The Gift that Keeps on Giving...

So, people have started giving me old pieces of furniture to "do something with."  A friend gave me this child-sized rocker that she used and then passed on to her kids.  They didn't want it anymore, so she gifted it to me. It was originally brown with some flowers stenciled on it.

I decided to do an "ombre" treatment - where the colors start dark and fade into something lighter or vice versa. I thought it looked ok, but still wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it.

And then LaRayne gave me this bench.  LaRayne is a woman who does daycare here.  She has been to our school auction and likes some of the pieces I donated for that.  So, she goes to thrift stores and buys things for me to redo.  Here's the kicker.  She would leave them in her garage for me to pick up - until a few days ago, I had never actually met this woman!!  She won't let me pay her, just likes the fact that I take something sort of ugly and pretty it up a bit. Isn't that cute?

The bench was, um, not my favorite.  It was dark brown and I'm not a huge fan of heart cut-outs.  In fact, if I had seen this at a thrift store, I would have kept walking.  But, after I got it done, I am loving it.  I think some little girl will be thrilled to have it.  

These two pieces will be donated as a set to a benefit auction for one of my sister-in-law's friends.  Liz has been in the ICU at the Mayo Clinic for more than three months following some complications with heart surgery.  She has two little girls and is missing them like crazy.  I was thinking of them when I was working on these things...hopefully their mom will be able to go home SOON!!

I found this fabric on clearance (I think I paid ten bucks for this print and the stripe) and I mod-podged it onto the bench, made a cushion and some pillows.  I can't get enough of those birds.  I sort of wish I had a "little" girl so I could put it in her room.  (Maggie informed me she is no longer little - won't even go trick-or-treating this year, it's "too baby, Mom.")

LaRayne also gave me a coffee table and a desk.  The friend who gave me the rocking chair also gave me a dresser and a mirror.  And my neighbor hauled over an old chair the other day.  My workshop is overflowing.   The thing I love is that people know I will redo these things and then donate them to some worthy cause.  And I enjoy every second of it.  It's repurposing with a purpose. 

(If you're interested in these particular items, head to Beresford, SD on December 1st and go to the benefit. :)