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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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May 17, 2011

A Frugal DIY shelf, A Featured Blogger and…A winner!

Whew!  It’s  been a busy week around the picket fence!  We hosted a virtual baby shower, we survived the “The Great Blogger Freeze of 2011” (thanks Leslie at Goodbye House Hello Home for giving an appropriate name to that fiasco) and we managed to still get Inspiration Friday up! What a week! grin.  While in the midst of all of this chaos and upheavel, I was able to FINALLY convince Bama Boy and Will “The Tool Man” Taylor (best neighbor on the face of the earth) to install my new shelf.  New shelf you ask?  You did ask yourself that right? YEP!  My frugal DIY shelf for above my beautiful new buffet!  Here is what my buffet area looked like right after we removed the planning desk and installed beadboard to this area.

I just LOVE it.  But, it was looking kind of bland. (even though the stuffed horse hanging over my stair railing does give it that extra special something…don’t you think?) I wasn’t exactly sure how I wanted to “style” it.  I knew I wanted lamps and I wanted a way to display a few more of my “special” pieces.  I decided that this space needed a shelf.  But not any old shelf…a special shelf.  One that would span the length of the buffet.  On the other hand I did NOT want to spend a fortune.  Um…hello!  Have you priced nice shelving?? Even the little shelves are expensive.  Let alone a 65 inch one!  Hundreds of dollars people!  Well we couldn’t have that…so I decided to build my own!  It was so easy…how easy was it?  I will show you.
 I purchased a long board from Lowe’s.  I wanted something with a nice paintable surface. It was 7 feet long X 7 1/2 inches wide X 1 inch thick,  so we did have to cut it down to size.  I also purchased 4 decorative wood brackets.  Why four?  Well, I wanted them to look substantial since the shelf was so long.  It was a good decision as you shall see!  In addition to the board and the brackets, I purchased 8 feet of decorative wood trim that was an 1 1/2 wide.  But that’s wider than the board..yes, yes it is and you will see why!
First we cut the board to the length we wanted, 65 inches which is the length of the buffet and gave it a light sanding to remove any rough places.  They we painted one coat of primer onto the board, the trim and the corbels.  Once that had dried we measured and cut the trim.  One long piece and two side pieces, mitering the corners.  Mitering trim that is upright and not laying flat (like picture frame trim) is a little tricky to miter.  You must hold it upright and not lay it flat, to get the right cut. There are many tutorials online if you are unsure. Once you get your corners mitered, you need to attach your molding to the front edge and sides of your board using wood glue and masking or painters tape to hold it in place.
Now, if you will notice the molding has added a lip to the top of the shelf.  Yep, that’s on purpose.  First, it adds substance to the shelf.  When looking at the shelf from the bottom or sides it looks quite a bit thicker than it really is, which makes it look more expensive.  Second, by adding the lip to the top of the shelf it works to protect the items I place on the shelf from being knocked off or sliding off.  This is really nice if your shelf is on a wall with a door that might be slammed or if you have kids..or husbands..who might accidentally bump the shelf.  
Here you can see the molding attached along the entire length and width of the shelf.
A closer look at the lip along the shelf
Now don’t let any gaps bother you.  That is where caulk comes in.  I went along the the edges and caulked in any gaps I noticed before I began to paint the entire shelf.
Here you can see that I worked on painting the shelf in between working on my cabinet doors…I think I just broke into hives seeing those again.  I am so glad to have that month long project done. really glad. I painted two coats of paint onto the shelf and the brackets.  Making sure that the bottom of the shelf looked really nice since that is what you will see when the shelf is installed.  Fast forward 6 weeks..as my shelf sat in a corner waiting for someone big and strong (make that two someones big and strong) to hang it since shorty me couldn’t reach up high enough to hang it herself.  So for my birthday my two favorite guys hung my shelf for me…

I am so HAPPY with my new shelf and my buffet now!  I am glad I chose to use double brackets on the shelf.

My sweet mom-in-law purchased my beautiful nickel drum shade lamps for me.  I then saw this great tutorial from one of our Inspiration Friday links on painting faux fruit white and so gathered up all of my ugly plastic pieces of fruit and painted them white to place in the largest apothecary jar.  The one that covers the ugly outlet behind the buffet.  I searched and searched for who shared it and couldn’t find it…so if was you please let me know so I can link to your post and give you credit. 🙂

I also added some antique family silver pieces to the vinette.  On the shelf I placed all of my favorite toile pieces.

The platter was given to be by my Mom.  The red and white one was Bama Boy’s paternal grandmother’s and the beautiful tureen was given to me by my mom-in-law.  She purchased it from Shakespeare’s birthplace many years ago when they were stationed overseas.  It is so special to me!  

