Autumn in the Dining Room

After three years in our house, I decided it was time to start decorating for the seasons. I started to to this last winter with my giant snow flakes and sweater pillows. But I haven't done anything seasonal since then. The Harvest Dinner this past weekend gave me some motivation. I decided to stick with one room, baby steps people. I can't go all out at once and have my entire house festive including the bathroom towels, you know who I'm talking about Mary. I decided to tackle the dinning room. It was a harvest dinner, the main event would be eating. 

With out further ado I give you the end result.

Fall vignette set up on the buffet, check.

Bunting banner over the mirror, check.

Handmade farmhouse table, check.

Restyled thrift store chairs, check.

Burlap table runner and rustic centerpiece, check. (more on this tomorrow)

Take that Pinterst!

Catching Up

It's been awhile. Like almost two weeks awhile. It's not that I have nothing to share with you. Oh there has been lots happening around here. Mr B and I have been busy turning our to do-list into a to-done list. I haven't had the camera out, nor the ambition to write something. It seems like we have been go go go from the time we get home till the time we go to bed. But now that the list is relatively small I think we shall be able to catch up on things.

You see my family was here Sunday for a 'Harvest Dinner' and I can get slightly neurotic about having people over. Let's just say I was barely holding it together on Friday night, then the drill slipped and I caught my finger. Full out sob fest. Like sitting on the floor balling my eyes out snot running out of my nose holding my wounded finger. All the while Mr. B is calmly sweeping up letting me cry it out. That man is my rock, I don't know what I would do without him. But let's keep that between you and me. OK. Don't worry I pulled my self together, almost to lose it Sunday morning frosting a cake, that in Mr. B's words we were just going to cut and eat any way. But I wanted it to look like the picture, not the corners crumbling in, barely held together by sticky gooey icing. I want everything to be perfect. I blame my mother, but mainly pinterest, and the create channel. 

While I sit here now eating my beets. (yes just a bowl of beets for dinner. I truly am becoming my mother) You know I had a nice pail of the last of the garden put together Saturday. It was sitting outside by the garden. All I could think about at work today was coming home and having fresh garden beets. While silly me I shouldn't have left it all outside. The geese got to it. Don't tell but I scavenged the pile to find a few beets that hadn't been chewed on. They are delicious. Now wonder the geese and probably the squirrels like them. 

But any way, sitting here eating by beets it all seems trivial. My family isn't going to care if my registers are painted oiled bronze including the screws, or my fall vignette is set up. Nope not one bit. So guys thanks for coming Sunday and not minding that I never got around to scrubbing the toilet!! 

Trio

Over the weekend our quartet of geese became a trio. We came home Friday evening after an enjoyable family dinner to find we were missing a goose. We did a quick scan of the yard hoping the missing bird was hiding somewere. 

Not so, Arlo is no longer with us.

He has been burried in the goose graveyard, near the apple trees. Several of his flight feathers have been added to the memeoral with all the other geese I have loved and lost.  

Thrift Store Chairs Makeover

Back when I discovered the 'five dollar filing cabinet' I also stumbled upon a pair of chairs.

When I first laid eyes on them they yelled at me from across the room. "Save us!! Unleash our wild side. Let our inner animal roar!"

 They were telling me to paint them turquoise and upholster them in either leopard or zebra print. I rescued them from the thrift store and took them home to do just that. Never mind what to do with them when they were finished. Perhaps I would give them away to a family member or sell them. Their inner animal just won't blend with the look I'm going for in the house. Either way, I simply couldn't let the chairs spend any more time living in a thrift store being drab yellow with maroon seats.

I brought them home and Mr. B asked me if they were for the dining room.

Well honey, you see the thing is. I bought them to unleash their potential, in the form of turquoise and animal print.

 That statement earned me the look. The one that says "Your buying things to redo that aren't even for the house when you have a ga-gillion other projects on your plate."

Umm maybe....

I did think about it for a while. (Don't tell him but, there might of been a shred of truth in what he said, or rather what the look said.) I stuck them in the dining room at the head and the foot of the most awesome-est table ever, you know the one my amazing husband built for me. They didn't look bad. Over the next few days they kinda grew on me being in there. Eventually I came to the decision they would be white with green or tan seat covers. Don't get me wrong they still would look great in the original color scheme, but I was beginning to see a tamer version would be OK too. 

This Sunday, while I was boiling down pizza sauce and Mr. B was watching football, I was able to find some time to get out side to do some painting. We busted out the stable gun for some upholstery. 

I am thrilled with the way they turned out; as I am with most of my makeover projects. There is just something about seeing a piece of furniture transform, going from drab to fab.

The nitty gritty:

Three coats of Rustolium spray paint in Navajo White, gloss.

(no I didn't sand first)

Two clear coats. 

The fabric was left over upholstery fabric from another project. I believe it is from Joanne's.

Let's do a side-by-side, shall we.

 

I'm still itching to redo a chair with animal print.

Perhaps someday another chair or two will call out to me.

Birdie Wordies

It's been awhile since I shared pictures of my feather-babies.

Let's change that situation right now!

Sewing Room Hutch

Last month I bought this hutch off of Craigslist. After weeks of searching for the perfect piece in the right size and most importantly in the right price range. Mr. B was kind enough to drive me to go pick it up and help me load it in the pick up.

It originally had glass doors; one of which was broken. Those came off right when we got home. Mr. B is always quick when it comes to taking something apart, so alas there are no pictures of the hutch in all it's original glory.

I gave light sanding, I mean very light. I'm not big on striping furniture here; just a quick buzz over the large surfaces to give the paint something to stick to. I used my favorite primer for furniture, Zinzer Oil based. Then three coats of soft white in a semi-gloss.  

I decided to keep the original hard ware.  I just took it off when I painted and then put it back on, I didn't try and clean it or shine it up at at. I love the way it looks on the white, it really stands out.



This has to be my favorite piece in the crafty room. My fabric stash offers some color to the room. My notions, which are mainly from Mr. B's Grandma, are displayed in old canning jars from my Grandma.

On top of the hutch I was able to display more notions and a book from the Grandmas, not to mention the button-holer (which I have yet to try and I'm sure it will be an adventure)

I'm surrounded by bits and pieces of all the ladies who have inspired and encouraged my craftiness and love of sewing. That gives me the warm fuzzies.

Keepin' it Real

Remember how I showed you that sneak peek a few days ago, well good thing I did. This is what my crafty table looks like tonight. 

I started a online quilting class shortly after we finished my space. The creative juices have been flowing the past week. Unfortunately I have a hard time being neat and creative.. Perhaps the tour will have to wait until this weekend.