The Chair..

I think one of my all time favorite quotes has to be ” You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you…” Which couldn’t ring more true about the story I am about to tell you.

I’ve had that someone. A person that stepped up to the plate when multiple things in my life were crashing down. A person who saw me struggling and took it upon herself to help without being asked.  A person  who made sure I was taken care of, when I really didn’t have anyone else to turn to.

Did she have to take care of me? No. Did she have to make sure I was able to afford my next colleges courses, my next car payment, my next cell phone bill? Most definitely not. Did she anyway? She did. She knew I couldn’t repay her. She knew my situation was so far between a rock and a hard place that I couldn’t have gotten out on my own if I tried, but she helped anyway….

Fast forward a couple of years. I graduated college, have a full-time job, and a side business as most of you know and I have never forgotten about that overwhelming act of kindness. I’ve always wondered if there would ever be a time I could give back to her what she gave to me, and then it happened.

She sent me a text one day asking if I would be interested in refurbishing her Grandpa’s rocking chair. Was I interested? Is that even a serious question? I jumped on the opportunity, kind of.. I knew I wanted to re-do this chair for her because I knew way back when I couldn’t repay her for what she did, but I had NO idea what I was doing.I didn’t know how to reupholster, knew nothing about refinishing something that was currently stained, and all I could think about was this chair that has been in her family forever, falling apart after I took the seat off.  This chair sat in my basement for quite some time….

Then one day it hit me. ‘Heather you NEED to get this chair done you need to stop procrastinating and just do it and so I did..

I sat in my basement one day ripping off the seat. Do you know how easy it is to get leather off? Not easy! This chair had gotten its fair share of use! The leather had hardened and cracked, the stain had weathered and cracked, and the bolts were a little bit rusty. She had even told me when she dropped it off you could probably still smell her Grandpa on the headrest from the product he had used in his hair, and boy let me tell you, I think she was right 😉  but that wasn’t the coolest part.

As I finished pulling out the HAY that the seat was stuffed with, I found this…

 

I know you’re all looking at it wondering, what the hell is it and why are you so excited about it? That is part of an apron! Not just any apron though, this was her Grandma’s apron. Now I don’t know if Grandpa wasn’t able to  find other stuff to put in the seat, or that he always wanted a piece of her with him , but I sure hope it was the latter. This gave me goosebumps! Probably one of the best finds I have ever came across while refurbishing a piece!… I knew this find couldn’t go to waste.

After ridding the chair of the old seat, and questioning what I had gotten myself into. I started sanding it all down.

 

Not an easy pieces to sand and definitely not easy getting Grandpa’s years of hair product off the headrest. I wonder if he was looking down at me laughing…especially because while sanding I was able to grow a sweet dust mustache!

Anyways, back to my story….I always like it best when I can envision what a project is going to turn into before I am even done and I had that with this one.There was excitement and anxiety, but I knew the look I was going for, I just had to get there, and I needed a lot of help. My amazing dad helped me re-upholster the seat, my awesome husband helped with the rusty bolts, and my awesome mother-in-law created the best surprise. My vision was able to become reality with lots of help and hours of hard work, and here it is now. I sure hope Grandpa approves!

I know you’re all wondering what happened to the apron.. well I’m not done yet. That’s where my mother-in-law came in. I may be handy, but I DON’T sew…yet! She took my idea, some fabric and the apron and created something that would be with Kim and her chair forever. I’m so glad I was able to give back to someone who once gave me so much!!!! Now Grandma and Grandpa both have a place in the living room of her home. ❤