Sweet Little Toy Box

Hi everyone! I hope everyone got through "hump day" relatively unscathed...we're almost there just hang on! Well, this post is over a request made by a really wonderful friend that we served with while assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (from around 2005-2008. He was a pilot and one heckuva guy. There were many days when I would scoot on over to my husbands area of operations and hang out just to listen to them brief and talk smack with the pilots before they went out on their missions...I don't mind saying that Paul (aka Pablo, at least according to me) was my favorite. In any case, he has since left the Army, gotten a great job, gotten married to a gorgeous woman and had an even more gorgeous baby girl! I actually got to meet his wife and baby girl when we met in Nashville to deliver their toy box...it was a really great experience and it was heartwarming to see Pablo so happy with such a wonderful family.

Oh yeah, the toybox...So! A couple of months ago, Paul messages me and asks me to keep an eye out for a toybox for his baby girl. I said I would and while I didn't go all out hunting, I kept my eye out. Then one day, on bookoo (our local yardsale website) I spotted this beauty. The couple selling it said they bought it in Germany and loved it, but were moving and just didn't have room or a use for it anymore! So I shot a link to Paul, asked if he liked it and I got a pretty quick answer "Yes! It's perfect!". So off, I went to secure the package...let me tell you, that was one understanding couple to let me come by after 9pm!

They wanted a white, antiqued look so, of course, I dragged out good old ASCP Old White and gave it a couple of coats. I then waxed it in ASCP Clear then Dark Wax to age it even more and distressed it. You could really tell the craftsmanship that went into it, as well. After being stationed in Germany for three years, that is one thing I really appreciated about their products...they made sure it was quality.

I pitched the idea of a pink interior, which Pablo said would be nice and went with it. I used ASCP in Scandinavian Pink but really wasn't too thrilled, to be honest. It was too....strong. So, I went over it with a watered down ASCP Old White and basically whitewashed it. THEN it was perfect....until we started putting it back together.

Wait, let me backtrack! I almost forgot! I was hit by the "bleed through" monster! If you don't know what that is, try painting an older piece that's been stained with an oil-based finish and then share in my sheer horror at seeing dark blotchy spots seep to the surface. It hurt my soul. So, based on the advice of Mandie at Altar'd Designs (who is a very talented woman and dear friend), I bought some Kilz spray on primer and gave it a couple of coats. That did the trick! So hurdle number one covered.

Now, putting it back together. My hubs is a wonderful man. He rocks. But, because of the bleed through horror and the short timeline we were really working until the 11th hour. As he was putting it together...he scuffed it. More like gouged the paint off. I wanted to cry. But I couldn't. I had to paint, let it dry, clear wax, dark wax then buff. The difference in that area and everywhere around it SCREAMED out to me! So after getting delayed and on the drive over (running late, mind you) I felt sick to my stomach. I can't bear the thought of selling a piece to someone that isn't "perfect", at least to me...but this someone was PAUL. It was for his beautiful baby girl and it was NOT perfect! My husband tried to assure me, it's not bad. It's barely noticeable...and once Paul saw it, he said he probably never would have noticed it had I not pointed it out. Which made me feel a teeny tiny bit better. I told him, however, that when we visit him I will bring my paint supplies because I'm fixing it to my perfectly not-perfect standard. ;)

Well, this has been a long one hasn't it? I hope I didn't ramble on...too much. This piece has a huge back-story though! It had to be told! It is precious, but it was one of my most stressful transformations to date! Hope you all like it...:) Love to all, Claudia


PS, I haven't been paid one red cent to mention any product in this post...seriously, I'm certainly not that cool yet. ;)