Vins et Spiriteux Set

I worked on a custom order a week ago.  The end of the story is fantastic, the middle....not so much.  It started out strong...I refinished a long coffee table and two side tables, sanded the tops, restained the wood, and drew the 'Vins et Spiriteux' graphic on the coffee table, and sealed everything with durable Varathane floor finish. 

Parfait!

Then I was asked to do a similar treatment to a pine desk and a 50s magazine holder.  The desk is where things started heading south.  I thought I'd strip the top and sand away some of the uneven paint on the legs of the desk and that would be the end of the story.  Not so. 

I should have sanded EV-ER-Y-THING down right from the get-go.  I have no idea why I didn't.  So, in a make-work project for myself, I finished the desk...but it wasn't right!  It looked pretty awful (or at least not as good as it could) and in the end I had to pull it all back to the pine.  I went through a lot of sandpaper. 

In the end...she's a beauty! 

The [very patient] customer was happy...she said this:

   

Emily, thank you so much for the lovely job you did on my "garage sale" find! 

We have received many compliments on the desk and are very happy with it.  I

 will be sure to recommend you to others.    Mary Lou R. (Ennismore, ON)

Ain't that grand?!

And here's where she's sitting pretty now

Au revoir!