A New Dining Table

It's the end of an era and part of me is sad.  Tim built us a massive (nearly 8ft long!) table 10 years ago.  He used extra wood from our wood floors and we eventually stained it and painted the skirting and legs.

A lot of live was lived with this table.  It was so big that we could have two sewing machines set up and cut fabric at the other end of the table.  When we did a Home Ec class four girls with sewing machines worked at the table at the same time!

We could fit 14 people around this table using benches on the sides and two chairs at each end.  We often did.  Sunday gatherings here, family dinners every night, holiday meals.  

I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Tim and I have been talking for over a year about getting a smaller table.  The one he made was massive and hard to get around sometimes, especially with a house full of people.  Lindsay and Joseph had bought a nice used dining set, when they got married, and we've always liked it.  With them moving into the apartment at my parents house this past weekend, they were selling it.  We decided to buy it and now it sits in our kitchen.

It's 48" round without a leaf in it.  There are three 12" leaves for the table and we have 6 matching chairs.  Right now we have the table set up with one leaf in it.

It's really great in our space, but with one leaf it looks so SMALL!

It is perfect with my English Country House Style, and we do really like it.  Now I think I need to find a rug for under the table!

Have you ever said goodbye to a beloved piece of furniture?

Lindsay has said that she'd love to have the big table when they buy their own home one day, so Tim took the legs off and stored it down in our shop space in the basement.  So it will go on and more memories will be made with the table.

New Chandelier In The Kitchen

I have been working on making some changes in my home without spending any money.  For several years I have had this chandelier in the basement family room area.  We rarely are down there and I never see it.  I had a white chandelier in the kitchen and I loved to decorate it seasonally. 

 This obviously is from Christmas.  

I am excited to have the new/old one in the kitchen now.  It has more lights, and it has a more colonial look, which I love!

 I found it at a yard sale about three or four years ago, and it was brass and had glass globes.  Tim and I bought these holders that look candle like, and I took a can of black spray paint to it and the rest is history!

I will be able to decorate it for Christmas as well, which makes me happy.

Oh, and this morning when I opened my living room curtains, I found even more exciting decor!  Talk about using old things in new ways!

 Ha Ha Ha!  It totally cracked me up!  Not sure who was playing with these but they were having quite the adventure it looks like!  I just wonder why the poor mom is upside down?

This is why my home will never look like a magazine, and frankly, I'm good with that!