The Table

I can't believe it's Friday already. I feel like this whole week has gone by in a happy holiday blur, and I'm just starting to resurface. It was really nice spending the holidays with friends and family, and I feel like I've said this before, but Christmas keeps getting better and better every year.

I know I mentioned our dining table in my last post, but I wanted to share a couple shots with you now that it's sitting in our dining room. From what Matt told me, the whole project (not including labor, of course) set us back about $350 dollars. The bulk of the cost went toward the legs which were special ordered. You could build a table for a lot less money if you went with straight legs, or legs that are less than 5" in diameter, but these were exactly what we wanted. Most of the rest of the cost was covered through gift cards at Home Depot. Compared to the $1500 price tag from the table that inspired the project, we didn't do too bad.



The top of the table was built with old barn boards that have amazing character and give it a real rustic vibe. My husband could probably explain the whole process and all of the materials they used much better than I could, so feel free to address him in the comments section if you have any questions. You can also see more photos here if you're interested.

I really am very happy with how this whole project turned out. When Matt told me he wanted to build our table, I was initially worried because I knew it would be a huge project, but he and my FIL chopped away at it all month, and every time he showed me pictures of their progress I got more and more excited. They even managed to finish and set it up in our dining room right in time for Christmas dinner. Whew!

Tidbits

 

A Few Tidbits:

1. My kitties can't resist wool. Especially a newly finished project that's pinned out and waiting to dry. I'm coming to terms with this fact. Mostly because I don't have a choice.

2. I finally decided to write on our chalkboard walls (just a little) with snowflakes. It's really nice - like a temporary wallpaper.

3. Remember that Pottery Barn table I was swooning over a few months ago? Well, Matt and his dad have been working hard all month building something similar for our dining room, and it's almost ready to bring home! Check out my Flickr set if you're interested in seeing the progress.

4. Matt and I saw the 3D version of The Hobbit with friends over the weekend, and I really love it! Keep in mind, I decided to avoid the book before watching the films because I knew I'd be disappointed (that's the nature of book => film it seems), so if you've already read the books, you might not like it as much as I did. And this might not surprise you, but I'm completely in love with Bag End, which you get to see in so much more depth with this film. I'm using it as inspiration for our own home decor.

5. Speaking of Bag End, check out this amazing miniature sized re-creation. It's impressive!

The Advent Tree

Happy Monday, everyone! I received a few e-mails over the weekend asking about our advent tree from the last post, so I wanted to share with you where we got the inspiration for ours. I ran across this tutorial from A Beautiful Mess back in November, and e-mailed the link to my husband with a note: "Can you make this for me?!" So he and my FIL found some scrap wood and built it that very night, and voila! We have a new advent tree.

Last week, I tinkered around with some cardstock to make pouches for each day in December leading up to Christmas, but I'm not totally happy with what I came up with, so everything that's on the tree right now will be replaced with something better once I figure out what that something better is, exactly. I'm not too concerned with making it perfect this year, though.



This is the time of year where I have lots of projects in the works to share with you, but they're all gift-related, so it'll have to wait until after Christmas. Instead, I'll share a picture of my pretty kitties. Little Wren was spayed just under two weeks ago, which was a bit rough, but she's feeling much better now. It's hard to believe how quickly she's growing, but I love the way her color is spreading and dappling throughout her fur. And the fluffy feline, with his white whiskers and big owl eyes, is just as cuddly as ever. Both of them have surprised us by showing very little interest in our Christmas tree (not the advent tree) and all its ornaments. It's a Christmas miracle.

It's beginning to look a lot like

Christmas :)

Folded Poncho

Last June, I finished knitting this Folded Poncho, blocked it, tried it on once, and threw it in the closet in frustration. It was one of those projects that I wasn't quite happy with for whatever reason, but I figured I'd come back to it later and reassess my options.

And then we moved, and I forgot all about it. Until Monday morning, that is, while searching for layers to wear to keep myself warm. Looking back, I realize now that I grabbed for my poncho out of necessity, and wasn't even thinking about my previous frustrations about how it might look. I just knew I was freezing, and it seemed like the warmest thing in my closet.



Thing is, ever since I put this thing on Monday morning, I haven't taken it off. I love my Folded Poncho, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. I guess that's the sort of thing that can happen with a little distance and a change in the weather.