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Monday, January 30, 2012

SWEETNESS AND LIGHT

Hello everyone!  First, I'd like to thank everyone that left me kind words of encouragement when I had my hissy fit on the last post.  You are all correct, I need to focus on the positive and eliminate the negative.  Latch on  to the affirmative and don't mess with Mr. In-Between!  Oh sorry!  That's a fun song isn't it?  And a lot of truth in it also!  Here's a Bible verse that all you dear hearts remind me of:

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
~Proverbs 16:24~

Now I will focus on all things sweet and dear because February will soon be upon us, and as a hopeless romantic, I just cannot resist a month dedicated to love and romance.  It is a month all wrapped up in rosy taffeta ribbons and pink sugar cookies.   Plus I plan to give lots of thrifty tips so tune in if you're interested in such things.

First, above is a picture of the settee that Ran and I reupholstered this weekend.  Slowly, we are redoing all our old furniture into neutral colors because part of the fun of owning a home is decorating it for the various different seasons and having a plain background makes the job a lot easier.  We used plain old natural cotton duck.  Made in the USA at the grand cost of $6 a yard.  I found this little beauty years ago at a little gift shop in Fontanna Wisconsin.  It was part of a window display and wasn't even for sale.  When I asked the shop owner if it was for sale, she looked surprised.  "You want that?" she asked.  Rule number  one in life is that it never hurts to ask!  (And this applies  to asking  God, also.) At the time it was upholstered in a a very ugly lime and turquoise brocade that was riddled with stains.  She was using it to display a plethora  of pretty pillows and throws.  You really had to look hard to find it under all the pretties.  So the first thrifty tip is to keep your eyes open.  The second is to learn to recognize treasures when you see them.  As they say, this little loveseat had good bones; hardwood frame, eight-way hand-tied springs, nice proportions, etc.

Well anyway, back to the story, she offered it to me for sixty-five dollars, which I snapped right up.  You have to know when to dicker and this wasn't the time.  I hate to haggle, but here's a tip for bargaining that I've found effective.  Say you are at an estate or garage sale and you see something you would love to have but the price seems high to you, what do I do?  First I ask the price.  Even if the price is clearly displayed. This opens up the dialogue.  Then I say something to the effect, "Gee it's a beauty, but I wasn't planning on spending that much money today.  I'll have to think about it."  Then begin to walk away.  Fifty percent of the time, the seller will offer a lower price right then.  But sometimes they will say that come back tomorrow and the prices will be reduced to which I reply, "Oh I don't live around here."  Usually they will then offer you a lower price.  Unfortunately, sometimes sellers just don't budge and you really do have to walk away.  But on the other hand, if it's really something that you would love to have,   it may mean juggling the budget, putting more water in the soup, forgoing that morning cup of coffee  to get it.  I rarely regret making the sacrifices.  Our entire cottage is furnished in those little indulgences.  Rarely have we stepped inside a furniture store.  Rarely have we spent over one hundred dollars for anything, except the mattresses.  A good mattress is crucial to  a good night's sleep.  A good night's sleep is crucial to a healthy life.  A healthy life is crucial to a happy life. Etc., etc., etc.

Once we purchased the settee, the next challenge was to get it home. You see, we always pay cash for our cars and buy them used, so that means we often have small cars like Geos, Kias, and now an Aveo.  Not exactly  heavy-duty hauling vehicles!  But our motto is there is nothing that you can't haul, given enough rope, bungee cords, and duct tape.  So another tip is to always be prepared.  It's not just for Boy Scouts! You never know when you'll come around a corner and find that someone has tossed a lot of leaded glass diamond paned windows that would look perfect in your shed (which happened to us BTW), or there's an unadvertised estate sale at the pretty house that you've been driving past and admiring all these years. Estate sales are fun even if you are broke.  You get to see inside of houses that you drive pass daily and it seems that the people that hold them always have wonderful stories. I just find it fascinating to see how people furnish their homes, don't you?  I think it says a lot about the people residing inside.  You can tell at a glance if a person is practical, or a romantic, or a history buff, or an artist.  It's so interesting.   A good old country auction is a fun cheap way to spend the day also.

