Project: Floating Shelves

Sometimes, you just look around the room and say "This room is missing..... something."

I had done that for a while in my living room.  So I put a picture on the wall.  That wasn't it.

Then I got lamps.  That helped, but still wasn't 'It.'

One day, when I was trying to sleep, it dawned on me:  I didn't have any shelves.  I didn't have any place to set 'things.'  I didn't have a place for a sense of ME.  My walls were also practically bare.  Painted, but bare.

I don't care of bookcases, but I knew I wanted shelving.  Built-ins were out of the question as they can be somewhat expensive and require more handy work than is all of my family, combined.

As with a lot of my ideas, I started with research.  I figured out what I wanted first and then researched the options available.  It happens that my beloved Ikea has floating shelves.  I liked the options at Pottery Barn, but let's be honest:  Do I seem like the person to buy the Pottery Barn option over the Ikea option?  That would be a no (under most circumstances).

To see if my plan would really work out, I resorted to making a life-size representation.  I seem to do that a lot, right?  It works.

Mini-Project: Serving Tray

I was cleaning up my ottoman a week ago and as I was cleaning the tray on it, I had a moment of genius.  This cheap tray, which I've had for 3+ years, could get a new lease on life!  First of all, it just doesn't match anything.

I got this lovely tray at Ikea for about $8 because I got tired of not having a place to set my drink.  Now, it's time to bring it into the style of the rest of my home.  I have dark wood all over.  Luckily, my brilliant idea was that I already had the gel stain (leftover from my oak vanity makeover) to transform it!