Semper Fi...

Happy 241th Birthday, Marine Corps!!!

Ooh Rah!!!

♥

The American people have spoken...

and we've elected a new president.



I pray everyone is able to put their party differences aside, work together and heal our country.

We are Americans first and foremost.

♥

Just in case you haven't been bombarded enough...

with obnoxious political television/radio/internet commercials, long winded political robocalls and a ridiculous amount of political flyers in the mail...
Or maybe you've been living under a rock???
((giggle))

Here ya go.



Remember our local elections are just as important as our national election.

:> )

Like Buttah...

That's the only way to describe Zar's Ultra Fast Drying Polyurethane in the Clear Antique Flat finish.



Self leveling, too? Oh how I love you more!
But it's not clear. It is an amber color (oil based) so it will darken whatever you're working on. But in a good way. Trust me.
I can equate the finish to the look of a wood which has been waxed. Just perfect!
I highly recommend it!

Since I want to cure these ol' pine boards a little longer, we will wait until tomorrow to put them all together. So one more day with no kitchen table.

But here's a peek at how the tabletop came out. I did three coats of poly.





It was tedious work, but worth every curse word I may have uttered during the process. ((giggle))

Now I'm going to lay these tired old bones on the sofa and take a load off.

Wishing everyone a restful rest of your Sunday.



:> )

Stain for me is trial and error...

But after several attempts, I ended up with a color I am so happy with! Yippee!!



But it first started with "Colonial Pine," a rather large error. It was much too light! Yikes!
I swear, I can't get this stain to look the same anywhere I use it!



I do know pine is very porous and takes stain differently. It also gets kind of a golden/amberish color even more so when using an oil base stain. At least that's what I've encountered.
Since I've never tried it, I decided to use a wood conditioner first. A wood conditioner is to help prevent stain blotches on your wood. Heck, I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't have used it. I like blotches and imperfections!

So I made a beeline to the basement and started digging around for darker stain colors.



I found "English Chestnut." I had to laugh when I read "New Color!" on the can. Seeing that the can was all rusty and has been sitting in our basement for a long, long time, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's no longer a new color.



Next, I need to apply the antique flat polyurethane.
Then lightly sand. Apply poly... Lightly sand... You get the idea.
I'll tackle that tomorrow.

Here's a peek at my sweet hub's latest project.

Meet... Charlie. Charlie kept me company in the barn today.



He's a 1969 Jeep CJ5. He has a Buick Dauntless V6 cylinder engine. I have no idea what that means, but as per my sweet hubs that's freakin' fantastic.
He got bit by the Jeep bug when I got Betsy. Charlie has seen better days, but he's still extremely cool.

That's it for today.
Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight.

More pics tomorrow.

:> )

Jump in head first...

that's the best way to tackle projects when you're unsure.

I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to cut down the tables leaves to make a smaller table top. Then I thought, you only live once and went for it.

I couldn't help but giggle when I told my sweet hubs to use my O'Lipfa edge ruler. Sure it's for sewing but that thing is AWESOME when you have to measure and need a straight edge! Every DIY'er should have one in their tool kit.

Stella is like our canine "Where's Waldo?"



She's always in a photo. But you have to find her.



Holy schnikes, it still looks big in this photo. But it's not.



Then I spent a good three hours down in the barn sanding off the dark stain. I plan on restaining it with my favorite color stain **all together now** "Colonial Pine."
Of course I had to take a break in between to play with my precious girl.





Tomorrow is wood conditioning, staining and hopefully polyurethane day!
I'm pretty excited about trying a clear poly finish by Zar called "antique flat." I've never seen a poly that's a flat finish before. Perfect for when you're refinishing and you want the piece to look old yet keep it protected.

Man, I really need to refinish the whole dang table.
But I'm getting to old for this $h*!

Have a terrific weekend, all!!

:> )

P.S.
Geez Louise! Looks like Photobucket is having trouble yet again. Sigh.
Sorry if you can't see some of my photos.

By Jove, I think I've got it!

Well, I knew there was a reason why I didn't use the smaller dining room table as our daily kitchen table.

It's on wheels. If you've never sat an antique dinner table on wheels, it can be quite the experience. Especially if you don't follow proper dinner table etiquette (like us) and eat with your elbows on the table. Or if you've ever accidentally hip checked an antique dinner table on wheels (like I've done) things on the table literally go flying. It's a real treat. ((giggle))

So the wheels in my noggin started turning... We really need a kitchen table that can kind of take a beating. Like the table that was in there. Sturdy and strong. But not as massive.

Well I forgot the massive vintage table came with 4 leaves. I think it stretched out to 9 feet! With how small our family is, I am sure we will never need a 9 foot dinner table. Besides we don't have the room for one. Unless we open the front door. ((hee hee))

So, I dug them out and laid them across the table to get an idea how it would look...





All I need to do is cut them down to the size of the other table sand 'em down, re-stain 'em, put a matte clear coat and we're in business.

Then I can bring the antique table back in this room where it belongs and never use it. ((giggle))

Truthfully, I feel much better cutting down these vintage, table leaves than I do my beautiful antique barn wood planks.

So I do believe I know what project I'll be working on (hopefully) this weekend.

Happy Thursday, all!!!

:> )

Don't you love it when you...

squirrel something away and forget about it? Until you accidentally come across it and remember you bought it??!! It's like Christmas come early!

Man, my mom was notorious for that! Growing up she would be doing her closet spring cleaning upstairs when she's yell out, "I forgot to give you something for Christmas..." I'd go tearing up the stairs to see what it was. It got to the point where it was a family joke.

