Old Table, New Beginning

Okay, so, having just graduated college and being unemployed and living in my parents' house and all, you would think I would use all my newly-acquired free time to do craft projects and then blog about them. Right? Well, so far this summer I'm afraid the allure of Watching TV and Doing Nothing has proved frighteningly strong. HOWEVER. I have been making some changes to my (bright purple, childhood) bedroom, including rearranging furniture and, most importantly, adding a... drumroll please.....

CRAFT TABLE! That's right, an actual flat surface dedicated solely to sewing and making greeting cards and felt badges and all kinds of good things. This table is kind of a project in and of itself, though. It came from my (great-great-?) Aunt Hilda's homestead in northern Minnesota. My mom inherited it and stripped years of layers of paint off it years ago, and promptly stored it in the attic to be forgotten. I rescued it, though!

I "finished" the table by rubbing tung oil into it with a soft cloth, and leaving it in a ventilated area for the odor to dissipate. The tung oil creates a bit of a waterproof barrier, and a slight golden color, without covering up any of the imperfections that give this piece of furniture character and history. I'm pleased with the result!

Here, the table serves as a place for me to display an awesome table cloth I thrifted from ViLynne's in Grinnell. Man, I miss that store.

And here's the finished craft nook! That ugly green tablecloth is temporary, I promise. I'm looking for some sort of oilcloth or other protective covering to keep my sewing machine and scissors from scratching or denting the soft wood of the table. On the bulletin board is an awesome picture my friend Amanda found for me of dollhouse rooms from the '70s.

And finally, another rescued treasure. My grandmother had this clock hanging in her kitchen since 1959. It still runs perfectly, but last time I was at her house, she had it in a box to give to Goodwill! So of course I claimed it for my own.

That's all for now, but cross your fingers that I'll actually make stuff and then blog about it! That would be awesome!