Found Treasure

I was sitting on the deck yesterday watching the small beastie running around the yard and started really looking around at nature.  It's a really amazing thing nature is.

I first noticed this interesting item in the grass.  We don't actually have any trees in the backyard.  They are on the other side of the fence.  I figure a gust of wind must have blown this into the yard.  I can't believe the two big beasties didn't grind it into dust with their gargantuan paws.

Then I looked around some more and found this little treasure caught in a clump of grass okay weed.

Then sitting on a chair was more treasure.

And on the deck near me even more treasure.

I've never noticed anything like this in our yard before in the 7 years we have lived here.  I think it all was fascinating.  I gathered it all up and I'm keeping it for some something I'll make in the future.  I wonder if treasures like this have been in the yard before and I didn't take the time to be quiet and see them? 

 "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Maybe it was a message.  I'm glad I was listening.

What found treasure have you found sitting right under your nose recently?

LOVE, LOVE, KISS, KISS!

SNM

Mr. and Mrs. Bug Eater Visit

These are two of our dearest friends.  LB and Mr. Bugeater have been friends more years than we say out loud.   I loved Mrs. Bugeater as soon as we met.  It was a good thing, since Mr. Bugeater told her he would break up with her just seconds before she met me for the first time if I didn't like her.  They are the bugeaters because he is the lowest in rank in our group.  It's actually a joke with us not something serious.  He rejoined the military in his 40's and LB was the one to swear him in.  We are all up in each others lives.  They were going to the NCO convention last night because one of his soldiers was getting NCO of the year so I took some pics.  We don't dress up all that often and get pictures.  Next week is the officers convention so hopefully I'll have pictures of all of us looking all spiffy.

I love this picture because Mr. Bugeater is actually smiling.  No telling what I said to get a picture of him smiling but I'm glad I did.

Mr. and Mrs. Bugeater are family by choice not blood.  I couldn't love them any more if we did have the same blood running in our veins.  

Sadly they left after the party last night and took my children with them.  I'll have to introduce you to the children sometime.  They weren't up for pictures today.  I think they run when they see me coming with the camera which admittedly is all the time.

I have to get back to the Nekkid chair.  What are you doing today?  Something fun I hope!

LOVE, LOVE, KISS, KISS!

SNM

And the Suffering Continues...

Apparently the hives weren't the only results of my little allergic reaction the other night.  After I took the Benadryl to stop the hives I was knocked out.  That children's Benadryl packs quite a punch.  I was late for work the next morning.  The office called at 8:15 when they hadn't heard from me and I was still weaving around like a drunk when I got out of bed.  It didn't wear off until almost noon.  That stuff should come with a warning!

Then my hands started peeling.  I mean peeling like a lizard peels.  BAD, bad peeling.  I've put Bag Balm on them a gajillion times a day and still peeling.  I've trimmed the skin off as it peels and they are still a wreck as you can see.  This is how they look now that it's almost stopped.

LB went to Lowe's for me today and returned home with these.  Wasn't that sweet?  Guess he doesn't like the amazing lizard wife.  He even got pink, my favorite color.  Who knew they had work gloves in pink?  (Don't tell LB but they really helped with the work I did today.)

So here are the tools all assembled now that I have my gloves all ready to protect my hands.  Those small tacks in the pictures came out of the chair.  LB inspected them and thinks they are original to the piece.  Hard to believe these are 120 or so year old tacks.  I guess they did make things to last back in the day.

After working all day I had this lovely pile.  This is the second round and the cleaning fairy already cleaned up the first pile.  I swear I don't know why old chairs have so many staples.  It really doesn't take that many to hold fabric.

That's my big helper's feet next to all the trash from today's work.  It's not easy to work around a 100 pound Chesapeake but I got it done.

And here she is all nekkid.  That's the original burlap around the bottom.  I'm going to leave it.  It was good enough for the last 100 years so let's hope it'll be good enough for the next.  I'm also going to re-use the original cotton batting and horse hair.  It's really clean, and let's face it, I certainly couldn't replace those items with anything better.  Horsehair is considered the finest you can still buy.  I am going to cover it with a layer of cotton quilt batting so it's all contained.

