* Disclaimer – a mistake was made in scheduling. This post should have been viewed before yesterday’s, so please forget you saw that one. My bad. *
Our (magical, never to be caught actually working, might be an elf) contractor was by the other day to put the first coat of stain on our bar top.
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So while the husband and I were checking progress, I took pictures.
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And it wasn’t until I started posting them that I realized the damn thing appeared to be 2 different colors.
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At first I thought it was a matter of angles and shadows but the picture above and below this text are basically the same, just taken 12 minutes apart.
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And I swear I didn’t alter the hue or color on my phone.
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I have no explanation. Although now that I think about it, this might be a fun bar game after a few toddies.
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Just for the fun of it I placed a few fronting pieces to get an idea what the finished product would look like.
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And I think while not a perfect match to the chairs we ordered…
After waiting a month and a half for construction to start…
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Our rarely seen contractor is really picking up the pace. I’m starting to think he might be an elf, as we never actually catch him working.
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All the facing boards and bottom moulding are in place…
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And it won’t be long before we’re bellying up for our inaugural beverage. Ironically right after we discovered the new updates a friend and his son showed up to check the progress.
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They hadn’t been here in months and were shocked at the transformation.
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Darts were played.
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Beer was imbibed.
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And shock was expressed that still live rounds were prominently displayed.
It was recently brought to my attention that our barn was in need of comfortable seating in which to kick back after a vigorous session of drinking. And to that I say…
I’m way ahead of you.
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Okay, so it’s actually just the porch furniture we store inside every winter… but I’m thinking come spring, when it heads back outside? Two leather club chairs with a small table in between.
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Husband hung a few appropriate signs behind the (soon to be bar) the other day.
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Armpit lemon? Remind me not to over indulge in Puerto Rico.
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A no sewing required spot was found for the husband’s assorted patches.
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And a few more photos were carefully hung… while standing on a safe.
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As you can see, I have arrived … and finally been given representation in the man cave.
Yay me.
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A magnetic bottle opener was installed on the staircase.
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And a recent antique store purchase was displayed.
Continuing in the if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em paradigm, I gifted the husband some nice new pool sticks.
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Canadian maple of various colors and weights.
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I also gathered some of the military patches he’s had stuck in his drawer for years.
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I’m trying to think of some way to display them… you know, a way that doesn’t involve sewing. Because my love only goes so far.
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A few man cave appropriate books were dropped on the table…. and then –
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Our bar building contractor showed up with the top of the bar.
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I have to admit I was liking the 3 different shades of wood colors….
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Until I realized that was the unfinished side. But after it was sanded down and smoothed, even the husband agreed it would need to be stained before the polyurethane.
Victory is mine!
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And that called for a drink. Or a cocktail in a pretty can as the case may be.
Was for the Barn Mahal bar to be finished. Seeing that we came home and discovered its beginning framework in place in mid November….
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I didn’t think that would be too much to ask. But alas, our builder didn’t agree.
Oh, he’s sent updates via text messages.
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Like the layout of the rough unfinished boards on his shop floor.
I thought the 3 graduating colors would be interesting…
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Until he sent the next update of those boards being sanded and glued. Bye bye color.
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He assures me work is progressing steadily and that he hasn’t forgotten us, but it seems the only way I’ll be bellying up for a toddy will be like this:
That’s the sound my checkbook made when we drove down to the design studio to purchase the custom made bar chairs my husband had his heart set on.
We met the two very pleasant Lithuanian immigrants who own the business and found they do interesting work.
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Their furniture is starting to catch on and has been written up in numerous magazines.
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Maine restaurants and businesses have contracted large orders….
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And its only thanks to Covid that they considered a small order like ours.
These are the 30 inch swivel pub chairs my husband fell in love with.
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Made from 120 year old reclaimed barn boards and strong enough to seat an African elephant, they’re remarkably comfortable as well.
The designers explained it would take 6 weeks to make our 6 chairs because they just had to lay off most of their people due to the virus. A huge order from L.L. Bean had been cancelled, which while bad news for them… was great news for us.
They were even kind enough to let us take a sample chair home for a test run.
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We sidled it up next to the (still unfinished since the contractor seems to have taken a powder) bar and the height was perfect.
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I’m hoping to match the front facing of the bar to one of the medium shades on the chair.
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If the builder ever decides to return.
A few days later when we brought the chair back, I decided I needed some matching shelves for my liquor bottles.
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They’ll look like these. The wood will match the chairs… which pleases me, and the brackets will be made from old railroad spikes… which pleases the husband.
Two shelves on either side of the bar window for a total of four. What the hell. If you’re going to do it, do it right.
Ka-Ching!
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
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