After working in pre-k 4 last year, I had my first summer off. I’ve never had a real summer off after working in customer service and/or being a caregiver for years. I took full advantage and enjoyed my time; however, learned I am not good at ‘existing’ and started getting anxious trying to fill up the hours in my days. (Never forget the brand new thrift store snowsuit!!!) It was then I truly realized my interest in picking up other people’s garbage.
“If it’s free, it’s for me.”
People throw out the most amazing things simply because they are no longer of use, and they’re tired of looking at it. I found this AMAZING dresser while out for a walk one evening. It had so much potential, and I could not fathom that someone threw it in the trash. I kept circling the block and finally decided it was ‘mine’ and power walked home to get my car. I got back to it and was THIIIIIIS CLOSE to getting it in my car when I didn’t have the extra oomph. I do not know if others were in their houses watching this train wreck, but there was NOBODY around to help. I texted my friend to share this ridiculousness when she and her boyfriend drove around the corner. He said, “What did she get me into??” It was equally hilarious, refreshing, and embarrassing as I stood here pining over someone’s garbage, but he helped get it in the car and added I could not have done it alone.

When I got home knew I needed help getting it out of the car and ran to get my dad, who was the opposite of excited about more trash sitting in his garage. It was not allowed in the house and stayed in the garage until Hurricane Ida hit, and we needed storage space. It moved inside, and over time my dad said, “that would look good in that spot”. (I wonder if it was painful coming out of this mouth??)

Me: “I know!”

It sat there for a while with hints of, “when are you going to do something with this.”

The thing about this dresser is it was an eyesore, and nobody saw the hope for it to be something good. When I finally got to it had no clue what to do with it. I texted David who builds and renovates things and sent an Instagram page recommendation from his daughter in law who restores furniture. I was browsing through the photos when I spotted “it”.

Flash forward months later, and this project is complete. I could not have done it without the help of my dad and several friends I could turn to for “consulting”. One major deal is my friend Ryan. There will be a future blog post filled with word vomit about him, but for relevance will try to stay on task. Also, not many people get the privilege of knowing he exists, but since this is a Christian blog know friends here would understand this situation.

However, a fun fact about Ryan is that we met on the internet and because he lives in another state, we had several FaceTime dates working on this project together. This dresser was a “fixer upper” for sure and everything needed to be fixed or replaced on it. My dad helped hammer out the runners and learned the drawer glides were either missing or broken.. Being the gentleman Ryan is, who cannot help himself from going above and beyond, had a literal hand in this renovation from a distance. Without being asked, he Amazon primed me drawer glides but were too small. I could not find the right ones either, so he did something I will never forget and why I can never sell this dresser: He made the drawer glides. He found a box his dad did not use anymore and cut it up, MAKING THE DRAWER GLIDES and miraculously saving the dresser. They work perfectly, and I will never not bring this up.

Since I do not have many projects as of now could not rationalize buying tools, but that changed. However, I stripped and sanded the top down by hand, and it took a lot longer than I ever expected. (Yes, I eventually spent the $40 and bought a small sander for future use and can appreciate it A LOT more now, so everything works out for good.) I stripped, sanded, and stained the top and cannot recommend a wood conditioner enough. After sanding the top and spending so much time with it, revealing the beauty of the natural wood had hesitation of staining it. David reassured me of completing the project adding “go buy a sander and sand it back down if you don’t like it”.

To make a long renovation story short, I could not be happier with this dresser than now, and I am proud of how it came out. For something in someone’s garbage, outdated, and hideous, it only proves everything is worth a second chance, and nothing is too far gone that can not be turned into something extraordinary. I have been hoarding the furniture for my future house. For now, this will be used for kitchen storage/coffee bar, but I haven’t fully decided on the coffee bar yet. (I cannot remember if I posted about my $7 Keurig thrift store about a month ago, but it has been well worth the money and time spent cleaning it out with vinegar.) I also learned I am not good at the patience needed for the tedious measuring of drawer pulls. Until this part, I enjoyed the dresser renovation process and could not have done it efficiently without my dad. I am pretty excited about future projects, primarily consulting with my friend Ryan. I like the potential of what God is building. 😉

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:18-19

Dresser painted in Rustoleum Chalk Paint: Grandma’s Linen
Top stained in Minwax Classic Gray
Cup drawer pulls from Amazon
Waterbased Polycrylic – 3 coats of satin on the dresser
Water based polycrylic in gloss to seal the stain

Learning the ukulele and refinishing furniture: Do things you suck at—Part 2

What a week! Blogger friends and virtual projects

Lessons in remodeling garbage. The opposite of faith isn’t doubt… It’s control. Idiots Paradise

Spiritually Unmatched – I called it off.

Trash to Treasure: one dresser’s renovation story of hope