Perfection Pending--Antique Vanity

My husband has a friend who came into my shop and told me he had been showing my blog to his friends at work (YES! I was shocked, too!! Usually men don't show much interest in what I do and are usually just there to haul their wives/girlfriends' treasures home for them!).  One of the guys  expressed an interest in me redoing an antique vanity that belonged to his wife.  So, my husband's friend tells me it needs to be "perfect" because it is going to be her Christmas present.  Well!--no pressure there!  

He then proceeded to tell me that she wanted it white with no distressing!  Ummmm....I have only ever painted ONE thing that I haven't distressed!  And, this one is going to be white (which shows everything!)....and it has to be perfect??!!  Ok.  Challenge accepted! 

Well, then he tells me that the veneer is peeling in spots, but he will take care of that (he is a woodworker) and will drop it off for me, and all I have to do is paint it.  Needless to say, things never go that seemlessly.  He dropped it at my shop and only part of the veneer was peeled off--he had his reasons, so I don't blame him, but UGH!!

I spent half a day peeling all that blankity blank veneer (have I EVER mentioned before that I absolutely, positively, unequivocally HATE that stuff!).  A few hours, and one gouged palm, (I always end up bleeding!) later, it was done.  I sanded it all smooth, filled in the spots that needed to be filled, and sanded again.  Then I primed and sanded.  Then I primed again, and sanded.  Then I sanded again. Then I painted the first coat and sanded.  Then I painted the second coat and sanded.  

Are you detecting a pattern yet?

Then I sanded again with 1000 grit (a little over the top you say?  We are trying for perfection here, remember?).  Then I did one coat of poly and .....you guessed it--sanded!!  Then I did another coat of poly and ..........

said, "It is FINISHED!"

I think I touched every millimeter of that desk at least 10 times, and guess what??  It's NOT perfect, but it's pretty darn close!! :)

Before

I don't know if you can see very well, but notice the partially peeled veneer on the insides?  Well, all four sides were like that!  So 4 sides had to be peeled!  Ok, I will quit complaining now! :)

I also had to hand sand a lot of this piece instead of using my orbital because the wood was really soft and I didn't want to take any of the edges off.  I took all the wooden pulls off and sanded them down to the bare wood and painted them separately from the desk, just to make sure there were no accidental drips or runs along the edges.  

Look at all those little details that get no distressing! :(  Even though this vanity turned out beautifully it made me sad. lol

Sorry, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow for the reveal!  ;)

You can see it finished here. :)