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

17 comments:

  1. you are GOOD~! both pieces are amazing..
    well done, indeed.

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  2. Hi Rhonda! Thanks for sharing these lovely, nostalgic pieces! You did an awesome job refinishing them! What fond memories you have of your Grandparents! Sounds like the kind of place I would love to call home! Blessings from Bama!

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  3. Love both of your pieces and the color on the chair is so pretty! Now I'm all over that cute chicken bowl. I've seen some of these with the red combs but don't have one.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia;)

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  4. Rhonda, what beautiful pieces! You did a great job! Your fond memories brought back recollections of the metal and formica table my grandparents had. Guess that was the norm back then, huh? We had many a fish fry around that table!

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  5. Lovely pieces, yes the cherry print reminds me of a apron or dish towels of my grandmother too! Sounds like you have wonderful memories too!

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  6. Beautiful pieces! I love the vintage looking cherry print. It's wonderful! Loved hearing your story of times at your Grandma's house. So sweet!

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  7. My heart would burst out of my chest if I found a little stand like that. What an amazing piece! So fun to have samples to try out. I like what you did with it!
    Liz

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    Replies
    1. ...and your stories of your grandma. So sweet. Love it!
      Liz

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  8. Oh, this post makes me miss my Grandma!! I love this chair even more than the first and,of course, everything else! The chicken reminds me of my Grandma. She always had chickens until the last few years of her life when she absolutely could no longer see to care for them. She had quite a few chicken "what-nots" in her kitchen and dining room she had collected over the years. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. I love seeing what you did with your treasures. I miss Granny every day of my life. She had the strongest faith of anyone I've ever known and really lived it. She was all about the good news in the way she lived each day. From her home to the people in it... we all were loved and nurtured in a blanket of love. She was the quintessential homemaker.

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  10. I've been looking for a cottage-y chair like this to makeover, very cute! You have a great one there!
    ♥Linsey

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  11. I love these two pieces. They may be some of my favorites I've seen you do. But I really love your story about your grandmother. Such precious, sweet memories. Made me miss my grandmother, her homemade biscuits and watermelon rind pickles and her spunky attitude!

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  12. What a beautiful post Rhonda! Your make-overs looks amazing.....I love that nightstand. Enjoy your day, Gail

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  13. Beautiful pieces. The reminder of your grandmother's apron is a lovely connection to this fabric. I'm hopping over from Cowgirl up. Happily enjoying my visit to your sweet blog and now following along. Hugs

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  14. What sweet memories, so nice!!! Love your pieces, I've never used milk paint...your piece sure turned out nice!!!

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  15. Beautiful story and beautiful pieces! I especially love the cherry chair!

    Blessings,
    Mrs. Sarah Coller

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  16. I just loved this post - what memories!!!
    And just love all of your transformations - can't wait to try milk paint!
    Definitely your newest follower - would love to have you come by and follow
    back when you have the time!
    Hugs,
    Suzan

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