A long, long time ago my college roommate, Mr. C, and I went out to buy some fish and a tank. Then we bought more fish. Then some died so we replaced those. We’ve had fish since college and although they were great then, we found ourselves not paying attention to them much and not holding up our end of the upkeep. We searched and searched for a good home for them but weren’t having much luck. I couldn’t bear the thought of selling them on craigslist either. Just when I was beginning to feel like we were running out of options, we found a great family who wanted them! I love win-win situations!
Since I heard the fishies were leaving I’ve been deciding what to do with the cabinet they were on. Yes, I know that sounds horrible and heartless, but as I said, it was time. We couldn’t really find a spot for the tank in the house when we moved so we stuck it in the hallway by the entryway. The placement was awkward and the hallway looked odd with a fish tank in between our wedding pics and the bathroom. Fast forward to this weekend when the fishies swam over (okay okay, they were driven) to their new home.
After a few moments of mourning (yes, I do have a heart), I set to work on doing something with my small space. I bought a basket months ago to go in the space and I was so excited to use it for keys, wallets, etc. Right now the kitchen counter is our “catch-all” and I HATE it. I just knew the basket would fix all that. But, it looked dumb and Mr. C didn’t have any qualms about telling me this in those exact words. It was too big and too dark compared to the light color of the cabinet.
I keep our bread items in a basket and had been thinking it was a bit too small so after swapping baskets around the house (the basket that looked horrible on the cabinet looks wonderful in the kitchen!), adding a lamp, and finally making something from pinterest, I am so pleased with my space. I found myself walking by it about ten extra times yesterday. Don’t you just love when that happens?
Here’s it is!
Don’t you love it? I’m sure by now you’re just dying to know how I made the heart picture. Right? Well, today is your lucky day because I’m going to tell you!
I found the idea on pinterest which had been pinned from a very inspiring blog, 33 Shades of Green. The hardest part for me was finding a frame I liked as well as one that had some space between the picture and the glass. We went to 5 stores searching for the perfect frame….I’m so lucky Mr. C loves me and doesn’t mind being drug all over down :)
Here’s what I used:
-a 5 x 7 frame from Bed, Bath, and Beyond
- a heart punch
- pop dots (although you could just glue or tape them on if you don’t want them raised)
-scrapbook paper, including a neutral color for the background
I had a really difficult time choosing paper. I originally had some lighter paper, but the hearts just didn’t show up as well. First I measured the paper to fit the dimensions of the frame and cut with a paper trimmer. Because there was matting I then took the glass and back out of the frame and put my background paper in the frame with the matt on top so I’d know what area I had to work with. This also kept the paper from sliding all over. I prefer this way rather than cutting to the size of the opening and then having to tape or glue the paper somehow to avoid slipping. Next I punched a bunch of hearts, picked my favorite, and moved them around until I was happy with the pattern. I used a small ruler as a level and attached each heart with a pop dot. Then I put the frame back together and spent the next 5 minutes telling Mr. C how much I loved the end result. Really, like 5 minutes…and every time I walk by…and sometimes when I just think about it.
The project cost me about $10 for the frame and paper (I had the rest). I’m thinking it would be fun to change out the picture with the season…snowflakes in winter, flip flops in summer, leaves and acorns in fall, etc.
I’m so excited that the cabinet that looked out of place now seems to tie everything together! I love the warm light from the lamp, the piece I finally crafted, and the basket to hopefully alleviate the kitchen counter of it’s “catch-all” status.
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