Woodshop plans

Thinking about the work of George Nakashima, I too was expecting to see a more oriental design quality.  However, after visiting his website I became intrigued not so much by the actual design of the furniture, but more so for his teams work ethic and inspiration.  That is what I most appreciate.  Never would I have thought woodworking can be such an intimate process between man and nature.  It is fascinating to realize the process of woodworking (particularly by Nakashima) as a bond and destiny of a single tree.  Its inspiring to see the levels of dedication and perfection given towards a single tree.  I tend to run into perfectionism as a stressful and problematic issue, but after researching the works of Nakashima, perfection in woodworking seems like a pleasant requirement.  Although I personally dont particularly like the design of Nakashimas work, I honestly do appreciate the background story behind the work.  I enjoy the ideals of concept, perfection, and art.

There are so many qualities about my husband that I admire.  He is a wonderful, dedicated dad to our kids and would do anything for each of them.  He is thoughtful, supportive and he is, without a doubt, the most selfless person I know. 

I really wanted to give him the perfect gift for Fathers Day.  A gift inspired by something he loves.  He is a HUGE baseball fan and loves to collect memorabilia.  A few of his favorite things; vintage baseball programs and concession menus from the past.

When I came across this wall art over at TLC a few weeks ago, to me, it was so reminiscent of a concession menu in the look and shape.  So, I decided to create my own version using this 1951 vintage baseball program that my hubby loves.
I followed Kevin and Laylas easy how to for the frame.  Then for the words, I used an old stencil that came from a box hubby bought at a yard sale that contained all kinds of vintage stencils, numbers and vinyl decals.  So cool!  Heres how it looks.....
He loves it so much!  And he was really excited that I displayed some of his collections on the ledge with it.  His reaction made me so happy.  Im loving this, not only because it made him so happy, but because when I look at it, Im reminded of all the years he coached our two oldest boys in baseball and all those summer afternoons and evenings of playing catch in the backyard, while I watched out the kitchen window as I did the dishes, smiling at how much fun they were having. 
This white storage chest was built for me by my dad.  Its one of my favorite pieces around our home and I thought it would go perfectly.  I made a cushion for it out of painters dropcloth so that it could double as extra seating in this room.
There is nothing better than a project with a special meaning behind it.  Hope all the amazing dads out there had a fantastic Fathers Day doing what you love!

Coming up........hubby brought home a very cool chair that has inspired a neat building project.....stay tuned!  Have a great day all and thanks for stopping by!