My current craigslist project...restoring vintage chaise lounge chair set

Thanks to the generous craigslister I am the new owner of these soon-to-be-gorgeous vintage chaise lounge chairs!!  She received them from a friend several years ago. The friend had purchased them at an estate sale. 

These appear to be Woodard Ionian chairs made in the 60's and 70's.




CRAZY CRAFTY IDEA #1 - TAPE IT

Looking for a low-cost immediate fix for the chairs, I momentarily (or longer) considered using duct tape!  It comes in so many wonderful colors, you know! Hot pink and purple would look really cheerful especially with winter doldrums ahead, right?



CRAZY CRAFT IDEA #2 - WEAVE IT

Well, it's not so crazy, exactly.  It may be a tad less "metropolitan" but it does speak to my country roots. Yes, it is macrame! 

If you've been to a craft show you've probably seen an old lawn chair frame refurbished in macrame cord with [insert your local team] emblazoned on it.


There are many more cool ideas and free patterns out there!! And there are loads of colors to choose from including some glow in the dark cords and some variegated varieties.

Actually, here is a very sophisticated macrame option that actually imitates the old caning and accentuates the architecture of the chair beautifully. Plus I love that the crafter needing advice finished this project super quickly!



CRAZY CRAFT PRACTICAL IDEA #3 - STRAP IT

To really "restore" these I would need to use replacement vinyl straps and j-clips. Here's the typical color palette available by the roll (or in pre-cut strips) including clear:

These straps and supplies are available online from suppliers such as: Chair Care PatioA+ RedemptionPatio Furniture Rehab, and DJ Patio and Furniture repair along with free instructional videos ( Chair Care Patio video and A+ Redemption video each offer a different perspective.



Should I be pink, seafoam, or boring white?
BEFORE AND AFTER GALLERY








 
Here's a space saving design from Lowe's for an art station at home. 

Goodness knows it is difficult to cram art supplies, math & literacy stations, science experiments, and a computer lab along with the dining room table in a small house!!!

I suggest making the background a little larger than the paper to prevent "spill-over" effects.

The next time somebody says your homeschooled kids need to be socialized....

This is just too funny!  Yes, it is sarcastic and full of great talking points. Enjoy!

No Thank You, We Don’t Believe in Socialization! -- by Lisa Russell

Project Runway Fans: 20+ No-sew or Easy-sew fashions!

Do you LOVE watching Project Runway and wish you could whip up something fashionable...but you don't really sew? 

Then try these re-purpose, re-fashion, re-cycle projects. They require very few sewing skills since you aren't starting from scratch. Even more fun, they can be made from the stuff in your closet, bathroom, kitchen, or garage.  No need to run to Mood.



















































(10) Pillowcase into girls dress ; and another dress with trim; and another

(11) T-shirt to halter top









(12) Strips of tulle into dream tutu






















(14) Adult sweater into girls dress










(15) Adult T-shirts into girls streamer skirt




Don't forget the accessories!!

(16) Placement into purse











(17) Jeans into purse

(True confessions....my mom and I made these when I was a kid using instructions from ZOOM that I got by sending my SASE....remember those days anyone?? I loved my jean purse!!)






(18) Washers into necklace



















And don't forget the dolls or dogs!

(20) Baby clothes into American Girl clothes











(21) Baby clothes into dog clothes










Looking for more ideas?  Check out these books!

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures




Rip It!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams

Our fantastical brains

As an undergraduate psychology major I balked at my professor's suggestion we all consider studying the biology of the brain.  He insisted it was the next frontier for psychologists.  And of course 20-something years later I can attest that he was indeed right.

And with the growing numbers of kids, including my own son, with asynchronous development and sensory challenges associated with being twice exceptional, I crave knowledge to help me understand the brain activities that regulate (or not!) normal and quirky behaviors.

So here are some interesting and easy to read articles helping us as parents and teachers to understand more about our quirky kids.

Why is our brain like 3 scoops of ice cream? Note that our sensory challenged, quirky, "inflexible-explosive" kids live in scoop # 1.  Just how many decades does it take for our kids' brains to really mature? Oh my!

Under what circumstances do our memories actually stay connected and stored with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and sensations of the experience remembered?

To learn more consider these good reads:






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