On another tangent completely, the other day Ran called to ask if he needed to pick anything up at the store on the way home. We needed some lettuce so I asked him to pick some up.  Well!  he showed up with one of those tubs of mixed greens that took up just about the entire refrigerator space.  It was just marked done to $2.50 so he couldn't resist.  In the past he has come home with an entire grocery bag of bananas reduced for quick sale, or carton of cereal that was going for cheap because the stock boy accidentally cut the tops off the boxes when he opened the carton.  It's been good practice for learning to go with the flow and use your creativity!  BTW, I baked banana bread and cakes and froze them, plus made banana pudding, plus just froze some for later.  We used them up!  The cereal was poured into Ziploc bags and the boys ate it until it was gone.  Fortunately teenage boys can eat a lot of cereal!

Anyway, we are eating a lot of salads so I thought I'd share one of the ways we love to make them.  Take about  1/4 cup of pepper jelly (we use Dickinson's, I really need to make my own this summer) and heat it in a small saucepan until it starts to melt.  Add 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar.  Pour over your greens.  It makes a slightly wilted lettuce salad.  Yum!  Extra good if you add some Feta or Gorgonzola cheese and some pine nuts, but tastes good on it's own too.

27 comments:

  1. Hi Jane, what a beautiful little couch! You and Ran did a great job, it looks so fresh. I love the lines and shape of the piece. Those garage sale finds are so wonderful. We are going to be doing a little redecorating soon ourselves. My husband wants to build a little entertainment unit and we are looking for an old buffet or antique credenza to use for storing the equipment. So I am keeping my eye out. I know what you mean about the mattresses, if something really effects your comfort level it is important not to worry about paying full price and get a good quality piece. You will never regret it, and it all works out in the end if you are thrifty with regards to other things. For me a good comfortable recliner chair is a must. I don't mind paying full price because without it I am miserable. Your salads sound heavenly! Have a wonderful day! Delisa :)

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    1. Wouldn't some needlepoint pillows like you made look nice on it, Delisa? I think I'm going to have to put knitting aside for a while and take up a tapestry needle! Too bad they haven't perfected teletransporting yet! My neighbor had the most beautiful credenza at his garage sale this past summer. Beautiful hand carved roses and swags. It was just crying out to have someone restore it. He's an old bachelor so I guess it didn't appeal to him. Unfortunately for me (or maybe fortunately) it was much to big for this tiny little house, or it would be sitting in my dining room today!

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  2. Mmmm...the note you ended on sounds good! And I absolutely love bananas, I just took pics of mine this weekend and had some cereal with them and plan on using that for my post. The settee is lovely...I love settees! (don't have one though). I'm "into" natural colors now...natural is beautiful! I love your story of buying the settee. I know that feeling...when it isn't time to haggle the price...when you are so excited inside and you are trying not to show it and you just want to hurry and pay their price before they realize they are asking too little...:)

    I have two good sofas, that I definitely will keep and just slipcover when the present ones wear out. I also have two cheap sofas. My husband is the type who likes the looks of the cheap sofas, but my x-ray vision can see the hardwood frame, etc. of the older, more expensive ones, and love those. love,andrea

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  3. Hi Andrea! In our little house we don't have room for a davenport so we make do with these little pieces. The scale of the rooms makes decorating a challenge. When we want to stretch out we had to learn to go upstairs and use the bed. Funny but having to do this has added a bit of formality to our lives. Which isn't bad! We needed it! Slipcovers are a nice way to get a change of scenery. You'll love the salad. Just been craving greens so much lately!

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  4. Since the cottage is quite tiny, I don't have room for such a nice two-seater, but chairs do wonderfully in small spaces :-)

    I like your idea of reupholstering, it changes a room so quickly that way.
    m.

