Back from vacay!

Hi friends! Gee-whiz, this last week away from the blog has felt so long, (to me at least. You probably didn't notice)! Usually when the blog is quiet for a whole week I'm either working on something HUGE, or absolutely nothing at all. In this case it was the latter. We spent a beautiful week at my grandparent's lake house with the whole family. We relaxed in the hot tub, drifted on inner-tubes on the lake, nearly died on inner-tubes on the lake, skied, played games, watched soccer, took walks, and ate lots of deliciousness. It was a wonderful time of being together and I am so grateful for the time away. Here's a little photo recap of our week; a glimpse into life happening.

This is where we were - Deep Creek Lake. My beautiful sister took this amazing shot!

These guys. Doesn't get any better to this Momma.

That's a happy 4-year old face right there!

Every day, doing as we please.

Floating 'business' meeting with Cate

Cherishing time with these girls

S'mores. And s'more and s'more...

And where there were s'mores, there were dogs. :)

My love

Skiing after the storm

Dad time.

Coming up this week, a simple dresser gets completely transformed thanks to ScotchBlue painters tape, and I've got a sweet and simple DIY hostess or birthday gift.

Thank you for stopping by! Missed you all!

~Chelsea

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Our WWI Army cot

Hi guys! My favorite part of this blog, hands down, is sharing ideas. Ideas that I hope will inspire you to put your own creative touch on your home. Whether we share the same style or not, my wish for this little corner of the great wide web is to inspire you to fling the door to freedom and creativity within your own home wide open. You are one of a kind and completely unique, and so should be your home!

Today I'm really excited to be sharing a fairly unique idea. This one seemed kind of far-fetched a few months ago, mostly because I wasn't sure Matt would be on board. I really need to give him more credit! My guy, (usually), has a pretty open mind, and with his 'thumbs-up' I moved forward. I can't believe the day is here that it's a finished, functional, loved-on project! 

If you follow along on Facebook, you may have seen this photo a while back:

I asked if anyone knew what it was and wasn't surprised when, within minutes, one of my history buff uncles posted the correct answer: An old army cot! During a typical Craigslist search for some furniture to refinish, I stumbled on a listing for a handful of WWI Army cots. WWI, people! I was completely lost in curiosity. I drove out to take a look in person. It was love and intrigue at first site. The criss-crossing legs, the faded color of the wood, the old metal brackets...it was an easy purchase, (and for $40 nonetheless)! The seller, who had a handful of these, said they belonged to his grandfather who was a doctor during the war. 

Since my cot was used by a WWI doctor, (and you don't have to have a great imagination to guess what happened on these cots during those days), I really wanted to replace the original cover with something...cleaner. Vintage Army cot canvas covers are not quite a popular search, so the first company I found, Hoggan's, was basically my only source. I wouldn't imagine that WWI Army cot canvas cover replacements are in high demand, but for some reason it took almost two months for my cover to arrive from when I placed the order. But, the price was great and the quality is superb; worth the wait in my mind.

With the new canvas cover on, (an easy replacement that Matt and I took care of in 10 minutes), our WWI Army cot is being given a less eventful second life as a comfy reading, (or napping), spot in our living room!

I topped it with a pile of pillows that I made from mismatched placemats, ( how-to here), and a felt zipper pouch, all from World Market's clearance section. The whole lot of pillows cost under $15!

It's an honor to get to reinvent something with such deep history.

And it's quite enjoyed these days.

If you are local and interested in getting your hands on a WWI Army cot, please contact me! I've kept in touch with the seller and told him I'd refer any interest his way. I'd be happy to put you in touch; he's got quite a stash!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Sale recap!

The 5th Chelsea's Garage sale this past Saturday couldn't possibly have fallen on a more beautiful day!

Cate and I squeezed in this shot together right before the day got rolling. She managed to look effortlessly fresh and beautiful throughout the entire ordeal. I was already sweating at this point. Like a guy.

Luckily, I went through and snapped some pictures of the garage the day before, because once we opened the door, it was game on! As with the previous sales, there were guests waiting at the front of the house an hour early, (hence, my sweating).

Here's a little tour around the 'shop', as it looked on Saturday:

My favorite part of the day, and really, the whole reason I host these garage sales every now and then, was getting to meet and mingle with the friendly faces who came out. Some old friends, some brand new. This was one of our younger guests, practicing excellent patience while his Mommy and Daddy looked around. So, so sweet. :)

We've said goodbye to a hefty handful of pieces since opening the garage door last Saturday morning, but there are still some beautiful pieces left waiting for a new home! Please check both of the Available for Sale links on the right hand side under, 'New? The fun starts here!'. Those pages will be updated frequently as new pieces become available and old pieces go, so check back often! And of course, custom orders are always an option if you have a piece of your own that you'd like to refresh!

Coming up tomorrow and Friday I've got a brand new DIY rug tutorial, as well as an amazing online retail shop selling gorgeous handmade items, (for home, little ones and you), for a great cause. You're gonna love it; I can't get enough!

Thank you all for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.