We are fortunate enough to have two mature trees in our back yard just the right distance apart for a hammock. Every spring, we break it out of the garage and hang it up. Only this year, the hammock's not looking so good:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj2sh9ahLpa9ulQaTZ5MU5riBySCoi8cTmuLNmnoMYIKf9LSJPB2GtzSNd79hBdCCprpoltCCHHWOTO_bloePcA8X7Ae_FCF-77_avO7Rq0UsNYyi_3ZZLuDf3Kgd2TCP1qEFNxKkwfj0/s400/P1090292.JPG)
Even Pao seems to be shying away from it! This webbing used to be white:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jKKVnf84VuvJCjK3JgCUrHc9o_sGvfBznN56ogq7f21ZN_pJCSdsjILFSnhzKeIbM8I2USWkiTIGYmi9lXDEoW81-OGmMtNTONGsjgUAkY6-aoKkO6hFriLB53MuDn_hEbSv5tb5_ZGk/s400/P1090298.JPG)
And this used to be oiled wood:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrvI830xvghao4WxP6lQJDH1-JDcRP5cpN3c8V57dg_lWTSGqRJ-CmkIcf7m1lu_mjHEL1ycjKmnvJwbcnFpxq3PZxLJvkEMBvp_BOu7CUIktdhHfdbGS77w7EfXxvhjIOK3tQrOHgd0t/s400/P1090297.JPG)
I won't even speculate about what kind of critter made this mess:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHag-mwDnBgRwx_HOvVc2XE45WgUeI0Zz5MJzK2QQKdmmyu8MBofyX0tlKg6F5K4Rmk0GKMxpGm1IG7FRPt60OAL73ZD5Q-MYKUBTBU1qWRvK-IDu-bhTdRqBsipEcJ0rDZ5DZSdptrtl4/s400/P1090296.JPG)
It's clearly time for a change:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEdBJEfSm-gkXDyod6IJM3Q1ToNQxMMp5ZdoN8kqkamV1FrMiz8gMDrgmxI-q0yH5KEMy3XGb9GGPQvyGG1nQ4k6HPB4XlmZmmvjzIQ0NLd3gPwu38t00_ylQ0P0uWPPG9-w-YIrgJGgD/s400/P1090293.JPG)
BUT...
I want to put off buying a new hammock for one more season, if I can. So I looked around for something I could do to make this current one more inviting.
This is what I came up with. I threw down an old quilt that used to be on the girls' beds when they were very little (and has since been reassigned to the old-but-serviceable blankets pile):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw2aHQWhudPUszY0YLs_9_Zk1q2UycaZOU4Ek7l2DKrIp2jbuhvdpV1zME21nnRvku75x3bH-eJGw4tW_p-d22vfCvMB_tAeAYsKEFVLnvIICDG4X-gC5EuhDWbMWgJpPzormfmAzAQeG/s400/P1090299.JPG)
The scalloped edge is a little frayed from where somebody's pet rat chewed it (yes, we had a succession of them when the kids were small):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DE51CedpPqnaL50hB3UCyHqfe5vxxSQgTwfWuESx5y4b6uQWJZUQpoJDTpxwqUKDMclULIu7yrPX8dqMtnWNpyN4JvMkVId5ydO4IA00XqwGKLgOrDToFgDnkHZXX6gmI43SavnDL3dj/s400/P1090289.JPG)
I think the tattered edge just adds to the cottage-shabby charm, don't you?
To cover the tied-on pillow of nasty green fabric, I dragged out an old pillow sham I've had forever. Well, practically forever. My Nana made this, and I couldn't bear to throw it out, even though it's not my favorite color scheme, because the material is an amazing, heavy, sturdy silk the likes of which isn't made any more.
I put it half under the pillow and then flopped it over the top, like a soft-taco shell around some filling:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht596YiABQelxUF0rxpOgixnGqrNRmQH-y1gH3M1HQ1NM2q_Jbng24gLaqFQ4EWVmgPihdAjqo5XSZaf-2M4OOQFh_nCJRdZfsvtv567Y_Is-pd0CBZz0Z_esG0BOkrmz-6hlXo-BHt6Eq/s400/P1090290.JPG)
See? the ugly pillow is covered up, and I don't need to mess with the dirt:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-th3MvRapzD20o4EarNsJT-w4V_BVdLqhD0YkGFMaiyLFRYrcKYJXqwyODdsS6zQdg9ncYXQIPpMQdSrRSQ1Tsf6sdcgV_cpl2IWPh60s44HbaxTaDyKqWSvsQ_Va-eKSLgcNl9FMllg/s400/P1090288.JPG)
Then I added a little pillow, a little flea-market side table, something good to drink, and some magazines to read on a summer's afternoon
:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioq-N56JcWolKT6isfDD9wY19o-gO3ODEs8NHn1LUOeCNgGeGE_rBVaV1Dc7E_-dtS511aGjidykCDW-iOhEb6WM_Xdi9ZClLQXgzzwRI4pqIApvBQfMfeQtnwxpevJUwRAoGLWZE0jvKu/s400/P1090300.JPG)
I am soooo looking forward to reading this one:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAVHCa3UI9B-0Td6ZtwIB2ROlUhGtDXCECkeH1ZzHIRf8k1V7HW8-J0TClgQwfrsmcIwsjIEaHCOLxxUR1azBFaVZiYRBGO-2N2h0JBjCpS7HUlqboToGKD6eg3aZkuUBjy4KX-UxpuHk/s400/P1090301.JPG)
"Contain clutter and reuse old stuff!" Music to my ears....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0xFku919IKfSfhNJk8CkDJGbmcEwiL0mN6-LABRJ1oKJ2p93hWoKNr6Nz9w_fPsHel6I_idm-f7EBiMA7LakWlRYNYqTsFH0TNFTJ0IKdJk-XtmgdQxZchViXc7REkzaACYgkZwa7oF4/s400/P1090302.JPG)
See you out in the back yard, soon.
You are SO clever!!! xoxo
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