Biting the Bullet

My Mother offered to let the grand babies sleep over this past weekend, which gave me the perfect opportunity to try out this bad boy. 

Amazon Link

Yes, I finally bit the bullet and ordered one. Since I am just learning to upholster, I decided this would be a perfect gun for me. The best thing is..it was super affordable and it works great!

I mentioned a while back that I would reupholster the red chair within the month.

 Well, at least I got started within the month.

The chair's burlap needed to replaced on the deck. 

Here's a close up of it freshly stapled in place. 

And here is the front. 

 (Please excuse the mess, I am currently overtaking my living room with my projects.)

I replaced the old cotton batting. 

When I was stripping the chair, I accidentally tore the front batting.

 I hope that won't be a problem when I recover it. 

Hopefully I can manage to get a little more done this week. I'll keep you posted as I go.

MIA & Chalkboards

I know a few of you are wondering where I have been lately? I know...I just got my blog up and running and I am slacking already. I've have had a very busy past few weeks with birthday parties, house hunting, and daily life. Not to mention that it I have been having a few love spats with the camera AND computer. 

I promise that I have some really cool projects coming up.

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Like this chalkboard in a picture frame by Miss Mustard Seed. I absolutely have loved this chalkboard and frame since I have first laid eyes on it. 

Here's a sneak peek of my picture with a frame before it is painted. 

Do you recognize the bowl?

Since I am not planning on selling the picture, I will go ahead and tell you that I paid $1 for it. So that means if I mess it up completely I am out an entire $1. No biggie! 

Chalkboards are being used in a number of different ways and are easy to incorporate in any decor.

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Just look at this lovely chalkboard globe used as wedding decor. Simply Stunning. 

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Entire walls are even being painted in chalk paint, especially in kitchens. There is usually only one accent wall that is painted in chalk paint. In this kitchen, the chalkboard wall complements the white cabinets. 

Well, that's all for me tonight folks! My bed is beckoning me! Have a great weekend! 

A Few Tips Regarding Yard Sales

Since this weekend has been so crazy, I've been trying to decide what to write in my next post! I haven't had time to even THINK about furniture! By the way, I did get that staple gun ordered...finally. Well you caught me, maybe I thought about furniture...but just briefly.

I'll finally get to start on my reupholstery job; you know the red chair. 

It's been a little naked lately.

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Well, anyway I decided to talk about shopping yard sales. But remember, I am by no means an expert in shopping yard sales. Consider this just friendly advice. 

1. Map out your route.
• They first thing you need to do is buy a copy of your local newpaper and locate the garage sales. Also, you will want to check your local bookoo for yard sales in your area.
• I like to plug all my sales into my maps application on my iphone and then decide which sale I will hit first. For me this could be the one on the opposite side of town, the  one that opens the earliest, or the one in the most affuential part of town. 
• Make your route so you can hit all of the sales in that area before you move on to another area of town.
• Remember, the earlier you hit all of the sales, the more likely you'll get the best deals.
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2.  Know what your looking for. 

• In order to hit as many sales as possible, you want to have an idea of what you're searching for. 
• When hitting the sales, look past the mundane. Train your eye to look for what you're searching for and look fast. 
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    3. Haggle.

• Haggling is such a soft issue...some people don't mind lowering their prices, but others do. 
• In the morning, people are less likely to haggle because it's still early. 
• The closer to the afternoon, people are usually more willing to haggle because they are tired and ready to go home. 
• If prices are not marked, don't be afraid to ask the price. If it's too high for you...then try to haggle.

I usually start my shopping right at 7 a.m. and I am done between 8:30 and 9:00. 

Most of the time, I come home with a treasure trove of items. 

Good luck hunting!

A Few Random Finds

I'm a little late posting so I decided to show you a few of my random finds. 

 My husband calls this the fishbowl. I thought it might be ideal to fill it with some decorative items. Maybe lemons? I actually did buy the lemons to fill the bowl, I guess I underestimated it's size. 

