girlndocs's Profile

Cute, but this is not a "small closet". I know because we actually have a small closet, and there is no way there would be room in there for a child plus a wee set of shelves plus a cushion. (Unless maybe you stacked them vertically, but then the child would probably whine, aren't they so hard to please?) THAT'S a "small closet".

W. O. W. Amazing result.

saraI08 raises a very good point. My MIL's family was very poor growing up, and she vividly remembers how her mother's friends would all go for coffee, and her mother couldn't because they didn't have the dime. Like it or not, not having spending money shuts people out of a lot of social opportunities. True, no one needs to be a high roller to have good friends, but little things like ice cream and bus fare are so important to developing healthy social networks, especially for adolescents who are learning to be more independent.

"What is wrong with teaching your child that they have to work for what they want?"

It's not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just that it's such an inconsistently applied idea; somehow it only gets whipped out for allowances. Do your kids do chores to earn their birthday gifts? Do you require a 1:1 ratio of floors mopped or porches swept for the monetary value of each
meal? Do they have to wipe down a windowpane for every sheet of paper they use up while they draw or paint?

I want my kids to learn to work, but I don't want them to learn to work because they have the idea that they're entitled to a tangible reward directly connected to every task they do. I want them to learn that being part of a social group means everyone puts in and everyone gets out. For kids, that manifests as doing chores around the house because they need to be done and then having needs (and not-so-much-needs) met, like food and clothes, gifts and allowances.

I applaud anyone for doing what works for them, definitely. That said, I would rather be in debt and have things around me that I love. I'm pretty damn po', but I've slowly collected beautiful things (dumpster diving/yard sales/careful investments on sale pieces), and in a life filled with financial and other stress sometimes having things around me that I love is all that keeps me going.

I would totally sell a car if I realized I had gone over my head into debt for it, or downsize from a bigger house with very expensive furniture to a simpler lifestyle if debt were choking me. But I think there's an assumption about financial situations going on when people assume that selling your stuff is a viable step to getting out of debt. A lot of us aren't in debt because we collect expensive stuff or live in a house too big for us, we're in debt because at some point it was the only way to get by.

anawhite.com also has instructions for floating shelves (not ledges) that are extremely sturdy and VERY unlikely to sag.

Nice work. Great post. It's really helpful to see the kind of changes that can be made with a tight budget -- it's easy to admire someone's 6-figure remodel, but these more modest jobs more useful and inspiring.

I also have a vintage, beveled, frameless mirror over my mantel, but it's not as big as yours (I wish it were). Mrsyow has a good suggestion if you're dead set against changing the wires that anchor it. That way your mirror would reflect something nicer than the angle of your ceiling.

If you decide to hoist it higher, you'll need to figure out whether that wall behind it is plaster over studs or plaster over the brick of a fireplace. If it's brick, you'll need to drill into it with a masonry bit and use big sturdy anchors with screws to hang the wires on.

If it's plaster over studs, there's two possibilities: either you'll have studs conveniently centered to where you want to hang the mirror, in which case you drill into them and use long screws again (not nails! don't nail into plaster); or your studs will be off center, in which case you'll need to use cleats like someone mentioned. Take a good look at the backboard of your mirror and make sure it's strong enough to firmly attach a cleat that will bear its weight; a 1/4" hardboard or plywood back won't be, I'm sure. Either way, overengineer your fastenings. Better safe than sorry with something that size.

"Standard"? No. The whole reason they appeared in glossy mag spreads was to convince consumers they needed those things.

Shaving cream works on spots because it's *soap*. If the foam texture makes it easier to get on a spot, fine, but you can also use hand soap or Dr Bronner's or rub with the wetted corner of a bar of ivory. It's kind of ... weird how many people don't know exactly what soap does anymore.

It's fantastic in lemonade or limeade. It's also nice for keeping a spritzer in the fridge and spraying your face on a hot day.