The Bench Project...and a mustache

Alex has been growing a mustache the whole month of March for work. I guess It's a big deal and everyone does it for "March Mustache." Last year Alex didn't go the full month and was labeled a party pooper. So this year he's doing the full month. He dislikes it as much as I do, and will be shaving it off on the 31st. However, he is pretty proud about how thick it came in. A lot of people told him he wouldn't be able to grow much of anything. Hopefully this will be his only mustache. Mindy could barely look at him and then asked if she could touch it. Seriously...Alex like we have never seen him before. Having to tell your husband he has some crumbs in his stache is NOT cool.

Anyway...on to the fireplace project. Well the fireplae is basically a danger hazard for Adam when he starts crawling because it is all rock and pretty scary, so we have been trying to think what we can do about it. Alex saw a bench that someone else made to cover their fireplace, and decided that making a bench that could slip on and off was the best option. He has really been going after it. Despite some bumps in the road, it looks like it is going to come out well, so I'm getting excited. I wasn't able to picture it when Alex would try to explain it to me, but now that it is coming together, I'm getting it. This is the fireplace before.

Alex went and cut some wood at Home Depot and then came home and made the frame. It took quite a few brackets and screws. After he put four or five screws in, he came in the kitchen and said that he already had a huge blister in the middle of his hand. Then I said, "Would it help to use the drill Brent got this summer?" Alex with his jaw dropped, "Drill? We have a drill?" Oops...I thought he knew about that. The drill made it go way faster and way easier.

When I came out and saw him drilling with his mustache, I thought, "Who are you? and what did you do with Alex?" So I had to take a picture...the only one when Alex will have a mustache and be using a drill...at least at the same time.

After he finished the frame he cut and stapled a black burlap material to the underside. Excuse the messy background.

Now time for the 3 inch polyurethane foam...this has been a tricky part, but Alex is figuring it out. We didn't realize that when you fold it over the side you lose 2 1/2inches. Fortunately Alex came up with a good way to cut pieces and extend it.


We had to take it outside to the back garage to spray the adhesive stuff in a well ventilated area. It worked better than we thought. But Alex still has to think about how to put the foam on the corner part.

The upolstery is going to be the hardest part. Especially picking it out. Hence the 10 samples. It's too much for me, and so I'm going to wait for mom to come up in April to help. I just can't handle it. After all, the bench will stay with the house...so she needs to help.


so that's pretty much the bench update for now...