I had to take our three dogs to the vet today.
First of all, do you know how hard it is to get three dogs into your car? Then to coral them into the vet office, where you have to wait 10 minutes? Now 10 minutes might not sound like a long time, but when you have three hysterical dogs wrapping their leashes around themselves (and around you), ten minutes is a loooonnnggg time.
Charlie had a problem with his eyes, so he needed drops and shots, but when they tried to take his blood, he pulled away and started bleeding everywhere — six pounds of fury. He ended-up having to wear a bandage around his leg for a few hours. Also, his paws have been itching quite a bit, so he needed to have some medicine squirted on them (something we need to continue doing daily).
Gracie has an ear infection, so they slathered her with some salve that smells suspiciously like Windex — and she now smells like a cross between Neosporin and window cleaner.
Lulu has been struggling with bad eye stains and has also been prone to urinary tract infections, so we suspected she needed a dose of antibiotics.
As a result, all three of them now have to take allergy pills daily, and then get groomed using more expensive shampoo than I get to use. Seriously? Did I mention we where there for 2 hours? Oh, but they did send us a Christmas card this year!
So $400 later, off I go with my huge bag of doggy drugs and my three fur babies that have been poked and prodded — all now pulling in three different directions trying to get away as quickly as possible.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, Gracie pooped in the car. Awesome. I had to drive home trying not to gag the whole way.
I didn’t get home until almost 7:00PM. I’ve got Charlie’s blood on me, my hair is a disaster from where Gracie tried to climb over me to get away from the vet, I’ve got 10 lbs of various animal hair on me from being there 2 hours, and I’m sure I have the faint odor of poop and Windex following me from the car.
As we all come flying in from the garage, Topher is sitting there on the couch checking email and looks up and asks “What’s for dinner?” Holy Cats I wanted to hurt him! I couldn’t even respond.
Then he looked around and saw Charlie limping, Gracie’s goop sticking out her ears, and LuLu hobbling from having her bladder poked and asked “What happened?”
You know sometimes I wish I worked outside the home and he had to do this stuff. Oh well, here is a project that he did help me on. Well, he helped carry it and take photos anyway.
I got this big dresser off of craigslist.
Before:
It was really ugly, had a terrible musty smell to it and it was realllly dirty. Nasty stuff stuck all over it.
After giving it a big dousing of Goo Gone and lots of scrubbing it was ready to paint (after Topher replaced some of the ripped-up veneer from the top and sides). I used an aqua chalkpaint — I had to use about 3 coats. I then distressed it and gave it a couple coats of clear wax.
To change things up a bit I painted the hardware a pewter color. I was really happy with the way it turned out. I think it would be great as a dresser, a TV console … or wouldn’t it be pretty in a nursery with the changing pad on top?
After:
Maybe next time you should bring the dogs to the vet one at a time?
Love the dresser–it is amazing how it is completely transformed!
Thanks Susan! Yes, I may have to rethink the next vet trip.
That is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard! Totally made me laugh out loud. The dog part anyways. The dresser, I love. Wish I lived closer, and had a good spot for it.
Thanks Kari! It found a good home.
“Oh yes, I almost forgot, Gracie pooped in the car. Awesome. I had to drive home trying not to gag the whole way.”
Haha, I laughed out loud; I just love you! Thanks for allowing us to laugh ‘with’ you. 🙂 So refreshing to know this stuff just doesn’t happen to me! Enjoy your week my dear.
PS
LOVE the color of this piece. Beautiful.
Love ya Ivy!
Okay once again you have a amazed me with your writing ability and your creative ability in restoring the dresser to an awesome piece
I love the cat book ends!
Hang in there with the doggies! I wouldn’t even want to compare stories! Lol!
Thanks Joy!
I love how this turned out! I have a question about how you prepped it. Did you have to sand the shine off before you painted it with the chalk paint? I have been wanting to paint my ugly dressers which appear to have a similar finish with the chalk paint but didn’t know if I had to sand it first.
Hi Cassy! No I hardly ever sand any pieces I’m going to chalkpaint. Unless they have really loose pieces of paint I never sand. That’s why chalkpaint is all I use, it adheres to anything!
Best article I have read all week !!! lol – What type of chalk paint do you use ?