Finally I stole the mirror from our master bath water closet (which did not disappoint Bama Boy one bit who always had an issue with a mirror over the toilet…I’ll let you process that one on your own…grin) and painted it white, brushing off some of the paint as I went to make it look worn and to bring some of the nickel color through the paint.
I am so happy with the final result and for the progress I am finally feeling with my kitchen remodel! I am still working on several projects that I will share with you…and I will give a final reveal soon…I promise!  This week we will be installing new counters and a new sink, putting us another step closer to being finished!  Here’s one more photo of this finished project to remind you just how far this little corner of my kitchen has come

Total Cost of Shelf: $40
Shelf Board: $8
Brackets (4): $24
Molding: $8
Paint: already had for cabinets

Up next I want to take a moment to announce the winner of the T.J.Maxx $25 gift card that we donated for the Tuscaloosa Blogger Baby Shower!  A name was drawn at random from everyone who made a purchase of items through Amazon.  And the winner is…
Lori Jackson
she generously purchased three boxes of diapers and onesies!  
We will contact you to mail you your gift card!  Thank you so much for your donation! Thank you to all of you for so generously giving!
And last but certainly not least…Our

  is one of our newer friends here At The Picket Fence…the fabulous Debbie


from

She not only has fantastic projects that she shares at reFresh reStyle, she takes the most beautiful pictures of them!

We want to invite you to pay Debbie a visit at her gorgeous blog!  She is creative, talented and super duper nice!  Thank you Debbie for always being so sweet to the gals at the picket fence!  We our proud to have you as our Featured Blogger!
And to you our friends…thank you as always for meeting me at the fence!

 P.S. No, you are not seeing things.  The Fence got a face lift..hope ya like it!

This post is partying at the following fabulous places:

Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
DIY Showoff: Project Parade
The Stories of A to Z: Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Us and Them: Party with Us and Them
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
DIY by Design: Swing Into Spring
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays
Element Interiors: Whassup Wednesday
Goodbye City, Hello Suburbs: Workshop Wednesday
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party
Green Door Designs & SAS Interiors: Saturday Spotlight

37 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Featured Blogger, Good Ideas, Kitchen Remodel

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Comments

  1. alison says

    May 16, 2011 at 12:34 PM

    the shelf looks amazing…can’t believe how little it cost! and your platters are so pretty reposing on it…and yes, i thought i spied a little graphic face lift…love the new look!

    Reply
  2. Judy says

    May 16, 2011 at 12:59 PM

    The shelf really makes the space. I can’t get over what a difference it makes. Love the new look of the blog. Glad to hear that the blogger issue was not only with me.

    Reply
  3. Debbie--https://refreshrestyle.com/ says

    May 16, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Love the shelf and your new graphics! Especially love the featured blogger!! Thanks again, I really appreciate you ladies!!
    Debbie

    Reply
  4. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    May 16, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    Hi Heather, I absolutely LOVE the way your new shelf looks over the buffet!! Love all the pretty pieces you displayed on it too, that whole area looks beautiful! Just popped over to visit Debbie’s wonderful blog and became her newest follower. Have a great week, Martina

    Reply
  5. Bonnie@Creative Decorating says

    May 16, 2011 at 1:24 PM

    That nook turned out just gorgeous! The before and after is amazing. Love the shelf and all the details. It sure has more character than the before shot!

    Reply
  6. Rene says

    May 16, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    What a beautiful transformation! Great job with your shelf and I love your sideboard.

    Reply
  7. NanaDiana says

    May 16, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    Heather- It looks absolutely beautiful…although I kinda miss the horse on the post!;>) It really fills the area in nicely and gives it a finished look! LOVE IT! Hugs-Diana

    Reply
  8. Michell @ Girl In Air says

    May 16, 2011 at 3:56 PM

    What a difference!! I absolutely LOVE IT!!

    Lovin the new blog look too:-)

    Reply
  9. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    May 16, 2011 at 4:08 PM

    Your entire area is fantastic. Love the beadboard and the buffet and shelf are fabulous. Beautiful accessories also. Simply stunning and perfect. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  10. Debbie says

    May 16, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    The entire area is just fabulous, Heather! I thought it looked great with step 1, and the addition of the shelf is perfect.

    Reply
  11. laura@imnotatrophywife.com says

    May 16, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    Love the shelf and I love the double corbels. I’m getting ready to do a shelf too and the double corbels make a huge difference.
    laura@imnotatrophywife.com

    Reply
  12. michelle says

    May 16, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    Your shelves are beautiful and your new area looks gorgeous Heather! I love the lamps like that and your plates and servers are beautiful.
    Congrats to the winner!

    Reply
  13. Sarah @ Modern Country Style says

    May 16, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    Hi Heather,

    Well, look at you go, missy! This whole space looks completely gorgeous. Lovely, lovely, lovely. And on so few pennies? I can hardly believe it.

    Sarahx

    Reply
  14. Shelia says

    May 16, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    The shelf is awesome and what a wonderful look it adds to this area. I love the olden buffet too.
    Thanks for popping in to see me.
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  15. CAS says

    May 17, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    The shelf is perfect against the beadboard. And you added all the right decor touches. Great job!

