Spring . Amazing . Everyday

Today is the first day of spring and I should be busy writing a post about spring cleaning.  But the  temperature feel more like May and I have a full blown case of spring fever.  My brain is saying keep the course but my heart is screaming get outdoors, plant a garden, take a ride!

So I listen to my heart and changed out my dinning room center piece to something a little brighter. Something saying spring is here...

Next stop was Lowe's  to purchase pansies and mulch. Love fresh mulch...it screams spring as it defines my day lilies and tulips which are have already surfaced.  As I loaded six bags of mulch into the cart one thought went through my mind..."this is why more women are not mass murderers..we can't carry the dead body."  I am still thinking this when approach the checkout and the young male employee make a face because the bar codes on the bag are facing down.  Little did he know how lucky he really was since I  cannot carry dead weight. I admit it is not a spring like thought! By now I have worked up a hunger and there is only one place for me to go!

Stewart's Root Beer Stand, a landmark for many,  has stood in this spot since 1940. Owned and operated by the same family the entire time.  It opens in March and closes in October. It is a ritual of spring around here...the place I went as a teenager to hang out, the place I took my kids to and now my grandchildren. Generations of families come back every year and it is no different for my family. Of course, I  could not resist sending pics to my children and sisters. Everyone has their favorite order! Hot dogs, Pork Roll, California Burgers...

Yep...they only have car side service. The” carhops”  are male and wear white uniforms. So nostalgic!  I was greeted the same way he greets me every year "Hello Gorgeous" which makes my day. While I was waiting for my order, I noticed an elderly women waiting for a takeout order at the counter. Seems my carhop guy was not allowing her to pay for her order. I could over hear her saying "if you do this I can't come here anymore". Depression area people are a proud bunch and she reminded me of my grandmother. The carhop gently rubbed her arm, kissed her on the cheek and sent her on her way.  Secretly, I could have hugged him because despite her protest he made her day!

So as I sat in my car eating my cheesesteak sandwich, I thought "yep" it is Spring! Flowers ate blooming, I am wearing flip flops, just witnessed such a sweet act of kindness and tomorrow ....

I will write the post about spring cleaning!

Betty

Inspiration from Google Images and my photographs

Spring . Amazing . Everyday

Paint It Black . Amazing . Everyday

I See A Red Door and I want it Painted Black No Colors Anymore I want them to turn Black"

Rolling Stones 1966

Just like the Stones rocked it out..."Paint it Black" is my standard answer whenever my daughter, sisters and I are chatting about refinishing a piece of furniture. It is has become a family joke with only my daughter agreeing with me. My sisters roll their eyes...knowing full well I will paint it black and eventually they will like the finished piece. But come to think of it they have never asked me to finish a piece for them...hmm! 

My preference in decor and decorating is casual elegance. Shabby chic, while popular, isn't the look I want when refinishing a piece of furniture. Maybe why I have an addiction to black paint. Black is a strong color and makes a statement. More my style! No one would every describe me as a sunshine yellow or feminine pink.

I am always on the look out for my "next score" at flea markets and the local Goodwill Store. Over the winter I purchased several pieces and was forced to wait for warmer weather. Living in a townhouse has it advantages but not having a garage to work in is not one of them. 

 

Warmer weather arrived and I could not wait to start this bench i picked up a Goodwill for $5.00.  It quickly became my Saturday project.

Any sign of varnish was worn off long before purchasing the bench so only a light sanding was necessary. The seat had two layers of fabric to remove. Here is were I day dream wondering who owned the piece? Was it part of a vanity set where a young girl watched herself grow into a lovely young women?  Did the owner pass away and no one in the family saw the beauty? 

Once down to the batting...EEK! It was in pretty bad shape and imagine full of dust mites. So, I replaced with 4 layers of new batting. 

Since working with a small piece, I decided to go with Valspar Spray Paint Satin Finish in black, of course.This is were my project move outdoors.  I sprayed the base of the bench with 2 light coats of paint to avoid dripping. While it goes against my nature ,I have learned not to hurry this step. Several light coats gives the piece a beautiful finish.

While the paint was drying I quickly covered the seat with a cream and beige silk fabric, I had used on another project. Covering a seat is just like wrapping a package. Only...use a staple gun instead of tape to secure the fabric to the wood. Bing, Bang, Done! 

Close up of the finished bench... 

My passion for re-finishing furniture is not about saving money or decorating on a budget. I like the romance of it all! The story behind the piece and transforming something old into beauty again.

I hope I inspired you to take a trip to your local Goodwill Store or flea market and find the piece just waiting to be Painted Black.

Betty

Spring Clean . Amazing . Everyday

Time for Spring Cleaning

Paint it Black . Amazing . Everyday

I See A Red Door and I want it Painted Black No Colors Anymore I want them to turn Black"

Rolling Stones 1966

Just like the Stones rocked it out..."Paint it Black" is my standard answer whenever my daughter, sisters and I are chatting about refinishing a piece of furniture. It is has become a family joke with only my daughter agreeing with me. My sisters roll their eyes...knowing full well I will paint it black and eventually they will like the finished piece. But come to think of it they have never asked me to finish a piece for them...hmm! 

