I already love spray paint... so excited!

Way back 4 houses ago (the one that the Turkey Bottoms call the White House) we were given a buffet from Ben's parents... really from his mom.  Back at the White House it was in our eat-in kitchen.  When we moved into the Yellow House it was in the sitting room/computer room and at Ted and Roxy's House (not the Blue/Gray House, because that would be too obvious) it was in the entry way/sitting room.  Today at Our Home it's in the dining room.  I believe it still has milk stains on it from the White House.  And for whatever reason I cannot get it cleaned.  I don't want to try to do anything too harsh or chemically (I'm sure that's not an appropriate use of the word chemically... but you get the picture) so for 4 houses now we have moved the buffet milk splatter stains and all.
I love the buffet.  I love that it's a family heirloom.  But, I do not love the dark stain or light milk stains.  I also do not like the old out dated knobs that are the size of my arm.  I'm not sure if it can be called a knob if it's the size of your arm... and really I'm exaggerating.  The unknobs are the size of Jack Henry's arm.  I wish I had a camera so I could show you.
In discussing these unloves with Ben he has told me not to alter the appearance of it at all...EVER Translated... do not think of touching it until my mom dies.  *Sigh*.  *Deep Sigh*.  Well, at least we live a half block away from her so I could always do it without her noticing... er...maybe not.
On top of that Ben's parents also gave us a lightly stained Victorian style table and chairs.  It sits right next to the dark milky buffet.  Ach!  It has fruit painted on it which is pretty, but also pretty much not me.  In my dining room there is another buffet that is a green with a dark glaze over it... this piece of furniture we bought ourselves and is very much my style.  I would love to have the furniture in the dining room a little more matchy matchy without it being matchy matchy.  Somewhere between an outfit that I would wear and one that Emma would wear.  Feeling me?
So I did something absolutely radical.

I actually asked my mother-in-law if she thought it would be ok if I painted or stripped the furniture to more of my liking.  *GASP*.
Turns out that she's a perfectly reasonable person.  She might have even looked at me like I was looney tones for asking her if I could paint my own furniture.  She granted permission and I had a witness so now Julayne has verified with my hubs that I have the go ahead.

So I did something very me.


I started scanning all of my favorite decorating websites and hopped from one to the next to the next to see how exactly to go about painting and staining and glazing these precious pieces of furniture.  I started with my usual go-to-girl... The Thrifty Decor Chick at (http://www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com) because I love the word thrifty!  Turns out she lead me to 320 Sycamore (http://www.granvillehouse.blogspot.com) who somehow maybe? lead me to All Things Thrify by Brooke (http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/2010/04/painting-furniture-101.html)  Ahhhh... there's that thrifty word again!!  Brooke also has great tips on glazing.  And now I believe that I can re-do my dining room furniture in a perfectly Mama D kind of way!  Well, once it's above 50 degrees I can.

When I finally get on this project I will take pictures as I go and I look forward to hearing you all ohhhh and ahhhhh over my awesomeness!