Den Building for Grown Ups

Pamela, Sharon and Wendy are sisters. They live in different countries so when they do meet they love to have fun together. Sometimes they will go to the forest, sometimes they will visit a city, and usually they will have a drink and enjoy some cake in a nearby café.

Now Pamela, Sharon and Wendy are grown ups in fact they are VERY grown up but this doesn't stop them having fun together.

Today Sharon and Wendy were missing Pamela who had to go work to earn a living and they wanted to make her something special that they could share with her.

Sharon had recently bought a book written by her good friends Jane Hewitt and Cathy Cross all about Den Building. It had lots of good ideas and the final chapter challenges the reader to build an “extreme den. “ Jane and Cathy ask the reader…

“What sort of den would you build? Where would you build it? What would your theme be? How would you decorate it? How would you light it?”

 So Sharon and Wendy decided to build a den.

Pamela, Sharon and Wendy had made lots of dens as children. They remembered the fun they had had as young girls with only a clothes- horse and some sheets to work with. Now as grown ups with their own houses they had so many more things that they could use. So taking care not to disturb their sleeping father Sharon and Wendy began to plan their den

First they made a list of the basic things they would need

• ·      Blankets
• ·      Sheets
• ·      Pegs
•      A clothes-horse maybe
• ·      Cardboard boxes
• ·      A stepladder

They worked as a team and as one sister went to collect all the resources the other sister looked for a suitable location for their den. It was important that the expensive furnishings were kept intact otherwise their hard working husbands would most definitely cut their allowance the following month!

Sharon found the perfect location in the corner of the lounge with a tall bookcase for height and an antique piano to add shape

Meanwhile Wendy had removed all the bottles of wine stored in the custom made cardboard boxes in the wine cellar to add more height and stability to their Den.

Wendy even allowed Sharon to use her very 

expensive designer dining room chairs to give the den more width.

But what was the theme of their Den? Now this was an area where as young children they may have ended up fighting and arguing as they both had different ideas.

Sharon wanted a Cosy Christmas Den with all the trimmings whereas Wendy wanted to build a Cocktail Retreat reflecting her dreams of a Christmas in the sun. Now they were grown ups they were able to compromise and discuss their ideas and decided to incorporate both ideas into their plan.

They would build a Christmas Cocktail Cavern!

Just as the Den Building book advises the sisters were careful to be safe.

They used the stepladders to reach the tall bookcase and made good use of big heavy books to secure the sheets at the top of the bookcase.

Teamwork was essential. In no time at all the den began to take shape and the sisters were sharing ideas on how to furnish their den.

They made a list of luxury items that would make their Den special.

·      Books

·      Drinks

·      Cushions

·      Candles

·      Cuddly Toys and Christmas novelties.

·      Maybe even some alcohol 

Sharon eagerly collected all of her sisters Christmas accessories to decorate the inside of her den whilst Wendy made good use of an old parasol in the garage to create her cocktail corner.

As the den took shape the sisters enthusiasm increased. Sharon wanted to make a chimney with Christmas stockings and Wendy wanted to have a space where she could have a cup of tea as well a cocktail.

But how would they light their den?  Sharon and Wendy being sensible grown ups, realised that lighting real candles inside the Den could have ruined the woodwork on the antique piano and of course may have burned down the house so the sisters made good use of battery powered lanterns and LED Candles.

       In no time at all the Den was complete. The sisters had such fun and laughed and giggled as they enjoyed some adult fun in their Christmassy Cocktail Cavern 

They read books, drank tea and even invited an unsuspecting stranger into their den as she called to deliver a parcel. She had never met the sisters before but left the house with a smile on her face and a story to tell!

Who would have thought that two educated grown-ups could have had such fun? Whilst their father slept and their husbands worked Sharon and Wendy missed their big sister Pamela. However they thought of her as they drank Christmas cocktails in their cosy cavern.  Neither of them had laughed as much for such a long time. They even made a video recording of the Den and sent it to their sister who of course was amazed at the fun times her sisters were having whist she and their husbands worked 40hours a week to provide the luxuries with which to furnish their adult den!

Pamela, Sharon and Wendy are real people with just  a slight hint of madness and a sense of fun that grown ups often hide. They do not live in a luxury mansion as you are led to believe that was all part of their den building imagination running riot!

If you haven’t got your copy of “Den Building” by Jane Hewitt and Cathy Cross then buy it and let your inner child come out to play.