Coastal Cutie

I had been eyeing this unique shadow box table for a couple of months.  The price was just too high for my liking.  So, I waited and then I waited some more.  Finally, my buddy at the thrift store, Todd was willing to negotiate to a price that I was comfortable with.  So, I brought her home! 

She was a dirty, dusty mess!

But, she was so unique!  The gold velvet interior HAD to go.  The first time I saw her, I knew that she was meant to display shells and other beach treasures.  I'm a coastal girl at heart.  It's where I long to be and I make my way to there every chance I get! 

Here she is now. 

Can't you smell the salt air and pluff mud?  Yes, I'm weird.  I actually love the smell of pluff mud (or as most South Carolinians call it, "fluff" mud.  We truly do butcher the English language but I love being a Carolina girl).  For anyone who may not be familiar with pluff mud, it is the black gooey mud found in  inlets and salt water marshes and it has a potent aroma that many find offensive.  Not me!  At the first sight of the inlets, as we are driving South, I roll down my window and take in a deep breath!  Ahhhhh....  my heart is back home where it belongs. 

I really need a better camera and some photography lessons.  Paging Sarah!  Hint, hint.  Are you out there?  My BFF takes AMAZING pictures.  Me, not so much. 

I think she might make a nice addition to my blue & white coastal inspired Christmas theme.  My wheels are spinning!  I can see twinkling lights, blue and white ornaments and, of course, shells inside that shadow box. 

I need to stop flapping my gums about Christmas and get started on my next project.  Two OLD rocking chairs for a customer!  Yay!!!! 

Nanny's Chair

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was working on a tiny sewing rocker.  I'm so happy to say that she is done!  I wasn't sure it would happen today, despite my good intentions.  On the way home from lunch at Shealy's BBQ (an awesome family owned restaurant, one town over, with everything you could imagine including awesome fried chicken gizzards and livers.....  yes, I'm a true blue Southern girl who just got sidetracked) I spotted a thrift store.  Duh?  Ya' know I made hubby turn around!  O-M-G!  I found the honey hole!  I could have stayed there all day digging.  After about an hour, hub's patience wore out.  My son and I were in Hog Heaven!  My little man was yelling every few minutes, "Mom!!!!  I found something you HAVE TO SEE!  I just love him!  He's a boy after my own heart.  He loves him some good junk!!! 

So, hubby says he wants to go home.  Reluctantly, I agreed.  Then, I asked the cashier about other thrift stores in the area.  She filled me in on the 411 of Batesburg thrift shops.  My wheels were spinning!!  Little man wants to know which one we are going to next as hubby is rolling his eyes.  He tells us to just take him home and then go back if we like.  Ya' know we did!  Spent most of the day pickin'!  I can't wait to go back next week. 

Oh yeah!  The rocking chair.  Here she is before. 

She's itty bitty tiny with little ball and claw feet.  CUTE!  The cane seat was busted and because I don't know how to cane (I hope to learn some day) I had to get creative.  Here she is now. 

She's funky!  She's a cross between Donnie and Marie....  a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll.  I'm calling her Nanny's chair and here is why.  After I finished the "Perfume on a Pig" table, I was happily sanding this girl.  She was much more cooperative.  So, I'm in my own little world, sanding with the full intention of painting her black.  That's when I heard a voice saying, "For Pete's sake!  Please tell me you're not going to paint over that beautiful wood!?"  Huh?  Nanny, is that you?  Nanny is my great grandmother and she was known to be a little lot bossy.  Fine time for you to show up.  You've been gone for 20+ years and you decide to talk to me now about a CHAIR?  I tried to push her opinions out and continue on my intended path but she wasn't letting up.  Enough already!  So, we compromised.  I stained the majority with a traditional Cherry but I had to paint the seat because I had to use wood putty in many spots due to the original cane.  This is what I came up with.  She's definitely one of a kind.  Nanny must be happy because she has left me alone since I busted out the STAIN!  

Happy Dance

I just had to share some pics of the fabrics I purchased yesterday. 

I fell in love with both of these.  The little bird on the blue fabric is so stinkin' cute and the black and white just wowed me!  They will soon find a home on two great chairs I have in my stash. 

