Oh Dear Cane

I can't remember when I fell deeply in love with cane chairs, cane love seats, and pretty much anything of the cane and rattan family, but it is deep and never ending. To most people when they think of cane dining chairs they are immediately taken back to Grandma's house when they were covered in a rainbow assortment of crush velvet fabric….um, yuck! What grabs me mostly about these unique chairs is A: how easy it is to change the fabric, B: the wood frames are made of strong wood, C: they call to an era of traditional basket weaving that I find so beautiful. Now companies produce mass quantities of pre made cane that can be cut and fitted to replace the old, but once upon a time, furniture makers (mostly of the English colonial and French) used to actually hand cane these awesome chairs. Yeah, I do lots of research and go deep in terms of caning…it's like a fine art to me.

Mostly when I think of caning, I get homesick, and not because we had tons or any pieces in our own home, but it was the basket weaving of the ladies from Charleston who spent hours sitting and weaving gorgeous baskets (sweet grass baskets), a tradition that dates back to West Africa. Something about caning just makes it feel more like home, especially since being a military family and constantly moving, these little details can help.

So now that I given you a rather ridiculous history lesson in why I love cane so much! I.LOVE.CANE!!! I was in search of some cane dining chairs, something I could obviously DIY myself because as I was researching online for new ones I came to a quick realization, we weren't going to be able to afford a set, they run very expensive and since Restoration Hardware came out with a new line of awesome cane dining chairs, everyone is remaking them. Oh boy, I was never going to get my cane dining chairs because I needed six and who in the world has six cane dining chairs in good condition that won't cost me a crazy about of money?!

One day after dropping Chrispy off at one of his preschools, I decided to go to this Goodwill Outlet, which is not for the weak or weary mind you, with bins of "crap" and old furniture. Yes, I went in and started just looking around, mainly at the weirdest people you have ever seen with gloves on digging through bins. Gross! I managed to make it back to the furniture section and all of sudden, I saw a chair out of the corner of my eye….and it looked like cane :) I ran with the passion of a tiger hunting walked over and discovered that six cane chairs were gathered together, holding up the top of table. Could it be? Could the heavens really be giving me this awesome amazing gift of cane chairs? (insert teary eyes)

I stood there next to the chairs and as soon as a manager came by I yelled asked him to come over. The first question was can I buy these chairs and the next was, do I have to buy the table that goes with them? I got the best answers. Yes I could buy them, but I would have to wait two days before I could purchase without the table. I snatched grabbed the tickets off of each chair, so someone would think they were already sold :), and left. Two days later, I showed up at opening time ready to bring home my cane chairs (already very possessive). My excitement would be short lived as a new manager was on the floor that day, now I had to convince him that I wasn't a crazy woman and that this deal was made two days earlier with a different manager. After about 30 minutes of sweet talking but not letting them go, he agreed to let me have the chairs, probably to leave him alone, and at only $8 a piece!!! OMG!!

After he wrote out a new slip for the chairs and handed it to me I happily ran walked to the front of the store to purchase my new babies! I couldn't have handed over my Debit card fast enough and with the purchase complete they were already bringing the chairs to the front of the store to load up in my Jeep. I pretty much smiled the whole way home, like my cheeks hurt kind of smiling, and once I got them home I couldn't wait to start on stripping the paint off of one immediately.

Like this picture? Chrispy is actually in the car with me, but directly behind me this picture!

They have been a real labor of love stripping all the dark white/beige/ivory paint off and reupholstering but every time I finished one, mind you there are six!, I would get excited again. As of now, four are complete and two are out getting the cane replaced by another crazy cane lady. It is honestly one of the best thrifted purchases I've ever had!

I seriously am just so in love!!! I really went for the Restoration Hardware look and was considering nail heads but with a toddler I have a feeling that I will have to reupholster a few times so I'm leaving them as they are. Aren't they just so awesome?!!!

Is there is particular style furniture you just can't seem to let go? Special reasons why? I know its just furniture but I love furniture and decorating and making really beautiful spaces. Happy thrift shopping weekend to look for your favorite pieces :)

So Not Perfect

The past few weeks I feel like I've been trapped in a rat race and finally now reaching the finishing line of it all. If you don't follow me on Facebook, which you would have to be an actual friend anyways, my grandpa died a few weeks ago. It was sad and it was so hard on my loved one's but in all I was simply thankful that his suffering had finally ended. He had battled with Alzheimer's and an extreme form of Dementia for years, and in his last months, it was found that he had cancer yet again, but this time, no treatment was done, he was already too far gone and to top it off no one told him because he just would forget a minute later.

