Thanks to Mom and Martha

Thanks, Mom, for always emailing me Martha Stewart's handy ideas. I always read them, but the photos usually make me want to re-paint, buy new furniture, and spend days sorting through every shop in Richmond to uncover cute finds. Then I remind myself that I don't have enough rooms (scratch that, houses) to use all the paint colors that I like in magazines, and that I don't have enough time or money - mostly money - to completely redecorate. But anyway, as of tonight, one such idea has found its way into our living room, thanks to mom for sending and Andrew for dedicating part of his weekend to the project.

Enter Crisscross Rack tutorial. With the instructions in-hand, Andrew went off to Home Depot to buy the necessary materials - lattice strips, ivory spray paint, Shaker-style wooden pegs, and clamps. We already had the only other necessary item - wood glue. So all-told, this project cost us about $30, most of which was spent on the clamps, which Andrew is excited to have in his toolbox for future use. Weird, the things that bring a smile to that boy's face.Anyway, after bringing home his materials and me fretting for a minute that the rack was going to be too big (giggle), Andrew got to work. Most of his time was spent shopping and then laying out the strips in their crisscross pattern. Then the gluing and spray painting part was quick and easy.

Here is the entry area of our living room after Andrew hung the finished product and we threw a few knick knacks up there.My only real contribution to this project is writing this post and purchasing a mirror - hopefully soon. I'm currently on the hunt for a smallish circle/oval mirror to hang up on there - I think it really needs a mirror. Other than that, the items up there will rotate with the seasons/our moods. Handy for keys and various knick knacks, and for adding some interest to what was previously a big blank wall that desperately wanted to be blank no longer.

Oh, and our living room recently got another upgrade in the opposite corner. We found this darling injured lamp when we were down in Florida for Thanksgiving. It has a crack down the back so the shop owners were offering it at a big discount and my no-nonsense mother talked them down even further to $25. Love it, especially since the crack is not at all visible from the front!