My preference in decor and decorating is casual elegance. Shabby chic, while popular, isn't the look I want when refinishing a piece of furniture. Maybe why I have an addiction to black paint. Black is a strong color and makes a statement. More my style! No one would every describe me as a sunshine yellow or feminine pink.

I am always on the look out for my "next score" at flea markets and the local Goodwill Store. Over the winter I purchased several pieces and was forced to wait for warmer weather. Living in a townhouse has it advantages but not having a garage to work in is not one of them. 

Warmer weather arrived and I could not wait to start this bench i picked up a Goodwill for $5.00.  It quickly became my Saturday project.

Any sign of varnish was worn off long before purchasing the bench so only a light sanding was necessary. The seat had two layers of fabric to remove. Here is were I day dream wondering who owned the piece? Was it part of a vanity set where a young girl watched herself grow into a lovely young women?  Did the owner pass away and no one in the family saw the beauty? 

Once down to the batting...EEK! It was in pretty bad shape and imagine full of dust mites. So, I replaced with 4 layers of new batting. 

Since working with a small piece, I decided to go with Valspar Spray Paint Satin Finish in black, of course.This is were my project move outdoors.  I sprayed the base of the bench with 2 light coats of paint to avoid dripping. While it goes against my nature ,I have learned not to hurry this step. Several light coats gives the piece a beautiful finish.

While the paint was drying I quickly covered the seat with a cream and beige silk fabric, I had used on another project. Covering a seat is just like wrapping a package. Only...use a staple gun instead of tape to secure the fabric to the wood. Bing, Bang, Done! 

Close up of the finished bench...

And where it will live.

 My passion for re-finishing furniture is not about saving money or decorating on a budget. I like the romance of it all! The story behind the piece and transforming something old into beauty again.

I hope I inspired you to take a trip to your local Goodwill Store or flea market and find the piece just waiting to be Painted Black.

Betty

Women . Amazing . Everyday

Our blog is an extension of our brand and is intended to entertain and provide helpful tips and information so please allow me express by feelings on a current event. You see,  I had a nice post on "Spring . Amazing . Everyday" just about complete but felt  compelled to save it for another day.  

The Sandra Fluke and Rush Limbaugh travesty has me all riled up. Sandra, a law student, was called a "SLUT" a "PROSTITUTE" because she is an advocate for insurance companies to cover birth control. Several men have echoed Sandra's opinion and may have been "chastised" by Rush but they were not called names. Guess the  "Wink Wink" is alive still intact in some circles.

I want to be clear, this post is not about my position on birth control or a women's right to choose. It is simply about tolerance for diversity, treating women with respect and  not allowing men to call women degrading names. 

The "Rush" incident reminded me of "Imus in the Morning".  Another radio talk show host who used a "racial slur" while referring to a young female basketball player while on the air for a station owned by MSNBC. Imus lost his job after being on the radio for 25 years and rightfully so.  I applaud the efforts of everyone involved in making an ethical decision. It should be noted he was back on the air in 9 months for a different station.

Reverend Jessie Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, iconic African-American leaders, took a staunch stance against Imus and applied pressure to hold him accountable for degrading the young women. If not for these two men, MSNBC may have let Imus skate by on an apology and not because they agreed with his choice of words...but they stood to loose a healthy steam of revenue. 

In the case of Sandra Fluke, she had no iconic leaders for women's rights to jump to her defense.  If this happened in the 70's or 80's, Gloria Steinem and Helen Gurley Brown would be all over this type of bull bias. Women would be protesting outside of Clear Channel's offices demanding action against Rush! News reporters with mic's in hand would stalk Gloria's office for a comment. Chance are he would have been asked to leave by now. I checked Gloria's Facebook page to see if she was up in arms; ready to stage the fight for a young women's rights. She had 3 recent post but she has not been in the limelight for many years.

You see, Gloria and Helen did their job and completed their mission! It is time for them to enjoy life. Problem is no one picked up the baton to act as a watchdog. We were all too busy reaping the rewards, getting promoted and making our way.

Seems "fabulous women" of a certain age including myself, failed to teach our beautiful, independent, and  smart daughters about the women who came before us. The women who made it  possible for women to be in power and empowered, treated as equals, CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies, doctors, lawyers and even a make a run for President of the United States. 

And I do know, plenty of people are up in arms about the public disgracing Sandra Fluke received for voicing her opinion. Turn on any news channel or pick up the paper and the story is still news. I applaud the sponsors who canceled their advertising on the show. I fear without an iconic women leader to put the pressure on Clear Channel to fire Rush Limbaugh there is an excellent chance  his weak apology will get him by.

You see...somewhere between the women's movement and today we lost our voice. We became a little complacent and secure in our world. So when Limbaugh spewed his venom, I felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown on me. 

So the next time you talk to your daughter and explain she has the power remember to tell her it was not always like that....

Poem by Maya Angelo