Misfits Finished!

Hello and Happy Spring (haha!  it is actually snowing right now in TN) I finished the misfits last week, but couldn't get it together to write a blog post until now.  I was on sick boy duty and the Mr. was out of town all week, so blogging wasn't in the cards.  But, now the Mr is back (and is sick) and the boy is well, so I thought I could fit it in today.

Basically, I wanted all these chairs to look as they had been found *as is*  The only one that I didn't touch is that sweet black and white gal (her paint is chippy and showing green too!)

This is the formerly green girl.  I painted her a thick coat of a soft white paint and hope she chips eventually.  I didn't want to distress her... just let her age here and there.

This was the au natural beauty.... I painted her with a warmer white and distressed her.  Since she was so similar to the last one that I had already painted in the grey, I gave her a little something extra...

Maybe it is the desire to paint eggs, but I thought some soft blue stripes would be perfect.

This is the grey one... I painted her a mix of the soft white and a pale, pale grey that I call Mora Clock to make her sort of white, not quite grey.

If you have been reading my posts for awhile and have a steel trap memory, you will notice that this table is the table I originally used in my studio that is now a playroom.  I also changed out the curtains here and they were too short.  I have had these linen panels since college and I have always held onto them in case I ever moved into a place with really low ceilings again.

 What to do, what to do??

 I machine sewed a little band with some leftover linen from another project and then did a quick and casual blanket stitch along them.

So I have a completely different breakfast nook and really spent very little on it.  I really like moving stuff I have to new places. 

Here are a few other views of this little nook over the past 7 years....

I hope it is warmer where you guys are!  I am ready to spend more time outside!

bye for now~

Mismatched Chairs

Last week when I was at my booth at Winchester Antiques, I turned around and saw the sweetest little chair (3rd from left.) I knew I had to have it even though I didn't know what I would do with it... I had my heart set on some industrial chairs with my recently repainted table in my kitchen nook.  I currently had a set of 4 white Navy chair knockoffs that we bought before we were married.  I always try to buy vintage when I can, but I was super tempted by 4 matching Tolix with my lion paw table.  After I got that sweet black and white beauty in, I saw how wonderful it looked at the table.

Rewind several months ago.... I found a little curved back chair (far right) and it was so lonely.  I bought it to sell at the store and painted it a weathered grey.  I kept telling the Mr that I would get over the industrial chairs if I could find a set of 4 just like this one. 

So, as of last Thursday, I had 2 curved back chairs with spindles in my possession.  Cue a text to my friend and shop keeper  Carol.  She had a green curved back chair (far left) that was similar... different spindles from the grey.  I liked it.  I took it home.  Then, we decided to go on a little hunting trip on Saturday.  My goals: yellow flower pot (check, McCoy) and a curved back chair, preferably in white, definitely not red!  And, as you can see (2nd from right) I came home with my prize in au natural!  So, after being quarantined for the past couple of days, I have been pinning some tables all with misfit chairs.  

 After much discussion that went sort of like this:
me: I am kind of liking the really mismatched look of the chairs... especially the wooden one.  Do you want to leave them as is?
the MR: no. I don't like it with everything else that is going on here.
me: all shades of white?
the MR: sure.  whatever.

He had more input later, but it is pretty decided that they will be white, but different.  I wish they were all *found* whites, but since they aren't, I do want them to look more collected and that different hands painted them. So, to get that look, I will probably use different kinds and colors of white paints.  That black and white one won't be touched though.  I love how in the last photo, they all have a similar shapes and spindles and different whites.  I am honestly surprised it has taken me so long to collect a bunch of random chairs... I always loved Monica's table *wink*

Back soon with the chairs' makeovers~

bye for now~

One Down...

hello there!  Hope you are having a wonderful day!  Mine has been pretty busy, but I wanted to pop in, say hi and show you another little peek of what I am bringing to Bella Rustica.  Remember the forsaken chairs with the 4 bazillion nails... I found more, by the way.  But, the girls and I are on speaking terms again and one of the sisters is looking pretty incredible if I do say so myself!

