Just Three Things | #5

I was talking to a friend the other day about how much we love being retired. There is no better lifestyle than that of retirement! We both commented on how we enjoy savoring that morning cup of comfort and sipping it at our leisure - so unlike how we used to grab a cup as we dashed out the door. We love how the day stretches out ahead of us with an agenda that is really manageable rather than having a long to-do list and a short deadline for completion. I loved her summation of our lives: "The things we used to take care of on our way home from work have now become our big agenda for the day." Can I just say, once again, how grateful I am to be able to live a retired lifestyle? I am so grateful and blessed. I know that I worked hard in my youth to be able to have this lifestyle but such is not guaranteed and I am truly grateful and feel blessed every single day.

What I'm Reading

I'm continuing through the series I've started that was written by Mary Kay Andrews. I am now on book number four: Happy Never After. It is fun to binge read a series after not having that experience for several years. Most of the characters are like old friends that the reader is catching up with or touching base with after a hiatus. This one is especially fun to me because of the Motown connection and I am a lover of Motown music.

I'm now working through a couple more of Ina Garten's cookbooks as well. I don't think I ever thought about setting the table as part of preparing and serving a meal - that there are connections between the two. Oh, I know that there is the concept that an Italian spaghetti dinner might call for a checked table cloth and a bottle with candle wax dripping down it in the center of the table or a summer bar-b-que with a checked cloth and bandanas for napkins and that sort of concept. I'm pretty traditional, though, and just hadn't really given it much thought. I simply assembled the tablescape and served the meal and didn't think that much about how something like that impacts the dining experience. So, reading this one has made me pause and do a little thinking along those lines. She describes how different wines are recommended for different dishes and then reminds the reader that we really don't have to follow that path and can just pair up or match up what we seem to like best. I love that attitude.  It is as if she says, "This is what a lot of folks do but if that doesn't work for you, do what does!" and gives permission to just enjoy.

I've also done a lot of reading and listening to information about our White House and how it is being changed and I am not in agreement with the drastic changes. An addition is one thing but destroying what was done in the past in order to make changes is not a good idea in my mind. I'm all about updates and improvements but not destruction. I've written my legislators actual letters as well as sent emails. I feel like it s a bit of wasted effort on my part because they all seem to highly regard the decisions and encourage the continuation of it. Bleak times in my opinion.

What I'm Loving

We picked up our beef this week. So, our freezer clean-out was completed just in time to restock the larder so to speak. I must say that the processor's place of business was super-clean and the pick-up was a quick and easy one. Then, when we got home with our three big coolers of meat, we sorted and inventoried the different cuts of meat and transferred it to our clean freezers, placing it where it will be easy to find when we are ready to thaw and prepare (hopefully). 

We tasted a bit already and it was quite delicious! I've also enjoyed watching Mike figure up the cost per each cut and overall cost and compare the difference with local store prices and all the figuring he has done to justify this purchase. I just look forward to the different meals we shall have and hope he is as excited about cooking some of it as he has been about getting it here! 

What I'm Working On

Well, I put the pause on the ottoman slipcover that I started working on last week. I stumbled upon a design that I really like and decided that I wanted to give it a try. The picture below shows it on a table cover but I think it would look nice on the ottoman that has a far-shorter side or skirt.

via

I decided to think about it a day or so. I can always continue onward with this one as a simple slip over the ottoman and be done with it and then dig out a linen or drop cloth or some other fabric and make another one with the tailored button details later if I chose to stick with the simple option I've started. So, I'm working on this slipcover but most of the work is what is going on in my mind and my folding of fabrics. I'm not one who is really into ruffles and bows but a nice tailored button feature stops me in my tracks sometimes. This is a project that I want to finish up. So, look for an update next week!

Those are the three things that have sorted to the top of my lists this week. I hope you have had some time to read or watch something interesting and/or entertaining, work on something that makes you happy, and have found loads of things to love!

Patience and Organization

 After procrastinating, I finally painted the island. Then, I learned that I needed to let the paint cure for thirty days. THIRTY DAYS!?! 

Well, I did follow that suggestion. The items that had been stored on those shelves sat here and there and some perched on the dining table and were moved back and forth and around for all that time. 

Finally, the cure time was met and I sorted and have been reading through cookbooks. The reading continues but I have begun loading styling them back onto the shelves.

There is not so much styling for beauty as for organization and for storage. I love all the cheerful colors and happy titles. I also love that they are handy and can provide inspiration and ideas for good meals. Of course, we also stash other items there for easy access. Those items might not be so happy and cheerful looking but I'll concede that it is a good storage space for The Mister's necessities.

I decided that baskets would keep those corralled and would look sort of happy and cheerful as well. Most of the time nobody will even notice these shelves because we keep our small table that we dine at daily there.

Still, I know what's there and how it looks and it makes me smile to have a new refresh!

Today I noticed...Simple little fall touches make me smile.

Blue and white pumpkin on a cake stand setting on the counter 

Fence post pumpkins setting on the den hearth

The Chair Project - Continued

The Summer of Chairs may have ended according to the calendar which now says it is fall - even though the temperatures don't really uphold my idea of what fall is like. However, the chair project has continued. I discovered that I clearly had a thing for checked chairs. So many of the images I've saved include a shot of a checked chair. I kind of landed on selecting just the right checked fabric for all my chairs. In my mind this would make them cohesive and allow me to park them anywhere within our house. 

Since my chair mission would not be complete until all of the seat covers were the same, I began perusing online fabric stores for a checked fabric that would tie them all together. My thoughts were that I should use either a blue and white or a tan and white check. I cruised back through my saved images of chairs and decided that the tan and white check really did seem the most neutral and would fit with any room in our house. Plus, if I decided to change color schemes or placement of a chair, it would still blend. So, I figured up yardage requirements and ordered a tan and white check fabric. Ironically, the fabric purchase cost more than either set of chairs! 

Chair on left did have navy seat and chair on right had striped seat

To cover them, I simply measured and cut a width of fabric. For the urn backed chairs, I could cut the width of fabric in half. Then, I turned each chair upside down with the seat resting on the kitchen island. I loosened the four screws and removed the seat. Then, I set the chair frame aside. I wrapped the check fabric around the seat cushion. Since the cover that was already there is still in good shape and clean, I didn't even remove it. I just stapled the new fabric atop the cover that was already there. 

A before set between two afters

Changing out the seat covers was a relatively simple job. However, it is one that I broke up over several days because all of the pulling and holding and stapling was a bit tough on my old arthritic hands. I found that after wrestling with just a few, my hands and forearms would start to ache. I was using muscles with the screwdriver to remove the seat and gripping with my hands to pull the fabric taut and staple and I had not done that kind of thing in years.

By no means is the new upholstery job professional and perfect. However, it is smooth and fairly straight and I am in love with the new look. It really feels like a planned and coordinated grouping. All the chairs are nice and are sturdy and made by a reputable company. They are all matching. Plus, all fourteen new chairs and the fabric to cover the seats, as well as the splurge of a new electric staple gun cost less than this one chair or this one would, if I had bought it new. (I don't recall what I paid for the white chairs several years ago but they were a second-hand bargain as well.) 

Arm chair in one of the bedrooms

Like I had hoped, the tan check seems to be a neutral that fits anywhere in our house. The photo above is in a room with cream walls, maple bedroom furniture, and a green and blue quilt setting the color scheme. The other arm chair is in the primary bedroom with light blue walls, darker furniture, and a blue and ecru color scheme. Yet, both seem to fit in nicely.  

I'm hoping for a day in the near future that has a point that is not breezy so that I can set the chairs out on the back porch and give the seats a good coating with spray Scotch Guard to protect them a bit from spills, and drips, and drops. The spray coating protected some other chair seats pretty well. So, I will give these that extra protection as well. 

Our eat-in kitchen with some cheerful afternoon sun streaming in. 

I don't know about anybody else, but completing a project just seems to make me smile for days. The dining chair project has been a long and ongoing one but I can whole-heartedly say that I am so pleased at where we are with it right now that I feel full satisfaction. I think that is probably a rarity for most of us who are home-owners - to have a project that seems complete and provides complete satisfaction. I don't foresee wanting or needing a change for our household in regard to dining chairs for a long, long time! Something that isn't always the case for me is a project that really comes to fruition just as I envisioned in my mind's eye. These chairs really have, though; so, a big fat check mark can go beside that project that has been on my to-do list for quite some time.

Just Three Things | #4

It has been an unusual week around here. Mike is trying to do an end of summer slow-down and I started off the week visiting West Tennessee relatives. It was great for me to catch up with them an to see their extended family and friends. However, the death in daughter-in-law, Jessica's family was my primary reason for the visit. So, it was a rather somber occasion. We did celebrate her Uncle Ned's life even as we laid his body to rest. I think we all agreed that there will never be another like him and he brought a smile to so very many faces. I felt blessed to have known him and even had a tale or two to add as we reminisced times shared.  

What I'm Working On

I noticed that the ottoman in the den was starting to have a sad looking corner where I prop my feet up each night while relaxing on the couch. Not only is the fabric rather faded, it is also a bit threadbare. 

So, I searched for a fabric that I thought would make a good slipcover. I first thought that I would go with a tiger print because the fabric on there is sort of a tiger stripe. I ordered a tiger print. Well, when the fabric arrived, I knew right away that it would not work and have the esthetic that I want in our den. Then, when Mike asked what I had plans to do with the fabric and made a funny face at my response, it was confirmed that this was not the right fabric choice. However, his next comment sort of sealed the fate of the tiger print. He asked, "Are you planning to install a pole in there, too?" So, out with that fabric and the search for a new one began. 

I've landed on a grain sack stripe and my next project has already begun. 

The good news is that the tiger stripe has already found a new home as well. Daughter, Bridgette, works at a school where the mascot is a tiger. So, she will use the fabric for a cushion or something on their broadcast set and will have other projects where it will come in handy. So, my mistake is a win for her!

What I'm Reading

After I wrapped up my first Mary Kay Andrews book - her first published title, Every Crooked Nanny, I began the next in the Callahan Garrity Mystery series, To Live and Die in Dixie. It is just as entertaining as the first one. I had not read a series in quite some time. So, the fact that most of the characters are already familiar and seem like old friends really helps to drive the story forward. I'm enjoying it just as much as I did the first one, too. So, that says a lot about this writer. I've even recommended this series to a couple of people already. I think I'd like to listen to one of this author's books as an audiobook. So, I may be using my Libby App soon. The other books I've had my nose in this week were all cookbooks.

I enjoy reading cookbooks. I like searching for new recipes or revisiting some old favorites that have been forgotten. Since I painted the island and have let the paint season, I have begun placing my cookbooks back onto the shelves there. I'm reading through some of those cookbooks and trying to weed out the ones I don't really, really want to keep. 

I think most of us tend to get into a rotation of tried and true recipes and meal plans and dishes. So, revisiting these cookbooks has nudged me to try out some old favorites that have fallen out of the rotation and to test out some new ideas that look like they might add some variety to the menu. 

Thus, this week I have been reading through some cookbooks. 

Cook Like a Pro, Ina Garten

Cook Like a Pro by Ina Garten has some wonderful information about measuring ingredients and simple, generic cooking tips. It is a keeper even if I never prepare a single recipe from it just because of those tips.

The Beach House Cookbook by Mary Kay Andrews

The Beach House Cookbook by Mary Kay Andrews has some delicious looking recipes with a cool summery feel. I'm only about half-way through this one that I just purchased last week but I'm already adding to my grocery list so that I can try out some of these recipes.

The Nashville Cookbook by Nashville Area Home Economics Association

The Nashville Cookbook by Nashville Area Home Economics Association was given to me as a gift at my high school graduation. Ms. Lois Crowley who was the county home economics agent gave it to me and I was quite honored to get a gift from her. She was one of those people who was knowledgeable about home-making, yet, she was a career woman and that was a rarity back in those days. She was a class act and this cookbook is as well. There are so many old-time southern recipes within its pages.

Some of the cookbooks I had on my shelves went into a pile to be donated but these three are all keepers and I flipped through page-by-page reading about locales and events and lifestyles and recipes and enjoyed each and every one.

What I'm Loving

I've sort of been an English Country lover since back in my college days. I went through the rabid Laura Ashley period when floral fabrics and that romantic rural feel was popular. I loved reading James Herriot and his tales of a country veterinarian. I married during the same year that Princess Diana did and my children are pretty close in age to hers. So, I have sort of followed English Country throughout my adult days. I've watched the All Creatures Great and Small series on public television as well as Downton Abbey. So, when a good British television program pops up, I gravitate toward it and tend to watch. One of my more recent favorites was Clarkson's Farm. 

Because I grew up on a farm, I found it really hilarious. So many of the hardships and failures are unbearably familiar. The flooding during crop planting season. The livestock jumping fences. The infertile cow. Yet, Clarkson's attitude of perseverance is uplifting. I began watching right after season two was released. So, I am excited to know that this next season has just wrapped and I look forward to watching. In fact, I'm trying to talk Mike into watching it from the beginning so that I can watch it all again. I will say, there is quite a bit of strong language. So, some discretion might need to be utilized when viewing. I do love how Clarkson has become sort of a voice for the British farmer and champions their efforts and the farm to table concept. I appreciate that he goes to bat for those who might not be able to do so due to financial constraints and wish I was in a position to do the same. Plus, the scenery is absolutely beautiful.

Sometimes I have a hard time narrowing down my focus for just three things and sometimes I struggle to come up with them. Until next time, there are just three things from this past week! Hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead.

Today I noticed...Growing taller makes us smile.

Harris, our eldest grandson who is taller than me

However, other people growing taller might not make us smile...

Harris with his older cousin, Clara

The Summer of Chairs

I've mentioned before that I think I have a thing for chairs. When Mike and I first married, we simply combined household goods in an effort to furnish this house. Over time, we have culled some of those furnishings and added something new. Then, weeded those out and started again. Chairs seem to be one of those things that have come and gone the most in this household. 

We both had a version of an arrow-back or Windsor-type chair to start with. Mike had a couple that were a blonde wood finish and they were sturdy and pretty comfortable for everyday seating and dining. 

I had a set of four - two arm chairs and two side chairs - that I had picked up at a thrift store. The style was a wee bit different and the seat finish was a bit darker and the legs and bowed top was red. We blended the two together for a few years and made things work. 

It bugged me a little that they didn't match and things were a bit disjointed but they were close enough and fairly comfortable and, again, we made things work. Mike also had a set of four chairs that sat around the dining table. They featured a hand carved back and were antique and sort of small and not all that comfortable but when all the family came around, they were sturdy and worked out so that everybody had a place to sit and eat.

I always seemed to be on the prowl to find a big lot of matching chairs for a reasonable cost. I sold those four smaller chairs when I found a fellow selling a set of eight chairs that were just like the red ones I had brought except they were finished more like the blonde wood of Mike's. I bought the eight matching and we had a collection of chairs that were pretty similar then. Those worked for a short time but they began to drop a leg or just broke altogether. 

Just before Mike's mother moved into our basement, she gifted him eight ladder back chairs along with the lazy Susan table that had belonged to his grandparents. So, all the hodge-podged collected chairs were offered in a yard sale (but I think we wound up hauling them off to Goodwill at the end of the day). Finally, we had a matching set of nice and nice looking chairs.

After a week or so, Mike mentioned that now we don't have a single chair to sit in and eat that is comfortable. He was so right! While I loved the ladder back chairs and thought they were beautiful, I realized that they truly were some of the most uncomfortable sitting chairs I had ever plopped my fanny into. So, my chair hunt began again. Soon, I stumbled across four chairs that were exactly what I wanted. Sturdy, comfy, and attractive all wrapped into one.

