[modern] cornhole

So the kid is turning one and we needed another yard game for his party. Wanted to go with a classic -- cornhole. Located a detailed set of DIY instructions and went to work! Everything except the hardware was sourced from my garage -- leftover birch plywood from a nursery project and 2x4s that were actually left behind by the previous owner.


I wanted to go with a classic, modern look for the board -- using walnut stain on the birch (finished with a water-based, semi-gloss poly) and high-gloss white paint on the frame and legs. I considered making it primary red or blue for the kids, but something inside me yearned for a more modern and timeless cornhole board!

I was planning on making two boards, as the instructions call for, but decided that we really had no need for two -- we'll simply have a foul line marked by a stick (or some other item laying around the backporch), make the tosses, retrieve the cornhole bags and then make the long (27 foot) walk back to the foul line. [Cornhole purists around the world shudder.] Official rules here.

My wife was tasked with making the cornhole bags...but life took over, the party date was nearing and we decided just to order them. We're very impressed with the color and quality of the ones we purchased.

And the best part...

The newly-minted one-year-old approves! Good times.

Out Back

Before we were married in March, we had seen a patio set at Ikea that we liked and hoped to buy later that Spring. However, given the fact that the closest Ikea is 2 hours away, the rising cost of gas and busy schedules, we weren't able to make the return trip until mid-June. Much to our surprise (and my wife's extreme dismay), they had sold out of our set and wouldn't be getting any others in until next Spring. We did pick up two of the lounge chairs we wanted at amazing savings of $50 each!! So the trip wasn't a total loss.

I was content to wait it out until next year, but Angie was really excited to get outside and make use of the back porch. So...the search began for a unique, modern-looking and moderately-priced patio set. She scanned the far reaches of the Internet and came up with a bunch of ideas. We were looking for a mix of teak (or other hardwood) and aluminium. However, most of everything we found and liked was considerably out of our price range. We talked about settling on something we didn't totally like, and we almost caved...

But we held out...and a day later she found the Stack Chair Depot. They had a chair that we liked better than any we had previously seen. And although the tables were small and all wood, they matched nicely and were priced right. So we picked up two of the tables and six chairs. Upon delivery we found that the table legs were actually painted with a faux wood grain effect -- so before we put them together a quick trip to ACE Hardware to pick up some aluminum-colored spray paint. We sprayed them later that evening and had them together the next morning. We are extremely pleased with the finished result.

My mum -- using her mad sewing skills -- hooked us up with these custom-made covers for the boring black-and-white striped coushions we bought at Ikea to add a bit of comfort to the lounge chairs. We also picked up a Lack side table -- I mean seriously, for $12 you can't go wrong!