Wednesday, September 17, 2008




Finally!!! We are finally finished with our sunroom. It has been a huge job. That's the way it is, isn't it? What you think is going to be a simple project usually becomes a huge project. Oh, well. There are just a few little details that need to be put together, but over-all, I think it's about the best it's going to get. I've already told you about the bench (how Phil took someone's junk and made a bench), well....if you will notice the big chest......someone was throwing it out, it was at the road for the "garbage man". You guessed it! We snatched it up. The chair belonged to Phil's grandmother and was very marred up. He did a little sanding, staining and varnishing and it's almost as good as new. Now, the curtains are another story. They are just dinner napkins cut in half and stapled to furring strips. We then nailed the furring strips in place and attached tassels with hot glue. Gotta go. I think Phil has already moved on to another project. He makes me nervous sometimes. I never know what he has up his sleeve. See ya!!

Monday, September 1, 2008

The "new" bench.






















Ok! Here's what you do....if your name is Phil Arnold and you are working with a very limited budget. First, you find a Credenza sitting by the dumpster at work (it's old and they don't want it anymore.) In other words, you go "garbage picking". Then you bring it home and spend some time using your measuring tape and doing a whole lot of mumbling to yourself. This entire time, your wife is looking on wondering, "What in the world is he going to do with this piece of junk!" Then you tip it upside down and cut off the legs. Oh, look! These could be used for arm rests! So, you make a quick trip to the hardware store and purchase a little bit of lumber, some screws, stain and varnish. You take the drawers out and get to work. You make a lot of noise, not to mention a huge mess, and.....Voila!!! Your wife adds a bunch of pillows and we now have a beautiful bench on our back porch/sunroom!!! "How in the world does he do it?", his wife wonders. Oh, don't throw those drawers away. Phil has something planned for those. I wonder what it could be? Well, back to work we go. We have some more painting to do. If you're interested, there will be pictures soon of the completed project. See ya!