Tooting my not-so-handy horn

Found this cabinet type piece at a an antique/junk store years ago when I was buying some furniture for Annette's nursery. I loved it for it's oldness and the way the paint on the inside was authentically distressed.

Find more on my attraction to old junk here :)

Once Annette started pulling up on things, and discovered how to open and shut doors, I realized these glass doors posed a pretty big hazard. With her, it was a pretty easy fix. I just tied a ribbon around the handles and she left it alone when she realized she couldn't open them anymore.

Then, came Charlie. He figured out how to untie the ribbon and rather enjoyed the loud sound these doors made when he slammed them. 

Thankfully, no glass has been shattered.

I was telling my sister about the problem the other day when she was at our house. I said, "I need to get our handy man over here to just take the doors off, I guess."

She kindly suggested that it might be as easy as me unscrewing the hinges off the glass doors.

Hmph. 

I should have thought of that myself.

She was right.

 I just used my handy dandy mini screwdriver set. Which is one of my best purchases ever.

 Originally, I bought these tiny tools when I had to replace my laptop's internal hard drive. Yes, I did that myself. And while I'm tooting my own horn, I'll mention that I've replaced my laptop's keyboard too. All with the help of YouTube videos.

Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.  That's all it took.

Stored these beauties in our shed and might screw them back on one day when glass doors aren't such a hazard. Or, one day, I might put the cabinet on top of a table or dresser as a hutch. Or I could use the doors to hang on wall as frames. The possibilities (and excuses to keep the doors;) are endless.

Another reason this was a good project was because we have a huge book storage problem at our house. I keep buying GREAT books for like 50 cents at Goodwill and Savers to add to the books I've had since I taught school.  We neeeeed lots of books.

 I mean, I am teaching two toddlers pre-reading skills multiple times each day, right?? The more books, the more vocabulary my children are hearing each day, right???  :)

However, I have already filled every bookshelf we own. 

Before I took the doors off, the shelves on this old cabinet deal were too shallow to fit many books. So basically, all the shelves were holding were small knick-knack type things. Not real purposeful. 

But now, I can store some of my.. I mean 'our'... book collection right on these shelves.

Doors off......

Less book clutter on her dresser...And Look! Now, I have an empty basket to store something else. 

The little joys:)

I moved the magnetic letter box that had made its home on top of this cabinet into the closet, since this frame is much cuter. 

And ta-da! 

I did something productive, free, and hazard and clutter reducing all while Charlie napped. 

 And without a handy man. 

Toot, toot, toot. 

I know all of you have much greater things to toot your own horns about! Ha!