Coming Along Nicely

When I told you about paste wax, I mentioned that it is a solvent. Did I mention that it works on human skin, too, leaving it cracked and very sore? Just wanted to let you know that little tidbit so you'll be sure to wear gloves the next time you're waxing away. Paste wax does a wonderfully beautiful job of cleaning and restoring wood, but be forewarned: after a while the wax eats a hole in the index fingertip of your glove. I discovered this fact while waxing the dining room floor at the Guest House. When I moved on to waxing furniture, I tried a different, sturdier glove, to no avail. Yesterday, I was ready with band aids on my thumb and index finger underneath not one, but two gloves. So far, it seems to have worked. Ahh, the pitfalls of restoration!

At long last, the farmhouse is almost ready for its first real guests under its official name: Vance's Country Guest House. I'm finally down to the fun part of furnishing, stocking, and decorating. We're booked for both weekends of the Highland Maple Festival, March 9-10 and 16-17, and we'll be ready. Here's a sneak peak at what I've been doing lately.

In the kitchen, curtains are hung,

dishes are washed,

flatware is in the drawer,

and the microwave is spic and span.

The pantry is ready with this shelf

and this cabinet put back in their original home after being painted or cleaned and polished with good 'ole paste wax.

There's a neat old barrel in the pantry, too, that holds paper and plastic bags.

The bathroom is looking good with a window shade

and a shower curtain

and other necessary things.

The dining room, which will start out as a bedroom, actually has a bed now: an antique bed with a comfy new mattress.

The pie safe stands proudly in the corner,

filled with books, magazines, and games.

The propane gas stove

sits beneath the freshly-painted mantle, keeping the room warm and cozy.

The mantle and the adjacent built-in cabinet with a pass-through to the kitchen, were quite a challenge to paint. That process could be a whole blog post by itself.

The dining room window also has a nice shade and a pretty lace valance.

I'm working on a table and chairs for the kitchen, and there's still some cleaning to do before starting on hanging pictures (gee, I'm not sure I can bring myself to make holes in my pretty painted walls!) and adding some decorative touches. After more than two years of intense labor, all is finally coming together nicely. Ahhh, the sweet rewards of restoration!!