A new look for an old table

I have a few posts coming of projects we finished in warmer weather but never published.  Sometimes I feel like we're moving at a snail's pace getting this house ready, but reading back over these helps me see that more has been accomplished than I realized and I can be patient.  Sort of.  A work in progress, anyway.

 

Want to see my new sunroom furniture?  Actually, only the chairs are new.  The table's been with us for a few states.

 

 

We found this oak pedestal table and four chairs {below} for fifty dollars at a garage sale when we first moved to Washington.  They were fine and sturdy, but boring, so when we moved to Wisconsin, this was my first refinishing project.  I painted the table black, but left the chairs because the thought of trying to refinish them was scary.  It still is.  All of those spindles!

 

In our kitchen in Wisconsin

 

The top was never as smooth as I would have liked {I didn't know to sand and use gradually higher grit sandpapers}, and because I had used a spray poly, after only a year or so, the paint began to chip and you could see the oak underneath.  It looked like it always had crumbs.  I decided that it would be a pretty easy redo, and you can read about how my young friend, Elizabeth, helped me out with it here.

 

As you can see below, we {read Elizabeth, since I was about 8 1/2 months prego} sanded well between each coat and made it smooth and glossy.  Much better.

 

 

Then we stenciled it, which was a fun project that I delegated and Elizabeth executed.  Fun for everyone!  Well, it was fun for me and she didn't complain, so I'll just infer.  A couple of coats of a brush on outdoor grade poly for durability and we called it done.

 

When we moved to this house, the table was downstairs in the homeschool area {remember, we put the piano in the eat-in kitchen area}.  I wasn't wild about it there, though.  I would rather have a rectangle or square table for the school area.  I have no reason for this.  It's just a preference thing.

So when I was in ReStore a couple of months ago and found this sturdy monster of a table for twenty-four dollars, I jumped at it! 

It needs a little love, which I'm more than happy to give it.  It also seats six comfortably, which makes it workable for company in the future in addition to giving lots of space to do school now.

Back to the pedestal table.  I put it in the sunroom and it fast became a favorite place for the kids and me to eat lunch.  It was just so, well, black, which didn't fit my vision for the room, but I still love the table top and didn't want to change that.  So I carefully covered the top and painted both the pedestal and the rim of the top.

 

While in ReStore finding the table, we also came upon some beautiful antique chairs.  There were only three, but they were very sound and sturdy, and I figured I could find one or two others on Craigslist eventually.  Besides, they were only nine dollars apiece! 

 

They look pretty good in the picture above.  Even the upholstery doesn't look terrible.  Oh, friends.  Pictures are deceiving.  The wood was stained in some places, but in others it had only been painted brown.  Also, the veneer was coming loose in several areas on the lyre section of the backs.  I decided to paint them white to go with my table.  It was a scary undertaking because of all the details.

I could not get in every nook an cranny, as you can see below.  Also, can you see the veneer that chipped off?  Thankfully I found the pieces.

 

Clamps were my friend as I did my amateur best to repair the chairs.

Finally they were done and ready for paint.  I put them on boxes in the yard.

A few coats later, I had pretty white chairs.

Don't they look cute with the table?

 

I found an awesome silver vinyl that actually looks like silk.  I loved it so much that I upholstered most of my dining room chairs in it, also.  Wipeability is key in this house.

 

I love the set.  I will hopefully find a fourth chair on craigslist at some point, but I'm not worrying about it.

This is the view from the living room.  You can see the set from the front door.  Yet again, excuse my photography skills.

 The white is so much lighter and suits a sunroom much better. 

p.s.  I left the oak spindle chairs with the homeschool table downstairs.  They're very sturdy and comfortable, and they match the stain of table top.  It's not the prettiest oak color, but at least they go together.  I've heard that you can use a gel stain right over top of your existing stain, and I would love to try it, but I would HATE to try it and have it not work and be stuck.  Those spindles! *shudder*

Post Thanksgiving Post {do we even remember Thanksgiving now that it's December?}

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week!  We sure did.  Apparently there was wonderful food.  I wouldn't know, because I was upstairs with a stomach bug.  All the kids and I have had it at some point during this last week.  It is the third stomach bug we've had in our family this Fall.  Seriously.  The THIRD!

For the Thanksgiving season this year, we made a Thankful tree for the kids and had them tell us something each day for which they were thankful.  It could be anything.  No restrictions.  I'm telling you about it now for two reasons.  First, putting the "tree" together is so easy and I am keeping it through the Christmas season and already hung Christmas ornaments from it, and second, as I was putting away the tags from it, I wanted to share some of the things my kids are thankful for.

Jack is thankful:

1.  For Lammett and big eagle {Lammett is his blanket which has the head of an elephant on it.  Big eagle is   actually a stuffed Maisy the bird a la Dr. Seuss}.
2.  That Nate plays with me.
3.  For breakfast.
4.  For doggies {of which he is actually terrified}.
5.  For something to drink.
6.  For my banana, cereal, and yogurt.
7.  For my sword.
8.  That I know how to skateboard {he doesn't}.
9.  To be able to climb a tree {which consists of him hugging the trunk and calling it good}.
10.  For Woody and Buzz.
11.  For sharks.
12.  For dinosaurs.
13.  That a bear says ROAR!!
14.  For Jesus because I love Him.
15.  For everything, everyone, and every baby.
16.  For my piggy bank.
17.  For myself.

Ella is thankful:

1.  That God is always good.
2.  That we have leaves to rake.

3.  For my grandparents.
4.  For my nice, warm blanket.
5.  For Shakespeare.
6.  That God made me.
7.  For new adventures.
8.  To be learning piano {she's been taking for a couple of months}.
9.  For our house.
10.  For sea turtles.
11.  That God helps me to have a happy heart.
12.  That I get to read with mom.
13.  For Gater.
14.  For school.
15.  For steamers {we just pulled out the espresso machine}.

I love projects where the kids share their hearts.  I'm going to keep the tags to pull out next year and remember what they said.  Maybe I'll put them in an album somehow, someday.

If you want to make one of these "trees" for the Christmas season, it's as easy as it gets.  Simply put some sticks from your yard in a vase or pitcher, pour some beans {or rice, or anything really - lentils would be pretty in a clear vase} in the bottom to make them easier to manipulate, and arrange as desired.  As I said, I put ornaments on mine.  I thought about spray painting it in some gold or silver metallic paint to glitz it up for December.  I might yet.  You could get really crazy and put some glue and glitter on the branch tops for some snow.  If you're really bored you could wrap the branches in yarn or twine or ribbon.  For that matter, you could do that with wire coat hangers if you don't have branches readily available. 

So what I am saying is, this could take you five minutes or it could take you an entire afternoon. 

Your choice. 

Don't you love choices?