Me-yow!  Who knew those legs and curves were lurking under all that fabric and gold?

(Ignore the worn welcome mat... it isn't there...)

Just a reminder... before...

Her sister is next in line for a makeover at naptime today. They are both planning to make their debut at the Barn Show next week.

Okay, I have more stuff to do!  There will be loads of goodies and surprises at the show next week!

bye for now!

A Labor of Love

Or the goal of someone who should seriously have her head examined... I will let you be the judge.  A long, long time ago, Mr. Hughes bought a lot of chairs.  And since then, each and every chair has been made over and eventually went to new and lovely homes.  All except for 2 (well, 3... I have one in my entry.) These chairs have been swooned over and then forgotten.  Mr. Hughes started on them awhile ago, but then abandoned them.  Then, the other day, he looked at me lovingly over piles of stuff and said... you really need to get those chairs finished.  Sure, I said.  I will start on them this week.  I can't wait!! They will look awesome!  These chairs have what we call "good bones."  They are incredible and lovely and just need a little love.

Look at that vintage goodness!  I knew that I would have to remove those nails.... I wasn't going to recover over those.  And I have a tack puller... no problem.  I can do this! Now... take a closer look...

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you... those are nails covered by nails.  Now, it is my estimation that there were easily a gazillion nails initially.  And then there were a gazillion more under that.  And I have 2 chairs.... so, what is that... well, if my math is correct, that is 4 gazillion nails!!!  So I dug right in and pulled and pulled (I will mention here that Mr. Hughes had already warned me of this fact and had pulled a quarter of a gazillion nails himself before throwing in the towel.)  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mr. Ancient Furniture Upholsterer has actually pulled some of the nails under the striped fabric.  I can only imagine what he was thinking when he was doing this... and the phone call that he made (if they even had phones when this was recovered!)

Mr. A F U:  Hello.... ma'am.... I have some concerns about the chairs that I picked up from you yesterday that you want recovered.  Are you sure this pink striped with gold leaf is a good combination?  Don't you think that you could possibly live with the sapphire blue velvet?

Lady of the House: No sir, that blue will not match the china.  What seems to be the problem?

Mr. A F U: Well, ma'am there are a gazillion nails to pull before I can recover them.  I pulled a few already, but I am sure I can replace them and you can have the chairs back just the same... no charge.

Lady of the House: No sir, that won't work.  Just cover them up with a gazillion more nails.  I am 100% positive that I love that pinky stripy satiny fabric.  It is timeless and no one will ever want to recover them.

So, I pulled all 10 gazillion nails over 2 days.  They are all gone.  My hand hurts.  I think I have a blister on top of a bruise.  I am saying "chairs" like it is an expletive.  Don't ask me about them for awhile, okay?  I did think it was so interesting to take something this old apart... what these chairs are filled with is... well, I am pretty sure it is grass clippings *wink*  But they are down to their bare beautiful bones and pretty soon I will paint them.  Not now though... we need our space.

Check out all the looks they have had.  Right to left... the first is what used to be a lovely light aqua silk. Then they had this sapphire blue floral velvet.  And then the pink striped satin.  Why didn't they stop at that silk... stained and all... it was lovely.  At one point, they were silver leafed rather than the gold leaf.  Beautiful I am sure!  I would love to leave the gilded look, but the finish is quite scarred from the 15 gazillion nails that I pulled.  By hand.  By myself (almost.) So they will be painted and recovered. Right now, I am planning on taking them to the barn show or one of the booths.  But, who knows... once we are on speaking terms again, they may find their forever home right here.

And, on a much more serious note, my mother is having another surgery tomorrow for her back.  This one is a big one.  So, please, keep her in your thoughts and prayers that she has a speedy recovery and that this greatly improves her life.  

bye for now!