Thanks Karen! I either make my own chalk paint using the Plaster of Paris recipe or I use Plaster Paint which is very similar to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint except cheaper.
me too. I have painted furniture for well over a year now and for the first time, I tried the Anne Sloan paint last week. I didn’t expect to like it so much and it seems to have a much better adherence level than my homemade plaster paint, especially on some of the older french provintial furniture that has the almost “formica” type dresser tops. For that reason, I have spent a week doing incredible amounts of research online regarding different homemade chalk type paints. I just learned of using calcium carbonate, which is ground limestone. Several people have said that using this instead of plaster it is the most like AS paint. I am eager to try it and will be ordered it soon from amazon. Have you heard of this ? KarenJ
You poor thing! You can tell you love your fur babies:) great job on the dresser! I love aqua!
I do love my babies, thanks Wendy!
WOW! I just love the colour you have used, it’s just beautiful!
Thanks Catherine! It looked completely different in the can, but I actually liked it better than what I thought it would be!
She’s a beauty! Did she sell?
Yes, sorry!
Love your dog story. I can relate with my two.
The dresser is BEAUTIFUL! Again, that old ugly 70’s furniture really cutens up with paint 🙂
Thanks Nicole!
When can I pick it up today? Also need address. Thanks!!!
Smiled a lot about both the dog tales and the dresser. I have 3 pups too…and they are a handful to manage all together, especially when they realise the route being taken is to the vet.
My guys get some skin allergies in summer, mostly from pollens from the grass. Because dogs don’t have a lot of oils on their skin a soap-free / tar based cleanser (for humans) can be an excellent alternative to the expensive pet brands.
I use Pinetarsol and I also wipe them over with a fragrance free baby wipe when we come in from the park each day, just to remove the allergens to prevent further irritation. Good luck with your furr kids.
Thanks for the tips Kylie, I will have to try that!
Amazing transformation! Glad you got to have a furniture redo as a pick-me-up for the doggie drama. Poor babies. I’d love to invite you to share this beautiful creation at my Monday Makeover link party
http://www.ahumblecreation.com/2013/01/monday-makeover-link-party-take-5.html
Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Jessica
It turned out great! I am working on a piece and am glad I am not the only one who had to use 3 coats. I made my own chalk paint and thought 2 would work, not with white! I am your newest follower and found you on Debbedoos.
Thanks for following Selina! I am going to follow you right back!
Shanna what a gorgeous dresser! and a great choice of colour!
Thanks Gaby! I checked out your blog too! So cute! How long have you been at it?
This color is beautiful! I’m trying to decide how to re-do our kitchen. This is definitely in the running for a cabinet color!
Love the dresser! Next time you’re faced with a vet visit, leave the dogs in the car while you wait to be taken to the exam room. I have 2 who are much more comfy waiting in the car than in the waiting room. I’ll check in and then return to the car where I can wait with the dogs. I can usually park in a spot where the vet entrance is visible from the car. Makes the wait much less stressful for us all! Hope the pups are on the mend soon!
Thanks so much! You have some great pieces on your blog as well! Have you been blogging long?
Thanks so much for sharing with us at my link party, Shanna! I just love what you did with this dresser. I haven’t been brave enough to paint any of my furniture, but if I do, this color is going on my list!
This dresser looks amazing. What a great colour choice. Sorry to hear about your dogs getting sick- vets are so darn expensive!
We have 3 cats and they’re not that fun to take to the Vet either. One of them we have to sneak up behind, grab her and quickly throw her in the cat carrier before she realizes what happened. It takes 2 of us, ’cause I can’t carry 3 cat carriers. They hate to ride so they are all howling so we have to listen to that for the 1 hour round trip. Anyway love the dresser and the color. You did an amazing job. I’m visiting you via Hookin’ Up with HoH. Have a great day!
I love the detail!! Beautiful job!
Wow what a crazy vet trip …when we had a dog it was hard enough taking her to the vet …I cant imagine taking three! I love how your dresser turned out…wow it is is gorgeous! Come link up to centerpiece Wed and share your post.
Karin
Love that dresser! I need to stop walking past these chunky pieces at the thrift store – they are just fabulous when painted a fun color!
Love it! It turned out great! I am co-hosting a link party called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop and would love to have you share this and any other posts with everyone. It runs from Wednesday through midnight Sunday. Here is the link to the party.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/01/week-in-review-and-wednesdays-adorned.html
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
Bethany @ Whistle and Ivy
That turned out beautiful! I’m so inspired! I’ve been checking out Craigslist for the past two weeks for a dresser to paint turquoise also and now I can’t wait to find one if it turns out as well as yours. Also read about your harried day, wow! Some days you’re just so ready to be over. So glad I saw this over at Liz Marie Blog! Sharon
Thank you Sharon! Good luck on the dresser, I’m sure you’ll do great!
What a beautiful transformation! I love this color….a LOT! Thanks so much for sharing!
