Trestle table!

I would like to apologize for skipping last week.  I really did want to post my progress on the Trestle table but I was so busy.  I can't really tell you what I was busy doing because frankly I don't recall.  I do know that I was too busy to get gas.  This afternoon, after I had strapped the boys in their seats I went to start my car, as I usually do when I need to go somewhere, and low and behold, it did not start.  I immediately diagnosed my car as needing an alternator.  Did you know I was a mechanic too?  Well, chaos ensued in our household and then my husband insulted me with the idea that I might not have any gas in the soccer van.  Of all the... I always have gas... I pay attention to what goes on around me...I'm not careless... 2 hours later... maybe I don't have gas.  Thank goodness for my mom who saved the day with...yup you guessed it... GAS! Sorry Marty. 

Now. What was I talking about?  Oh, right.  The trestle table.  Let me tell you about this table.  There were points during this project when I was in tears.   You see, there were angles involved in this bad boy. All I remember about angles is sine cosine tangent.  And what I remember most is that I failed that class.  You know the one with that ugly green textbook (for all you new yorkers).  I also don't have a miter saw. But I did find this great video that showed me how to cut using a carpenter square on ehow.com.   However, something went wrong because I lost about 2 inches in height on the table.  It probably has to do with me doing it at a wrong angle, causing the legs to be too wide.  Lesson learned.

 

 Now it's time to put the table top and get this ball rolling.  It wasn't wobbling. I added some extra reinforcements. Perfect! Or so I thought.

 I get the darn thing inside and wouldn't you know... I can fit my hand under one leg!!!!

 So of course that must mean that the floor isn't leveled.  Nope. Not quite.  But I battled on and just put a little piece of wood under it.  Perfect!

Then it was time to paint it. I went with Minwax wood finish in Dark Walnut.  And you know what I learned?  That finishing stinks.  No really. It does.  So the table was banished back out to the patio.  What's with the weird rectangle?

I had originally toyed with the idea of making the whole table top a chalkboard.  It eliminates paper waste right? No scrap paper.  Just write on the table.  But then the thought of touching a blackboard with my whole arm just almost made me lose my mind.  You know what I'm talking about.  My ears are aching from the thought.  My friend Mari suggested that I put the chalkboard in the middle and I thought it was brilliant.  I know you all think I'm super smart, but I get most of my ideas from other people.  Call me Steve Jobs.

 While I'm working diligently to get this table ready there is a whole lot going on behind me.  J is productive making his own little chalkboards.  And C, well, he is prepping himself for some trouble.

The table gets finished and put back in it's new home.  We officially have a home school room as per J's wishes.  I thank God for the blessing of having a spare room that we could even have this in.

 I do love the way this came out and I can't wait to try them out tomorrow.  I have to thank the ladies over at Shanty2Chic and Ana White for the plans and ideas.  Can't wait to see what else you have in store for me.  Maybe I'll make the farm table for Natalie.  Or maybe I'll just take a break and make a scarf and hat.