Last week I had to completely reformat my hard drive. Thanks, Windows 8.1! While I messed around with tech support looking for a way to back up my data before wiping the drive, There was no way to blog, or surf, or anything. I missed you, Gentle Readers! I'll spare you the gory details, but in the end, I prevailed, and all my work is safe once again. Between attempts at data retrieval, I did non-digital things, in an effort not to lose the remainder of my mind.

Ever notice how one project begets another? One part of the Great Laundry Room Adventure I didn't tell you about was Lindsay's book case. Perched in the corner return of our staircase, it had to be completely emptied and moved in order to get washers and dryers in and out. And of course, the only place to stack her book collection was my bedroom floor. Don't ask.

Once I was done with the laundry room, it was time to reclaim my bedroom floor. Lindsay and her dad bravely sorted and purged her collection; a job which had not been done since around 2006. I think going through the books made Lindsay realize that she's not a little girl anymore. She told me she'd outgrown the old book case, with its white paint (now dented and peeling) and scalloped trim. For the girl who has trouble parting with so much as a gum wrapper, the idea of jettisoning the old thing was pretty radical. I went along with her, mostly because I agreed that the case, itself, was no longer working. Together we chose and installed some nice new wall-mounted shelving, which fits the space much better, and holds even more books:

I showed Lindsay how to choose straight boards, cut them to size, sand and varnish them. Then we learned all about stud-finding, how much books weigh per linear foot, wall anchors, and how to use a power drill. And then rehearsals for the Spring play kicked into high gear, and I was on my own to shelve the collection. After which, I realized we were going to need book ends. Five of them. With the budget well and truly blown between the laundry room and the new shelves, I had to think fast. Here's what I came up with:

Our very own hall of mirrors! Plain picture frames and metal brackets I found at the craft store (regular metal bookends would work fine too - I just couldn't find any) totaled $15. I took the frames apart and removed the back easels. Then retrieved the leftover mirror paint from the vintage window project. Man, this stuff is awesome.