What's even stranger is I knew all her Christmas gift hiding spots and even I didn't find them! She was that good. ((giggle))

So yesterday I'm down in the barn rummaging around to find barn wood for the tabletop and there was my big ol' copper barn star I bought 12 years ago. Heck, I forgot all about it!

I originally had it hanging inside the farmhouse. Then I wanted a change and asked hubs to hang it outside on the barn. But where I wanted it hung, it had to be removed every time hubs wanted access to the upper part of the barn. So that didn't fly too well. It ended up squirreled away in the barn.
That is until now.

Since I'm still on a copper kick, I plan on hanging it back up in the living room.



I guess it's true what they say... The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Thanks, mom!

Happy Wednesday, all.

:> )

TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile...

Sweet Gingerelle...


Firewood Folks Santa...


Folk Art Nativity...



Click on the banner below to go directly to my selling page.




Hope to see you there!!

P.S.
Happy Halloween!!
Unfortunately no treat or treaters out here in the sticks. **boo**hiss**
So someone out there please eat a Milky Way for me!!

:> )

As the late great Bob used to say...

"It's a happy little accident."

Late last night as I was dismantling the massive round dining table and trying to figure out where in the heck am I going to store it, I had a happy little accident. (Okay. That didn't sound right)

At first I was freaking out because the table legs only came apart in two sections. There was no way I could take them completely apart because they were most likely glued biscuit joints. I was staring at what looked like two triangular walkers. ((giggle))

As I was making room in our tiny "dining room" to drag out the massive table top, I placed the two leg sections together in the center of the room.



THAT'S IT!!! All I need is to make a table top and I have the perfect 3 foot square table for the room.



Heck, I've squirreled away some beautiful old barn wood doors that would make a beautiful table top!
I proudly wear my "I am a barn wood hoarder" badge.



As you can see, Bob is thrilled!



You thought I was talking about Bob Ross, didn't you?
Nope. Bob the Ghost.

((giggle))

Happy Saturday, all.

:> )

If I could do a cartwheel...

I would do it in my kitchen with all this room we have now!!!

But I never could. So I'll just stand in one spot, wave my arms wildly while jumping up and down.

YaY!!





LOVE the smaller table in here. Hubs does, too!





Man, it is truly amazing how the simplest of things in life can make one happy and content.

Happy Friday, all.

P.S.
Be amazed. Find a simple thing in your life to make you happy and content.



:> )

Uh oh. I just had a wicked A.D.D. moment...

As I was sitting at the kitchen table working on my Early Work Mercantile offering I thought, "Do we really need this gigantic round dining table in the kitchen??"
Between the new wood stove, dog beds and large dining room set, I'm constantly having to maneuver around everything. It's ridiculous.

Since my mom passed away, I no longer have big family holiday gatherings. I no longer need to feed a small army. It's basically my sweet hubs and I.

So I got to thinking...
As much as I love my "dining room" (American flag walls) we NEVER use it. The old ladder back dining room set I have in there was my mother's.
I love the set but quite frankly the chairs are not the most comfortable. Back in the old days folks were much skinnier and tinier than we are now. ((giggle))

Also, I am never giving up any of my old Windsor chairs. No way. No how.
So I dropped everything I was working on and started dragging tables and chairs around.

The table is only 36" x 42" compared to the 60" round I have in the kitchen.




Did you spot blurry, little "Twinkle Toes?"



I think it looks pretty darn good. So much more room, too! YaY!!! The table legs are bit on the chunky side, but they're turned and so are the Windsor legs. It'll do. Maybe I need to take a peek on Craigslist for old dining tables. Shhhh... No one (meaning my sweet hubs) needs to know that.

Hmmm... Not sure where the heck I'm going to put the round table though. I certainly can't take it apart myself. For now I'll cram it in the "dining room" and try not to notice it.

Lord only knows how my sweet hubs is going to react when he walks through the door later today and sees this one!

I'd better grab a defibrillator...

:> )

What's cookin' in the Countryfolk kitchen???

Oooooh, I can't spill the beans just yet. But here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on...



((giggle)) Sorry, that's as clear as it's going to get for now.

Don't forget the first of November we kick off our Early Work Mercantile "A Log Cabin Christmas" for the whole month!



Okay. Back to work!

Happy Thursday, all!!!

:> )

P.S.
It's snowing! What perfect timing to create whimsical Christmas folk art!!
YaY!!

Outside. Gloomy snow showers.

But inside...



Toasty warm, four legged, furry little bums.

That is until the FedEx guy dropped off a "certain box" and a "certain someone" got a whiff.



"Well, what the heck are you waiting for??!!
OPEN IT for cryin' out loud!!"



Wishing everyone a toasty Tuesday.



:> )

"May rays of morning sun...

light the fire in you to achieve big things in life."
~Unknown


Wishing you a fantastic and productive week.




Happy Monday, everyone!

:> )

Two Thanksgiving offerings on Countryfolk Keepsakes...

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine.
Sadly, we seem to jump from Halloween right into Christmas and Thanksgiving is somewhat forgotten.

But not at the ol' Countryfolk homestead.

Here's my Folk Art Turkey and Give Thanks...






Click on the "Seasons" button below to go directly to my Countryfolk Keepsakes site.



Now it's time to start working on my Christmas offerings!!

Happy Sunday, all!!

:> )

Good Gloomy Friday...

Been busy putting the finishing touches on two Thanksgiving pieces I'll be offering on my selling site.

As soon as it's not so dreary I'll snap some photos and add them.

If you haven't already, be sure to join my Countryfolk Keepsakes Email List to be notified of any new offerings.

Wishing everyone a terrific weekend!!



I'll be raking leaves.

:> )