I’m very competitive and I’m not ashamed of that at all. I’ve been known to keep a text going for hours just so I can have the last word, just ask my friends Karen and Jackie. If you jokingly say I can’t do something, you bet I’m going to prove you wrong. Don’t tell me my age is what holds me back, that I can’t do something because I’m over 50 and oh my goodness never tell me men are stronger. Greg fell in to that trap a few times.
Being competitive isn’t all bad. Sometimes it can work for you not against you. My little booth at Doc Holliday’s has been doing very well. Last week it was in need of a little love and a few big pieces to show. I had this farm table that had seen better days. The base of it was okay with minimal damage but the top was a whole new story. The owner had allowed all kinds of things on top of it. There was paint stains and drink rings along with a few stains I’m not sure what they were. Greg laid down the challenge and said there is no way you will make this usable again. Okay Greg I’ll take that challenge.
If you notice the top has a very interesting pattern. While a beautiful pattern it made for a long restored life process. When you sand wood you have to sand with the grain of the wood. So every 6 inch the direction of the sanding changed. It was a long process but oh how worth it to uncover the beauty.
Once all that sanding was done I truly sat and looked at the beautiful wood. I used dark walnut stain to pull out the grain and pattern of the wood. It turned out stunning and full of restored life. The base was painted out in Pure White by Chalk Country Paint. I did my always sanding back to give it that worn shabby chic look. The top has 3 coats of Defender for protection as well as the base. To finish out this table I took 4 old chairs and cut off the backs. I added a full piece of stained wood to make the benches.
We took the table set to Doc’s for the Saturday sidewalk sale. Mid day a young family came in and with 3 small children. I heard they had the kids sit at the table. I’ve heard from them that they love the new farm table and it works great for their family. This does this artist heart so good. I love knowing my restored life pieces are going on to live another life for years to come.
