Special Places

Several years ago, I got inspired to put a sign post in the yard. I had seen a picture of one that I really liked, and what really inspired me was that it had a good bit of history on it. I knew that with time, mine would look the same. The first step was to come up with places that meant something to our family, and I put the question out on social media asking for the locales our friends might pick. I got everything from the ridiculous to the sublime, including "Rest Rooms". That one I REALLY liked!! 

Ultimately, I decided on actual locations that we've enjoyed  from all of the places  we've lived over the years. In the spirit of Resurrection Upcycle where things are rehabbed or created nearly for free, I got my hands on a pallet and enjoyed a great work out tearing it apart. No easy task! Sadly, the hammer didn't survive.

Next I raided the basement stash of left over paint and came up with the 5 original signs.

 

In 2013, when it was fresh and new, this is what was planted by our patio.

Years went by as our signpost weathered the seasons while it picked up the history I was looking for. We also added some new locations. 

 

Once again, it came time to make an addition. Some of our children moved to a new locale, and they deserved a place on the post! I still had a piece of the original pallet, amazingly, so I got to work on it. I never claimed to be an artist, and totally own the fact that I depend on a computer and a printer to create these things!

No worries! It's gonna be great!

 

The actual logo, and my interpretation of it.

 

Today I just beat the rain to get the new sign installed on the post. 

Now with the history that caught my attention in the first place, it's just a little something fun in the corner of the yard!

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart take courage; 

Yes, wait for the Lord. 

Ps. 27:13-14 

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Curb Finds

Now that my children have married and begun reproducing, I find that I have a lot more free time on my hands which, at times, is not such a good thing! Much to the chagrin of my handsome half,  I have a very difficult time passing up a good curb find. People decide they no longer want things because they're ugly, scarred, out of style or just a pile of junk, so they place them at the curb for us "fairies of recycle" to snap up!

"Curb searching" (sounds so much more classy than "junking") takes some discerning. Not everything is worth saving. If it's not solid wood, don't bother. In my opinion, one of the worst inventions of the 20th century was particle board. The stuff is worthless. And fake wood contact paper "veneer" is just that. Fake wood contact paper. 

*Rant over, soapbox open*

*Take a deep breath*

I find that the most interesting treasures appear when I least expect them. Such as this chair.

I wasn't looking for anything, and when I ran across it, I didn't necessarily have a bunch of time on my hands, but I knew a block of freedom was on the horizon so I snagged it. This little treasure fulfilled all the necessary requirements. 1. It was sturdy, and 2. it wasn't infested with bugs. Did you know that even solid wood furniture can be bug ridden? Check closely before you bring anything into your house or workshop. Those little critters can hide anywhere! So into the car it went. 

When I took it apart, I found that the seat was leather. It was old, dry and cracked, so that there was no way it could be brought back to life. And under the leather was cotton batting and horsehair. Gives you an idea of how old it is! The seat base itself was too dry and cracked to be rescued, so I had to cut a new one. I hate losing the original seat with the notations on it, but it wouldn't hold any weight as it was.

The chair is solid oak, and very straight and strong, but at some point in it's history, some well meaning soul had painted it that poop brown color that is so popular in pieces that were "re-done" in the 30's 40's and 50's. I'm guessing that the popular thought was that the paint was "almost" exactly like finished wood. Or maybe there was a run on this nasty color so it could be picked up cheaply, but it turns up often and must be eradicated. Didn't take much to cover it forever. 

Some sanding...

And a couple of coats of primer......

(My favorite workshop is the back patio when the weather is nice)

And a few coats of paint made it as good as new. 

But who wants such things to look new? So I went at it with some sandpaper in areas that would have shown age naturally, if I had wanted to wait another 30 years.

Then I added some stain to accelerate the aging. It goes right over the paint and can be applied as heavily or lightly as you prefer. I happen to like things looking nearly trashed with age, so I'm rather heavy handed. But I like the results. Then seal it well with polyurethane. 

As a last step, I went to the fabric stash. Our neighbors own a restaurant, and have passed along a couple of umbrellas when the pole broke. The fabric was in good shape and is water proof, so it's really durable with a bunch of short people on them. We're not beer drinkers, but I love the color and graphics, so it works.

Just like "new" and suits our tastes quite well. The best part is the cost. 

Chair - curb rescue = free

Paint - left over house trim = free

Stain and Poly - left over from other projects = free

Fabric and wood for seat = free 

Keeping me out of trouble = priceless!

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy 

and where thieves break in and steal,

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also. 

Matt. 6:19-21

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Sign Junkie

I admit it. I'm a sign junkie. 

