Oh, the Iron-y

The irony is not lost on me.  I assure you.

Yes.  This is a snowball maker in my child's

hands.  Because we only purchase really smart

things with our allowance money...

Not only am I sitting here on the second day of spring, but I am sitting here on a SNOW DAY on the second day of spring.  (Pictured left) is how Connecticut is doing spring these days.

But the real irony is that I have just finished reupholstering four of the cutest outdoor patio chairs that have ever wanted to see sunlight. 

As they sit in my living room -my dark, cold, wintery living room- I'm not sure if they are a comforting reminder of our coming summer, or a taunting indication of the weeks of drear that possibly lie ahead.  Good thing they are so cute.

Though this blog often features local items to purchase from our geographic region, I also know some of the most awesome local items a person can have are the ones made in their very own home, by their very own hands.  Here is just such a recent project I have undertaken, with not an ounce of consideration for the weather....

When I came across these four wrought-iron chairs sitting -for free- on the side of the road, I knew why.  They were rusty. They were torn. They were -gasp- a titch on the ugly side. But they had a few things going for them, too, as they were local treasures that could easily be renewed for a few dollars rather than purchasing new versions from faraway places for much higher prices.  So I led them home with a trail of breadcrumbs and promises of sweet nothings in their ears.  Don't they look happy in my warm basement?

 

Once home, these chairs just needed a little TLC (here is a good guide on how to clean up rusty wrought iron), some new outdoor canvas clothes for their in-great-condition wooden seats (I picked something that echoed the iron swirls), and four thousand staples (and who doesn't love a reason to use a staple gun? ... said my six year old...). 

Taking these puppies apart was a dirty job, with four layers of old fabric inside.  But the elbow grease and twelve dollars of fabric was well worth it.

And voila.  A whole new set of chairs, locally acquired, saved from the big bad landfill, bright and cheery and ready for their new life. 

Outside.

In summer heat. 

Any day now.