A Look Back at My First Piece

It is hard to believe at this time last year I was living in a completely different house in another state. This past year has brought a lot of change including, a new home, a new school for my son, a new church, new friends, renewed relationships, and everything else that goes along with uprooting your family. Even though it has been tough at times, I thank God for this opportunity and the ways He has blessed our family that I couldn't have even dreamed up including this little blog, Pretty Distressed.

Last November, I decided to buy my first can of Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, and my life has never been the same. I started creating all over my home and sharing it with others as I found my passion for writing again. Then, I ventured out to selling pieces and even taking on clients. I can't thank you all enough for bringing this dream to life. I am so encouraged and inspired by your comments and messages I receive daily. 

Last week, I was contacted by Annie Sloan Unfolded, the sole distributor for Chalk Paint® in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They like my work so much, they are offering me an opportunity to do a product review post right here on Pretty Distressed. It was honestly one of the most exciting emails I have ever gotten. I have been brainstorming like crazy and hope to be giving you more details as my project and post take shape.

Today, I wanted to share with you the first piece I ever refinished. It isn't anything special, but I dressed her all up to show you that dreams can start small. 

This little cupboard was painted with one coat of Paris Grey followed by a coat of Old White. I distressed it heavily with 100 grit sandpaper and finished it off with a coat of Clear Wax.

To anyone out there thinking about painting furniture, I recommend starting with something small like this that you really don't care about. I completed this project over two days and was able to really play without having the pressure of ruining the piece. From there, if you enjoy the process, you can move onto tackling grandma's dining set or searching for flea market or Craigslist treasures to refinish.

So, you know how my story goes. I became hooked on painting furniture and sharing it with you. I hope my journey will inspire you to keep dreaming...even if you aren't quite sure what that dream is yet.