Beginnings

Where to start...?

I'm great at starting things. I've tried nearly every hobby at least once. It's the seeing it through to the end that I'm not so good at. Writing? Check. Musical attempts of all kinds? Check. Several sports? Check. Some might call this Attention Deficit Disorder (probably accurately so), but I prefer to think of it as sampling.

I spent years sampling all kinds of interests, passions, hobbies, and dreams to find That Thing that would become My Thing. My Thing that would finally show me what I was created for. 

I finally stumbled upon it when I was in college living on a student budget. I needed some basic pieces of furniture before I moved into my new place. I'm about to date myself, but IKEA wasn't the big deal that it is now so I experienced some serious sticker shock when I started shopping around for new pieces. I had this silly mindset that new is better than used (because, ew...). I grew up with a mom who dragged me to flea markets, thrift, consignment, and antique stores. She was the one who suggested that I take a look at these places. I was happy about the prices I was seeing, but in serious dislike of the outdated or down right ugly look of the pieces. Alas, bargain hunting runs through my veins and I wouldn't be deterred by their sad, sad state. I figured (after thoroughly sterilizing) I could slap on a couple coats of paint, make them look presentable, and be done with it. So began my passion for furniture restoration.

She was a side table. And honestly, not one of the better pieces I've done. I painted her creamy white with a loud lime green underneath that showed in the places I distressed. It was two hours that I worked on that piece, but I enjoyed doing that more than anything else I'd ever dabbled in before. I did a few other pieces here and there in college that people responded to, but it wasn't until two years ago that I had a lot of time on my hands when I found myself unemployed for six months. One can only be rejected so many times a day before you begin going crazy. As a way to counter the Chinese Water Torture that is unemployment in your 20s whilst living with your parents I decided to focus on refinishing furniture. It was a cheap hobby that filled the hours in my days while also making me happier than I'd ever been sitting behind a desk.

At the encouragement of friends and family I began posting before and after pictures just for fun, but found that people got really excited about what I was doing. Fast forward a couple years, countless cans of paint, innumerable number of trips to Lowe's, and hundreds of ruined manicures (seriously, why do I even try?) later and here we are. Not at the end. I haven't finished yet. I'm just beginning.

Excited and honored to have you join me on this journey.