Help Design This Chair

I love a good chair. Seriously, I love chairs more than most people. A chair tells a story like no other piece of furniture. The shape of a leg, the perfectly worn wood arm rests, a tear in the upholstery. Throughout history, the chair has been a relic of the era in which it was created. 

So you can imagine when I see a chair, it is like shoe shopping/collecting. Too bad that chairs take up much more room and they are hard to hide from my husband. This definitely puts a limit on my chair hoarding collecting. 

There always is the other option: renting out a storage unit? Hmmm...

This summer I wrangled up a few items that would keep me busy for the winter months. I found this chair at a thrift store. I stalked it a few times before dragging it to the cashier. The chair in one hand, a diaper bag flung over my shoulder and a baby in a car seat carrier dangling off my arm like a bracelet. 

What a sight!

I knew the chair had good bones. Take a look at her! The upholstery wasn't that offensive however, it had must have been from a home with smokers because it wreaked. Even after an upholstery cleaning, there was no saving this vintage fabric. 

      

Fast forward 8 months.....I am finally ready to take off the old upholstery and see what this chair is really made from. It turns out that the construction is very well done. I hated to sand down the natural wear on the wood but I really wanted to see the chair with the wood in a more raw state.

Curiosity killed the cat but thankfully this chair is getting a new life.

I decided to keep the straw batting and the original fiber batting because the chair has the most comfortable seat. I didn't want to change the feel of the chair by removing the original batting.

After staring at the chair with raw wood legs for two days, I decided to take a leap and paint the wood white. I covered the batting with newsprint so that the paint would not drip. I experimented with a few paints first. The best for all the nooks and crannies is semi-gloss white spray paint. It dried beautifully and there was virtually no drip marks on the chair.

I decided to add a little organic cotton batting in addition to the original batting so I just placed that directly on top of the seat. I also placed a small square on the back rest.
You can see the wood painted white in this image. I am starting to really love the look.

The chair actually has taken on a raw quality with all of its' insides exposed. I am tempted to keep it like this.....

This is the back of the chair. In this image you can see the original brown batting which is filled with various fabric and wood pulp. The whiter batting is the new organic cotton batting I added. The burlap webbing strap is shown here. I just love burlap. I seriously do not think I want to reupholster this chair. It is so cool on the inside.

I decided at the minimum I need to upholster the seat and chair back. I grabbed a roll of muslin to upholster the chair before I choose the outer upholstery fabric. This will give me the option of change the upholstery at a later date without worrying about disturbing the batting. It will also buy me some time so I can decide which fabric to use. Lastly, it will provide extra layer just incase I choose a lighter weight fabric instead of upholstery grade.

Here is where the chair stands as of this moment. Ready to be dressed but I am at a standstill. I am at a face-off with my fabrics.

I am really stuck now. I have beautiful options for this chair which is half the problem. Many are from the John Robshaw sample sale last week.

Didn't you know? In case you missed it, I will let you know when the next one is taking place.

So I open the forum, cast your vote. Throw your two sense into the mix. Send me your suggestions!

DIY Rotating Art Gallery Frame

Before I had a baby, I swore that all the finger paintings and scribbled artwork would not be displayed on my walls or refrigerator. I know it is cold. But I thought that I would display each childs' artwork in their respective rooms. We all would win. They would see their art and it would save my house from becoming an extension of the playroom.

Fast forward to motherhood and eat my words! This is becoming a theme.

My husband and I went to our first parent-teacher conference last week and they handed us a folder of all our son's artwork he has made all year. I gingerly opened the folder, holding it like it was the holy grail. We swelled up with emotions. There were the cutest little finger paintings of fish and our family. The most beautiful leaves made from the shapes of his chubby hands. There was a little avant-garde image of his foot imprinted onto our apartment building.

His teacher told me that he really loves art. He is 11 months old and we are sure he is a budding Picasso.

 I am confident that you will agree.

 It didn't take me long to decide that these great works of art must be displayed very prominently. I had the perfect frame for the job.

Is your heart melting yet?

Here is how to make the frame gallery.

