Filling in the Blanks

Remember this bookshelf that I scored on Craigslist for $35 (If not, check it out in this previous post)? When I brought it home, I wasn't quite sure where to put it, but I had a few different ideas. We moved it into the living room to start because that seemed to be the quickest place to set it down. It sat in the same spot for two or three weeks, but I didn't put anything on it. I liked having something to fill the space, but an empty bookshelf wasn't quite what I had in mind. The worst part is that the longer it sat in our living room, the more I got used to it sitting there empty.

When Jesse and I were getting ready for our friends to visit a few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to do something with the bookshelf. I could've moved it down to the craft room, but I had gotten used to it being in the living room. So once I brought in the persimmon side table and the new summery pillows, I started shopping around the house to see how I could fill the shelves.

Jesse and I got this seashell while on our honeymoon in Jamaica. A woman was selling them for $15 at a little market on our way back to the airport. I thought she was trying to convince me to buy it, so I told her that I was out of cash (and I pretty much was), but she told me that she wanted to give it to me as a gift. Once we got back on the bus, another traveler said we should check it for drugs (ha!). I freaked out for a second, but quickly realized that there was nothing wrong with it - she was just a generous woman. I've been keeping it up in our office because I didn't have anywhere else to put it, but now that it's down in the living room, I have a good story to share.

You probably recognize the 'L' from some of my other photos. It started out in the sunroom, but I put it on top of our wine rack when I started decorating the dining room. Now that I have an entire bookshelf to fill, I decided it would look better in the living room. I still need to find something for the wine rack, but in the meantime, we're storing our liquor up there. I know, it's classy! :)

See that blue frame in the background? It's actually a card that I got from my friend, Meredith. We work together, so she gets to hear plenty of my stories. After hearing "I'm pretty sure my husband thinks I'm crazy because .... " for the millionth time, she found the perfect card for me!

Not only does it sound just like Jesse and me, the design is adorable!

It took me awhile to gather a good variety of items for the bookshelf, but after a few weeks of treasure hunting around the house, I think I ended up with a great balance ... for now!

I originally intended to paint the bookshelf a light color, but now that I've filled it with several different sized items in a variety of different colors, I'm not as eager to whip out the paint. 

If I ever finish the buffet, I might start dreaming about paint colors for the bookshelf ... or I might not. What do you think? Does the dark wood look alright, or do you think everything would pop more against a lighter backdrop?

BTW, if you're interested in buying a card like the one I got, you can find them on the Curly Girl Design website. They have so many cute cards, guaranteed to make someone's day!