May 20

I helped my mom sand and stain her dining room set when I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 years old. Now, that table has been through a lot! We were a very small working farm, even though both parents worked full time, and my mom managed to also obtain a college degree in her spare time. When we butchered a hog or cow, all the meat would be wrapped and labeled on that table. It served as her pattern cutting table for sewing many, many garments and quilts. Many people gathered around it for regular meals, and for preparing said meals. Canning, crafts, drinking coffee, and conversations were carried out there in my parents dining room. We were a rough crowd. The chairs gave out before I was 10, my dad found a guy around Waldo that made some super sturdy ones to replace the originals. I missed the delicate curved feet and arms of the first ones. I forgot to mention, it was her mother's set, so it was old when she got it in 1971. 

After Mom passed I took the set home with me. I never had a thought that they look so worn. To me, they were just familiar. I could tell you what happened to cause most of the chinks, scratches, and worn spots. 

Now with the new house comes the irrististable urge to redefine our style to match the new house. Oh, Pinterest is just evil! It makes you want all things new and different! 

The new house is such a cute {{little}} cottage, that I'm not even sure how I'm going to fit everything in it! The dining room has that adorable builtin, that I cannot bring myself to pull out. So, the buffet or the china cabinet will almost have to go on a wall in the living room. 

This picture from Pinterest is my inspiration, though I want grey with a touch of yellow (more on that choice later). 

Here's what I have so far....

I sanded and sanded and sanded. Then I gave up and bought a chemical stripper. Then I sanded some more. I used a stain called weathered grey, the a coat of extra thick polyurethane with a Matt finish. 

I like it. I still have two pieces to go! 

The chairs I left at Dad's house. He likes them and I don't. Up until now I have had these giant rattan chairs that don't match, but are very comfortable. 

I found these are the Pickers Market in Fernandina, six chairs plus a table (just like mine, but painted light grey) for the amazing price of $95! Well, how cute are they? They also determined my zinger color. One of the ladies that works at the Market wanted the table, I sold it to her for $25. So six nice chairs for $70! Wow! This is gonna look great, you just wait!