Oak Rocker "before and after" and a little on oil finishes....

Before....

And after....

(Again, my photography skills just do NOT do it justice!)

I loved this project!

I bought this chair at an auction last week and it was a hot mess! I couldn't wait to get started.

I took the "before" picture after I had already started wiping it down with lacquer thinner...but you can still see it was in pretty bad shape!

"Minor" repairs, like the rocker, are not that big of a deal. All it needed were a couple of new screws! What is time consuming on these projects is stripping off the old finish...

Man...talk about labor intensive. I really thought that most of the old finish had pretty much "disappeared" over time (like the old mahogany chair I refinished here).

But this old gal had A LOT of old (and very stubborn) finish on her old bones...so getting it all off was a chore! I first tried my favorite...Formby's varnish remover. It was "melting" SOME of the old finish but I knew it would take a lot of remover and a ton of elbow grease! So I tried lacquer thinner...nope. Sanding....put a tiny dent in it but when there are spots with lots of finish next to bare wood, too many things can go wrong! So I pulled out my last resort....a harsh chemical remover. I painted it on, let it sit for 30 minutes, then scrapped off the goo.

After that, I used the Formby's to remove the leftover goo and what was left of the old finish. And the REAL trick to stripping furniture....a toothbrush. That's right....it is the ONLY way to get in all the little nooks and crannies. Just dip it in the finish remover and then scrub away! Toothbrushes are tough enough to do the job but soft enough not to cause damage!

And then I gave it a mineral spirit bath, A VERY light sanding, followed by tack cloth.

Using the mineral spirits allows you to get a hint of what the color will be after you oil the piece. So I knew I didn't need or want to add any stain...just an oil finish.

I usually use tung oil...but I had a can of Teak oil on hand and I have never used it on a project so I decided to give it a try. Sooooo glad I did....BEAUTIFUL!

A seat...as you can see from the "before" picture, it didn't have one. So I cut a piece of 5/8" plywood to fit, added 4" memory foam, a little batting and the grain sack linen fabric I have been hoarding!

Beautiful!

OIL VS. POLY....

Some will ask...why "oil" over "poly" finish. Honestly, I never use poly on natural woods. I will spray on clear poly to seal a paint finish, but never on natural or stained wood.

I have used teak, danish and tung oil. My preference usually depends on the wood I am treating. I love the teak on this oak. I loved the danish on the mahogany...and when it comes to my mid-century pieces, I use Tung Oil.

Truth be told, most of the "name brand" oils (teak, tung and danish) are all pretty much the same as far as chemical makeup...a varying combination of oil, varnish and mineral spirits. I guess you can say I go with a "brand" more than the actual "type" of oil.

Regardless, I like the oils for several reasons. First, in my opinion they give a superior durable and protective finish. Oils penetrate the wood and help condition wood that has been neglected. It allows the "texture" of the wood grain to shine! And "refreshing" the finish or repairing a scratch or a ding is a breeze ...a little steel wool, a little tack and then recoat.

But the greatest thing about oils for a novice DIYer is the ease of use. You just wipe it on, let it dry and then steel wool and tack between each coat. No fewer than 2, but 3-4-5 on pieces that get a lot of wear and use (table tops, chairs, etc).

I use a "stain sponge" to apply the oil (next to the stains at Lowe's....packages of 2 for less than $3). I like them because they are relatively lint free. You can reuse the sponge IF you seal it in a ziploc bag between uses. The oil will harden on the sponge if you don't! And it will harden after a few days regardless so just toss it after you finish the piece you are working on!

Give it a try...next time you are refinishing a piece of wood, skip the poly and give oil a shot. I promise you will love it!

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Awesome finds at the auction!!!

This was a great weekend for auctions! The weather was perfect and the paper was full of auction advertisements!

Saturday morning we started out at a two day estate auction. Super sweet pieces...tons of antiques and primitives...but OH MY! Everyone and their neighbor was there and the prices were out of this world. If I was still a collector of antiques and primitives, I would have been in heaven. But I buy to resell, sooooo.....

.....we took off and drove an hour in the opposite direction to a "smaller" estate auction.

Sometimes it pays to go to the smaller, less "flashy" auctions. The an old farm house and 4-5 old outbuildings packed with "junk." The treasures were endless!

