think good thoughts...

"You are Braver than you Believe,

Smarter than you Seem,

and Stronger than you Think."

~Winnie the Pooh~

Happy Monday...

make it a great day!

xoxo

LW

Speaking of trash....

Ask my boys what I might be doing on any given Monday night, and they will tell you....with a roll of their eyes.... "picking up curb trash."

They know the drill.... all too well, I'm afraid.  I usually insist on taking one of them with me.  Someone has to jump out real fast and grab the broken dresser or random pieces of wood before anyone spots us... right?

Once, I didn't make it out until daylight (big risk, there... so many treasures have already been found) but I wasn't to be disappointed....  It was broken, but it was beautiful to me.... calling my name from an old beach house on Sullivan's.

it sang 'sun-bleached', 'wind-worn', 'aged-by-the-sea'...

I brought it home and sat it on my front porch for a while.... and I liked it there, just the way it was.

Too bad I didn't leave it there... just the way it was....   but we learn as we go.

Thinking I had to paint it to restore it's beauty, I decided to layer it with some creamy yellow Annie Sloan paint...

then with some Napoleonic Blue... and voila

My own little place to sit while I read and watch the boys throw football....

Where is your favorite place to sit and relax??  

Show me....

xoxo

LW

Nouvelle Vie....

Bonjour bonjour, mon amis...  you just might become bilingual if you visit here often enough, oui?

My post title means "new life"... and it's a segment that demonstrates just that... transformations of many kinds.  

With my favorite man being in graduate and post graduate school, now going on 6 years, the boys and I have had to make due, repaint, repurpose, re-arrange, re-cover and breathe-the-life-back-into the things I have and things I find around me (including the curb on trash day).  

As I look back, though, I did this even before Rob decided to go back to school.  We were a family of 7 living on one income and I suppose I have always had to be creative.

So, when my friend mentioned she was going to toss her old 90's dining room table and chairs to make room for a new set that would match her more contemporary black hutch, I perked up.....  

She had my full attention...

"Let-me-try-and-paint-it-first", I  blurted.... 

"When did you start painting things?"  

I had to look away before I answered her... "wellll, I haven't really painted much... or anything big like your table before, but since you were planning to throw it out anyway....why don't you let me try and paint it?  Besides...you may like it.  If you don't, then you can toss it!"

She's such a good friend...

She agreed.

So, out with the old....

......and in with the new...

These chairs were so easy to recover...just unscrewed the seat cushions underneath, removed the old material and covered with the new.  Only a staple gun was necessary..

The chairs and legs of the table were primed and spray painted in satin black, then distressed, slightly.

For the table top I used a soft black latex paint and applied it with a brush.  It was a little tricky getting the smooth finish I wanted, but after three coats I was happy with the results.

After distressing I protected the table with a clear, satin polyacrylic finish.

.....and there you have it...

Nouvelle vie!

*Here's what I used...

  

I have tried many different types of spray paint and

the brand I prefer most is Krylon.  I always use their

spray primer when spraying furniture.

For this project one full coat was enough.

This product gives great, full coverage, 

however it does leave a slightly sandy feel... 

so after waiting several hours

for the coat to dry, I lightly went over the chairs and table

with a fine grit (100-120 grit) sandpaper before I used this....

Krylon Dual Paint and Primer black spray paint...
I used the satin finish in order to match the finish
of her new hutch.  This product also comes in a flat finish.
I have found that this dual paint gives even better
coverage than just regular spray paint so if you are
using a basic color, such as black,
white, cream or red, there should be a Krylon dual
you can use.

Spray painting on furniture can leave a "stripey" finish
so be patient...several coats will be necessary before
you get a smooth, even finish.
I bought all of my spray paint at Walmart...cheapest
place I have found to buy this brand.  Always buy
several cans more than you think you will need...
I've been left mid-project waiting on another shipment
of paint more than once... :)

Always protect with a polyacrylic finish of some kind
and let dry 48 hours.

au revoir!

xoxo

LW

Persistence....

I am thankful for Persistence....

Persistence gives us the chance to win and the ability to realize our hopes and dreams.  Where we are lacking, Persistence can make up for it.

You see, we are each blessed with strengths or "gifts", if you will.... and usually, as we grow and get on with our lives, we learn to recognize and develop them over time.

We use our strengths to earn a living, to serve or help those around us, or as a means to experience joy and satisfaction in life.

But the smartest candidate doesn't always land the job; a gifted athlete doesn't always make the college or professional team; the best chef doesn't always open a successful restaurant.

Why is this, you ask?

Persistence.


Persistence is always there to grace the taker who recognizes he or she is not the "best"... who knows they have to study harder, out practice, sweat more blood and tears if they want the chance to seize the prize.

What is Persistence, exactly?

It is this....

and this

Our son, Zach....

This kid was running sprints at the track during Christmas break while most people were.... not.  I watched him...back and forth, back and forth.... as fast as he could.  It would have taken a loud whistle and a bull whip to get me to push myself like that.

He is not the tallest kid on the block... (5'8", to be exact) and when he moved to North Carolina and tried out for the freshman football team, he did not make it.

So he joined the lacrosse club instead, determined to build his strength and stamina.

He went back for more, 3 years later, and earned a starting position as a wide receiver, had an amazing season and finished the year with the MVP award in lacrosse and as South Meck's Male Athlete of the Year.

He set his athletic and personal pursuits aside to serve a 2-year mission for his church but got up early, rain-sleet-or-snow, 5 days a week to run and maintain his health.

The sweet news is, right after I took this picture, Zach received an unexpected phone call from the lacrosse coach at BYU.  Within a week, he was on their field, throwing it all down to earn him a spot.
Tryouts lasted from 7am to 4pm... hardest work out of his life..

but he made the team...

Now that, my friend.... is Persistence.

xoxo
LW

Moving on...that's all I'm going to say

Yes, moving on.  I'm not going to take myself back and worry about the OVER 2 YEARS that have lapsed since my last visit here... So... moving on... :)


On thursday, october 31st, two thousand and thirteen,  we ditched our costumes and halloween candy....jumped in our van and drove to charlotte.  You see, after two long years, our hard-working, stalwart, devoted, changed-into-a-man, missionary son stepped off the plane and back into our everyday lives!

                                             We couldn't arrive sans welcome signs..

(sans means "without" in french...a little frenglish for you)

There are no words....

Our oldest son came all the way from californ-I-A to be here with us..

I told him I liked his Jesus hair...

(honest...I was a little jealous because it was actually a little longer than mine)

brothers....

most touching moment of the day for me..

(may I add that I also love the awkward stances of the boy cousins in the background...

 and the melt-my-heart expression from the girl cousin)

the whole gang!

xoxo
LW