A Labor of Love // A Playhouse

I'm just going to start this out by saying how proud of my husband I am.

I've always been into Manly-Man type guys, even if I didn't always date that way.  I don't know if its because ever since I had friends they were always boys because they'd rather climb trees and build forts then play dolls, just like me. Or if its because of how manly my Dad was, he was always *restoring old pickups or coming home greasy from work. Whatever the reason I don't think I could ever be attracted to a man who couldn't change my oil or made me change the tire because he didn't know how. I guess I'll never have to find out though because I married one of the manly-est men I've ever known! He taught me how to change my cars **oil, he's got a 6 pack, he drinks A Beer almost every day after work, he could build a house up from the dirt, he can scoop me up in his arms with ease, and did I mention even underneath all that toughness he could melt any woman's heart with how gentle and great he is with babies and kids. Honestly it used to make me really insecure with my femininity with how much kids loved him and gravitate toward him and never would give me a second look! I eventually got over it though and just count my blessings with the great man I somehow got to give me a second look...

Back to the Manly Man-ness, one of his older friends has a son that recently got into the cattle business and needed to be taught how to "pull" a Calf. So my Husband after work went over to this mans farm and helped and taught the man how to do it, and afterwards how to care for the new animal. 

When they were all done the farmer wanted to obviously pay Mitch for his help and of course he wouldnt take anything. He was just happy to be able to help someone, so later when they were standing around talking Mitch asked about a little dilapidated Playhouse that was on the property, he was just asking if the farmer had built it and saying he liked it. The farmer told Mitch it had come with the house and he hated it and begged him to take it for his daughter. So take it Mitch did, he brought it home and it was in shambles but we both saw the potential. I didn't get a picture before he started tearing stuff off but there were some plywood shutters and a door that was rotting that Mitch took off. He stripped it completely down to the walls and frame, and he worked from there.

He trimed the entire outside and built this awning, tore the roof off and built and shingled a new one.

He built a wrap around porch with railing, and also added siding. 

I guess here would be a good time to mention that 99% of the additions were salvaged or things we already had on hand.

I think its important for us to remember and re-teach ourselves how to use what we already have and not

run to the store every time we have a project to do. 

                          Salvaged Material:

• The deck was built out of torn apart pallets that he ripped down the middle
• the wood he asked for out of throw away piles at various business 
• The shingles were left overs from a house that a business did
• The siding was left over from a business throw away pile
• The table inside I built out of leftover siding from our recent bathroom remodel and the table top is part of the old roof of the playhouse 
• The white paint was also salvage from a throw away pile at a business, it was leftover stuff that was ready to go bad, it was even decking paint!

This is an inside picture from before we cleaned it all the way out and decorated it a little.

I should have used a nail gun for the table but again I just used what I had on hand, Emrey liked it anyways.

The blue paint was from the oops rack at Walmart so it was 50% off, the crazy part is it was the exact shade

my husband was wanting! That never happens...

I bought this cute little bunny from a thrift store, its super solid metal so I don't have to worry about leaving it outside. I want to spray paint it pink or something but I'm fighting the urge. I have to remind myself not everything needs painted sometimes...

 Here's how it looks currently, eventually were going to paint the inside and get some plexiglass put in the windows and I'm planning on making curtains too.

We found the play kitchen at an estate sale for $15 and I offered them $10, which they excepted.

I love price negotiating 

My husband put a lot of time and love into this thing, worked in the cold of winter and late into the night after work. I think he put his love into his work on this project.  He is such a great Daddy, i'ts just another reason 

I see him as such a Manly Man, and its not even because he worked with power tools. It was all because he worked hard for his daughter. 

She loves her playhouse

*restoring= working and never finishing a single one :) I love you Dad

**taught me how to change my oil=but will never let me do it myself because its a mans job