Dumpster diving

B found this chair in the dumpster at his apartment last spring.

When he brought it up, I told him he couldn't sit on the original cushion. Nasty! Who knows where that has been or who has sat on it. Plus, the cushioning had torn and there was no support for the seat.

Well, he quickly found a solution to keeping the cushion supported.
And soon enough he spent every extra minute out on his porch sitting, watching the boats go by. Sitting on this chair. With a gross cushion. From the dumpster.

But then I got my hands on it this summer. And tore it apart.

Sanded.

Refinished. Stained.
With an idea.
Jute.
(Has anyone else used jute before? I have a whole roll left over looking for a project)

Turns out jute is a pretty strong and great for upholstery. So I wove it into the frame.

Like elementary school weaving, but harder since I had to sew each end in.

Did I mention how long this sewing took?

Especially when the dogs got in the way.
** Yes, plural...dogs. More on this pandemonium later.


Speaking of dogs, Ti really enjoys the new dog bed (old cushion). Except its stint inside was less than a minute, it is now his patio lounger.

The best part - the final project is a success!!

A little stiff now at the beginning, but I know it will loosen up.

And to spiffy it up, an Ikea cushion that fits perfectly!

I just can't decide if I like it better with, or without the cushion.

A little Rusty....

Can you believe we made it to 4th year??

Hello blogworld! PLSB took a very long summer hiatus considering that we've been back in clinic since July 5th. So much has happened since we last posted! I took a vacation to NYC, spent time with family, tried a new restaurant in San Antonio that I would not recommend, started 4th year of dental school, took a trip with Brigid & Yasi to Houston, got an iPhone (what?!?!), hosted/partied with Japanese dental exchange students and welcomed my friend Lauren back to the states for a short escape from Peace Corps.

A photo summary:

Eating at the delectable Breadwinners with Ben's Mom, Sister and Nephew. We also enjoy Bonnie Ruth's brunch when out in the Dallas 'burbs. (For a taste of French goodness in San Antonio or Houston check out more places I like.)

Hanging out at the pool in Rockwall, TX near Lake Ray Hubbard for the Flippo wedding festivities.

Ben and his best buddies at the rehearsal dinner at Primo's.


We spent time with my family and friends in Baytown, hit up the usual spots, but also took the time to visit the San Jacinto monument. That's my sister Alyssa who was home from college and agreed to accompany us on the ferry ride over to the monument.


I've got a million pics from NYC and this could be a separate post, but here are two of the faves. It was Ben's first New York experience and he couldn't get enough of Times Square.

And OH the food!!!
-Otto
-DBGB
-Rice to Riches
-Philipe
-The Standard Grill
-Vespa
-Good
-Sushi Lounge


The "strike pose" created at Bowling Night.



The above pictures highlight the fun times we had hosting Haruna and the other Japanese dental exchange students. An exhausting ten days, but very rewarding.

We had to go to Sea World early on a Saturday morning with the Japanese students. Sea World is my own personal hell. Especially on a Saturday in August in San Antonio, but that's another post in itself. Can you believe I took this Flamingo photo with my iPhone??

I've recently been on a quest to avoid buying store-bought sauces, etc if I can. I took a chance on making homemade Spaghetti sauce and I absolutely love it. Knowing that you made the sauce and you know what's in it is so exciting and rewarding. Plus, the homegrown peppers from my patio really made the difference!

Having the iPhone makes it possible to have impromptu photo shoots of things like wacky hat night.
And finally, I spent the last weekend on the river in New Braunfels with Lauren and "the boys," and got to see Stephanie and Jena in Austin. It was great to be together and I enjoyed staying in Jena and her finance's new home. (Good food here and here.)