playing house

Been doing a little decorating fun stuff. Not for two weeks, I swear!
Blogger isn't letting me click and drag photos tonight, so you will get the play-by-play completely out of order. But hey, at least I'm blogging again and so no more irate emails from any of you about being sick-to-death of that wordless Wednesday post from 2 weeks ago...

So, this is our newish dining set. It was very, very expensive. You know how I play fast and loose with John's paycheck! The whole ensemble was around $70. The table was from Craigslist, and is destined to be my scrapbook desk, after I find a longer replacement. For now, it's smaller dimensions add a little more breathing space to the crowded dining area. (I hung our world map in the hallway) My mental goal is a long table (at least as long as the mirror) narrow, for more room walking past it. We generally serve from the kitchen island, buffet style-and especially when having company over, so a long narrow table is ideal. A galvanized tin top? A refurbished antique door? Hmmm...I am knocking around ideas on how to do it, and I am thinking a trip to the recycling center is in order soon.

These are the chairs "Before". My plan is to adopt four more stray chairs, (since I'm not allowed orphans!) I've set my parameters and am keeping this checklist in mind:

-under $15 each. (so I won't kill a boy when he leans back in his chair and snaps the legs off. It's inevitable. it will happen. I can accept the consequences of teenage boys more easily when it didn't cost but a few fivers.)

- solid wood. (see, I have some standards, despite my reputation as a junk hound.)

-upholstered seats. (we like our tushies pampered during hours of Scrabble.)

-no wobbly legs. (had enough of that in San Francisco.)

I am going to give them all a coat of my favorite Rustoleum spray paint "Canyon Black" and cover the seats with Waverly gingham...See? Like this: Aren't they cute?! Despite the psychedelic patterns gingham makes when camera flash hits it...

The pictures are out of order. This is the basket that sits on top of the "Bread Box". See below.

This is the AFTER of the $2 trivet, below. I used to love brass. My Dad sold tons of it in his furniture store, in the 1980s. I even bought antique brass candlesticks to light our wedding unity candle, because I was sure (in 1989) that brass would always, ALWAYS be the classiest thing around! Well, I wasn't the only one who made that mistake, because the Goodwills are full of this stuff. Shelves and shelves of tchotchkes that once cost a fortune. And I always check it out because guess what? Brass spraypaints out really nicely! Just look for nice shapes and use a good spray paint, with several light coats. I like Rustoleum's Heirloom White (that's what this is)

More Trash to Treasure fun. Here is a $5 wooden Breadbox, picked up last week. Like the fancy schmancy tole painting? This was popular in the same decade as those brass duck bookends....

and it was a bear to clean up, let me tell you. It was clearly from a kitchen that wasn't afraid to DeepFatFry and I had to use de-greaser to get it ready for painting! I felt a little bad for the artist who worked so hard on this, years ago-she did pretty meticulous work. Ma'am, if you are reading this? I want you to know it took 4 coats of black to cover your squiggly leaves. Good job!

I don't need a breadbox, but I did need a storage solution for the corner next to the stove known as "The Dumping Zone". Cell phones. Keys. Sunglasses. Coupons. Netflix envelopes. Flashlights.
It was 65% John's junk, but I abused the area, too. Once stuff goes somewhere, it attracts other stuff and pretty soon it's well-messy stuff. Despite lovely 1920s era pottery bowls, trying to prettify it. A little degreasing-a lot of paint-a light sanding of the edges and now we have this:

Cell phones charging on top. A little basket for Johns "Honey I'm Home" drop off of keys-wallet-watch, plus a nice storage area hidden underneath. What could you use a breadbox for?