This is the first time in months I have bought this much at one auction. Fortunately, Brian got a new truck this week so we were able to haul it all in one trip! There have been a few times when we had to make 2-3 trips just to get everything home!

In "flea market lingo," these are the "smalls"....

Awesome finds...an old antique cast iron oscillating fan (and it works!), tons of cast iron skillets, glass jars, a Cosco stool, an old antique mirror, a WWI trench shovel, wood levels, old canning jars, lots of antique glassware...just too much to mention.

The downside to auctions like this is the time it takes to clean, repair, and repurpose the pieces you haul home!!! I think I ran my dishwasher 4 times Saturday night and I spent about 5 hours Sunday just hand scrubbing the bigger pieces and seasoning cast iron skillets. I haven't even started on the "repairing and repurposing!"

I did get a few bigger pieces that are going to get nice little makeovers!

First, these darling (yet seriously neglected and abused) iron chairs...

An old oak rocker...I started wiping it down with lacquer thinner before I remembered to take a picture!!! You may remember the old primitive mahogany chair I featured here.This chair is very similar, but it is oak and it is a rocker. Or at least it will be again when I finish with it....

And the prize of the day...I haven't taken a picture of it yet because we put it in the garage and honestly, it is too big and heavy for me to move out by myself so I can get a decent picture. I will definitely take one before I start refinishing it. It is a Drexel Declaration mid-century walnut coffee table...TOTALLY AWESOME!!! (Here is a link to one just like it) If I had space for it, there is no way I would sell it. Unfortunately, it is too big for my living room or den! But it is mid century and walnut...my two favorites!!! And after I refinish it, I have no doubt it will be a show stopper...I just can't wait!

I have a few other little pieces I need to refinish or repurpose. An old wood boat oar I want to paint and add hooks for a little wall hanger, two wood levels I want to repurpose like I did here, an old wood box that needs a little face-lift...and a few other little projects I need to complete.

Last week I got the call I have been waiting for! A larger space in the Tontitown flea market. Perfect spot for the antique, collectable and primitive pieces. So I really need to get everything cleaned and refinished so they will be ready to move in next week! I also have to haul down all the Christmas stuff I have been collecting all year! Seems like I just get everything decorated for fall and it is already time for Christmas...time flies!

Busy weekend...and I am worn out! But I have a full week of work to do and I can't wait to share my new space after I get it staged!!!

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Garage stool and Duncan Phyfe table...huh?

Sometimes I get a little case of ADD...I find it difficult to focus on a single project and next thing I know I have rags and brushes and cans of all kinds of stuff all over the house!

I still have a garage full of projects. I am currently working on a coffee table that just didn't "feel" right after I got it done...so I stripped it and started over! I have a few chairs that need reupholstering...and I have a stack of walnut frame pieces that need to be put back together.

So I decided to do a "small" project to take my mind (and body) off of projects that wear me out....

I bought this little stool for a few bucks at an auction months ago. It has been floating around my garage and I was using it to work at my work table. But now I have a new "work stool" so it was time to do something creative with this one!

I have been hoarding my grain sack fabric for months and decided to use a bit of it to redo this little stool....a little paint and a little additional padding.

Cute as a bug....

...perfect for a little guy (or gal) who wants to hang out in the kitchen with Grammy during the holidays!

Since it was too cool to really "project" outside today, I decided to finish an inside project I started YEARS ago! Seriously, years ago I decided to refinish all my mahogany tables and chairs. You may remember that several months ago I had to repair, and then paint, several of my Duncan Phyfe chairs (here) I seriously LOVE the look of the painted chairs, but I just cannot bring myself to paint the DP tables.

Anywho, years ago I started "refinishing" the top of my dining room table. Problem is, it had so much old finish on it that I literally got worn out with the project and ended up not finishing. You couldn't see one side of the table since it is against the wall so I just stripped and oiled the top and the side that shows.

Not really a huge problem since we usually sit at the bar and the few times I had large dinners I had to use the inserts, which were chewed by my dog when she was a puppy so they required a table cloth. Short story long, no one ever saw that I didn't finish the table.

But I knew...and it bugged me! And with the holidays coming up, I decided it was time to finish the job I started.

