The Whole Hole Picture

When I was a senior in high school, I bought some matching shelves, primarily so I would have storage for my doll collection. The dolls were kept behind the glass doors, and the rest of the shelving was perfect for books and other things. Here is a partial picture of two of the three shelves that have doors on the bottom (that you can't see). They have been through every single move with us as a married couple, from college to military moves.

The third shelving unit does not have doors on the bottom and is just open shelving. When we lived in New Jersey and I was mere days from giving birth to Caboose, which puts us at late 1999 or very early 2000, I had a wonderful idea.

Get rid of the stand that the television sat on, put all three shelves together, and hacksaw the middle out of the back so the television could poke out. Because back then did they have flat screens? And if they did we never expected to have one.

Hubby was smart enough to humor his very pregnant wife.

The three shelves have been used just like that for the last nine years. It was pure genius.

Until we got here and have a flat screen over the fireplace.

I put that shelving unit in the garage sale we had recently for $10. Nobody bought it. So I decided to bring it in the house and then take the back off. We thought the unit was probably sturdy enough that the back wasn't adding too much to the stability anyway.

We got the piece almost in the corner where we wanted it, and I said, "Okay, let's take off the back." To which Hubby said, "Why don't you just put a picture over it?"

Now why didn't I think of that!

I went to one of many large local Salvation Army stores last Friday while Caboose was at a Sunday school party (before the whole airport pick-up disaster and Ikea trip). I never really find good stuff there, but this time I did. I found a Grandma Moses print. You might remember I showed you a few weeks ago a very large Grandma Moses cross-stitch I did many years ago, so I like the looks of her work.

I had to take it out of the frame it was in. It was attached to a thick board so I couldn't trim it, so when I went to Michael's to buy a frame (on sale) I also bought a mat to cover up the damage around the sides of the print and make it fit a ready-made frame. The picture has been sitting in the floor waiting for the perfect home.

I used the Command Picture Hanging Strips I have grown to love and hung the picture over the hole. That was the perfect home.

I think I'll put my afghan on one of the shelves below when I'm not using it, plus any others I make. I'll have to find something to put on that top shelf, and I'm thinking maybe a tray or basket tray on the shelf by the hurricane.

It took Hubby and me together to figure out the perfect solution, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

I guess I'll keep him around a little longer.

This post is linked to Show and Tell Friday hosted by Kelli at There is no place like home.