It’s a borrowed camera from school, and I’m blogging during my conference hour. If I get fired, I will of course blame you. Hope you don’t mind.
Aside from feeling sorry for myself over my computer and camera woes, I have gotten a couple of things accomplished. Remember how my grandparents gave me a bunch of furniture? Well, here’s how the dining room chairs looked.
I had to take a flame thrower to it to get through the 30-year build up of Pledge, but it turned out nicely. 
I spray painted this one, but I have since turned to my favorite paint. I think it’ll just be too expensive to cover 5 of them with spray paint. I also used painter’s dropcloth that I had left over from Thanksgiving. If a tutorial is needed, I can provide that…just not now. We’re running on bare minimums here, remember?
I will, however, let you in on an inexpensive and MUCH needed tool/secret. I purchased this electric staple gun for $30 at Lowe’s, and it’s been a dream. I just couldn’t imagine doing all those chairs with my manual gun.
See the two boxes propping up the gun? That’s my new hard drive that Dell just sent me. On my 9 month old computer. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Speaking of light (bad segue, I know), here’s what Santa/mom bought me for Christmas. I’m quite positive she was surprised by my request, but I was as giddy as a school girl when I opened it! I can’t wait to show you all the projects (including nailing my finger to the wall–I’m sure) I’ll do with it!
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The chair looks great! Can't wait to see what all you can do with your new nail gun! Good luck with the computer.
I love the chairs…it reminds me that I have one from my grandmother that I need to give the same treatment!! I hope your computer woes end soon!!
Chris – love the chair and yes tons of cans of spray paint could get pricey. You should ask for another tool for valentines day..a sprayer to use with your air compressor. I got one and never plan on using spray paint again. Oh and I love your Christmas gift- my mom thought I was weird because I wanted some new pans for the kitchen..
What a beautiful job you did on the chairs! So, you asked for something practical for Christmas and you will create so many beautiful things with it. Good for you!
The chair looks fab! I really like what you did. And how exciting all of your new tools. 🙂 I hope you can get your computer up and running soon. How annoying.
I love this design makeover! The chairs look great. It may just inspire me to redo some chairs at my house that look a little ho-hum. Thanks for posting!
The first year I started my business, I asked for tools for Christmas, Chris! I went through the "are you sure" questions, but I couldn't afford to go out and get everything at one pop myself. I think the chair turned out great! Had to laugh at the pledge build-up!
Very nice!
The chairs look fab!
I love the way the chairs turned out! They look REALLY GOOD painted black. I want a nail gun so bad I can't stand it. I would make everything!!!
Kelly
Love your chairs, but I am most jealous about your staple and nail guns. Both are on my wish list. Do you need an air compressor to use the nail gun? I've been hoping that I don't have to buy a compressor too.
The chairs look great. I'm loving that fancy pants stapler. I may have to add that to my list of must haves.
I was JUST looking at one of those staplers at Home Depot…wanna do my chair!
Greaat job on the pledge encrusted chair, girl!!
The chairs are gorgeous 🙂
I love the comment about Santa/Mom being surprised about a request. My husband had to convince my mom-in-law that the request for a bigger push mower was real. And I got it. It's twice the size of my old one, and now, it shouldn't take me 4 hours to mow my lawn. Best/most useful Christmas present this year!! 😀
Those chairs are gorgeous!! You're lucky girl! I want someone to give me chairs like that!! Can I borrow both of those tools? Because, um, those are EXACTLY the tools that I've been needing to finish some projects. I went to Joann's 2 days ago and got the Ca-utest fabric to redo my dining room chairs. But alas, no staple gun.
And a project that's been unfinished for like, uh 8 months or more, has been b/c I need one of those finisher thingies.
Hope you get your computer & camera fixed soon! You are missed!
Those chairs are gorg!
I have used my stapler so many times I've lost count (and now am probably too wimpy to use a manual stapler!)
Loving the restyled chairs and what a fab Christmas pressie!
Good luck with your computer woes!
I have been a "Just a Girl" stalker for, oh goodness, I don't even know how long now! Always love what you do and I'm pretty sure I laugh with almost every post. Anyway, enough of the introductions. I have a question. Every time you redo a piece of furniture you will say something about the "Pledge buildup". How in the world do you cut through the grime?! And, also, what do you use to dust if you don't use Pledge? I'm so intrigued!
Your chairs are looking good. Love the black with the drop cloth cover seats. So chic!
