summer chairs

My 'secret' project is complete. It's only taken me a full year to complete. The better part of that year was spent thinking about what I wanted to do with these vintage patio chairs and planning how I was going to get the job done. The actual work itself only took days to complete. I guess you could say I had trouble getting to the real project. No regrets though. I am exquisitely satisfied with my pair of chairs.

My Nana gave me these chairs last spring. I have always been quite infatuated with and drawn to anything vintage. Beautiful and useful items in life seem to be my thing, and these chairs certainly fit that description.

I knew all along the color I wanted for these chairs. And I knew I wanted the arms to be painted white, in contrast to the vibrant robin's egg blue of the seat. In the end, the project beyond surpassed my expectations. These chairs scream summer! They beg to be sat in, whether in the shade or sun, preferably with a nice iced tea in hand! They are perfect in my book!

rust

Nearly sixty years ago, my Nana received a metal patio set for one of her birthdays from my grandfather. I have seen this beautiful patio set in photos over the years and have always ooh-ed and ahh-ed as I looked at the simple, home-centered scene that always seemed to come across in these pictures. It always seemed to be the perfect summer day in these photos- roses in bloom, baby (my mother) perfectly poised in her adorable sundress or romper and my Nana with a gorgeous dress on wearing her pearls- and this gorgeous buttery yellow set of chairs and tabled in the background.


Perfect.


So when I was offered this set (or at least the four chairs for now because my Nana still uses the patio table on her deck) I was so thrilled. An opportunity to reach back in time and borrow a little bit of  those simple summer days of old was both a joyful and humbling prospect. Nostalgia is a funny thing isn't it!?

Of course there was one problem... rust and lots of it. What else could I expect from patio furniture that is nearly sixty years old!?
 

If I hadn't have been inspired by all of the beautiful photos and tutorials floating around on the internet I wouldn't have such high hopes for my little set of chairs. And even though my husband and children are scratching their heads asking 'why?', I can see beyond the flaking paint, corrosion and elbow grease to the final product- beautifully restored family heirlooms that represent to me family time and years gone by.

So, I'm thinking big and gathering all of my supplies- course steel wool, naval jelly, primer and paint. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can share some of the 'after' photos of my 'new' vintage metal chairs!

costly

While we were in San Fransisco last fall, we had the opportunity to stop in the quaint little Victorian city of Petaluma, California on our way up to Sonoma. Our dear friends, who knew me all too well, made a few stops along the way in an attempt to bring a little bit of heaven down to my earth (or so it seemed). Their attempts succeeded brilliantly and I daresay that I couldn't have planned these lingering moments better myself, even in my wildest dreams.

My heaven: A visit to a small, cafe off the beaten path with a vintage feel and fresh, baked goods filled with good things like dark chocolate and rosemary, a trip to Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company- a seed bank residing in a charming 1920s building- filled with precious heirloom seeds (have you seen there seed catalog!?) and an hour-long stroll through a shimmering, rusting, gorgeous, rustic salvage yard.

With scone and tea in hand, the four of us walked through this amazing salvage yard filled with broken, rusted, antiquated, rustic, hopeful little and big bits and pieces of scrap- scrap furniture, beams, glass, metal, vintage appliances and the like. 

As we walked, I found myself continually straying from the side of my well-intentioned, but much more realistic husband who was content to simply walk around and kick a few tires and slide his hand across some amazingly old wooden beams and smile. I suddenly wished that we had driven- a flatbed truck that is- across country, instead taking our cushy, direct and space-limiting flight. My mind seemed to grow in a dozen different directions, swelling and stretching with one big idea after another as to how I could turn all of this trash into my domestic treasure,

Just at about the point where I decided that we needed a new home to fit the amount and the style of decor that I was mentally planning to bring back to the East Coast with me, I decided that I just simply needed to call it quits and let my big dreams remain just that-dreams- instead of the overwhelming and frustrating plan that they had become.

This scenario is all to familiar to me. It is not always home decor and furniture, but it is always an ideal that would bring my family and home into a deeper sense of beauty, purpose, nurture and function. Good intentions indeed, but not always at the right time or place.

I am a lover of beauty and ideas and if I see something in life that becomes a beautiful idea then it can act as the kiss of death for me, and I-doing just about anything needing to be done to make that dream become my reality- become set on bringing that ideal, that vision into my daily life without always thinking it through entirely. Impatience and over-eagerness set in and the energy to create, plan, change and implement begins to run wild in my being, becoming the driving new driving force in my life.

For so many years this was a source of frustration for me, for I saw this wanting of what I didn't have as a strong presence of discontentment and dissatisfaction with my current way of life. Over the years I have tried many different techniques to quell these desires and have even tried shortcuts to obtain to the object of my affection.

When finances were a hurdle, I would convince myself that the real deal was unnecessary and would instead settle on purchasing something somewhat similar to the original, but much less authentic, well-made or beautiful. The aesthetic quality would be lost and instead of the item adding to the overall environment of my life, it would instead detract from the quality of my life and I in the end would be left with even more frustration.

If my time or resources were the challenge keeping me from implementing a certain practice, say, in the homeschooling of my children, then I would foolishly abandon all current routines and ways of life in a meager attempt to 'clear my schedule' and rashly adopt this new, bigger and better, way of going about things.

Again, frustration, discontentment... you get the picture.