After a trip up to Indiana to visit the family and say goodbye to this man who lived a long and full life, I couldn't help but wonder what would Chrispy have to say about me when my days are finally drawn to a close? I know, WAY DEEP! But seriously, would he think I'm a good mother even though some days it seems like all I do is yell at him for doing things, or when I have to give him the ultimate discipline (a spanking, which lasts about a second and I'm crying as I do it)? To be perfectly frank, I hope that he doesn't really reflect back on this time while his Dada was gone and his Momma had to be the good/bad cop every day..ALL DAY!

There are times when I feel like I should have done this or said that to him instead, he would love me more if I did it that way. The problem I face, and what every parent I imagine face when left to raise child the majority on their own is, YOU ARE NOT PERFECT! I lose my temper faster, I tend to stress out easier, or even worse, I don't care at all that you just used my $50 bottle of foundation as paint for your coloring book. I just tend to go through the motions of the day, and lately with all the stress of life coming at me like a roll-a-coaster, I sometimes lose my nerve and freak out on the one person I would lay down this very minute for if it meant HE would be happy. 

What I think stresses me out the most during these times, and it's usually not Chrispy, after all he is only two and I can't expect him to understand, is the lack of support you find yourself getting from other parents. I would love it more if a person would say something encouraging to me like, "your doing a great job" rather than a fake "let me know if you need again" and never actually fulfill their offer they just gave you. Or even worse, the one's who I love to call "helicopter mom's that are judging you not knowing what you could possibly be going through. I find it hardest when I feel really abandoned by friends and family when I need it the most, but yet I'm always there at their side when it is needed.

I love my son so much, and I try everyday to be that "picture imagine of a great mom" and some days (most days) I can pull it off without a hitch, but than you have those bad days or even bad weeks where nothing goes right and you are at odds with yourself and your poor baby is along for the ride. Did I mention I buy him lots of cars and ice cream :) All joking aside, even on our worst days, when I have tears running down my face because I feel like I can't take another minute of it, I still manage to hug and kiss my baby and mean every. single. minute. of. it. I'm not perfect, and I don't have to be, but hopefully to him I am at least a good Momma.

New Year, New Resolutions

I can't even believe its going to 2015 in a matter of hours! Where has the year gone? It just seems like yesterday I was getting off a plane from Japan and starting our next chapter in America!! My calendar for the new year has already started to fill up which goes to show how quickly time can really pass if you stay busy.

This year has been a mix between major highs and lows. Important things that have happened to me this past year was moving back to the states after years living abroad, moving to Ohio, Christian starting a part-time daycare, visiting family on both sides of the coast, my sister-in-law finally got hitched to the man she has been with for years, my brother-in-law will finally make his life official with my soon to be sister-in-law, my hubby finished his Master's degree, I started getting all my paperwork together to start my Master's degree, the hubby deployed, and most importantly, I lost the only man in my life that I have ever called Dad and compared all men to.

To start the new year off on the right foot I cleaned the house, restocked the fridge, and even got my hair "did"! By the way, I never get my hair done so this is a big deal y'all!

Chrispy and I also make it our duty to donate time to a local pet shop that allows you to play with the pups for "donations" so we played with a total of 20 puppies yesterday! But one little girl in particular caught my eye, but unfortunately my hubby was not down for adding another fur baby to the pack :(

Seriously, who could resist that beautiful face?! I need another girl in the house, I'm being overran with nothing but boys!

I'm sincerely looking forward to 2015! It's an opportunity to start new adventures and end old chapters. Most of my new resolutions this year consist of family and friends, and making more efforts to stay in touch with loved ones. And of course….maintaining my healthy diet and fitness routines ;)

Our plans for this evening are going to be filled with games, festive bubbly, gorgeous cocktail dresses, and plenty of sweets at a friends house. Hopefully we can manage to stay up till 12. Seriously, when did my life change from getting ready to go out to the hottest club to now playing board games in a friend's living room?! ;) At least some yummy macaroons are going to be involved!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Years Eve!