So...today was the day. And when I pulled the table out, I discovered that one of the legs was split and needed repair! No biggy...a little wood glue and a few clamps!

Ignore the black spot...I do. I suspect it is a burn from candle wax (not sure how it got there but I suspect a curious grandson). I could probably remove the spot, but I worry about sanding these tables to severely since the top is veneer.

These old mahogany tables can easily be restored with a little time and effort. And they are truly beautiful!!

This particular table had a pretty hefty finish on it so it required the use of stripper, but usually you can use something a little milder like Formby's finish remover...my all time favorite! I just put a little in a disposable container (old coffee can or plastic tub) and then "scrub" the piece with 000/0000 steel wool dipped in the remover. After all the old finish has been lifted, I take a shop rag dipped in the remover and wipe down the piece.

You may have to repeat this process several times to remove ALL the old finish!

When I am certain all the finish has been removed, I "wash" the piece with mineral spirits. One nice thing about washing a piece with mineral spirits...it will give you a pretty good idea of what the color of the wood will be after you apply the tung oil.

Then I apply 3-4 coats of Formby's Tung Oil (lightly buff with steel wool and tack cloth between coats!) I seriously love that stuff! It really brings out the richness of the wood grain! And it is very durable. But the totally awesome thing about a Tung Oil finish is that if you do happen to get scratches or if it "dulls" a tad over time, all you have to do is buff it with 0000 steel wool and then reapply a few coats of Tung Oil!

Beautiful!!!

As it gets cooler out, I will have fewer days to work on projects outdoors...but don't fret...I can always find SOMETHING to do and share!

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Time for a few cold weather soup recipes!!!

My daughter reminded me that I never post recipes! She's right...I've posted a few but not enough!

When the cold weather sets in, the crock pot comes out! I don't know why that is...you would think when it is hot out, you would want to contain the heat in one little spot.

But the food I love to throw in the crock pot is definitely cold weather comfort foods. And I make a "soup," or "meal-in-one," at least 2-3-4 times a week!

So HERE are a few of my favorite and super-duper easy crock pot recipes!

Enjoy!

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Fall craft fairs....

This weekend is the annual "fall craft fairs" in Northwest Arkansas. I love going to the craft fairs, especially out to War Eagle, but this year I will miss the festivities.

My oldest son had a little documentary made about his college football "career" and I am headed to Hot Springs for a showing at the annual Hot Springs film festival. He came home last Saturday and since he will have to be in Hot Springs for the weekend, I decided I would have more fun spending the weekend with my older kiddos than eating strudel and fighting crowds!

But that doesn't mean I don't have to gear up for the craft fairs. After all, I have several booths at local flea markets and they will (hopefully) get slammed this weekend with thousands of people looking for deals and bargains on crafts, furniture, holiday decor and much more.

Honestly, I primarily go for the food. But I do stroll around (while stuffing my face) and do a little "look/see" at all the nifty things people bring. So many talented and creative people!

I have been gearing up for this weekend for some time. But of course there are always those little last minute projects that need to be completed, hauled and staged. And I want to make sure my booths are well stocked and organized!

Due to a very unfortunate incident that I don't wish to discuss (lets just say I had a dishonest onsite manager...I was on vacation three weeks ago...you figure it out!) I had a few pieces I "inherited" and wanted to paint and stage before this weekend.... `

I also had a little antique wash board that has sat in a booth unsold for a couple of months. I decided to doll it up a bit!

And this is what I ended up with....

I really love how the little side table turned out. I painted it the same color as the side table in my den, and I was seriously tempted to keep it! I think it is "simple" yet "elegant." But I don't really NEED it...so off it goes. I'm sure someone will love it!

I pretty much just cleaned up the shelves and table and gave them a "KSTP" (kilz/sand/tack/paint) treatment! I used chalk paint on the larger shelf and gave it a little "distressing" before applying a top coat. The corner shelf unit is kind of a cheapo particle board piece, so I painted it but I won't actually resell it...I just can't bring myself to sell "junk" so I will just use it as a corner piece to display smaller stuff.

I used chalk paint on the old wash board and chalkboard paint on the side without the old advertisement. I thought it would be a cute piece for someone's laundry room!

