Rolling out the red carpet for Cassie!

Friends I am so excited to have Cassie from Primitive and Proper here today!

She is an amazing friend, blogger and talent and I am so happy to roll the red carpet out for her!

So Cassie take it away!

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Hello 551 East fans!  I am Cassie from Primitive and Proper and I am SO excited to be here!  I just adore Julia- she is super sweet, adorable, and freaking talented beyond all get out, yo.  She clearly brings out the gangsta in me because she is that cool.

Julia and I both love to dabble in furniture makeovers and we both share a love of color, a little bit of funk, and a little bit of glam, mixed with a dash of bohemian.  I thought I would share a happy colored makeover with you today.

I found this dresser recently on my local craigslist.  Whenever I find this style for a decent price, I try to purchase it.  I just love it's classic look!

The only drawback to this dresser was that often times, the wood tends to bleed through primer and paint once the finish has been sanded off.  To save myself that trouble of sanding and dealing with bleeding I decided to make my own chalk paint.
I use my good friend Ann Marie's recipe: 1/2 c. plaster of paris mixed into 1/2 c. warm water.  Once that is mixed add it to 1 c. flat or eggshell paint and mix well.  Then you are good to go- no sanding or priming needed!

I gave this dresser two coats and then distressed it by hand with 150 grit sandpaper.  Then I used a wax brush to apply a natural wax finish.  Once the wax dried, I buffed it for a smooth like buttah feel!  Here is the after:

DIY chalk paint is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to go!  I strongly recommend trying it!
Julia, thank you SO much for having me here today!