This month's drink of choice

As with everything in my life, I seem to go through phases with what I drink, especially what I drink in the mornings. As a kid, it was Instant Breakfast. (Can you sing the jingle? Carnation Instant Breakfast....you're gonna love it in an instant!) Later in life but before I was a coffee drinker, it was just orange juice. Then it was espresso and then lattes and then cafe au laits and then while we were in Mexico it was fresh squeezed orange juice. Lately it's been just french pressed coffee with a dash of half and half, but about two weeks ago, Scott and I went vegan.

Yes, vegan. As in no more half and half! Oh, the terror!

We're not planning to be vegan forever, but we are really enjoying it for now and believe that some of the good habits we are creating now will continue as we slowly add some animal products back into our lifestyle. Scott is sleeping better than he has in years, maybe better than ever. We've both lost some weight and have plenty of energy. Part of our purpose in going vegan has been to reduce our consumption of foods that are not beneficial for our health or that are low in nutrient density. We're not eating processed foods in place of animal products; we're eating whole veggies, fruits, legumes, and a few grains.

Coffee is one of those not-so-healthy things we've mostly dropped. Yes, you can say it has some positive antioxidant qualities, but I think that is mostly justification for drinking something that we like. And I do like coffee. And I still drink it, but not as much as before.

So my drink of choice lately (especially at night, but also on chilly mornings) has been hot water with a bit of honey and a wedge of lemon. Today I added a slice of ginger to it, also. For now, it is satisfying, warming, and feels clean.

Entry Bench

Apparently this piece is actually called a "hall tree" among those in the know, but whenever I call it that people look at me like I'm nuts.

So, Entry Bench it is.

Inspired by this one I found on Pinterest, I decided that a reclaimed wood entry bench made from two old solid wood doors would be a great way to use the doors leftover from turning my hall closet into a sewing closet.

The back of the bench is a full-sized 30" wide door. If I were to make another one, I'd probably cut about six inches off the bottom of the door before assembly because it feels a little tall to me. The sides are two panels from another door, the bench seat is made from an old shelf, and the drawer is made from 1x12s, plywood, and an additional door panel for the face.

I put the bench together with my Kreg jig and glue, plus a few finish nails for the trim. The drawer is mounted using full extension glides. All of the wood is either reclaimed or scrap, so all I had to buy for this project was hardware and finishing supplies, for a grand total of $53.

The paint is a Ben Moore color from the ReStore, distressed and then coated with satin PolyWhey.

The "old" doorknob is from Hobby Lobby, the hooks from Lowe's, and the drawer pull from Home Depot.

Bare door after stripping off a gooey layer of white paint.

Experimenting with putting the pieces together.

Assembled and ready for finishing, trying to decide whether to build a drawer or use baskets.

And, drawer it is. The piece was so square it was practically begging for a drawer!

Hooks and distressing add the final touches.