DIY Found Wood Side Table

On a snowy day in January, we were on a family hike in the woods with our dog, Blue, when I spotted what I thought was the most beautiful piece of wood I had ever seen. Someone had been in there, chopping up trees, and I just had to have this particular slice of wood. I could easily envision the rustic-chic little side table I would make with it, and Rob ever-so-sweetly agreed to come back later and haul it out of there for me.

Well, it turned out to be a bigger favor than either one of us imagined, as the slab just barely fit in the giant backpack Rob last used to backpack across Europe in 1998 with me, but it did, and I eagerly began searching online for a place where I could buy hairpin legs for the table to stand on. I was very excited to find a local blacksmith on kijiji who made them in his shop...and even more intrigued when I learned his name was Thor. Rob didn't believe it was his real name, but incredibly, this guy's real name is Thor Sammer, and he looks every bit like a Viking in real life. Awesome. Anyway, got the legs and painted them gold with Rust Oleum spray paint, then waited for Rob to cut the wood slice to the right thickness.

This is where I have to stop and gush about my man just a bit. Rob isn't exactly a handyman type, but he is also a heck of a lot better at wielding a hammer than I am. And when it comes to sawing something...well, let's just say slicing apples makes me nervous, so there was never any question about who was going to actually be making this table.

So, on top of all the other chores Rob does on a weekly basis after spending the whole day defending the Great Lakes from freaky-looking invasive fish species and industrial contaminants, my amaze-balls hubby spent countless hours in the garage hacking away at this piece of wood with a manual saw.

And the result is beautiful--rustic--but just what I wanted. Thank you, Rob.