The silver platter is featured here and the old saw is another piece that hasn't sold. So I painted "Welcome" on it and thought it might be a nifty little decor piece for someone who likes that kind of thing.

Funny thing about stuff that doesn't sell. Usually when I bring it home and "repurpose" it, it sells within days! Most people just want it "done" and have neither the time nor desire to "DIY." That's okay...I like being creative and it means a lot to me that someone likes my creativity!

The toy box...hum...even after I painted it, I'm not really "feeling" it. I am going to keep it here for now and I am seriously thinking about making a little cushion for the top and maybe doing something nifty with the inset on the front...painted textured wallpaper maybe? I don't know, but it just doesn't feel finished!

I also made another fall wreath. I had a grapevine wreath laying around and I still have fall decor leftover from my urn projects! Pretty....

Someday I MIGHT remember to take my camera to my booths and take a picture of all these nifty things AFTER I have them staged...but honestly, I am lucky to remember to take pictures before I load them up!!!

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Silver tray...seriously, what do you do with THAT!?

You can find them in thrift stores and maybe even in the back of your mother's hutch! I have several of my grandmother's up in the attic. Old "silver" serving trays.

I happen to find one in a box of goodies I bought at an auction. It wasn't "old" but it was fairly nice....not a cheapo. What to do, what to do.

Seriously, who uses silver trays any more...nobody, so you have to find SOMETHING to do with them!

First, I tried painting it with chalkboard paint. After curing over night, I pretty much scraped it off with my fingernail.

That was an epic FAIL!

Magnets? Dry erase? How about BOTH!!!!

I had some left over round magnets from another project so I glued some little black pom-poms on them, glued one on the end of a dry-erase marker for an eraser....hot glued a piece of magnet on the marker...and there you have it!

A magnetic dry erase board!

I also hot glued a frame hanger on the back....

Or you can hot glue magnets on the back and stick it to your fridge...that would be cool!

I have a plain ole' white dry erase board on my fridge.

This one is a lot prettier!

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They're wooking at me!!!

When Matt was a wittle guy, he had trouble with his Ls...so when he and Mitchell were sitting in the back seat of the car, he would cry, "Mooooom, he's WOOKING at me!"

Needless to say, he didn't like his big brother wooking at him...which of course only made Mitchell wook at him even more.

Which is exactly what came to mind when I painted the little eyes on my newest little "craft project."

THEY'RE WOOKING AT ME.....

Oh the memories....

Anywho, I saw these little guys in a shop in Georgetown, Colorado. I thought they were soooo cute, so doing what I do, I came home and made a few. They are grouped in 3s so I made 7 sets of the elves and 5 sets of the Santas.

They are made out of round and square dowel rods. Cut, sand, and paint....too cute! And super simple if you like to sit and paint while you watch TV.

I still have to put little noses on them...and the kids think I should put a little fluffy white tuft on the Santa hats.

I'll post a picture of them when I finally get them finished.

Just thought they were kinda cute "wooking" at me...or creepy....hum....

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MORE fall projects....

Okay, you are probably tired of all the fall projects. But if you do a little or add a little every year, you will end up with so much fall decor you will seriously contemplate getting a storage unit. (I checked...adding decking in the attic was cheaper!)

I added this little touch to all my doors and windows last year....

A simple little thing that really makes statement!

I bought the little fall candle wreaths...you know, those little "wreaths" you set a big fat candle in. I think they were 60% off at Hobby Lobby...so they ended up being less than $5 a piece! I added a pretty little ribbon (again, fall ribbon was on sale!), then I tacked them to my awesome black doors and above the windows!!

I also made a few more fall urns. You can find a tutorial here on how to make them. I found 2 black urns on clearance at Lowe's weeks ago. I had a little scarecrow thing that was kinda corny so I wasn't going to display it anywhere, but it looked pretty cute in the urn!

I also had a few branches leftover from my project here so I stuck them in one of the urns. These urns are smaller than the ones I made a few weeks ago so they really didn't take a lot of material!

Seriously simple little projects that take little effort or money but really dress up the place!!!

HAPPY FALL!!!!

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Final days of summer....

It has been a relatively mild summer...not too hot and lots of rain...for that, I am so grateful!

