To answer the question about how I got the wood ( I call them cedar slabs), There is a man near Austin, Tx that runs a portable sawmill. These are his scraps. I haul them off by the trailer load, and he is happy to see them go. It works out great for both of us.
Here are some more pictures of my cedar projects around our property.
As you can see, the rustic cedar look has a prominent theme at our place.