The Finished Project

Chris finally finished the cabinet he's been working on for about a week.  We had decided on a satin finish, but we both agreed it was just too dull looking.  So, he went back to Home Depot to get the stain in a semi-gloss and they didn't have it, so he got it in a gloss, instead.  Though I think I would have preferred a semi-gloss finish, I still am very happy with it and think he did a great job of refinishing it.  I'm so glad it fit in the corner without any problem! WHEW!    

I am so stressed over this whole bed bug situation with Brittany.  The Terminix guy came in to treat her room on Thursday and stayed less than 15 mins.! She said he had a small can of pesticide and did a quick spraying around, then left. We called the manager of the complex, immediately, and he said he would call the exterminator's supervisor to find out if the proper protocol was followed. He promised to call us back, but he never did.  Chris ended up calling him yesterday morning.  Now, the manager is denying that Brittany even has a bed bug problem because when the exterminator went in and sprayed, he was trying to "flush out" the bed bugs from their hiding places.  Being that he didn't see any, an infestation was not confirmed.  So, I spent half the day researching the subject and being on the phone.  I contacted the local Health Dept. down there and they told me they have absolutely no jurisdiction to step in because the apartment complex is private property, not public.  Wonderful. I think I might call City Hall today to see if anyone there can tell me what the tenant's rights are in that state.  This is past the point of being ridiculous.

On a quick side note, I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Picnik is closing down on April 19th.  I'm just sick about it because I joined it 3 years ago and have loved it.  It's such an easy site to use!  I've tried Photoshop, but I just can't get the hang of it.  Anyone using other online photo editing sites that have the same kinds of editing tools as Picnik?  Would love to see your recommendations.

Sorry for complaining, my friends.  Here's hoping that today is much brighter!  Have a good one!  

Waiting On The Big Reveal

When we moved into our new house in Madison, AL. back in 1996, we didn't have a pantry, if you can believe that. Quite honestly, I don't even recall missing it when we did the walk-through.  Goes to show how observant I can be at times.  Well, in order to have some extra storage for our canned goods, we bought an unfinished pine cabinet for our kitchen and Chris stained it with a light varnish.  Once we moved  into another house that had a pantry (WOO HOO!), the cabinet became a place to store things such as cans of paint, fertilizer, tools, all sorts of odds and ends.  At our home here in Georgia, we've put it in our workout room in the basement to use as a TV armoire. 

Well, on Saturday morning, the wheels started turning in my head.  Chris, usually, knows he better run for the hills when that happens...but he didn't get away this time!  I told him that I'd really LOVE for him to refinish the cabinet for me so that I could use it in our sunroom. I batted my eyes...the whole 9 yards!  The poor fella never had a chance!  So, over the weekend, he braved 40 degree temps. to take the cabinet outside and sand it down.  Now, just to prove how little I know about the process of refinishing a piece of furniture, I thought it would take him about a couple of hours to get the job done. Boy, was I wrong!  He sanded from 11 AM until nearly 8 PM!  

Here he is taking a quick lunch break to enjoy some leftovers.  He was covered from head-to-toe in sawdust!  I could have hassled him about the mess he was tracking through the basement, but I figured it was probably wise to leave unsaid. I want him to be a happy camper while he's working, you know!  

Here's the cabinet laying on it's side...a work in progress.

The stain I've chosen for it is called Mission Oak with a satin finish.  I've taken a peak at what it looks like with the first coat and the wood looks so pretty.  Once he gets it all done, I'll be sure to post some pictures. Just keep your fingers crossed that it fits in our sunroom like I have envisioned. Hmm...I probably should have thought about that beforehand!