What have I been up to? . . . Building my first "bird house"

Okay, so it's been a long while since I've blogged. Admittedly, I've been busy with other things. . .

As you know we spent Father's Day working on insulating and hanging sheet rock. Since then, I spent a couple of weekends painting the downstairs and then our bedroom (notice in the pictures below the big difference between the previous dark green color and then new light color).

I was hot & sweaty!!

More importantly, since my last blog, I've been learning to use power tools to create something I've wanted to make for the past couple of years (woo-hoo!!!)!

After working at the State, I learned what desk configuration and height worked best for me and I've hunted for a desk at the store to meet those needs. Alas no desk was to be found and so I designed my own desk (I've been a avid Family Handyman, DIY, Better Homes & Gardens fan for most of my life) . . . meaning I've been learning about wood-working. I've never taken a shop class, never used power tools, and had never even built a birdhouse and so this desk has become my first "bird house."

Joel's tried to stay as "hands off" as possible with the exception of his teaching me some of the basics (thank you SO much!!): mitering corners, using the chop saw, using the pneumatic nail gun, using the table saw & circular saw, drilling pilot holes, the difference between types of screws . . . and the importance of slowing down and taking my time.

This beast has taken me several weekends and I still need to finish the drawer, but here's a couple of preliminary picts. . . I'll have to take more later. I also built a shelf above my desk.


Still to do?

1.) Finish drawer
2.) Build additional shelves above my desk
3.) Hang peg board
4.) Build bookcase
5.) Finish putting everything away and CLEAN UP!!!

I guess I must be doing okay because Joel's encouraging me to build more & more rather than go buy a bookcase :>) Admittedly, I've got my crooked brad nails on one edge of the back of a shelf as I was learning and there's a couple of spots on my desk top where the plywood veneer got cracked & broken during the sawing/sanding process and then I tried to fill it with wood putty but didn't finish it properly (sigh) so it looks funny on a couple little spots. Also, there are a few screw holes that are indented because I didn't know that I needed to apply a second filling of the wood putty. . . but, it's all learning.

LOVE IT!!!

I hope that my kids learn from my example: That just because you don't know how to do something . . . YET. . . doesn't mean you can't do it. I also hope that they're proud of me and that they can appreciate my willingness to try to achieve and materialize my dream. So far they've been proud and I think that's the best reward yet!

LOVE those kids!!!