I've Been a Busy Bee...

... channeling my inner kindergartener. I've been inspired by so many crafty bloggers, especially her, her, her, her and her. Right before Thanksgiving I was motivated to finish a job I started about four years ago - painting the mis-matched end tables to match. I went with black. Good choice right? But I chose enamel. The paint never dried. The table top was forever tacky. I hated it. I was then determined to remedy this situation with a new-found tool - spray paint. Oh the wonder of it! It goes on like a dream. Dries quickly and doesn't drip. With the three tables all matching in color and tone I quickly altered them by decoupaging. Here's a sample of the first.
I had purchased this paper for another project (to be revealed in a next entry). I love toile. I thought the black and white toile would nicely complement the center of this table. However...as I was pressing out an air bubble - scratch - a little hole. Bummer! What to do? Well, necessity is the mommy of invention and that's from where the idea for the quote (from Pope John Paul II) came. I love the result and could stare at this table for ... minutes.

The next table gained the pages from a children's book. I know, I know, probably blasphemous to some avid reader(s) out there but I love the look of the pages of old books. And the illustrations are just one of a kind. This table houses our cd player and some cd's.

The last table is similar is style to the first but smaller. It's been in the basement - covered in tacky enamel for four years. Now that it's spray-painted and decoupaged with classical piano music (Tchaikovsky's Song Without Words). Love it now and would never send it back to the cellar.[Technical difficulties prohibit me from sharing photos of these tables.]

Since there was some black spray paint left in the can I did it...I began the make-over I'd been contemplating for ten years. I began painting my dining room hutch. I went with the distressed look because, well I love it. After the holidays the sideboard will get done.
Here's a before picture:
So that's the start. I'll show you what I've done for Christmas decorations in a couple days.