wherefigsfly

Slowly,

    with no doubt or hesitation.

Pass through the waters.

Push through the blossoms,

    and stand.

Stand on a hallowed lawn of green,

   the place of dreams.

                          The view behind The Flying Fig barn

A disclaimer:  This has not been a journey without doubt. In fact, doubt has been an unsettling companion along with its sidekick fear. But I’ve learned that one shaking foot in front of the other is not such a bad way to travel.

Standing & sanding,

june

Let hope rise in the city…this painting, these words convey a bit about The Green Chair Project. But only a bit…as sometimes there are things where any explanation falls short. Reusing furnishings, renewing lives in the Raleigh area, the non-profit’s website header states…and again this only conveys a bit about The Green Chair.

Through The Green Chair, donated household furnishings find their way into the homes of those in need. Families who have lost everything in an apartment fire or individuals transitioning from homelessness or prison or folks who are trying very hard in very difficult circumstances…these are Green Chair clients. Clients choose and receive a number of things from The Green Chair. Furniture. Dishes. Bed linens. Respect. Hope. An altered future, perhaps.

At The Flying Fig, we have had the pleasure of donating a little paint and time for these French doors that will go inside the new location of The Green Chair. Benjamin Moore’s Cool Aqua over Shimmering Lime. Fun colors that fuel spring fever!

Hope springs eternal       –Alexander Pope

There’s been a little action this week with Farrow & Ball’s Charlotte’s Locks. 

Sometimes we feel like a cheering fan after a slam dunk…oh, to open a paint can and take in the strong color of orange!

And sometimes we feel like a cussing coach…the joys of painting with pigments that contain red! 

Ahhh…March madness.

One of the most wonderful things about starting this business has been the encouragement from others…and sometimes from unexpected places. Case in point, I received this at my daughter’s bus stop. My neighbor and friend and leather guru has peppered me with all kinds of surprises at the bus stop over the last two weeks…home mixed laundry detergent, two concoctions of liquid soap, homemade Greek yogurt, and to top those off, this…a bottle of Fig Fizz! This homemade brew contains sparkling water, fresh lemon juice and honey.  Oh my!

Cheers!

june

Dibs my friend declared, when she spied it in our barn. Definitely dibs, declared my friend who could have been, maybe should have been, an interior designer. And then her request was just do something with it. I trust you. Don’t ask me what. A dream request, I suppose…if you know what you are doing.

Finding these let-the-transformation-begin fabrics at Sew There in town was the needed impetus.

Inside                                                  Outside

Sandpaper, chalk paint, dark wax, string for hand-tying springs, and a great big new appreciation for those who call themselves upholsterers ensued.

Hmmm…the door I used to deliver this turn-of-the-century chair.

And now this chair, that probably has had a century of pillar to post, resides in this turn-of-the-century house in a great neighborhood. 

Peace out, as my friend would say,

june

Just wanted to share these little pictures of a piece that is causing big excitement.

These are the before photos. The during process involves some new stained mahogany & gold brush & paint. We are downright giddy at the moment!

The after will make its debut in June.