Consider the Source

It started with something so benign. The bar stools were old, ugly and cheap. They were the basic round 24" oak kind that had been customized by ten years of kids, chewing puppies, and they'd even been in a dance recital. So one date night at a furniture store yielded 3 new bar stools complete with an ergonomic design with backs and wipeapble seats. Stunning, they were. Truly stunning. Which then brought the attention to the rest of the kitchen and its outdated cabinetry and dining set.

The next chapter of this saga began with my admiring hand caressing (yes, caressing) my sister's banister and commenting on the color and wood. She informed me she'd stained right over the light finish to match the new additions and it was a piece. Of. Cake. "You could totally do your whole kitchen," she commented. She then encouraged me to try it on the inside of one cabinet first and handed me the remainder of her can of paint. I did and I didn't love the results.

Next chapter is passing remarks between husband and wife and how much the husband wants a new dining set now that we have barstools that are so classy. This quickly segues to Nancy waking up one morning and realizing she has a full day at home she didn't plan to have and thought of the conversation with her sister. Nancy then takes a chair outside, takes off the cushion which is ugly, worn and stained and uses purposeful stain for chair. My sister was right. Piece of Cake.

 See? Ugly, huh.

Then I made a mistake. I used stripper on the table then realized I'd have to scrape off the whole top. That's when I realized now I was in triage mode. Bad place to be. Also, just then the telephone rang and my daughter informed the caller that I was unable to come to the phone because I was trying to put the top back on the stripper which left me shrieking, "Who IS that?!"

Day 2 had me taking the table apart (it's Ash and very heavy) and taking it outside. One side had been stripped and sanded. The other had not. Then I had to refinish with clear base coat, wait for it to dry, go to craft store and ask for pleather and received a blank look (plastic + leather?) and I was sweating and near tears before I had my epiphany.

I had taken advice from my sister that is not the "smart sister." I'm the "smart sister." This is not to be confused with the "common sense" sister who lives in Arizona. The sister who told me it would be a piece. Of. Cake is the "I can do anything" sister. And then she does. Want to do a triathlon? Sure. And she does. How about the Red Rock Relay? Why not? By the way, what's the Red Rock Relay? And she does (12 people on a team run 180 miles) How about a half marathon? Okay and, By-the-way-I'm-pregnant. Will you be the Young Women's president for the ward and be responsible for the well-being of all girls ages 12-18, plan camp, youth conference, and weekly activities along with huge projects that come up while pregnant, training for marathons then with four children? Of course!

I'm the book smart sister who thinks she can do anything but I really can start any project, get overwhelmed and don't finish sister. Which is why I married a husband who is a finisher. He's also a great planner and has to leave the house every time I get out the paint brushes and rollers because he knows he'll have some project to finish.

But my intents are always pure. Really.

So I bucked up, stopped calling my sister to curse at her. She is who she is. I accepted the fact that I might cry a little bit but I was going to finish what I started. I even cleaned up. Scott is so proud.

Total cost - $21.54.

Piece. Of. Cake.