Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
I'm a non-coper. I admit it. I don't cope too well. That's why our last post was, let's see — {pretty, happy, funny, real} from last week! Wow.
When it's 100° and a godforsaken amount of humidity, I fold. And yet the dryness! I never water my garden, but I relented in this case. Things were turning crispy out there. I don't know how you Texans survive.
My soul starts to get a little crispy.
Note the hose. From the previous, more crispy weather pattern. |
And then the torrential rain. Not to complain, because I know some of you would really like to see the rain. But going from wishing you could shed your skin to wearing wool socks to bed in the space of a day? I think I'm getting old.
Anyway, stuff has been going on here.
Work on the third floor, which if I had any stamina at all would be done, but isn't because I don't. Spray painting. Sewing. Gardening. Reading. Thinking about all sorts of things I need to tell you and truth to tell, experiencing posting gridlock.
So let's capture some contentment, shall we?
Let's.
See these?
Yeah, these were in my den. For years. I kept saying I'd spray-paint them but they always have lots of books and clickers and lamps on them. This is just so embarrassing. The white one had been gesso-ed by my mother and then quickly pressed into service before art could happen to it, and the other one was pretending to be shabby-chic and, to be honest, failing.
They are black.
In the sewing department, I made covers for the Observation Hive. Yes, he pulled some frames out of one hive and populated his little indoor bee village. And they needed to be kept in the dark!
So that makes him happy! (Although more juggling might be necessary, but you know what? That's how bees are. You are always moving them around, feeding them, splitting the hives, combining the hives, and otherwise trying to maximize their happiness!)
That bottle up at the top is sugar water, to feed the bees, on account of them not being able to find enough for themselves at the moment. |
This was the order: Please make two curtains (but not gathered or otherwise frilly!), light on the outside so as not to absorb heat, but thick enough so as not to allow sunlight in.
I had thought of using felt (as I mentioned before), but the right thickness was not forthcoming without too big an investment.
I have noticed that when you can't find something just right to buy, it's often because you already have what you need. You just have to think a little!
Sure enough, I had this thrifted fabric in my stash, which started out as curtains, and I think it's pretty as well! (I made Deirdre a handbag out of some of it quite a while ago, but I don't think I took any photos of it.)
To provide the darkness, I backed the curtain fabric with pillowcases that needed to go anyway. They are just the right dimensions — no cutting necessary. I had intuited this when told what size to make — it seemed so familiar a size to me! And voilá!
A little tack at the bottom to keep the layers together. |
This is my way of clamping the veneer, which needed serious gluing at the bottom of the end table, before spray painting. Pieces of wood for evening out the pressure. Hey, it worked! Whatever works!
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Charlotte says
I'm planning on posting tomorrow, but I just had to tell you that when I read this line:
I kept saying I'd spray-paint them but they always have lots of books and clickers and lamps on them.
My very tired, dry eyes saw “books and chickens and lamps on them”. And for a minute I actually wondered if they were ceramic chickens or real. OK…time for bed.
PNG says
Love the black end tables and the fabric over the O-hive.:) I need to explore spray-painting…never have done that. My husband says he is an excellent spray painter…I should put his talents to work for us in the decorating dept. don't you think?;)
Provincial Homemaker says
I love the black end tables. I had never thought of painting furniture black. They look great with the books on them – I noticed Mansfield Park in the pile;)
Those bees have pretty snazzy curtains now don't they. I bet the'll still think its sunny even on a rainy day with that cheerful print.
Hollace says
Good job on doing the 2 tables. A long awaited goal accomplished: you can feel good about that.
We have been in the cold and damp here all summer. Usually are summers are beautiful and remind us of how wonderful it is to live in the temperate PNW, but not this year. Wet, wet, wet!
Cynthia says
I never knew you could keep a bee hive inside! Or, wait…am I seeing that right? Love the end tables. I do so wish I had an eye for restoring things. Perhaps someday? Love your blog!
regan says
oh boy do i love that garden. and your clothesline. *sigh*
everything is so lush and green…ah the reward for enduring all that rain!
but even here, in sunny CA, the weather has been strange. not quite as extreme as wool socks one minute and 100 degree temps the next. but close. tonite is actually cool. had to turn off the air because everyone is cold! love those black tables. i have 4 things waiting patiently to be painted black. but it is such a dreary color (albeit one of my favorites!) and so i just can't seem to motivate myself!
ps. that fabric for the bees is GREAT! i love. love. love. it! and i am sure the bees do too!
Misty says
Your black table makeover is so inspiring. They look really beautiful now! I like the comment that you were trying to pretend it was Shabby Chic but failing. I have a few pieces like that too!
Kate says
I don't know many who were good at coping with that heat, we had it here too. Except my husband. I don't think he even noticed.
Your garden is lovely! And what a great idea for lining the bee covering!
Ok, off to join up on facebook 🙂
Joy says
I love your black tables. What a great idea! I get nervous about spraypainting wood so it helps to see how well it turns out. I tend to use orange oil and lots of elbow grease.