I just think they're so fun to have around. I love the typeface, and graphics. I also like clothing labels. Sometimes the artistry that are a part of those is amazing. If I'm upcycling clothing, I often include the label on the outside of the article if it's a good one!

On a recent trip to the Keys, I saw a sign that really caught my eye in an ice cream store. They wouldn't sell it, so I made my own.

Resurrection Upcycle got started by using "junk" I had laying around, and I've pretty much stuck with that philosophy. I knew I could make my own sign with some leftover sub-floor in the garage, and paint from the basement. I always make my own stencils on the computer and cut them out with an exacto knife, or just trace them onto what I'm using. I'm not that artistic, so using computer fonts REALLY simplifies my life!!

It took me a couple of days to paint, dry, and sand, but my final product turned out okay!

 

The ice cream store had theirs above the door, so that's where I put ours too!

Who stills the roaring of the seas,

The roaring of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

They who dwell in the ends of the earst

stand in awe of Your signs;

You make the dawn and the sunset 

shout for joy.

You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;

You greatly enrich it;

The stream of God is full of water;

You prepare their grain,

for thus You prepare the earth.

Psalm 65:7-9

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Lights & Irons

We moved into our present home about 13 years ago, and it meets our needs quite nicely. Except for the fact that it's really dark. No ceiling fixtures makes for dark rooms. As much as I'd love to put in pot lights, it's not in the budget. And I hate cheap lamps, as I've had several get knocked over just because they're light weight and unstable.

So, I keep my eye out in thrift stores for nice heavy ones that need some love. Recently I found a couple that would work quite nicely for one of the bedrooms. $2.00 each and other than the socket, they were in good shape electrically. Ugly, yes. But with potential!!

 So I took out my favorite can of paint and got started. 

Added lampshades, and since they're in the same room, I just used the same shade. Nothing else really caught my eye, so matching it is!!

  

As long as I had the paint out, I updated an old sad iron too. We get a great breeze through our house, but that means slamming doors. These little irons are heavy, they look way better than a brick and make great door stops. What was done to this one was a little weird. Not sure what the point was.......

 But with a little paint, it's great!

 

No more slamming doors!

For we know that if the earthly tent

which is our house is torn down,

we have a building from God,

a house not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.

For indeed in this house we groan,

longing to be clothed with our dwelling 

from heaven,

inasmuch as we, having put it on,

will not be found naked. 

2 Corinthians 5:1-3 

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Moving Forward

Sometimes moving forward actually means going back. For me lately, that's been the trend. We've been married a long time. 

A loooooooooong time. 

And in our history, we've picked up some pretty cool items. Some are being passed along to our children, and others, after being moved often and stored away for years, are coming to the light of day once again. I have loved rediscovering our old junk, and seeing the patina that the years have added to it as it sat in the dark.

We brought the copper back out that used to grace our newlywed kitchen, and I think I love it more now than when we first got it!

We're also enjoying old pieces in new places. This was given to me by my grandmother. She worked for a time in a California museum and was given this piece when she left that position. I have always loved it, and now for the first time, it resides in the kitchen.

While what we have we've always been thankful for and it's served us well, sometimes a change is nice. With that in mind, we decided to shake up the dining room a little and replace the chairs. When we got married, we were graced with hand me downs so that we wouldn't have to sit on the floor, and one of them was a green game table with large orange chairs. It served us well, but because of their size, we decided early on to replace the chairs with unfinished ones we bought at a discount store. We set to work finishing them, and the green table to match. For nearly 40 years they've been great. But change is nice, right?

So the decision was made to pass these sturdy chairs on to some friends that can also raise their children on them like we did ours, and go with a brand new look! Over the past month or so, I've been collecting deals. And now have 6 "new" chairs to show for the effort! 

All very different, but "It's gonna be great!" 

Primed

And painted. 

Can I just say, I love spray paint? 

And then the torture of choosing fabric that will work in the room. Some of the chairs have fabric seats. The choices were narrowed quite a bit as it needed to be suitable for outdoors. Not because these will be used outdoors, but because we have many little people that will be growing up on these chairs, and outdoor fabric is nearly indestructible! Making these kinds of choices used to be so easy. I think age steals more than just your figure, looks, and memory! Perhaps it drains good taste away too! I'll save you the torture of looking at all the possibilities. Let's just say, I'm really thankful for my daughters who help with such decisions!

And I think we have a winner folks!

Cutting new seat bottoms and recovering them is an easy task, and I love my jig saw and staple gun almost as much as spray paint. And polyurethane. I love that too.

All finished and in place. Now a small room looks a little bigger with the smaller "new" chairs. 

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How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

For his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1