The projects Ive been working on lately: Furniture AND Me...

So I have neglected my little newborn baby blog for 10 days! I cant believe its been so long. I have done a few projects lately that have kept me busy, but that is only part of why Ive been incognito... I promised myself Id be myself and be honest; so to be honest what Ive really been doing in the past 10 days is doubting myself. At first I had such a rush from starting this blog and telling you all about this journey Im headed down, and then that I starting getting nervous and thinking it was a joke... I mean really? Who is going to read this and why would they want to... seriously my mom and my sister are my only subscribers!! Lol Well funny enough I was watching a video the other day and Ana White (whom I adore!!) was speaking to an interviewer about finding your passion in blogging. She said, "even if your mom is the only one who reads it, just do it!!"  I laughed then cried and thought ok fine, Ill do it... besides this is good therapy and at the very least its my, although very public, journal.

So I am back, and outside of feeling like a narcissist, I have completed a few new pieces. First one being this very cute old desk. I picked it up off Craigslist for $50 and turned around and sold it for $150... I think I could have made a better profit on it if I had just asked for a few more dollars off the asking. The guy didnt seem too attached to the desk but I was a little embarrassed to ask. So I swore next time I would not put my ego ahead of an extra $10's off that I could potentially feed my son with... Worse thing that could happen was he said no, right?

Ok enough about that, here is the desk BEFORE...

I used my favorite primer based paint from Valspar, color is called Malted Milk. It took 3 coats of paint, then I finished the hardware off by spray painting them Rustoleums flat black spray paint... and now AFTER...

TAAA DAAA!!!

Hope y'all like it! This was one I was very proud of and actually wanted to keep... But as a single momma I needed the money more than I needed a new desk :) I have a few more pieces to share with you but its getting late and I need something to write about tomorrow. So if you are secretly reading this and not subscribing (THANK YOU!! LOL) then youll have to log back on tomorrow to see what else Ive done lately... sweet dreams!! (mom) xoxo

Coffee table & side table

So I picked these up last week for $40 for the set. As you can see they were pretty banged up and needed a little TLC. After sanding, painting with Valspars Malted Milk, and a little distressing I think they turned out looking great, very beach cottagy... is that a word? It is today, lol. Anyway I turned around and sold them 2 days later for $125... Not too shabby, eh? :)

Welcome to my blog!

Hola!

Well Ive been thinking of starting a blog for a while now and have finally decided to just go for it. I guess I will tell you a little about myself and why I am doing this. I am a single mom to the coolest little 5 year old ever! He is always attached to my hip so you can imagine my fear of when he actually starts kindergarten next year! :'( boo hoo hoo!!!  You see I moved to Las Vegas when he was just barely a year old. His father has never really been apart of his life and since our divorce was finalized he decided he wasn't going to pay child support either. I have been mom, dad, caregiver, provider, bad cop, good cop, you name it, that's me... Not always the easiest job but I wouldn't change a thing about it! All that being said brings me to my 'why'... I am currently living in Las Vegas and do not want him to go to school and grow up here. So I'm planning on moving out of state to be closer to friends & family this June (yes! 3 MONTHS away) and to try to slow down his childhood just a little. (Not that it cant be done here & no offense to anyone raising kids here, its just not my preference) Although the lucrative but exhausting Las Vegas service industry has given me the opportunity to be a "single-stay-at-home" (I work nights while he sleeps) I am longing for a more wholesome environment. Not just for him but me too... Its time for change!!


So for over a year now Ive been racking my brain on what it is that I am going to do to replace the income (or close to it) and still give me the free time I have had with my son for the past 5 years. I have been encouraged to sell real estate, insurance, etc etc. With no formal training or education my options are limited when it comes to immediate income. Well one Sunday afternoon a few months back I decided to refinish my dining room table. I have been refinishing furniture off and on for a decade. I enjoy it thoroughly but never considered it to be something that could make me money. After showing a few friends and family the finished look I started receiving a lot of feedback that maybe I should take it more seriously, and Ive decided to give it a try... Hell, why not? So Ive been watching Craigslist and picking up pieces here and there... and you know what? So far I'm making decent cash. Now I'm not saying this is going to be my end all be all money maker but its giving me hope that I can do this and potentially earn enough money to move and continue to do this...

So this is where my journey starts... It is scary! I don't have anyone else to help shoulder the pressure and help provide for our little family. Its all me :) And I know there are other women out there going through the same challenges I have faced or am facing. So Id love to hear from you and read your feedback. I will be posting pictures of my projects along the way. I will share all of this with you. Mistakes, failures, accomplishments, wins, secrets, tricks, and all other good & bad stuff!!! This year is the year for a positive change in all of us! Lets do this together!!

Love,

Rachael <3