THE KING & I

While most Americans wandered from store to store this weekend searching for the perfect gift, we strolled the aisles of the Home Depot searching for wood. What do we do to relax on the weekends, you ask? Well, before we can sit back and relax we have to build something to relax on first! As you contemplated what to stuff in your teddy at the Build-a-Bear store, we headed home with a truck full of wood and a lot more. Santa (Joe) set up his workshop on our upstairs landing and built one of my Christmas presents. After deciding our little queen bed wasn't fit for the king and I anymore, Joe bought us a King size mattress (1-800-mattress delivers next-day and has great prices!) and built a bed to match! So we have a comfy spot for long winter naps, my ace of destruction constructed a beautiful, modern frame for far less than something store-bought and lame.

IF YOU BUILD IT...

When my totally capable, incredibly handy other-half mentioned making us a bed for Christmas I thought, "oh my! What is this thing going to look like?" Typically, Joe likes to knock down walls and I love to make them look pretty, so I wasn't sure where this project was headed. To my delight, he made a sturdy, gorgeous, inexpensive bed in under an hour for less than $100! Using eight 2x6x8's, two 4x8 pieces of plywood and attachers, Joe built a hidden base (so the platform looks like it's floating) and cut two pieces of plywood to fit perfectly on top. The final step is to apply a stain but it looks pretty nice just plain!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 55 minutes

COST: Wood at the Home Depot $85 (my contribution was the bedding, all purchased at Target. I love the Thomas O'Brien Vintage Modern collection and the espresso stripe duvet $69, king size pillows were on sale for $5, mattress pad for $25 a wonderful down comforter was on sale for $25, and the flannel sheets are a steal for $14.99)

STRESS LEVEL: A nice place to rest our heads: LOW