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I have quickly come to the conclusion that I'm a rambler. Lucky for you I'm almost done with my 3-part-tale!
Once upon a time there was a Mad Bench. What is a Mad Bench, you ask? It is a solid oak plank bench acquired by my mother-in-law many moons ago... many children ago (of which she has 9 and between the 9 there are 32 grandchildren). When her children were young and foolhardy, they were made to sit on what became dubbed the Mad Bench when they were 'mad' and needed to calm down (or if mom was mad at them and she needed a break).
At some point we became the proud owners of the Mad Bench. Over the years it moved further and further from public view and only came out when we needed extra seating. It's sorta functional but not even sorta pretty. I've thought of giving it a makeover for some time *years* but am not a very good seamstress *awful*. Then push came to shove due to "The Great Furniture Shuffle" and it became necessary to bring out the 2nd and 3rd string players. I decided to tackle the Mad Bench project - duun, duun, duuuuuun! Again, I had no plan or pattern - sometimes people never learn!! Maybe it makes life more exciting *frustrating* to wing it...
I got all of the materials 1/2 off or with coupons, of course! Handy Hubby : ) built me a wooden apron to go right over the top of the bench so as not to permanently alter the sentimental bench. I used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam for some cush on the tush. I picked out a fabric suspiciously similar to one in Ballard Designs and some black piping.
I measured, I pinned, I sewed, I undid, and redid. (Grrrrr)
I'm happy to finally, Finally report that the Mad Bench is no longer what it was (although I almost went mad during the process and had to take a time-out from that said bench many, Many times)!!!! Now you wouldn't even recognize it as the Mad Bench, mostly because you can't see any of it anymore. It's not too horrible for my first attempt, if I do say so myself! Not beautiful, not horrible. But... well, nobody is allowed to sit on it - are you kidding me?! After all the blood, sweat and tears? Uuuuum. No. Ma'am!!
Benches are for looking at and admiring from afar. Try to sit on that bench and I'll give you something to be mad about!!
Come join me for another look-see, won't you? We're admiring and admiring.
And so these three new looks (the tablecloth, the spray painted coffee table and the mad bench) were a few of the little things that made me say, "Aaaaah! so satisfying!"
So there you have it - MLE's ABC's
Blessings!
party with me at:
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
So as you may recall, I found myself with an empty living room so I placed my potato-sack-dressed table under the chandelier so noone would run into it. I had kicked out my early 90's Coffee Table to do it. This table had a square bevel-edged glass top with a faux brushed metal looking frame. The "X" "O" details around the top were painted gold. Before eclectic and mismatched were 'in', matchy-matchy was 'in' so I bought the whole 3 table collection! *WOOO!* I was stylin' back then! Now? notsomuch...
90's CT ended up in the great room in front of my sectional. Although the couch needed a table, the colors in that room are more earth and jewel-toned so, the 'metal' looked out of place - not to mention I was soooo over that look mmm... maybe 8 years and 2 houses ago! 90's CT was truly at risk of being demoted to the basement - and I mean barely by the skin of it's faux brushed metal teeth!
Being inspired by all the spray paint fumes flying around Blogland, I decided to give it a twirl. The table couldn't look worse, right?! I chose a warm brown in a textured finish by Rustoleum. Handy Hubby : ) set up a spraying station for me in the garage where I created a cloud of brown textured paint haze.
I shook, I spritzed, I shook, I sprayed.
3 cans of spray paint later (textured doesn't go far), I emerged victorious!! I couldn't change the shape or style of 90's CT but at least I brought it into the next century - that's progress!! : ) I was on such a spray paint roll that I grabbed the sofa table that was part of the 90's Threesome, sprayed it a hammered copper and replaced the kitchen table/side board that was previously in the kitchen and is now in my living room. Bonus!! The 3rd 90's piece, the end table, escaped my clutches because it's still in the living room which has black in it.
I'll get you in the next furniture shuffle, My Pretty Ugly, and your gold X's and O's too!!!!
Boy! that little spray trigger is so empowering! I feel like I can change the world... at least a shade or two : )
Blessings!
I feel it necessary to start today off with a confession:
I'm not a professional anything... I'm just a girl with many hobbies, a small budget and a desire to tackle challenges. I'm not super creative, but I am a great borrower of ideas! And I like to do things frugally (preferably without looking cheap but the results are sometimes iffy). What I'm trying to say is I copy other people's ideas aaaand I'm cheap!! Ok, so now that we've established that - on to the real order of business.
