Fireplace for My Dream Library! Welcome to the 93rd Metamorphosis Monday!

A Mantel Dilemma for this Met Monday...



The Tassel House Give-a-Way:

The Tassel House giveaway is still going on...but it ends tomorrow!
Here's a little sampling of the Fall and Holiday tassels that were recently available at The Tassel House.





How to Enter:

Angela is giving away a $25 certificate for you to use toward any tassel you find at The Tassel House. Putting your name in the hat for this giveaway is super easy...here's how:

1. Visit The Tassel House and choose the tassel you would love to use your gift certificate toward if you should win.

2. Leave a comment on the Giveaway post naming your favorite tassel. That's it!

Remember, you don't have to be a Blogger to participate in Give-a-Ways. Best of luck to everyone!


Metamorphosis Monday:


I need your help today...tell me what cha think! On a previous Met Monday, I took you into my living room that I am hoping to turn into a "library" some day. (You can read that post HERE .) I have plans to put floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves all down the wall on the right side of the room.



A few months ago, I found one of the main components for this metamorphosis, these 85 year old cabinet/niches you see below, I called up my contractor and he came by to take a look.



He had concerns about having enough space to build a wall in which to sink the two cabinets since space is limited due to how close the window is to the cabinet on the right side. Also, he was concerned about it being deep enough for a fireplace between the cabinets. (Ignore the mantel you see there now...it's too wide and too big, so I won't be using that one.) I suggested having the fireplace jutting out a bit into the room with the niches set back a bit. He wasn't sure that was such a great idea.



Fast forward to a few months ago when I attended the monthly board meeting of my garden club. We meet each month in this wonderful historic home pictured below.



We always have our meetings in the dining room of this beautiful home. Each month I like to treat myself to a peek into the adjacent rooms. I love to just soak up the beautiful furnishings and architecture. I had forgotten how the library looked...it's just what I had tried to describe to my contractor. Note how the fireplace sticks out a bit into the room.



And notice how tight the space is between the cabinet over by the window. Yep, this is just what I needed to show my contractor. :-)




Yesterday, I may have found another component to building my library. I was shopping in A Classy Flea and came across this old fireplace mantel. I measured it and I think it's just the width I need to fit between the cabinet niches and to allow for shelving on the right side of the room. Also, it is pretty much the exact same height as the cabinet niches...how cool is that?!

Those two columns you see leaning against the wall to the left of it go on the front, on either side. Since it's pine, I wouldn't feel too bad painting it to work with the cabinet niches and the built in bookshelves. I plan to strip the paint from the cabinet niches that will be on either side and repaint them before they are installed, too. The mirror is really old...very chippy and looks terrible...which is one of the things I think I like. (LOL) I asked how old it was and they didn't know. Anyone have any idea? It's pretty plain, but it does have the columns up top and on the bottom. The price tag said it was antique with its original mirror and columns.



So what do you think? It's priced at $395 but they would most likely take 10% off, maybe a little more if I'm lucky. :) I've been looking for one similar to this with a mirror built in...and I think this one is the right size. Should I go for it? Or, should I just have my contractor build a fireplace mantel to fit the space and hang my own mirror above...don't think it would cost much more...might even be less than trying to build this one in. What do ya think?


Don't forget to leave a comment on the Giveaway post naming your favorite tassel from The Tassel House. Looking forward to viewing your wonderful Before and Afters!


Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

I'd love it if you would include the MM button in your post, to make it easy for others to find you MM post. To do that, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo on my sidebar.

Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome "Before and Afters" linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the visits for all participants.
Please do not add your link below, until your MM post is actually published to your blog. Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course.



Thanks for joining in for Metamorphosis Monday! Please don't forget to link back to this post in your Met Monday post so the regular readers of your blog will find all the participants linked here for Metamorphosis Monday.

Beautiful Tassels! Welcome to the 58th Metamorphosis Monday!

Yipee...time for another Met Monday! I can't wait to see what amazing changes you've been working on this week!

Important: Please include the Met Monday button in your Met Monday post, a sentence that says you are participating in this blog party and a link back to this post . This is important because the other bloggers who are participating today would love to have your readers stop by their blogs, as well. If you are not able to add the button to your post, please be sure to include a sentence that says you are participating in Met Monday and a noticeable link back to this post.

Before I show you a little metamorphosis I've made in my home recently, I wanted to let you know, I've posted some directions for adding the little header topics across the top of your blog, the ones you see just under my header pic. I received a few e-mails asking about it, so I just added the steps I did to the Blogging Tips post that you'll find on my sidebar.

Just look for the picture of Max, click on Max and it will take you to a post I did a while back. You'll find the directions for adding the headers or what Blogger calls "pages" posted at the very end of that Blogging Secrets post. If I've left something out, let me know and I'll add it in...hopefully it's detailed enough to prove helpful. :-)

I have a little metamorphosis to share this week and it ties in beautifully with our Give-a-Way. (I've created a special blog just for Give-a-Ways...the link is posted at the bottom with information about the Give-a-Way.)

By now, you all know I do love me some tassels...I use them in every room of my home. Before Christmas I had a regular ole boring tassel hanging on the armoire in my family room shown below.


Angela, at The Tassel House, came to the rescue and helped me with my Christmas decorating with this precious "Joy" angel tassel.


She was perfect for hanging here on the armoire because the Christmas tree was just to the right, where you see the table in the above pic of this room.


