The One That Got Away...That Didn't

 Have you ever taken a liking to something....looked it over...admired it....but then passed it up, only to get home and kick yourself repeatedly for not grabbing it while you had the chance?  So begins the saga of my beautiful table, aka workbench.  I was on a grab and dash mission into the ReStore one day...only had minutes to find some awesome sign wood while all my guys waited patiently in the car.  On my way to the "wood room" I passed by this old workhorse.  It immediately caught my eye.  So vintage, rustic, had a story to tell....it called out to me.  In my rush I didn't have time to really consider purchasing it, nor would it fit in a Honda Civic.  SO, I left it.  Then began the longest week of my life...okay, not really...

I'm being dramatic for the story's sake. ;-) 

I thought about its character and patina.

I thought about its size. It's a honker.

I thought about its awesome metal legs.  ALL.WEEK.  I tried on multiple occassions to get my husband to make a trip from work, downtown to see if it was still there.  He passed on that offer.  SOOOO.....when I thought I could hardly wait ONE.MORE.DAY.  Friday came.  My oldest had no school, my youngest was with Mema and Papa....so we saddled up the Silverado and headed into town.  EARLY.  We were in the ReStore parking lot before they opened....keeping an eye out for any other cars entering the parking lot.  I had my poor little guy so wired that someone else was going to get OUR TABLE that he nearly shrieked everytime a car pulled in.  At five til 9 we couldn't wait a minute more.  We tried the door...it opened...we walk/jogged to the back of the store and THERE.SHE.WAS.  I grabbed the tag and ran calmy proceeded to the checkout, where we were told that LOTS of people were checking out MY table just yesterday and she thought they were planning to be back Saturday to buy MY table.   Phew. 

Just in the knick of time folks.  Time to load up our gorgeous girl...in the tiniest backalley loading dock a Silverado ever did see.  I shall now proceed to thank my father for torturing my young 14 year old self with learning to back a truck down a LONG driveway, using mirrors. 

The guy at the loading dock said I had "mad skills".  **grin**

Today I sanded down the top, just a tad to get the grunge off but not take off the patina.  Cleaned it thorougly.  Brought it into the kitchen just for fun (Dad is making my gorgeous table to come later).

Trotted out some woodstain. 

Put it on pretty thick....then wiped it off.  Oh how beautiful she is now.  Poly tomorrow.

(and NO the floor isn't done yet....it's getting there.  I'm still waiting for a volunteer. ;-)

The final question....paint the legs or not?  I bought gloss black....but I kinda like their "patina" too.  Oh, and the wood slats on the bottom will be coming off too when it makes its way to its final home as my dining room side table. :-)  For now the castors on the bottom make it super easy to wheel around the house.

So what was your "one that got away" that didn't get away?


Linked to Funky Junk Interiors' Saturday Night Special