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Saturday, February 21, 2015

A Few Random Tidbits

Hello and happy Saturday to you! 
If you read my craft room update post last week, you may remember me mentioning that I wanted to sand and stain my desk chair and that I might work on it this weekend. Well, I did it! 
Here is a before picture...


Here are a couple before close-ups.


While I liked the character of the imperfections, I didn't like the way the finish had an almost sticky finish. I think it was from years of use along with natural oils from the hands that touched it over the years.


So, I sanded that sticky finish off and stained it with dark walnut and here it is after.


I left some of the character and tried to keep it as original as possible. I like it much better now. I still need to wax it too, that should help shine it up!


You may also remember me mentioning  that I wanted to repaint this coral frame a new color. I was having a hard time deciding on a color, but Donna from Distressed Donna Down Home mentioned maybe using a mustard color. I thought about it and decided I would try it. Here it is before.....


And here is the after. I couldn't find a perfect shade, so I mixed two colors and this is what I got. It isn't quite as bright as this picture depicts. I don't know why it looks so bright here. I am thinking of getting some dark wax and waxing it to age it a little. I do like it though! What do you think?


Here's a little glimpse of what we've been working on around the house too. We just used plain 1x4's for the crown molding and 1x6's for the baseboards. I wanted something inexpensive and simple since I am trying to incorporate a farmhouse feel in my home. I really like the way they turned out! We still need to fill in nail holes and caulk, but it is a major improvement.


Since this post is full of random information, I am also sharing a few of my new favorite healthy snacks. The hubby and I have been trying hard to eat healthier and lose a little weight. I am loving all these yummy snacks and thought you might want to try them too! 

A friend at work introduced me to these delicious things! They are addictive...kind of like Cheetos! It's hard to put the bag down once you start eating them.


Another friend at work was telling me about these.....crunchy dried okra. I love okra in almost any form, so I had to try them. They are oh so tasty! So crunchy and taste just like they should...okra! Yummy!


I'm pretty sure most folks have tried these little beauties before, but if not, you NEED to! They are heavenly little things. We love the Cuties too, but Halos are normally better priced. These are my new favorite healthy sweet snack. We are still eating some of the foods we love so much, but trying to eat them in moderation. I have always loved sweets and still do, but now I just try not to eat them as often. It's paying off...I've lost 10 pounds so far!


To end this totally random post, I wanted to share a couple photos of my old calico girl, Sugar. 


Sugar passed away Thursday, February 19th. She was 3 months shy of 20 years old. Most cats do not live to be 19 years old. This old girl was a tough cookie! She was more pleasant in her old age, she was quite feisty as a younger cat. I got her when my son was 3 weeks old, so she has been a part of our family forever. She was a unique cat too. She was a polydactyl cat, meaning she had six toes instead of five. Her front paws looked like mittens...:) She lost her hearing a couple years back and was beginning to lose her vision. The hubby and I often joked that she was going to outlive us though. She had recently begun to decline and Wednesday night when we brought her in to keep her warm that night, she passed away peacefully in her sleep. She is buried in my yard next to my old Cocker Spaniel, Honey. I need to make a marker for her grave. The hubby and I both felt it strange pulling in from work Thursday afternoon and her not being in her "spot". She was such a fixture around here and she will be missed. 


I wanted to apologize for not replying to all of my comments recently. I had a super busy week and did not take time to reply to everyone. I am so sorry! I appreciate your comments so much and they always bring a smile to my face as well as my heart. I chose to visit your blogs and leave comments with what little time I had this week. I do hope you'll forgive me!  So, what have you been up to this weekend? I had a productive day, but also watched some TV and read some of my book. Tomorrow I have a Memorial Service to attend, but I am hoping to get started on a couple projects in my craft room as well. It is too clean...lol! I need to get in there and make a mess! Hope you have a lovely Sunday my friends.

Until next time.....

15 comments:

  1. Hi Vicky! First of all - your craft room is fantastic! I am so glad you found me and introduced yourself. I really do think we do have lots in common, too. I do love teaching kinder - but, I sometimes wish I could stay home and create fun things all day long! How neat your sweet kitty stayed with you all so long. 19+ years is wonderful. We just got a new dog - since my Dear McKenzie passed away last year. She was 15, and the sweetest golden retriever ever. Ok - I'm adding you to my bloglovin list!

