Open to Receiving! DIY Patterned Bookshelf

Hi People! I hope you're all having an amazing weekend so far. I wanted to share an experience that made me so happy and grateful a few weeks ago. If you've been reading your Simple Abundance book, you'll know that it talked a lot about receiving all the abundance the universe has to offer you. I love how this journey incorporates not only the spiritual aspects of being, but the temporal as well and how it ties in with the spiritual. Take for instance how Sarah Ban Breathnach writes about how beauty truly comes from within, yet fashion and makeup totally help us to enhance our inner Goddessness. Spiritual, temporal, physical, emotional, even financial...it's all linked! I've been learning that right and left this year. 

Anyway, my experience... April 9th's entry tells us to "declare to the Universe that you are open to receiving all the abundance it's waiting patiently to bestow." I did this out loud at Target after feeling a bit discouraged looking at the beautiful scented candles and persimmon-colored nic nacs that weren't going to work into my budget. I went about my shopping, stopping last in the value section. I saw these beautiful brown paper wrapping paper rolls in the $1 bin and thought, "that would be perfect to cover my new sewing closet shelves in!" I decided to buy $10 worth. Well I was super happy when I did a double take at my checkout total and realized that I got 10 rolls of paper for just $3! I felt so grateful all day and still do every time I look at my revamped shelves. It's a symbol to me that God wants to bless us with things that will add to our joy. I also realized that a lot of times joy and abundance is right there in front of us, we just have to use a bit of creativity to make it work for us. Just like God created the universe from unorganized matter, we can create beauty and positive energy out of the abundant materials we're given every day. 

Here are some pics. Sorry for the not-so-crisp-and-bright-fancy-photos. I declare myself open to receiving all the abundance the Universe has to offer me in the form of a nice camera! :D 

I found covering this bookshelf was cheaper, less messy, and quicker than painting it. All I did was carefully measure out the wrapping paper to fit on every piece of the bookshelf. Then, I took some homemade "Mod Podge" that I made out of white craft glue and water and painted the bookshelf with it, spreading the paper pieces on as I went. I touched up a few bare specks here and there with some paint that matched my paper at the end. I love how it turned out! 

DIY Nature Clothing Hangers

Our Simple Abundance book has been talking a lot about our wardrobes for the past month. It's had us making sure to only surround ourselves with things we absolutely and authentically love, eventually getting us to clean out and simplify our closets. Well, I did...tried...and still wasn't getting a good vibe from my wardrobe. I had only my favorite, can't-live-without items hanging up, but something just wasn't working. I finally realized that it was the mismatching plastic hangers throwing me off! I'm not a fan of plastic anywhere else in my decorating, so why should my closet be any different?

I got to work fixing the problem the way I fix every aesthetic dilemma I face--by adding a touch of nature! I remembered a post I saw years ago on Free People's blog on painting sticks and turning them into clothing hangers.

So, I collected some hanger-sized sticks and got to work. I still have my Christmas tree, void of needles, since I just knew I would end up needing branches at some point (am I weird?). I sawed off some of that and found the rest in the park. 

After sawing the sticks to the size I wanted, I baked them in a 250 degree oven for 30 minutes or so just in case they had any mites or other unwanted nasties (not sure if this temperature and cook time was right, so you might want to research it). Then, I painted them any old way I pleased.

I could have kept painting and painting since I love color so much, but I leaned on the simpler side and forced myself to leave them be. I drilled a hole all the way through the center of each stick with a drill bit smaller than the size of the wire I was using for the hooks. I shaped each hook out of 16 gauge wire. I think, going back, I would use a little bit thicker wire or even some premade hooks from the hardware store just to make them a bit more sturdy. 

Lastly, I inserted each hook all the way through the drilled holes and bent the end of the wire so it wouldn't come out. 

Icky-vibe-from-wardrobe-problem solved! 

Has anyone else had experiences with freshening up their wardrobes? Please share...