One of these days...

I will remember to take 'before' photos and not just 'after'. See my nice shelf unit from The Container Store there on the right - that has all my gift bags, Christmas bags, tissue paper, ribbons, bows. So nice, I am really loving it! Already stocked it with what was in 5 - 6 various bags that were in this closet previously. Oh, and see the little holder on the side to hold rolls of paper???? And I am still adding to it as I gather up collections all over the house! LOL

Above it are a couple of boxes of Tom's mom's and grandmother's linens. Believe it or not (yeah right, like anyone who knew me wouldnt believe it!) the shelves to the left are really cleaned out. Lots of yarn (some of which is on Ebay - the rest is being organized and may still end up on Ebay or somewhere) and cross stitch items (again, a lot is on Ebay and some were gifted to an EGA chapter - and that is just the start!!!). I think I will keep my baskets not currently in use in this closet - and those are old photo albums in there too.

Now the other "one of these days..." is a project that should have taken 1 - 2 days and so far has taken months. We had this really ugly built in shelfing in the ell of our dining room (don't ask, I have never liked this house) that collected junk - books, photos, dust, and plain ole junk. The portion on the bottom had a very very ugly cabinet door and this was where hubby kept all his videos - until he ran out of room (and he calls ME a pack rat!!! LOL). We have slowly been turning it into an extended pantry. Some food, mainly appliances and all - you know the mixer, etc. (Yes, it is still junky right now cause everything has been coming in and out as hubby has been working on it).

So, on OCTOBER 28, 2009 we special ordered a door from Home Depot- light wood, not pre-hung because that wouldn't work. And the 'Chumley' look alike there promised us the door in 7 - 10 working days. Oh yeah....we also told him which side of the door we wanted the door knob (becuase he told us it HAD to have one even after we showed him the dummy latch we picked out becuase we just wanted it to shut and not latch) because we wanted to be able to just open the door from the kitchen and grab out what we needed.

So....after 2 weeks we went to Home Depot and said - where is the door??? Well, it was still on order. You see - supposedly - 'Chumley' didnt realize that within that 7 - 10 working days was a holiday and the company that makes the doors did not work on that holiday. So when it finally came in during December (how many weeks was that????) we had no time to put it up due to OUR holidays and all.....but first thing first...

When we picked it up it had no hinges. There were hinge areas cut out, but none included EVEN THOUGH the order said it should.

So we took the printed order back to the Hardware department and the employee there picked out 2 hinges to match the latch we bought.....

Last Thursday we started working on it. First of all, the hinges that so called employee ASSURED us were the right size - were not the right size. So back to Home Depot we go.....and a very nice guy by the name of Brian helped us pick out the hinges. The right sized ones....

So home we go and put the hinges on to hang the door so that it would open the way we wanted. Until I realized that the door knob was very high up on the door and I didnt think door knobs were usually that high....and we found out that not only did 'Chumley' not know how long it would take for it to come in, he apparently doesnt know his right from his left. So okay.....we switch the hinges over and get the door hung.

Which is when we discovered that we had a RIGHT hand latch and needed a LEFT hand. So back to HD we go.....to find out they no longer make the kind of dummy latch we need - which is one that has a plate on the back which covers the door knob hole and gives something to screw the latch onto....

They also didnt have the trim we needed.....so we stopped at OSH....no luck....next day, hubby went to a lumber place and got the trim and the guys told him that they no longer make dummy knobs with the plate in the back.

So we have this lovely door covering what will be a very handy closet/pantry (even though it opens the wrong way) - and it is very easy to open cause you just stick your hand in the hole and pull........

And by the way, it wasnt until Friday night that we realized that the two hinges we put on - took off - and put on again, are two different metals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Brian....we are old....you were young.....your eyes should have seen that! And guess what - we are both so disgusted with this project that THEY ARE STAYING ON ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have come up with some ideas from outside the box (like tie a piece of rope thru it - or glue a little silver plate bowl I have into the hole) but hubby isnt buying those.....it might be months more before this is completed. Anyone have any suggestions????

So, basically, a 1 - 2 day project now has lasted 3 months and is not yet done. And I dont know how many trips to Home Depot - and a letter of complaint to which the reply was basically "oh well".......