So sorry to hear about your doggie troubles. I hope they all feel better very soon! =)
Amazing what we do for our pets. My cats are on prescription food which cost us $2.75/day just to keep them healthy – but if it cuts down on the vets bills and their distress, well you know, we’ll keep paying it. I love the dresser, beautiful color. I’ve got an old buffet with a TV on it in our living room that is still in the original color (brownish). I sit and look at it and try to decide what color it needs to be – I think a blue might be a good choice.
Sounds like we too will be doing the expensive cat diet. As long as the animals eat well I guess it doesn’t matter if we can afford to eat. I need to lose a few pounds anyway. Thanks for reading Laura!
The dresser turned out beautiful. I love the transformation.
I can completely relate to the foggiest drama. At one time we had 3 dogs. One was a puppy who needed constant attention and training. One was a husky who ended up with a large cyst that became infected and a beagle who felt very neglected. The husky ended up with major surgery, required drains and it wasn’t pretty. Then our terrier puppy needed to be neutered at the same time. Talk about a crazy time.
Hope they’re doing better.
Ruth
Thanks Ruth! Two dogs, wasn’t a big deal. Three dogs is another story. There is constant craziness in this house. When one gets sick it seems like they all do and we should have some kind of punch card at the vets. Spend a million dollars get $25 off or something like that. Thanks for stopping by!
Gor-Geous! Love that color girl. I’m featuring it in the PoPP Spotlight this weekend. Thanks for linking up. 🙂
Thank you so much Maryann!! Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful makeover at my Nifty Thrifty Tuesday party…It will be featured at my party on Monday.
Blessings,
Linda
Thank you so much Linda!
Amazing how pretty paint can make an old thing look! Thank you for sharing at Rustic Restorations Weekend!
Thanks so much for following!!!
your poor fur babies and poor you! I hope they are feeling better. I love the color of your dresser, it look amazing.
Sorry you had a hard time at the vet, but glad that your pups are on the mend. Your dresser is now beautiful–I love the shade of blue you chose.
Love this piece! I learned a log TIME ago to not take more than two dogs to the vet at one time. I usually really try to only take one. I took three one time and they all three got off their leashes and headed toward a super busy road. I also make sure I have them on harnesses too. I featured this dresser on Mod mix monday today!
Yes I learned my lesson. Unfortunately today I have to take one dog and the cat to the vet. If I take them at the same time I only get one exam fee. Thank you so much for featuring me Nita! Love your blog!
I love THE colour you chose! I have two cats and I sometimes call the vet in panic andwaits for me to come back from work, pick the cats and bring them to him after his usual opening hours… I have the best vet. I’m a new follower… I want to see what will happen next both to furniture and pets!!!
I love thAt color! It is amazing what paint can do for an out-dated piece Of furniture! I am visiting from Debbie Doos. It is nice to meet you!
Loved the dresser
As a 20+ year veteran employee at a Veterinary clinic, some suggestions for an easier trip next time. 1.Small pets are often better traveled in a crate.
2.aN OWNERS STRESS IS PICKED UPON BY THE DOGS. ENJOY THE TRIP AND IF POSSIBLE TAKE ONE AT A TIME AND ENJOY BEING WITH JUST ONE.
3. DON’T SAVE UP ALL YOUR PETS AILMENTS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IN ONE DAY, TOO MUCH EXPENSE AND STRESS FOR YOU AND IT TOO IS CONFUSING FOR THE VETERINARY STAFF (TRUST ME). cAN’T BELIEVE THIS ALL HAPPENED AT ONCE.
-AND A SIDE NOTE, IF YOU TOOK THREE CHILDREN TO THE PEDIATRITION AND GOT TESTING, VACCINES, AND MEDICATIONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD COST? OUR OVERHEAD COSTS ARE THE SAME, I AM CONSTANTLY COMPARING PRICING ON SUPPLIES AND MEDICATOINS TO KEEP OUR PRICES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AND KEEP A BUSINESS GOING SO I HAVE A JOB. $400 WAS A BARGAIN FOR THREE PETS!
