It Is Finished

 

Now this was a fun project. I've been determined to find a dinning table for the patio for over a year now. As you know, I love entertaining so the fact that our kitchen table only seats 3 was not cutting it. I've been to a great deal of thrift stores, garage sales, antique stores and countless hours on Craigslist. I had come to the point were I was sure I was going to have to spend at least $200 for the right one. And then last week, while searching through Craigslist, there it was. The One. It had just posted "College student moving home this week. Need to sell table ASAP! $20.” I couldn’t believe it, I was sure there had to of been something wrong with it. I was so excited that I took the ½ hour trip downtown on a Monday night to pick it up. Apparently this kids’ grandma had given it to him when he started school and now he was in a rush to get rid of it. I arrived to pick it up and he helped me load it into my car. I tried to act calm as I handed him a $20 bill for this beautifully designed, heavy, solid oak table that was atleast 80 years old. It appears as if to only have been used with the leaves folded in to seat 4. Which meant that when fully expanded (the only way I was going to use it) the table was in pretty good condition. Of course within a few days I learned the hard way that there was no sealant on that side of the table. I left a beautiful wine stain to haunt me forever. I knew I was going to have to take good care of it, especially with it being outside and the main dining table.

   So I went to one of the happiest places on earth, Home Depot. I passed the old perverted sales guy that somehow remembers my name and went straight to the paint aisle. I was going to need a few things, but most of which I knew I could use for other jobs in the future (my justification for spending more then the table itself) I decided to get a stain that was darker than the current stain, I went with dark walnut. I purchased both a stain and a heavier sealant because it’s an outside table, but you may not need both for some jobs. They do make some products with two in one. I was looking forward to starting the project, but it was going to have to wait until the next day.

 I woke up, bright and early and got started. I was wishing I had picked up a mask for the project, my silk scarf wasn’t holding up so well. I finished sanding the table and was onto the stain when Gabe, my roommate Kari’s boyfriend, saw what I was doing and couldn’t resist the urge to do something manly. So I gave him a few chairs to start on. The day before, at my favorite thrift store, I’d found the perfect chairs to go with the table. After turning them over to remove the seats, we discovered that they were made in 1920. It was bitter sweet. I love having antique pieces but I don’t always like to refinish them without knowing their true value. Too late!  It was a good, hard work’n Sunday. Kari soon realized that this wasn’t going to be a quick project. So like the dear friend that she is, she ran out and picked up lunch from Mozy’s for us and made some iced cold lemonade. That day I was reminded of an old boyfriend who once said to me while I attempted to help him build a fence, “Hey, this is a man’s job, can you go make us some lunch?” Needless to say that didn’t last long. If he knew what good for him, he would have let me do both.  The staining was a breeze, I was surprised at how easy it was and after the table and chairs, I started looking around for anything else I could spruce-up a bit. But that was it for the day. Now it was time to just let it dry and go get ready for Anthology with Meghan.

   The next day I felt very inspired and eager to finish the table. I shook the can of sealant (which it said NOT to do). I should have grabbed a stir stick from Home Depot. I started on the inside of a leg and I applied it with a clean paintbrush. I was a bit nervous when I saw it turn white with a bunch of tiny bubbles. It especially looked worse every time I brushed another stroke in the same spot. But after about 5 mins it turned clear so I finished the entire table. I was on a roll so I grabbed an old frame I had purchased the day before at a garage sale for $.75 and painted it a vibrant red. The same red that I decided needed to be on the old serving table I’d picked up on the side of the road years back. So I pulled out the tarp and went to town. An ugly, old green chair and smaller frame got the metal/rust spray-paint finish. I waited a good few days before setting anything on either table. I should have waited longer on the red table, I set a few things back on it 2 days later and it removed the paint in those spots. As for my dining table, in less than a week it’s held up to a few gatherings and wine spills. As a wise man once said, "It is finished."

Moral of the story: Take your time searching for a good deal. You can refinish anything. Read the directions. Give things enough time to dry. Don’t ever tell a girl that she can’t help you fix something.

What you’ll need:

Tarp/Newspaper

Sand paper # 120   (the heavy stuff)

Sand paper # 220   (to smooth it out)

Sanding block

Stain of your choice

Staining Cloth/Sponge

Bowl or Paint tray

Sealant/Urethane (depending on inside/outside)

Disposable Gloves

Paint Brush

Stir stick

Mask

• Plan your project to be in an open, ventilated, dry area and lay down your tarp or newspaper.

• Start with the heavier sand paper, using long strokes and going WITH THE GRAIN, followed by the smoother sand paper to finish it off. Wipe off all remaining dust using a clean, dry cloth (I also used a hairdryer to get into the crevasses).

• Pour just a bit of the stain into the bowl/tray (a little goes a very long way) Dip in the staining cloth and apply IN THE DIRECTION of the grain. Let sit 5 mins and repeat for a darker stain. Remove any excess stain with dry cloth.

• Allow drying for a minimum of 8 hrs.

• DO NOT shake sealant. Pour sealant into clean bowl/tray and apply with paintbrush, avoiding going over the same area too many times. (Will appear as a milky color but this will completely dry clear. Repeat if necessary (especially for outside furniture, may need up to 4 coats)

• Allow drying an additional 24+ hours before using the furniture again.

