The completed DIY project that pleases me daily

Many many months ago (okay, okay, it was almost a year ago), I lamented that I had so many projects and no time to do them. The biggest one was putting some salvaged shutters on my custom cabinets as bi-fold doors.

Well, I'm here to tell you that there's nothing more wonderful than the feeling that something left undone for too long is finally finished. I must confess, however, that I did not kick my own ass into action.

If it weren't for my colleague, Amy Hughes, and her need to come up with topics for her great Salvage Style column, I might never have gotten this done. But Amy came to me one day and said "How'd you like to finally put those doors on your cabinets?" Well, hell yeah, honey!!

Next thing I know, there's a photo shoot at my apartment, along with a video camera, and there I am in the magazine and on the website, getting my work done alongside Amy. It was so satisfying to set a deadline and be forced into doing this project that I think I might have to make fake deadlines for everything I want to do around the place.

I think my favorite part was when I showed Amy the simple brushed nickel pulls I'd found in my collection of cabinet hardware (yes, I have a collection of cabinet hardware, usually from the office giveaway table or girlfriends cleaning out their closets), and we both realized the plain hardware would never do. So I opened the box of pulls and found these rubbed bronze flowery thingys. They were the perfect accessory to break up the mass of white between the cabinets and the fireplace.

All I can say is, for everyone who so supportively commented on my last post about these doors: Do one project on your list, and you will smile every day at your accomplishment. I love my cabinets. I can't believe I waited two and a half years to finish them

Next up: the bookcases for the other side of the fireplace! Anyone want to force me into it?