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  2. Dearest Vicky! Such a lovely glimpse into your life through this sweet post....
    I'm so very sorry for your loss, though - losing an animal is very hard...
    I just love seeing all the wonderful projects you tackle - well done on the chair! It looks really good now:)
    Hope you have a blessed weekend further and much love to you!
    Kelly-Anne

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  3. I am so sorry about the loss of your cat- she certainly had a good life.

    Love the yellow frame and love the chair. I had a chair like that and I honestly have no idea what happened to it.

    Have a great week.

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  4. Vicky,
    First of all, I'm sorry about Sugar. such a pretty cat. I know you'll miss her.
    The frame looks good. I like the new color. The chair turned out great. The molding really finishes the wall. Looks good!
    I may have to try some of those snacks. It would be a tasty way to get more veggies into my diet. Congrats on losing ten pounds. I can't seem to lose any. Sigh.
    I did a nine mile bike ride and helped a friend move then went and hung out with my twin sis. Good day. They said we are in for a cold week starting tomorrow - I was enjoying our Springlike weather. Oh well. It'll be back.

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  5. Vicky, I am so sorry about Sugar. I know you will miss her as I still miss Paws her lived to over 20 and Lucy who was 16 or so. Luckily we still get to keep the memories. I think your chair looks great. I also like the frame color better and with a little dark wax I think it would even be better yet.

    Hugs, Dianne

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  6. Sugar was a pretty kitty! I have had cats all my life but never a calico. So sorry for your loss. Just saw those Snapea Crisps at Walmart and almost bought them. I didn't because I was afraid they'd be too salty. I just bought some Halos though at Aldi for $2.97....so cheap! I love them! Congrats on your weight loss!

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  7. Sorry to hear about Sugar. It is always difficult to lose a pet, no matter what their age. Your sweet Sugar was lucky to be such a big part of your family for 20 years. We had 2 cats who lived to 16 and 17 years.

    Halos are yummy, and so much better for you to eat an orange rather than drink juice, good fiber.. Just bought a bag this morning. Good for you, weight loss is not easy!

    I like the frame color, even if it is not that bright, and your chair looks great. Enjoy your Sunday.

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  8. I love random posts sometimes... we get to see everything you are working on in one post! :o] I like the mustard frame and I think waxing it would really look cool. I put up beadboard wainscoting in my bathroom last weekend but I haven't posted about it yet because I've been SO busy trying to get ready to stock my new antique space :o] It's a little overwhelming! Yesterday a friend came and helped my clean up the garage so I could get all the stuff I need to take to the antique space all down near the door so when it's time I can just open the door, load up my stuff, and go!

    Have a great Sunday Vicky!

    Tania

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  9. Our condolences for the passing of Sugar. I know there is a kitty-shaped hole in your heart right now.

    I love the mustard frame (of course!) and think the addition of dark wax will make it perfect. great list of snacks - especially the okra. Try to fins some edamame (peeled) and boil some in a bit of salty water - as good as boiled peanuts.

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  10. Vicky, your Sugar was a beauty and I'm glad she had such a long life. My Charlie is 16 so I know I've hopefully got a few more years with him. Love the redo of the chair and how you kept the character. I'm not a 'mustard' fan so I can't judge if the color is good, but it's a nice change for you and a popular color this year it seems. I'm working on my art project this weekend after finally feeling better. This cold has been a bad one. I haven't blogged in a week but hope to get one up later today.
    hugs,
    Linda

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  11. I'm so sorry for your loss, thought it's such a comfort to read that Sugar had such a long happy life and such peaceful last moment on Earth. Thinking of you as I know you'll miss her.

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  12. Hi Vicky, your craft room is wonderful and that chair is a treasure. I'm glad that you didn't try to make it look like a new chair. It has so much character, you wouldn't want to take that away from it.
    Great job!
    Connie :)

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  13. Me again . . . I just have to say that. I LOVE that black and white checked floor! Gorgeous!

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  14. Oh Vicky, I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet Sugar. She was a beauty, and was blessed to have such a long life. I know how much you will miss her. I think your chair looks wonderful, and the mustard colour on the frame looks so much better.

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  15. Good for you Vicky! Losing 10 lbs is fantastic. I'm sorry to hear about Sugar. Our pets are also our family. I always love seeing your craft room. I hope you're having a nice weekend!
    Sherry

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Thank you so very much for taking time to leave such kind words for me. Your sweet comments make my heart smile!
I always reply to comments by e-mail, so please make sure you are not a no-reply commenter! Blessings!

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