36:52

Refinished Rocking Chair 

Kevin’s Grandma gave us a rocking chair last Christmas that she purchased from Montgomery Ward back in the early eighties.  She always said that Kevin should have it when she didn’t have use for it anymore because he fit the best.  The seat of the chair is really long, perfect for long legs.  Here’s the rocking chair Grandma gave us last December about to undergo some changes.  

Little did we know we would use it in our baby room within the year.  Here is the refinished product ready to rock our baby in a couple short months!

I searched for a neutral canvas (grey) and decided to go with a contrasting piping for the cushions.  This project had a couple roadblocks, one being not wanting to pay $50 for fresh foam cushions.  So, I went with some thin foam I had stored in the closet from my Mom and a little extra foam from the craft store ($5).  I would have loved to have eliminated the piping, but I wanted to stay with some of the original design.  I created a more modern look by squaring off the top of the back cushion.  

Overall, I love making older things look new and can’t wait to use this rocking chair for late nights!  Now I just need to add a bright pillow for a punch of color to the black and grey.

:: Rachel

35:52

Gullette Family Photo Shoot

On Wednesday I had a blast doing a mini photo shoot for my sister, Shara, and her beautiful family.  Here’s a few images of our fun morning!

They’ve changed a lot since last year’s shoot!  Love these guys!

{August 29, 2010}

:: Rachel

34:52

Comparison
12” x 12”  Acrylic on Canvas

To be honest, I almost didn’t post a project this week.

I started a project earlier this week that will probably take another 15-20 hours.  Knowing that earlier in the week, I slowly worked on it while trying to think of something else.  I have another project going that will definitely take more money to complete.  While I was working on a painting (in this unfinished collection) this afternoon, I realized I was rushing too much and would probably be unsatisfied with the end product.  That’s 3-4 projects I started, yet didn’t finish.  All for a completed project and blog post.  Most of the week I was paralyzed by fear, “what ifs,” and a giant to-do list that made it hard to get into a creative groove.  And, I have to admit, I’m starting to feel the pressure of all that I want/need to do before our little guy arrives in 8-12 weeks! 

Searching on Pinterest for inspiration I found this quote (not sure whom it’s by because I saw Theodore Roosevelt as the source on Pinterest and Dwight Edwards when I searched the quote online):  ”Comparison is the thief of joy.”  I need to be reminded of this almost daily in more than just the creative area of my life.

It just so happens that I am currently working on my studio (corner of the apartment) and needed some inspiring pieces of art to hang.  This is just what I needed for the space.  Full studio space project to come.

Maybe this week was a bit of a battle just so I would come to this piece of truth.  

I am who He made me to be.
:: Rachel

33:52

Custom Designed Kitchen Bench

To understand this project you need some background.  I bought this table and chairs from Estate Specialists when I was furnishing my first apartment 5 years ago.  This was a lucky find as I had given up on trying to match woods and decided to paint any/all wood furniture black.  Lucky because I happened upon this one already painted during a weekly check.

About a year ago, Kevin fixed a few of the chairs by adding some wood glue because they were getting a little wobbly.  There were still a couple that we made it a rule not to frequently sit on (notice the one with the the ghetto ribbon tied to it).  One night, while eating dinner, Kevin’s chair just sunk and this is what we saw…

…a chair leg jaggedly broken from the seat and a support severed from the chair leg.  No blame on Kevin, this chair was ready to give.

This brings me to a little IKEA trip where I saw a $90 bench while browsing through the store.  We needed another option for seating (I’ve decided to slowly collect mismatched wooden chairs and paint them all black too), but I was not going to pay their price.  My dad (who’s a contractor/carpenter) and mom were with us and they agreed to make one if I would draw up some dimensions/plans.  I handed him these back in March and we helped piece the wood together at our apartment last month.

Project #33 resulted.  I had to find time to fill the holes, sand, prime, and paint this skillfully made bench.  We now have the finished product sitting in our kitchen!

So that’s the story of how the bench became a part of our home!  

:: Rachel