Build Me Up, Buttercup.

When I was pregnant with Scarlett, we moved to Missouri. I am now pregnant with girl number two, and we just moved to Michigan. It isn't the most fun moving while pregnant, but the positive side is I have a clean slate to work with. It is so much easier to maintain order because all the closets are organized, everything has a place, and we purged ourselves of all the clutter and junk before we left. It's a nesting woman's dream. I have a ton of motivation and energy to do stuff, specifically to build stuff. It is the hobby I didn't know I was looking for. It's a running joke that I have no hobbies and that my favorite thing to do is to sit and chat for hours. It isn't a joke though, that really is my favorite thing, but I have never been able to find something that I could spend hours and hours doing without getting sick of it. One day I finally decided to build a headboard that I have had bookmarked for over a year and I was surprised by how much I loved building this thing. Checking and rechecking my plans and measurements, going and buying the wood, feeling all tough sawing and hammering and nailing. Most importantly, Scarlett was able to "help" me. She had her little toy hammer and she stayed by my side through most of the project. I never knew how much I liked working with my hands. It is so satisfying. I will admit that it didn't go perfectly. Even after spending days testing and re-testing stains on wood scraps, the final product turned out WAY darker than I wanted. Oh well, a little pride can be sacrificed on my first building project. It definitely won't be my last. 

I got the plans from this fabulous lady. She has hundreds of free, easy, building plans. I'm serious when I say easy. I built this baby all by me onesie. I made it very clear that Jordan wasn't allowed to touch it because I needed to know I could do it. It only took a half a day to cut and assemble, but the sanding and staining took a couple days. The stain is Jacobean by Minwax and I only put on one coat of a clear satin finish because I wanted it to look rustic and not glossy. The best part is this is a copy-cat of an $800 Pottery Barn headboard, and I made it for 80 bucks.