New life for a cherished family heirloom

This project began with letting go. My grandparents had a little cabin in Big Bear, CA. This cabin was a very special place for their family. My mom spent many mornings in this cabin with family and friends, breaking bread at this cute little table with poppy decals. My grandpa actually made the original table and applied the poppy decals when my mom was a little girl. Over time, the cabin fell into disrepair along with many of the items inside, including this cute little table. In the 80's, my mom salvaged this table and brought it home, hoping to restore it one day. There it sat, in storage, waiting for the right time. The wood was stained and faded, the legs were broken and falling apart, and the whole thing was packed away in a box. Recently, my mom decided to go through old things, letting go of items that were taking up a lot of space and unlikely to ever be addressed. She gave the table one last look, told me the stories of meals shared with her family and friends, and the table's special role in their adventures. Then, she let it go. I decided to salvage the table's wings that held the decals, stashed away for the right moment. That moment finally came. My mom has a little wooden cart she keeps by the sofa in her living room. I created a slide-on cart topper using the repurposed wood and added a special message for her. Often, in the wee hours of the morning, my mom says she knows her dad is visiting her because she can smell his coffee throughout the house. So, I added the graphic of the coffee cup and a very simple message that felt inspired from my grandpa to his beloved daughter... Love, Daddy. The finished product is made entirely out of repurposed wood from the original table. I was able to beautifully preserve the graphics and seal the whole thing with a durable polyurethane finish. Needless to say, she loved it. And I loved making it!

The finished product!