I was really agonizing over the price of these.  Particularly the black & white because I needed much more of it.  Then, I just bit the bullet and decided to go with it.  When I got to the fabric table and the girl scanned them, the black & white was 20% off.  WOOT!!!!  Then a very kind shopper gave me a 40% coupon.  Oh happy day!  I wanted to break out in the happy dance right there but my son was with me and I didn't want to scar him for life so I refrained. 

Hope y'all have a wonderful Saturday!  I'm off to lunch with my two guys and then back to work on the little rocker.  She's almost done. 

PS:  Guess what I woke up to this morning????  A brand new Dewalt drill.  Could my weekend get any better????  Hubby hit Lowes first thing this morning and got me a brand new shiny drill of my very own.  Who needs flowers and jewelry?  Power tools are the way to this girl's heart! 

The Power of Prayer

Okay.  So, I know this blog was started with the intention of talking about furniture re-do's and I promise there are more coming.  I've been working hard (although I'm slow) re-inventing some amazing old pieces of furniture.  Got a sweet little rocker that is almost ready for her reveal.  Stay tuned.  Hopefully, she'll be ready tomorrow. 

In the meantime, I felt compelled to write about my sudden sense of peace.  I'm not sure I can truly express the pain I've felt during the last 17 months since my father was diagnosed with Cancer and witnessing his dying process and trying to wrap my brain around the fact that he is gone from my sight.  I can no longer touch him or feel his sweet hugs or hear his gentle voice.  I'll never again hear him call my name "Sissy".  Every emotion a person could feel, I think I've felt it.  There was a time, just recently, when the pain was more than I could handle. For the first time in my life, I fell to my knees and I begged and pleaded to my Lord to help me.  Please dear God, help heal this overwhelming pain in my heart.  Please help me to find some peace. 

It brings tears to my eyes to say that He heard me. I woke up one day and everything seemed so much clearer.  I had a confidence and lack of fear that I have NEVER possessed.   It was just there....  mine for the taking.  To say that I'm the World's biggest chicken *&$@ is an understatement.  I woke up one Saturday morning and the wheels in my mind were spinning 100 miles per minute.  So many ideas of what the rest of my life could be.  My first thought was how I could turn my love for old furniture and old discarded items into a business.  Then, low and behold, my BFF ,Sarah showed up the very next day and mentioned that she thought I could sell my furniture re-do's.  WHAT???  How did that happen?  Did she just read my mind?  My loving Lord heard me!  I'd like to think that my daddy heard me too and that he's watching over me and helping me find the peace that I desperately need.  The peace he would want for me. 

All I know is that prayer works.  But, it only works when you are willing to bare your soul....  get down on your knees and surrender all that you are.  I don't know if this furniture thing will ever turn into a business but I don't care.  I'm just so grateful that God helped me find the peace I desperately needed and that I'm doing something that I love and brings me peace of mind. 

I give thanks to God for hearing me and helping me in my time of despair.  I'm not a religious person.  I've always considered myself to be a spiritual person.  I don't have strong beliefs or preferences of one religion over the other.  All I know is that prayer is a powerful thing!

Facebook Conspiracy?

I'm beginning to think that the folks over at Facebook change their format every so often just to confuse people.  Do you think they do it for kicks?  Seriously, I haven't figured out the purpose behind the constant change.  I envision them all sitting around in their offices laughing their butts off as they see all the comments from the poor FB addicted souls out there (me included).  They are getting their jollies as we all rant, cuss, scream, pull our hair and desperately ask our friends if they've figured it out.  "Hey, any of y'all figured out how I can see posts in chronological order?"  "New FB sucks!"  "Top story?  Whatha?"  "I can't get on my Farmville and all of my crops are going to WITHER!"  "I can't take it anymore.  I'm giving up FB!  They can kiss my ankle!" 

