My New Find

Michael and I went to work at a fundraiser a few weeks ago. As we were leaving, I found a booth with handmade and hand painted items. When I saw this old ironing board painted with the above, I knew I wanted to hang it in our house. The truth of the matter is I have been waiting for about 10 years for an old wooden ironing board. When we lived in Florida, I walked into a friend's home, and she had an old wooden ironing board set up in her foyer. On it, she displayed family pictures in beautiful old fashioned frames. When we moved to Tennessee, I have seen many old wooden ironing boards to purchase. My biggest challenge has been space. The house we live in now is the largest that we have ever been in, and it is a 3 bedroom ranch home. We just don't have a lot of space for things like that. The ironing board I bought had been painted in a black milk paint and the words "FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT" have been stenciled on the black. She then free handed all the fruits of the spirit at the bottom. Her husband took off the legs of the ironing board and put on a nice strong wire to hang it. I have plenty of wall space to hang things so I put it in a spot in my living room. I would have hung it in the laundry room, but it is always a mess and I wanted to see it more than just when I do laundry.

I originally set it up by our fire place, but every kid in the house that day told me I had a nice surf board. This wasn't exactly the idea I had in mind. I don't generally decorate with surf boards so I decided to hang it. Well, the kids new I wasn't happy about everybody calling my new found ironing board treasure a surf board so now whenever the see my ironing board on the wall, they still tell me I have a nice surf board. Due to all of their mouthing, I now have come up with a new part of my plan. I have an old old iron from my grandmother's stash of old junk. I have had it for many years and it has always been on a project list in Michael's workshop. I asked him to get a shelf and put my iron next to the ironing board. He was a bit stunned when I asked for this because that iron weighs about a ton. I want it hung over our love seat. He wasn't thrilled with the whole laundry theme coming into our living room, and he reminded me that he wouldn't be happy if that iron hit him on the head while he was sitting on the love seat. I am sure there is something magical he can do with some tool of his downstairs that would prevent the iron from tumbling down onto any person's head. He agreed to hang the shelf and the iron for me.

These ironing boards would be easy to make. The lady also had one painted in an American Flag, a Christmas one, and a snowman. They would make lovely gifts if someone was inclined to the crafty side. Since I am not crafty, I chose to buy mine!!!

grace and peace,
julie