Wooden Ironing Board Clean-Up

Hi all!  I have been seeing beautiful snow pictures from some of you and I am quite envious!  We went all winter without one good snow storm.  This is the first winter ever in my kids lives that they didn't get to make snow angels, build a snowman, or go sledding.  Of course, we all love snow days from school when we get to sleep in, stay in our pj's, eat snow ice cream, and play games all day.  None of that this year for us and it is quite sad.  Although... we have been having wonderful spring weather so I won't complain too much.  Today we are to hit 77 degrees.  It is so warm and sunny out there.  We like to take talks when we get home from school.

Yesterday I went rummaging through the garage to see what I could work on outside.  I have been wanting to get my old wooden ironing board in the house but it needed a good clean.

Every shopping trip I took last year, I kept an eye out for one.  They were running $28-$37 and most had huge cracks in them or were broken and didn't set up.  I held out because I knew "my piece" was out there somewhere and I will know when I come across it.  One day last summer, I was out garage saling and it was a bust.  I was ready to call it a day.  I came across one more sale.  I drug myself out of the truck and started looking.  Right there before my eyes was this awesome wooden ironing board that was set up and there were no cracks!  I thought I was gonna cry, lol.  Well not really, but I was so excited!  I was afraid to ask the price since everything else was priced... you know how that goes... it usually means it's more than you want to pay when there is no price on it.  5 bucks is all they wanted for it!  I whipped out my $5 and gave it to her.  Woo Hoo!!  I could hardly contain myself, hehe!

I continued to look around and someone about took my ironing board!  I had to literally run over there and tell them I already bought it and went straight to my truck with it, then went back to looking, lol.  I know they thought I was a nut.  But when you are on the hunt for a particular piece, that's what happens, well for me anyway... it turns me into a nut.  =]  

It is definitely worn and dry wood.  I was cleaning it up with my wood cleaner and it would soak it right up before I could even rub it in.  But just look at the difference!  This is yellow grease pencil.  Normally, it would need to be sanded off but I use a fine grade steel wool with my wood cleaner so it took care of it.

No sanding, just a little extra rubbing in that area and it came right off with no problem.  See the difference?

After all these years of cleaning and painting wood, I am still amazed at the change on each piece that I do.

I really wanted a wooden stand but for 5 bucks, I will settle for a metal one.  I actually like the green metal.  It's really hard to clean metal with chipped paint.  I took a bowl of Dawn dish soap and water and gently wiped it down.  A little of the paint flaked but I would rather it flake off outside than in my home.  Here she is all finished and pretty now...

It's in my laundry room (right by the main bath) leaning against the 3 hole cubby where each of my kids dump their school stuff.

I'm not sure how I am going to decorate around it.  The brooms were already there so I just put them in front of the board but they probably won't stay.  I have been admiring Cindy from Cynthia lee Designs' old wooden ironing board and how she decorated.  Click on her name and go check out her post, check out her whole blog... she is always inspiring me with her way of decorating!  I thought about draping one of my mom's dresses she wore as a toddler over it to showcase her dress (she'll be 77 next month) but I don't really like that.

I'll eventually get it figured out but in the mean time it'll be fun to play around.  *I am gladly open for suggestions*.  There's not much room here so it's not like there is a lot I can do.  I am thinking about adding a small crock (like Cindy did, hehe) to put all my wood bobbins in because this area has lots of old sewing notions to blend in with my main bath.  Oh, and maybe I can add an old label to the crock... right, Linda from Parker's Paradise?  I have this idea of Linda's on my mind and here's another one.  Thank you girls for sharing your ideas and always being an inspiration to decorating my home, I love that about our prim blog community!  =]

Winter is my sewing and stitching time but as soon as it starts to warm up, I am itching to get outside to sand and paint away.  It was fun to work with wood again.  I have lots more in my garage to pull out and play with.

The unofficial garage sale opening weekend is upon us!  I check the ads in our county paper every week and finally there are quite a few garage sales this weekend, woo hoo!  That excites this thrifty, makeover loving heart!

Enjoy your weekend with whatever kind of weather you have.... if you're snowed in, sit by the fire with some hot chocolate and stitch away.  If you have warm sunshine, get out there and dig in the dirt.  =]