I can’t ever just leave things alone
August 31st, 2010Sometime shortly after we moved home last November I started noticing that Hazel played with her toys more if they were organized. I couldn’t just keep everything jumbled in a couple of open bins – she would ignore them unless all the blocks were together, yada yada (surely this is surprising no one – she is my child in SOME ways.) I started scouring goodwill and other places for some low shelves that were deep enough to work well for toys and found nothing. I suppose I could have built something but I would have just gotten very angry in the process, which was not a good thing to do during Shining Time up on this mountain. So after christmas when things were way on sale, I bought a set of these shelves in white and some fabric bins for them on the cheap.
I don’t even know how long I stood in target looking at them and feeling disgusted with what I was about to do, both because I was buying something I knew I could probably EVENTUALLY find used or make with some effort, AND they were boring. But whatever – I bought them.
And then I bought some spraypaint. And scrapbooking paper. And these wee adorable frames from the dollar bins and Michael’s. And ribbon. And I spent way too long obsessing over all of it. And I went home joyful about my big box-store purchases.
A week later we had an astounding thaw, and so one night after dark I put the garage door up, assembled the shelves, and started spraypainting them right at the edge of the rain pouring from the sky. The light was pitiful down there, and I didn’t even think about it, I just went to town with my petrol blue destashed from Erin, and had another new can waiting on deck. After about ten minutes of bliss I realized that some of the paint was beading up. I almost lost my mind. I left the whole thing in the garage and didn’t touch it again until… two days ago.
In the meantime I picked up a can of plastic primer for the cheap plastic-ey veneer – totally ingenious – and sanded off all of the bad paint. (Dear mouse sander, I love you forever.) Second paint attempt went on like a dream, I wrapped some ribbon around the bins, drew some labels and covered them in contact paper, then popped the (painted-to-match) mini frames on top. After the spraypaint was dry I cut the scrapbooking paper to fit the four cube openings that had backs, and after Hazel went to bed… I organized. Organizing might be more fun than spray painting. I just don’t know.
Either way – Hazel’s boring target toy shelves are no longer boring. And I only had one fit of anger.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:52 am
love it. this is what i’ve been wanting to do with our white shelves for oh, 5 years. where’d you get the primer?
September 1st, 2010 at 8:13 am
oh, btw, in the same sitting when i read up on the rear facing car seat stuff, i also read an article about how painting your walls or furniture, including spray painting, is one of the number one things you should avoid while pregnant. boo. boo. boo. so i’m going to live vicariously through your beautifully painted furniture until baby 3 is born :)
September 1st, 2010 at 9:43 am
It’s from Crafts 2000 – I thought it was Krylon but I can’t find it on their website. I’ll have to check the label when I go to the garage.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Note to Mikey: where did you ever find this incredible girl? :)
September 1st, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Love it!!!!!!!
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:07 am
Found a set of these shelves for ten bucks at goodwill yesterday……. *sigh* :)
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:07 am
They are really beautiful! Your creativity is always inspiring me Em.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
The epitome of cute!
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:55 pm
It looks AWESOME. Come over and do some for me:)
October 5th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I wish you were my mother…
such a pretty play space…