Meet Yari!

I am going on 5 years of refinishing.

I started refinishing furniture 2 weeks after the loss of our baby girl, Lilly. Johnny and I have always wanted to have kids and after trying to conceive for 11 years, it finally happened, but sadly I miscarried close to 5 months pregnant. After going through many emotions of sadness, anger, disappointment and just being depressed and laying in bed for 2 weeks I decided I needed some time for a creative outlet to get my mind off of everything. So I remembered I had picked up some end tables on the side of the road a while back, went to Hobby Lobby and picked up chalk paint and just started painting. It was just the distraction I needed. It became so therapeutic and it's almost as though I couldn't stop painting. Johnny saw the potential in me and encouraged me to sell my painted furniture and although I was hesitant at first, I did it and was so thrilled when someone loved something I created so much. Soon after that, I went on a paint and supplies run. I ran into a small business that sold better. I was using quality furniture paint at that time and the owner somehow already knew who I was, so they invited me to be a booth owner at her store.  That's where this whole journey just took a turn into the most joyous time in my life. What I am now so proud of!

We sell our pieces both locally here in the Knoxville, Tennessee area and nationwide through our Etsy shop.

Oh man, 1920-1930's Jacobean Buffets ALWAYS!!! I am obsessed with them. They are hard to find, rare and so unique and I love them all. They all have their unique designs with gorgeous wooden details and appliques, the chunky legs... everything, I love everything about them!

I usually prefer to paint with Mineral type paints. I have tried a couple all-in-one paints but always find myself going back to the mineral chalk-type.

I would have to say that the piece that comes to mind is a Jacobean buffet I did last summer. Not only because it's a Jacobean 1920's piece but also because I painted it in one of my most favorite shades of green. This piece has a pretty crazy story too! We had kept this piece for our home and I had a customer who found my shop on Etsy and also looked me up on other social media platforms. So she reaches out to ask if I still had that buffet and if she could purchase it. I kindly replied and explained that it was not for sale, that we kept it for our home and that it was my husband's favorite piece, to which she then says that she loves it and has to have it. She had been searching for a buffet like this one for 2 years. Something that had amazing detail but also not too feminine as she was trying to be considerate of her husband's taste as well. I asked Johnny for his thoughts and he said absolutely not...LOL. So again, I replied and said, "No, I'm sorry. it is not for sale". She then somehow convinced me to speak to her on the phone, we spoke for almost an hour and at the end of the conversation she offered to pay $5,000 for the buffet PLUS whatever shipping costs were going to be. Naturally I almost fell off my chair...LOL! I called Johnny immediately and told him what she offered and he said... SOLDDDD! haha .. That was the biggest sale to date!

Green.

Kayaking, or sight seeing - the Tennessee Mountains are amazing!

Give yourself credit for how far you've come. This applies to a lot of different things, not just furniture refinishing. Because sometimes, myself included, we are so hard on ourselves. Constantly comparing ourselves to others, aggressively criticising our own work, thinking about how we need to be doing more. We are never going to be perfect and our work is not going to be perfect. We just need to try harder to focus on the roses and not the thorns. Be proud of where you are today.

The Palm Pro!! I  love the new rounded design. It is so soft, applies the paint nicely, and it contours around rounded edges beautifully.