World's Tackiest Headboard

So, Dale woke me up one night two weeks ago and let me know that the World's Tackiest Headboard happened to be right outside our bedroom window--waiting to go into the trash.

I was thrilled and we immediately scurried down the stairs and scooped it up. Of course, nothing can be simple! My goal was just to spray paint it a fabu gold and blue and use it as a free and easy piece in my dream Moulin Rouge-themed bedroom! I want to live inside the elephant in Moulin Rouge! So I started cleaning it tonight and it's filthy, of course. But worse yet, the paint--both layers of it--is coming off on my cleaning rag. And it's lovely hand-carved wood underneath! Gah! Now I am going to have to strip it in order to paint it because if I paint it, it will just flake off! *sigh*

Anyway, you can follow the progress of the World's Tackiest Headboard here, including the newly uncovered wood beneath the tacky paint.