Over time my desire and insatiable need to bring new, beautiful ideas- and ideals- into my family life and home have not diminished. But my instincts have heightened and discernment deepened and I am finally able to control them a bit more be able to hone in and be truly deliberate in choosing not only the beautiful, but the most beautiful- and useful- objects that will have the honor of being invited into my world.

It is a super distracting character trait (flaw?) of mine and at times when I am feeling that call to change, create, improve and make new- I sometimes secretly wish I was not a lover of such an ideal life. But I am quickly reminded as I look at my children, my home, my marriage and my spirit that remaining stagnant in life would not suit me in the least. In fact, my satisfaction, contentment, delight and true peace in life would not be present if I were the type to settle for the status quot.

It is exhausting at times, but the pull to seek out the very best in life is not one that I can turn on and off when it suits me. I believe that, just as with any aspect of creation, nothing is accidental. And in fulfilling my purpose and design, I am honoring my Creator and that I must obey the instincts and desires placed inside of me albeit inconvenient, difficult or costly.

a four-year old cowboy

"Mom I want to be a cowboy today."

Who could resist this request coming from an adorable four-year old boy with a smile that is bright enough to light the night sky? Not I.

Those of you with more than one child know that there is usually one child that typically makes requests and lets you know what they need, want and are thinking of doing all day, every day. This is the child that typically starts their sentences with "Mom can we...?".

Then there is the child that rarely ever asks for a darn thing. This is usually the more complacent child, the go-with-the-flow sort of little human that is content with life in general and the current state of affairs within the home.

And of course there is the one (or more) who lie somewhere in between.

Well I happen to have all three types in this house. Without naming the other names, I will say that Elias is the somewhere in between child. He makes his requests known when he really wants something... which isn't very often. And when this happens, it is my delight and joy to fulfill the request if it is at all within reason.

Once the request to become a cowboy for the day was placed I knew that it would be my afternoon goal to make his vision a reality.

We spent a small amount of time at a local thrift store and came home with several key pieces- cowboy hat, bandanna and plaid shirt. After adding his favorite pair of jeans and his mucky boots all he needed to complete this look was a tad of dirt. This was a non-issue. In no time at all he was rolling around in the dirt- his usual spot to play in our yard- and had that natural I just wrangled some cattle look to complete the ensemble.

I didn't tell him that I secretly felt proud when I saw him trying oit the tough-guy look on his face or how I swelled with tears when I looked out the window and saw my little cowboy innocently and uninhibitedly riding his bike up and down the sidewalk.

He wasn't thinking about how he looked all dressed up or who might think it a silly outfit to wear outside on an August afternoon or if his cowboy look was authentic enough. He was happy to be doing what he was doing in that moment.

For you see, there is no shame or 'embarrassing moments' for a four-year old cowboy.

a penny saved: part II

One of the most significant choices that we have made as a family to help keep our spending down is something that I do not only because it makes sense financially, but is also a passion of mine.

Thrifting. Buying used. Repurposing. Shopping consignment. Saturday mornings spent at tag sales. Making it a point to poke around estate sales.

Call it what you will, but choosing not to buy brand new when it comes to everything from clothing to furniture to books has been a lifestyle choice that has come easily and has been a joyous journey to continue.

There is something completely freeing when one chooses not to need a new item. There is a certain pressure that is lifted. The pressure to buy the newest, cutest, trendiest and priciest clothing, especially for our children, can be crushing.

After all, they are children, not dolls that we are dressing up to look their finest and to sit nicely while we show them off. They are children; children that require movement in order to thrive and survie and an innate desire to explore the world around them.

This type of living requres clothing that can move easily with their little bodies and won't devastate a mother when they become soiled or even ruined!

I have written about buying used clothing before here . Recently I bought seven outfits for my 2 year old and 9-month old nieces that totaled less than $7. Seriously. This clothing was bought at a local GoodWill store in a bin that took some time to search through. But in the end, I was so content with what I found.

Some other items that I have bought at thrift stores are my winter coat, wool mittens, two Olive Juice dresses, wool sweaters, home decor including hand embroidered items, wooden step stools, old quilts, chalk boards and many other treasures.

Items that I have purchased at tag sales and estate sales include an iron bed from the 1860s, a side table with slots for magazines from the 1940s, costume jewelry, vintage fabric, solids wood folding chairs, yard toys, games, books and one very interesting rubbing of a saint (this is another story for another day).

As homeschoolers we pay out of pocket for every book, art supply, ballet class, workbook and the numerous other resources needed to give our children a generous and liberal education. It may not seem like much at first glance, but just this year alone, I was in need of nearly 15 books for our school year.

Most of the books that we read from for literature, natural science, history biography, poetry and geography are either out of print or hard to find at a conventional bookstore. I have relied heavily on Powells for most of our books. Those that I have not purchased, I have been able to find at the library. This part often involves an inter-library loan and a bit of leg work, but is so worth it.

Something else I belive strongly in is bartering and borrowing. I have begun to trade books with friends and fellow homeschoolers recently and simply keep a running loan list of what I have borrowed from whom and who has borrowed which books from me. At the end of the school year we simply will trade back.

As far as bartering goes, I have traded numerous services form everything from childcare to doula services. This type of trade is as good as gold in my book and I am always looking for opportunities to sharetime, gifts, talents and services.

What about you?

Do you ever buy used?
What is your best tag sale find?
How have you repurposed something recently?

Name Dropping on a Budget