DIY Entertainment Center Shelving

When I first saw this post on Life thru a Linds, I knew I wanted to make it!

My inspiration

I started with a trip to Lowes. To save money, I knew using raw lumber would save money versus buying shelving wood. I chose 1x12s. This would give me a nice size shelf but not too thick.  I also needed to buy hooks, chains, and shelving brackets. 

I chose this really cool antique bronze chain. It was actually cheaper than buying it by the foot. (about $7 for 10 feet). For hooks, I had to get plain silver ones. I also got white shelving brackets. This would give more support than the L- Brackets they used. I wanted it all to blend, so I picked up Rustoleum's Metallic spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze.

Rustoleum is the best -no priming needed.

First up, stain!

 

Minwax Polyshades in Dark Walnut Satin

These are two 1x12x8 and a third cut into two 30" boards.

I then used the spray paint on all the hardware.

I loveeeeee it! This is the best spray paint ever. It goes on so smooth and I did 14 brackets and 20 hooks and I still have about half a can. Definitely worth the $7 for the bottle. (I foresee "new" hardware around my house...)

That just leaves assembly!

 My wonderful dad helping out!

Ta-da!

 It is all ready for the 4th of July!

My table is, too.

Total Costs:

Flat Screen Anchor........$30

Wood.......$48 ($16/board)

Stain (I already bought it for other crafts, so this is for about 1/5 can).... $2.

 Hooks - pack of 25........$6.

Shelving Brackets (14 @ $1.50 each)..... $21

Spray Paint..... $7

Chain (20 feet)...... $13
Screws......about $20

Total Price:  $147

It seems like a lot up front, but these days you can't get a solid entertainment center, especially new, for that price!

A special shout out to my dad for helping me!

Dining Room Table Reveal!

Well, I am officially a newlywed! (more on that later...)

Project time!

I picked this table and four chairs set up off of our local "Facebook Yard Sale" site for $40.00 a few months ago. 

That is more than I would normally want to spend on the initial purchase of a project, knowing that it would need a lot of work to make into the beautiful table I wanted it to be, but I knew it really had potential. I had a rustic farmhouse feel in mind and I was inspired by this table at Little Bits of Bliss. 

First thing I had to do was get the old black paint off and see what kind of wood I had to work with. I used paint stripper. They aren't kidding when they said "Be careful". This stuff is intense!

After scraping most of the paint off, I took my favorite little tool out - a mouse sander. It is the best thing since sliced bread, no really!

Once it was completely sanded down, I bought some stain and went to it. I chose to use Minwax Satin Stain and Finish in Mission Oak since I was going to have to use some Poly on it anyways. I originally did two coats.

(Please excuse the poor picture quality)

.... Fast forward 2 months...

I got sidetracked from this project because we moved into our new house, got married, I graduated college, and a few more things. When I came back to it a few months later, the stain had really had a chance to set in before I messed with it. I loved the color but it was too perfect. In steps the sander. I used 180 and 220 fine grit sandpaper to rough it up a little. I loved it. 

As far as the frame and chairs go... the original plan was to paint the chairs (except the seats which would be stained) a nice black and the table legs a nice white. When I tried the white, I hated it. It was too bright! I wanted something more rustic and soft. Ivory saved the day.  Along the way, I messed up two of my seats. I forgot to cover the unfinished seat I had just sanded before I spray painted the chair black. The result? Black spray paint stuck in the grain of my seats. It would not budge! Don't make that mistake. It  threw my whole plan off. I decided to just do all the chairs ivory to match the table. I chose to use Krylon Dual Paint and Primer in Ivory Gloss. I tried satin but I wasn't a fan. It didn't just a little shine. It took about 15 cans. I know, that seems like a lot! But they go fast.

After assembling it with the original hardware, I was pleased with the result!

I have since added tan cushions to the seats. The seats are my least favorite part of the set (all because of the black spray paint fiasco!). While I love this table, I plan on using this as my "kitchen table" (you know when I have a big enough kitchen to put a table in it), and I want to build a real farmhouse table with real wood planks for my dining room table. For now, this is the kitchen/dining room table.

Stay tuned for my next project! I have a few in the works... a pallet walkway, an "EAT" sign for the kitchen, wine crate bookshelf, a vanity makeover. I have a problem doing just one project at a time, according to my husband! 

