Elbow Grease? Where Can I buy That?

Many years ago I had a friend that, well isn't the sharpest tack in the box. I'll just call her Dee (changing the name to protect the ditzy).  I can't even tell you exactly what we were talking about because her question blew me away. I had said something about using good old fashioned elbow grease (obviously talking about some sort of manual labor) and Dee says to me " Elbow grease??? Where can I buy that?"  Nope she wasn't kidding either. 

 Today Mr. Fix it stopped by and we were having a good laugh at my attempt to redo my furniture and the mess I had made on the wall with the stain. Oops! So he grabs the magic sponge and starts scrubbing the wall. I told him, no I will have to paint that because it is stain.  "Nope" he says, "just some good ole fashioned elbow grease is all I need" Then he starts laughing..."Where can I buy that??" Now of course he remembered the conversation and that it was one of my dingy friends that said it. 

Oh there begins reminiscing ..."Remember the time Dee thought it hurt to push your roots back"....LOL  "And remember that time she got lost...." " Dee... Can you see the Sears Tower ....Yes (bawling) Then turn around and drive way from the Sears Tower-Dee Move away from the light...hehe"  

Sometimes ya just gotta have one of those friends that can make you pee your pants without even trying.  

So here begins my latest brain storm. I wanted new bedroom furniture. 7 years ago when Mark and I moved into the farm house I bought this set of bedroom furniture that was a kinda washed out green laminate crap. I liked it for .. oh about 3 weeks. Short lived honeymoon. I decided I want to stain it and without any clear plan I run to the store and buy some poly stain...ah, yah, no...  First attempt...rather disastrous, it wouldn't stick and  the pukey green looked better.  Then I remembered ceramic antiquing 101. Duh... sand the furniture, paint it then stain.

Here is the recipe for my dresser (lightly sand it first of course), I then painted two coats of Reddened Earth ...sounds purty doesn't it, then one coat of Walnut stain, wipe off and voîla, New furniture! 

Even just the two coats of paint was an improvement over the pukey green...and no I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought it. 

Here it is with the stain nearly completed. I have this piece finished and I am waiting til I can brush on the poly coat. I just put the first coat on the night stand tonite.  (note: Objects may appear darker in person) Actually, with the stain dried it is close enough to make the bed look like it belongs to a set. 

I have a third piece, a long dresser which I am not going to paint until I move. I decided it is just too darn heavy to move around and I really have no where to put it so it is out of the way while I work on it. 
If I don't like it when I move I can always shove it in bedroom number two. 14 more days and counting...Movers and groomer appointments are set!