Simple Days

Sometimes I wish we lived in the simpler days again. Generations of women passing along the skills we would need to survive and make a home for our family. But the reality is that we are far from it. That doesn't stop me from wanting my girls to know how to do these things: sew a button, thread a needle, use a sewing machine, bake from scratch, tend the garden, do laundry, etc.

My oldest daughter would totally thrive if she lived in the late 1800's- we joke that she was born in the wrong century! She loves to create, and wear dresses and pretend to be Laura Ingalls. My youngest, too, enjoys these things but I haven't really tried to teach her much.

So, while we were at the fabric store, I picked up an embroidery/cross-stitch hoop and some embroidery floss and told her that I was going to teach her to "sew". Her eyes lit up because she knew this was a special thing and that she was old enough now to "sew"- something only her big sister and Mommy does. I let her pick out colors that she wanted (**Side note: this is such a easy and affordable craft!!! Totally takes up time, too!!!)

I took some extra duck fabric I had and put it in the hoop. I drew a simple flower landscape on it (with pencil) and instructed her how to "sew". I would thread the needle for her but other than that (after I explained how to do it) she completed the entire thing by herself. She just turned 5 years old- she loved it- teach your kids!!! This is such a great craft! It also helps them develop hand-eye coordination!

After she was done (there was one set of tears from when she poked her finger but then she got over it), I ironed it and put it in an extra little frame. She is very proud of it and I am proud that she did it all herself.

Dining Chairs Reupholstered

So, this weekend I accomplished another important task in our dining room saga. Reupholstering the dining room chairs that I recently found at Goodwill. Listen, there are a million and one videos and tutorials on recovering chairs like these, but I will walk you through the process in case you are interested. If not, just skip down to the final product. :)

Remember these pretty things? I am sure they are not everyone's cup of tea, but I love them and love the chunky look of them. I also love the detail work on the top part.

I looked online for fabric and had some that I liked but decided to check out Hancock Fabrics before I purchased anything else. I came upon these beauties and debated if I was going over the edge with my bird obsession (I have a slight one) or not. But then, after thinking about it, I decided to go for it since you should buy things that you love and these made me happy. Plus, Louisa approved! :) The bottom fabric is more gray than blue, even though it looks bluish in the pictures. Also-- this is outdoor fabric which translates: more durable!! I might also go over and spray it with Scotch-guard for extra measure.

After double checking with Steve that it wasn't too girly for his manly self to sit on, I began taking the covers off...Unscrew them- they pop off.

Then take your flat headed screwdriver and use the muscle that you have to pop the staples out. If there are stubborn staples, yank them out with pliers.

Next up, take the old fabric off. Throw it away- no one will want this! Lay the current piece of seat on the new fabric. Use a heavy duty upholstery-staple-gun (we already had this laying around from our last upholstery job).

Pull the fabric tight and staple away. Use heavy duty staples. The corners are a bit tricky sometimes but you can figure it out- remember that the staples are your friend- they will hold that fabric just how you want it.

Tada! Screw it back in and there you have it! 

I do love the natural wood look, for some reason! I always envisioned myself painting it white though... I plan to live with it like this for a few days and then see how I feel about it.

Found!

Remember when I was looking for chairs for the new farm table and couldn't decide on what kind to purchase? I had been looking on Craigslist every day for about 2 weeks and nothing really caught my eye (that I could afford). I went to the thrift store down the street and didn't find anything. I was getting discouraged but knew that if I held out long enough, I would find "them" priced at my super-low price point.

I had found this bench at Home Goods a few weeks back and loved it (for $50) but it isn't very sturdy and has already broken at the bottom. I am sure I will return it. Too bad though because I really liked it.

So, back to my original story... Two days ago, I happened to drop in on our local Goodwill and came across these...

I wasn't even planning to stop in that day- just had a feeling that maybe I should check it out. When I saw these, I felt like it was truly God saying, "See, I can provide even the small things for you."

Want to know the best part? They were only $4.99 each! There are two of each kind.

The tops are removable, so I can recover them. They are also solid wood. The one on the right (and it's twin) is a little loose but I am sure it can be stabilized with wood glue and some screws.

Louisa even approves and was with me to "help" pick them out. She is such a sweet helper when we go on these kinds of adventures- very curious about the whole thing.

So, I purchased 4 chairs for a total of $21.76.

Mission accomplished.

Now, off to the fabric store.