A quick update on our lights

We never intended the 4 little spot lights to be the final configuration over the dining table. We wanted a longer track that ran the length of the table with some pendant lights dropping down the whole time. But apparently, we had never considered how difficult it would be to find 1) 6-foot runs of track in brown, 2) pendant lights fixtures that were designed for attaching on a track. After hunting around at various home improvements shops, we finally hit upon Universal Electric who could custom order anything we could find on the manufacturer's website. Though even this was not without its own snags. A few of the pendant shades we liked had low or nonexistent stock and it wasn't clear when they would come back into stock. Well, after a week of back and forths and a alarmingly large bill, we have our lights up.

ON

OFF

That's it. Next time, I'm going to Wimberley Glass Works. Admittedly, that's partly because I have a soft spot in my heart for the Wimberley people since we got engaged there oh so many years ago.

Come on in. Grab a seat.

One day recently when Travis was out of country for work and I was wrangling two dogs at the crack of dawn for our morning walk, tangled in leashes and struggling to tie my shoes, it occurred to me that what we really needed was an entryway bench. You know, like this:

But less dowdy. And less boring. And with a slot for a cushion on top. And with some shoe cubbies built in. And with the same trim detail as our entertainment center since you see both when you walk in the door. And shallower and narrower because the space I need to put it is pretty small.

So I decided Travis would have to build one for me. As soon as he got back from his trip I presented him with the idea. And coaxed and cajoled and manipulated a little until he acquiesced to do it.

He found some great, detailed plans online. They even come with SketchUp drawings to make it easier for you to manipulate and customize the design for yourself. This was his final sketch based on all the requests I'd made:

Off he went to Home Depot to pick up lumber. He decided to spring for poplar instead of pine. (He damn well better have -- I don't want any knots in this bench.) First step was to make all the necessary cuts.

Travis opted to double up two pieces for the bench. To make it comfortable for sitting, he rounded off the top and bottom edges.

To make the edging detail match our entertainment center, he needed a new router bit. And of course he used this as an excuse to get himself a router table too. But I'm quite happy with the results so I'm willing to overlook that.

This will be one of the pieces that make up the "footer" around the base of the bench.

With everything cut and routed, it was time to start putting everything together. Travis kindly opted for pocket screws for aesthetics. Pocket screws are like screwing from the back. They have to go in at an angle to accomplish this but you get to avoid unsightly screw holes in the front of the piece. These are quite easy to make if you pick up a jig at the local hardware store. And personally, I think they really take the results up a notch and are worth the investment.

Travis didn't do all the work. I helped too.

I helped keep everything stable while Travis screwed on the bench top.

And even Remi pitched in by keeping guard of the house. Or maybe he's greeting strangers like best friends. Yeah that's more likely it.

With all the pieces assembled, it was time for some wood putty to fill in all the cracks and seams.

A few rounds of wood putty followed by sanding later, it was ready to paint. Aiming to match the ever-so-slightly off-white of the entertainment center, we started with the Rust-Oleum "Antique White" in satin. This looked ever so slightly more yellow. So we decided to do the color-cover with "Antique White" but then finish off with a skim topcoat of "White" in gloss.

The fit is absolutely perfect.

With the help of two great Etsy shops, we had the final accoutrements. Stacy at jackmat offers custom made window seat cushions which double perfectly as bench cushions. I got to select my own fabric pattern, Bailey in Chocolate/Linen. Melissa at Diva's Intuition was wonderfully accommodating and customized not only the size of the bucket but the fabric to match to the cushion and location of the handles as well. Now we're all good to go!

A coat rack for strictly coats. Finally.