In which I announce a winner winner chicken dinner.

This weekend has been sooo productive! I've been trying my rusty DIY skills at some things ... including sanding and painting a chair - which I will have to share with you ... tomorrow? I need your advice on it anyway.

I've been wanting to try doing book book shelves for a year! Ever since I saw this:

So, with the Huz at Scout Camp, I ventured into the Do-it-Yourself world of spray paint and drills.
I picked up corner braces at Wally World for under two bucks. These ended up being perfect for the size of books I was using. If you're using larger books, get larger braces.

I actually, successfully, made one shelf when I decided I wanted to paint the metal white to kind of blend in with the white walls that are throughout our entire apartment. So, I removed the shelving. What you need to also be aware of is that our apartment managers are the spawn of Nazis. Well, maybe not, and I'm not meaning to be offensive. But, they're old - like 70s old - they've been living and managing at these apartments for over 20 years and they have a bazillion rules they've made up and hold tenants to to the T. It's rather exhausting, really. So I don't even dare try and spray paint outside, because, oh yeah, they live directly across from us. They're living room window stares at our living room window, and for a while there I was absolutely convinced WE were their weeknight primetime TV viewing. Anyway, I digress ... I also didn't want to walk across the busy three lane street to a gravel pit to have to spray paint. I decided to just use our spare room! 

If you attempt in home spray painting, be sure to lay down plenty of newspaper. Also, open up the window as far as possible and set up a fan on the opposite end of the open window to direct fumes and paint THAT direction. 

 My personal set up. 

It only took one coat of this stuff to make the braces less metalish. 

I used a drill head like this to make the holes in the wall. Then simply screwed in screws in the two braces on bottom and on on top. Think of it as a brace sandwhich.

Then you just slide the book in between the top and bottom braces! Here's my finished product. 

(Just tilt your head to the left about 90 degrees!)

And then my hunk came home and we enjoyed the rest of our weekend together. Including a little open house for Eric's sister Elizabeth and our new brother-in-law Stan. Deemed, Stanibeth. 

Okay okay, and NOW for the WINNER! 

Karen Kevan

Thank you to all the participants...I so appreciate the support! 

And keep coming back because I've already got more goodies in the works and I love having a place to show you my fun, finds and DIY stuff!