Being the diverse people we are, we observe Chanukah, Yule/Solstice and Christmas. We still do most of our gifting on Christmas, because that’s how hubby and I both were raised…and in this case, that’s a good thing because I need as much time as possible to finish this project.
Katie really wants a desk badly and I really hoped to get her one for Christmas, but even Ikea, Walmart and Target didn’t have anything very workable for under $125 or so. I wasn’t having luck finding anything used in a style that would go well in her room that was not upwards of $100 as well. I don’t want her desk to be her only large gift because I know she also desperately wants the Our Generation 18″ doll bistro from Target that’s a $119 knock-off of AG’s $495 one (I got one for $73 out the door with coupons and discounts, yay!) among a few other doll accessories, and we’d already purchased a Blackberry Pi so she can build her own computer. I just couldn’t find room in the budget to buy the desk *and* the other stuff. I could have waited till January for the desk but I’d rather take her to high tea at the Phoenician again and buy her another AG doll for her birthday.
Finally the other night, a friend of a friend posted a desk for sale on Facebook. 54″ wide (plenty of space for her TV/monitor, new Blackberry Pi and room to draw, etc.) for a mere $15! And by some miracle, I was the first person to see it and respond! (I never seem to get the steals!) It has two drawers and is in excellent condition. It’s mission style which will go well with her somewhat rustic style bunkbed AND we just happen to have a mission style end table in the garage that I never got around to moving inside…so we’re going to switch that out with her current nightstand. Both are dark oak stain, just begging to be repainted to look pretty in a girl’s room. We’re currently redoing her room in black, white and hot pink (she loves playing piano so that was the inspiration…piano keys!). I’m going to paint the legs white and the tops and drawers black! I just need to get both pieces painted before Christmas! (Her bunkbed set has been half-painted for over a year, so I need to finish that too, but it will be okay if I don’t get to it by the big day…that one will be white with black drawer fronts.)
I normally make my own chalkpaint but for a project like this, I really didn’t want to experiment with the best formulation as I usually do, but I didn’t want to sink another nearly $100 into two quarts of commercially made chalkpaint. I ended up purchasing the Waverly chalkpaint from Walmart instead, which is $6 for 8oz and not really more expensive that making my own. I got two white and two black and hopefully will have enough for the desk, end table AND to finish her bunkbed. Since we need to finish painting her walls as well, I’m hoping to at least get the wall the desk will go on painted before Christmas, so we can sneak the desk in there while she’s sleeping early in the AM!
I can’t wait to see her face when we reveal this all on Christmas morning!! 😀
Leave a Reply