Little Women and The Bookcase


The Amazon delivery man thought the bookcase looked more a baby blue rather than a duck egg green and was suitably impressed with my morning’s handiwork.
I flirted with him, but he didn’t seem to mind
Winnie in a fit of sudden excitement rallied from her slumbers in the sunny flower bed underneath the  buddleia and blew him some moo moo kisses
The delivery man blew some back,
He didn’t seem in a rush
He had delivered a copy of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, which I have subsequently wrapped up and delivered onto the Junior Miss Randa .
Affable Despot Jason, had let slip that she had always wanted to read it
and no girl of nearly eleven should be without the stories of Jo March.

The weather is lovely today but with the promise of Autumn in the air.
I got up early ( despite having a few gins at my sister’s home last night when we caught up over dinner) and I have cracked on with the bookcase .
Animal helper Pat, Pippa et al , and a chap from Rhodfa Arthur all commented upon the bookcase with words like “Bright “ ,” sensational “ and a more guarded “ Interesting”

I’m not sure of the colour but the finished result doesn’t suck the lifeblood from the light of the living room.

104 comments:

  1. That's beautiful. I feel envious!

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  2. I think the color is lovely it certainly looks chic and cheerful in your home. I don't know how you get so much done but you certainly give me inspiration. Take care and have a wonderful week.
    Constance

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  3. I think it looks lovely and bright and definitely an improvement.

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  4. Excellent result, nice and light.

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    Replies
    1. Not sure of the colour but the remit was ticked

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  5. Anonymous2:49 pm

    Congratulations, it looks great and so much more interesting than a modern flat-pack item, which never last long. Well done!
    Paul

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  6. I love it! It looks bright and happy. It looks like it is home in a spot where it belongs. How in the world did you get that all done and paint dry enough for books in just two days?! Well done!

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    Replies
    1. Little Women is a perfect gift for Randa!

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    2. She’s a bright girl ....my only reservation is the fact the March sisters all want to be married

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  7. I’m loving the chicken painting above the bookcase.
    I see why the former darkness of the wood would have been oppressive. My mother had a cherry wood hutch lightened and it also made a huge difference.
    How did you move the bookcase by yourself?

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  8. It looks brilliant John and goes so well with the gentle yellow on the walls. I love old furniture but sometimes they need a little lift.
    Fantastic pressie for Jason's daughter. I was obsessed with Little Women as a child and always wanted to be Jo.
    Have you any other pieces of furniture that need an update ? XXXX

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    Replies
    1. I need a new couch
      And a new bathroom

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  9. I love the colour, all those little panes of glass must have been a nightmare so well done!
    Tweetart

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    Replies
    1. I never want so see a fucking piece of masking tape again

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  10. Really nice, and I love the bird sculpture.

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    Replies
    1. Really! Just goes to show with a good eye you can find things anywhere.

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  11. Joan (Devon)3:20 pm

    A wonderful transformation and it goes well in that alcove. My husband has been going to update an old bureau of his parents, plus a couple of other thngs and if I show him your bookcase he may be inspired. Here's hoping.

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    1. It could be neater but I quite like the rough look

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  12. ooooooooh, yeah! much better!

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  13. Job done, John!

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    Replies
    1. Indeed, I never want to see a piece of masking tape ever again

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  14. The colour of the bookcase looks just perfect

    Carol

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  15. I think it's a good color! Is that a baseball on the top shelf?!

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    1. Yes Steve, I worked in Pittsburgh for a while in the early 1990s it is my only souvenir of my time there

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  16. Personally I liked Little Men and Jo's Boys better than Little Women - they continue the story nicely. Something to think about for future gifts! Bookcase is lovely and looks quite nice there against the yellow wall.

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    1. You remind me of her other books thank you for that
      Useful Christmas gift ideas

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    2. And good wives

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    3. Me too! Though it's been a very long time. I've always feared I liked them better because not so many bad things happened, not because they were better books.

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  17. Think it looks fab.....and the bird is facing to the right!

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  18. Great improvement and full marks for thinking of it John.

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  19. You did a beautiful job on the bookcase! I loved the book "Little Women" when I was a girl, because of independent and fierce Jo. There weren't a lot of female characters like that in most books when I was little.

