We met the multi-talented James Michael Smith a few years ago when he started shooting Doc Talk videos for us here at nwaMotherlode.
He recently created a video intro to a new feature we’ll debut on Motherlode next week (woot!). You might say James loves all things creative. Last year, he noticed it was hard to find attractive, real wood furniture at an affordable price. So he bought a $40 skill saw, some stain and wood, and built a coffee table in his garage. Many orders later, his specialty is tables, which he hand builds from real wood and are sturdier – and heavier — than any table you’ll find in a store.
When he offered to give away one of his James + James tables to a lucky Motherlode mama, we said absolutely!
If you just bought a table or don’t need one right now (although James could build you an end table or craft table if that’s what you really want), go ahead and sign up. You could always share the love with someone you know and gift them with the table.
HOW TO ENTER: The winner will receive one of James’ custom-made tables of any length (up to 8′) and any style. The winner will select her favorite from the James + James website and can choose any finish. *That’s up to a $500 value! To throw your name in the hat, just click the comment button below and tell us what you would place on a brand new dining table. Are you a fruit bowl kinda girl? Would yours be cluttered with papers in no time at all? Would you go out and buy a brand new “pretty” to dress up your new piece of furniture?
ABOUT JAMES + JAMES: After James built that first coffee table in his garage, he listed it on Craigslist. Orders started pouring in for dining tables, benches, night stands and other unique furniture. It became obvious to James that people wanted solid, attractive, real-wood furniture at a great price. He quickly partnered with his college friend James Eldridge to help take care of all those orders.
“Now we’re building more pieces of furniture than we ever imagined and feel very blessed to get to be able to do exactly what we love and meet so many people across NWA,” James said.
Visit Their Website: CarpenterJames.com
Follow on Pinterest: Pinterest.com/j2s/things-i-build-sell/
Like on Facebook: Facebook.com/CarpentryJames
Good luck and we can’t wait to see who wins a beautiful new table!
*Delivery is not included in the price/giveaway.
I would dress the table with a new centerpiece from a furniture store, the one that when you see it you know it’s the right one, something with candles
Right now, my dining room table is holding a pile of vintage goodies that need to be priced and put on the shelves in my flea market booth, and my sewing machine that is taunting me every time I walk by… If I won, I’d have James build a sewing table for me – to help me get my machine back into it’s craft corner where it belongs!! 🙂
I’m very particular when I get a new piece of furniture. I would probably just keep my centerpiece in the middle of it. I don’t like clutter.
I would put fresh flowers on it, I love the smell when you walk in the kitchen and they always seem to make me smile 🙂
Me! I want one so everyone will stop asking me why I do not have a table in my kitchen area (it is because I have not found something I love)…this would stop the comments and make everyone happy! I guess my family would love to eat at something other than the counter or the formal dining table!
I would love to put a beautiful center peice but in reality it would probably be the crayon bucket and a stack of coloring books!
I would put breakfast on the table!! I’ve been wanting a new breakfast nook table, we only use our formal dining table when entertaining. So a beautiful table for our breakfast nook would be perfect! Gorgeous work James!!
The table is often covered with whatever we just walked in with… Then, we force the kids to ‘clear it off’ before we sit for dinner. 🙂
I would love a new dining table for the new house we’ll be moving to next month! Fresh spring flowers dress up a table nicely!
My FAMILY!!! A table big enough to fit my big ole family, but small enough to fit in the dining area….ahhhh…..dream. 🙂 And maybe some fresh flowers in the middle on farmer’s market mornings 🙂
Mostly, our table has toddler crayons, coloring books, food and my husband’s paper trail. We do clear it off to eat though!!
I would love a new table! I am all about having the “pretty” in the middle! Right now I have my Easter Tree in the middle plus a few scattered school papers!
Suzanne
So beautiful!! I love his work:)
I would certainly try to keep it to just a bowl of fruit and a candle. It’s amazing how many creations can come home with a kindergartener every day! These pieces are all so beautiful and look so sturdy! Our current table wobbles with every touch.
Flowers! Fresh, lovely spring flowers!!
I’d looove a dark stained table with my grandmother’s pewter fruit bowl in the middle filled with green pears from the back yard. Your furnishings are amazing!
i would put a cute little centerpiece, my husband would fill it up with paper, and my 5 year old would have it covered in glitter glue! but it will look well loved!
