Child's Roll Top Desk

I have been in major purge mode for some reason and this particularly applies to my basement workshop. I have been hoarding saving projects for a rainy day and that day has arrived. It always feels good to get things done that I keep glancing at and then putting off for some reason. So last week, I just took the plunge and started painting this little roll top desk a good friend had given me a few months ago. It was her family's desk and then her kiddos used it as well and it was well loved let me tell ya'!

She couldn't get the roll top to go up at all or if it did it then got completely jammed about 1/2 way up

stickers everywhere, and paint, and glorious glitter

I found out why the roll top got stuck once I pulled off the back..... the little cubbies had fallen off and were stuck in-between the desk and the backing.

Now after some cleaning, scraping, cleaning... let me introduce.... 

 A Child's Roll top Desk

I used MMS Milk paint in Tricycle.

I love the deep pigmentation of the red but it did look different on different parts of the desk. I think maybe different woods might have been used. But I think it adds to it's well loved charm,

It chipped a little so I used Polycrylic to seal it since hemp oil will not stop the chipping. It will still give it a nice deep luster but it will continue to chip with the oil. Because Milk paint absorbs the poly very fast, you will need to give it at least 2 good coats. The first coat will not look good but hang in there and give it a light sanding with 320 grit, wipe off, and add your second coat. The second coat was all I needed but do another if you think it needs it. I had to look at each surface from a side angle to see how the finish looked. Some areas I thought looked good looked very bad when I looked at it this way. I have learned to always look at my surfaces in this manner to make sure everything got painted and sealed correctly.

Also I needed to wax the rail that the roll top was in to make it roll a bit better and I added a new fabric back on the roll top to keep the slats together and rolling along. Too bad this didn't have casters or I could really take the rolling theme to new heights!

OK, so the truth is, my girls do not want me to sell this desk!

Tessa in particular feels it is a needed addition to her art area. Does she not understand I just got done removing stickers, paint, and glitter from this here desk?

After I took this picture and uploaded it I had a slight pull on my heart pain....Izzy looks more grown up than she has in the past. I don't like it, mostly for the mere fact that I can see her father and I are going to have to get a very big stick to beat of gentlemen callers......

Since both girls are sharing a room, there is no way to add it to the already cramped space. But that just tells me that they love how it turned out and other kiddos are going to love it as well.

Love this little chair as well.

Isn't the twirly chair part so awesome and vintage. Yes, the girls have given it a very good test drive!

I had this fun discovery when I was cleaning the drawers. I called my friend and asked her about it and it was her brother who wrote his name here! Don't you just love that the "N" is on it's side? 

So kid like and innocent.

I can't bring myself to sand it off. 

It is a sweet part of this desk's history.

I had a rough week last week because two of my students died. One was through the heartbreak of suicide and the other was of natural causes from his muscular dystrophy. My little girl who committed suicide was a sweet heart and I enjoyed seeing her often to take care of her hearing aid and seeing how she was coping with the transition to middle school. I struggle to comprehend the anguish that she felt in order for her to take her life. My other guy was not someone that I regularly saw because he was not on my caseload. But every time I was in the building or in his room servicing another child, he would talk to me, make me laugh and always was a sweet light to me on those days. 

 I thought about them while I was working on the desk.  Sometimes I would smile and sometimes I would cry. 

It made me think to stop painting and go spend some time with my kids.

 I am thankful that I have my salvation and the hope that one day I will see them both again. Both have been restored in body and in mind. 

So today....

enjoy your kids, see them, and give them deep hugs and sloppy kisses.

That, my friends, you will never regret.

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99