Sweet Tea and Cherry Print Aprons

Sunday, October 28, 2012

There are times
when redoing a piece {or two} of furniture
brings back memories of days gone by.

Sweet nostalgic thoughts arise...

Such was the case with these recent makeovers.





Maybe...
 it was was the cherry print vintage looking fabric of this chair,
that reminded me of Grandma Maybell's threadbare, faded aprons.

Or...
 the light teal color of the chair paint,
which invoked images of Grandma's retro kitchen table,
an old Formica and chrome model from the 50's,
which was in her home until the mid 90's after both grandparents had passed.





Whatever the cause,
I so vividly remember sitting at that old table,
drinking sweet tea,
 'cause you had only two choices of beverages,
sweet tea 
{which was ironically made by Grandaddy John - an old Navy Cook,}
or water!

The choice was simple!

And the times seemed so simple!

Paired with our sweet tea,
Grandma kept homemade peach preserves on hand.
Runny and thin,
paired with made-from-scratch biscuits,
the two would put any dessert to shame!

The house was quiet, but not eerily so
 - out there in the country,
with the only sounds an occasional mooing from a lazy cow,
cackle from a cross hen,
or the purr of Grandaddy's Oliver as he worked a near field.

Those visits were so special.

Across the old table,
we'd swap tales, laughing 'til both had tears rolling down our cheeks,
or I'd pour out my soul on my last heartache
and without rush, or judgement,
Grandma would hang on every word I said,
listening intently.

Her silence of words was golden,
She knew I just needed to be heard.

And then there were times
when she didn't hold back! "smiles"

I miss those days,
...such fond memories!





Anyhow,
the chair above, is the twin to the Toile and gray chair posted last week.

If you missed that post, it can be seen <HERE>





The chair was painted with another sample pot I won at SBC,
Maison Blanche La Craie, Creme de Menthe (color).

I really like the consistency of
this chalk paint.

The nightstand, below,
was one of the most enjoyable pieces I've redone.
I was able to try many different techniques.
...get my creative on and going! :)





The nightstand was a heavy, old 
structurally sound piece.

But had withstood some severe abuse over the years.





I sanded down the top and sides
with an electric sander,
which prevented having to use a chemical stripper.

In the SWAG bags from SBC,
 I had a sample of Miss Mustard Seed's Chalk Paint.

{Courtesy of Atta Girl Says.
See Amy's Blog <HERE>  for more information 
and great projects using the Milk Paint.}





The sample size was just enough to paint all sides of the nightstand twice.

The top was stained a dark walnut by Minwax,
sealed with Minwax Poly Wipe-on.





The stand was heavily distressed,
sealed with AS clear wax,
and I am just loving the results...





The Universal Kitchen Scale
and Westmoreland Hen on the Nest
were found at a recent auction.





Hope your weekend was productive,
and the creative juices were flowing your way, too!




______________________

Linking Post To:
Mop It Up Monday @ I Should be Mopping the Floor
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Creatively Tuesday @ The Rustic Pig
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Gettin' Krafty With It @ Krafty Kat
Cowgirl Up Party @ Cedarhill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Vintage Inspiration @ Common Ground
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence

Lemon Chess Pie

Tuesday, October 23, 2012




On page 222,
of "Our State Magazine,"
I stumbled across a recipe for Lemon Chess Pie.

....whoa...
Did it say ...lemon???

I'm a sucker for a good lemon dessert!

But the funny thing is,
as much as I love lemon confections,
I detest lemon in my tea!

So maybe that's not funny, 
but strange instead!
ha!






Lemon Chess Pie

1/3 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
2 eggs, separated
1 pastry shell, uncooked

Combine butter and sugar; cream well. Add lemon juice then two eggs yolks, beaten.
Fold in beaten egg whites.  Pour mixture into an uncooked pastry shell.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.

{Sarah Frances Rudisill, Submitted to magazine by Bobbie Y. Rudisill}
October 2012 Issue 





This pie is worthy to grace any holiday table of desserts.

{...if you like lemon, that is!}

My Mom gave it a stamp of approval,
proclaiming it to be the best lemon pie she'd ever tasted!
And she's an amazing cook, herself!
Her endorsement has clout! :)




On a side note...

I see the Lance Jar is out of crackers,
my usual breakfast of choice.

Looks like I'll be enjoying a piece of Lemon Chess
in the morning, instead!  "smiles"

__________________________________


Linking Post To:
Thanksgiving Traditions  @ At The Picket Fence
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Share Your Creations @ Kristen's Creations
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm
On the Menu Monday @ Stonegable


Thriftin' Finds Makeovers - A Chair & A Chandie

Sunday, October 21, 2012




Is your furniture stuck in the past???

The 70's perhaps?

Only in Graceland,
{and ONLY in Graceland},
 can the "King" pull off these swanky faux wood chairs 
with gold soft shaggy upholstered fabric.

But don't despair,
these chairs can easily be beautifully updated with
paint and new fabric!




The defined details of the chairs,
make them an ideal candidate for a fabulous makeover!

Or maybe you have an outdated chandie
that could use a new do?





No problem,
just spray it with 
Valspar Max Anti-Rust,
from Lowe's.

