The Accidental Recycler....

I wish I could say that this was all apart of my "master plan"-that this was my vision all along. However that would be untrue. I am the "accidental recycler" It all started in August of 2007. We were the proud owners of our second "fixer upper" Our home was built in 1967. I LOVE old homes!!! Shocking I know- imagine someone who is obsessed with searching out old treasures wanting an older home?!? There is nothing that I do not like about an older home. Even if it has to be COMPLETELY remodeled. I love old quaint neighborhoods that are well established. I love how every home has it's own character. I love peeling back layers to see how the house transformed over the years. Anyhow we bought our home from the grandchildren of the second owner. She had lived in this home until she died at the young age of 92. I'll have to post the "before" and the kinda sorta "afters" another day. Today I'm posting this blog to be a part of The Inspired Rooms shutter party. Which brings me back to my story about how I accidentally (on purpose) forgot to throw away the shutters that the previous owner was using inside the house. The hubby took them down when we first started our remodel and instructed me to take them to the dumpster but I just couldn't do it. I had NO idea back then what I could do with them but I knew I couldn't just throw them out. So I begged the hubby to put them up in the rafters which is where they sat until June 2009. We were pulling up to our house one day and I thought to myself BLAH. I mean we've done a ton of stuff to bring the front of the house back to life but something was still missing. That's when it hit me- SHUTTERS!!! I figured if they fit on the inside- why not the outside??? Sure enough they did! All it took was a little black paint and a couple of screws and what was once this:

Turned into this:

I still want to put up a flower box and a few more accents out front but I think these shutters have really helped with the curb appeal. This is how I became the "accidental recycler"