Friday, July 29, 2011

Small, chic desk for my classroom!

So there are going to be A LOT of changes this upcoming year in the way we teach reading and writing. So ultimately we are going to revamp all the kinder classrooms in a way. If anyone saw my class last year, you would have seen that my desk was an old kidney table that I shared with the kiddos at center time. I loved it but with this new stuff this year, we just can't let it stay that way. Four other teachers had the same thing and we all decided that we would get our own SMALL desks to grade at and hold our paperwork. No students allowed haha.

Needless to say, since May I have been craigslist hunting for a desk. I was so sad when I saw that all desks were like $50. I was mad because I wanted to spend as little as possible so that I could spend more on the stuff for the kiddos. I could NOT find a deal anywhere.

A few weeks ago I got lucky and found someone that was moving and had to get rid of everything. I got a little ugly turquoise desk for $15. I was soooo happy! Here is the transformation:
Necessities. Paint, FOAM brushes (more of that later), two grains of sand paper and scissors.



Before it was sooo ugly. Poorly painted and beaten up! It had large dried paint drips and worst of all, she obviously spilled soda down the back of it and let it dry. Disgusting.

I began sanding... the WORST part of any painting job. My arm was sore because I was cheap and refused to buy an electric sander. Bad decision.... must...stop..being...cheap.


 Side Note: Make sure you use a really fine sandpaper after the rough one because using foam brushes will show all the roughness and grain.
It annoyed me that the paint was so gooped up in the crevasses because that is the best part about wood pieces. People, PLEASE PAINT THINGS CORRECTLY. Poor desk.
Make sure to prime everything or it will chip! I use primer for plastic instead of wood because it adheres better and you NEVER get chips. Its an amazing tip I learned from my mommy!

I used a flat finish because I like the old timey look it gives things sometimes. Plus, if you are writing on a high-gloss painted desk, your paper will stick to it. If you want the glossy look, use a flat paint then go over it with polyurethane. Ta-da, no sticky shineyness.
You might think I am a weirdo; I paint furniture with foam brushes. If you have enough practice with it, you will probably love it as much as I do. If you hold it the right way, it gives it such a smooth look. NO MORE BRUSH STROKES!!! Not to mention, it gets into holes and edges amazingly. 

All done. I don't think this picture does the paint color justice. Its a greyish brown in person and here it just looks a little awkward and a weird light brown. I WILL be getting new handles but I haven't gotten around to it. I am going to find the perfect old timey black ones that will look great!
I love my desk. Its perfect to have my lamp, laptop and papers to be graded on! I can't wait to create my little teacher nook in my classroom... I go back to school on the 8th; I hope I have time for a blog about my classroom transformation. Love, love, love!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Friday Favorites


My Morning Coffee... I don't drink it to wake myself up. I sit and sip it to enjoy my morning! I love lounging and watching whatever I DVRed the night before or reading when I am drinking my coffee. LOVE IT.




PINK sweats... Oh my goodness, by FAR the most comfortable things ever. Pricey but if you wait until the semi-annual sale and stock up then, then you get a good deal. Perfect combination with my morning coffee!


Nail polish with glitter... I am a little obsessed and have been for quite a while. I don't know why though because it is a pain in the BUTT to take off. Even with that in mind, I might be going out to hunt this color down today. I WANT IT.


Bath and Body Works candles... Definitely the best candles you can get. They are usually 2 for $20 and burn better and smell stronger than Yankee (or whatever top brand) which you can usually just get one for $25. We burn them all the time. So many delicious smells and I am obsessed with changing them for each season or depending on the weather. I am a weirdo. Right now we are burning Sparkling Mojito and Caribbean Salsa. Sooooo good!



Online Window Shopping... So I don't actually ever buy anything (well, usually) because I am a cheap-skate but I love looking at lots of stores online fantasizing about all the amazing clothes and things I could possibly have. Right now my obsession is looking for dresses for the wedding we are going to this month and clothes and swim suits to wear to Florida. Ugh I am a loser.


Rain... The non-existent rain that we have here depresses me. WE NEED RAIN! Not only do I love it, but the fires in the area are getting out of control. Rain, rain, please come our way!


Vintage Everything... Vintage wedding stuff is amazing and makes me melt inside just a little. Lately I haven't just been obsessed with the wedding stuff but everything. It is just beautiful and so romantic.

That is all for this Friday! Hopefully I remember to do this next week, it was fun!