Provides great coverage!





The chairs were painted with one of the samplers 
of LaCraie Chalk Paint
by Maison Blanche Paint Company,
that I won at the SBC.

Color - Hurricane

I was very pleased in the way it covered,
 and the consistency of the paint.

Waiting the check the durability...





More auction finds from the weekend,

...Amish Dolls




An unique Picture,
and beautiful vintage Teapot...








And an old cast iron fireplace cover.





I'll post the makeover of the twin chair in a future post, stay tuned...

Hope the thriftin' was prosperous in your neck of the woods 
this weekend!
{smiles}




________________________________

Linking Post To:

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage
Mop It Up Monday @ I Should be Mopping the Kitchen
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Gettin' Krafty With It @ Krafty Kat
Cowgirl Up Party @ Cedarhill Ranch
Creatively Tuesdays @ The Rustic Pig
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Share Your Creations @ Kristen's Creations
Vintage Inspiration @ Common Ground




Not so scary Spiders

Wednesday, October 17, 2012




Did you know...

There are around 40,000 different species of spiders.




A "daddy-long-legs"
isn't really a spider.




Some spiders can live up to 30 years.




Spiders cannot die of natural causes.




Are present on an American Dollar Bill!

Where?
Hidden in the front upper right hand corner.




Spiders are found on every continent,
...except Antarctica.




While Spiders are usually known for their webs,
they can also weave a wind-sailing "parachute,"
capable of taking them high above the world below.




And abandoned spider webs are called cobwebs,
which are usually pretty spooky.

But not these super cute glittered spiders!
Not so scary at all, huh?!?


Materials List For Gift Buckets Project:
Buckets - Target
Spider Cut-outs - Hobby Lobby
Martha Stewart Glitter - TJ Maxx
Aleene's Tacky Glue - Walmart
Ribbon For Bows - Hobby Lobby
Clear Plastic Liners - Dollar Tree


__________________________________

Linking Post To:
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Creations @ Kristen's Creations
Friday's Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Happy Hour Friday @ Happy Hour Projects
Pretty Things Thursday @ Scissors and Spatulas
Saturday Show and Tell @ Cheerios and Lattes


Power of a Little Bling - Southern Bloggers Conference 2012

Tuesday, October 16, 2012




Power in a little bling???

You bet there is!



And I'm thinking
little girls learn that at a very 
early age.





The sparkle, alone, can turn the ordinary...




...into a state of fabulous'ness!




Or for the already fabulous,
it can boost confidence... 



..to be extraordinary!

Like, Karianne, from Thistlewood Farms,
and the other ladies who spoke this past weekend at 
the first Southern Bloggers Conference!

With the joy and positive energy this lady exuded,
I'm thinking I may need a pair of those awesome earrings! "smiles"

Go {HERE} to read about "her story!"

Karianne - Thistlewood Farms


This was my first blogging conference,
and can I just say...WOW!

Barb, from The Everyday Home -- Chair of the SBC


First thing,
and something one of the very talented speakers pointed out,
it was so refreshing to be in a room with ladies (& a few guys)
that GOT YOU!

Sweet, sweet "1st Lady of Blogging,"  - Rhoda from Southern Hospitality


I recently went to lunch with an otherwise open and creative friend,
who ...when I took out my camera and started taking photos of 
the most amazing presentation of chicken salad,
{right after I asked "grace" for my meal, course},
had the strangest look on her face.

When I replied,
"it's for my blog,"
I got the even more confounded look, 
the one that makes you wonder if you've sprouted two heads! 

I get this a lot ...how about you???

Can I just say how wonderful it was,
to be with those that "got you --- got the blogging thing!"


Rhoda - Southern Hospitality Blog



Barb Garrett (Everyday Home), Chair, Amy Buchanan (Atta Girl),
 Shirley Stankus (Hospitality Designs), Suzy Handgraaf (Worthing Court),
Kristen Dobson (Sophias Decor), Brittany (Pretty Handy Girl),
and Cindy Miller ( Living on the Bliss)...

You ladies did a stand-up, A+ job planning the conference!
Many accolades to you all!


Annie Omar - Maison Blanche Paints - www.maisonblanchepaints.com


Every one of speakers were wonderful!

Very informative and inspirational,
whether they were speaking on their personal blogging journey,
giving tips on improving, growing, and making money with your blog,
or presenting amazing painting techniques!

(I unfortunately didn't get a picture of all the speakers)


Paint Demonstration from Maison Blanche Paint


The SWAG bags given to each attendee were awesome,
so thankful for all the sponsors that donated so graciously.


And as for me, I won a door prize!!!

One that couldn't have suited me better,
...a sampler pack from Maison Blanche Paint!






Kristen -- Sophia's Decor



Amy -- Atta Girl



Heather -- At The Picket Fence








Brittany -- Pretty Handy Girl





  

So looking forward to next year!

...but for now, 
I've returned home with valuable checklists...




...and a notebook overflowing with tips to improve my blog,
maybe even support my habit on some level,

great techniques and products
for painting furniture,

and, with aspirations to fix a broken toilet handle.
...by myself,
...cause I'm 95% sure I can! "smiles"




and most importantly,
many new friends! 

DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS