(circa 2014/2015)

How it basically started.

I was living in Alabama at that time. My then fiance’s birthday was closing in…or was it Christmas? I forget. Even though it was Alabama, it was still “cold” and the two dates were within about a month.

I wanted to do something special and she had always talked about having a Cedar Chest. Being “that guy”, I had NO CLUE how to woodwork, let alone spell it. I was determined to build one.

So off I go to the Big Orange Box Store looking for “quality wood”. I was smart and did some pre-planning and figured out how much I’d need.

Long story short and HOURS…DAYS… later, I whipped this thing together using a circ saw and a nail gun. Once I got everything together I needed to borrow another tool…Tin Snips…for all those nails that would be stabbing her every time she’d open it.

But before I threw the stain to it, I wanted it to be unique…like it wasn’t already! I believe I used a couple sheets of paper and very little font-based artistic ability to make an “R” template for the first initial of her name. But how in the world was I going to make the “R” stand out? Eventually I figured out that stain don’t penetrate glue very well. So, with having kids, we had stick glue. Badda-bing, badda boom! I added the stain, some handles and VOILA! My. Very. First. Wood Project.

A wooden chest with a glossy finish and intricate grain patterns on its surface.
A large wooden bed with a thick frame and a red pillow with black decorative pattern. The bed has a wood panel footboard with a swirling pattern, and the headboard has two dark wood posts.
A wooden dining table with a glossy finish and a patterned top, surrounded by a wooden chair and a red-and-black tablecloth or blanket on a piece of furniture.
A wooden box with a metal handle on the front, made of stained wood with a visible grain pattern, placed next to a carved wooden leg of furniture.
Scenic view of a body of water with green hills in the foreground and tall mountain range in the background under cloudy sky.
A mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks in the background, rolling green hills in the middle ground, and a modern building on the hillside in the foreground.
A modern building with wooden vertical slats on its exterior, set against a mountainous landscape with grassy slopes and snow-capped peaks in the background. A large window in the building reveals two people inside, with an exit sign visible.
A modern wooden house situated in a mountainous landscape with stone steps leading to the entrance, surrounded by grass and plants, with mountains in the background.