Category: Homebody

Handmade, just not by me…

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Patterns

While I may sew a little, I am not afraid of pillowcases, elastic waist skirts, and curtains… I do not yet have the skills that these cute little numbers would require. So I am enlisting the help of a local seamstress to whip them up for me.  I battled with my inadequacy at first but hey, I'm supporting a local artisan and my local economy. Keeping it handmade and local doesn't mean I need to do it all. Need to remember that.

This morning I filed for re-election for city council… this time I actually get my name on the ballot. I ran as a write in last time. I stopped by City Hall this morning to drop off my paperwork and pay my water bill… and the city secretary gave me a pink cupcake. Small town living rocks.

Monday I fly to the Bay Area to visit my sister and her boyfriend. She's taking time off after some surgery and I so looking forward to hanging around knitting, laughing and watching a lot of movies. My kind of break! The only hard part is trying to decide on a project to start & bring on the trip. We tend to do a lot of laughing and chatting when we visit so I should keep the project easy peasy. I may end up just knitting a big tube scarf out of my cashmere, but these are some contenders…

Maybe
 

Tried & True

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T&t

A few weeks ago I was determined to revive my tired ass butcher block island. I wanted a natural product that was food safe and would have a more natural lustre to it than shine, but not as dull as butcher block oil. Being a total novice at any kind of refinishing I asked a wood working friend. He said buy Tried & True. I headed straight for Woodcraft and let myself be talked into another product called Salad Bowl Finish. To be fair, the man did say he didn't know much about the Tired & True finishes but that this product would give me a food safe shiny surface. I bought it but when I got home realized it wasn't what I wanted at all. I asked Steve (DH) to stop into Woodcraft and pick up some Tried & True for me, 'cuz it's what I really wanted. He explained what he was looking for to the sales man and came home with this. Still not what I was looking for.

Everyone at the store was trying be helpful, so by this time I was convinced I was not properly conveying what I was looking for and even more confused about how to use the product I was hell bent on using. I was at my wood fanatic friend's home 2 weeks ago and told him this sad, boring story… and he showed me his dining table and how he uses the Tried & True. Once again I trudged off to Woodcraft and bought the Tried & True.

Counterbefore

I started to sand the minute I got home….

Counterafter

After much sanding and wiping…. I applied Tried & True with my damn hands. No cloths or brushes just dip your fingers in the oil and resin and rub the wood with your hands. After allowing to cure for 24 hours I wiped with some 0000 steel wool and buffed with a dry cloth. I cannot recommend this product enough. My counter has gone from shabby to lustrous with some old fashioned ingenuity and elbow grease.

Moral of this story… trust your gut and wise friends.