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.....