Simple Sundays

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Psalms 127:3

My son Fielding and his wife Kelly are going to make us grandparents

for the first time

in the spring.

There is not a household

anywhere

full of anxious aunts and uncles

and a

set of grandparents

that is

more excited.

We are very blessed.

Very.

Very.

Hi Ho (Take That) Silver...Away!!!

There is gold silver in them 'thar hills plains!

Last weekend one of my daughters and I ventured out into the heat for a town-wide sale. There were merchants having big sales and individuals having sales. 

As we were walking down the main street of the town,

I saw a nice silver tea service sitting on a table. 

 

Can you see it sitting on that dresser (through the mirror)?

This is a picture of the tea service after I bought it.

Back to the purchase.....It was 106 degrees on Saturday. This booth did not have a tent of any kind. When I reached down to pick up one of the pieces it burned my fingers. I mean really. 

There was seven pieces to the set (not counting lids.)

The price was $35.

The set is very heavy. I knew for $35 it probably was not

sterling silver....

but still.......

So I got a heavy-duty-silver-plate tea service for $35.

That makes it $5 per piece.

You can't beat that!

So I told the lady I would take it.

I suggested she put it all in a box under the table

while I continued shopping in town

(but mainly to give it time to cool down before I had to carry it!)

When I came back to pick it up, 

it had cooled down.

(Too bad the weather STILL hasn't!!)

There are four different (sizes and kinds) of tea pots.

I figure they are coffee, tea, water (?) and something else.

There is also a sugar and creamer...

and she threw in a casserole dish.

All of it matching and heavy and

nicely shined up!

I looked on Ebay and I found the same

maker and style ....

but it was only a three piece set and it

was triple what I paid.

So I would say I scored a great deal.

Have you noticed my reflection in each of these pictures?

I could not figure out a way that I would not show up!

When I was shining up the set I tried to 

not

make it too shiny.

I wanted it to look a little patinaed (new word).

A couple of weeks ago I had a 

big silver platter 

in the middle of my 

dining room table

and it had not been shined.

My dad was over and told me 

I needed to shine my silver.

(He shines my mother's for her!!!)

I told him I wanted it to look that way

and he was completely appalled.

He thought I had lost my senses and 

any good taste I had ever had.

So this time I did do some shining up,

but I left the tarnish here and there as well.

I have no doubt my dad will notice

(the parts I left tarnished)

but I think I got a perfect deal!
Linking with Thrifty Treasures and Metamorphosis Monday. 
Also Wow Us Wednesday's, also the Open House Party at No Minimalist Here. 
And Show and Tell Friday.

If This Chair Could Talk.......

Really, I do not paint everything. I have been busy making our new (old) house into a home all summer and there has been painting going on, but not everything. It just seems that way. And here is another chalk-paint painted piece. This time I painted an old chair that was my grandfather's. My grandfather died when he was in his 90's and he has been gone for 30 years. So I would say the chair is relatively old.

The chair had been in storage for a long time. It was not in the best shape. Someone a long time ago had varnished it in a horribly ugly color that had turned orange with age.

 My grandfather was quite an extraordinary man. He was a proud veteran of WWI, a farmer, rancher, politician, oil man, entrepreneur, and a newspaper publisher and editor.

Because this chair was used in his home office I thought I would pay homage to the newspaper side of my grandfather. I imagine him sitting in the chair as he typed out his weekly editorials. I had an idea I wanted to try.

Keeping in mind my grandfather typed out his editorials from this chair, the font I used looked like an old typewriter font. The letters are stick-on and I got them at Hobby Lobby.  I used blackboard paint because I needed a black and this was the only one I could find at the time!

The main color of the chair was a blue I had not tried before. I wanted to try it and I thought it matched the patriotic spirit I equate with my grandfather. In case you cannot read it, it is Napoleonic Blue.

I painted the top piece of the chair with the black chalkboard paint. I wanted what I was doing to have a little black underneath. I painted the front and back of the top piece.

Then I began painting the rest of the chair the Napoleonic blue. Admittedly it does look bright when it goes on, but I knew the waxes would tone that down.

My grandfather wrote a weekly editorial (for years and years and years) called "In The Cool O' The Evening". He was stepping on people's toes LONG before it was popular! My idea was to put the words "In The Cool O' The Evening" on the top slat of the chair. I wanted it to look old and worn....as it would have been. In no way did I want it to look like the chair was just printed up!! On the back I planned on putting his name.

I used those stick on letters and just stuck them directly onto the black paint (after it was dry obviously!) I did draw a line with a pencil and tried to make them as straight as possible. I was not trying to be perfect tho, as I had to keep reminding myself this was an old chair and I was painting it to "show" its age.

I then painted the Napoleonic blue right on top of the letters. I even used a little artist brush to get down into the crevices. One of my sons thought the chair looked good just like this, and I agreed, but I knew the letters would not stay on permanently AND it was not keeping in the final look I was going for.

