annie sloan chalk paint: worth the hype? {part one}

I know, I know...I may be the last person ON EARTH who has not tried Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and you probably said you'd curl up in a ball and start rocking if you read another blog post on this topic. I just haven't been compelled to go out and spend $38 on a quart of paint, not to mention the $36 tin of wax. {If my husband is reading this, I'm totally exaggerating the price.  Because really, who would pay that much for paint?! NOT ME.}

For those of you living with me under this rock, the special thing about ASCP is that you don't need to sand, prime, or do anything else before diving right in. 
You can paint wood, brick, marble, anything you can dream of!
Doesn't that sound awesome, and worth a fortune?  {We'll see.}

For some reason {impulsive, anyone?} I recently decided that I had to have some.  NOW.  And not only that, but I needed to paint approximately 1,435 things, immediately.  Does anyone else do this?  It's a sickness. I get carried away easily.

So I went to this lovely local shop, Stifel and Capra, because Kelly from Stylish Patina is a chalk paint "stockist."  Which must be a very exclusive thing, since there are only two of them in the entire Northern Virginia area. I thought Kelly's displays were very well done, and she seemed to have a nice selection of paints, tools, and waxes.  She also had some really cute note cards and other stuff.  I wish I would have brought my camera!  Next time.  I also had a nice chat with the shop owner about the quality of our public schools and
the outrageous real estate prices in the area.  When I have more time to browse, 
I'm looking forward to going back. 

I bought "Paris Gray" paint and a clear soft wax.

Even though I had major plans to paint every wood surface in my house, plus possibly my husband and kids if ASCP was really THAT GREAT, I knew I had to start somewhere.  So I dug out this table, which was a "the-moving-trucks-will-be-here-any-minute-and-I-need-to-get-rid-of-this-thing"gift from my former next-door neighbor.  It's a nice table, and I'd like to use it on my screened-in porch since it has 2 leaves, but there was some damage on the top: 

A perfect first victim!  I mean candidate! ;-) Muahaha.
I also bought a new paintbrush to go with my fancy paint, and it is AWESOME: so easy to clean, the bristles don't fall out, and the paint goes on so smoothly. It's a Purdy Nylox 2":

Here are my initial impressions, after finishing the entire first coat:
1) A little goes a long way. I painted the whole table {including 2 leaves} and 
I hardly used any paint.
2) It's really thick, and dries quickly.  So if you paint and try to paint over it, it gets a little sticky and difficult. After one coat, you can see the brush marks and black/silvery marks when it dries. If you like a distressed look, you would like this.  If, like me, you want a smoother finish, you'll probably need multiple coats.  See the brush marks?

Here she is with her first coat {except the feet, because I didn't feel like covering the garage floor. Although, look at all those stains!  Would it have made a difference?} 
I'm going to try to apply a second coat to the top, before the kids wake up and 
we have to get ready for camp/preschool/work. 
Wish me luck, and I'll be back with a near-finished product...I hope!