a dixie desk for a dixie chick

I feel like it’s been forever since my last post. I have been so. beyond. busy. Between working at my full-time job and then coming home to work in my shop, I’ve been pulling 15-18 hour days…
But on the bright side, I’ve got some really fun projects coming up that I can’t wait to share with you!

Today’s flip is actually pretty embarrassingly funny. Here’s the backstory:

I’ve been “unofficially” re-doing furniture, painting, designing etc. since as long as I can remember.

I painted my mom’s entire kitchen (cabinets included) when I was about 15 as a surprise for her while she was at work.

...in hindsight I realize how cool my mom is for taking that in stride.

I painted and redecorated my room no less than 10 times before I left for college. Including a brief stint with sponge paint.

I picked up pieces from the side of the road before it was socially acceptable.

I hoarded free AOL CDs and strung them up in my room from dental floss in an attempt to create a make-shift chandelier.

I cringe.

I laugh.

It all brings me to here, to today. I could have never predicted that my predisposition to repurpose would grow from a hobby to a flourishing business.

I promise there’s a point to this story, so let’s cut to it. Today’s piece is a desk that I picked up off the side of the road when I was 16.

A Dixie desk.

I loved the Dixie Chicks.

It was meant to be.

It’s seen about 3 different “flips” over the course of the last 10 years. It started out white, then briefly turned beige with a decoupaged top made with old book pages and finished up like this:

So I’ve had this latest iteration in my bedroom for the last few years and every time I walked by, it would taunt me… “you crazy lady, tone me down, pronto!” I swear it said that to me out loud, in english.

So last month Jeff drove down to Atlantic City to grab dinner and do some gambling with a friend who was back in town. I hate gambling, so I stayed home. And decided to redo the bedroom. In 4 hours. Basically all I did was shove everything under the bed and buy a new bed set. Classy.

And I somehow managed to lug this desk down a flight of stars and outside. By that point I was sweating and called my father in law to help me carry it out to the workshop.

And there it sat.

Taunting me. All over again.

Until I got a text message from my friend and ex co-worker, Jackie, asking me if I had any desks for sale. Well, by golly, I sure did!

We decided on white with glass knobs. A classic, beautiful choice.

Some elbow grease, sweat and a lot of profanities went into this little lady.

I’m really thrilled with how she turned out and I’m so excited to pass her along to her new home.

There’s a fly on the front spindle leg. I just noticed. Damn it. Please disregard.

Staging this one was a blast! I wanted to counter balance the frilliness of the spindle legs and glass with a masculine, rusty piece that I picked up from a farmer’s yard sale. 

Double B made an appearance too… as did my childhood ruler! My handwriting makes me giggle.

I don’t normally touch the inside of drawers, but there was some left-over red from my last paint job so I completed the look with a pale, buttercup yellow and a pretty stencil in white.

I hope Miss Dixie finds as much tender, loving care in her now home as she found with me!

-LV xoxo