Yep, I can see them now holding their stomachs from the pain of laughing and tears streaming down their faces.  It's cruel to inflict this change on people who are addicted to their social network.  It's like taking candy from a kid or Mad Dog 20/20 from a drunk.  Oh, and the games!  When they start changing things, it affects all the FB games.  Oh lawdy!  Talk about some pissed off people!  There are two groups of FB people.  The ones who browse (or lurk) around to see what others are doing and talk to their friends and there are the gamers.  Those serious gamers are a force to be reckoned with, let me tell ya'. 

I know I shouldn't complain.  Facebook is free and it has been a wonderful thing for so many people.  I, for one, am grateful for it.  I've reconnected with so many people from my past and have learned a lot from others' posts and experiences.  FB has put me in touch with people who have been a great source of support and encouragement through some of the darkest days of my life.  I can't imagine life with out my Facebook friends.  I've been fortunate enough to develop close friendships with people I've never even met.  One in particular, April who lives in Maine, has become a very dear friend and we chat on the phone.  I never would have had the privilege of knowing her if it hadn't been for FB.  I love April so I'm not going to complain about the changes too much. 

I will say this though!  They picked a fine time to make a change.  I got all revved up with this idea to publish my furniture re-dos and have agonized for weeks trying to figure out how to create a FB page for Sissy's Salvation so people can come over and "like" me.  JUST as soon as I figured it out, what do they do?  They change the format!  UGH!  I don't have time to figure this out right now!  I have four chairs and two tables that are waiting for paint but I seem to be spending more time trying to figure out all this FB stuff. 

Oh well.  Tomorrow is another day.  I'll get used to this new FB just like I have done many times before.  I can't help but wonder though.  Why all the changes?  What's the purpose?  If anyone can enlighten me, please do so.  I just don't get it. 

Perfume on a Pig?

Is there enough perfume for this pig? 

That's what I asked myself when I picked this girl up at a local thrift store.  I'm here to tell ya' that this chic has seen some serious abuse in her lifetime and she wasn't going to be transformed easily.  Simply put, she gave me attitude!  I sanded and puttied. I painted and then puttied and sanded some more.  This went on for quite some time and I was just about to pull out my little white flag and start waving when, FINALLY, she decided to give in and cooperate. 

I've not yet decided how I feel about distressed furniture but for this hard head, there was no other choice.  She's still not perfect but looks amazingly better than before. 

Whatcha think?  An improvement?  I still have to put the pull on her drawer.  My drill isn't working, at the moment, and hubby is a little stingy with his.  I don't think he trusts me with his power tools.  :-)  That's okay, I'm sure Lowes has one with my name on it. 

Initially, I thought painting this poor girl would be like putting perfume on a pig.  Luckily, she was able to be transformed.  I seem to have a knack for choosing pieces that are difficult and stubborn.  Maybe, I feel a kinship with them? 

Redneck Princess

If you read my profile, you saw that I've been known to sleep on a boat, under the stars.  You also know that I call myself a "Redneck Princess".  To some, my life would be considered a little crazy but, for me, it's perfect.  Yes, I sleep on an open boat with my two guys in a a queen size sleeping bag.  The accomodations aren't ideal, especially when a thunderstorm pops up during the night.  I wake up in the morning with hair so big it would make you do a double take.  So thick with salt I can't get my fingers though it.  Good thing my husband thinks messy hair is sexy.  Ha! 

My one requirement is hot coffee when I wake up.  This is where the 'princess" part comes in.  My hubby put a generator and coffee pot on the boat to ensure that I have my coffee.  I might be a redneck but I do have my standards!!!! 

We go 20 to 30 miles offshore to deep sea fish which, I will tell you, is a freakin' blast!  My little man rides the entire 20+ miles standing at the front of the boat, holding on to a rope and busting waves and laughing the whole way. It makes my heart smile. 

There's nothing quite like being in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight.  The things you see there are amazing!  HUGE sea turtles, dolphins, baracuda......  and the fishing is divine.  If you get over the fish, as quickly as you drop your line 100+ feet, you get a bite.  It's a work out, let me tell ya'.  I come back with bruises all over my arms from fighting those beasts but it's an adrenaline rush beyond belief! 

I also told you that I don't mind sweat and grime or hard work if the end result is beautiful.  Well, I thought I'd show the end result so maybe you won't question my sanity.  :) 

This is the beautiful painted sky I get to witness every evening.  I have a front row seat! 