I also picked up this nifty swivel chair. It will double as a desk chair and extra seating for when company is over. Currently, I am trying to persuade my husband to get rid of his big bulky one. I don't think he is going for that idea. Oh well, I need a chair for my desk. 

A Settee For Me

Yesterday, I shared with you that I went to a few yard sales over the weekend. Well, here is my prize of the month. I am just tickled to have found this. I have been drooling over the settees that I have been seeing on different blogs and pinterest for about three months. (Okay, not literally drooling) It is amazing to see how great these bad boys look when reupholstered. I admire the talented people who take on such a large task. 

I am just so amazed at the amount of grace that God showed me in being able to find one in my area. Especially, one that fit within my budget. I have been scouring Craig's List and Bookoo as of late looking for one that fit within my budget. 

I have only seen a few online that have the wingback. I searched the Internet over the weekend and to the best of my knowledge I think this would be considered "Louis XV Style". 

(Feel free to correct me if I am wrong!) I know that this had to be manufactured in 1929 or after because of a tag underneath it, but I still cannot pinpoint the exact year. 

All of the legs are in wonderful shape. It really has great bones. 

Here is a close up of the fabric. I am not too hip on this color and pattern, but I definitely can live with it. Hopefully, in the near furture, I will be able to reupholster this. Maybe with a grey fabric? That is, if I am brave enough. 

In addition to the settee the size of a small bus, these were an added bonus. SCORE! They look like "his" and "her's" chairs. Are you getting this? They match the settee! The man actually told me that he'd only sell this to me as a set. 

I had to make three trips to get these home, which included having to borrow a truck. 

I could just hear the iconic words of Ricky Ricardo to Lucille Ball coming out of my husband's mouth when he discovered that I bought MORE furniture! 

"Lucy, You got some 'splaining ta do!" And I could just picture Lucille's deer in the headlights facial expression on my face. 

Uh oh, I'm gonna be in trouble.  

As if we needed more furniture. I took a count of how many pieces I had in my living room this morning...are you ready for it? I had 9 chairs and 2 couches. That is, if you consider the settee a couch. 

My husband is used to it by now. He even told me that I couldn't sell HIS wingback chair because he already staked his claim on it. He really is a furniture fanatic like me! 

Hopefully, I will be able to get some booth space this month.

Yard Sale Finds

Boy, has this weekend has been crazy! I literally have been running around town ALL weekend. Don't worry...I've been quite blessed through the whole process.

Last weekend I really had the urge to go yard sale shopping, but I chose to sleep in instead. So when this Saturday rolled around, I was ready to go. I woke up at 6 a.m. and was at the first sale at a quarter till 7. (Sales usually don't start here until 7 a.m. and people are not so thrilled if you are an hour early!) I managed to hit 5 yard sales and was done for the day at about 8:30. 

I found a lot of cool stuff and I will show you pictures tomorrow. I am especially thrilled about the new vintage furniture that I have been drooling over for about three months now. Do you want a hint at what it might be? Think Louis XV style, but you will just have to come back tomorrow to see the actual pieces. 

Since I brought home a couple of new furniture pieces on Saturday, I need to make room in my house. Here are some of the pieces that I will be putting up for sale in the near future. 

 I have had this piece for about a month and I originally planned on reupholstering it, but I just do not have the time or the space. This lovely piece was originally constructed in 1960; it is a very sturdy chair in superb condition. 

Do you remember the chair that I showed you last week? Yes, the one that I made the slipcover for. Though it has been well loved, I will have to say "good bye" to it. I am not quite sure if I will make a new slip cover for it or sell it "as is". 

In addition to these pieces, I have two others that I am currently working on. 

The red rocker is waiting patiently for it's new look. 

See ya tomorrow!

Rockin' the Slipcover

I mentioned the other day that I have been busy creating a slipcover for my chair.  Today, I am excited to show you the results. 

