Sometimes I get a little case of ADD...I find it difficult to focus on a single project and next thing I know I have rags and brushes and cans of all kinds of stuff all over the house!

I still have a garage full of projects. I am currently working on a coffee table that just didn't "feel" right after I got it done...so I stripped it and started over! I have a few chairs that need reupholstering...and I have a stack of walnut frame pieces that need to be put back together.

So I decided to do a "small" project to take my mind (and body) off of projects that wear me out....

I bought this little stool for a few bucks at an auction months ago. It has been floating around my garage and I was using it to work at my work table. But now I have a new "work stool" so it was time to do something creative with this one!

I have been hoarding my grain sack fabric for months and decided to use a bit of it to redo this little stool....a little paint and a little additional padding.

Cute as a bug....

...perfect for a little guy (or gal) who wants to hang out in the kitchen with Grammy during the holidays!

Since it was too cool to really "project" outside today, I decided to finish an inside project I started YEARS ago! Seriously, years ago I decided to refinish all my mahogany tables and chairs. You may remember that several months ago I had to repair, and then paint, several of my Duncan Phyfe chairs (here) I seriously LOVE the look of the painted chairs, but I just cannot bring myself to paint the DP tables.

Anywho, years ago I started "refinishing" the top of my dining room table. Problem is, it had so much old finish on it that I literally got worn out with the project and ended up not finishing. You couldn't see one side of the table since it is against the wall so I just stripped and oiled the top and the side that shows.

Not really a huge problem since we usually sit at the bar and the few times I had large dinners I had to use the inserts, which were chewed by my dog when she was a puppy so they required a table cloth. Short story long, no one ever saw that I didn't finish the table.

But I knew...and it bugged me! And with the holidays coming up, I decided it was time to finish the job I started.

So...today was the day. And when I pulled the table out, I discovered that one of the legs was split and needed repair! No biggy...a little wood glue and a few clamps!

Ignore the black spot...I do. I suspect it is a burn from candle wax (not sure how it got there but I suspect a curious grandson). I could probably remove the spot, but I worry about sanding these tables to severely since the top is veneer.

These old mahogany tables can easily be restored with a little time and effort. And they are truly beautiful!!

This particular table had a pretty hefty finish on it so it required the use of stripper, but usually you can use something a little milder like Formby's finish remover...my all time favorite! I just put a little in a disposable container (old coffee can or plastic tub) and then "scrub" the piece with 000/0000 steel wool dipped in the remover. After all the old finish has been lifted, I take a shop rag dipped in the remover and wipe down the piece.

You may have to repeat this process several times to remove ALL the old finish!

When I am certain all the finish has been removed, I "wash" the piece with mineral spirits. One nice thing about washing a piece with mineral spirits...it will give you a pretty good idea of what the color of the wood will be after you apply the tung oil.

Then I apply 3-4 coats of Formby's Tung Oil (lightly buff with steel wool and tack cloth between coats!) I seriously love that stuff! It really brings out the richness of the wood grain! And it is very durable. But the totally awesome thing about a Tung Oil finish is that if you do happen to get scratches or if it "dulls" a tad over time, all you have to do is buff it with 0000 steel wool and then reapply a few coats of Tung Oil!

Beautiful!!!