Harvest Season

What does harvest season look like and feel like if you're a farmer? My mind conjures up images of the farmer out there working the field under the light of the harvest moon and on into the wee hours of the morning. This is his moment. There is nowhere he'd rather be.

I'm late with the blog posts these past couple weeks. I've been consumed with the "planning season" duties of corporate america (this is the opposite of harvest season, when business people all over corporate america work late under October's harvest moon and on into the wee hours of the morning preparing their budget requests and proposals for the next fiscal year's projects - this is their moment - and there is nowhere they'd rather be (ha) )

ALSO, my free time has been consumed with something really, really, fun and interesting.

It all began so innocently. My daughter had started a job at a local thrift shop, so there I was one afternoon delivering a sandwich to her for her lunch break. That's when I saw them. Five vintage Henredon dining chairs. Five vintage cane-backed Henredon dining chairs. Sitting in row. Tagged at $2.99 each. You can find these online at chairish.com for - like - $125 each!

TWO DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS EACH! I stood in front of them for a long time.

After a good long time, I remembered something. I don't need any dining chairs.

I went home.

Later that night, I found myself describing these chairs to my husband. "I could buy them for $3 each and spray paint them black, and sell them for at least $30 each!"

Why would I want to do this, though?

Why couldn't I stop thinking about those chairs?

I kept talking about them.

The chairs made their way to my husband's basement workshop the next day. "They're in pretty rough shape" he said. Then he rolled up his sleeves, took them apart, and rebuilt them. I am a lucky girl.

Later that week, I called the phone number listed on the sign that was posted to the shop's front door: "Furniture Vendor Rental Space Available". I knew this shop. This shop is one of those shops that can absolutely make your day. You're wandering about town 'window shopping' when you stumble upon an AMAZING steal of a deal on an adorable little dining set that would be PERFECT in your home. Or a sweet little loveseat, or wall art, or lamp or dresser or side table or bookshelves or desk ... I have scored a lot of cherished pieces at this shop over the years.

There's a special kind of magic that lives inside those moments. It feels like a miracle when you find that just-right piece that sparks a design-delight thrill in your heart and you secure your prize. LOVE. And WOW, you can totally afford this new gem(!) And every time you enter the shop, it's completely different. There are little magical furniture and design-delight elves that snap their fingers and produce these home goods just-for-you and your tight houseware budget. Out of thin air!

Well guess what. Now I'M one of those magical furniture and design-delight elves! I'm scraping and sanding and painting under the light of the harvest moon and on into the wee hours of the morning. This is my moment. There is nowhere I'd rather be.