Table $20, Frame $.75, Green Chair $0, Wood Chairs $25, Serving table $0, Supplies $36 Total Cost = $81.75

Zucchini & Basil Chicken Omelet

Breakfast for dinner, a great time to try something new. It took me a few minutes to think about what really sounded good, and once I considered the eggs I realized the time had come. Ladies and gentleman, what I’m about to say may shock you…. I’ve never made an omelet before! Yes, you heard right. I’m not sure if it was the fear of trying to keep it together in one piece or that I wasn’t going to be able to cook it enough on both sides with out overdoing it. So I took the challenge.

 Now it’s time to figure out what to stuff it with. It is dinner time so I decided to start it off right, a few sprays of my trusty coconut oil and some fresh garlic. Anything to follow is sure to win. Zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and basil chicken sausage made the cut. Topped with avo, sour cream and salsa.‘So easy’ I thought, a piece of cake. Until it came to transferring it onto the plate. I’ll have to work a bit on that technique, but it got there. Wow, all that fear of the unknown, now I can check that one off of the list.

   Just when I think it’s all going so well, things got even better. I suddenly heard a little voice calling my name through the screen door. My dear friend Stacie had stopped by to say hello and bring me some home baked (from Henry’s), gluten/dairy free chocolate chip cookies! Really, what could be better? She sat watching me in the kitchen for a bit as I tried not to burn dinner and focus on what she was saying. After she left, I sat out on the patio, on this cool summer evening enjoying my omelet and yummy cookies (I only had two, okay?). And of course my Trader Joes mineral water and lime, my favorite. Now it’s time to get ready for an evening of live music by the beautiful Rheanna and Gayle at the Soda Bar. Ciao!

Oh oh! And by the way, those cookies were amazing. I can honestly say that they are on my top 5 cookie list, (in my head) gluten/dairy free or not. They are apparently from Henry’s in the frozen section, uncooked yummy cookie dough. 

Coconut Cooking Spray

6 Eggs

1 tbls Rice Milk

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 Basil Chicken Sausage, chopped

1 Zucchini, chopped

10 Grape Tomatoes, halved

2 Tbls. Mozzarella Cheese

Sm. Bunch Spinach

5 Fresh Spinach Leaves, chopped

1 Avocado

2 tbls. Sour Cream

Salsa

Salt & Pepper

• Heat 2 pans (small & medium) on medium heat and spray with oil.
• To the smaller pan add Garlic, Sausage, Zucchini and Tomatoes and cover, stirring occasionally.
• Beat eggs and milk in small bowl and add half to the medium pan.
• Cook omelet until it doesn’t run when you tilt pan.
• Add Cheese, Spinach, Basil and cooked mixture to one half of the omelet and fold over the other half. Cover pan and cook an additional 2 mins.
• Top with Avocado, Sour Cream, Basil and Salsa.

Serves 2

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter

Glass Thumb

   I drive past it every day, to work and back and then some. The new little garden shop on the corner. Yesterday they looked quiet and I thought I’d just stop by to purchase a little something to show my support. That’s where it all began. My new found love for succulents! I thought I’d seen it all, cacti, aloe, ice plant, blah blah blah. But I was wrong, I felt as if I’d stepped onto another planet, or a stroll along the ocean floor. There must have been a hundred different variations. Now, I’d love to tell you that I have a green thumb and find time to water and nurture my plants, but the wilting plants in my house would tell you otherwise. So the thought of a succulent that looks like a flower and only needs to be watered once a week, was brilliant.

   $34.00 later (not in the budget), I was on my way to the larger nursery near my house to pick up some pots and soil. I was greeted by a man, an old hippie with a long white beard and questionable tattoos. I was immediately distracted by the sale sign that hung above the herb, vegetable and fruit plants. $2.99 for each?! Sold! I began to grab for the heirloom tomatoes when another employee came over to tell me that sale was actually $.99 for each! The memories of old, dead herb and veggie plants quickly left my mind. How can you go wrong with $.99? So Santa followed me around with a tray collecting all that I handed to him. I was really impressed by his cooking ideas and mostly his extensive knowledge of plants, a true botanist. The pots they had were a bit pricey so I decided I’d add a little thrift store shopping to the list. After a bag of soil and 8 plants I was looking at a measly $14!

   So today I drove down to the local thrift store (a trip I take often) and found exactly what I needed at a good price, pots of all sizes. I’d told my friend Rheanna about the amazing deal I’d found at the nursery and she was eager to buy some plants for herself. I was looking forward introducing her to that knowledgeable new friend of mine, but when we got there he was nowhere to be found. I walked up to the owner to let him know how much I appreciated all the help I received the day before. I was surprised to see the baffled expression on his face. “Jose?” He said.  “Hmm, I don’t think so, this guy has a long, white beard and tattoos” I replied. With an even more puzzled look he said, “That guy doesn’t work here, he works at the motel around he corner.” A bit taken aback, I thanked him and carried on around the garden as I tried to process the situation.

   Remembering my lack of ability to keep plants alive, I thought of my options for building some sort of watering system. But then I remembered! Those glass water sphere things! So I ran to Ross where I’d seen them before and found a package of 6 for only $8.00.

   I came back home excited to start my little garden but could only find two left handed gloves, which I decided against using. Not a good idea. I must have pulled ten tiny splinters from my fingers just from the soil alone. I turned on some Billie Holiday (who always seems right for the occasion) washed the old pots, added some fresh soil, placed in my new plants and shoved a water filled glass sphere in each, and voila!! My garden. A perfect end to a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Garden

• Chives
• Cilantro
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Banana Peppers
• Chili Peppers
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Strawberries

Pots $11, Plants & Soil $14, Water Spheres $8 = Total cost $33

Succulents

Plants $34, Pots $12 = Total Cost $46 (ouch)