ALL IN THE FAMILY ( a tale of 2 changing tables )

A long - long time ago ( when the earth was green ) 

There was the prettiest bedroom set that you've ever seen....................

But that really was a long time ago - ( I'm trying to remember back to the exact year but I'm thinking maybe 43 years ago - this bedroom set belonged to my nephew John and then his sister - my niece, Joie.

This is the only pic I have of the before - that my daughter sent me from her Dad's.

Lindsay says - Do you think this set would work for Evan, Mom?

Mom says - No - not at all - it's far too feminine Lindsay 

Lindsay says - Well Dad's going to put it on the curbside - why don't you take it - fix it up and sell it?

Mom says - I have too many things - I'm drowning - I can't take it.

But you know - this piece has memories of the sweetest little girl - and I couldn't - I just couldn't let it be put out in the trash.

and so I told them I'd take it ......................

It's a high end piece - the company is no longer in business because people have just stopped spending that type of money on furniture - so not only is it sturdy and still in incredible shape - it's now irreplaceable as well.

In the meantime I found this on line that I would redo for Evan.

Fast forward a little and the bedroom set arrived at my door - in perfect condition EXCEPT it had been left outside in the pouring rain - one on top of the other and the tops had become very damaged.

 John sanded the tops down and in no time at all THEY CAME OUT LIKE THIS !!!

That's what quality furniture will get you :)

I've never had such an effortless ( well this was completely effortless for me because John did the sanding )

result from sanding down the top of a dresser !

And a thought was born....................if I stained the top dark

And painted it grey - using ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT ™ - Graphite and Pure White mixed to make a custom color - which is just a little deeper than Paris Grey actually ) and spray painted the gold handles in pewter -  then maybe - just maybe it wouldn't look too feminine at all !

And that's how Evan - before he's even made his entry into the world - ended up with 2 changing tables.

We ( in our infinite wisdom ) have decided that this one will go upstairs in his room - and the second one I found will stay downstairs so that Ashley doesn't have to run up and down all day.

( I changed my kids diaper's on my bed - their crib - the couch - the floor - the bathroom counter - wherever there was a flat surface - I never even thought to have a special designated place to do such a thing - but that was then and this is now I suppose - oh the hardships I endured LOL !!! )

Sadly there's no room for the desk in his room .....................but at the end of the day the dresser has stayed in the family - and that kind of makes it priceless in my eyes :)

Have a wonderful day everyone !

Hugs,

Me - Lolli - AKA

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH                                CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT
YESTERFOOD                                                                  AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
KATHE WITH AN E                                                         HOMESTORIES A TO Z
FLUSTER BUSTER                                                           SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE
MY SALVAGED TREASURES                                        HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
NO MINIMALIST HERE                                                  LIVE LAUGH ROWE
FEEDING BIG                                                                   FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE
SHABBY ART BOUTIQUE                                              MY TURN FOR US
THE PIN JUNKIE                                                             MY ROMANTIC HOME
SIMPLE NATURE DECOR                                              MISS MUSTARD SEED
THE SHABBY NEST                                                        LADY BEHIND THE CURTAIN
VINTAGE PAINT & MORE                                     DWELLINGS THE HEART OF THE HOME
KEEPING IT SIMPLE

A Friday Chat ( about this & that )

You can't outrun the long arm of the law...................

The 3 week hunt for the escaped convicts is over - one of them made it to within 2 miles of the Canadian border.
Almost 2 million people live on the island of Montreal - but you just know he would have ended up at my back door, right?
I was terrified ( so was my girlfriend that lives down the street so there's at least 2 nuts in my neighborhood )

Be on the lookout for a new Shawshank Redemption type of movie in a theater near you soon...............

Apparently he was up in a tree at one point - looking down as a police officer walked just beneath him.
So it could be a cartoon actually - you know like a curious George type of thing?

Could you make this stuff up?

Now they have to focus their attention on the wheel chair bound criminal - who robbed a bank -
AND GOT AWAY !!!!!!!!!!!

