Bennett's Library

This is not a 30 in my 30s-related post. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), there is nothing on my list related to decorating or household projects. This is something I have kind of learned to let go, especially since having Bennett. I don't have enough time to keep my house as clean as I'd like to (goodbye, strict weekly bathroom-scrubbing schedule), let alone worry about that ever-present "to-do" list of extras hanging over my head- install hardware on the kitchen cabinets, find something to fill in that blank spot on the wall, redecorate the guest room, etc. That list will always exist in my head, and getting little projects done is definitely fulfilling, but at this point in my life, having a house that is still standing and a path that I can walk through it without breaking my neck is good enough for me.

Having said that, I finished a little project in the loft and thought I would post some pictures of Bennett's "library." Her room isn't big enough for a bookshelf, so her stuff has to fit into one little spot in the loft, between the bathroom door and the closet door. I started with a cheap black bookshelf from Wal-Mart or Target. It was super ugly so I papered the back of it with scrapbook paper:

I didn't bother trying to make it look even or trying to line up the edges of the paper with the edges of the shelves. I did no cutting whatsoever and spent less than 5 minutes on it. I love the result of having a more girly and less boring background for all her books. So with that done, I had to decide what to do with the wall space over it:

This was a clearance find at TJ Maxx a couple weeks ago ($10). I debated buying it, but now I'm glad I did:

By the way, Bennett really enjoyed having all her books on the floor:

The top of the shelf was still ugly, so I covered it with this (crocheted?) fabric that my great-aunt had made for my dad's nursery when he was born:

Another personal touch- this pencil drawing of me that my grandma made when I was a couple years old. It is on the back of a piece of scrap paper (as I believe many of the best things in life are), and my brother had it framed for me a few years ago. It has just been sitting in a closet because I wasn't sure what to do with it. I decided it would be perfect for Bennett's little nook because there is a slight chance she resembles the photo just a little bit, too:

A couple small finishing touches, and I was happy with the final result! A super cute, super cheap little library for most of Bennett's books (I mean, not including her downstairs books, of course!):

 

I briefly considered lining up all the books in height order for the sake of this picture and then decided that would be ridiculous. The majority of them were promptly re-scattered immediately following naptime. But like I said, I don't care.