Backyard Bench

This weekend I went to Ikea (again) and bought some outdoor furniture. I decided to go with something that reminded me of my childhood - a picnic bench - instead of the more common wrought iron furniture. Plus, the two pieces I bought are part of a set that I can continue to add to so as I go back to Ikea I can add more and more.

What appealed to me about this table was that it can expand to hold a lot of people and eventually has the capability of an umbrella going in the middle of it.

I wasn't in love with any of their seat cushions so I'll keep looking for those. In the meantime, I have one long table, one smallish bench and two chairs (not pictured) that are on my deck.

This was surprisingly easy to build. I mean I certainly couldn't have done it without Kelsey but I also thought it would take hours. I'm quickly learning the things that I didn't expect to take long (cabinet pulls and knobs) take much longer and the things that I anticipate taking hours of my time are done in less than an hour. Is that some sort of Murphy's Law of home ownership?

While this won't seat the 30+ people that will be here next weekend for Haley and Matt's shower, it's a start. At least it makes the backyard start to feel more manageable. The gravel project has been delayed b/c of the busyness this time of year but I think the table and bench will look even better with gravel underneath. One day.....