So, for the past ten months we've been crammed around our six foot table. Okay, well, it hasn't been ten months. Bryant has only been eating upright for around five months or so...so it's been five months. Even so, we were a bit crammed before he joined us.
See?
Yep, Bryant's off in the corner. Mark's squeezing in for space with Ceili Rain. I squeeze in with Liam. Zoe fights with Josiah for elbow room. Dinner time was quite interesting.
We were blessed with our last trip to Ge and Granddaddy's, however...with an auction find of a table!
Yes, it looks small, but it has two leaves and with the sides out, it's seven feet long and a few inches wider than our previous one. And, we also got the chairs that match it. Six to be exact! And, we found two more very sturdy chairs to replace our kitchen chairs that were falling apart. I was excited! And the style was perfect. All the larger tables I had looked at (both new and used) were way too formal. We have an eat-in kitchen. That's it. Formal just doesn't go with an eat-in kitchen area. At least in my opinion.
Now, please, don't freak out. The table and chairs had a beautiful stain on them, but it was peeling in places and something had to be done. After researching the furniture (it's Heyword Wakefield, c. 1989), I realized that, given the proper facilities and if I chose for children not to be anywhere near it, I could sand it down, refinish it and sale it for a lot of money. I know this. And after sanding it down in upper 90 degree weather, I still knew it. But I also knew that I had not the time nor the place to do that.
So, I did the next best thing. I painted it.
And I got help too:
Those are paint shirts...please don't think I let my boys run around in shirts with extra head holes.
In my quest to find the perfect colors to paint it, I discovered a great idea.
Tinted chalkboard paint! I know it's cheesy but my kids love to draw, write, and talk! What better way than to have a chalkboard table top. Yes, it's a little messy but it cleans up well. I'm sure at some point we'll have to recoat it.
To make the chairs match the table, I painted the slats with chalkboard paint. So, when company comes (and I remember), I can give assigned seats!
We also added a checkerboard (okay two, I misread the google post and made the board twice as long as it should have been). That checkerboard has already been the scene for many a battle! Do you see my jars? Old glass food jars (cleaned, of course). The jar on the right has buttons...aka our checker pieces...and they work well too. The other is full of chalk. Note to self: When using a light colored chalkboard paint do not use dark black or brown on the chalkboard...it's the dickens to get up.
Confession time: I was really iffy about the tan on the top. However, we've had a white table top before (see above) and it is not pretty when it comes to stains. So, I went with the tan. And, as it turns out, I really like it.
Ceili Rain is enjoying it too...she just has to learn that chalk, and only chalk, can go on the table!
Here's some FYI: There are a few types of colored chalkboard paint. We used the tintable that Rustoleum makes because I could purchase it locally. To do the tabletop and chairs, I used one can of paint with a little left over. It can be tinted in thirteen different colors. Not sure why you can't pick from a color swatch, but that's something for a seasoned veteran of chalkboard paint to ask, not me. Oh rolling it with a small nap gives the best finish.
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