Community.

With every job that is complete,

there is a sense of bittersweet.

That moment when you know the task is done.

Though in your heart you'd like to stay,

to help things on their way,

You've always known, they must do it alone.

Those are the words Mary sings at the end of "Mary Poppins", after she's finally helped to set things right in the Banks' household. As our Mary (Sara) sang them every night, I kept thinking how fitting and beautiful they were, and the deeper meaning that they would hold for all of us when "Mary Poppins" closed. 

I and my cast mates truly felt those words as we took our final bows. Emotions ran high from before the show started to after it ended, and as many of us tried to sing the bows one last time, we knew in our hearts that it was time to say goodbye to the magic that is/was "Mary Poppins". It's hard to pinpoint the exact thing that makes this show one of the hardest to say "goodbye" to. Maybe it's the time we've all put into it. Maybe it's the unwavering dedication...some of us arriving early to rehearsals to practice "Step in Time." Maybe it's the magic that the set designers built into our beautiful set. Maybe it's the tough tech week we all went through together. Maybe it's the response of the audience...the cheers as we finished "Supercal" and "Step in Time", the standing ovations each night. It is all those things, and so many more. 

I'm so glad that is was at this point in life that I was able to part of this show. As a teen, I might've missed some of the beauty of it. When you're between the ages of 13-16, it's just natural to be concerned about the cute boys in the cast or your costume or friend drama. I'm sure I was like that...we all were. In heart and mind I still feel quite young sometimes, but the realization that I'm not as young anymore hit me hard after learning "Supercal" and "Step in Time." The sweat and the soreness and the thoughts of "will I ever learn this??" were all too real. I know that 26 isn't old by any means, but it got me thinking about how much longer I'll be able to keep up with the teens or be part of those high energy dances. Time continually marches on and while in some ways it's sad, it's also a reminder that the torch must be passed on someday to the up and comers (or "whippersnappers" as I like to call them). Time to take a small step back and let them have the spotlight and enjoy their moment. 

As we grow older, the "magical things" of life slowly begin to fade, and if you're not careful you become a little jaded and bitter. How refreshing it was to spend a summer being reminded that there is good in the world, and that you can have a small part in that good. It's nice to be reminded that no matter your age, you can still chase your dreams, and help others chase theirs. It was such a joy to watch the youngest cast members experience the magic, and begin to grasp why theater is so very special, and important.

I can't stress enough how good it felt to give myself completely to this show. To be filled up and poured out over and over again. To be around my theater family, a group that is so loving and supportive and kind. To be led by such fierce leaders who gave us all the space we needed to grow. Like I mentioned earlier, I often reflect on the passage of time, and realizing how quickly this summer has passed and how this experience can never be brought back saddens me. Yet I'm hopeful and thankful for the next chapter to start, one that I will get to write. In a little less than a month, I will begin rehearsals for "Our Town", a task that is just a little more than slightly daunting. I will get to put into practice the things that I have learned from my college professors and the wonderful directorial team at the Palace and carry on the legacy of excellence that our theater is known for. It is my turn now, and my hope is that I will be able to do this beautiful show justice, and give more people the chance to experience "the magic".

To those who think "Eh...community theater", I want you to know that I am 110% proud to be a part of the Marion Palace Theater and of the great things we have accomplished there. I think about the friends I've made and the things I've learned, and I know that I am blessed. To me, this small but mighty theater is practically perfect. And I know it will remain so.

Reupholstering: Chair Edition!

For those who frequent the thrift stores, you know the difference between a good deal, and a GREAT deal. I love looking for that diamond in the rough and being able to take it home and work a little DIY magic on it. I found one of those great deals last August, and this is how my project turned out!

Let's take a quick trip back to December 2013...After rearranging our living room furniture to put the Christmas tree up, my husband and I ended up really liking the new arrangement. What we didn't like was the gaping hole it left in front of our large living room window. 

Yay new arrangement!

Boo gaping hole.

We started looking for chairs, but we kept running into the problem of expensive, poor quality, and frankly, uncomfortable chairs. $250 for a chair that we'd really only use when guests come over? No, thank you!

