My Chick Space

I will be linking up to Met Monday at Between Naps On The Porch .

The picture below is not my "Chick Space". It is my hubby's workshop. Look closely and you will see buried among the motorcycles and parts, a fantastic antique wicker desk. This desk belonged to my husband's maternal Grandfather. His Grandfather took this desk with him all over the world when he was in the US Army. It was made by the Yipsilanti Furniture Company in Michigan in the early 1900's. It is so well made. I convinced my husband that I could put it to better use so he let me have it to do what ever I wanted.



The top of the antique desk was very heavy and and had splits in the wood. I removed the top and took the desk to my husband's paint room and primed it with about 6 cans of spray primer.


Then I sprayed it with a white paint. Looking better already.


When that was done. I cut three pine boards to length, glued then together, routed the edges, and sanded till they were very smooth.

I then brushed on a stain with polyurethene.
Now I have a fantastic work table for what I call my "Chic Space".

This room is off my kitchen in my utility area on the 1st floor. It used to be my guest room. It has a bath attached. Since my three sons have moved out, I am able to have my guest rooms upstairs. This works out perfectly as the master bedroom is on the opposite side of the house on the first floor, making the guest rooms upstairs more private.
When I moved the guest room, I decided it would be perfect for my space. I installed beadboard all around to make it more cottagey.

I get to look out at my backyard that is full of different wildlife.

It is a "working room" that may look a little cluttered.

I took the closet doors off to make a desk space. I used the laminate counter top that was in my laundry room. It is great for painting and hot gluing, etc.
I am truly thankful for having this space. If I am in the middle of a project, I can just shut the door. If I am home, this is where you will find me.

Thank you for visiting!

FABbric to FABulous Easy Table Runner

I am participating in Sunday Favorites at Happy To Design. I originally posted this for Metamorphisis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch on March 28, 2010. I am new to the Blog World so I did not have anything much older.


This may be a stretch for Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps On The Porch but it is in fact a metamorphosis.
I have had this blue and white fabric in my stash for a while. I buy fabric when I fall in love with it even though I do not know what I will be using it for. I just stash it away until an idea hits me. I love to make machine quilts. I usually make lap size as they are so much more versatile for decorating. I also make table runners and placemats.
Since I love blue and white china(expensive or inexpensive) I thought I would try to make a runner that would echo the pattern in my blue and white dishes, accessories, etc. This is such an easy fast table runner. I didn't even quilt it or topsitch it. I just put stiff interfacing between the layers. I also made 4 placemats with leftover fabric.

$2.00 Goodwill Chairs

This past week I have been busy at work and attending the Sun n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Fl. It is such a great place to be even if you have no interest in aviation. There were so many interesting airplanes and I got to meet many interesting pilots, including 5 of the very few remaining Women Airforce Service Pilots. These women, most in their 90's now, were WWII pilots, flying amazing airplanes. The Ninety-Nines Inc, International Organization of Women Pilots of which I am proudly a member, hosted a luncheon for the Wasps. They told such touching stories-Oh Well, this should be in another blog. Anyways...

On the way home from Lakeland, the Goodwill Store was calling my name as I passed through Plant City, Fl. I always like to stop and see what "deal" they have going on in the furniture section of the store.

I found 2 chairs for $2.00 each. They are very sturdy chairs that I am going to use for either my guest room or sewing room.

Here is the before. They were painted yellow and blue with a cushions that I actually liked. Someone had put quilted pillow shams as the chair covers. They were too dirty to come clean, so I had to throw them out.

I removed the chair covers. Sanded and painted the chairs with 1 can of primer and 2 cans of paint. My hubby has "the best" painting room in his workshop that he lets me use. It is vented and all the spray is drawn out with a fan. So much better than painting outside.

I then recovered the chair pads with a fresh piece of foam and I used pieces of scrap fabric, -a periwinkle blue with white petals.

I stapled the fabric down and slipped them back on the chairs.

Check it out!

Blue and White Easter

My Easter dinner this year had just a small gathering, my husband and I, my middle 24 year old son, and his girlfriend.
I decided to use my blue and white for Easter. When my Mother-in Law passed away, My father-in-Law passed on to my husband and I, a set of 20 beautiful West point Wedgewood plates. Each has a scene from different places at the academy. I love to mix them with other blue and white patterns.

I used my Grandmother's silver flatware. It is called "Spring Charm" I like that the flower pattern matches the flower on the salad plates and the cup handles.

The sterling silver cups are four of many that were won in polo matches at West Point Military Academy by my husband's father and grandfather. Most are dated 1917 to 1934. They were both champion polo players. It is very hard to photograph the engravings on the cups due to the reflection. These cups are treasures.

The place mats are the ones I made a couple weeks ago to match my table runner. I posted that for Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps ON The Porch last week.

I am linking this to:

How I Spent My $50.00 HomeGoods Gift Card

I am linking this post to:


Last Monday I won the $50.00 HomeGoods gift card given away at Between Naps On The Porch hosted by Susan. I was very surprised and truly thankful. I would like to share with everyone how I put my gift card to good use.

Every Thursday morning, you can find me at HomeGoods drooling over their beautiful items and dreaming about what I would do with them. I am in the process of redoing my guest room and there is one particular item that I drool over more than others.

Last Wednesday I was shocked and extremely thrilled to have received my certificate in the mail on that day(Thank you Susan). Just in time for my Thursday morning trip to HomeGoods.

Thursday morning I was off as usual thinking that with my luck it would be gone. But it wasn't!
I grabbed it, bragged about my new fortune, whipped out my $50.00 gift card, paid for the item, and was out the door.

Here is what I bought.

This is the "before".




And this is the "after"





What do you think?
I am putting this in my guest room that I am currently working on. Dreams do come true!!
Thank you HomeGoods and thank you Between Naps On The Porch.

My Grandmother's Silver

Last weekend I played golf with my older sister, Janice. We met at the golf course and played the nine holes. When we got back to the club house and were ready to leave she handed me a box and said "Here, I am cleaning out closets and this is Grandma's silver. It hasn't been used in over 40 years" I stood there dumbfounded. My Grandmother died in 1989 at the age of 90. I never remember seeing this silver. Well I was estatic. I didn't even care what it looked like or what condition it was in. It was my Grandmother's! If my sister had told me about the silver out on the course, that would have been the end of the game. I would have hightailed it back right then and there-with her or without her. Well I took it home and did the inventory. I researched it on the internet and found it was made in 1950 by International Silver for Wm Rogers Silver Co (or vice versa). The pattern is called "Spring Charm" and it is a serving of eight. I gently cleaned it all with a very good silver cleaner. It is amazing! I love it. the patina(scratches and all) is fabulous. I cannot wait to use it. I now have another treasure from my Grandmother's life that gives me the fondest memories of her. She was the sweetest. Take a look.

Can't wait to use it for Easter!!

Happy Easter everyone!!