No lunch out and no shopping. So I gave our local merchants a break.
But rest for our family? Hardly.
It all started Friday night. Mr. Official and Swimmer Girl were each at different football games. Big dog and I were home alone and a little bored. So I washed, dried and spraypainted eight old chargers, taking them from 1990s gold leaf:
That was quick and easy - a can of Krylon Fusion spray paint was all it took.
Then on Saturday, I stenciled a monogram on them - a set of the entire alphabet in 3-inch stencils was available at Hobby Lobby for about $5, which was way cheaper and - just as importantly - faster than ordering a larger letters. In retrospect, I maybe coulda/shoulda/woulda done a more elaborate background design, but I think I like the elegant simplicity of just the single monogram. Plus there's a little more saving grace if I'm not precisely centered, although I did make a concerted stab at measuring and marking the center of each plate:
After mentally weighing the paint options, I went with a blue that is somewhere between wedgewood blue and turquoise, playing off the colors in the dining room and my china. As expected, the stencil's edges were a little rough, so after lunch yesterday, I carefully re-outlined them in the same color.
The only thing left to do now is spray them with sealer so I can rinse or handwash them as needed. Unless I decide to crackle them or outline them, or something else.
These were so easy to do, I don't know why I didn't think to do this a long time ago. And if you don't yet have chargers, check places like Old Time Pottery, Hobby Lobby and Target. They have them in old and silver, plus glossy white, black and lacquered reds - whatever fits your style. And as you can see, a few squirts of acrylic paint is all it takes to personalize them.
As soon as the monogram touchups were done, swimmer girl and I did a little domestic work (she, vacuuming; I, laundry folding), then dashed out the door to a baby shower for a dear friend. That's what happens when you overschedule yourself on your day of rest. Rest does not enter the picture.
We wrapped up the day with an early Thanksgiving dinner with our church family. All in all, it was a very full, good good day of rest, but definitely not restful.
Happy Monday,