I'm totally in love with the fresh new look the slipcover gives this piece. It is rather inviting isn't it?

 Sit down, stay awhile. Would you like some coffee?

Here is the before picture...yes, it's straight from the 1950's. It's rather bleak looking, but I assure you this little piece of history has been well loved. It's the beloved chair of our taller guests, probably due to it's higher back. Plus, it swivels and rocks...my favorite combination. 

The new look helps accentuates the chair's good qualities. 

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Now, let's get real here. Did I totally knock this slipcover out of the ball park?

 Truthfully?... no.   

Am I satisfied with it? Yes.

But, I made mistakes...and a lot of them.

For example, I totally botched the whole cording thing and only made enough for three sides of the chair. This left the back a little naked. I blame it on my "I'm so tired, I'm turning into a zombie stage". You know, the stage where you are almost at a good stopping point, but not quite, so you try to power through it by sheer will and determination.  

Secondly, I only did cording on the slipcover skirting, but had I to do it over again, I would do cording on most of the chair. It really adds definition to the piece. To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid of cording to begin with, so I left it alone until I was feeling a little more confident in my slipcover sewing skills. 

Lastly, I would add additional ties to the bottom of the chair. Since this chair swivels and rocks, it sits at an angle. This leaves the bottom of the slipcover open and I had to safety pin it closed. 

So why I am admitting all of this to you? Why not pretend that this is the best slipcover ever made and I will never take it off my chair again? Here's the deal. Some people have a natural talent for acquiring new skills. Then, there are others who have to work really HARD to acquire a new skill. It takes a lot of time and dedication to do things right. Don't get discouraged when you attempt something for the first time and totally botch it up! That's life...you learn from your mistakes and carry on.  

For now, I will keep this slipcover. But I assure you, the next time I will do things a little differently. Who knows, I just might knock the next one out of the ball park!

Adventures in Slipcovers

In addition to totally stripping the upholstery off the red chair this past weekend, I started making my first slipcover. Yes, thanks to Mrs. Mustard Seed I was feeling very inspired. I really never knew slipcovers could look THAT good. When I think slipcover, I think sheet draped over the couch. It's just not my style. She has a talent for turning the ordinary into extraordinary. She has several video tutorials on how to make your own that you may be interested in watching.  Be careful...you might just get sucked in by her sweet charm and sheer awesomeness. Hours may pass by quicker than you realize. Can you tell I'm a fan? I feel like such a groupie! 

Weekends are always a good time for me to conquer projects that I don't have the time for during the week. Here's how far I got on my slipcover. I just had to stop before I became a zombie from lack of sleep. 

I didn't get to see how the back of her slipcover looked in the videos, but here's what I imagine it may have looked like..minus the skirt and tie backs of course. 

I totally forgot to show you a before picture and I promise I will in the near future. 

In addition to watching most of Miss Mustard Seed's video tutorials, here's the stack of books that I have been reading and perusing through. As you can see, most are from my local library. 

Happy Tuesday!

Grammy's Front Porch

 My children always anticipate going to Grammy's house where they enjoy spending their long summer evenings. Upon entering Grammy's house children's laughter echoes from the walls. Like the laughter that can be found inside the house, it is always present outside as well. The grandchildren enjoy trips riding around the property in the golf cart, with Grammy as the chauffeur. When the kids are not riding in the golf cart, they can be found swimming in the pool. They have become quite the little fish.

My Mom is the most bubbly, cheerful, giving person I know and It seems as though my children are the happiest at their Grammy's house.  

Recently, one of our dear friends offered to give me a church pew. I did not have any room for it in my house, but I recalled my mother stating how she'd like to have a church pew for her front porch. I was pretty tickled that she received such a beautiful blessing. 

It is the perfect place to spend those long summer evenings watching the kids and swim.

Mr. Teddy seems comfortable doesn't he? 

Here's the detail on the side of the pew. (Did I make you dizzy? Sorry about that!)

It's simply beautiful isn't it?

