Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Lady In Waiting





I am excited for this phase of the

 kitchen table and chairs
 transformation

to be over.

Tomorrow I will remove the newspaper

and start staining 

the top.

The top that was always covered with a tablecloth,

because the varnish had come off in several places,

and looked terrible.

I figured it would be easy 

to get the rest off....

but NOOOOOO!

I have sanded my fingers down to a nub

getting her ready!








  1. The chairs are off together
curing and getting waxed....sounds like a girl's day out, doesn't it?

They are getting impatient.

So is my husband...

He is tired of eating his supper at the bar~



Here is my secret weapon.

It really does cover twice as much 
and gives you a very nice finish.

I was trying to show the whole can so that you could see
it's called Dark Walnut.

I didn't count how many cans I used,
but figure 1-2 per chair,
6 chairs,
2 for the table....yikes!

oh well, it's cheaper than a new set, right????






While we're watching the paint dry,
let's have a look around, shall we?

I had never planted this before,

but it went gangbusters here on the east side of the house.

It's called Autumn Sage.

It never stopped blooming \
even in the 100 degree heat and high humidity.

It quieted down for a while,
and now that we are having rains and cooler temps
it is glorious!

The hummingbirds liked it a little,
but the blooms are pretty small and 
they had to work hard for the nectar.

I love discovering something new that will
thrive in this hot prairie town!




Here it is with the Double Knock Out Roses.

They almost took over the flower bed!

These plants are definitely Kansas Tough!



That chair up there on the front porch is calling my name...

think I'll grab my book and a big old glass of tea
and admire the view!

See you tomorrow!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor of Love





In case you were wondering,

I have been busy.

I have put away the vacation pictures
and gotten back to work.

Children of mine:

Take a good long look
because this chair
is
going
down!


When I casually mentioned to my youngest that I had been working on these chairs, he gasped

"you mean the chairs we grew up with?"

My children have a tendency to get attached to things around the house

When I sold my tacky metal  kitchen canisters in a garage sale,
my dear Blee about had cardiac arrest,
and I was made to feel so bad
that I had to go buy some matching ones
at somebody else's garage sale!
sheesh!

I don't know what Kevin will do when I ditch the sofa,
I'm sure there will be some drama...

I did play with the idea of buying a new dinette set
 and moving these monsters downstairs
for a game area.
But these chairs are built strong and heavy,
and I have not seen any new ones out there that could hold up
to my family.

Why spend money on new ones when
you can make the old ones look great,
with a little sanding and some spray paint?
Right?




Did I say a LITTLE SANDING?

I tried the mouse sander, the sanding blocks, stripper on the first one,
and have discovered
that removing 20plus years of grime and wax and dirt
takes a little more than a little sanding!

It has boiled down to this...
hours and hours
of sanding with little bits of 100 grit paper.
Gallons of coffee.
Gallons of sweat.
Entire trash bags full of used bits of sandpaper,
and some very sore fingers, back and shoulders!

Do you see all those spindles?
Do you see all those curves?






Please be patient Grasshopper.
Three down.





And three to go.



I gave myself two days to rest my fingers and shoulders
and today I'm back at it.

Celebrate Labor Day!

Go do something you've been wanting to do
but were afraid it was too big, too hard, too messy.

Go throw yourself at something you've been putting off.

Go give something all you've got.






Don't be afraid....you can do it!

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Welcome to my happy place. A place where I can share ideas, projects, and dreams. I am a nester, a crafter, a creator and a dreamer I hope you will find inspiration and encouragement for the journey you are on. I am a Jesus follower, wife, mother and nana. Blessed beyond measure, just trying to live my life gracefully and make a difference in my small world. Join me!