Iva's Bench:

April had a teddy bear bench that I got at the Extravaganza years ago.  I stained it a pretty shade of pink.  Over the years, it has lost several of the wooden "buttons".  I checked at Hobby Lobby and thought sure they would have them.  No luck, but did find them at Lowe's.  I couldn't keep it stained pink as my great nephew had marked all over the seat with a magic marker.
I had been reading online about Annie Sloan chalk paint and all the magical results.  It's quite expensive.  I ordered a quart along with a paste wax to seal the piece.

The color of the bench before I started.

With the primer.  The paint says you don't have to prime but I wanted to cover up the magic marker.

The finished piece.  I used Annie Sloan Antoinette Color.  It's a pretty shade of light pink.  April had suggested I do it in white and have the pink show through where I distressed it.  I thought that was a good idea but their white had a yellow tint to it.

Since I'm not big on distressing, I just lightly distressed the bench.  I think it turned out pretty good.  For the amount of money I spent on the paint, I think I could have just used any type of paint and distress it.  I don't know what the big deal is about the chalk paint.  It wasn't suppose to leave brush marks but it did.

  Iva will be one tomorrow and this is her present.  So hard to believe a year has passed already.

I am so grateful to be a Grandmother.