a complete old set

Old furniture has always spoken to me. My house is full of family pieces -- my maternal grandmother's dining room set where I grew up eating holiday dinners, her old stereo cabinet that I turned into a bar, a bright turquoise chair I remember from my paternal grandparents' guest room. Even my craft room table has a personal history -- it was my changing table when I was a baby. I love the way each piece in my home connects me to my roots or brings back special memories. So I felt blessed recently to receive one of my favorite pieces from childhood, an outdoor metal dining set from my maternal grandmother's screened porch in Jacksonville. She had a giant magnolia tree that shaded the porch, and I remember sitting at this table to eat lunch in the summers when I'd visit.

My father brought back the glass-topped rectangular table and three chairs when he went to visit, leaving one behind for unknown reasons. So I diligently went to work sanding, washing, and spray painting. I even recovered the seats. After a weekend labor of love, my new almost set was placed in its spot in the sunny Florida room. Right away I invited my friend Lauren over for dinner at the new table, and I took to eating breakfast there since the eastern morning light makes the Tiffany blue room even brighter. It was quickly becoming an integral part of my house -- Tim and I even played a game there on our very first date. But it just wasn't complete. And it bugged me. I kept meaning to go retrieve the missing chair when one day I opened my back door and there it was (thanks Mom!) Unfortunately, I was too busy to refinish the orphan chair for several weeks. But this weekend I vowed to get it done -- and here are the results. My new old set is now complete.