Yes, friends it's...ANOTHER BLOG POST!
Can ya believe it?
I know all three of you are dying of essitement.
And well you should be! Exciting things are happening around here. It's nonstop fun. Thrills! Chills! I keep starting blog posts! And then stopping blog posts! And starting blog posts! And then stopping blog posts! Do I want to discuss food? Projects? Gardening? Exes? Camping? Design? FEELINGS? I got lots of...FEEELINGS! (And exes. I keep getting their mail. Y'all? Where should I send your AARP stuff?) Also? Crises! And by that I mean other than my usual (ongoing) existential one!
And this is in addition to my long-term discussion about the merits of bone-in and bone-out hot wings and my ongoing (and all too often neglected) need to think about blue. Couple all that with an almost constant need to log miles on my treadmill to keep myself looking at least somewhat more human than a manatee and my ever growing potted plant collection that is more attention needy than Kim Kartrashian in a manic phase and you've got yourself a busy, twitchy blogger.
However!
I somehow managed to sandwich in a few additional projecting hours today. Following a recent consult with Nikki May, artiste extraordinaire, on my table top project, she suggested the decoupage finish, while beautiful, might benefit from a little "aging" aesthetically and be made more durable via more sealant. We decided I'd accomplish this by applying some stain and a few coats of clear lacquer that just happened to be lurking around on my garage storage shelves. This is I did today (one coat of stain and two of lacquer) in my garage which, near the end of the all-day project, I realized, happened to be hermetically sealed (the garage, that is).
It wasn't the stain fumes the got to me, it was the lacquer.
And I didn't realize what was going on until that last coat when, despite slinging my head around and whinnying like a horse with a fly up it's nose for about five minutes, I ultimately couldn't shake the pounding sensation that had taken over between my temples. Bleary-eyed and dizzy, I realized I'd taken to mentally referring to my phone as "Iphona". Like a woman's name.
As in rhymes with "Ramona".
As in,
Gee, I wonder where I left Iphona?
I glanced over at Tallulah who, either in fact or as a result of my compromised perception, looked to be listing to the left.
And it finally dawned on me that I'd become an unwitting participant in an accidental huffing situation. (I'm sure no one is surprised, given my criminal history.) I staggered over to the wall and slapped the garage door button, and soon Tallulah and I were gratefully gasping great gulps (alliteration points!) of summer air, free (at least relatively speaking) of harmful chemicals.
Not a minute too soon!
Happily, the huffing doesn't seem to have effected the outcome of the project. The stain, while subtle, did indeed add age as well as additional interest and the lacquer, though it's impossible to photograph, added a richer, smoother quality to the surface of the table which will most definitely translate to more durability.
To review, here's what the surface of the table looked like to begin with:
White laminate over particle board peeling and actively crumbling at the edges. After the application of Gatsby and many coats of decoupage:
Much better. And after today's work:
Pippa's counter tops are made of exactly the same material--laminate over particle board-- as the table top and they all sport exactly the same problem: crumbling and chipping edges. Following some Internet research on pop-ups, we've decided to remove the counter tops entirely and replace them with wood. The plan is to decide on and apply the finish to that wood tomorrow (to stain or not to stain, that is the question). Once lacquered, surfaces dry to the touch in several hours, but it takes a full week for the stuff to cure entirely.
Pippa's booth cushions are currently covered in a blue plaid material (I will get before photos up--pinky swear!) that, while not the worst in the world, just aren't my style. Tonight, I'm happy to report, I've made some strides toward picking the fabric that will replace the plaid. For the booth:
Seriously how delightfully cute, retro, and "camp" is that? I want to die of love for it every time I look at it. And the colors? Gray? Turquoise? I love the yellow accent. Love, love, love. This fabric will cover the booth and trim and I like this for the rest:
GRAY! Surprised, aren't you? Outdoorsy? Yes! Gray? Yes!
I love this too, and I think, though both fabrics are prints, they are harmonious enough in color to be pleasing to the eye when seen together in the small space. I've ordered samples of both fabrics and, barring any unforeseen issues with quality, print or color (cross fingers!), hope to order it in quantity soon. An upholsterer (in the NashVegas area) has been recommended and I'm hopeful we can make progress on this (HUGE) aspect of project soon.
Can NOT wait!
1 comment:
Bizzy has been busy!
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