This anniversary was for the birds!

Hubby and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this week. Since we just got back from a trip to DC, we elected to work on a project instead of doing something special--turns out, the project WAS special.

We needed a new mattress. Boring. I decided that it would be less boring if I "needed" a new bedroom set as well.
Maybe a few new wall decorations would be in order too. =)

So, our anniversary was spent working in the garage. I wanted barn wood for the headboard. We looked at some that they wanted $300 for-- old things are valuable, I guess. Finally, we found some for $20. Yes!

Speaking of old things and value, Rick used this OLD table saw to cut the boards. It belonged to my Grandpa Hayford. I would say it's at least 75 years old. Pretty cool, huh?

The dresser set we had for the last 12 years was just a cherry wood veneer, so we also had to find a dresser to refinish. That would be my job. We located a pine one at Idaho Youth Ranch that was fairly easy to strip since it just had a couple of poly coats. The photo above is inside the drawers. They are lined with what looks like old newprint, but it's really part of the wood. I love getting things out of the drawers!

Once we got it down to the bare wood, I whitewashed it a dark gray. The gray paint we got in a gallon on the "mistake table" at Lowe's. It was a mistint, so cost us $5 instead of $25. I mixed about 70% water to 30% paint for the "graywashing". Then I painted on the birds, sanded a bit more, and finally gave it a coat of poly to protect it and give it just a little shine.

We also got new knobs that really made it "pop" and I painted a "2" in the corner of the mirror frame for the month we were married. I had a stencil for the basic bird, but the vines and numbers are freehand.

I listed the old set on craigslist for $375 to which my hubby was aghast. It sold the first day though--in fact, when they saw that I was trading it for unfinished thrift store junk," they had mercy on me and gave us an extra $25! =) LOL

I picked up an old galvanized trough and painted it mustard yellow like I painted the lamp on the headboard. It stores books, magazines, and yarn. I also painted the birds on the canvas there on the wall.

You've seen this corner of our room before--only new item would be the music canvas. I just printed off some of the songs from our wedding and modge podged them on a canvas. I like my decor to mean something, not just be pretty alone. I thought all the numerology ect, turned out pretty sweet!

And there is the headboard again. We used the same paint and same technique for finishing it as for the dresser. Rick got the light at Grover's and I gave it a nice antique mustard finish. Hubby wired it in and I must say, I REALLY, REALLY, LOVE the finished product. The "97" on the side is for the year we were married. It was a little hard to get realistic pictures of everything, it really almost has a demin look to it. I think it rivals a Polo or Nautica look--maybe even Pottery Barn. If you google it, these headboards are selling for about $1500--and I like mine better! The complete cost of the headboard was less than $50. The dresser about $125. We have wood and plenty of paint leftover so hubby will (soon, I hope) be making me some end table(s).

I LOVE what we did for our 15th! We are so blessed--working together was so fun--as is living together! =)

This post is a little old now, but since I am still getting action and pins on this project, I am going to link 'er up for Finished Object Friday. I always enjoy the fun and yummy thing Charity and the others share here.http://charitree.blogspot.com/2012/03/finished-object-friday-smores-cake.html

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