The last time this window had any sort of dressing up top was probably when rumblings about Y2K had people bracing for the end of the world or at least it seems that long ago. And that last covering consisted of three cloth napkins folded in triangles and hanging as a make-shift valance. It passed as window dressing in an "if that's the best you can do" way, because getting by and getting everyone where they needed to be was about all I could handle at the time. However, I have always longed for something a little more quirky, interesting and cool.
I didn't want ordinary. I also didn't want fabric hanging down and blocking even one iota of the little bit of light I get in my tiny kitchen. So I did what I am known to do until I know for sure. I did nothing for a very long time, until yesterday that is. That's when I gathered up my new brackets (Thanks Cally!), a level and the piece of wood that I scavenged two weeks ago from a trash pile. You see, I had finally come up with an idea. Technically I came up with the idea about two years ago, but these things take time, people. What's the rush?!
My daughter Cally, gave me the brackets for Easter (What? You think I'd pay $18 a piece for brackets? Ha! No way! I'd been searching for them for cheap or free. Then when I finally found a piece of wood, I knew the plan was coming together. All that was left to do was to conjure up was the will to take on E.B. You see, E.B. and I don't get along all that well.
For the record, I didn't name him, or emblazon his name on his chest, I bought him that way for $5 from a sale at a storage bay about a year ago.
So I plundered the junk drawer in search of the right nails, but woe is me, there were none to be found. I found an odd assortment of semi-similar straggler screws, but wasn't sure these were right for plaster or that I had anchors for them. Here I was so close to actually having a window topper, with E.B. and all the mess of the world out on the counters and the stove, and somehow I had to make what I had work , I was not leaving the house to buy ANYTHING. Uh, uh. No way.
It took over an hour and a half to get to this point and there may or may not have been a lot of fuming at no one in particular and at all inanimate objects in general and many, many threats about never drilling again spoken with an uncivil tone.
I also got a great thigh work out by stepping up and down from the chair to get things I forgot on the other side of the room
So the brackets are up and fairly sturdy after all the hassle and trial (does one wonder why I procrastinate when it takes so much trouble to put up a couple of brackets?) At one point, E.B. finally kicked it in gear and managed to help me get those screws in good and tight despite the concrete.
So I whooped it up and clapped my hands and shouted for joy and gave E.B. his kudos.
The wood ended up getting bowed, so I went out to straighten it out and actually cracked it, which was perfect! It was already uneven on the other end and I wanted both ends to have a natural feel, and I happened to crack and break it in exactly the right place to get the length where it needed to be! Woo hoo! Good thing that happened, because I don't have a circular saw and didn't know how I was going to cut that thing.
I hung the 25 cent ball jars I found at a garage sale last month with tealights in them. The jar hanging here is up for debate. Is it awkward or cool? Such things can have a foot in both worlds. I kinda like them, especially when it's dark out and the candles are lit. They lend an air of an outdoor patio to the kitchen, so they'll probably stay. I can use them to hold flowers as well.
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And look...that chalkboard is made from one of the cabinet doors I found at The Thrice Picked Pile a few weeks or so back.
The wood I made the shelf out of is still bowed, but I will likely just flip it once in a while so it has a chance to straighten out.
Shooting into a sunny window and trying to get good exposure on the rest of the shot is not my forte.
Even better, E.B. and I ended up having a meeting of the minds and have decided to let bygones be bygones. We are gonna try and step out together in project world more often. Who knows, we may end up becoming quite the pair.
I'll be at these link parties:
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Swing Into Spring @ DIY by Design
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Share it @ Winthrop Chronicles
Tips and Tricks @ Stringtown Home
Metamorphasis Monday @ Between naps on the Porch
Cowgirl Up @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Tuesday Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Show us What You Got Tuesday @ Our Delightful Home
Manic Mondays @Serendipity & Spice
Mop it up Mondays @ I Should Be Mopping The Floor
Cure for the Common Monday @ Lines Across
The Sunday Stop @Joy 2 Journey
Saturday Showcase @ Bowdabrablog
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Sunday Show-Off @ Twigg Studios
Nifty Thrify Things @ Nifty Thrifty Things
Fab Friday Party @ Doodles and Stitches
