It is no secret that the Little Bayou House is quirky which means...I am quirky. I have been called everything from weird to eccentric and I have to admit, they all fit. But...that is me and I need no one else's approval. At this fine age, I am fully allowed to just be me.
The other morning it dawned on me that the two thrifted glider rockers that sit among the other odd pieces of furniture were in dire need of some help. Both were decked out in the lovely off-white fabric that was so popular when the chairs were originally sold. The chairs were grimy looking and just not the right "era" for my mindset. In their favor, they were super comfortable so something had to be done to salvage them if possible. Out came the only fabric that I had on hand and some tools. I recovered both chairs turning the once lightly padded rockers into upholstered rockers. I could not be happier with the results. The workmanship with arthritic hands may not be the best but the chairs "fit" now. Son dubbed me as the "Glider Rocker Purplizer" for my efforts since the only fabric I had on hand was a lovely shade of purple!. (Could be worse, I supposed.) I did learn a number of things with the onset of the task.
1. Never let fear of failure impede your dreams. You can always began anew. If fear was a logical emotion we would never learn to walk, talk or anything else as a child. Fear is only there to stir the adrenalin and make us strive harder.
2. Do not procrastinate! If you want something done...just do it. Do not wait for others because it will most likely never happen. Just do it.
3. Purple is a lovely color for anything. It evokes a sense of calmness yet a sense of the mysterious. It also "goes" with just about anything given the circumstances.
4. Let your inner weirdness free and do whatever makes you happy. One friend said she had purple porch furniture but had to change it because her husband did not like it. Why? I figure if I am the one doing the work, I should be able to do whatever it is I wish. (Just a note here, Mark loves the chairs!)
5. Glue guns are friends. Staple guns are not. At least in my case, the first was much easier and held things in place until the fabric could be permanently secured. The staple gun wreaked havoc on the poor hand and the staples did not hold.
6. At the same time, glue guns can be EVIL! Aside from the obvious burnt fingers, I will be pulling glue strings for the next ten years. Everything from the chairs to my hair have a gossamer webbing.
7. Don't let your brain convince you that some projects can be done in a "couple of hours". At least, plan on a few days.
8. Take breaks from any task to rejuvenate that first enthusiasm. The project will go much smoother.
9. Have the patience of a saint. You will need it.
10. Once complete, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself "Job well done." Then...sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Remember...YOU did this. YOU set a goal and achieved it.
While purple rockers are not everybody's choice of furniture pieces, they are mine. Before setting to the reupholstering, I checked around to see if new chairs could be reasonably purchased. Nope. I refuse to pay up to $250 for single chair. (Yep, purple chairs highly similar to these are expensive!) Since my chairs were both thrifted ($15 and $20) and the fabric was free, the major cost was glue sticks, time and patience. For less than $50 I now have two chairs that bring a smile to my face and a sense of satisfaction to the soul. They fit the Little Bayou House and me perfectly...all of us are a tad unconventional.
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