Harley approved.

As with most great thrift store finds, the day you go in, looking for nothing in particular, is the day you find exactly what you've been looking for all along. Luckily for me, it was a Saturday when I wandered into Salvo, which meant all furniture was 50%! I laid my eyes on these vintage beauties, and after some furious texting back and forth with Mr. Ben (aka convincing him I could work some magic on the chairs), I decided to purchase them. To my delight, I got all 3 for $25! That completely confirmed my suspicions that these chairs were the ones for our home.

Pretty wood and 1970s (?) fabric? I don't hate it.

I immediately uploaded photos of the chairs to Instagram with a desperate "Somebody-please-tell-me-how to-reupholster!" plea attached. With the help of my dear friend (who is the blogging/Paleo-ing/crafting Queen over at Domestic360) and others, and with a little internet research myself, I dove head first into my first reupholstery project.

After I got going, it really turned out to be a fairly simple-ish project. There were so many staples to take out, which really turned out to be one of the worst parts. I used a flat head screwdriver to pry the screws up, and then pliers to take them out. With a curious puppy roaming underfoot who has an appetite for the inedible, I was super careful about throwing all of my staples away! I replaced the old wool with batting and also added more foam to the seat cushion to give it a bit of fluff and bounce. I wish I could say I was super technical when adding the batting (rhyme?), but I wasn't. If I felt like it needed more, then I put another layer in. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me in the butt someday...

The beginning. 

Exposing the OLD wool and just the first layer of staples beneath.

With the advice of friends, I took many photos along the way so I would know exactly how things went back together. The scariest part was the moment of stapling. There's no going back after that first staple goes in! (Helpful hint: If the backrest of your chair is curved like mine, I would suggest having a husband/friend/parent help you hold the fabric taut for those first few staples. Cutting down on wobbliness, especially when using an electric stapler, is key!)

There were a few minor hiccups and brain farts when it came to sewing a new seat cover, but once again, I got by with a little help from my friends...namely, Corey, the sewing diva (the blogging/Paleo-ing/crafting Queen I was talking about). Once I got the cover finished, it slipped over the seat and I was able to staple it down myself, sans hubby. There are only a few things more empowering than using a power tool to create something beautiful...I AM WOMAN. HEAR ME ROAR.

Ta-da!

In the end, I'm super pleased with how the chairs turned out, and although it took me longer than I hoped (I finished the second chair in December...sorry honey!), I'd do it again. The fabric was just what I wanted, and although it did pain me a bit to spray paint the wooden frame, I love how the white looks. Whether tackling a similar project or doing something completely differing, my crafting philosophy is this: It's always better to make something yourself, and exactly how you want it. With a lucky trip to Salvo and the perfect fabric from Hob Lob, we now have two chairs that look lovely in our living room, and that we didn't break the bank for. With materials, it cost me around $30 per chair. You can't beat that! (Oh, and Harley loves them too).

"Thanks for making this for me," says Harley. "Also, thanks for this blanket. I'll keep you around awhile."

Yep, it's hers.

Have you ever reupholstered something? Was it a total success or total disaster? I'm no expert by any means, but I'd love to answer any questions you have. And who knows, maybe sometime this summer I'll tackle that third chair and take photos along the way to put together a more detailed blog post about the process! (I wouldn't hold your breath for that one...)


Happy Reupholstering, friends!

The Summer of the Patty.

Dream Patty/Deck overlooking the ocean. I'll let you know when we move in.

The PARTIES on the Patty, that is. Basically all that means is we're planning on getting a patio poured outside our house, so I feel every gathering we hold there needs to be referred to as a "Patty Party." With my love of abbrev(iation)s, this makes total sense to me.

If you're a teacher, you KNOW the exciting promise that summer break brings. The long days spent with family/friends or just by yourself, in quiet solitude. Some probably don't think teachers really need summer breaks, but if you're a teacher, you know how essential it is to your mental and physical health. Nine months out of the year you are drying tears, wiping noses, teaching, guiding, mentoring, loving, taking countless bathroom trips, answering strange questions planning parties, and putting band-aids on boo boos. There are even the occasions when you have to clean up barf, poop, or pee, or, if you're lucky, all 3 at the same time. It can be utterly and completely exhausting, and you feel as if there's no possible way you can do all of those things and run a household or get together with friends. It's tough.

