The Bishop's Wife: a long time coming

Let me introduce you to Blondie.

(Sorry this pic was taken under the carport so the shadows are all but flattering)

She has been a great dining companion since we moved into the little cottage. But she has been in desperate need of a makeover. I have been playing around with some ideas and searching Pinterest for some serious inspiration. That's how Clinton and Stacy do it so well right? I finally committed. I busted out Ryobi and found the finishing product more than fabulous, but not after I was feeling sick, betrayed, and worried.
I thought the old girl would just transition smoothly, but after the first hour of sanding I realized I had taken on a project that was more than I bargained for.
I sanded for two and half hours and after I finished I felt a bit dizzy and wobbly. It was like I had permabration from the sander. I started the stain after a quick dust off and my stomach turned.
IT LOOKED TERRIBLE!

I just kept thinking, oh no! what have i done?
Blake tried to make it not so painful by saying "she probably won't look so bad when she dries."
I kept staining. For four more days! Yeah, I know. I had a specific look and I just wasn't getting it. So I would stain, let dry overnight, then stain again. Finally by day four I felt the color was what I wanted. The only problem remained was that the stain was not setting and I was not about to get any poly-urethane. I really dislike the look of it. So my amazing neighbor Erin suggested Tung oil. (What The????) Whatever it was, it did the trick. Two coats of the miracle sealer and viola...a makeover to be confident about.This project took about all the patience I could muster, which was near painful. Can you imagine me waiting almost a week to get this back in my kitchen? It was a total sacrifice.

Finally embracing her age with true class. I used an ebony stain and sealed it with Tung oil. I also dipped her legs in a very soft gray (almost white). It just makes the kitchen feel a bit more finished and I love how the top turned out. It is a really smooth looking gray, almost like Restoration Hardware style.