We are a little concerned with the edges around the chair where the arrow is pointing.  It looks this way in several places.  It apparently has been recovered several times in it's long life and the wood around the edge is really showing the damage.  It seems those old tacks were really hard on the wood in old chairs.  Unlike modern tacks the old ones actually split the wood when they entered it.  You can really tell in the edges.  LB is going to help me reinforce the really bad areas.  He and BugEater discussed it tonight and I think he has a plan.  I hope so...  Need something to put all those new staples in.

So what fun things are you up to this weekend?

LOVE, LOVE, KISS, KISS!

SNM

Willing to suffer for beauty...

This is one of my recent auction finds.  I have only seen three of these ever and with this one I now own two of three.  My first looks just like it did the day I got it.  It was in MUCH better shape and cost a lot more.  I thought it was a great deal for $125.  I only got this one because it was so pretty cheap I couldn't leave it behind.  It is a unique piece for $35.  Even though the Annie Sloan chalk paint is in the picture I don't plan to paint this piece.  The wood is the only thing in good shape.

 Here's another view where you can see the fabulous carving on the sides.  As you can see the fabric has seen many better days.

 Here it is tonight when I quit.  I got everything off the back and started here on the sides and the front.  Why in the world do old chairs have so many staples???  I swear I've already bled to the chair gods and pulled out a million and I have at least a million more to go.

I stopped tonight because of what's going on in the next picture.  I guess the fine fuzz on the chair is actually cat hair.  Holy crap Batman!  I'm seriously allergic to cats.  I realized after leaning on it I was getting hives all over.  They started on my arms near my elbows.  That's what this is a picture of.  They now cover my arms.  Yippy!   I went and took a shower and lots of Benadryl.  Tomorrow when I work on it I'll be wearing long sleeves for certain.

I will continue.  A girl has to suffer for beauty.  Or so I keep telling myself so I don't scratch.  I REALLY WANT TO SCRATCH!!!  Please let me scratch my arm, my leg, SOMEWHERE.

The following is the fabric I'm going to use.  It's by Premier Fabrics which is made right here in good ole Mississippi.  I really like doing business with local companies.  They have a store right around the corner from the house which puts WAY too much fabulous fabric dangerously close to the house.  I had picked out other fabric that was a cool France print with French writing and the Tour de Eiffel.  It's out of stock and they didn't know when it will be back in stock and I was impatient.  So I decided to go with this.  I know it's ultra modern but I like the juxtaposition of a victorian chair with ultra modern fabric.  Let's hope it looks like I want.  I'm using the Greek Key on the back, the grey for the welting and the zig zag everywhere else.  I think it's going to be groovy.

So have you ever suffered to complete a project?  I may actually take a little Benadryl before I start tomorrow.  My skin will thank me.

LOVE, LOVE, KISS, KISS!

SNM 

The Bunny

I hope the Easter bunny was good to everyone and that Easter was celebrated with those you love.  LB and I had a really nice Easter.  We had a late Easter lunch with Nelson and MAS.  The food was great and so was the company.

I did find a little time to do a craft or two and several of them showcased bunnies.  I actually collect rabbits.  Nelson has given me a rabbit in some form or another for as long as I can remember.  Some of the rabbits don't actually look like a rabbit.  The year we bought this house my rabbit took the form of two Hunter ceiling fans.  It's the tradition that makes the rabbits special.

This little crafty piece was something I worked on this weekend.

I bought the little frame at an estate sale for a $1 earlier this year.  It had a paper picture that looked like maybe it came from a magazine glued in and it was a dark wood.  The frame is real wood so I figured one day I'd find the right little thing for it.  I slapped some Annie Sloan French Linen paint on it and waxed it with clear and dark wax.  I really like the way it turned out.  The bunnies are from a paint chip sample, Valspar to be exact, that I punched with a bunny shaped punch.  I popped them out with a popdot and glued the little pom pom on for the cotton tail.  I saw a canvas done with a Martha Stewart punch and pink paint chips online somewhere and liked the idea but I wanted something that would work year round.  While looking for something else I found that I had an Emagination bunny punch and the rest is history.  This paint chip was once colors I was considering for the family room that didn't make the cut.  I'm sure glad I kept them!

So we had a great Easter weekend.  Did you and your family do anything special?

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM