Temptation Island..

So as I mentioned in the last post I needed one more plate to complete my plate gallery. Today I went on a plate finding mission. Easy right? So I thought, but I was WRONG! So wrong...don't get me wrong, I did find a plate. Two in fact. (wow, that was three "wrongs", now four in a row)

But what went wrong was that I was extremely tempted by everything else in the store. I really mean everything...

I went to the Salvation Army on North Main Street in Salinas. Boy was that a mistake. You see I seem to be addicted to...CHAIRS...beautiful, neglected, recently donated..CHAIRS!

Like this one...

I wanted this chair SO BAD!! I sat in it. I wiggled its loose little arm, caressed its smooth shapely legs, walked behind it, walked around it...and in the end..I walked away from it..so sad...You see the problem is that I already had yesterday's chair in my back seat

Now, granted this chair doesn't have as much character as today's, but I can already see how it will bloom into the perfect chair for my new craft room. So I HAD to leave today's chair behind. I loved it & saw the potential, but it just didn't "fit" with the style of my home & I'm just not ready to start selling things yet.(I'm hoping to get there soon, though)

*sigh*..

That wasn't all though..

Here are some other things that I wanted to toss in my car tempted me..

Of course..another chair

It was missing its cushion, but that wouldn't stop SUPER BLOGGER! should be an easy fix (for someone that knows how to make cushions of course (so NOT me...lol)

There were so many great items at Salvation Army today which is a bit surprising actually because usually I have trouble finding one thing..anyway keep looking they had more...

I really wanted this table too, but as some of you know, I just can't redecorate the way I want right now, so major purchases have to wait..I think this would have been awesome in black though..can you see it?

Another cute little thing was this magazine rack...a little bright yellow spray paint would spruce it right up..

and this little $4 sewing box was too cute

Makes me wish I knew how to sew, then I could say I needed to buy it for all my sewing stuff..see I don't even know what "sewing Stuff" would include..hopeless, I tell ya!

Now these were just so interesting..I think they were even worn, apparently by a VERY tall, BIG footed man..or woman..poor thing

That's right..WOODEN CLOGS...in Salinas..hmm..who knew??

Well, like I said I didn't leave empty handed. I did buy two little plates for my gallery (which you'll see later) and a wooden utensil holder that you will also see later...

So that's it. After I left I was still thinking about that first chair...I sat in my car for a bit & then I went to put gas & was still thinking about it...actually putting gas is probably another good reason for not buying that chair...that chair was only $10 but gas was..

and I wasn't even on empty ( I consider "empty" to be when my little gas pump light shows up on my dash)  anyway gas prices are a national problem, so I'll get off that and jump into a personal problem...

I must admit..I was completely torn while I was at the store..and I really did need help. I sent details of my plight out on Twitter, but sadly none of my followers were interested in responding. (@greengableart) did respond later, but I had already left the store sans chair.

What I think I need are some blogger followers.

I need people that are going to understand the urgency that is felt when you just aren't sure what to do in a thrift store. So if you think you want to take on my "issues" (kidding of course) feel free to follow me on Twitter @agirlandherhome. I need you, my people! My blogging sistas!

Stay tuned for that plate gallery..its coming soon..thanks for reading & I hope to see you on Twitter...

This, That, & the Other...

Hi everyone..well, Its been a while since I've had something to blog about. I've been a bit behind for two reasons, the first is, I bought the wrong color spray paint & well, the main reason is, I've been enoying this wonderfully warm weather. Its been a long time coming. I know I shouldn't complain, I live in California, after all, but I thought the rain would never end. I'm glad we're in for sunny weather from now on. Sorry to those of you that are still dealing with wet roads, and soggy grass!

So this is what I've been up to..nothing major, but I am working on stuff little by little...

First off, the husband and I finally got around to installing the outdoor lights on the back door.