Until next time, Ashlee.

P.S Wedding pictures will be uploaded soon!

Introducing....Me.

My name...Ashlee Nicole Driggers.

A few things to know about me:

• I love animals! Cute puppy eyes or kitten nose definitely melts my heart. I have problems saying no to a new pet, so please don't offer me one. 

 My heart dog, "Cinnamon"

The newest addition, "Cicely"

Miss Belle

And of course, Miller

• I have a mad sweet tooth.
• I try hard (most of the time) to eat healthy.
• I love my family. I am lucky to have a great support system, even if I don't tell them often enough. 

• I dye my hair often, so be prepared. I'm sure it won't be long before I dye my hair again; although, I do think I was meant to be a red head. It fits my personality perfectly!
• I like to cook. I'm not saying I am always great at it, but I love to try to make it all from scratch. Got a recipe for homemade anything? I will always try it once. I even make my own brown sugar!
• I love to re-do furniture. I love taking something old and turning it into exactly what I wanted. 

 

My current project is a kitchen table - it's getting there! Trust me, you should have seen it before. I will be posting all before and after pictures.

The biggest thing going on in my life right now? I'm getting married! That's right - I will be married in say 44 days and 3 hours. (Yes, I'm counting down, but hey it is a big day!) The lucky man's name is Andrew. When we met, I had just turned sixteen and he was seventeen, a senior in high school - the rivalry high school. People like to think we met in school - "Did you have a class together?" or "You met at a football game, right?". The answer is simple - no. We did not meet in any kind of school function. The way we met is actually one of my favorite things about us. It was so crazy that it worked out this way.

Our Story

Imagine...a rainy, I mean really, rainy night. We're talking Florida downpour. Picture me in my red 1998 GMC Jimmy at 16 pulling out of the Walmart parking lot, now my windshield wipers just stop. Yes, it had happened before, but never in this kind of torrential downpour. I figured I had two options - sit in the parking lot until it stopped raining (Florida in February? Who knew when that would be!) or try to make it across the street to Friendly's where my sister, Tori, worked at and trust in my handy dandy Rain X that I used on my windshield to get me there safely. I chose the latter. Remember I was sixteen. Luckily, I did make it there alive and ran inside looking like a drenched rat. It was only 8:00 and my sister was supposed to close, so it looked like I was stuck there for a few hours! I found a seat at the counter figuring I was just going to play on my phone until either the rain stopped or Tori could take me home. Within a few minutes, this cute guy pops around the corner, "You're Ashlee, right?" Of course, I gave him the usual attitude (if you've ever met me, I do come off just a little sassy - okay maybe a lot). He laughed and came over to talk to me. He was a pretty smooth talker and introduced himself as Andrew Kay, the ice cream boy. Lucky me, his job meant that he literally worked on the other side of the counter for the rest of the night and he too was closing that night. I played hard to get and we flirted back and forth that night. I really never thought anything of it. A few hours and plenty of laughing later, it was time to go. When I got in the car, I asked Tori about him. She said he had been asking around about me for a few days since the last time I came to visit her at work. I had never noticed him. When I got home, he found me and messaged me on Facebook giving me his number. We sent texts back and forth all night, which continued into the next day and a few days more. I really played it up saying I wasn't interested and really strung it on. You know, the typical sixteen year old girl stuff. After a few days, I agreed to meet him back at Friendly's on his day off. He brought his friend with him and we sat there talking for a while. Most awkward thing ever - no idea why. The next day we met at the park on my road and sat for hours, just talking. It really felt good to just be able to be myself with someone and it really clicked. Fast forward a few days and it is Valentine's Day. We had hung several times, gone on "adventures" on trails at local parks, and talked for hours on end. He told me he had a surprise for me. After school that day, we met up and he surprised me with a stuffed cow (it doesn't sound so sweet but it is my favorite animal and much better than the average teddy bear). On February 14, 2011, Andrew asked me to be his girlfriend. It was the cutest date I had ever been on and really it wasn't something elaborate - just us sitting by the lake at our favorite park. I guess that really set a precedent for our future relationship. We really are just simple people. And the rest is history...

This was our first picture together at Spring Break. Looking back, we were such babies!

The week we got engaged.

And a recent picture of us. We still know how to have fun.

Stay tuned for posts on wedding plans!