My first post mentioned spring being a time of rebirth. Well, spring brought about "The Great Furniture Shuffle" at my house which led to the rebirth of several pieces of furniture in our household. Short story long - I was storing my patio furniture set in my living room for the winter. Yup! It was the first thing you saw when you walked into my house. I tried to pass it off as regular furniture and called it my 'sun room' despite the fact that the room faces north, but I digress. Anyway, a few weeks ago when spring started springing, we moved the patio furniture back outside. Nobody wanted to give the original furniture pieces back that I had farmed out to accommodate the patio set - especially not my teenage daughter who ended up with a piece of the sectional in her room! After 2 days with an empty room I couldn't take it anymore.
I started stealing pieces from one part of the house to fill empty spaces in others, eventually unearthing pieces not to be seen by the general public! My solution was to give 3 pieces new spring outfits. Today I'll share the story of the table with the potato sack dress.
Once upon a time, to keep people from walking into the chandelier in the now-empty room I placed my old kitchen table under it. We got the table from Hubby's : ) grandmother after she passed away. It is a 48" double drop-leaf table that came with 2 leaves. In addition to it's sentimental value, I love it for it's functionality and all it's possible configurations. Before I moved it, it was placed in the kitchen with both leaves dropped, up against the wall. I used it like a side board.
Since I never use it as a round table I had no tablecloths that fit. I didn't want to buy a tablecloth because the ones I really wanted came out of catalogs like Ballard Designs. LOVE me some Ballard Designs - I could live in that catalog!! So I decided to do the next best thing - Fake it! BD offers tablecloths made out of burlap. Burlap! Who'da thunk it? But they make even burlap look chic on a table! I AM the idea borrower, so why not?
Now I didn't have a plan or a pattern, just an idea rolling around in my head and the determination to cover the table. So, I clipped my 40% off coupon and tooddled off to JoAnn Fabrics. I came home with my 4 yds of burlap, giddy to whip out this project, just to realize the burlap is only 50" wide. DOH! Not a problem. I went back to JoAnn's with my Michael's coupon and got another cut of burlap, came home giddy to whip out this project, just to realize that I STILL didn't have enough width to reach the floor. Double DOH!! Handy Hubby : ) rolled his eyeballs at me and loaned me his tape measure. Sheeesh! I never said I was the sharpest tool in the shed but determination WILL get you far!
I labored long. I labored hard.
Finally I stepped back and basked in the glory of my Ballard Design knockoff tablecloth. I was grinning from ear to ear because this didn't cost over $65 like in the BD catalog! Daughter A came home from school and said, "That's an *interesting* choice of fabric, Mom." My son came home from college and said, "Been eating a lot of potatoes lately?"
*SIGH!* That's ok! I'm sure if Grandma's table could talk she'd say, "Thanks for the new dress, Emily! I feel like a Sweet Potato Queen!" Didn't I say it's the little things in life? I think it still counts even if it's the little voice in my own head!! : D
Next time I'll share the story of my 90's table. Til then...
Blessings!
MLEparty with me at:
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Ahhh, spring!!
A time of new life, new growth, rebirth... and so it is with me, too. Today I start my new adventure in blogging. I've been a blog-lurker for a while now, mostly on decorating blogs, and as I stick my head out and peek into the great expanse of Blogland I'm excited and intimidated, overwhelmed and energized, scared and thrilled!
I haven't completely decided yet which direction this blog will go. Will it be about decorating? What do I know about decorating? Will it be about crafts? I dabble. Will it be about faith? Who knows? Inspiration? ? Gardening? Surely I jest! Haha. Weeeeell, maybe a little bit of everything!
Words are a combination of letters. Rooms are complemented with accessories. Homes are made by families. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are grand moments in life but 'everyday' life is really about the little things - the ABC's... a smile, a hug, a kind gesture, a cookie, a treasure found on sale : ), a project that you completed yourself, a ray of sunshine through the clouds. It's the little things that get us through the day. Maybe together we can find some little adventures to pursue! Things that bring us a little joy and happiness! Who couldn't use more joy and happiness?!
So glad you're here to hold my hand, offer advice and share a smile or two!
I hope you'll join me as we journey into the world of ideas and projects and see where the road leads us!!
Blessings!
Once upon a time there was a Mad Bench. What is a Mad Bench, you ask? It is a solid oak plank bench acquired by my mother-in-law many moons ago... many children ago (of which she has 9 and between the 9 there are 32 grandchildren). When her children were young and foolhardy, they were made to sit on what became dubbed the Mad Bench when they were 'mad' and needed to calm down (or if mom was mad at them and she needed a break). 
I got all of the materials 1/2 off or with coupons, of course! Handy Hubby : ) built me a wooden apron to go right over the top of the bench so as not to permanently alter the sentimental bench. I used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam for some cush on the tush. I picked out a fabric suspiciously similar to one in Ballard Designs and some black piping.
