benched.

you know the old saying, "give and you shall recieve?"

well it's true. wanna know how i know? just check out this newest bit of awesome in my life:

see? "give (miter saws) and you shall recieve (kick-butt benches)"
its legit.

it's lovely, dontcha think? i'm thinking about adding a thin cushion to the top of it, to protect the nice super-smooth finish from dings and scratches (i've only sat on it once so far, and only very gently... i'm scared to mess it up!) and also to make it a more comfy place to rest your bum. i'm kind of picturing it as a nice creamy color, but do you think that would get too dirty too fast? should it have a pattern to it? does it need a cushion at all?

 i also need to find some baskets for to put in the hidey-holes to hold our shoes, because they are overflowing out of their current digs under the not-a-credenza. i've been imagining baskets like these ones from my inspiration photo from Ana White:

but i also think it could be kind of fun to have brighter, bolder containers for our shoes. but then i think they might distract from the bench itself. either way, i'm thinking a trip to the new Home Goods down the road is in my future...

how do you think i should accesorize my valentine's bench?