    Reply
  16. jessica@www.hillcountryhomebody.blogspot.com says

    May 17, 2011 at 1:50 AM

    Wow what a difference! It is amazing how a few somewhat simple changes can make a home look and feel so much more luxurious! Great job!

    Reply
  17. Becca says

    May 17, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    Wow, wow, wow … amazing job with the new shelf. Love all of your pretties displayed … an incredible before and after !! Thanks for sharing !!

    Reply
  18. Vicki says

    May 17, 2011 at 11:26 AM

    Wow! This area turned out really nice. I remember the post when you moved the furniture there. Beautiful shelve and decor.

    Reply
  19. Susan says

    May 17, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    The shelf looks great! I love your green soup tureen! That is gorgeous!

    Reply
  20. Val says

    May 17, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    The shelf looks truly amazing!! The before and after pics are incredible. Now, let’s talk about the new blog design…..be still my heart. I LOVE IT!!! You both are doing such an awesome job with this blog. Happy Tuesday!!!!

    Reply
  21. Chris says

    May 17, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    I LOVE this shelf! So simple but elegant. Thanks for sharing this at my party! Chris
    https://usandthem1971.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  22. Kadie says

    May 17, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    The entire corner looks wonderful!! Your self turned out so nice! Great job. I LOVE your platters. How nice that you have somewhere to show them off.

    Kadie @ Seven Alive

    Reply
  23. Christie says

    May 17, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    It looks AMAZING!!! That piece of furniture is gorgeous and the shelf above adds the perfect balance! Lovin’ the toile pieces and particularly because they have such great history…what treasures! I am most fond of the stuffed horse hanging delicately over the banister!! (A favorite because that is my house ALL the time!!(:) Heather, it looks so lovely!! I have been so lost after blogger blackout! Can’t seem to catch up! I am trying to add all the buttons to my sidebar for the parties! I will add this new one! Your new design looks great, too! Hello to Vanessa, too!!

    Reply
  24. Ange says

    May 17, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    Wow! What a great transformation! I really like the double brackets and the platters look great too!
    Great job!

    Reply
  25. Trisha @ The Sweet Survival says

    May 18, 2011 at 12:29 AM

    Wow that shelf is amazing! The double brackets make the shelf. LOVE.

    Reply
  26. Kristi says

    May 18, 2011 at 1:04 AM

    Loving those double brackets!! Turned out wonderful! Loving your new site’s look, too!! ; )

    {HUGS},
    kristi

    Reply
  27. Karen @ Goodbyecityhellosuburb says

    May 18, 2011 at 4:35 AM

    I am making shelves for my sons room, I just need to finish painting them and I hope my husband will hang them right away! I’d love it if you share this @ Workshop Wednesday! It would make a great addition to the party!

    Reply
  28. Kathy says

    May 18, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    I am your newest follower, I keep getting amazed at each post…I’m loving it here new *friend*

    Reply
  29. Pamela says

    May 18, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Heather that turned out fabulous girl!! Now can ya come to my house and hang one for me!:)

    Reply
  30. Ivy@Let's Get Domestic says

    May 19, 2011 at 2:02 AM

    I just LOVE the new shelf. I’m looking for something similar for my kitchen and this seems just the ticket. Great inspiration, Thank you!
    Ivy
    PS. Blog looks great!

    Reply
  31. Stephanie ~ Angelic Accents says

    May 19, 2011 at 4:11 AM

    Such a gorgeous new shelf that has such a vintage feel to it! GReat job accessorizing it, too. Love how the pieces have such special meaning to you. Such a huge transformation into a unique area. Also love the bull’s eye moldings in that part of the room!

    Big TX Hugs,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

    Reply
  32. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    May 19, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    That is fabulous, Heather! I love it! I have some pieces of wood with decorative trim already on them from an deconstructed project that I want to use as cafe shelves. Since we are on the market I’m holding off until we downsize. Love your transferware pieces, too.

    Reply
  33. Cindy says

    May 19, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    What an amzing transformation…just beautiful!

    Reply
  34. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    May 21, 2011 at 2:22 AM

    Hi Heather! I have priced long shelves and they are so expensive! Yours turned out wonderful and I love the lamps and buffet. Thank you for sharing this at my party.
    xo,
    Sherry

    Reply
  35. Traci says

    May 31, 2011 at 3:37 PM

    Hey Heather! The shelf turned out fabulous!!! I love the double brackets & I wouldn’t have thought of that. The big substantial corbels are so expensive. I know I’m late in commenting but I’m still catching up on all the posts I missed when I was on vacation. Is that a sign that I follow too many blogs??

    Reply
  36. Astonishing says

    June 2, 2011 at 2:25 AM

    You did a great job, love it. I need some brackets like that

    Reply
  37. Amy @ www.RockPaperScissorsInvitations.com says

    June 16, 2011 at 5:29 PM

    Such cool ideas. We are looking for a new home, and it’s gonna be a “fixer” for sure. Great ideas on some personalized projects for each space!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
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It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
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If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
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