Using a hutch for a bookcase

Good morning everyone !

I had a brainstorm this weekend ( much to John's horror )

We had a designated place in the last 2 houses for these Ikea bookshelves - ( God - I miss that house - at this point I think I always will - it's the one that " got away " - or that I threw away - ok enough whining  )

unfortunately we don't have such a space here - they had to be placed behind a chair in the teeny tiny living room ( and they looked awful in brown so I white washed them )

And they worked for the past year

but after many years ( 10 ) of holding very heavy hard cover
( mostly ) books - the shelves were beginning to sag which drives me insane - book shelves should always be perfectly straight, don't you think?  Or is that another part of my neurosis?

anyway - we have a hutch that was sitting in the dining room that's not yet a dining room..................
and you know how it is..................repurposing items is NOT John's forte - so I had to make a lot of promises ( of which I have no intention of keeping )

1)  I will not disturb him through any of the fast approaching hockey playoffs.
2)  I will not ask him to do anything for the next 2 weekends
3)  I will not come up with any more changes for the next 2 months
4)  I will not decide that I prefer it as a hutch after all and want it back in the dining room

But we got it out of the dining room that's not yet a dining room and into the teeny tiny living room.

The beauty of this is they're behind glass ( or they will be when I put the glass inserts back in the two outer sides )
You should never renovate a house with exposed books - or you'll spend just as much time dusting the books as you are tearing down walls...............

It was a nightmare to move - a N.I.G.H.T.M.A.R.E.
The bottom piece was do-able ( just ) but that top piece?  Trying to angle it around this small place?
Shaking from my head to my feet - screaming out that I was going to drop it every 5 seconds - and eventually talking myself through it

You can do it Suzan
You can do it Suzan
You can do it Suzan

John says - CAN YOU STOP CHANTING PLEASE??????????????
Suzan says - OMG - I didn't think it was this heavy
John yells - THIS WAS YOUR HARE BRAINED IDEA !!!!
John says - MOVE !!!!!!  My hockey game is starting soon -
Suzan says - If you're going to act so negative - they'll lose
John says - Stop talking so ridiculous - and MOVE
Suzan says - I AM !!!
John says - THIS IS FOR DISHES - AND IT BELONGS IN A DINING ROOM !

But not anymore................................

John says - I'm NOT moving that thing again
Suzan says - What if I decide I want it upstairs in the office?
John says - Well don't be surprised if you're served with papers the day after...............
John says - Why is it that everything you buy is as heavy as a piece of furniture can be?
Suzan says - It keeps us in shape !
John says - No - this will kill us - GOLF will keep me in shape - thank you very much

After a year here - nothing has looked right yet - but I'm trying - I'm really really trying lol

As for that Hockey game?
They lost................
John says - You jinxed them !
( it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature John )

But the living room looks a little more " right " today

Here's how it looked in the last place

If you're new here you can look at my last house HERE - if you're into 100 year old Victorian city flats - than it's kind of a dream one...............
( and please don't bother looking around this current one yet - unless you're into 100 year old cottage fixer uppers that are kind of a nightmare  )

By the way - the unit was painted with Annie Sloan French Linen - no wax - no protection - about 4 years ago - and it's held up beautifully !
Now I have to go pick up some glass knobs - how many of you noticed it was missing them and just didn't want to say anything LOL ???

Have a wonderful day everyone ♥
Hugs,
Me

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JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH                                           SAND & SISAL
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT                                     A STROLL THRU LIFE
KATHE WITH AN E                                                                    AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
ELIZABETH & CO.                                                              FLUSTER BUSTER
DIY BY DESIGN                                                                         MY SALVAGED TREASURES
IVY & ELEPHANTS                                                            COMMON GROUND                          FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS                                  I GOTTA CREATE                   
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FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE                                              THE SHABBY ART BOUTIQUE
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DWELLINGS THE HEART OF YOUR HOME

A Friday chat ( about this & that

One of my favorite movies was on this week - My Life with Michael Keaton ( there's something wild and wacky and wonderful about that man )
Anyway at one point I say " Oh, look who's in the movie - I didn't remember her in at all "

Now you should know that when I want to point out someone I NEVER divulge names - it's a game I play
and it's a game I love almost as much as scrabble to be honest with you - because John very seldom knows who it is - and on the off chance that he does, he never gets the name right.  NEVER.

