I was READY for New Look!

No, not me personally...:)

Although, this Roller-Coaster Life does have an effect on my appearance...
I mean my mounted shelf in my bedroom. 

I LOVE my shelf

(hence why I agreed to have it mounted on my wall...)

but I was beyond tired of the overall cluttered and non-cute look of it.

Take a look for yourself:

This is what my shelf has looked like for...

well, longer than I'd like to admit.

Let's just say WAY TOO LONG!!!!

So, of course, my first move was to clean it off.

I was debating with myself about removing the "bangles"...

in some ways, I was tired of them too

but they had sentimental value to me.

In the end, I decided to remove them.

And, since there's no use ignoring "the Elephant in the Room"...

Your eyes are NOT deceiving you...

that IS a wall-mounted, hand-crank pencil sharpener on my wall.

It too has sentimental value which is why I've left it up so long.

My Poppy Kinney (Grandpa) came to live with my mother and I when I was fifteen.

OBVIOUSLY I am NOT 15 in this photo...this photo was taken when Poppy came to visit us when I was 6 or 7 :)

 He was an avid worker of crossword puzzles.

Therefore, he was CONSTANTLY in needed of sharpened pencils.

And since my room became his room while he was staying with us,

HE mounted the pencil sharpener on the wall.

And since he passed away in 2003, in a weird way it has been a connection to him.

But it was HIGH time for it to go.

There are OODLES AND OODLES of things that are connections to him

elsewhere in my house/room.

Then came the big question of how to decorate my shelf.

For inspiration, I went to several different FABULOUS blogs that I follow.
Namely:

DimplesandTangles

OurFifthHouse

TheCottageat341South

EllaClaire

(If you haven't checked out these blogs, YOU SHOULD!!!!)
To say the least, these LOVELY LADIES have DEFINITELY influenced
my decorating skills for the better!!!! :)
 My shelf has now been "CUTIFIED"
(that's my new word I've been using...)
THANKS to them!!!!
CHECK IT OUT!!!!
I am SSSSOOOO proud of it!

Now, if we can just do something about that wood panelling...
But THAT'S another project for another time :).

Quickly before I close, I wanted to share my
"Tissue-Paper Decoupage Vase Project" with you
(You can see the finished product sitting on my "Cutified" Shelf)

I started with a glass Starbuck's Frappacino Bottle,
Bright Yellow Tissue Paper,
and some Decoupage and WENT TO TOWN! :)

What blogs inspire your decorating STYLE?
What "up-cycle" projects have you got going right now?

Thanks for viewing!