The Chair That Made My Day

Sometimes circumstances converge to make a perfect storm of creativity. Today was one of those days. Remember Laurie The Queen of The Baked Goods? The other day she brought me an old chair, asking me, "Do you think you can do anything with this?" Lots of people think of me when they have castoffs to get rid of...I choose to take it as a compliment. This chair (again I've neglected to take a before picture) was full of promise: it had orangey red paint chipping off the wood and the seat cushion was upholstered in tan naugahyde...it looked like a giant Nilla wafer. Can't really go wrong with the Nilla Wafer.

Repainted in a richer shade of claret red, the chair was already beginning to show its goodness. There was just the matter of the Nilla Wafer. I thought I had some remnant fabric to redo the chair and was frustrated not to be able to find my stash. I thought I'd have to cave in and go buy a remnant from Calico Corners ...not exactly a sad thing—I LOVE going to the fabric store to see what's new in the rich world of textiles.

Against my will, I was cleaning my bedroom this morning when I happened upon one of my secret baskets. I keep baskets around the house where I store treasures...almost like I have an ongoing scavenger hunt with myself. Often I don't remember what I've put in the baskets. Today's hunt revealed an old Peruvian sweater that I have been holding on to for the past nine years. It is the first sweater my husband ever brought back from Perú to my Mom at the beginning of our engagement, nineteen years ago. For nostalgia's sake, I took it from her closet when she died, though I knew I wouldn't wear it because it didn't fit me well. Did I mention my love of all things Peru? Did I mention how I miss my mom? I just couldn't bear to let it go. I knew it would find a way to be redeemed from it's frumpy oblivion.

Epiphany! I pulled it out and ran upstairs, grabbed the staple gun and began stretching it over that Nilla wafer. The pieces all fell into place, like it had been planned from the beginning of time (a wild exaggeration perhaps for a small scale chair refurbishment but that's how it felt)

It made my day. Redemption. Did I mention we needed extra seating for Thanksgiving?