A Dining Experience

At the house I rented with Maggie she provided the table and chairs and before that my apartment had an island that served as both cooking and eating space.

The mismatched chairs.

When I moved into my house my grandparents gave me a collection of chairs for my dining area. They didn't match or hold up well to daily use, but it meant I didn't have to pay big money for dining furniture.

A little over a year ago my dad moved in with me for a month or so. When he came he brought the dining room chairs from his apartment and I went ahead and got rid of the chairs that were falling apart. When he moved out he didn't need his chairs immediately so I convinced him to leave them at my house until I got a chance to go shopping for new chairs. A year later I finally sucked it up and shelled out around $400 for a set of parson chairs that match the bar stools my aunts and uncles got me a few years ago for Christmas.

I debated buying six chairs instead of four, but the cost was prohibitive and I didn't really have a place to keep the two extra chairs when the table didn't have all the leaves in it. I'm hoping that if I do decide that I need extra chairs someday I'll be able to find something that will match what I bought, either the same chair (I bought them from Pier 1) or something that I could use at the head and foot of the table since those chairs occasionally look different from the rest. 

You can see the matching
bar stools in the background.

I spent a lot of time comparing prices and styles, I'm pretty sure I could have found a cheaper set, but I was afraid it wouldn't be as well made. I also didn't want chairs covered in cloth (as a lot of parsons style chairs are). The set I bought it a faux leather material that should wipe clean pretty easily.

Of course my table is my mom's old breakfast table from ages ago. She gave it to Spencer when he got his first apartment and he gave it to me when he moved out to join the Air Force.

I do think it's funny that I managed to get a complete outdoor dining set (check it out here) that I can only use three months of the year before I got the dining chairs I wanted. 

At least now I won't be up a creek next time Dad comes over and threatens to take his chairs back (he's usually half-kidding). Plus, I actually got to christen the new chairs the same day I bought them since I hosted my small group from church that evening. It was lucky I still had Dad's chairs though since we needed them all.

Eating Outside

So it's been nearly a year since I found this awesome porch table on sale at Target. Since then I have been hunting for chairs. The table isn't very usable without seating so I wanted to find a set of outdoor chairs that matched the table. I also wanted cast iron chairs because they last, my mom has a set that she's had for at least 15 years. Unfortunately most of the sets I like are $40 per chair.

Last week I was visiting Home Depot and happened to walk by there outdoor furniture section. They had a variety of chairs for $32/chair. Still not an awesome price, but it was cheaper and I liked the chairs. I gave in and bought them. Now I can actually sit outside!

Doesn't the table look inviting with the pot of strawberry plants and the chairs? I plan to buy or make cushions soon, something colorful and bright I think. Maybe once the outdoor patio items go on sale I can find some cushions at a good price.

Future plans for the porch include a ceiling fan to replace the light fixture that is currently there and screening in the area so that I can open up those french doors for events during the warmer months. Right now I would be letting every bug in Oklahoma in my house if I opened the french doors.

I'm also looking into planting mosquito repellent plants around the edges of my deck to discourage the pests. Mosquitoes are one creature that I do not believe serves a purpose, would killing off the entire population really hurt the ecosystem?