I would put NOTHING on the table! Its so beautiful! I have had the same table since 2005 (my college apartment table!) and would love to win a new one!
I love getting flowers at the farmer’s market for my dining room table. James is so talented. He videoed our wedding a few years ago… I’d love to have one of his tables in our house!
Sunday dinner for my entire family! We have an empty dining room that would just love a table to serve our family.
I would love to win this giveaway for a new kichen/dining/family gathering table. I would place dinner on the table after we finished up with the kids homework. So hope I win.
My parents are retiring in my hometown of Fayetteville this summer and have lived in a parsonage their entire life. They adore custom local work, and have never been able to pick out there very own furniture until NOW! They just purchased a new home and I would adorn the table with a simple linen runner to accentuate the lines of the wood and add a soft display of candles and single white rose vases
A big vase of daffodils and tulips!
Yummy meal on the table and my family sitting around it! Bright colored Spring flowers in the center-picture perfect!
I would probably go out and buy something new to go on my new dining table!! Not sure exactly what, but something:)
Stuff and things, my table is the only one in the house so it catches a lot of clutter. I do clean it off every few days, but it seems to migrate back!!
I would dress my table with a centerpiece of homework supplies. Our dining table is our family central. With 8 kids, it’s the hub of our house. We eat, homework, and grow as a family every day…right at our dining room table.
I would put dinner on it for kids at thr group home I work pit when they come over to hang out, games, farkle, and settlers of catan with some coffee and tea with another group of amazing kids after dinner.
Flowers and dinner with the family gathered around!
First of all, AMAZING!!! He is sooo talented! I would be honored to have one of these beautiful tables in my house!!! I wouldn’t want anything to cover it up, but knowing my life, the kiddos would probably have their homework sprawled across it! 🙂 Thank you for such a wonderful giveaway!!
Fresh flowers when possible!
I used to have vinyl words on my dining room wall that said, “the best memories are made around the table”! This is totally true in my family!!
So, I am thinking I would not worry too much about the top; probably would be the same candle and apple napkin holder that sit on my cheap WM table now; but more importantly, I would be anticipating the next meal with my family, or cup of coffee with my daughters, or family game night, around that beautiful table!!
I place pretties on it… and since my husbands the cook he’d put the food on it 🙂
I love this! I’d find some sort of pretty for the table. I have clutter all over the house, but my table has to stay clear!
It would be wonderful to have a nice family table to eat at. I have 4 kids, and getting everyone to the table to eat together is not an easy task, but if we had a beautiful new table to eat at, I bet they would come more often. We’d have big family dinners!
I would “decorate” it with placemats & healthy “grab-n-go” snacks!
I would probably put nothing in the beginning because I’ll be in such awe of how nice it is!! Eventually I would put pretty placemats and a vase with flowers!
First, we sold all of our furniture in 2010 to move to the Middle East for a year. Now we are back in AR, and starting over from scratch! I stumbled across J & J online recently and love the workmanship! If I had the 8′ dining table, I would probably choose one of my favorite Pinterest pins and decorate accordingly. But in reality, the table would many times be covered with cards, game boards and score pads from hours of hanging out playing games and visiting with friends & family.
We tend to collect piles of books and papers. I would rather have a nicely decorated table, though!
I would love to have something pretty on my table, but books and toys are usually what you will find.
I like to keep my dining room table simple – it doesn’t take much of anything to spruce a room. So I would keep with the same – a brightly colored large plate with lemons/limes for added dimension.
I would love to have your one of a kind hand made tables. I would donate the one I have to help battered women get their own apt. I would then use my new one with benches to feed my new wonderful family – new husband and two children.
I have always wanted a handmade table, however, its always been out of my financial reach. Dining area is small so I need benches to accomodate new life and new family. Lots of family games will be played on this new table. 🙂
Since our dining table is also our school table, it will be covered with papers and books and craft projects during the day. Then, cleared off just in time for family dinner each evening. Over the weekend, it might get a cute seasonal centerpiece, if I remember to put it out. 🙂
We have a really weird dining space. I would love a table that actually fits appropriately and looks great!