And this weekend the daytime temps are suppose to be in the 60s...FALL IS FINALLY REALLY HERE!!!

My yard has survived the summer without ridiculous water bills and my annual flowers and hostas are still full and beautiful! As a matter of fact, my flowers have really popped the last few weeks because the temps are a little cooler and they didn't get depleted by the brutal heat of July and August.

Today I looked out and saw one of my kitties enjoying the final days of warm temperatures! Soooo cute!

I believe I have introduced two of my kitties...Molly here and Simon here.

This is Finley, my autistic kitty.

Laugh...most people do. But I really think he is autistic. He isn't mentally challenged (believe it or not cats can be retarded) . He is just very "socially inept." It is really difficult to get a picture of him. I had to take this one with my telephoto lens!

I rescued him when he was 6-7 weeks old and he has been raised in a loving, playful home. But even after three years, he still acts like a feral cat.

He is terrified of everyone but me and he will only tolerate me when he comes in at night. If ANYONE tries to go near him, he bolts. During the summer he stays outside and will move inside when it gets cold. Then he will hide all day and only come out at night when I am alone. Then he will climb into bed with me and be a sweet kitty that wants to be petted...never held, just petted! The minute he hears anyone in the house, he will bolt!

So for now, I will admire him from afar. He really is a beautiful kitty!

And then there is Ms. Kitty....

She hates everybody but the lab, Ginger. I caught her at the apartments when she was a kitten. I brought her home and put her in my bathroom until I could catch her sister so I could take them to the "pound" together. Unfortunately, Katie saw her and thought I had brought home a kitty FOR HER. Yeah, not really, but how do you explain that to a 8 year old.

Anywho, Ms. Kitty got an infection on her neck years ago. To treat her I had to hold her down every day and clean her neck and pour peroxide on her. Sooooo, she hates me...and pretty much everyone else. She loves Ginger...and Brian's feet. Seriously, she loves his feet and his shoes...go figure.

All of my kitties are rescues...and they were pretty wild and unruly when I first got them. But they eventually warmed up to us and became very loving (albeit annoying at times) kitties...except Finley!

BTW, it was interesting to go back to my spring pictures and look at the "before" and "after" pictures....

Amazing what a few little annuals, a few months and a mild summer will do! As much as I love fall, I hate the thought of the first freeze....

HAPPY FALL!!

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Another little fall project....

My daughter, Sarah, was quick to point out that I have ENOUGH fall decor. But every year I try to add just a tad more.

This Pinterest pin was my inspiration for my project today....

....I pinned it last year and planned on making it for the Christmas holiday season. But I could never find a box or crate I liked, and well, I just never got around to it!

But several months ago I bought an old wood crate at an auction. And my neighbor trimmed some of his trees so I finally had some straight branches I like!

So I decided to make a simple fall display that can easily be used for Christmas decor as well...nothing permanent, so it will be easy to break it all down and change it out!

First, I started with the wood crate, the tree branches, and pine cones I picked up in my yard. If you aren't as fortunate as I to have big pine trees that drop thousands of pine cones and tons of needles in your yard every year (grrrr), you can buy pine cones at any craft store.

I cut the branches in varying lengths with my chop saw. If you don't have a chop saw, you can use a skill saw or hand saw.

I stuck the branches in the crate, randomly, and then used crumpled newspaper to fill the bottom and hold the branches in place. If you want something a little more permanent, you could always use floral foam...or even foam insulation like I did here. If you use foam insulation, you may want to line the sides of your box with plastic or paper to keep the foam from oozing out the sides!

After filling the bottom of the box with paper, I topped it with dried Spanish moss...again, you can buy it at any craft store!

After filling the box with Spanish moss, I took fall silk leaves and flowers and filled the top...it didn't take a lot of fall floral stuff...just some leftover sprigs from the urn project. Then I used the pine cones as "fillers."

For Christmas, I can take out the fall leaves and flowers and put something "Christmasy" in the box...maybe add some lights like the inspiration picture.

I am NOT a floral designer...so this project doesn't require a lot of skill...just stick, stuff and pretend.

Cute, easy, and relatively inexpensive...especially when you consider you can use it for both fall and Christmas!

HAPPY FALL!!!

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