Every year, we celebrate the end of the school year with a class picnic. It’s usually held at the school, but this year, we decided to do it a little differently. I love to host at our house, so naturally, I offered. It’s always more work than I expect (and probably as much as my husband does expect, but grudgingly agrees to anyway). It’s a potluck, and sure we can keep it simple. But then I get ideas…ways to make it even better. Like, mopping the porch in case anyone goes on that side of the house, or really, goes to the front door. Generally, I don’t think people care that much as long as your house isn’t a total pigsty or a candidate to have your children removed from your home. Otherwise, what’s the big deal? We all have some junk right? But if you can make it really nice, why not? And really, it’s an excuse and gives me motivation to do things for the house that I normally wouldn’t bother to do, that I enjoy having done. Fresh cut flowers from the garden finished off my bathroom decor…I felt something was missing and now I know what. I have a painting on the opposite wall with pretty blues and purples and pinks.
But the biggest project of the week, was redoing my old rusty bistro table I bought about 10+ years ago at Marshall’s. I had it in our yard a few years ago until I noticed my daughter kept getting holes in her pants from the metal detailing in the seat. Did I mention she is in a class of 24? And our patio is separate from the play area, so not a lot of seating up by the swing set. Perfect time to pull that rusty set out and refinish it. A lot of work for 2 extra seats and a little table space, but…it pushes me to accomplish something I never would have gotten around to otherwise. So here is the before:
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My husband didn’t think I’d have time to do it, but when I want something done, there is no stopping me. Unless I get bored, or hungry, or tired, or just don’t feel like it….Nevermind, where was I? Oh yeah…He said I needed to sand it first. Well ok, that’s more than I expected. I thought I’d just get some spray paint and spray the shit out of it. No? What’s so funny? Fine, I’ll go to Lowe’s and buy sandpaper. Bloggers found via google search suggested a sandpaper sponge. My husband insisted on a wire brush, which we already have. And did he mention he knows a lot about painting because his father used to develop paints? That was news to me. Ok, I get it, you know everything! But that Martha Stewart video I just watched, with the wire brush was like nails on a chalkboard, so sandpaper sponge it is. And that was when T (my husband) told me he was washing his hands of this and I was on my own. Fine by me! So I got the sandpaper sponge, which by the way, was a #60 (i have no idea what kind of measurement this is, but the higher the number, the finer sandpaper). I recognized this as what the blogger I found used. Then some rustoleum primer, and spray paint (enamel, in case you’re wondering, because I was standing there looking at all these spray cans and none of them said “paint”). Of course, I didn’t buy enough and had to go back the next day for more, at which point I saw the rust converter stuff that T had originally suggested, so I got that too. Too late for the chairs, but boy was I ready to convert the crap out of some table rust. Have it known that, I tried both the sandpaper sponge and the wire brush and felt the wire brush sucked. At least for this project, it was much harder to grip and get into small spaces.
I do also have to mention that it’s a good thing my mom suggested I use a tarp to cover the grass, or else I would have had whole areas of the yard painted white just in time for the party. Now I just have a few square outlines instead! And by the way, if your husband ever tells you to use the cloth side of the tarp that’s already crappy and torn up, don’t fall for it. It was such a pain in the butt. It kept ripping off in pieces, getting stuck to my feet, my hands, my knees, the furniture…Anyway, here’s the finished product.
Those are reversible cushions from Pier1 that I found online during their Memorial Day sale. Picked up in store the next day. Easy peasy.
I also finally bought one of those big glass containers to dispense drinks like sangria (at Pier1). So I made my first white sangria, chilling in the fridge. Who doesn’t love an excuse to make (and drink) sangria?!
Here is my mom’s reaction via text:
Wow…Good Job. Is that my Tara? What did you do with her? Decorating and painting furniture!
Moral of the story, I better start messing up something big time or else people will start expecting more of me!
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Fortunate Femme 