carpet,heat,fabric & a new friend

Progress is being made around here! The carpet has been installed and it looks really nice. (I will post pictures tomorrow) The heater has FINALLY been installed. Today I made a trip to a tiny little town to a tiny little upholstery shop to pick out fabric for my settee. I wish I would have snapped some before pictures. The settee is one I have had for quite some time. My mom and I found it on an antiquing trip in Oklahoma. It is a beautiful hand carved piece from the 1800's. After rummaging through many upholstery books, I settled on a simple cream fabric. I thought I would just pick a cream colored cotton fabric, but I thought she deserved a little sparkle so I chose a fabric with more of a sheen to it. I can't wait to see the finished product!

The upholstery store in a town of nearly 800 people, was ran by a lovely couple. The wife was the only one in the store, her husband is sick with cancer. She was the most bubbly woman and shared many stories over a brief time. She told me about how she and her husband got started in the business. She showed me projects she was working on. I couldn't help but notice her hands. They were so arthritic and it nearly hurt me to look at them. She was telling me about her husband, how she fixes him up in a recliner in their store and gives him projects to keep him busy. Today, she left him home with "his sports" and decided to come work. She likes her work. And I like her.

I appreciate those chance encounters- the ones that teach you something. I saw something in her that I hope to be...all while picking out fabric.