You will need:

Frame
Picture eyelits
Cording
Drill
Ruler
Pencil
Clothespins

Step 1:
Measure 2" down from top of the frame and make your first mark each each side of frame. So you will have two pencil markings evenly marked across from each other. This will be where your first row of cording will be tied.

Step 2:

Continue marking rows 7"apart until you reach the end of your frame. For my frame, I used a  18"x20" frame and I was able to place 3 rows of cording. Using a power drill (vroom!), place a pilot drill hole on the inside of the frame about 1/2" from edge. Continue drilling small pilot holes in all areas where you will place picture eyelits. This will allow eyelits to screw in more easily.

Step 3:
Screw all picture eyelits into pilot holes. Cut your cording 8" longer than the width of your frame. Tie cording to each eyelit, leaving a tail of cording on each end. Be sure to stretch the cording very taunt. It may help to tie the cording on the eyelit and then turn your eyelit a few times to help tighten the cording.

One row of cording cut and tied.

Step 4:

After all the rows are strung and tied, you can trim the excess tails of the cording or just leave them as I did. I like the haphazard look of it.

Finished Frame

Our latest treasure

We have only had the frame hanging for four days. During that time, my little Prince as eagerly spotted it from across the room twice. His eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. He points his chubby little finger towards the frame. His head turns from me to the frame and back again. Each time I have lifted him up so he can investigate his works of art. He seems to be explaining each one to me. I relish those moments.

Be still, my heart! 

We are looking forward to the memories that will fill our little art gallery and watching our most important work of art grow.

xo

Harvest & Feast

This year I will be a guest for Thanksgiving which means there needs to be a certain amount of formality to my outfit. I will not be showing up in my best pair of spandex leggings. So I got to thinking about what my family will don that will be appropriate, festive and maybe a little bit comfortable. Though nothing will beat the comfort of those leggings.

The truth is that I like dressing up. I love the primping and prepping for a party.  I think that much of that has been lost in these modern times. I blame the departure of dressing up on a few things: casual Fridays, the dot com boom and Juicy Couture velour tracksuits. These three occasions marked the beginning of the end of dressing as we knew it. Suddenly, wearing tracksuits became chic. Flip flops in the office was cool. Jeans in the boardroom? Why not? 

This led to a lazy mentality when it comes to dressing. No one likes to dress up anymore. I don't think that you need to wear a ball gown to do your grocery shopping.  (But that would be so much fun!) However, I do believe that what you wear changes how you stand, sit and present yourself. I mean do you think you would sit on a pumpkin like this in a pair of overalls?

So maybe this Thanksgiving put a hold on those spandex leggings at least until after dinner! Try a few of these options. 

Adorable mommy and me lace dresses! 

Delia's

Gap Girl's Dress

 Try matching father and son silk ties in festive copper plaid. They are adorable and will look fantastic for family photos. Add leather booties for both of the men in your life with matching socks.

Apple and Ivy

via modernhepburn.tumblr.com


Enjoy your feast and family! xo

DIY Chalkboard Labels

As the weather turns cold and the trees are nearly bare, it hits me that winter is around the corner. That means snuggling up on the couch with a book, weekend long movie marathons and staring dreamily at my Christmas tree. All of that means plenty of time will be spent indoors.

Egads!

I never got around to spring cleaning this year. I was strapped to a couch nursing an infant while dust bunnies waltz on my floors. I stared so long at dirty windows that I started imagining I saw shapes of elves or a cat being formed by the dirt.  Not as romantic as gazing up at clouds but what else could a girl do.

via Tumblr

Wait! I think that looks like a boot. Ah, yes. I see it now. These games saved me from going looney where I sat on the couch for 3 months. The things they never tell you about motherhood!

 There was plenty to do while perched on my couch. Plenty I just couldn't do.

So as winter rolls in I find myself doing some last minute organizing and cleaning. I like when my house is in order and clean so that when I barricade myself in it for the winter I can feel good about it.

