"I Saw It First!

Since this is Wednesday and I have to be at the mini meeting at noon today, I decided to redo a room box that I knew wouldn't take a long time. Don't forget to poke the photos.

This particular room is one of my favorites. It is another one that goes through a metamorphosis every few years.

It has always been a library, but the furniture changes and so do the things on the shelves.

It has bee sitting, closed, in the workroom for a while now. It is an old oak file box that I found somewhere for $8.00. The reason I mention the price is, I saw one at the antique mall a couple of days ago and they wanted $64.00 for it! They have to be kidding!

This particular box was made to hold cards about 5" by 8". Turned on its side and opened that way, it has 8 foot ceilings. The body is about 4" deep and the lid about 1 1/2".

When I first made it, I covered the inside walls with dark green mat board. No painting, no muss, and no fuss.

I did get a little complicated with the floor. I used some veneer that I had laying around. I believe it was birch. I cut it into quarter inch strips and then on the diagonal about 2" long.

That made a quick job of it. I didn't do the staggered joints like you sometimes see. I just did straight lines. That way I could lay one course of it at a time instead of having to fit the ends into the next row.


Now, about the shelves. They are walnut. I designed them to exactly fit the lid of the box. I didn't put a finish on any of the wood in the box. When it is on display, I oil it with lemon oil when it starts to look dull. I rather like it natural.

The things that are displayed are an accumulation of gifts from friends, purchased books and knick knacks and things that I made. The engraving of the hot air balloons in the center was a table gift at one of the NAME house parties. There are several books from a dear friend that are actually readable. She is no longer with us, but these are a nice remembrance of her. One is a book of Mini Tips and Tricks!The two rocks at the bottom are some that Seth gave me after one of their hikes. The kids know what I like. April and Seth both are always picking up pretty rocks for me.

Speaking of rocks....See the one sitting on the pile of books second shelf up, on the right? That is a piece of the Berlin Wall. A friend brought that one back shortly after the wall was torn down.

Above that is a miniature of the Maltese Falcon and beside him there is a copy of the book.

I am working on a sofa to go in the main part of the box. Until I get it finished, I borrowed one of Zar's chairs and Beau's dog bed to fill in.....The catch is, Zar made me agree to let him have first dibs at using this room.


I knew that there was going to be trouble, but foolishly I agreed.

Not two minutes later, Tessie showed up. She is really ticked off that she didn't get there first. Now she is harassing Zar and wanting to borrow books. This is how it goes.....

Tessie is pulling the books off of the shelves one at a time and, "I read this one.....Didn't read this one....This one is great....You may as well burn this one.....Loved this one....Hated this one.....Saw the movie....They should make a movie....I have this one on CD...." On and on it goes. As she looks at them, if she doesn't approve, she tosses them over her shoulder onto a pile. The floor is going to have more books than the shelves when she finishes. I wanted to redo this box, but not twice in one day.

I have to go throw Tessie out on her ear now.

See you tomorrow.