Handmade Bench--A Future Family Heirloom

A few months back, my husband and I visted his family farm back east in Georgia.  His very sweet and handy grandfather offered to help Britt make a bench out of an oak that had fallen on the property.

So the two of them spent a warm September afternoon out in the barn, measuring and drilling, sawing and laughing.

Once we got it home, I sanded, stained, and sealed it.

We love it.

And its transformation.

Simple and rustic.

It's not only a lovely piece of furniture....

But also a reminder of that sweet afternoon shared by Britt and his grandfather.

We'll keep the bench (and the memories) forever, and one day, hopefully our children will sit upon it. 

Instead of Amos.

Who for the time being

has claimed this future family heirloom for his own.

Gone to Market

My husband's grandfather was tearing down parts of an old fence at his cattle farm in Georgia.

Of course, I snatched some up.

Now we have a piece of Madison.  The wear and tear the fence saw shows through the new paint.

Many sunrises, sunsets.  Many years.

Something natural, given new life.

May it's character grow.

Georgia on My Mind

Or, at least on my sign.

I've been making signs for my Etsy shop, and I wanted to make something for my own home.  (Click the "signs" label on my sidebar to see them all!)  Though we live in Mississippi, my husband and I are both from Georgia, which will always be home. So I thought a "Georgia" sign would be a nice remembrance of home.

For this sign, I used the same techniques I did for my numbered clip sign.

The only difference is that for this one, I used one stencil--for the lovely wheat design on either end.

I used a gel stain, which seeped so nicely into the scuffs I etched (by dragging them across cement!) into the corners of the board.

Very country, very casual. 

Like us.

 Has Georgia ever been on your mind?



To see what parties I link to, click on the "Blog Parties" tab on my homepage!  I'm also linking to
Feathered Nest Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Fantastic Friday
KISS
and

Reclaimed Wood Farmhouse Sign

Aren't there so many pretty handpainted sign projects out there?  I couldn't help but want to get in on it too!

Here is my rustic farmhouse sign....

When I was in Georgia over Christmas, I was able to salvage some wood from one of our old barns that is being renovated.  You can see it here!

The wood was painted red but you can still see the gorgeous grain.  It's already aged to perfection.

It was, however, a little too long, so I got out my NEW SAW (I'm so proud to officially own my very own saw), and took care of that.  Now I have another piece for a future project.

Since my heart will always be on the farm and this wood came from a farm, I thought it was only appropriate to paint "Farmhouse" on my sign.  I know there are better techniques out there for doing this, but this was my method: print out the words in Microsoft Word, placed them in the right position, like so...

Then I cut them out completely and sort of carved around each one to give myself an outline to paint in the letters.
It actually took quite a while to neatly and completely fill in the letters, but it was so worth it!

The look of the wood makes the sign so unique.

Now I have a sweet remembrance of home.

P.S. I'm linking this up to Sunday Showcase!  AND, Debbiedoo's awesome Newbie Party!  For the others parties I link to, see my blog parties tab!

My Georgia Home: Part Two

I gave you a little peek inside my Georgia home last week, so I thought I would share a few outdoor shots.  There is so much I miss about it, like....

The old red barn....

The treasures it holds....

The quaint grain bin....

Sunlight flooding through the pecan trees....

And Lola, the official lady of the house....

Who wouldn't enjoy her company while sitting on the porch?

My Georgia Home

I have finally made it back to Mississippi, but I spent some wonderful time at my old Georgia home where I lived with my cousin before I got married.  She still lives there, and much of it is the same as when I left it, which I love!  I spent much time gathering fun finds to decorate it.  It's a sweet, 100 year-old farmhouse, and I miss it every day!

My love of color definitely shows.  This is a glimpse into the red guest room.

The kitchen is a wonderful sunny shade...."Good Morning Sunshine," to be exact!

These pretty blue plates belonged to the elderly lady who lived here before we did (her family left TONS of wonderful things behind.  I can't believe they let us have it all!)

Wonderful mementos....

An antique Coke tray my grandmother gave me and a vintage ball jar....

Vintage Crisco jar....

These three items were more treasures left behind from the previous owner....a vintage gas can, pitcher, and ice tray!  They now sit atop the kitchen cabinets.

My old office....a tribute to my favorite color!

Part two is yet to come!



A Georgia Christmas Tree

A tiny fir tree in Georgia....

And friends to help decorate it.

With sentimental ornaments...