Camera Roll

The past few weeks feels like they have just whipped right by me, which is absolutely wonderful, keep them coming! As I normally try to soak in every last minute of the holiday season and pray it isn't over, this year I'm just ready for it all to be over, because the sooner it is, the closer it gets to the hubby's homecoming!

Just a little peek into our lives these past few weeks….

This project has probably been the best money I've ever spent! The Lack table by Ikea in white and I just added some wheels from Home Depot and now Christian can move this table around as he pleases.  The chairs are actually from his preschool that were given to us because they got new ones! And our deer in the picture collage got a fun garland for the holiday season :) My plan is to also paint the top with chalkboard paint for fun coloring and attaching a side holder for chalk.

Christmas cards finally came in and are being sent out as fast as I can address them. Half way through my list of names I ran out of cards, leaving me with having to order more…we just know too many people!! It's getting a little out of control really…Thank you Shutterfly for getting them to us quickly!

This picture will forever be my favorite…Chrispy had no interest in Santa and just gave up. He knows where the presents really come from (Target) ;) and when Santa wasn't giving him any cars it was game over.

We stopped into this awesome little coffee shop called Ghostlight Coffee in Downtown Dayton randomly one day when a show at a theater cancelled their show last minute and didn't think to call anyone that had reservations :( We made a good thing out of a bad and stopped in for some hot chocolate and yummy donuts….

 Chrispy didn't mind a bit ;)

If you follow me on Instagram you already know about the car lot that has become my backyard. I have plans to build a little "garage" for Chrispy's collection. If you are wondering, no, I am not crazy and didn't buy any of those at full price! The Lighting McQueen car was only $20 at a thrift store in working condition, the Ford pickup was $5! It was missing its battery but had it's charger still, so Amazon was where I picked up a new battery for only $20 and the John Deer Tractor was a present from my Dad. He bought it well before Christian could even touch the pedals but he had to get it for him. One of the best memories I have of my Dad and Christian is the day he gave it to him…the level of excitement for both of them was amazing :)

And nothing like a patriotic flag picture to warm my soul. That is my hubby on the far right with the caterpillar on his upper lip (yuck)!

And one more of my hubby, looking normal. If anyone else has a loved one deployed right now I send you prayers and love right now. I know how hard it is to carry on with such a magical time of year without half of your heart :)

Have a Happy Weekend Y'all!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the…..Well Crap!

Yep, that's right, this week has just been throwing me for loops and I've had several occasions just over this past week of me somehow being covered in some kind of bodily fluid…from my son. To start, we had a massive heart to heart when I explained to Chrispy that spitting in my face, yes may be funny, but totally is gross and I almost want to cry every time he does it…just weird. We also now have a case of serious diaper rash do to his lack of letting me change his diaper or hiding that he actually went poop. When I finally did get him pinned down to change his diaper it was the worst #2's in the world!! I was  confused, puzzled, and wondering what the hell I've been feeding him and if it is possible for a baby just  to live on crackers so there is no more weird poop….real questions people! I also didn't enjoy the poop that somehow would end up on the carpet, my hands, and yes, my jeans from him wiggling and moving about as I'm trying to clean up his HORSE SIZE DUMPs!

But these are just a few of the bodily fluids that have graced me this week, the best is yet to come! :) After a long week of disappointment, sadness, grief, depression, and sheer panic that I might run out of wine at any moment…he threw up on me. And not just in any "at home where no one can see kind of thing"….like, in public, at my favorite grocer, with about 150 people watching. I wasn't mad or upset, I was completely taken by surprise and couldn't do anything more than pat his back and tell him to "get it all out baby"…right on me.  My face could of spoke a thousand words to everyone around me. I was so horrified but at the same time completely understanding of the circumstance…and so were others. People were asking me left and right if I was okay and tried their best to help me "clean up" my new Ann Taylor sweater without throwing up themselves. Seriously, amazing people!! I said thank you about a million times before we walked right back out the doors and walked to car…did I mention it was pouring rain by now…I know, like a really bad movie. By the time we got to the car, I was drenched but carried on…after all, it could only help the smell at this point. I put Chrispy in his car seat and removed all of his threw up clothes and tossed them in the back of the car, strapped him in, and began peeling off my clothes to only leave me with a tiny white tank top and my jeans on….he even got my shoes :( Of course what made it worst was realizing that this old man was staring me down as I was undressing in the parking lot to leave me with a only a see-through tank…what a jerk!

