The Fast and the Furiless

 The day I hung the shelves and hooks in my room, I envisioned order.

Scarves, belts and purses were going to hang in harmony.

The truth of the matter was more like...

 THIS.

 The jumble became astounding.

 Instead of the easy system I'd envisioned, I had layers of accessories that frequently

avalanched to the floor while I was trying to get ready.

 That lead to more work, not less. Time was being wasted, not saved.

 Not. Cool.

 One quick fix coming up!

A ladder provides vertical storage.

This wants to be a ladder when it grows up.

It's actually the back of a curbside daybed.

Always try to look at possibilities, not the piece itself.

IKEA sells S hooks for a couple dollars a package.

 Put the two together and...

 ...I can find my stuff now!

 Every bag is now in plain sight right at my fingertips so I can waltz out coordinated in minutes.

 I have a few other horrors to untangle in my room.

When it looks like this, I'll stop.

Dream bedroom by IKEA at my local showroom.

Gotta love inspiration rooms you can actually load into the car.

Eat Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal.

We eat it with brown sugar.

 I bake muffins with it.

I bake cookies with it.

I bake nut breads with it.

I store parasols with it.

Excuse me?!?!

 These little sturdy, easy to seal containers make excellent storage

 for drinking straws, cocktail parasols, little plastic monkeys that hang

off the rim of your glass, and plastic silverware.

All you need is a little imagination to whip up attractive storage practically for free.

First, root through your bin of Crap Mom Can Make Stuff Out Of

and get out all of the snap lid canisters, like peanut tins, coffee cans,

cocoa containers, and of course, those nice tall oatmeal boxes.

 Take the paper labels off and haul them outside.

 Yes, yes, I know; I'm cheating on Rustoleum.

Do YOU see a sponsorship on the sidebar???

 Didn't think so...

 Feel free to paint these to match any room in your house and stash those cotton balls,

 hide those dinosaurs, make those broken crayons disappear.

Heck, stuff a cat in one and shake well.

Oh, come on, Feline Overlords don't fit in oatmeal cans.

Why do I know?

 Um................no reason.

 Three light coats generally does it.

Allow this to dry thoroughly.

Get yourself a little blue painter's tape.

Next, tape off the can, leaving an area about 4"x7" exposed.

 Smooth the edges around the rectangle so there won't be any bleeding.

 Let's head back outside...

 We'll need a little of this Krylon Chalkboard Paint.

Forgive the gnarly can; I've had this a while.

 Spray the exposed areas of the canisters with 2 or 3 coats and allow to dry.

 Here's a close up of the incredibly complex and labor intensive project.

Someone mop my brow please.

Once this is dry, gently peel off the tape

and grab the chalk.

 Well now!

How's this for loud and clear?

No more wondering where all that convenient disposable party ware

(that I wash)

is kept in case of emergency soiree!

 Not bad for trash and leftover paints, eh?

 Even if you need new paint, you can do several of these 

with just two cans, so this is a very economical solution

to stray odds and ends, bathroom backups or tiny toys.

 Now pop the lid on...

...and my goodies are clean and handy.

Do you have a box set aside for recycling that you KEEP yet?

Start one.

It's amazing how stylish garbage can be.

And the less landfill fodder and retail consumption,

the better.

Dragonfly Resuscitation

You find a fabulous piece, and you love it.

 Then, it ends up somewhere unsavory. 

You're redoing an area, and think, right, THAT piece would be perfect!

Where did I put that?

 Oh, dear God.

It's a long way from perfect, but that doesn't mean you should give up.

 We started by taking the whole hot mess apart.

Clean that baby up and nab your Rustoleum Gloss Key Lime to add

a little zip back into this coffee table recipe.

Three coats should do it, then some protective gloss sealer.

I have an apology owed to this once cool piece.

 We also have some repair work to do.

Notice the weird look of the shelf in the bottom left.

 Okay, let's drag it inside now.

I mean, it's raining out there!

Why do I keep going on about what a pretty piece this pile of weathered wood is?

 THIS is why.

My old patio coffee table has dragonfly side panels in bronze.

It was compact and served nicely in the Florida room

and then outdoors where it was intended.

Now do you understand why I wanted to save it?

Retrace the steps you took in dissembling it.

This little matter?
Simple.

 Drill pilot holes from the outer edge.

 Run a bead of Gorilla Wood Glue where the pieces will be joined,
butt the wood together,
then drive long screws into the board, making sure they will
fit at least 1/2 inch into the shelf for stability.

 Look proud.
Your mom can still teach you stuff.
This was almost as good as learning to tie your own shoes.

Finish the assembly.

 Now it's as good as new.

My dragonflies are back to their deserved glory.
Sometimes, even if it appears hopeless,
it's worth a shot.