Beautiful sunsets! 

God's light! 

Undisturbed beaches accesible only by boat.  Shells galore! 

Most of all, time with my two men!  Completely away from the rest of the World.  No interruptions or diversions.  Just us.....  the three of us.....  our little family so full of love. 

So, you see, being a "Redneck Princess" is a beautiful thing.  For me, it's perfect!   

A before and after

Here are a couple of amazing pieces I found at my favorite thrift store! 

They were nice solid wood pieces but were looking a little rough.  After sanding, primer, paint and new hardware (and alot of love) this is what I got. 

They don't make furniture like this anymore!  Storage GALORE!  The doors of the wardrobe have the coolest tri-fold doors and behind them are three deeps drawers.  I just love it!  I saw on someone else's blog today, this EXACT same wardrobe.  She had it listed for customers to give her custom color choices.  I was so tempted to buy it "as is" and have her ship it to me.  That's how much I love this piece of furniture!!!! 

More before and afters coming soon.  I'm working on some beeeeeeautiful chairs.  Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Let me introduce myself!

I’m so glad you stopped by Sissy’s Salvation! I hope you’ll find inspiration here to salvage old furniture and other items, that have been discarded, and give them some love and a new life. I LOVE thrift stores. My only problem with them is there aren’t enough. One on every corner would be Heaven!!! I guess that makes me an addict?

My love for thrifted furniture started a few years ago when I found myself on a strict budget but needed some furniture for my bedroom. I went to my local thrift store and God shined down on me. There it was! A sturdy head board and two night stands that were solid pieces…… $25! Yeah baby! I immediately took them home and started painting. I’ve been hooked ever since.

So, you may ask, “why did you start a blog and why did you call it Sissy’s Salvation?” Let me count the ways because there are so many. I started this blog at the harrassment encouragement of my BFF, Sarah. (Girl, you know I love you and appreciate the push. J ) She’s my biggest supporter and cheerleader! Finally, I gave in. Maybe she’s on to something, I thought. Why not share my finds and re-do’s with others who love it as much as I do? Also I’m hoping that, one day, I might be able to sell some of my new life pieces so my husband will stop looking at me like I’ve lost my mind when he comes home and sees another piece of “junk” in the back of his truck.

The name, Sissy’s Salvation, holds great sentiment for me. The word, salvation, is two fold. Finding these amazing pieces and giving them new life is my salvation. It brings me a great sense of peace. The restoration process is also a salvation for the items that have been discarded. It’s a win-win folks!
Sissy is the nickname my father gave me when I was a baby. Never once did he call me by my given name. When I went to kindergarten and the teacher called role and used my real name, I didn’t respond. “What? Who’s that?”

My father was diagnosed with secondary bone Cancer in April, 2010. At the time, I was working as a custom kitchen designer and had been doing it for 10 years. While I did love it and felt very fulfilled at the end of each project, it was very demanding and stressful. For the large majority of those years, I worked from home while caring for my son. It was tough, let me tell ya’. Dealing with contractors, homeowners and crying baby can be a bit much.

When my father was diagnosed, I made a decision (with the support of my hubby) to quit my job so I could be with Daddy through all of his treatments. I did just that and it was a blessing. I will be FOREVER grateful for the time I had with him. Sadly, my dear father passed away in April of 2011. My heart was (and still is) shattered. There was nothing I could do to save my father’s life but I can save the life of old, discarded furniture. It’s a resurrection, of sorts, and it holds a lot of meaning for me. When I walk into a thrift store, I look at each piece and wonder where it came from and the story of it’s life. If only they could talk……. oh boy, the stories they could tell.

So, here I am. I’m a simple Southern girl, born and raised in SC, with a big heart. I want to do something in life that brings joy (to myself and others) as I have learned, from Daddy, that life is too short to be anything but at peace.  Thanks to God and my beautiful little family that I have the opportunity to do this!
I hope you’ll stop by often to see what I have salvaged and take the journey with me to give new life to the old and the discarded.

Peace and love,
Sissy