John says - Oh Yeah !
Suzan says - Bet you don't know who it is
John says - Of course I do
( these are the rules - we must always say the above sentences first )
Suzan says - What's her name ?
John says - Queen LAFITTA, he says with great pride.
Suzan says - Would she be related to Queen Latifah do  you think?
John says - Oh go boil your head.

GO. BOIL. YOUR. HEAD.

He says that a lot....................
I always thought it meant that someone should fill a pot with boiling water and stick their head in it, a very strange thing to tell someone - but better, I guess, then telling someone to Piss Off ( another very British thing to say ) John's too much of a gentleman to say THAT to me.
This week for some reason I decided to google it to see where it derived from.
Curiosity can kill a cat.
Or a relationship.
I'm horrified.

Suzan says - Don't EVER tell me to go boil my head again !
John laughs - Why?
Suzan says - Because I now know what it means - and I can't believe you've been saying that to me all these years...............
John says - It means get lost
Suzan says - Um hmmm....................it also means PISS OFF apparently
John roared.

And then I flew to my desk to write it all down because I felt you should  know about it - you know - in case any of your better halves tell you to " go boil your head "
Although ignorance is bliss sometimes - you really should know that they don't mean what it sounds like.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Another thing he says is

" do you think I came over on a banana boat? "

Which always makes me stop whatever I'm doing - immediately - and sing out  loudly - at the top of my lungs  DAY - O - ME SAY DAY O -

He usually begs me not to start that again

" Come Mr. Tally man - tally me bananas "  while I sort of " limbo " around

Every now and then I shake things up with " Yes - we've got no bananas "

It's important to keep an element of surprise in a relationship - I don't like to be too predictable.

We have some very meaningful conversations in this house, the Tally man and myself.
_________________________________________________________________________________

We played Scrabble this week.
John has never beat me at a game of Scrabble -
Not once.
I'm not bragging -
( okay - so I'm bragging but it's the truth ! )

John says - I don't know how you do it - but I know you're cheating
Suzan says - How on earth can you cheat at scrabble ?
John says - That's what I'm trying to figure out

I don't know how most people play - but I have words lined up in advance - I always know where I'm going next - John however treats Scrabble like a Chess game - he sits there rubbing his chin - rearranging his letters - counting out the squares - it can sometimes take 10 minutes each round
All he's missing is a pipe for crying out loud.
After this tortuous wait - I quickly lay my tiles down in 5 seconds and wait another 10 to 15 minutes while he weighs his options.

Suzan says - That's it - we're using the timer from now on - this is ridiculous - I could clean the house while waiting
John says - What do you mean we're using a timer?
Suzan says - It comes with the game John - and it's there for a reason - you're supposed to get a word before the sand runs out
John says - Why does everything have to be fast with you - we have to whiz through a game now?  It's supposed to be a relaxing pastime - and you need time to concentrate you know - I don't want to just throw down any word there - I'm looking for the highest value when I play - not like you - throwing them all down there without giving it any thought

He gently nudged me because I'd nodded off waiting for him - and I'm NOT joking - I had time to take a freaking nap !
And then I won.
Tally man tallied up the points.
422 points to 230

John says - I'm not playing this with you any more
Suzan says - Why not?
John says - Because you're cheating - I KNOW it and you know it..............
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I have a very weird thing in my phyche  ( well I have far too many weird things )
If someone tells me they have a cold - I get a cold.
If someone tells me they have a headache - I get a headache
If someone tells me they've cut themselves - I cut myself
So with Ashley ( my daughter ) being pregnant .........................
I'm gaining weight.
Precisely in the general area where a pregnant woman gains weight.

Suzan says - OMG - I think I'm having a sympathetic pregnancy ( rubbing my belly )
John says - YOU'RE PREGNANT??????????????????
Suzan says - No - It means I'm sharing Ashley's symptom's with her.
John says - Maybe it's just all the chocolate you've been gorging on ?  Or the second helpings ?  Or the cakes ?  Or the
Suzan says - Oh go boil your head.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Have a wonderful Easter or Seder everyone !
Hope you have help cleaning up after it




I'm off to train Soda...................if that dog can load a dishwasher - she can at least help me peel vegetables.
Hugs,
Me