I wish I would have asked for a nail gun, Wow! Love it.
Maybe for my birthday!
Love the chairs; totally understand about the pledge build-up. We've removed some of that. Your projects are always an inspiration…I look forward to your posts!
Wouldn't it be segue instead of segway?
Just checking to make sure you wouldn't run Santa/Mom over with a one person vehicle =)
Your chair looks great! It's amazing how you can envision such a beautiful end product from the original.
what an amazing job Chris. If I could ask you a question…can you refinish the chairs indoors. I don't think I can wait until it warms up!
Hang in there. I'd say you're doing pretty good condsidering the "conditions". 🙂
The chairs look grea & I'm so jealous of your nail gun!
I love the chairs painted black. Did you paint the table to match? I painted our dining chairs black last year and am debating doing the table as well.
Hang in there – the blogging drought will end soon enough. Believe me, when I say, that it's as hard on us as it is on you – we miss you.
Oh!
The dining chairs look fabulous…so chic BLACK!
I love BLACK spray paint!
Know what you mean about the build up of Pledge.
I can remember…at my mamawa house…being amazed that I could take my fingernail and draw in the PLEDGE build up on her wood furniture.
Would love to see some of those drawings…they were more than likely covered up with more Pledge!
XXOOXX
Oh wow! Those chairs look so classy and elegant now! You did a fabulous job and the black really highlights the lines of the chair!
I think I need to buy a staple gun like the one you showed. I did one chair and bench with a hand staple gun and my hand was so sore for 2 days after-not good.
For you and your readers, I've got a fun $50 DECOR GIVEAWAY. Simply visit this link for details!
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Whew! You're back! I thought I was going to have to start text harassing you! The chairs look great. Tell Santa she did good.
What a good job on those chairs Chris! Looks great with the rest of your black dinning rm furniture. I was laughing so hard at this post…I felt like I was reading a chapter in "Handy Man" or visiting a segment of "This Old House". Move over guys, the women of the world are taking the lion by the tail with a nail-gun!!! Great Job.
Chris's Santa/Mom
Man, I hope that your digital world is back up and running soon!! How I miss your creativity! I'd love to have a tutorial on how to prep those chairs!! Our set (I think the same one) is going to get the makeover this spring!! It definitely is well protected with Pledge, we bought ours from an old bitty who was in her 90s.
So fresh and new! Love the black.
Love the new look on your chairs. Isn´t it hard to spray paint a chair? What distance do you keep when you´re spraying?
-Sanna
Hope you're not fired…you do have some lovely looking chairs you could use for a peace offering though if the worst came true!! 🙂 (Not that you would want to part with them at all – they are simply stylish!)
Love your work!
http://polkadotprintsstudio.blogspot.com/
Your chairs look fab and you're such a lucky duck to be adding to your power tool collection! What a good mommy you have :). (BTW-just noticed that I'm on your links page. Thanks girl. You're so good to me!) Stop by and oooo and aaaahhh over my Bob Marley inspired mantel when you get the chance.
Your chairs look fab and you're such a lucky duck to be adding to your power tool collection! What a good mommy you have :). (BTW-just noticed that I'm on your links page. Thanks girl. You're so good to me!) Stop by and oooo and aaaahhh over my Bob Marley inspired mantel when you get the chance.
LOL! No nailing fingers to the wall!
LOVE the chairs!! I re-did all mine via hand stapler! Ouch! The hands cramp just thinking about it!
What a great face lift. And a good idea for the future if I ever get chairs I think are hideous but have good bones…
AWESOME! I would never have imagined you could turn a country chair into a modern looking chair that easily!
I have very similiar d. furniture and want to paint my chairs/table black…will you share your paint tutorial once you do it – I read CloverLane's too…want to compare. Sorry about your computer – I have a Dell that is almost 1 year, hope we see many more birthdays!
I really like the chair. I love black a lot and I have black Thomasville chairs in my dining room. Thank God that I didn't have to paint them:) Glad you got the nail gun. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us. Good luck on the computer issues.
Those chairs are the bomb! They look fantastic! Love the black and white!
This blog is a-mazing. Love it. You're hysterical. I think I speak for all when I ask: is there any way you could do a "tutorial" on this? I have a dining set that I would like to re-do…
The chairs look AMAZING! Love, love, love them. I need to do mine now!
hey! what color is that on your wall? I LOVE IT! I've been looking for one very similar.