This is my first bench. It is probably close to 20 years old. It has been set on fire a few times. It has a lot of blood, (literally) sweat and tears buried into its crevices.

A lot of magic was made at this bench. I carved many of my finest hero pieces here....late into the night. It was all I could afford at the time.
It was small but it was mighty.

I still remember the day I dragged it home with the help of my friend. I was in awe & hopelessly in love it it. I could finally stop working at a old broken down office depot desk. I had set that on fire too.

This relic has been sitting in my garage for a quite a while and before that it was at my production studio for my employees. I probably haven’t worked on this bench for 8 years. It was replaced with a larger and shiner bench.

My husband has been moving it around the garage, stacking things on it in between begging me to get rid of it. It was dusty, sad and broken down. Its drawers filled with long forgotten tools. But I just could not part with it. (I have a soft spot for the underdog)

So over the winter, I pulled it out of its dark corner and in the freezing cold garage began sanding away. It took me a week. After it had been stripped, I painted it a beautiful robins egg blue and stained the top probably 3 times to get the perfect shade of an old walnut tree that was in my minds eye.

My husband thought I was crazy. But he has learned to not even ask. ( I told you he was smart).

It is now back in action and hopefully restored to its former glory...which is what it deserved all along. It was me who wasn't ready.

I still think it has some magic left in it.

Welcome home, old friend.