Story of a Toy Box

If you REALLY know me, you know I am obsessed with Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids. This company has LONG been an obsession of mine, heck we practically replicated one of their nurseries for McKinley. So, it should come as no surprise that I frequently scour the websites just to see what I see. Well, just before Christmas I saw something that immediately caught my attention, a sweet toy box. Ever since we decorated McKinley's Big Boy Room we just had not been happy with a particular area that was not functioning well. I am all about function in our home - if it's non-functioning then it drives me bonkers until I make it...well...function. So, when I saw this toy box I KNEW it was perfect for that crazy little space, and what a pop of color! The thing was bright red! I showed it to Cary who agreed it was pretty sweet, but I just could not bring myself to pay nearly $300 for something I felt would be simple construction and easy to make. I waited...and waited. It went on sale! Still way more than the materials would ever cost, but better than $300. I finally convinced myself to suck it up and click "add to cart"...and as I did so a big, ugly red sign came up and said the item I selected was no longer available.

WHAT?

I literally closed the laptop and walked away.

I checked back regularly. Yep, still unavailable until November 2011. No way.

Then one day I was casually perusing through a new magazine, Fresh Home, where I found an interesting woman with an equally interesting website: knockoffwood.com. Very cool. Something made me turn on the computer and check out this site. I was instantly hooked! Such beautiful things she was GIVING people the plans for! HELLO!

And then, I happened on something that made me yell out loud: plans for a toy box, on legs, just like the pottery barn kids box!

When Cary got home I showed him the plans and cooked up my own...we were going to have wood shop 101 that Sunday!

On Saturday we gathered all of our supplies (the wood was roughly $25...no kidding) and took them home with plans to make the box Sunday. I could barely sleep. I had a dream about that toy box - weird!

Sunday morning we were both all ready to whip out the woodworking materials! It was really cold so we totally set up our 'shop' in the entryway, complete with a work table, clamps, drill, jigsaw and vacuum (because I was the vacuum girl, determined to NOT have sawdust throughout the house).

In no time at all we had the entire piece together! I was shocked! I took it outside (brrrrr!) and sanded the entire thing down, then back in to prime and paint (with no voc paint, of course!). All this, in ONE DAY! The last step was the hardest though - the special "Toys" decal that we wanted to replicate with my Mom's talented, artistic hand (see McKinley's nursery where she free-handed scrollwork on around the entire room). That was a process...lots of steps, but today the piece is finished!

Well...maybe.

I may add an aging glaze over the entire piece to 'rough' it up a bit. It's a little bright, needs to look a little more worn in ---- BUT SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of the work we all put into this piece. Cary (and a few of my Mom's friends) think we need to sell these suckers. It would be adorable as a planter, or small sandbox. The possibilities are endless.

The best part - the little unused and non-functioning space in McKinley's bedroom is now a full functional area that he LOVES. Though we don't keep many toys in his bedroom, he has a few that find their way in there from time to time and they have a happy little home now.

All is well!

Lynn

P.S. Please excuse the messy book stack. Still working on just how I want all those books set up!