The other day I found a trail of macaroni and cheese stuck to the kitchen table.
I’m not sure exactly how it unfolded or what the events were that led up to it….
…but Lewis and Clark would have been proud.
The trail started at one end with a few lone pieces and dripped and drabbed bits of cheese and noodle remnants from one side of the table to the other.
And then?
It looked like the macaroni eater discovered the trail and in a valiant attempt to clean it up….
….smeared giant cheese swirls all over the table.
I’m not sure what happened.
I’m not sure why the pasta eater couldn’t stay put.
I’m not sure why they couldn’t eat all their macaroni in one place.
Seriously?
We have a family rules sign for events just like this.
I literally rolled my mom eyes and grabbed a sponge to start cleaning up the great wall of macaroni. Irritated, I swiped at the smeared-in cheese which was gripping the table like a mountain climber on Mount Everest with 48 feet left on the climb.
Nothing.
It didn’t even make a dent.
I scrubbed and scraped and elbow greased it and finally got a small section of cheese to let go.
But the macaroni?
Hardest substance known to man.
I need to turn it into NASA for future space research.
No matter what I did, I could not get it off the table.
I scraped at it and tried to peel it up at one end and got out kitchen utensils to try to pry the noodles loose.
Finally, I got one piece up, then another, until all that was left was the giant amalgamation of macaroni on one side.
Determinedly, I scraped around the edges of the hill of pasta, until with one giant heave, it finally let go….
….and took most of the table top finish with it.
I looked at my table top in horror.
Then I shielded my eyes, blinked twice and squinted at the table again.
Yep.
It was still there.
A hole in the finish the size of Texas back when it was a republic.
Some people might have gone back to bed and pulled the covers over their head and started all over again tomorrow.
But me?
I’m a expert lemonade out of lemon maker.
And the table?
It was sanded and sanded and sanded a little more.
Until the rest of the darker finish was removed, leaving behind this beautiful wood grain stained a lighter color.
Now it says farmhouse.
Now it says fall.
Now it says take that mountain climbing pasta…..
….it’s hard to keep a good farmhouse table down.
PS The twins are getting their braces on today. Fingers crossed we tackle it like macaroni. 🙂
Wow! I've been there and done that. Sometimes those mishaps are really a blessing in disguise. The new finish on the table is ahhmazing. For future reference...I'm an expert macaroni and cheese remover (and pancake batter drip remover too). Put some Dawn on your sponge, suds it up really good and drop the soapy mixture onto each piece of stuck on macaroni. Replenish the suds every five minutes. In 15 minutes the macaroni will just wipe right off leaving your finish intact. I have two macaroni drippers in my family (three if you count the hubs). Have a great Monday and remember to medicate BEFORE getting the braces on. Nancy
I admire your tenacity!!!
Oh, my goodness! I was imagining some wonderful champion confessing to take the gold for farmhouse tables after this one! Glad you made it through the macaroni hurdles...and saying a prayer that those Thistles will do well with those braces.
The refinished table turned out beautifully and I love the flower arrangements! But the dried on macaroni and cheese story? You had me in there furiously scrubbing and scraping right along with you. Even though I no longer have any macaroni and cheese drippers to clean up after, you just never know...so I'm going to keep in mind the tip Nancy gave to remove it. Happy Monday to you!
You always manage to make me giggle! And the timing on these photos was so good. The farmhouse table I'm having made for our new house will be done by the end of the week. I've been looking for chairs just like yours... Debating between smaller ones at Ballards and taller ones at Arhaus. Did you buy yours recently?
What a battle, with the Table the Winner. "Goo Gone" might have worked, I once polished the entire surface of my kitchen table with it, thought I was using furniture polish. It actually looked rather good afterwards.... The next day I made an appointment with my eye doctor.
OH Barbra! You had me laughing right out loud! Have a wonderful day!
A RRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeal laugh out loud. Thanks for the laugh. Jean McGee
Have a happy week friend. :)
Sigh...I just adore your kitchen!! Love, love the table's new look!!
Miz karianne, you always remind me of that Little Engine that Could! Great day to you and the Mini-Thistles!
Nothing will keep a good woman down!!Not macaroni, and certainly not braces. And as far as the table goes? I think it held on to the macaroni on purpose so it could get a makeover also :-) Have a wonderful day and I hope at your neck of the woods it isn't as wet as here.
I think you are correct. Furniture has been known to do some strange and seemingly detrimental things to itself in a bid to be the next makeover on the list, lol!
You are an amazing lemonade maker!
Love the table story...now it has new stories to tell...but wow, love, love, love your floors.
It was meant to be! Hope the braces go well!
Braces! Hope the girls do well.
OK, so the third photo down with the flowers and peaches/nectarines/whatever they are called . . . STUNNING. Probably the prettiest photo I have ever seen!!!
I just love your stories Karianne!! They always make me smile! Good luck to the twins today!
Well, good for you for staying positive! How nice that the table is even better now. And I do hope your girls love their braces. After all, you can have so much fun expressing your style with those colored rubberbands!
I love how you triumph over adversity...there is no macaroni too tough for you! :) You did that table a favour! I am sure that the twins are going to overcome the challenge of braces...they are their mamas children, after all! Best of luck to all of you!
Oh, for goodness sakes...that should be "mama's children"...totally different meaning without the apostrophe! Whoopsies!
Wow!!! Your pictures a stunning! Love the story of the table, best of luck with the braces! My daughter got real creative with the colored rubber bands.
I just love your stories. They always make me smile! Sometimes though, I don't know if I should laugh or cry. The new tabletop looks amazing! I actually like it better. The kids will be fine with the braces. Both my kids had them. Now my granddaughters ware them. Just be glad right now neither of yours are getting senior pictures!
love....love.....love Mac & Cheese to bad there wasn't enough to eat, then you and the table would have both been happy!!!!
Love the macaroni tale and the table is magnificent- you are the lemonade queen!! Placemats, placemats, placemats to protect this beautiful table should it encounter the dreaded mac and cheese again! I always keep some close at hand and am known to scold the noncompliant offender. Good luck to the Twin Thistles as they start the braces journey. It has been a very long time since I shared that experience with my children, but the end is well worth the wait. Thank-you for this delightful post. You always make me smile and laugh out loud!
What a great way to turn lemons into lemonade. The table looks very farmhouse. So all is well...I just might have screamed though. :-) Best wishes to the twins. Sounds like a good day for a Blizzard or slushie.
The only substance more difficult to remove is graham cracker/zweiback/teething biscuit combined with baby drool. NASA should use it to keep the space shuttle tiles glued on. Once it dries it is impenetrable and must be chiseled off furniture or a high chair tray. I learned this when my children were little. Unfortunately I forgot about it by the time the grandchildren appeared........
You are SO good at making lemonade! Hope the braces went well. I remember wearing them for 2 years. The first thing I wanted to eat when I got them off was a caramel apple. When I did get them off they were still too tender to tackle that!