Shabby Chair Before and After

Yahoo! I finished my shabby chair this morning. This project took WAY longer than it needed to, a cushion reupholster is not as easy as the diy world would have you believe. But after I got my hands on a staple gun I was able to finish this project pretty quickly. 

I picked this chair up from a second hand store for $5.00, I used left over paint and fabric that I had in my attic. I borrowed a staple gun and bought a pillow at Walmart for $2.50 that I gutted and used for the new cushion. I painted the chair with a brush and then shabbed it up with my sander. Finally, I covered the seat and reassembled it. If you got really serious with a project like this it would probably only take you a few hours, instead of the week that it shamefully took me! I was too busy soaking up the beautiful weather and skipping through fields :)

Picture Quote Saturday

Have a great weekend, my darlings! 

hi, it's friday.

1. the happiest horse  2. swing.moon.  3.me  4.blowing clouds

This week I laid in the grass twice .... then I wondered when the last time I laid in the grass was, and promised I wouldn't wait that long again. 

The weather in Shelbyville this week was hot and humid. 50% of the time we had perfect sun the other 50% was thunder, lightening, and rains. beautiful storms.  

Judith was so entranced by the rain this week that she asked to play outside in it ... she danced in the rain, with socks and no shoes. She was in bliss. 

This morning we woke up to a black sky, we ate breakfast with the doors open, the sound and smell of wonderful and heavy rain joined us. 

I hung my porch planters today and feel like such a grown up. 

Tonight I took a shower with both of my kids ... I never thought I would be a co-showerer. 

Brett and I went to Matoon this week and bought three more baby chicks to add to our flock ... they are so tiny and adorable, I can't wait to show you! 

Tomorrow I think I will throw in a post about a chair that I redid this week, in addition to the usual picture quote ... how did this week fly by so quickly!?!

xo, chelsea 

Things I Love Thursday

I'm thinking vintage office space today. I so need a pink typewriter, who doesn't? Be sure to check out all these etsy shops, a few of these items are from my fav shops ever! 

1. Vintage Pencil Sharpener

2. Vintage Table Clock

3. Vintage Wooden File Drawers

4. Vintage Pink Smith-Corona Typewriter

Happy Thursday my friends! 

Holy Cow, I'm a Farmgirl!

And I mean that literally, cows are holy. 

As spring has suddenly emerged and new life is growing from the trees and out of the ground, I am feeling renewed. I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of nature that surrounds me here, and In a moment of profound discovery I say, "Holy cow, I'm a farmgirl!".

dazeychic

Yes, you've guessed by now that this is going to be a rather long, very personal, emotionally charged blog post that I feel compelled to share about once a month. Thank you for allowing me to write it. 

After moving to rural Illinois from Seattle in the fall,  I struggled through the winter with very taxing growing pains. I was tired, I was sad, I was holding on to a life that I had left behind. I found that the move took a heavier toll than I had expected, I didn't know how to be myself in such a different world. At the beginning of this year I started exploring more, we decided to add egg laying hens to our family, and Brett taught me how to feed his dad's cows. I started to find myself again, in the land, in the animals, in the stillness of the country. 

Since we've been here I've had more time with my family, more time alone, and more time to discover my spirituality. I feel a balance in my life that I've never had before and I'm at peace. I can live in the present, and give more than I take. 

In my former life I was so easily distracted and influenced by the pace at which people and technology evolve. I loved being part of that never ending, always changing world, and I miss it. I wasn't being thoughtful about who I gave my time to or where I expended my energy, and at the end of the day I had nothing left to give to my family, to the earth, or to myself. Finding a balance in the calm of the country has enlightened me and given me a new type of energy and fulfillment. Somehow I knew this before I could actually verbalize it or even form it into a tangible thought ... and that's why I'm here. 

So the point, the moral, the truth that I have found through my own discovery is that when you simplify your life, you find how simple it is to be happy. Let me add to that by saying that when I would see a quote like that before I thought I understood it, but I couldn't because I didn't understand what the meaning of simplicity was, in the context of my own life ... that's my current quest. 

Pretty Little Yellow Hutch Makeover!

Another hutch is finished! I have taken a very serious vow not to take on a project of this size for awhile ... so much work! As I've shared before, I picked up a table, wash basin, two hutches, and a bunch of chicken wire for $60.00 when I followed a Craigslist posting to Clinton IL one morning. I have now finished all three repair projects and am feeling really awesome about it! Mostly because everything was SO dirty, it nearly killed me to clean, disinfect, and sand these finds, but the end result is totally worth it. 

 This piece in particular was filthy, and what's worse, it was covered in water damage. 

 And there was a hole in the back! 

 After some major time spent cleaning, sanding, and filling water damaged areas, I primed and painted the entire cabinet in a soft white. I painted the front facing part of the cabinet yellow, and then painted the doors in the same soft white as the rest of the cabinet. 

 I decided to distress this piece after the multiple heart attacks I had trying to keep the last hutch's paint from chipping ... distressing can sometimes  make your life easier, and I thought it was fitting to the vintage color and style of the piece. 

 I had to remove the original back from this piece because of the hole (seen above), which actually made painting it WAY easier. I had Home Depot cut ply wood for a new back and I then used vintage (vinyl) wallpaper to cover it. New, matching knobs and pulls from Menards that also contribute to the granny fabulous look. 

Tada! Thanks for stopping by! I will be posting at least one more furniture makeover this week, so don't stay away too long!



Linking up to:

Hi, It's Friday (the two days late, Sunday edition)

1. Monster Clouds  2. Haunted House  3. Yellow  4. Waiting

Oy! I've been so busy this week. I think I'm actually busier now that I am not officially employed. I love being my own boss, but I require myself to work some seriously long hours, naturally. 

Here's a few of this week's Instagram photos. I've been on the road a lot this week for photo shoots and other adventures. The first, second, and forth pics are from my mini travels, the 3rd foreshadows an awesome completed project that I will be sharing with you this week! 

I am totally getting into iPhoneography all of the sudden, which I never expected I would find myself obsessing over. It makes sense if you think about it, I love to keep a documentary, and my iPhone is always in my back pocket ... simple as that I guess. 

I will be sharing 2 new paint projects with you this coming week, and they're AWESOME, so stay tuned. Also, check out my photography blog to see what I've been up to in my moonlight career as a photographer!

xo, chelsea