I understand about watering the garden but mine would have died in June if I hadn't accepted the need for hose time. It is has been very dry down here this summer.
Margaret in MN says
It's been so humid here that when I went out yesterday to take my {prettyhappyfunnyreal} photos, the camera lens fogged up! So you see, dear ladies, that I do indeed sympathize.
Mrs. Fordyce says
Love the fabric on the bee hive! The tables look lovely, as does your garden! Hope you are able to find relief from the heat! It felt hot to me yesterday, but it was only 75! We are having the opposite extreme here, with one of the coolest, rainiest summers on record.
Nadja says
Oh, I do like your restored furniture. Makes me want to go to a yard sale today!
Lynette says
I love the black end tables. They make me want to try to do the same thing! So, two questions–do you sandpaper the tables first? and what kind of spray paint? Thanks!
_Leila says
Lynette, the white one was sanded and primed already (not that I would have primed it, but my mom is very exacting when it comes to such things, and it had been her project a while back), and the other one was pretty worn from long use, with no finish on it to speak of.
I did not sand it. I fixed the peeling veneer on the bottom and just went at it. My attitude is that unless the finish is super shiny, everything will be fine. And it usually is. Heck, I hardly dusted it before I sprayed. The fact is that the top of that table has chipped veneer and is never going to be anything other than shabby-chic. It's just a question of getting it to the point that your eye misses the issues.
I used the Valspar black, not the flat but not the glossy either. I wasn't as thrilled with it as I have been with the Rustoleum black or the Valspar blue (as seen on my shelf in the kitchen). The coverage was a bit spotty, but on the other hand, I was doing it (sporadically) in the 100 degree heat, so maybe that's why.
Lisa G. says
I don't how anyone can function in humidity – I'm amazed that you can paint a table! And it's very nice – your “relaxed” approach to it is eye-opening to me – thanks!
The bee curtains are just right! The pillowcases were a great idea – hope the bees are duly grateful.
As for “Mansfield Park” – the character of Fanny seems Catholic to me – so like many of the saints I've read about. So forgetful of self – although I think I got that idea from watching the latest version of it on tv; it's too long since I read the book. But she seems despised by many in book reviews.
Linny says
How I wish I could paint and fix and make new again like you do, Leila!
I am going to show my husband the picture of your bees. He loves honey and bees and is dying to know more about keeping his own. Maybe your photos will give him a little nudge of encouragement!
Charlotte says
Auntie Leila, us Texans survive by sitting in the AC, sucking on icey pops and burying our heads in the straw until October! Right now, we are praying for a tropical storm to hit this weekend. Join us?
Kris says
Your garden is lovely! I'm struggling with the heat. It's been an awful long summer and August is typically our hottest month. Maybe I should go to the mountains for a month!
Deirdre says
The black looks great!
Kate says
The only way to cope is to get a project going, I say.
I do envy your green – that photo is mentally refreshing. I'm in the mountains of CA, where we always water or nothing grows. In other areas the air conditioning may be the biggest bill in the summer, but ours is the electricity bill to pump water. It's been so cool at night we usually close the windows and turn off the ceiling fans. The down side is we still don't have any tomatoes or zucchini. And forgot about growing melons.
womanofthehouse says
Your yard is so pretty in the rain! We got some much-needed rain too. I love the tables! Paint covers a multitude of sins, doesn't it?
Sue says
We were out too much this week for me to post much, and when we weren't out I was too busy sweating – so I know of what you speak! At least you have {phfr} to ensure that you get a post up once a week.
I smiled when I saw that familiar little book on your newly painted table. Love it – that is, when I can get it away from my two older kids!
I am amazed by your dear husband's bees. When I first saw that contraption I truly wondered if that would work in our apartment. I suppose our neighbors wouldn't be too happy, though. Oh well, one can dream!
_Leila says
Sue, why not if you really wanted to? The bees go out by the tube, and I don't know why the neighbors would notice, particularly…
Margo says
I kept wondering what was wrong with me until I realized that heat will do that to me. I'd be happy to wear some wool socks – I think I like winter better. BUT I am NOT going to complain.
Your garden does look really lovely. I think our tomatoes got too stressed – they're still producing, but they look wilty even with the rain.
bbs says
My same edition of Mansfield Park! And such a contemporary novel, too, with the problem of too much worldly education and not enough character formation.
Emily says
Question about spray painting: do you spray on a varnish of some sort after the paint? I'm wondering because I tried a DIY project yesterday, painting a small bookshelf red for my son. Today the paint is dry, but every time I touch it, dry red paint rubs off on my hand. I'm thinking perhaps I missed a step? Help! 🙂
_Leila says
Emily, you have to let the paint dry and cure. Something like a bookshelf takes a lot of paint, and as it's oil-based, it really needs time to cure. Plus, the red is a little tricky — my stools always leave a little red mark on my yellow cabinets. Since you won't be bashing your shelf into things, probably, you should have no trouble once you let it really dry.