Also in N.Y.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Man-Wheelchair-Rob-Bank-New-York-Astoria-Queens-Police-310754421.html

Unless he's part of the Special Olympics team - how can you not catch someone in a wheel chair?
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Meanwhile, in Indiana, the police are on top of things -
A man was arrested for dancing outside a bar and licking a toad.
After removing him from the premises - they closely monitored the situation ( because you know, repeat offenders and all that jazz ) and sure enough - he came dancing back on the property - and started licking another toad - whereupon he was promptly arrested for trespassing.
( I'm thinking it was probably the same toad - but then again I'm easily duped )

WHAT AN IDIOT !
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KISS THE TOAD......................NOT LICK HIM!!!!!!!

Leave it to a man to get the most basic of fairy tales wrong.
If he kissed him it might have turned into a lawyer for him!

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/man-seen-licking-toad-arrested-for-trespassing-in-la-porte/33714160
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Well I bit the bullet and bought a decent camera
It was on sale for 499.99 - from 819.00 -  ( that would have been new ceilings for the hall and living room - I can't help but compare anything I buy to what could have been done in this fixer upper )
Don't expect any miracles - it scares me LOL - God knows how long it'll take me to learn how to use it but that camera I've been using is just ridiculous really - cell phones take better images than it.
I'm completely at a loss when it comes to cameras - so I just surfed the web trying to find out about this brand and it's got some pretty great reviews.  AND it got my Son in law's approval ( he's a tech wizard )

And so why, looking at this, do I want to pack it all up and return it?

No, no, no, no, I just want to press a button and have great photos - why is everything so complicated today?
I can't even get the battery in this thing for crying out loud ( and you have no idea how proud I am of myself that I was actually able to identify the battery )
I have to wait for one of my kids to come later today to set it up for me.

I have a sinking feeling I should have had the ceilings redone and am still on the table about whether it's getting packed up and returned.
You know, Old Dog - New Tricks - it can be done but it's difficult.
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Donald Trump running for President................

Way to go Donny boy - just keep opening your mouth.

YOU add the punch line please
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John came home the other day and

John says - They told me that Donald Trump is running for President
Suzan says - Who told you?
John says - The radio................I had it on in the car
Suzan says - You're starting to make me really nervous
John says - WHY?
Suzan says - It's a very weird way to interpret the news on the radio - he's not talking to only you, you know
John says - Well of course I know that - but since I was the only one in the car..............

Anyway I didn't want to tell him that a reporter on the news had told me the same thing earlier in the day.

Apparently we have connections
If you need to know the current news - check here from time to time - we get a private audience before it goes public.
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North America is changing.
Canada AND the States.
It's not the place it used to be - some of the changes are great and some of them are not so great.
Some are horrible and some are fantastic.
It's a balance - like everything else.
The thing is the planet is is an organic thing - it revolves AND it evolves............to suit the climate - to suit the era and to suit the times.
And in the end most changes are for the good of us all.

Women can vote because of change after all
No matter how that change was fought - it came to pass because it needed to.

And for those of us that like to consider ourselves " citizens of the world " ?
If we  refuse to change with the times - we're condemning ourselves to a life of misery -  and to living within a very teeny portion of the world.

Either we're in agreement or we're not but things will change no matter what.

We were given free will and I believe trust was given with that free will.
Trust that we would do the right thing with it.

And in the end " Do unto others...................." is a message we should all be carrying a little closer to our hearts.
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There's a mosquito loose in the office as I type - John has the big overhead light on trying to catch it so every couple of seconds I hear his hands clapping together.
Mosquito's never bother John - they adore me.

Suzan says - Do we really need that light on?
John says - I'm trying to kill it so it doesn't bite you

Sometimes love shows itself in the most unexpected ways.

Ok - gotta run - I'm in the midst of a dresser makeover !

To all my American sisters - have a wonderful July 4th weekend !!!
To all my other sisters - have a wonderful weekend too :)
Hope you all have someone who'll kill a mosquito or two for  you -
or good eye sight to do it yourself

Much love to you
From
Me