Our Table

Ah craigslist how I love thee. Back in 2012 we ended up in Round Rock for what we were expecting to be a month or two and ended up being five. While we were there I found a butcher block (aka HEAVY) table on craigslist for $50. To say it was in rough shape would have been putting it lightly but I had to have it so we lugged the thing out the back door and through a backyard with a rundown botanical garden feel all the way to our car. It probably would have been just as hard to carry it for a mile on good ground. 

It had clearly been rained on more than once. However with the help of my mother in law, her neighbor's tools and several days we were able to sand it down till it was smooth and clean looking. Then I had the difficult job of choosing a stain… Jacob wanted it looking "natural", while I wanted something dark. While in the hardware store I found a medium to dark stain named "Jacobean" clearly this was a sign, so I bought it. 

I ragged it on and instantly worried that it was too dark but there was no way I was sanding anymore, it was much too hot outside. Then came more heat issues. We were painting on the finishes in long strokes back and forth and it was drying so fast it was almost impossible to blend it in with the "row" above it before it dried and left you with a sticky unsightly seam between brushstrokes. I had to paint in 6" rows (with the grain) as fast as I could in order to just barely be able to blend with the row above. Then I'd let it dry for a day, sand it, wipe it down and do it again for 3 or for days. Did I mention it was hot? Anyway after a lot of sweat and a lot of work it was finally finished… and I must say now 2 years later I love it just as much as I did then.

Oh and don't even get me started about how much I love our chairs. They were purchased one at a time mostly from craigslist although I got two in Leesburg, VA at different stores. The only two that match are the armchairs on the end that while both originally from Ethan Allan came from craigslist, one in Texas and one here in Virginia, just like my boys. They are stained differently and I eventually plan on painting one of them but maybe not.

As an aside, it's a little tragic this is the only photo I could find on my iMac of all of my beautiful chairs… now I have to clean off my table to take a new picture AND I want sugar cookies… oh well