So there I was... holding the paint brush... paint water dripping onto the floor and my shoe...

But before I get into that let me tell you a bit about myself and how I got started on Esty.

I am a mother of two beautiful children, a wife to a military man and in my life I believe that family and God are always first. I do what I do to help support my family financially but more importantly to be able to work from home and be here when they need me most.

This store was created in November of 2012 and after several years of feeling I wasn't good enough to sell on a national marketplace... I took the plunge and opened my shop. Don't you hate those voices in your head? I know I do.

I began my Esty journey with home décor, costume tutorials and paper crafting items like cards and invitations, really I was all over the place. I had no business sense back then. My shop did not do so well accept for one item. The Peacock Costume Tutorial. Out of nostalgia I still have that item for sale today as it sells pretty well after all these years, with contest winners and proud peacocks running around every Halloween and Carnival since.

My store has evolved in reflection of my personal creative journey. Today my store looks so much different. I am selling digital tutorials, industry merchandise for my furniture refinishing community as well as furniture that I now flip, focusing on upcycling and turning trash into treasure.

(Sigh and a long pause) Trash into treasure... yup... that brings me back to the moment where I had a dripping paint brush in hand... staring at the very first piece I was going to attempt to refinish.

It was a single nightstand, made by Pier One... it had either been set out in the weather or the house had flooded as the legs all showed signs of massive water marks about 4-6 inches up. The original sealer was all but gone over the entire top and it was crying for help... sad, stained and wobbly. I could hear it crying out to me to make it beautiful again.

This one nightstand, so lonely, was my "practice piece", the first item I had ever attempted to refinish. I have gone to school for interior design, been an artist all my life and took professional classes for faux finishing back in the 90's... yet I was still nervous. I still had those voices in my head...

"You can't do this!"... "What if you mess it up?"... "What if no one want's to buy it?"

As a tear formed in my eye, I looked at that tired old nightstand and realized I was looking at myself.

Over the years I began to feel like many mothers do... inadequate, worn down, tired, loss of identity and yes at times even defeated. Being a military spouse just compounds these feelings with lots of moves, always having to take time to build new friendships for support and encouragement at each new duty station.

I realized my brush was dripping paint water on the floor and shook myself away from the thoughtful connection I had to that one nightstand... realizing one thing, I needed a transformation too.

I needed to find my own beauty and style, my own voice to speak with... I wasn't just a mom or a spouse... I was Letitia Grace Lauer, artist, and transformer of tired things. I was going to make every piece I paint feel special in it's own way... not just paint a piece for profit... but really understand how to make it a unique, luxurious and quality piece of furniture that will be desired and beautiful for years to come.

Now, I get to create in my home workshop, I am truly blessed to have a space to dedicate to refinishing and painting furniture as it does take a a lot of space and it's large enough for my family to create and work right along side of me.... Granted we have to park the cars in the driveway so a special thanks to my hubs for giving that space to me. LOL!

I hope you enjoy what I create and that you will return to my store again soon, pick up a shirt or mug on your way out.

May you find the beauty you were meant to give to the world,
~ Grace ~
Uniquely Grace Designs/Furniture Refinishing Academy