Emily sent me a link to Knock Off Wood a few months ago and I was in love! Ana has hacked Pottery Barn and all the other overpriced furniture retailers. The plans are easy to follow (if this girly girl can do it anyone can) and totally FREE.

I started with an end table which turned out fine but I am not in love with the stain. It turned out darker than I wanted. When we built the end table making the cuts was a pain because all we had was a circular saw. We did it but it took awhile because I am a perfectionist and making perfect straight cuts with a circular saw requires a lot of precision. I decided I needed a miter saw. A few days later when I arrived home from an evening out with the girls my husband surprised me with this bad boy!

Once I got my new toy I had to test it out so that is when I built the picnic tables for Caroline and Katie. It only took a Sunday afternoon to build them but it took 3 days to paint them. Did I mention I am a perfectionist?

So now I am going to build another end table, a coffee table, a bed, an entry bench, a storage system, and whatever else Ana posts that I fall in love with.

Girls with power tools is my kind of girl power! In case you wondering the Spice Girls is not my kind of girl power. Now, more gratuitous shots of the cool stuff I have built (so far) from Knock Off Wood. Thanks Ana!