(well, this sucks face driving home from the madness)

Can I say thank God for car heaters?…. since it was only 40 degree outside and yes, raining!!! By the time we got home we were what seemed to be okay, he hadn't thrown up in the car which I was so grateful for….because he saved it for when we got inside the house to do it right on the carpet I had cleaned just two days prior…isn't he sweet? I swear…I'm being punished for something but can't even remember what for…or it's just motherhood at its finest giving me a reality check for maybe feeling a bit low lately. Regardless of the cause, lets just pray I can make it out of this week without having to clean the carpet again…that would be nice.

Hope every one's weekend goes better than mine!

Crate Magic

So I absolutely adore old wood crates, you know, the kind that really nice grocery stores use or the ones from the past since cardboard boxes weren't invented yet! Today, people have so many ideas for them the possibilities are endless…just look at Pinterest and you will find so many great ideas! Oh, the love of I have for them, that rustic and classic look…and yes, this is me getting excited and swooning over a crate! I know…issues.

I picked up crate at Michael's for like $4 in October knowing I wanted to do something with it but never got around to actually doing anything…holidays and life always get in they way. Well, today, as I'm putting finishing touches on other projects that I'm currently working on I managed to finally get my crate painted and propped.

I simply whitewashed the natural raw wood and stenciled on a simple logo in Carbon by Behr. I love it! Seriously! And if you go to Michael's in the Martha Stewart section, she now makes vinyl stencils for reusing purposes. Unfortunately they only come in a few fonts, aren't very large, and are kinda pricey at $16.99 per font.

But, with having my own paint on hand the only costs were the crate at $4 and the stencil…a total of $20.99 before taxes. A pretty cheap cost for something I can use multiple ways around the house.

For now, it is doing a fabulous job as decor for my cute little trees by the front door :) I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! Oh, and the little colored light tree in the Terra-cotta planter was only 50 cents at the Goodwill! It was so cheap because the bottom stand that holds it up was missing, so I just stuck the end through a hole at the bottom of the planter and stuffed the sides with wrapping confetti left over from a present…DONE! LOVE IT!

Any cute little decor things you got going on? I really am hoping to finish off all my Christmas projects/presents soon so I can be done with the whole gift giving thing. It is easier to buy a person a gift but making it comes from such a different place :)

 

 

Happy Thursday Y'all!

Reindeer Banner DIY

There is nothing like Christmas decor…it's beautiful, shiny, bright, and gets you in the Christmas spirit. Unfortunately most holiday decor comes at a price, even if it's at a discount. I'm a avid thrift store shopper and swear by Goodwill's in clean and nice locations, usually because the people that donate (including myself) tend to have nice stuff. Even with the amazing odds and ends that full my house with Christmas cheer, I always crave for the more whimsical homemade items.

I'm a big fan of banners, have them all over the house all year long and change them out seasonally. This year called for a new Christmas banner that I'm just loving. It reminds me totally of something off the Anthropology website and that makes me even happier, since I spent almost no money making it.

(In the photo, I stamped before I sewed since my triangles were kind of small so I needed to know how much space I had to work with when sewing the edges)

Supplies
fabric, enough to cut out as many triangles as desired and to size
scissors
jute string
sewing pins
sewing machine with thread, or needle and thread if wanting to hand sew
stamp, ordered mine from here
stamp ink in desired ink

Steps
1. Fold fabric in half and iron
2. Cut desired size of triangle using the folded edged as one side
3. Repeat until you reach the desired amount of triangles
4. Tie a loop knot at one end of the jute string
5. Insert jute string into triangle and as close to the folded edge as possible, pin it down
6. Sew with your needle against the folded edge and jute string as possible without sewing over it, remove pin as your sewing
7. Sew other sides together creating a completely closed triangle that slides on the jute string
8. Continue until all triangles are sewn and attached to the jute string
9. Cut jute string to desired length and finish the end with a loop knot
10. Cover stamp completely in ink and stamp in desired location on the triangles
11. Hang and enjoy!

Hope y'all have a great time decorating for Christmas. What are y'all's homemade Christmas goodies? I'm planning on making an Advent Calendar but it's hard to nail one down with all the wonderful options filling Pinterest.

Happy Monday Y'all! :)