Adventures in Furnishing!

It's the age-old transformation story.

An old, tired, tattered, unloved chair....

Becomes the chair of my dreams!!

Last week, my mother-in-law (MIL) and I set off to fulfill the hubs' desire for a "comfortable chair" that also fit our budget. When we walked into a second-hand store, I was admittedly skeptical. The furniture looked tired, and although the MIL reassured me we would have any piece we found re-finished, I couldn't seem to visualize it.

So, knowing I am clueless when it comes to furniture selection, I asked her to select the chair she thought would be the best to work with. She decided on the gray striped one, with torn fabric and worn out arms, at the cost of $140. I wasn't feelin' it. However, after a trip to a discount fabric store, where I found a richly beautiful fabric on sale, I started to see the vision.

We hired a family friend to recover the chair, and viola! I never expected it to turn out this good! I am in love with this chair (never, ever thought I would say that...who am I and since when do I care about furniture?).

Workout + Breakfast

Before my super-exciting chair arrival, I tried a Body Step class at the Y. It was so high-energy and a great workout. I also went for a 4-mile walk on the treadmill after class was over. When I got home, I re-fueled with a delicious smoothie:

*strawberries & mango

*1 cup 1% milk

*1 T white chocolate wonderful PB

*Drizzle of agave

*Frozen banana

Off to lunch with a friend!

Q: What are your tips for furnishing on a budget? I am so glad to have experienced the world of buying something second hand and having it re-done. It was far cheaper than if we had walked into a store and bought something new!