This is the before

This is my husband installing the first light so that I would know what to do for the next light

This is the one I installed (all by myself) ok, so I know that this picture doesn't really prove that I did it myself, but I really did. :o)

So pretty, and best of all, I no longer trip over the sand mound (another story for another day) when I take out the trash..BONUS! lol!

Also I've been collecting plates to creat a plate gallery in the dining area of the kitchen. Here's what I have so far...

I'll be spray painting them with Krylon's Dove White (I think)..as soon as I find that last missing piece (for the top right corner) I'll be spraying them &  hanging them up..oh, and I also need to remember to order the disc hangers. Does anyone know if they work well on textured walls? Hope so!

I also hit a few garage sales this weekend, but didn't find anything so exciting. Bummer, but TODAY, Monday of all days was a good "hunting" day. I was having a kind of "sad" day today, no real reason for it, but since I needed some alone time, I hit a Goodwill store that I hardly ever get to go to because its a bit out of my way. I was strolling along and I found this...

$10 bucks! Can you believe it?? Sad day over..I was excited! Time to get creative! Now, I can either make it match my other chair or I can get some new funky fabric..that would mean painting the frame..ah, decisions, decisions!

We'll see what happens!

Did you find a treasure this weekend or when you least expected it? Let me know in the comments. I read them all (though I haven't figured out how to reply to them..sorry)

Upholstery is Not for Weenies!

I wanted to name this post ...

"I Did It! I Did It! Woot Woot!! I Really Freakin' Did It!! That's Right! Yup Yup, I Did It!!"...but it seemed a bit long..

Now what is it that I did??

Well, do you remember this chair??

Isn't she lovely in her horrible retro-ness?? No?? Yeah, I didn't think that fabric was wonderful either, but I loved the shape & it is just the comfiest reading chair.

I was given this chair years ago by my mom's co-worker. It belonged to her mother, who I'm told, lived an amazingly adventurous life before passing at a ripe old age.

I had always planned to have it professionally upholstered in a "happy" fabric, but just never got around to it. I'm a bit of a procrastinator (just thought you needed to know that..full disclosure & all)

So anyway..the other day..OK, more like weeks & weeks ago, I decided I'd do it myself even though I had NEVER done anything like it before & had absolutely NO CLUE where to start. Mere details..I immediately set about taking it apart.

I did know enough to pay attention to where & how things had been originally attached to the frame & also to not throw those pieces of fabric away.

After I took it apart..it sat for days, weeks..like three weeks...

It was very patient..just waiting for me to get on it...but I was scared...like really scared..I didn't know what to do...I avoided it..literally walked around it while I completed other projects or just watched TV instead...

After a while my husband started asking.."um, so what's up with this chair?" & then "hey, are you ever gonna get to that chair?" and every time I would say "oh, yeah..I'm just looking for the perfect fabric..its not easy you know?!" Yes, I was a bit defensive, but I didn't want him to know I was freaked out because then he'd say.."throw it out"...he doesn't like useless junk hanging around...poor guy..I LOVE useless junk..lol...

So to make it look like I was actually moving forward on the project I went to Joann's and secretly hoped I wouldn't find great fabric, but I did..

This is an outdoor fabric, but of course I didn't notice that until I got home & quite frankly since I had no clue if that was OK or wrong, I went with it anyway...my chair, right?

So now I had fabric, you would think that would mean I jumped right on it, right?..No..it sat in the bag for another week...I'm such a scaredy-cat! Its really annoying how chicken butt I am sometimes..

In fact I was getting quite disgusted with myself over it..I knew I had to start so last Saturday I put my big girl chonies on & I cut my first piece of fabric...and then my second...

I just laid my old fabric atop the new fabric..closed one eye, said a prayer & CUT! After that..I have to say it wasn't that hard...I actually got a little scissor happy there for a minute...I sighed a HUGE sigh of relief & started stapling...first the backrest & then the arms...

