Vintage Blessings

When I went to our local thrift store this past weekend for their monthly bag sale, I found a vintage chair with needle-point upholstery that I thought might match my vintage couch. How happy I was! But I noticed there were two springs under the cushion that were broken, so I decided to ask Kyle first if it could be fixed. He figured it probably could be fixed, or the springs replaced, so I went back to purchase it for a mere fifteen dollars. I brought one of my couch cushions to see if the colors would blend, and yep, they did. Now the sweet little chair is sitting right next to the antique table from Kyle's Grandma, with the matching antique doily on top, that is next to the vintage couch. I'm thrilled at how God has put together our living room. Let me 'splain.

Last summer I found my couch in a used furniture store. I was told it might be up to 70 years old but it's in such pristine condition, I doubt that is the case, because it has not been re-upholstered. I think it is probably from the 60's, and it has a miriad of colors - several shades of green, tan, cream and orange. The frame is a lovely carved oak and it has a coordinating glass-topped oak coffee table. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and was shocked they only wanted $150 for both pieces. I had them put my name on the couch and told them I would pick it up as soon as I was able. The store was a couple of hours away in the town we had moved my Mother to when she needed assisted living. Unfortunately though Mom's health rapidly declined and she died a couple weeks later - and with the expenses of travelling and moving and then costs associated with the funeral, I knew purchasing the couch was not going to be possible. I briefly prayed that if God wanted me to have the couch that it would be available when we could afford it. Then I put all thoughts of the couch out of my mind - no sense dwelling on something I probably could not have, and my mind was occupied with my family's needs at the time.

Fast-forward eight months later when we received our tax return. On a whim I called the furniture store to see if the couch was still available - and it was!! I told them I would come and pick it up and arranged a date, and very gleefully made the trip. While I was there I met up with a good friend and my sister-in-law for lunch. I was so happy!

When I got home Kyle and the kids had moved our old couch out of the living room (which I gave away on FreeCycle) and had everything vacuumed and dusted, ready to move the new couch in. I was so excited - this was one of the nicest pieces of furniture I had ever had the pleasure of owning!

Slowly, over many years, I have accumulated different pieces of furniture to put together our living room, and it has become one of my favorite rooms in my house. The needlepoint chair was a thrill for me to find and it coordinates beautifully with the couch. I also have a china hutch, a long and narrow glass-topped table I put pictures on (I inherited this table from my Mother, and I spray-painted it a cream color), my Mother's wooden rocking chair, an antique sewing machine a friend of mine gave to me, and one of my favorite pieces, an antique wooden school desk that I found several years ago in a little shop in a small town.

The funny thing is that the doily on the end table from Kyle's Grandma is the thing that ties it all together - and I have had it the longest of anything in the living room. It has most of the colors I have decorated with - cream, green, orange and brown. Who'd have thought that all those years ago when she crocheted that doily I'd be using it still in 2008.

These are my Vintage Blessings - and they are treasures to me. If I can ever figure out how to post pictures I will. I'm hoping to eventually find a large area rug for the living room. I wonder what God might have for me to put in there next?