My advice is to post this in the woodworking section, but I am afraid your not going to like the answers your going to get.

I think I did post it there...it was late last night. Thanks!

I just checked and I already got an answer that said I should get it professionally done. Obviously that is my last resort, especially since the guy that originally gave me the high estimate will now be laughing with me about how this ended up.

"I just checked and I already got an answer that said I should get it professionally done. "

My sentiments exactly, from your description and the pictures you posted you are in way over your head and in my opinion are potentially ruining a nice piece (possibly did some irreparable damage already).

Toxcrusadr, what you said "it dried so fast you couldn't wipe off the excess" is exactly what happened. On the left side, once I pulled off the brush the mark was there and I couldn't blend anything or do anything to change it. It happened pretty much instantly. I think it is the nature of the wood (alder) and the water based stain that did it. I will do a test run of the water stain plus gel stain on top of that before stripping/resanding on my samples of the alder. The wood is smooth, and I didn't want the grain to show in any case (my other furniture is not rustic/wood looking either so I am not going for that look)...so I will definitely try and see what happens. Thanks so much for trying to help me. I really appreciate your time and good-hearted reply to my dilemma.

To Millworkman: I do not think I am "in over my head" and I am not one to accept that reasoning in any case. You can think whatever you want but in this day and age you should keep it to yourself. I believe in "when there's a will there's a way," and in "no prayer goes unheard in Heaven" and as I said at the outset I didn't come here to have you tell me to get it professionally done (I came for technical advice of how to fix it not your opinion or judgments). I imagine you are like many of the men who are in construction who think that ladies can't get this stuff done, and I am sorry to tell you but you are wrong, and a chauvinist to boot.

My mom stopped by on Friday to visit and she loved how the bookcase looks, so these things are a matter of taste in the end. She liked the uneven tone (and no she "tells it like it is" so she wasn't trying to make me feel better). In fact, she said she loved it even before I told her I was unhappy with how it turned out...just some food for thought.

Also, I forgot to mention that I emailed GF and they said that I should sand at 400 grit (lightly) and then try the gel on top. I will do that on my samples and see what happens. I will post pics, G-d willing, with a nice finished product. Thanks again.

So how did it turn out?

I recently did something similar but took a different tactic so don't feel these sorts of things happen to just you. Here is my tale to make you feel better.

I wanted to install a recessed cabinet. I saw lots of great looking ones on pinterest. I found this great web site WG Wood Products that had lots of options for you to custom order. Mentally I had placed several of these around the house. To test I ordered one with the extra depth, a door style to match my interior doors, extra glass shelves and I decided to order it in white as that is what my interior doors and wood trim is. The total cost for the unit was $625 including shipping. Definitely on the high side but if it looked as good as I thought it would I was willing to pay. I thought I would get painted wood.

What showed up was MDF doors that look like an over the toilet cabinet from Walmart. I was crushed. When I e-mailed the company to complain they said it was wood. I tried to find a place on their web site that stated wood so I would protest and get my money refunded because I definitely have el cheapo MDF doors. Instead I found small print that said if you ordered the door in the style I did and in painted white it was made out of MDF instead of wood. I had no recourse.

I took the stinky MDF doors off and put them in the garage. I am using the recessed cabinet for picture frames. It doesn't look that great without the doors and I'm temped the next time I need drywall repair to just take it out and throw it out. Total waste of $625.

Your cabinet looks finely crafted. Hopefully you were able to fix the finish. The WG Wood products can be bought unfinished on discount web sites but I didn't take that route for the reason I didn't think I could finish it well. Unfortunately paying the company to finish it didn't work out for me either because they switched up the materials.

I gave birth to a baby boy about a week ago and he is the NICU so I am not in the frame of mind to apply the finish on the bookcase, but I did finish the staining portion the night before I went into labor. I decided to do an antique two-toned (light/dark) look with a gold gilding for some of the molding edges. It is more of an artistic/antique look but I am very happy with the way it came out. I will be honest, I do "beat to my own drum" so to speak so as long as I like it that is what matters. I have to apply the lacquer but I will do that once the baby comes home with G-d's help. It is difficult to eat and sleep because of all this anxiety and the stress of the pain I feel. The bookcase is on the bottom of the to-do list right now. I will post pictures when I do finish it. I am sorry you got a bait and switch from this company. That happens all the time when you order things sight unseen online, unfortunately. We are all in G-d's hands so I wouldn't worry much. These are only cabinets. The main thing is that you and your loved ones are healthy. Thanks for checking in!

Congratulations on the baby!

Congratulations on the baby boy & hope he gets to come home soon! I notice on the 1st pic that the unfinished wood looks a little different in areas, perhaps you had sanded it & the people that made it might have put something on it as it looks a little uneven. I think I would check on that & asked them if it's bare wood or treated. I refinished a lot of things & never had a problem until I bought a kids wooden toybox, looked a little rough in 1 corner & I sanded it & then saw the directions that said they had treated it with something & do not sand. It was just a toybox so not a big deal but it didn't take the oil stain right because I sanded off whatever they had put on it. Haven't used gel stains as I have oil stains left & wipe on with a rag. Hope you can get it looking way you want it. It's a nice piece & will store a lot of things. You need to take time off for awhile & just take care of your family! My dr. told me she thought most women needed hysterectomies later in life because they did too much 1st 6 weeks after a baby came. So I took her advice & worked for me!

I would get some Minwax oil wipe on and do it over.