While You Were Out

Today at lunch, my friend April asked me if I paint a room every time Ben goes out of town.

Hmmm...... yep.

Just about.

This time though, it was just a hallway. So I had to add something else to the "to paint" list. Something like a storage bench...

that I built. all. by. myself.

{The colors are WAY off, so even though it looks totally gray, it's black... or at least that's what color it is suppose to be - it looks SLIGHTLY gray in person, to me at least.}

I'm totally in love with a new blog that I just came across: Knock Off Wood. Seriously, the woman, Ana, is AMAZING. She creates furniture plans based off of Pottery Barn, West Elm, Land of Nod and other over-priced furniture places and puts them on her blog... for free. I got the plans for this bench on her site and I'm SO pleased with the result!

Is it perfect? Heavens, no. Do I like it? Heck yes! Do I now want to build something else? YES! Something like this bed for the guest room, this storage unit for the nursery, or these bunk beds once baby #3 comes along. I'm drooling over this little "town" she's making for her daughter. And once I go back to teaching... I'd love this fun little loft bed as a reading nook.

Don't worry though, Dear One, I won't take over your garage. {Much.}


My second favorite thing about this space is the "chalkboard canvas" that I made. A wall probably wouldn't have gone over too well, but a small canvas? Perfect.

And, while we're looking at pictures of things that I made....

Pretty much perfect too.