(In case you didn't notice, I am back after a major coffee spill over my computer and new phone. I am breathing again. Phew!)

via Pinterest

The pantry is this small space that I really like to command. It feels manageable. I know I can get it in ship-shape form. I like to organize it with similar products together. Colors matching, labels facing outward. It is a place that I can exercise my quest for the elusive organized home without looking like I need to be on medication.  A place for everything and everything in its place!

So when I came across these wonderful little chalkboard labels I thought they were just what my pantry needed. And as soon as the thought hits me that I want to buy something, almost instinctually the second thought is "Can I make it?"

Well, it turns out I can. A little chalkboard paint and contact paper...Voila!

Here's how I did it:

You will need:

Chalkboard Paint

Newspaper

Foam Brush

Contact Paper

Pencil

Template of your choice

Chalk

Step 1:

Lay out necessary amount of contact paper on a flat surface with newsprint underneath. You may need to use paper weights in the corners to keep the contact paper flat if it was on a roll. I used about 18" of contact paper to make about 20 labels. 

Step 2:

Using a foam brush, paint chalkboard paint directly on the contact paper surface. Keep your brush wet and filled with paint. Use long, broad strokes from end to end. 

                         

Step 3:

While your paint dries, choose a template shape. Print and cut it out on card stock or other thick paper to use as your pattern piece. There are some great shapes here. You can also customized your own. I found a fancy frame shape online. I made two sizes by reducing and enlarging the shape on my copy machine. 

Step 4: 

Once your paint dries, turn over the painted side and begin tracing your label shape on the gridded backing. I use a pen to track because I found the roller ball to be easy to glide over the backing without puncturing through the paper.

Step 5:

Begin to cut out each shape. When you are done cutting the amount you need to turn your project into hyper-organized. Grab your chalk and go to town! Label everything. Drawers, cupboard, art supplies, office bins, your mail, your front door, your dog! While I didn't get that crazy, I did label the dog food bin. 

Have fun! Here is my pantry now.

And in the meantime, my toddler decided to do a little re-organizing of my tea bags. I had to sacrifice something to get this blog done! That's the way it goes. 

PS: After using the chalkboard labels for a week now I would like to point out that the chalk does smear when touched as you can see in the pictures above. So it is not a perfect system but it looks so nice and it is easy to change when you replace the jar with other items.

If you are inclined to purchase them here are some great resources:

• Braden's Grace
• Happily Handmade
• Pink Lemonade

Send me your pics of this project or other ideas. I would love to feature them here. 

xo

Gentle Reminder

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will travel near and far to our loved ones homes.  We will gather around the tables to share family nostalgia and folklore while in the midst of this revelry we are creating new memories.

Vintage Suitcases

On a recent trip to my childhood home, we made a stop at a local diner in the middle of New York state at a diner that didn't look too threatening. There were lights on, cars parked in the driveway and a catering van that looked like it was still in use.

All good signs.

We were on a trip that would total about 7 hours in a car with a 9 month old that wanted to get out of his car seat. No amount of snacks was keeping him in his car seat. So needless to say we were thankful for this modest oasis. It was dated, the tables were made of brown formica and someone was selling various signs adorned with fake flowers with sayings such as "Gone Fishing" and "I Love Mom."

Charming. I'm sure.

Simple Joy Paperie

We enjoyed the fact that they didn't care that our child ran around to burn off some energy. There was an odd peace there, a little bit of calm that did not go unnoticed. We chalked it up to being grateful to get food in our bellies and not hear any crying for 45 minutes.

Upon paying our bill,  I saw this sign next to the register. It read:

TO OUR GUESTS

Because this restaurant is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

May those that love you be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that our food will be good and you will be comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house.

May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We all are travelers. From "birth till death" we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best. 

I have never heard something so moving in a restaurant and so truthfully felt while being there. It was one of those moments when you feel so privileged to have had an acquaintance. 

And so I cannot think of a better way to start our holiday season by wishing everyone the same. "May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy." and "may your journey be safe."

But most of all, aside from the grit and grind of the holidays. Try your best to be a "joy to those who know you and love you best!" (Yes, even the ones that annoy you.)

Best wishes as we begin this holiday season. 

Be nice!

xoxo