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    1. They do indeed, Maria! I like to swap out the pillows and throws for various holidays and seasons. It's nice to have a change of view,especially in winter when we are forced to stay inside so much.

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  5. Love the way you reupholstered the settee, I like neutral colors too, much easier to decorate around. I love estate sales, and garage sales, it is fun to look through different things. Since my husband is a realtor we get to see into lots of interesting homes, it is very interesting to see how people live.
    I know what you mean about teen boys going through the cereal, my son is 15 and this year really started going through the cereal at quite a rate, he also like to make himself eggs for breakfast, and when I noticed we were going through eggs quicker, I asked how many he makes for himself in the morning and he said FIVE! I encouraged him to stick with 3 eggs and add cereal or toast to help stretch it out. Oh to have that metabolism! I read once that when planning food storage to count a teen boy as 2.5 adults, now I know why. :) Your salad dressing sounds delicious, I will have to give it a try!

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    1. April, one day a woman that works under my husband pulled him aside and said she had something to discuss with him. He was thinking "Oh brother! She's quitting". But what she wanted to know was how we could afford to feed all those teenage boys. The secret is lots of soups and stews and turkey is not just for Thanksgiving! Starches are great filler-uppers. Too bad you can't raise your own chickens! Very funny about the metabolism. I'd be happy not to have one of a sloth! Being in the real estate business must be interesting.

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  6. Great upholstery job!! It looks splendid. Do you have 'car boot sales'? We have plenty of those, usually on a Sunday so I don't get to go to many but they are very popular. Garage sales are not very popular here (at least I don't think they are!!), but they sound very similar. Keep up the good work!
    Have a blessed week.

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    1. Hi Carol! From what I see on BBC, I think car boot sales are a lot like our flea markets. Garage sales are usually held on Fridays and Saturdays here. And we have community ones, where everyone holds theirs all on the same weekend. Saves on the gasoline. The best sales are estate sales and auctions from pat racks. One time we went to an auction of a family that had lived in the same place for over 150 years and never threw anything out. Just chucked up into the attic. Oh the fun we had going through all that junk! I got boxes of the most amazing vintage fabrics, which I sold on Ebay. Really helped with our sons college tuition.

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  7. You are so talented, Jane! I'm in awe! I'm not ready to tackle reupholstering but you have inspired me to look at thrift store pieces differently. Last Fall, I found a cute little wooden desk at the Goodwill for only 4.99 and have started to work on repainting it for a desk for the grandkids to use for their art projects. It's really pretty fun to do!

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  8. Hi Sandy! It really is quite satisfying to take something that doesn't look like much and make it into something useful or just plain pretty. My problem is I have too many ideas. Ha! Really they way you can make patchwork quilts, a little thing like reupholstering should be a piece of cake to you!

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  9. Hi Jane! I just wanted to say thank you for the tip about looking for needlepoint kits on Ebay. I have looked for them on Etsy before, but I don't know why I didn't think to go on Ebay. I found 3 kits right off the bat that are really wonderful. One is a floral with multi-colored iris flowers, the second kit has a canvas with raspberry red peonies and the third is a country cottage with a white picket fence and wild flowers. I won all three of the auctions and got them for a great price. I hope you are having a lovely evening tonight. Delisa :)

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  10. Hi Jane, you covered a lot here, but what a delight and it all got me thinking. Love the settee, and I know you covered those pillows. I've been keeping an eye out (at the second hand store) for sturdy fabric (drapes) to use to cover an ottoman I have, but nothing has caught my eye yet. Great job on the re-upholstering.

    You wrote of the fun of seeing how others decorate their homes... when my children were young, I use to go with them trick-or-treating just to get a peek into how different homes were decorated. :D

    I like thrify tips, so I'll be checking back for your wisdom!

