The miracle chairs...

Even after years of proving I can turn just about any "trash" into a little "treasure," I think Brian still raises an eyebrow from time to time.

Such was the case with these chairs....

We went to a farm auction and these chairs had been tossed into an old barn, only to see the light of day when the auctioneer dug them out and sold them...to me!

What would possess me? They were literally caked with nastiness and two were in pieces. But I saw the potential (and of course the old mud dauber nests and spiders and bugs!). 

Rarely will I take a hose to a piece of wood furniture...but I had no choice. Even then I had to scrub them with a strong detergent and steel wool.

Then I pulled nails, scraped old glue, cut out broken spindles and removed splintered veneer.

Then I had to clamp and glue everything back together. One chair was missing a side apron so I cut a new one and secured it in place with glue and my Kreg jig! 

My original plan was to prime and paint them. They still had a few rough spots and I knew I wouldn't get a pristine finish I would be happy with so I decided to do a chalk paint and distress finish on them! Always a good choice for a piece that has a few "boo-boos!" 

I think the boo-boos and the distressed finish give the chairs "aged character." After recovering the seats on the two Duncan Phyfe style chairs and making a new seat for the other, I think they turned out pretty sweet.

My plan is to stage them with this trestle table I will be taking into 410 Vintage this week, just in time for the holidays! 

Just in time for Brian and me to take our annual trek to Colorado! I can't wait...two days of fly fishing, several days of sight-seeing and maybe even a day of gambling in Central City! The forecast shows the temps in the 50s and 60s so I will be packing my coat and Uggs! One thing is for sure, I always come home recharged and ready to enjoy my favorite season! 

I made a few changes to my fall decorating this year...one being these little pumpkins...

I added a few silk sunflowers, a fall garland, fall picks and deer antlers (yes, my kids killed them....ick!).

Not sure I am loving this little vignette but I have a few more months to make changes and additions!

 

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Updating fall pumpkins!

It is no secret that fall is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love the Christmas season, but I adore fall and by the time I finish my fall decorating, it pretty much looks like fall puked in my house!

As I mentioned (here) several years ago, I have considered transitioning to the "farmhouse" style fall decor...whites, blues, grays....more of a neutral pallet. But I just can't seem to move away from the "traditional" colors of fall....reds, oranges, yellow. 

After years of exposure, a few of my pumpkins have started to fade and look pretty tired and worn. These pumpkins sit on top of the bookcase in the front room window. 

I know...this picture is crud! But the glare is brutal especially with my limited photography skills!

Pretty gnarly looking!

It is way too early to start decorating for fall but this year I decided to make a significant change to the front window decor.

The little scarecrows were sold in a garage sale last year. The pumpkins could probably be tossed, but I decided to give them a little facelift and start SLOWLY making a move to a neutral color pallet for the season. Okay, so I'm probably not going to give up on my reds and oranges but it won't hurt me to change a few vignettes. 

This is a prime example of "oh, what the heck"....they were toast so what is the worst that can happen...I don't like them and I toss them anyway! 

First, I had to make a trip to the storage building and dig out the box with these ratty little pumpkins.

They are not ceramic or wood like these...just cheap little foam pumpkins. (I use to store all my seasonal decor in the attic but last year we rented a storage building so we didn't have to kill ourselves climbing up and down the attic stairs.)

Next, paint colors. I decided to go with off-white, teal and grey. 

I couldn't find a gray spray paint I liked so I bought one of the little sample pots of light gray.

I removed all the little stems and stuck them in the styrofoam.

Most of the stems had come loose and needed to be hot glued anyway, so no biggy to remove them. I painted them gray, then "dry brushed" some brown on them to give them a "stem look." 

I split them up based on size and painted them the three different colors. 

After paint, I decided they still needed a little "something." On the teal, I dry brushed the grey in the grooves of the pumpkin, on the grey I used white and on the off-white I used the brown. I just watered down the accent colors, lightly brushed it on, then randomly wiped it off with a damp cloth. The accent colors gave the pumpkins some depth and a more realistic look. 

I used hot glue to reattach the little stems.

Cute as a bugs ear and they will be perfect for decorating the window this year. I may add some silk hydrangea blooms! I'll try to remember to share when I get them all staged and pretty!

Pinterest is chalked full of fall vignette inspiration so I have no doubt I will be able to pull together a cute vignette using these little guys!

Before you toss a ratty old decor piece think about giving it a simple little facelift.

But again, it is still too early for fall! I usually decorate right before we make our annual trek to Colorado but this year we leave a little earlier so I may wait until we get home. Who know...the mood may strike the first time I pull on my Uggs! 

But when the mood does strike, these little guys will be ready to go! It may be too early to decorate but it is never too early to start preparing!!!

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Fun and quirky pumpkins and fall in the Ozarks!

The high Saturday was in the low 70s!!! Fall is in the air! But as always, the "early fall" was fleeting and this week we are back in the 80s. Cruuuuud!

I want desperately to break out all the fall decor but I will wait! I usually decorate right before we head out to Colorado...after a trip to the mountains and a week in the glorious Aspens, it will officially be fall in my mind...regardless of the temperatures! 

I have been tweeking a few things in preparation for fall decorating. I picked up a few boxes of holiday knick-knacks at an auction a few weeks ago and found four really cute ceramic pumpkins and two wooden pumpkins.

As much as I love the fall colors, I decided I have WAAAAY too much orangey stuff so I decided to get a little creative with these. 

Metallic gold? Hum...interesting.

Maybe white pumpkins?  

Candy corn pumpkins? Kinda like these little jars I made a few years ago...super simple and a quick, quirky update to otherwise boring pumpkins!

Dunno...I have a few hundred pumpkins stored in the attic so I will see how these mesh when I finally drag it all down and start setting it up! The great thing about hitting the clearance sales after the season (besides the great savings) is all the wonderful surprises I find the next year!

A few years ago I shared a tutorial for making fall floral urns! Now is the time to get busy and make a few of these! This is the perfect way to use old pumpkins and garland you have grown tired of and no longer want to decorate with!

For me, decorating for fall is a two day process....seriously, I have THAT much! Insane! 

Fall in the Arkansas Ozarks can be amazing! One of the greatest traditions in our area is the Fall Craft Fairs, anchored by the War Eagle Mill Craft fair! This year the fair will be October 15-18.

My advise for attending this event....go early to avoid traffic...wear comfortable walking shoes...come hungry (OMGosh the food is amazing!)...and make sure you clean out your trunk!

Not sure if you can even book a hotel in this area at this late date, but even if you hve to stay 1-2 hours away, it would be worth it. 

War Eagle is not the only craft fair in the area...Northwest Arkansas will be covered with craft venues and the local papers will print maps of all the places where you can literally get lost ALL day just browsing and buying and filling your head with all kinds of inspiration for the holidays and home decorating.

Since I DIY almost everything, I rarely come home with a lot of "stuff" but I do come home with a head full of inspiration! 

If you don't have anything planned for that week and want to take a little road trip with your girlfriends or family, I can promise you will have an amazing time! And maybe the trees will cooperate and  you can see the glory of fall in the Ozarks!

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