A Bookcase Update, Part Duex

This weekend was very nice, a time to reflect and relax. I didn't push to get too much done, but took time to enjoy the things I did do. It's not often that I do that. In fact, my weekends are usually filled with double-booked appointments; an attempt to do all that I can't do during the week.

This weekend however, I was challenged by my good friend Margaret to let go of the date book, and go with her to market. So, I did. Margaret, Melissa, Dorothy and I ventured to the Farmers Market early Saturday morning, coffee in hand. I had never been to anything like it. Food and wares: fruit, vegetables, mums and pumpkins, bread and apples, cider and wine. It was fantastic! I borrowed a little bag from Melissa and passed vendor by vendor until I gathered my bounty:

Sweet white fleshed plums, garlic, (for Scott's recipes) Asian pears, mixed color sweet peppers, eggplant, yellow squash and green onions. I also picked up fresh apple cider and strawberries. I meant to take pictures at market, but that proved difficult as I dropped my camera in the fumble to get everything ready before we left. Since, all pictures have been a little blurred.

The rest of the day I played with faux finish selections for the bookcase. After choosing one, I went home to take a nap and get ready for a play Margaret and I had tickets for later in the evening. Needless to say, there wasn't much time at all spent on the bookcase Saturday.

I did work on it all day today, though, and I think you'll be happy with the progress! I attached the crown molding - quite the struggle, and then primed most of the piece:



The larger opening in the center is for a television. As a rule, I wouldn't normally worry about having a television in the guest room, but Scott often has a hard time staying asleep, and will lay in the guest room with the television on so as not to disturb me.

When I first started working with the idea of moving the bookshelves to the bedroom, and creating this "library bookcase" I talked to Gollum about paint color. Her dining room, Porter's Rich Clay is a beautiful color that I simply adore. Together, she and I thought that it would be a great color to use on the bookcase.

Thankfully Gollum was nice enough to give me the code from the top of her paint can, since we have no Porter's or Porter's distributor here. I had the color mixed in a Ralph Lauren paint at Home Depot.


Beautiful, no? I've been a fan of all of the uses Gollum found for her Clay color throughout her lovely home, and I decided to be a bit of a copy cat. Thank you Gollum!

So, as a reminder of where we started:



And where we are:

Now, the piece won't stay like this. Well, not all of it anyway. I have plans for faux finishing which will start to take place tomorrow, and will hopefully be finished late tomorrow evening. Then I'll begin sorting books and by Wednesday, I hope that I can share with you the finished product!

And Congratulations JessicaTaryn, our Calico Corners Contest Winner! Jessica will be the recipient of the $200 Gift Certificate Code, redeemable Online. Thank you everyone who participated. I was overjoyed by the response to the contest, and the entries were just wonderful! I look forward to several more contests like this one, so keep your eye out!