Hashtag: Coffee, Hashtag: Champagneproblem

Coffee first thing! Makes for a good morning by default. Today, yes.

Coffee in cup, now broken. - 2 x 2" - $79

Other days, not so much. Read how I expound this #firstworldproblem on Ravishly.

Rust Removal in the Living Room

 Of course, a DIY section! From me. The world could really benefit from that. Android autocorrect changed DIYs to DIES, but I'm not easily deterred and have always found the definition of auspices to be peculiar, to say it politely.

This is a nice chair. It only cost me $3. It is too rickety to sit on.

(Unless you were born in 1899 and taught proper lady behavior.)

The latest DIY I stumbled into (for those I plan and research arduously rarely come to fruition) is three pairs of office chairs, to be turned into dining chairs. Three pairs, not 5 + 1 or 6, but let's get back to that later.

Those chairs, great lines. Feast your eyes.

Depending on where you come from, you can see tired and faded opportunities to plant your hiney (Milton's underground office; "Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta." Anyone?) or classic Italian design (si, si, signorina) ca. 1980s, and that only vaguely reminiscent of the Griswolds' neighbors decor in Christmas Vacation.

But I digress. A DIY section because, as I have initially bashfully come to find, I do know a few things about a few things. I just don't force it on people. But they would be well served to listen to me because sometimes I just have some good ideas. So you see, I have come full circle since I stood in a Tuesday Morning ca. 2006 and saw a pillow that read, 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall
I became my mother after all."

No, I kid. Of course the pillow couldn't read.

All right. So I went to pick up those chairs after some back-and-forth between me and myself. I'm a terrible haggler, so I got the six chairs for $50, also known as the asking price.

I zipped to Jo-Ann right after to get some fabric to relieve the chairs of their faded getup. (By "I zipped" I mean: my gracious brother drove while I tried to keep kids quiet and ascertain my geographical prowess over the navigation system he insisted on following.)

Fabric picked spontaneously, quickly. (Although I hear that is subjective, so ask my brother.) I've been obsessing over Justina Blakeney's genius recently, so my color choices were inspired byThe Jungalow.

Back at the ranch, I took off the seat and back rest with easy-peasy screws. And now, if you will, feast your eyes on this here transformation --> removing rust from chrome.

Turns out aluminum foil and water do magic. 

(Also, it helps if you're sitting on a tree stump.)

Of course you can do the rust removal inside, too, but I'd recommend a towel underneath and a monochromatic setup overall:

Those lines.

I folded the fabric all around, weakly stapling it in strategic and alter invisible locations with my Swingline  (hi again, Milton). Because: kids asleep, staple gun loud and in the garage. Nighttime. TV on. And you don't want to ever, ever jeopardize your enjoyment of binge - watching by working with the appropriate tools. That is, if they're too loud.

Screwed the seat and back on again, et voilà.

After and Before

Now we resolve the three pairs of chairs mystery: I bought three different fabrics. And when can you see the other two, you may ask? When they're done. Tonight, you may ask? That, my friends, depends entirely on the consumption of coffee after 7 p.m.

* Which, update from the next morning, was none. Instead, I fell asleep with kids at 8 p.m.

Meet Gerber, my Assistant.

Folks!

If you'd like to test just how far you can stretch that brain of yours while keeping a pleasant and patient disposition, and if you're lucky enough that the stars line up to provide you that opportunity: take your baby to work with you.
Mosey over to Romper to read how that worked out for me.