What drives me to do this ?

As I continue to push on with my refreshment of old forgotten furnishings ...

I have to ask myself why ?

Why do I want to hunt for good stuff to refresh?  I have yet to sell another piece of furniture ...

Why do I find enjoyment in scrubbing a 100 years of tarnish off of someone else's old furniture ?  

But, would you look at that shine! 
(I soaked them in vinegar for about 2 hours and scrubbed them with a green scour pad) Beauty again.  How can I not find satisfaction in that ?

Why do I bribe myself with the treat of sanding, priming and vacuuming out musty furniture ?
"If I get my chores done & the laundry going - then I can go paint something!"

I believe the answer is - Love. 

I love the hunt, I love getting a steal of a deal, I love thinking about the possiblilities of what the piece can become,  I love escaping to my studio,  I love that my dog drops her ball at my feet a million times while I am trying to refurbish furniture.  

 

I love that today I discovered the amazing beauty of a chest of drawers I scored on Craig's List.

Just the drawers are so beautiful, I rubbed them down with Wipe On Poly to bring out the grain.

They honestly don't make furniture like that anymore ... 

A woman was literally giving away this heirloom (ugly divorce, she just wanted it gone)... 

I find it a privilege to resurrect a forgotten & unwanted piece of American craftsmanship.  

I truly see the worth and the "specialness" of these beauties... this boy is gonna need some royal treatment.  This piece is going to teach me a few new lessons on restoring finer furniture ...

More to come on him -

 

That is the INSIDE of a drawer ... this chest is going to FORCE me to buy some chalk paint.

It is too good for anything else (or at least that is how I am rationalizing my buying some of this amazing paint I keep hear about !)

Anyhoo, I love my hobby.  I would love for it to be something more.  I can't wait to work on my projects again tomorrow.  It is not work for me, it's a labor of ~ love

Lightbulb moment for me today.

How do I remove sanding dust while I was outside on this gorgeous day ?

 I used my hubby's old shoe brushes.  He hasn't used them in years.  They were great for dusting off all the nasty dirt & much nicer to use than an old t-shirt. 

If at all possible.  Do What You Love - Love What You Do.  

And, if your really lucky maybe you can make some money doing that very thing!