram (@sweetheart_and_soul) & “like” our FaceBook Page by searching “Sweet, Heart & Soul”.  For all inquiries, feel free to contact us via email:  sweetheartandsoul@gmail.com – thank you!