So, I can't put stuff in the corner that I need to use every single day. But, it's the perfect space for a set of shelves to display cool stuff, cute stuff and some really neat vintage items.
I suckered the Hubby into coming in one day and putting up a bunch of cheap shelves from Lowe's. Just the basic brackets and shelving board. Luckily, standard size fit, so we didn't even have to trim the boards. The worst part was, of course, having to drill thru that concrete. It was exhausting to watch him work so hard!
This is the day of the install. I was testing out a few items.
Now, I have to give a shout out to the Husband for not only being a rock star and coming in on his day off to drill holes in killer concrete, but for landing me some of the coolest items in my office: vintage medical items. Old pharmaceutical bottles and such. He found these in a resale shop in California years ago, and they've been hiding out just waiting for the perfect place!
Now, the books you'll see on the 2nd shelft? Linda Russo Milano found these for me, and I lugged them back from California in a suitcase. These were the cutest ones as far as colors, but I have even more at home. They're the Cherry Ames: Nurse books. She was sort of the nurse version of Nancy Drew. She was cool, and was supposed to get younger girls interested in becoming nurses. Copyrights are 1950-1953, on the ones I have. Such a cool find and totally worth the shoulder strain getting them home. The groovy bookends are a gift from my godmother when I was a child. They're little scotty dogs and they have Lexington KY burned into the wood on the front. Mom says they were a touristy item in the 50's, sort of like snowglobes are now. I love being able to display things that are not only cool, but remind me of some truly awesome people.
What else is on there?
- My ETSU monkey (shout out to my fellow Bucaneer grads, BSN from there in 1996)
- a steampunk looking light that is also a scent tart warmer thing (BHG at Walmart)
- a giant gold E that has been in every office I've ever had
- a gold piggy bank from Chinatown in NYC that houses our emergency change for when we forget to buy drinks and have to hit the vending machines
- The nurse barbie mug (everyone thinks she's Lucy, but it's Barbie) Mom and Dad got me for graduating nursing school
- a reproduction nurses head vase I found ages ago at a flea market
- a vase of flower pens my friend Bridgette made me (yes, those are pens. So freakin' cool)
- a Gene Simmons Hello Kitty my partner in crime, Amy Stewart, got me
- Various and asundry kitschy bits
- Picture of some of us Medical Peeps at our former Medical Officer's Retirement Party
But, Emily... there's a gap by the steampunk light. And, where's the 3rd shelf? Yeah, that's where the plea comes in. I cannot figure out what else to put up there. I'm going "shopping" in our storage room at the house this weekend. If I can't come out with some groovy stuff, I'm gonna be begging for suggestions. I've just had bad luck finding stuff that fits. Bought an ADORABLE pink LED tree (shut up, I think it's adorable, it's my blog, so it's adorable) to go on the top shelf. Too tall. So, scratch that. It lives under my groovy painting for now. I'm just striking out like crazy. But, before you think I can't get anything right... let me show you what is under the shelves! I made a groovy coffee center (and my stupid printer sits there, it won't fit anywhere. Ignore it. I do).
Start with a plain, cheap, wooden serving tray.
Paint it with cheap, acrylic craft paint from Michaels. Notice it's much darker than you originally planned, but decide you like it. Yell "running design change!" and keep working.
Using your favorite toy in the entire world, your Silhouette Cameo, cut out an insanely intricate Moroccan pattern for the bottom and a different, even more intricate one for the sides. Do it in gold, since it looks great with the pink and is 100 time easier to stretch and tear than regular vinyl. Spend HOURS with a little dental-pick-lookin' tool ripping out the centers of the grate pattern, and all those itty-bitty dots in the other one. It'll be fun. trust me. Then, perfectly center the grate stuff on the bottom and try to get it to stick without a singe bubble. Repeat on sides, but also have to cut the pattern in places to get it to fit juuuuust right. There'll still be a small gap. No one but me will ever notice it. Except you, because I just pointed it out.
It'll be fun. Promise.
Then, load it up with coffee junk, put it beside the almighty K-cup maker (all hail the caffeine! All hail!) and enjoy the adorable results.
The visible cords are driving me insane. I'm probably going to get some chandelier cord covers and cover them up, but for now, I've relocated the flower pens and they're trying admirably to hide the cords. As a side note, you know you're OCD when you had to restock the K-cups so they'd be pretty for the picture.
Before you wonder why I did not post the cabinets under the coffee area, that's another post. My favorite (and probably cheapest) part of this project is the cabinet doors. I'll share that tomorrow. Because, I am now craving salted caramel hot cocoa.
Specs:
Cutting machine is a Silhouette Cameo
The pattern on the bottom of the tray is a pattern from Silhouette called Moroccan Background
The pattern on the edge of the tray is called Bohemian Style Border
The vinyl is from an eBay seller I always use: Marilyn 1957. She always has a deal that if you buy more than 3 sheets of craft vinyl, she'll double your order, no limit. This color is Gold in glossy finish.
Costs for this section of the re-do:
Shelves at Lowe's: $18
Brackets at Lowe's: $18
Tray: $10
Paint $1 for 2 bottles, and I only used 1
I already had everything else, including the vinyl, so this was a cheapie!
Total: $47
Tomorrow (or Monday, depending on how the weekend goes) I'll show you my AWESOME cabinets. They're my favorite part!!!
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