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    1. Hi Joy! Funny you should mention ottomans! I bought the nicest one at a garage sale a few years back. But it was covered in the nastiest red Naugahyde. Everyone thought I had gone to the darkside and was going to start decorating the house like a 70s love shack or something. But it had the nicest legs! Anyway, the other day I was in St. Vincent de Pauls and they had a small needlepoint rug for $5. It fits that ottoman perfectly, so that is my next little project. It ought to look quite elegant, suitable for the very best French flea market!

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    2. Ooooo-weeee-oooo... The Dark Side... LOL! Love Shack Baby! yes, right now, I just have a handwoven rug thrown over the top of mine, but I want to make a cover for it and I know it will be easy cause the thing is square.

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    3. I think it was one of those holdovers from that Mediterranean decorating phase that was popular in the early 70s. Do you remember those ugly things? When everybody was putting pictures of bull fighters on their walls and hanging ugly amber glass swag lamps? It should be easy to reupholster your square ottoman, just like wrapping a present really.

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  11. Oh gosh, now I'm going to tell the story about our mattress. We spent a huge amount on it, I won't even tell you the price (very dumb of me/us). It was a 'pillow top' and I tell you, within 3 years, it became The Bed From Hell. Miserable to sleep on, with trenchs on either side. It wasn't the kind we could flip, all we could do was spin it around and then, I'd sleep in the husband's trench which was deeper cause he weighs more. Of course, there was a nice, firm ridge down the middle of the bed. We had many restless, sore-back nights and years of grumbling. We reasoned, the longer we kept the mattress, the less expensive it was--spreading out the cost over the years--(I know, I know!)but we couldn't afford a new mattress. One day I came home, and my husband was all excited, telling me that he thinks God gave him an idea about what to do with our mattress. I went in the house and he showed me he had taken a pair of scissors, and cut around the edge of the top layer of the mattress, and PULLED OUT the layer of foam that was underneath. What was the harm? The mattress was miserable anyway, how could this make it worse? Well, it IMPROVED the mattress, no more ditches on either side, and it has given us a few more years on the mattress. We know when we move, the mattress will be out by the curb, and we know we got our $ worth out of it. But we also got a bonus from our 'little operation'... the layer of foam he pulled out, he cut off a long piece, and I used it under the couch cushions for support--just wrapped a quilt over it and it does not look bad. :D But wait, we are not yet finished! The remaining foam, he cut and placed a piece under the worn out seat of a used recliner, and under the chair cushion of a chair that we use. I think there are a few scraps of the foam left, and we will use it to pack fragile items when mailing something. We like to laugh about this story, yes, I think God gave him an awesome idea.

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    1. What a fun story, Joy! Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and do things! Great re-purposing too! Your ditches in the bed remind me of the time my sister and I stayed in a cheap hotel out in the middle of nowhere. There was only one double bed and it had the deepest ditch right down the middle. We spent the entire night either clinging to our end or rolling down the ditch on top of each other, getting out of the bed and starting the process all over again.

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  12. P.S. We are working on our 11th year with the mattress and I think it's even improving! :D

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  13. Hi Jane !
    I'm so glad you are back :-)
    Blessings from France

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    1. Thank you Christiane! I thought about it and decided I really like the circle of friends that blog, so I'll eat some humble pie and return. Plus I love February. Who doesn't love a month dedicated to romance? Wouldn't want to miss out on the fun!

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  14. Dear Jane,

    I love refurbishing stories! You are doing a wonderful job making your little cottage nice and cozy. I forgot to comment on your last post, but I must say I'm mighty glad you decided to stick it out! :)

    Love,

    Marqueta

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  15. Thanks Marqueta! I would have missed not being able to participate in blogging with sweeties like you!

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  16. You found a beauty there!

    Wow, miss a few posts and things get crazy here. :-) I'm glad you realized sometimes people just spout from their own issues and it has nothing to do with you. I personally look forward to your posts!

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    1. Thanks Shara! Quite embarrassed about my little blow out.

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