In the meantime...the fireplace

To kill time waiting for gardening season (woohoo!) I'm knocking out other projects inside the house. I finally initiated some movement on the fireplace finishout (I don't know what to call it??)

You might recall from an earlier post that I wanted to do something like fretwork in the center area:

I screwed up the courage to get a piece of 1/4" oak, cut to size, and then use my Buck Bros miter box/Back saw to start the design. That was a fantastic purchase: inexpensive (maybe $12?) and gets the job done. It wouldn't work with thicker or denser pieces of wood, but that's not what I needed it for: hooray for the right tool for the right job!

I'm feeling pretty good so far:

Why yes, I AM sawing those pieces inside the house, right on the carpet. After 2+ weeks of working on cabinet doors in that freezing garage, I'm done being uncomfortable. I'm a grownup (mostly), and I can do what I want!

Today I'm going to glue the pieces on using wood glue, caulk it in gaps and on the edges, then prime it with the leftover Primer spray cans.

I'll try to tackle mounting it to the wall next weekend, maybe? That intimidates me because:

1. The wall is textured, which may make it harder for the Liquid Nails to adhere, and I don't want to sand in the house.
2. The wall covering a brick fireplace, and if I use nails to hold it until the Liquid Nails dries, I don't know how long a nail is too long? 1"? 3/4"? I'm envisioning nails sticking out of the wall like Pinhead from Hellraiser. *shudder*