I chuckled at the results of my CliftonStrength’s Strengthsfinder assessment as my test revealed my No. 1 strength.

“Restorative.”

The book explains I love to solve problems – going so far as to say I’m energized by it, the book suggested I seek out problems because I’m confident I can fix them.

“What is certain,” the book says, “Is that you enjoy bringing things back to life.”

While I’m not sure how much I love solving other people’s problems, the last statement is undeniable. Nothing hits the spot like recycling, upcycling or repurposing. Simply put, I am ordinarily jazzed about making something beautiful from scraps: Curb finds, pallet boards, brittle barn wood, half-dressers and 80s style, smelly tables all included.

In other words, if the project looks like there’s a chance of redemption, I’m in.

I grew up with two brothers who could do any hands-on project faster than it took me to identify a “plus” from a “negative” screwdriver… so I’ve battled a bit of paralysis when it comes to true woodworking or constructing – but with a little help, I’ve built some really cool things from scrap, including a birdhouse, several pieces of wall art, and three very nice tables. Not without great frustration and some fear, I’ve learned to operate a drill, chop saw, a hammer, and a paint brush, and, like a good friend said when she saw my most recent project, “Your eye for seeing the potential is incredible.”

So… I am a ways away from “flip a house” or “finish a basement” – but I’m getting there.

My most recent restoration project is too interesting not to share.

Scrounging about a thrift store recently, I came across a vintage speckled yellow Formica table. The colors were hideous. The top was flat out ugly (minus the flat part). The paint was bubble-chipping. The drawer was sticky and missing a handle. The table was not attractive and smelled a little foul, but I loved its dimensions and it was sturdy, quickly making it a deal I couldn’t pass up.

I nabbed it for $5.50 after my thrift store coupon and proudly hauled it out to the car, letting it sit out of sight in my garage for a few weeks before I had an interesting proposition.

My boyfriend, a bit of a “curb scout” himself, texted some exciting news: a dresser accompanying the trash bin on the curb across the street.

We commonly joke about the “heirlooms” he has acquired over his lifetime and how it clashes with my minimalist lifestyle, so when he went for a closer look and saw half the dresser was missing, my gut instinct was “leave it.”

I went to text back with those exact wishes, hoping he would honor the decision, but at that moment, a lightbulb flicked on.

“GRAB IT!” I wrote.

I thought of the table waiting for a new top out on my garage and head out to measure it. I didn’t even need to ask… my boyfriend sent the dresser dimensions before I could figure out the inner workings of a tape measure.

At our next meet up, I was itching to see how the two would pair up. We were just short of ripping the little table apart when we changed course to get the top off the half-a-dresser first. A few shots with a rubber hammer did the trick, and once it was loose, we carried it to the table for an amazing surprise. Miraculously, it fit.

Yes, the top of that old dresser had a groove in the bottom of it that fit around the edge of the yellow table PERFECTLY. As in, it appeared they belonged together.

My boyfriend and I commonly discuss the “weird things” in life. The odd timings, the bits and pieces of discussion that lead you in a direction, only to come across more welcomed coincidences that make you feel like someone is playing tricks on you. This was the epitome.

All that stood between me and a perfect little table was a few hours of sanding, a few brackets and screws, a layer of paint, espresso stain and some motivating tunes in the garage.

The result? An IDEAL “Secondhand September” project. Have a look!