On another note, here's what I spent my last few evenings working on.

What's on your project table this week?

What Are These Holes?

Do you remember the red chair that is on my list of things to upholster? No...well, let me remind you. 

 Before you say anything... just think about it's potential. When I look at it, I look past the fabric tearing from the frame. I see it's hidden potential. Let me just tell you that it is a super comfortable chair. Did I mention the fact that it rocks? Yes, literally. So it has character, and a lot of it! One of the things that gives this chair a little more character is what I recently discovered.

Do you see the holes in the legs? 

I was not totally oblivious that they were there, I just did not think too much about it.

 Maybe I should have... As I have begun to learn more about furniture, I recently discovered that they were caused by woodworms.

Woodworms? What the heck is that?(Opps, I just noticed my foot! Oh, back to my answer) Woodworms are simply the furniture beetle. They lay their eggs on your furniture and the larvae eat it. This is bad because they literally EAT your furniture's wood.  How can you know if your furniture piece has woodworms? Like the above picture, there are a series of tiny holes in the furniture frame. You may also notice tiny wood shavings on the floor when you move your chair. The good news is that if you have an infestation, you can treat a woodworm infestation with a chemical insecticide. 

On a side note, when purchasing used furniture I would consider checking for woodworm before making your purchase.

Yes, my chair has a lot of woodworm holes, but since I have had this piece in my house for over a year without wood shavings, I think I am safe.

  Ehh, what's a little more character to my already unique piece.

At least I know now what NOT to bring home in the future! 

Heirloom Dishes

I wanted a chance to show you my collection of heirloom dishes. I never used to be too sentimental about heirlooms, but here recently I have begun to value them even more. 

Now, don't get me wrong. "Old" things have always intrigued me. As I child, I was the one at the flea market buying the black and white photos from the 1920's. As a senior in high school, I even bought a nice settee to put in my dorm room because it looked "old".

Heirlooms are something of special value hand from one generation to another. 

My heirloom items happen to be dishes. 

This piece came from my husband's Great, Great, Great Aunt. 

Whew! I think I got the number of greats correct!

Here is a view of the bottom.

Here is the sugar bowl from the same Aunt. I just adore the painted flowers and silver leafing.

The stack of plates match the silver leafing on the sugar bowl perfectly. 

The plates are from my Grandmother.

Again, the bottom view. 

If you can't read the inscription it says, "Hall's Superior Quality Kitchenware, Made in the USA".

Lastly, here is a platter from my Grandmother's dishes.

 I can't quite read the back. I think it says, "Homer Laoghlis, made in U.S.A.". 

Though, I may be incorrect about the last name.

I love how the platter matches the sugar and cream set perfectly. 

These dishes form a perfect marriage of my husband's side of the family and mine.

More importantly, they hold memories of our family members from long ago. 

Fabric Blunder

Over the weekend I received the fabric that I ordered online. I have been waiting for this fabric to arrive for about two weeks. 

I wanted a light fabric that would keep with the simplicity of the piece am upholstering. My heart was set on a lighter colored linen. To me, it has an understated appearance. Since this particular fabric is on the heavier side, it will be ideal to use for upholstery. Because upholstery requires a heavier weight fabric, I made sure I was shopping in the "home decor" fabric. 

Like three times, just to be on the safe side. 

I did a keyword search for "linen" and I settled upon this lovely fabric. Isn't it so pretty. 

But, in my haste I made a very HUGE mistake. I did a keyword search for "linen", and the fabric had "linen" in it's name, but it is nowhere near being a linen in actual fiber content. 

It's 100% polyester. 

I did consider just keeping it. But in the end, I decided to send it back...even if this fabric is super cheap and sending it back would require further delay. 

If I keep this fabric and reupholster with it, but I do not LOVE the finished piece... it wouldn't be worth the time, money, and effort spent doing it. I know that keeping with my original fabric will help ensure that I'll LOVE the finished product. 

So, back to the fabric drawing board!