The day we visited Better Bargains, I found an old mission-style stool for $10. Scott loves the Craftsman style a whole heck of a lot and so I bought it. Over the course of my stay in Portland, my parents and I rehabbed it. My dad took it apart and re-glued it so the joints were square. My mom cleaned and sanded every inch of it. I rubbed several coats of Tung oil into the parched wood.

In a crazy bit of good fortune, I happened to bring one of Scott’s worn-out Hawaiian shirts with me. Originally, I’d planned to have my mom teach me how to use a sewing machine (it’s a giant hole in my how-to knowledge). We never got around to pulling out the sewing machine, but instead used the shirt to cover the the stool. It’s amazing how well it worked.

We were all so proud of the finished product.