at long last

at long last
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

This piece of furniture is a once-neglected family "heirloom." I remember it being underneath my great-grandparents' carport in Louisiana. When my grandfather passed in 1998, we were asked to pick which items we wanted from the house. I thought this large empire-style piece was an old mantle. Three years later, after I married, I brought it home. But it's not a mantlepiece, it's a huge chest of drawers. It was falling apart, since it lived outside for 30 years. It's made of cottonwood, dates from at least 1890, maybe earlier. It was covered in a mahogany veneer that slowly peeled off. I had the piece rebuilt and imagined it stained ebony.

When my mom moved back to Memphis in 2004, she got really irritated with this ratty piece of furniture living in my dining room. Last year she took it out to refinish. She painted it black and returned it when I was in DC. Today I finally finished the project. I took an old lavender-scented votive candle to wax the drawers, took a deep breath and bough ten glass knobs. I defiled my debit card doing that. But it looks so perfect.

I am so happy with this project, because this is the only thing that I feel like I finished this week. There have been fits and starts on glazing, museum-work and school-related meetings happening, and I am amazed that it is already Friday. My goal is to have the kiln loaded and firing by Sunday morning. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you?

I love this piece of furniture. It makes me happy. And so I hope you have a happy weekend, everyone.