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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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January 26, 2016

How to Make a Memory Bench

Happy New Year, At the Picket Fence friends, from redheadcandecorate.com!

It’s brutally cold up here in the “mitten state” (Michigan), but I’m making the best of it by keeping busy indoors which can be nice and cozy with a hot cup of tea.

However, on the other hand, we traveled through Canada to Western New York last weekend and I captured this unique photo on the New York State Thruway, that I thought would be fun to share with you. My husband was driving and I saw the sign approaching quickly, so I grabbed my phone and got it just in the nick of time. I’ve lived up here most of my life, except for a 6 year transfer to Jacksonville, Florida. I must admit that I have never seen a neon “LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING” sign ever in my 46 years.

lake effect snow

No worries though, the four of us made it home safe and sound.

Now that I’ve made you shiver in your accent chair, lets move indoors for some warm decorating. This fun project is perfect for this time of year because you can create it right in your home with a drop cloth. Our “Doodled Memory Bench” has become a family heirloom, and I am so happy I took the time (and the risk) to make it.

Let’s see if you can find Aunt Loretta’s meatballs…

DIY Doodled Memory Bench

Here’s another angle facing our fireplace in the kitchen. Besides the obvious sentimental reasons for loving this bench, I also love that it adds a rustic, country feel to our kitchen. It lightens everything up, and basically says, “Have a seat. You are welcome here.” It’s also a wonderful conversation piece and everyone feels special when they see their name.

Doodled Memory Bench

The “Doodled Memory Bench” gets moved around a lot. Sometimes, I add it to the foot of our bed in our master bedroom so we can throw our laundry there sit down and put our shoes on with ease.

I have also used it under our coat rack as a back pack shelf, and we’ve even taken it outdoors on our deck on a few occasions. This baby gets around (I added felt pads to the bottom legs so it slides with ease).

Wood Planked Ceiling Master Bedroom

*** Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read full disclosure policy here.

So, if you’re interested in creating one of your own, maybe for your home, for a wedding keepsake, with your own memories, names, or theme, this is how I made mine.

The bench I used came with a dining room table that I now use as a desk. It’s been about 12 years since I purchased it. If you happen to have a bench or even a chair that you can use, that is great. If not, thrift stores may be the place to look, or I located a farm house version for you on line that is a little different, but very affordable and super cute. You can view that bench here.

bench

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to sand mine before I started painting because it was pretty dried out. If your bench has a thick coat of paint or varnish on it, sanding it a little won’t hurt. Any grit sand paper will due. Don’t forget to add a drop cloth under the bench, and wear a mask when sanding. Wipe off any dust that is left over with cheese cloth or a damp rag.

I painted my bench right in our kitchen and I used white paint with the primer in it. To be exact, I used Behr Ultra in eggshell sheen, and the color is Swiss Coffee. My entire home is painted in this paint. It’s very high quality, and has no odor. You can find it at Home Depot. I also used a very high quality paint brush and a paint roller for the top seat. I applied 3 coats and let them dry in between. After it was completely dry, I roughed up the edges with sand paper and a switch blade so it would have a rustic look.

Painted Bench

Then the fun part came. The doodling. I call it doodling because it’s my hand writing, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. You know how when your on the phone and you doodle on the side of a napkin? Same idea, except you are “present” in your doodling. You can choose a theme like I did such as my favorite food memories, or pick your own. I used Sharpie Paint Markers, and did not do it in pencil first. I just started in the upper left corner and did the larger words first. Then I filled in the rest trying not to leave anyone out. When I made a mistake I went with it and filled it in the best I could. I also used the paint like I would use “white out” on paper to fix really large mistakes. Either way, the idea here, is not to be perfect. Have fun with it, and remember how special your own handwriting can be. Invite family members to write, too.

sharpie

I hope you try it!

~Julie XO

DIY Doodled Memory Bench

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6 Comments Filed Under: Crafts, Decorating, DIY, Good Ideas Tagged With: crafts, decor, decorating, DIY

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Comments

  1. Joanne Roth says

    January 26, 2016 at 4:47 AM

    Great project – thank you for sharing. I would love this idea also for a stepstool in our kid’s bathroom. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Julie Fiato says

      January 26, 2016 at 2:55 PM

      Great idea!

      Reply
  2. Peggy from PA says

    January 26, 2016 at 4:51 AM

    What a great idea. I’m sure when you have company they all look for their names. And it’s repurposing at its best. Super creative.

    Reply
    • Julie Fiato says

      January 26, 2016 at 2:56 PM

      They do, and I love that!

      Reply
  3. Janine says

    February 4, 2016 at 9:57 PM

    Did you seal the bench after you wrote your messages?

    Reply
  4. Barbara says

    February 14, 2016 at 2:56 PM

    Love this project! My husband and I are buying a little fixer upper in Northern Michigan, and this is perfect for our new home!

    Reply

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“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
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Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
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