But despite the exhausting days, teaching is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I'm crazy enough to do it again next year!

This year I had exceptionally awesome classes, in both preschool and high school. Like, SERIOUSLY. It's crazy how you start off at the beginning of the year not knowing any of the parents or kids, but by the end you count the parents as your friends and you can't imagine not having those silly sweeties in your class the next year. One preschool parent who has become a friend got me sweet little gifts throughout the year, and somehow nailed my style exactly, and she also took amazing headshots for me. Another parent brought me super yummy "apple crispy" during my long parent/teacher conference day and invited both my husband and I to her son's birthday party (which was awesome by the way). Those seemingly small gestures are part of what made this year so fabulous and as mentioned before, those kids are NOT allowed to move on to PreK!

Poo Drizzle--what you make when the teacher forgets the ingredients for a student's dish so you just have to make something up with what's in the cabinet.

My high school classes were also pretty grand, though a bit rocky at the start. There were 18 in my Culinary Arts class at the beginning of the year (!!). Let me tell you, in a fairly small kitchen with a singular stove things got a bit...chaotic. Being from the "Just-Throw-Crap-In-A-Bowl-And-Don't-Measure" School of Cooking, I struggled with slowing down and teaching the basics.We burnt some things, dropped some things, placed well in the school's dessert auction, and made a delightful dish called "Poo Drizzle", which people still ate, surprisingly. Despite some of my shortcomings, the kids remained enthusiastic all year. (The class was cut in half due to scheduling conflicts, so that cut down on crowd control/hair pulling out significantly).

Oh ya know, the cast just "breakin' it down."

Theater was great as well, yet, like Culinary Arts started out a bit on the rocky side. Nearly everyone failed our first quiz, which made me pretty mad at the time. BUT then I thought back to the big fat "F" I received on my first acting quiz of my college career, and so the only choice I had was to give them grace. Things greatly improved after that, and I may be biased, but I have an AMAZING group of kids who love theater. I've found that I truly have a passion for teaching and directing, which can be seen in the way my face gets flushed and my ears get red when I talk about it for too long. I hope that the kids continue to catch that passion this next year, and work on developing their own passion. I had 19 students by the end of the year and nearly half were boys--how often does that happen?!

IT'S GONNA BE GREAT! (Totally non-biased statement)

I'm really looking forward to these next 3 months of respite and relaxation. Well, it won't be totally relaxing, but a lot of fun. I'm in rehearsal for "Mary Poppins" at the Marion Palace Theater and I think it's going to kick my butt, in the best way possible. I'm ready (?) for those dancing rehearsals! Really though, WHO in their right mind is ready for "Supercal"? I'll also be working for an amazing business a dear friend owns called "Special Riding Stars", and I can't wait. She gives riding lessons to both typical children and children with a wide range of disabilities. It's really amazing. Not sure if the mister and I will be able to go on a vaca like we were thinking, but I'd be okay with a few long weekends away. After all, Ohio really does have SO much to discover...

You know me, I have several DIY projects up my sleeve this summer and I'd like to take you along and get your feedback...that is, if I can remember to take really artsy and softly lit photos during the process. I've been meaning to post my chair reupholstering project I started last August and finished in Decemeber awhile later so hopefully I'll get around to that. There are some things that I just think of in my head and should probably document so I can recreate them in the future. And who knows, you make want to try your hand at something I've done!

Maybe you'll go a-riding on a magical dolphin this summer!

What will YOU be up to this summer? Any fun family outings planned, or plans for evenings spent by a bonfire with friends? (Personally, that's one of my most favorite summery things to do). I'm off to get DIY-ing (whilst taking softly lit artsy photos) and then getting ingredients for one of those around the campfire/s'more times with friends!


Happy Summer!