Now that Christmas is over, it was time for a metamorphosis. Can you tell I am sooooo ready for spring?!


Angela, I love my plump little birdie...he makes my heart sing each time I see him. :-)


The Tassel House is all stocked up for spring with both elegant...


and whimsical tassels! Plus...


Angela is generously giving away one of her amazing tassels to a Follower of BNOTP. You'll find the Give-a-Way posted on the BNOTP Give-a-Way and Review blog. Click HERE to reach BNOTP Give-a-Way and Reviews, where you'll see the adorable tassels Angela has created for the Give-a-Way...and where you'll be able to leave your comment to enter. Please be sure to leave your comment on the Give-a-Way post, (not here) to be entered in the Give-a-Way. Of course, you can leave me a comment here ;-) but your Give-a-Way entry comment will need to be left on the Give-a-Way post, HERE.

Looking forward to seeing all your "Before and Afters!"



Metamorphosis Monday is an opportunity to show a "Before and After" project in your home. It can be as elaborate as a whole new room addition or as simple as re-doing your decor with the changing of the seasons. Maybe you have a "trash to treasure" project to share...we'd love to see it! If you don't have a "Before" pic to share, describe as best you can what the room or item looked like prior to the renovation.

If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit:

Cutest Pic Ever!

Something to make you smile this gorgeous Sunday afternoon...a Mama swan transporting her little ones to the other side of a pond.



I love the little guy who is trying to peek out...precious!

You can read the full article HERE.
Be sure to stop by for Metamorphosis Monday and a fabulous Give-a-Way! :-)

Dish Storage Welcome to the 54th Metamorphosis Monday!

For this week's Met Monday, I'm sharing a small but fun little metamorphosis in my china closet. You may remember when I posted a while back about the little redo of this space...it was really being poorly utilized. It was being used to store deck cushions that were rarely used.




After a little renovation, (you may read about HERE) it looked like this...cushions stored in the top, birdseed and birding items in large containers on the floor, and china on the shelves in between.




Later, I decided to move the birdseed and birding containers back to the laundry room and I ended up storing my tall candlesticks on the floor, instead.




This closet has now gone through yet, another little change. The deck cushions were moved to an upstairs linen closet, since they are so rarely used. Most of my outdoor time is spent on the screened-in porch (not the decks) due to the mean ole mosquitoes we have here in the south.




Do you see the "After" there on the top shelf? I totally stole Bonnie's idea from her amazing dish room...remember that post HERE? I was shopping in The Home Depot and they had plastic "shoebox size" containers for only .99 cents each. I remembered Bonnie's dish room and bought 20 of them.




Next, I took pics of the items I planned to store in the boxes. I found the photos turned out better if the items were photographed on a white surface or white piece of paper, as opposed to a dark table. I took black and white photos, sized them down to what Microsoft Picture Manager calls "E-mail Large," and printed them out. It took a little experimenting around to find the best size pic for the box. I could have taken them in color...and printed them in color, but I just decided to go with black and white.

I used double-sided tape to stick them onto the containers. I saved the pics on my computer just in case one gets ripped off or damaged. Of course, you could take wide clear tape and place it across the top of each photo/label to ensure they stay secure and undamaged...I may eventually do that. The boxes are large enough to store 2-3 sets of napkin rings in one box, depending, of course, on the size of the napkin ring.


Much better use of this space now, I think. There's not much I love more than organizing. Okay, blogging...I love blogging more than organizing...but organizing may be a close second. :-)

Update: Bonnie just e-mailed and gave me some additional information that you may find helpful: "Another way to do the pictures on the bins is to use a label printing software, add the picture to the design and print on large labels. Or, you can also use a "Xyron" to add adhesive to the back of your printed pictures." Thanks, Bonnie, for those suggestions!

Looking forward to seeing all your "Before and Afters."



If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit:

Built-in Book Shelves for the Upstairs Family Room... Welcome to the 31st Metamorphosis Monday!

My Met Monday post is a little different this week. The "After" hasn't occurred yet, but I thought I'd share my "Before" and my "After Wish" with you, just in case it gives you some ideas for a similar area in your home.

This is the view as you enter from the hallway into my Upstairs Family Room. (To see more of this room, just click HERE.) You can't see it very well in this pic, but off to the right of the window seat, just beyond the tall plant stand, is a back stairway that takes you down to the 2nd level. It a great escape route when you find yourself downstairs in the kitchen in your nightie and the front door bell rings...or when you need to make a dash down to the laundry room and don't want to flash the neighbors who just happen to be walking by the front of your home.

Here's a little better view...the stairway goes down to a landing, turns and then continues on down.




See that slanted section of wall there on the left side of the stairway, just beyond the plant stand?




Do you have an area like this in your home? I've thought of hanging some family photos or pictures there, but then I found an inspiration picture online.




Check out the small, slanted section of wall over on the other side of the room...what do you think? I'd love to remove that piece of baseboard molding that runs along the lower part of my wall and have bookshelves installed...something along the lines of what you see below. The organization freak inside of me loves the idea of creating storage, where before there was none!  Is there a spot in your home where you could add some unexpected storage/bookshelves?



If I ever get the "After" done, you know I'll post it for a Metamorphosis Monday! :-)

Looking forward to seeing your Before and Afters! Oh, and don't forget to leave a comment to be included in the drawing for Mr. Rooster!


If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

The following blogs are participating in this Metamorphosis Monday: