Knockoff: DIY Land of Nod Kid's Activity Art Table

Are you all familiar with Land of Nod?  They have the most radical stuff and I want all of it.  Not awesome?  The damn prices.

Land of Nod Kid's Play Table

Have you seen this activity table? Pretty sweet, huh?  Well, that sweet little piece of playtime fun will run you $450.  But in their defense, the two rolling storage bins and leg extensions are included.  Still, there's no way I could drop 450 clams on a play table. I mean, let's be real, I'm a stay at home mom with a budget to keep. So, what is a girl to do?  Copy it, of course, and I had the perfect table just waiting to be converted.

Supplies:

DIY // How To Transform a Vintage Dresser

I don't know about you, but I always feel anxiety and guilt over painting a vintage piece of furniture or any piece of furniture, for that matter.  Right before I smear on the first coat my right eye starts to twitch, my forehead beads sweat and my whole body starts to shake.  I know that the paint will liven up the down-and-out piece, but it just seems so wrong to cover up the wood.

A past project had me all wrangled with guilt when I chose to paint (EEK!) my mom's childhood dresser. 

I think everyone in the family has used this dresser at one time or another.  But first, it was my lovely mother's. As a child, she saved up all her money to buy it and it's been around ever since. I know, what you're thinking...what child saves up to buy something so practical? That'd be my mom.

For nearly 40 years old (sorry, mom!), this dresser is in pretty good condition. It's still rolling around on its original wooden castors and only two pieces of its veneer had chipped off. But the wear and tear of being passed around was definitely showing and the old guy needed some TLC. Refinishing veneer can be quite the challenge, so I figured paint would be the way to go.  I rolled up my sleeves, plugged in the hand sander and got to work. Sanding and sanding and sanding until I had this:

And then I began sanding some more.  Grr...