sand first, then prime, and paint …

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last weekend, erik was somewhere around 9,000 ft above sea level with a few fellow backpackers on a camping trip they take every year.  ever since the date was set for their annual trip into the wilderness, I planned to use the lack of distraction {being my cute husband} as the perfect time to get my painting finished. 

I wanted to finish painting our bed, his nightstand/dresser, and a wine rack.  all in one day.

I was actually pretty excited for my painting day, knowing how fulfilling it is to transform something that was once ugly, into something that is … well … no longer ugly. 

watching the paint instantly cover the bruises and scratches an old piece of furniture has acquired over the years is thoroughly satisfying …

although, my use of the word “instantly” isn’t really accurate.

while I love the painting process, I HATE the prep process.  taping is fine.  and even the priming is fine.  but the sanding.  blah! I wish it wasn’t such a critical part of the process.  every time I thought I had successfully roughed an entire layer of stain off the dresser, I’d smooth away the dust to find that I did not in fact sand away an entire layer, but rather barely touched the surface. 

uhhhh.  I had too many projects to complete in one day (day 2 of his trip was dedicated to organization), to waste spend so much time sanding … unsuccessfully at that! (clearly, I should have spent more time looking for my contractor-husband’s electric sander …)

I hate to admit, that when it comes to painting, I’m a lazy DIY-er.  I sanded what I could … and then I went straight to priming.  and oh, did I prime that baby! gave it enough for my black paint to grip on to.

in the end … I’d say it looks pretty good.  we’ll just see how long the paint lasts. 

but hey, by the time it starts to chip, I’ll probably be ready to paint it another color … so in reality, I’m just making the job easier next time around.

pictures of my newly painted furniture to come.  prepare yourselves.  or don’t.  it’s really not like I painted anything a really fun color.  it’s all just black.  BUT, I did try my hand at a very subtle antique job on the wine rack.  could have been better, but for now, on a $5 wine rack, I’m pleased.