Annie Sloan, meet SC Johnson

Found this old magazine table in my parent's garage:

And used it as a practice piece before I paint that dresser I found a few weeks ago at Goodwill:

My friend Jenny has raved about Annie Sloan chalk paint and she recently bought some to use on a cool buffet she found on Craigslist. She also bought the Annie Sloan wax which gives pieces of furniture that great, smooth finish.  Problem is, the stuff ain't cheap...sigh, as is everything I need want.  I had no idea this stuff was so popular....one day I hope to use it.  But, for now...

I decided to try my hand at concocting my own chalk paint and just buy a good, ole' fashion SC Johnson Paste Wax and see what happens.  I added Plaster of Paris to some paint I had lying around to give it that "chalkiness"...you want to add about 1 tablespoon per cup of paint.  And then add a bit of water as needed.  Here it is with the first layer:

I ended up putting on two layers and sanding with fine sand paper between each one...

I decided to use Martha Stewart's Antique Metallic Gold paint for the detail on the sides:

Once that was done, I distressed it to give it that vintage feel....and then came the wax:

It was soooo easy to use!  I don't know where this stuff has been my whole life....I used a brush to apply a thin layer, let it dry for about an hour and then buffed it out with an old t-shirt rag.

You can't tell unless you reach your hand through your computer and feel it for yourself, but it is super duper smooth, like velvet.  Me lovey!