Longest spray paint project EVER!

I don’t know how you all do it!  Every painting project I do, spray or otherwise, takes me several days.  I must be slower than beans!

Like this one for example.  It took me a full week from first coat, to placement in my living room.

But it looks goooood. :)
I used to have this gigantic monstrosity of a coffee table.  Much too big for my little room.   It was at least 4 x 2.5 ft.  And the top needed refinished.  So because it was a gigantic monstrosity, and mission style, which doesn’t really “go” in my house, I’ve been on the lookout for something
a) smaller
b) with toy storage
c) that goes with my “tv stand.”
And I couldn’t find anything and got impatient.  But then I remembered this pretty basket that I bought at an estate sale for $20 a few years ago. 

It’s definitely smaller - 2.5 x 1.5 feet – maybe even a smidge small, decor wise, but… it obviously has storage.  However, it did NOT match the TV stand.  So I went to work.
Step 1:  Prime with this stuff, which took me 2 days.
Step 2: Two coats of that Valspar stuff. (2 more days)
Step 3: Two coats of spray stain (have you ever seen this stuff before?   Totally cool!)  After I sprayed, I wiped it with an old sock.  So there is more stain in the cracks.  I wanted it to look less spray painted and more stained.  It helped, but it still looks pretty spray painted in real life. (1 day, plus about 3 days drying time.)
 
And in the end, I have this!  I am SOOO pleased with the way it turned out!

Total cost:
$20 Basket at estate sale several years ago (but at this point, I consider that free.)
$7.?? Spray stain (s0me leftover)
$4.?? Primer (and I used it all)
$3.?? Paint (I used all of this, too.)
$34 for a new coffee table with toy storage!
 
You know I’m linking this up to LOTS of parties on my side bar!!!  Go check them out!