I would probably keep the same bouquet of silk flowers but I’d love to keep fresh flowers on it during the nice spring weather! The dining room table can be such a great gathering place for friends and family!
Just today I was thinking that I would put a plaque or wooden sign in the center of my table that would say “All are welcome at this humble table.”
I would keep it bare when not in use for crafts, work, and meals. I would work hard to NOT keep junk mail and stray papers on it =)
I love the “Mission” look of thes tables. I would probably place an antique bronze metal basket with decorative balls or fruit in it on the table.
I have a really pretty table runner that I would put on it.
Wow! I Really need a new beautiful table. I have had the same table for 16 years!
I would put lots of meals on that table. We are in need of a new table. I might alternate some centerpieces.
I’d like to say something nice-looking, but it would probably be covered by papers, napkins, and toys.
I’d love to have a new table with a bench seat, so my child would have more wiggle room (L to R) when eating! I’m sure Half would be covered in mail /magazines though, like Margie said. 🙂
We would finally have room for a centerpiece!
I’ve got an awesome lazy Susan made from an old wine barrel top. That, combined with my two big, red salt and pepper mills would be perfect. The style would match one of these tables so great! Definitely better than the cheapo table we have now!
Maybe if I put a beautiful table like this in my dining room I won’t put a bunch of junk on it!
I would decorate the beautiful table with a simple flower vase and a yummy bowl of candy.
I would put some pretty flowers on the table. love the look of the tables!!!!
I would love one of his tables. He does a beautiful job. We are about to build a house and my table is 20 years old. I would put a beautiful arrangement and have family and friend gatherings.
A lazy susan
I will most likely leave it empty, so I could look at it and admire how pretty the table is.
My owl salt and pepper shakers would love a new home and new accessory-friends!
Flowers!
It would have the kids art bucket and homework sitting on it until dinner time!
As long as I can gather my family around it, it will be the most beautiful table!
I’d love to put a stack of freshly baked crepes on this table and treat my friends to the beautiful sight! (and food, of course)
dinner… every night! and during the day…play dough, toys, crayons etc…
Elegance, simplicity and strength. This is what I think of when I see the furniture from James and James. I love to cook with fresh herbs, so I would put herbs on the table, planted in graceful square vases of varying colors which would feature the lines of the table and be useful too. I would plant Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Chives, Mint, Parsley, Oregano, and Tarragon keeping 4 on the window sill and 4 on the table and trading them out each week. I can see it now!
Only a centerpiece that compliments the table and surrounding decor!
I would set my family around the table working on a puzzle!
I would love to win new dining room table-mine is probably 40 years old and has been glued back together many times. It’s embarrising when some one pulls the chair back to sit down and the back falls off! ha!
I would put food on the table. Not on plates or anything…just…ON the table. In my family, meals are called “Hunger Games”.
I would happily put a pretty bowl filled with fruit, a runner handed down from my great-grandmother and of course – food for my family!
Oh what WOULDNT be on my dining table!!? Currently, I have two computers, a leap frog, a stack of bills, some laundry, a doll shoe and yes, a fruit bowl! Our furniture all serves many functions. I love this generous and unique giveaway!!!
I would put a nice fresh flower arrangement and nothing else!
I would place seven hand painted plates on the table (painted by each member of the family) and a great home-cooked meal. Even with five children, we still eat together regularly around the table and share the day’s events.
My husband and I got married last summer. Together, we have four kiddos, and cannot all sit at the table to eat together becuase it’s not big enough. Sooo…I owuld place enough table settings for our whole family at meals. 🙂
My daughter just started home school today! She definately needs a place of her own to study. She would cover it with her laptop, books, paper, and pencils. I’m sure her cat would find it suitable for a nap too 🙂
A table that gorgeous doesn’t need any adornment.
I would love to see a vase of spring flowers on a new table. Of course there would have to be room for playing with play-dough, coloring, and mixing up recipes with my little helper!
I would love a new table that has not been chewed on by a rescue dog for me and Emerson to play games and do workbooks.
I would love to put some spring flowers on o new table.
Dinner of course! And maybe a fresh floral arrangement with some nice candles!
I love these tables…this would replace the ping pong table currently in my kitchen…
I would buy a local, large, handcrafted pottery bowl and fill it with fresh fruit!