Take a Seat

Now that my table has taken on a new look, I've decided to change up the seating. I have a weakness for anything with cabriole legs so these chairs had to come home with me from the thrift store---even though there were only two.

I gave them coat of gray spray paint

to freshen them up. A little glaze helped to age and bring out the details.Next came some new upholstery that will, hopefully, hide food stains.Now I just need to find a few more chairs to seat my family, but the hunt is part of the fun right?

Third Time Is A Charm

Years ago, when most of our children were still at home, my husband and I built a beautiful square table. I loved it then but with our family getting smaller I started to yearn for a smaller round table. When I voiced my desire my family rejected the idea of replacing the table that we had built. I was left with only one choice, if I couldn't change the table shape, I could change the existing table style. I stripped off the old finish, painted and re-stained, added a varathane for protection, and then for added protection I added a layer of wax. OH BOY was that a bad choice! The varathane and wax did not play well together and I was left with having to start the process all over again. Yes, at this point I was definitely wishing I had just bought the round table that I wanted, but I wanted to be sensitive to my family's wishes so I did a DO-OVER-DO-OVER.

Strip the finish.First coat of gray stain.Drybrush on walnut stain.Varathane, and finally. . .ENJOY!The third time is a charm!

Fabulous French Find

Last week, on the day before my birthday, I happened upon a delightful find at the thrift store; a set of French paperback books dating back to 1933.
I was immediately attracted to their subdued tones, naturally aged pages, and the texture created by the rough-cut edges. Oh, and yes, the fact that the original owner was French and these actually came from France, really made me happy!They were the perfect addition to the newly redecorated shelves in our bedroom.

Patio Pretties

The last holiday of summer is over and I'm sad that I haven't had much of a chance to enjoy my back patio. I gave it a make-over in the spring. The color scheme has changed a bit over the years.
It was once the colors of ketchup and mustard.Then it was decorated with subdued neutrals.I'm really liking the new scheme of black, lime, and turquoise.Luckily I have at least one month left to spend some time relaxing and taking in the last weeks of summer.