They started off with burlap seat covers. However, even though burlap is a rugged fabric, it does not hold up well as a chair seat cover. So, I covered them with a lattice print after a while. We both liked the style and comfiness of those chairs. So, I always kept my scouting eye out for a few more that matched to add to the collection but never found anything that I thought was close enough to really pursue. So, the comfy chairs sat at the everyday small dining table and the ladder backed chairs sat at the larger table with the lazy Susan. Plus, Mike's mother had brought six more ladder backed chairs when she moved into the basement. So, we now owned a total of fourteen beautiful but highly uncomfortable chairs.

I continued to keep a look out for something that might coordinate or blend with the Queen Anne style cane backed chairs that we both loved. Of course, I was only scouting in thrift stores and second hand offerings at places like Facebook Marketplace. Plus, I was surfing the internet and gathering ideas and dreams for future decorating projects. One of the things I noticed was that the ideas I tend to gather often included chairs with a padded seat that was covered in a checked fabric. Then, one morning last fall on Facebook Marketplace I saw a set of eight urn backed chairs with Queen Anne legs and checked seats offered at a reasonable price. I waited till Mike came in to eat and asked his opinion on them. He was impressed and encouraged me to buy them. Sadly, that was just enough time that the seller had sold them. 

What that sad event did do, however, is open my eyes to look for something similar where I could cover the seats and blend them all together. So, the casual perusal continued. Then, one day in June, I felt like I had hit the jackpot. A lady who lived about forty minutes away was downsizing and offered eight urn backed chairs with Queen Anne legs. While they were not my first love of more cane backed chairs, they did look like nice, sturdy, comfy chairs that I could cover seats to match and have a set for visitors as well as us for every day that would be nice. Plus, they were really a bargain! So, I didn't even wait to get the Mister's opinion. I just took off.

Let me just say, that finding eight chairs alike felt like quite a coupe. I was determined that I would not settle for fewer chairs than we already have. Plus, I wanted something that would blend well with the furniture we already have. Those chairs filled those criterion and were a bargain - costing me less than one of the chairs would new. The chairs were made by Crescent in 1998 and the seat covers were almost like new. I really felt like I had hit the mother lode. We gifted the ladder back chairs to Mike's son because they had inherited a drop leaf table from Mike's mother that would match them well. So, I hauled them up the hill. 

I thought my chair searching days were over but Facebook Marketplace didn't seem to agree. Every now and then a post for dining chairs would pop into my feed and I would give them a look. However, I was in no hurry to replace the chairs downstairs and decided that if something wonderful popped up, I would take a look but I was not searching at all. Then, in late August, a cane back Queen Anne style chair flashed across Facebook Marketplace. Again, the drive was less than an hour away and the price was down right cheap. So, off I went.

This time, the six chairs were so close to the ones Mike and I had been loving and using for a few years and at the bargain price they were offered at, I just could not let that pass. The young woman said that she still really loved the chairs but had inherited some from her husband's family and didn't have room to keep these. Even though the seat covers are not the neutral beige that the urn back chairs are, the navy would fit right into my house, I thought. Four of the side chairs were covered in a nice navy fabric. 

I am a firm believer that we don't always have to have something brand spanking new and expensive to update and refine our style and our household. Part of the fun of furnishing this house and updating it to be our style is in the hunt for just the right thing and in putting forth a little extra effort to customize it and make it personal to our tastes. I must share that rarely does Mike say anything about my home decorating and styling. He will object at times to something he doesn't like or complain if he doesn't think it is to his taste. This is one update, though, that he has been very complementary of from start to finish. 

So, part of my summer was spent searching for chairs. A small part of the summer was just perusing what happened to pop up in front of me suggesting that I need more chairs. Then, part of the summer found me picking up chairs and hauling them home. I'm so pleased with all of our dining chairs and find myself just plopping down in different ones from time to time because I like them so much. Of course, just because we are now well into fall according to the calendar, that doesn't mean that the chair project is done. Stay tuned for a chair update coming soon!