Before & After: X-bench & Side Chair (And a Thank You!)

Exciting news, friends! If you love a good "before and after," I have two today that I hope you all enjoy!

I bought this well-worn side chair (from Hickory Chair) in February and knew immediately that I couldn't live long with the torn seat. Away went the ripped slub silk upholstery and in came the gray charcoal linen I'd used on my loveseat along with a shiny brass nailhead trim.

My new side chair at home in the "den":

But one "before and after" isn't good enough, so I have a second exciting revamp to share.

You may remember my sad $13 Ebay x-bench...it languished with an ugly brown floral fabric for far too long. Instead of indulging in spendy fabric, I went to Ebay and bought 2 yards of bright cobalt cotton duck for $11. 

It's important to note that both of these pieces were upholstered by Molly of Chairloom, a company I've extolled many times here on Meet Me in Philadelphia. If you're looking for a talented upholster, please check out Chairloom.

Today, I also wanted to thank Danielle of the fabulous blog Fresh Quince, who nominated me for the Stylish Blogger award yesterday. 

Thank you, Danielle! If you aren't currently reading her blog, run right over and check it out! 

As part of the Stylish Blogger Award requirements, I'll share 7 little known facts about myself:

1. I pride myself being a good driver. I've never been issued a ticket or even been pulled over.
2. I've bitten my nails since childhood (embarrassing, I know).  
3. I've never had a sip of coffee.
4. I set a goal this year to pay off a substantial portion of my student loans (undergraduate and graduate). I'm doing well and, on April 1, I paid off one of my loans! 4 more to go!
5. A long-standing dream of mine is to appear on "Jeopardy."
6. I'm obsessed true-crime shows such as "Forensic Files" and "Cold Case Files".
7. If I could look like anyone, I'd gladly steal Catherine Deneuve's beauty.

As is customary, I want to pass along the Stylish Blogger Award to a few of my favorite sources of inspiration:

Dina of Honey & Fitz:

If you haven't checked out Dina's endless DIY work, you're really missing out! She's one talented mommy.

Heather of My Many Moments:

Heather's new-to-me blog is so beautifully styled that you'll get lost in her archives. Oh, and be prepared to be jealous of her always-amazing thrifted finds!

Bri of Me You and a Weiner:

Bri's hilarious commentary is only matched by her endless DIY prowess. This girl's got mad skillz.

Angela of The Painted House:

I discovered Angela's immense artistic skill via Full House and I've been in love with every project Angela's shared. Be sure to catch up!

Court of Breaking Down the Big, Beige Box:

I really like bloggers whose style is different from my own, and Court is hip, sophisticated, and way cooler that I am (perhaps I'll gain some coolness by osmosis).

Angela of Debut:

As if designing the lovely textile line Parlor wasn't sufficient, Angela has a fantastic blog that has supplied countless resources and lots of inspiration. 

Sara of A Dose of Pretty:

Sara and her family are moving to moving to Peru very, very soon and I'm so excited to see how she incorporates her decidedly-feminine style to her new South American home!

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Hope you've enjoyed seeing my "Before and After" today, finding out a bit more about me, and hearing about 7 endlessly inspiring blogs that will become your new favorites.