Just Sittin'

Posted byshelstringPosted inUncategorized

Okay folks, so I almost broke my finger for this one. Not lying. I couldn’t type for long periods at a time for a month. But here it is and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you!

* A little preface: Now that our yard is coming together, I’ve been enjoying being out in it more often. I dedicate at least an hour a day to it. I’ve started looking around at all the beautiful areas that would make a great place to sit and enjoy the beauty or watch the children play, so the concentration lately has been on creating more seating. This, my friends, is where this idea originated.
 I had plenty of wood on hand:
(this isn’t even all of it *sigh*)
and was discussing the idea of a bench with my 9 y.o. {mr. creativity himself!} and he started telling me of his big ideas to use logs from our log pile for legs. BRILLIANT IDEA! So glad he shared this with me. We immediately started drawing up plans for a visual and began putting our thoughts on paper.
I haven’t always done this. I’ve learned the VERY HARD way that it is just simply a GOOD IDEA.
Then one morning, we siezed the opportunity to get started, and dug a few similar looking logs out of that log pile.
But they were uneven. SOoOo…
 Lesson #1: don’t try to cut logs down with a chop saw.
I’m still having trouble learning that I can’t do EVERYTHING on my own. And that patience is usually a key element in  e v e r y  project. So the first log flew back from the blade and my left middle finger took the blunt of the blow. It still hurts in all honesty. Just not as bad. And it’s no longer purple. funny {or not so funny} how that color fades with time. Anyhow, my knight in shining armor husband {who regularly pulls his damsel in distress out of a bind} took out the chain saw a few days later and cut through those logs like butter to even them up a bit. {while I cursed myself for not having been patient in the first place}.
Once that task was completed, I got brave and pulled out that saw again. I began measuring… And cutting…
And nailing:
and enjoying a lot of help.
 Lesson #2—Don’t nail a BENCH Together.
Because when I got that thing all put together and ready for the back to be put on. It just started falling apart. {yep, never said I was a carpenter} So why didn’t I stick with the regular plan to screw those pieces together in the first place? Well, that is where the “patience in every projects” displays itself again. My honey was out of town on business and had to take the drill gun with him on that job. I was antsy to get this project goin’! That leads us to:
Lesson #3— have your OWN tools on hand. Especially ones you use regularly, or (as in my case) daily. Just a time saving idea. 
So after screwing everything back together, I stood that bench upright. Heaved a sigh of relief (or two, or three…I wasn’t counting.) and enjoyed the finished product:
Oh, did I say finished? …not quite. I wasn’t quite satisfied yet. So I went to look at my stain stash. AND…
gave it a nice coat of walnut colored minwax.    
Then after consulting with my honey about the sturdiness of the piece {I always go to him for this guidance when it comes to furniture} decided to add a couple stablizing boards:
Then a second coat of walnut minwax to darken it up a bit more.
I’ll probably be slapping a clear coat of Polyeurathane on it, just to give it an all weather finish, but for now….
I’m enjoyin’ just a sittin’.
And watching.
And listening.
And stopping to appreciate the world around me. 
  Something I haven’t done a whole lot of lately.
So maybe it isn’t the BEST built bench you ever saw, but it’s ours, designed by me and my boy. And for a first, it didn’t turn out too bad!
and the lessons learned were priceless {I’m thinkin’}.
Was the agony worth it? Well, I must say, seeing that bench sitting invitingly when I look out my kitchen window all finished and natural looking, makes me smile. BIG! And reminds me of the last and final lesson: #4— Take advantage of what life has to offer just sittin’ and enjoy the beauty of the world around you—In your own back yard.
XoXo,
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30 thoughts on “Just Sittin'”

  3. Absolutely LOVE this! 🙂 What a wonderful bench! 🙂 Hope your finger didn't suffer too much in the process! My hand is still suffering the after effects of my own impatience as well! haha…I just couldn't wait until the hubby got home to make my sign! Drill met my hand…yeahhh that happened! =/http://sweetsongbirdofmine.blogspot.com

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  4. Love your bench! And how wonderful that you & your boy designed it! 🙂 Great job & great lessons learned! 🙂 Thanks for swinging by my blog & commenting-if you try the train table I'd love to see the finished project! :)-Kristi@ Creative Kristi

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  14. Nice bench and I love your 'help' 🙂 I just posted about a project that took longer than expected with several mistakes along the way….guess that's part of the process sometimes! Enjoy sitting and watching those little ones.

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  18. What a cool bench! Very creative of you!Hope you will please drop by and enter my $50 Overstock.com Gift Card Giveaway!! If there are 500entries, the amount will increase the Gift Card to $100.

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  21. I love this! I can't wait til my husband goes on another business trip so that I can steal some wood from his stash.

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  26. Awesome!! Very inspiring :DPS. When I got home from my long road trip, I was so excited to see a package in the mail form you!! I love my bracelet and have worn it twice already this week! I absolutely love it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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  27. I love that rustic-modern look! Would you be willing to share your measurements for the wood?Also, how did you secure the logs to the base of the bench?Thanks!

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