Redone Chairs & Family Rules Chalkboard

Before and After pictures get me all giddy! When I see one in a magazine my eyes light up! Even if I hate the "after," I think it's amazing to study how something can transform and take on a new light, a new being, a new perspective.

I did two fun "Before and After" DIYs over the past two days that I'm so excited to share with you guys!

First one: My Foyer Chairs! 

I have named them Kiralynn and Chelsea Rae after my two Greenville Picker besties!

Kiralynn & Chelsea Rae

 I found them back in March right when Chelsea and I discovered a consignment store in Greenville- Feather Your Nest! I couldn't stop thinking about them so this week I made a great offer on them and they came home with Bennett and I! Here's what they looked like when I bought them.

A Facebook friend described the pink as a "Pepto Pink." She couldn't be more right. The fabric was covered in a yellowing vinyl and the pattern made me want to throw up in my mouth. (Guess that's why they had vinyl covers on them).

With a little sanding, some paint (Valspar Brook), and a gorgeous fabric I found at Tony's fabric, this was the final product!

I love them! What I love more is how easy chairs are to redo! What I love even more is how fun staple guns are! They are going to be used in our foyer area for a place to take off shoes and also pull into other areas for extra seating when we entertain! They flow really well into the living and dining room decor!

Okay- my other project of the week: My Family Rules Chalkboard!

Remember my random glass door I found at my epic yard sale day for a couple bucks? Cool & inspiring, but it just wasn't cutting it "as is."

Well I used it first for Emily's Peter Rabbit Picnic baby shower as the entrance to "Mr. McGregor's
Garden."

 But now I have made a fun "Thompson's Family Rules" sign for our foyer! Some of the rules have special meaning to our family- like "Sleep in Cowboy Beds." It's a reminder to not be so serious in life and enjoy the fun parts! We found the perfect wall to hang it on!

It was hard for me to decide whether to make it a family rules board or a seasonal "bucket list" board. I may change it throughout the year. The best part is that it's chalkboard and magnetic! Whoo hoo!

 Can I just say how much fun I had being crafty this week? Okay...I'm about to get all deep for a second....

To me, redoing or re-purposing a piece of furniture or any item for that matter is highly therapeutic and somewhat spiritual. It reminds me of how we are always given the chance to renew ourselves through the grace of God. The sanding down of the rough surfaces is comparable to how we can sand away the rough areas in our life, making a clean slate for the new and beautiful to come.

Every year near my birthday (which is tomorrow BTW) I always think about how I can be different, better, more improved in the next year to come.  The name, Stacie, means "Resurrection," which is such an awesome meaning for me because I feel so blessed to have that hope. The hope to start fresh whenever I feel like it. The chance to sand away the rough, the chipped paint, the ugly.... and give myself a fresh coat of paint whenever I need it.

Happy crafting everyone!