 

I only had one sheet of the letters in the typewriter font, so I had to paint the front, wait on the front to dry, then peel off the letters I needed on the back and reuse them there. (See the first picture in this post.) And yes, it worked.

When I pulled off the letters, it looked like this. I had really wanted a cleaner look, but I knew in the end when I had done the sanding and the waxing, it would be fine. If not, I could always paint over everything.

After finishing the paint I waxed it with clear wax then sanded it down. I chose to sand it where I thought it would have worn down naturally in all those years it was used. Sometimes I sanded down to the wood, sometimes I sanded it to a lighter blue.

 

I put a dark wax on the chair and buffed away. I think it looks like a well-worn chair. The blue does not look as bright as it does in this picture. It looks timeworn, used and well-loved. Just the look I was going for. I plan on making a cushion for it, but that is "on my list".

I plan on putting the chair at my computer desk. It will be a daily reminder of an extraordinary grandfather that instilled so many important virtues into our family.

The front with the "In The Cool O' The Evening" words. I smile just thinking about all the issues he wrote about for so many years.  And on the back "Jo O. Ferguson, publisher (and what I did not put on there....extraordinary grandfather!)

Linking this with Wow Us Wednesdays, Open House at No Minimalist Here, Furniture Friday and Show and Tell Fridays. 
And Funky Junk Interiors.http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com 
Also Be Different Act Normal . And I am at Lettered Cottage Tutorials too!

Pie Oh My..........

This is not about the pie you eat....since I am still ovenless (but I am beginning to cave!)...No, it is about the revamping of a Pie Safe!

I have had this 

reproduction pie safe

for over 30 years

(which almost makes it a new antique!)

It has lived in 3 states, 5 houses and countless rooms.

It is one of those pieces that you can put in any room.

Originally it had a glass front (where it is open now),

and a light in that little nook.

I got rid of both of those years ago

and have wanted to paint the 

pie safe for years.

So I finally did. 

When you paint with Annie (Sloan Chalk Paint)

it is so much faster

that it is easier to psyche yourself 

up to get projects that you were thinking about done.

And the pie safe is now Emperor's Silk red.

My daughters are aghast that I painted the pie safe.

Really.

They even had a Facebook conversation about it....

Which means everyone knows how they feel now, ya know? Ha!

Personally, I think the pie safe looks so much better.

I actually think she looks more authentic now.

Like an old painted cupboard.

And yes, I did replace the handles.

I picked these because we had some similar in

our kitchen in Kansas 

and it brought back fond memories.

I used two coats of Emperor's Silk and a minimal amount of

dark wax. 

I loved how the wood grain 

came out

under 

the paint.

I did minimal distressing,

only in the 

places that would distress naturally.

I understand that "red" is a very personal preference

but I love how it looks.

I painted the "cubby" in Old White chalk paint.

I did not distress it, and did very, very minimal dark wax.

The old (which the girls liked (??????!!!!?????)

and the new and improved (below).

I don't know what room the pie safe will end up in

at this house,

but she will be beautiful

in her new "do" no matter where she lands! 
By the way... Yes, I painted the tin inserts as well.
I dry brushed them with Old White, wiped it off, then put the dark wax (barely) on it.
I am linking this to Painted Furniture Party at Romantic Homes and Wow Us Wednesdays and Open House Party at No Minimalist Here.

A Good Reminder....

Simple Sunday

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 

Psalms 91:11 

With summer quickly coming to an end and everyone trying frantically to get in 

last minute vacations, 

let's not forget who is really 

in the drivers seat!

Strawberry Lemondade when it is Hotter 'n Heck!

While I realize that much of the country is experiencing unbelievably hot temperatures, here in Oklahoma we are on day 30 something of over 100+ temps. ....With little to no rain. We are not spending as much time as usual outside, but we do spend a lot of time outside. With that in mind, I came up with a refreshing drink that would last out in the heat. (Although I admit, water is still the best!)

In sturdy plastic cups, I filled it about a quarter of the way up with lemonade (I made from a mix). To this I added a single lemon slice in each cup. I put them in the freezer and froze them solid.

(If you look closely, you can see the lemon slice in the frozen lemonade.) The cups are then left in the freezer until we want to use them. I take a cup out sometimes when I am going out to swim. In this case I took out a cup and added strawberry drink.

This is why this idea is so good. It does not water down your drink as the "ice" melts. Instead, it just adds to your drink. In this case, as the ice melted I had strawberry lemonade. You can see how the ice becomes part of the drink.

Looking down in it, you can still see how the lemon slice is surrounded by a small ice ring.

The lemon slice slowly rises to the top as the ice melts. Then as the ice completely melts, you have a cold-unwatered-down drink.

Any combination of fruit and flavored ice will work. Then you just add the drink that will be enhanced by your ice.

 

In this heat, any little cold treat is good!

Linking with Designs by Gollum on Foodie Friday. Stay Cool! 

I am also linking to Be Different Act Normal Show and Tell Saturday.