Operation Uplifting Sleep

I have finally gotten around to a project I have wanted to do for a very long time.

The bonus is I managed to find something to do with all the pages from the books I turn into purses.

(please excuse the crappy photos. My camera battery was dead, so I used Emma's camera and apparently there is something wrong with it.)

We made Emma a loft bed!! 

We all went to Lowes last night to pick up the lumber and hardware. Joel, (one of the guys working at Lowes) was super nice and super helpful. He grabbed all the lumber for us (he even dug through to make sure we got good pieces), then made all the cuts for me. It ended up being over 20 cuts, but he didn't seem to mind. 

While I was hovering around the wood cutting area (I wasn't sure what I was suppose to be doing while Joel cut the wood, so I felt like I was hovering), Emma and Jared ran around throughout the rest of the store. By the time the wood was finished being cut, it was way past Emma's bed time (although to be fair, we didn't get to Lowes until 7ish, which is when Emma goes to bed). Jared looked more worn out then Emma did. 

Once we got home, the only lumber we brought in was the plywood piece that goes under the mattress. It made the trip home strapped to the roof of the car and we didn't want to leave it outside all night. 

Operation Uplifting Sleep 

(Jared's code names are way better than mine: Operation Loft Bed)

Laying out the lumber made things a bit easier. Glad I did, as I realized we where missing one piece of lumber. It was an important piece, but not necessary for me to run out and replace it at that moment. 

Got the first few pieces put together and realized I have no idea when the best time to take pictures during a project is. 

Emma was a big help. When I was measuring and marking the drill holes, Emma helped me find the numbers on the tape measure. When we where ready for the screws, she was in charge of handing out the correct number. She placed the washers on all of the larger bolts while counting them. 

When she wasn't helping, she was busy playing in/on/around all the lumber :)

I even put Jared to work. 

A lot. Well, it looks like that because I was the one taking the pictures, but I did actually do a lot of work too. So much that I got a blister that popped in the same day (hour?) it showed up.

At this point in the project we realized that a few additional tools would make the rest of the work go by a lot quicker, and seeing as I still needed to pick up the missing piece of lumber, we headed to Lowes.

Once back home, we worked for a bit, stopped for dinner, then finished assembling the bed. Start to finish, including our trip to the store, took about 11 hours. 

Here is the assembled bed. 

I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish the bed. Did I want to prime it, stain it, seal it? If so, what color?

I like this color :)

A little (ok a lot) of Modge Podge and some book pages that needed a purpose. The pages will make the perfect back drop for horse collages, drawings, writings, stamps, stickers, pictures, and whatever else we might decide to stick to the bed. 

Who knew making your bed could be so much fun?

*edited 19Feb11*

 Here is a picture of Emma enjoying her new loft bed the morning after we finished it. She is replacing the horse wall stickers that we had to take down to make the bed. 

I love making things for Emma :)

p.p.s. For more updated photos, check out Emma's New Room.

p.p.s.s. I almost forgot to mention that I am sharing this post over at Ordinary Life Magic's Saturday's Artist.