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    1. It’s nice to see a young girl so interested in reading

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  20. Very nice, as it lets the books be the focus

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    Replies
    1. Lol I never realised before , but you can see them more clearly

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  21. it looks really great xx

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  22. A big improvement on the bookcase! It fits in so well.

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  23. Replies
    1. I can cope if anyone doesn’t like it

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  24. Lovely color combo. I knit my daughter a throw with those colors. At her request. She loves it.

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  25. I think it looks nice. I would keep my favorite books in such a lovely case.

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  26. Barbara Anne5:16 pm

    The bookcase looks lovely in it's location against the pretty yellow wall and isn't it a delight to be happy with its color?!
    I enjoyed enlarging the bookcase photo but it won't get large enough for me to read the book titles which I would love to do (hint, hint, nudge, nudge ...).
    What do you plan to accomplish during the rest of your many wonderful days off?

    Hugs!

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    1. I always read the titles of books if I go to someone’s home, gives more of an insight

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    2. Barbara Anne5:28 pm

      Oh, and Miss Randa would probably love "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett if she doesn't have it already. That was my favorite childhood book and it is for ages 9 and up. If possible, choose the Harper/Collins edition illustrated by Tasha Tudor.

      More hugs!

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  27. I am so impressed, it looks lovely.

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  28. It looks good, much brighter. I recently watched a documentary about the Lots Road Auction house in Chelsea, that centered around the decline the market for "brown furniture" dark woods, traditional dark leather. Your redo, would sell well in Chelsea.

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    Replies
    1. I would never paint anything Edwardian or Victorian

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  29. Well done, it looks great! x

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  30. Looks great well done. Heather

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  31. I like it! and totally agree about Jo March and little girls.

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  32. That looks lovely and blends in perfectly. Little Women - that takes me back. Loved the original film but think the latest rendition of it was very well done too.

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  33. Glad you picked yellow post-it notes, pink wouldn’t have worked

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  34. well done ! Looks fantastic

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  35. Eat your heart out Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen -John Winston-Gray is coming on through! Brilliant transformation John! Well done old chap!

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  36. It looks right at home in the alcove now. The colours certainly do it justice. Good job done and dusted. I have never read Little Women .. but I did read a lot as a tween.

    Jo in Auckland

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  37. Wow! Rather than a dark patch, it’s calm and elegant. You dun goood, John! Little Women is certainly a Must Read for a girl. Did you see the film version last year... BC (Before Covid). I find it hard to date things waaaay back then, it all seems so long ago.
    Love, love, love the bookcase colour.

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    1. Virginia , there’s nothing worse than a dark patch xx

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  38. Your bookcase looks much better-and I like the sound of your delivery man-they are usually in such a hurry to leave-he must lick you John x

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  39. I LOVE IT . . .
    Cheers that space up beautifully.
    Love the feet on that piece.
    Looks a blue/green . . . viewing on my iPad.
    Perfect!
    Keep the flirt going . . .

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  40. Oh that is beautiful and perfectly complements the golden walls. And what a lovely gift for your young friend- doesn't that just make your heart happy when you make someone else happy?

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  41. Bookcase looks lovely ,such an improvement.
    Well done.

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  42. What a pretty colour it turned out to be, the yellow shelves and wall make a lovely focal point for the bookcase.

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  43. Very nice work. The new colors bring light to the room. Good choice and big improvement over the dark color.

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  44. I love it and it has inspired me to try something similar!

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  45. It looks mighty fine. You did a good job on all those little window pane dividers. Did the glass lift out? or was that a painter's tape job?

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  46. It looks light, fresh and very modern, and I do love your positioning of it. It is good to breathe new life into old pieces of brown furniture.

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  47. The bookcase looks great. It was the right decision to revamp it.

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  48. Wow, that is gorgeous! Great job, John.

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  49. Looks amazing John - great job, and I love the framed art and seabird.

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  50. It looks lovely. What a good eye you have!

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  52. It looks great. A fantastic book choice for an 11 year old girl. I have read it so many times and wanted to be like Jo March when I grew up (I still haven't) mind you I also wanted to be Kate Bush x

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