Not sure if you can see this, but the curve of the arms gave me a bit of trouble...the fabric just would not lay flat..can you see the wrinkle in the arm in the above picture?? Well, it didn't go away..in fact the other arm was going to get a wrinkle of its own..No matter how hard I pulled or in which direction..it just wouldn't lay flat..Then I noticed that the original arm pieces were actually split in two sections that were glued together..I just left the wrinkles in..more character..or so I keep telling myself..

That was actually the hardest part..the rest was easy peasy! After covering the arms as best as I could, I covered the center of the frame area. Before covering it with fabric though I added some batting (I forgot to mention that I also put two layers of batting on the backrest as well)

Again..it wasn't perfect, but it was on..major triumph here so far...

Next section to put on was the seat cushion area. This really stumped me because I knew that I was not going to be able to sew a separate cushion for the seat. My solution was to forgo the separate seat all together..I just added more batting to the bottom & covered the whole thing in fabric.

I used the original stuffing that had been in the separate cushion (forgot to take a picture of it, sorry)
Before stapling it down I added some batting on the front end of the chair so it would even out

After that I covered the sides of the chair with more batting and then fabric

I did this to both sides and used the original nail strip to finish the front ends..exposed staples would just look yucky

I couldn't find the finished end picture when I was posting, but what I did was wrap the nail strip with the fabric and folded it over so that it stayed even with the edge

Next I covered the back & final part of the chair

I added batting & covered it with fabric

Again I could not find the pictures of this step..maybe I was too tired to take them or I just thought I had taken them..it was pretty late at night

Anyway this is what the final product looks like...

I love it..even with its imperfections..and I'm happy to say..I'm not a weenie or a chicken butt or even a scardycat any more...in fact...I'm already itching to reupholster something else...

So what do you think?? Let me know in the comments..I read them all!

Now Linking to:

Blue Cricket Design
Sew Much Ado
House of Hepworths
It's a Keeper
Miss Mustard Seed

We Finally Made It!

Last Saturday my mom & I finally made it to the Marina Landfill...What? You don't hang out in landfills?? This is weird?

Well, OK, we weren't technically hanging out in the landfill...we were at the "Last Chance Mercantile"

Inside this building are things that people have thrown out even though they still have potential or possible use...This building is literally the "last chance" to get a hold of the light fixture you were looking for or a paint can full of discarded, but still colorful paint. People through out anything these days...

I found a light fixture on this shelf that I would have loved to bring home, but I just don't have a place to hang it...

so much potential..oh, well...I hope someone took it home..It was only $8.50.

The Last Chance is basically a big warehouse with a section for lighting, housewares, paint, furniture, home decor, anything...

I almost came home with these frames, but something about buying someone's old wedding pictures creeped me out a bit...I don't need the kind of karma that would come with throwing wedding pictures away...(and now you know I'm a bit superstitious...) Anyhow, this place is full of stuff...

and then there is the outside...

Row after row of old couches...

Random furniture

Chairs Galore...

I wanted one both of these old wire spools...wouldn't they make great outdoor patio furniture? Maybe after we clean up our backyard and after I convince the husband that old spools are not junk (that'll be the tricky part)

Here are two more things that almost came home with me..if only my house was bigger

Can't you just picture this chair with a cute printed fabric..I can!

This coffee table had a drawer on both sides

maybe its a good thing that its not...lol

The only downfall I see to this place is that they store a lot of stuff outside, in the elements. Some of their items are falling apart because of that. Its a shame really because they had some interesting pieces that were just too weathered.

I;m not sure how often they get "new" merchandise, but as I was walking out, these beauties were just put out front..

They were only $10 each..a steal! If only, if only...

So I ended up buying a couple plates for a project to be posted about later...

Mom & I had a great time "thriftying" together...after the Last Chance Mercantile we popped over to a few thrift stores & ended up with a few purchases, but nothing big enough to worry our husbands (they had both asked us to please, pretty please not buy any junk...lol)

Of course they wouldn't know a treasure from junk if it bit them in the...well, you know what I mean...

So if you're in the area visit the Last Chance Mercantile...if you're not in the area, where do you go??