I really enjoyed your story. Always is a bit humorous when you’re not the one going through it. Just having 3 dogs in the car would be quite a challenge I’m sure. Now don’t take this wrong, but now I remember why I no longer have pets. lol! Seriously, I love animals, but now that it’s just hubby and I we like to take off on a whim and a pet just makes it too difficult. You really did magic with this dresser. Painted one of my favorite colors. Thanks for sharing it with Share Your Cup. I am sure it’s just an oversite, but I do not see a link or my SYC button.
hugs,
Jann
Hi, I’m wondering if your dogs are on a grain free diet. A lot of problems are solved by going grain free, feeding a raw diet is the best, canned food is second best, third is a grain free kibble and if you are giving kibble, soak it for 1/2 hour first. This helps with adding fluids to their diets and keeping the system flowing. It helps with preventing crystals, UTI’s, and bladder stones. The food has to actually expand, just adding water doesn’t soften the kibble. Dogs are not naturally grain eaters and it often causes problems with skin issues and allergies. More and more people are doing the research and making the change. I have a rescue and see proof of this working with dogs I foster with each one that comes in that is on a regular kibble. The food is a little more expensive, but it cuts down on vet care, short term and for disease later in life. Also, if you vaccinate regularly, you’d do yourself well if you research opinions and statistics on over-vaccinating. I go to a vet that supports a more natural way with dogs and have learned a lot from her as well as doing my own research when coming across some dog related issues.
Just some FYI. We love our animals and want them to be around for as long as possible and in good health until the end. If you are not following this protocol already, it may be a way to help in cutting back on some vet visits and expenses.
Love, love, love the color! Nice work! I just found you through Debbie Doo’s. I’m your newest e-mail subscriber. I hope you’ll stop by and join me too!
This turned out really cute! Thanks for linking it up!
I am showing it off on my blog tomorrow 🙂
Ashley
http://www.simplydesigning.blogspot.com
Beautiful job! I love the finish the chalkpaint gives it. I think it would be perfect in a nursery!
Thanks Lindsey!
Love what you did with the dresser! It looks SOOOOO much better. I like the color you chose and I could definitely see it in a nursery with a changing pad on top. We have a few of those big chunky dressers at our lake house. I’ve only painted one of them so far, in white. I may give an aqua a try on one of the others. Thanks for sharing it with us. I found you over at Diana Rambles. Have a great weekend!
Debbie
Thanks so much Debbie! It’s amazing how much better those giant old dressers look with a coat of paint!
Wow, this turned out fabulous! What a transformation! I’d love for you to link this up to my
Beautiful dresser! I love the change table idea. Love the colour.
Debbie 🙂
Thanks Debbie! I loved the color too. When you mix your own paint you never know what you’re going to get!
Great color! Thanks for linking up 🙂
Thank you for posting the dresser! I have two very similar to it that I am planning to re-do. I was glad to see one painted to that I could have a visual of what mine will look like. I’m using a very pale subdued yellow. Keeping my fingers crossed. Love your site. Thank you.
Thanks Pat! I love anything yellow. Apparently my clients do too, those are always the first pieces that sell.
shanna, that color is dreamy! love it!
Hi! Love this paint color…can you tell me paint brand and color…I would like to re purpose a dresser for my daughters room, and know nothing about chalk paint…also wax finish?
Thank Diane! I used Sherwin Williams Sweet Sixteen for the pink paint. I use Annie Sloan’s clear wax to seal it.
Thank you so much for responding! I was referring to the aqua color though…lol…can’t find a chalk paint in that color. I have a dark piece similar to yours that I would like to do in aqua for my daughters surf themed bed room. I am very intrigued with chalk paint after reading your blog, and seeing no prep work…
Love this!!! I took an old record player and did the same thing…. But looking at yours I think I’m going to repaint it to a lighter turquoise/mint!!! Love it … saw you on Get Your DIY on Link party!
Ann- The Rustic RedHead
Thank you Ann! Have a great week!
Shanna, it’s gorgeous! Seriously. Love that your brought it into this century. Great color choice!! Thank you so much for linking up to our Get Your DIY On Challenge this week. Next week is Fall Themed Wreaths, I hope you’ll make it back and share with us! Have a great week!
Mandy @ The Hankful House Blog
I have an ugly bedroom set similar to this and want to do something to make it pretty but don’t have much experience with furniture make overs. I’m ready to give chalk paint a shot!
I have much more experience with dogs than furniture make overs. When you mentioned eyes on one dog, ears on another and licking feet the first thing that came to mind was a food allergy.
I would suggest is a premium meat based dog food. Try grain free. The pet food companies are excellent at marketing poor quality products that appeal to people with cute ads, pretty colors and affordable prices. Cheap dog food is no bargain as it causes more vet expense.
Learn to check labels and avoid anything with ground corn, meat by products or artificial colors.
Try it for a couple months and you may be amazed at the differences in how thy feel and look.
Thank you for the advice Garoleen! I will definitely give it a try. I hate to see my pups miserable.
Such a beautiful dresser now! Stunning colour! I am painting my dresser as well. Trying to find the same colour as yours! Which brand and colour did you use? Thank you!