some nearby yard work planned, I incorporated a rain barrel.

After some research (through which I learned there is no shortage of techniques for making rain barrels nor in the shear number of rain barrels now on the market), I chose a 60 gallon rain barrel made by a company called EarthMinded. I picked it because 1) it looked good 2) it was comparatively large 3) it looked easy to install and 4) it could be bought through a local conservancy that subsidized the barrels bringing their cost down.

With rain barrels (like real estate) location location location is everything. Screened (at least partially) from the road, I set the barrel just downhill of last year's Vinca planting and just uphill from a bit of grass I intended to overseed (I completed this this past weekend and plan to post on it). I purchased 2 bags of pea gravel, used scrap (ground-contact-rated) 4x4s (further treated) and a spare piece of blue stone. Together, this/these provided a solid, level and elevated base (all very important).

Assembling and installing the barrel was a snap (Earthminded's instructions were excellent) BUT I did have to request beforehand a kit that would work with my new round downspouts.

I may write more about this project on my blog in the coming weeks but for now if you have questions, don't be afraid to ping me. Thanks for reading. ~jb

of us, and going out and buying new and expensive shelving and storage units aren't always an option. So what do we need to do to give ourselves the space we need for storage without going over our budget?! We need to open our eyes to seeing items we already have (or can find for low cost at a thrift/antique store) in a whole new way. We need to upcycle something old into something new that will work for us- most of the time, using an item for a purpose it was not intended for – like this ladder I hung up and turned into a bathroom storage unit for my skinny upstairs bathroom.

The idea for this project started brewing early last week, when I found an old red license plate out in our barn. I brought it into the house knowing I wanted to create something with it. A little bit later the same day I was cleaning my bathroom, and bothered by the fact we never have anywhere to set our little items or hang towels because of the skinny narrow shape of our bathroom.

Then.... I thought of the idea to turn the ladder on its side, and add some hooks so it will double as a shelf for small items, and as a place to hang a few towels for guests when they step out of the shower.

Here is the ladder before:

I simply nailed in two small finishing nails to attach the license plate to the ladder to give it some added character:

Next I attached two oil rubbed bronze Dragonfly hooks I purchased at Target a few years ago and found again in my project supply room today:

Final step was to hang the ladder on the wall and use!

As I had mentioned above, this is a great solution for storing smaller items like tp, lotions, makeup, and hanging towels, when you don't have a large vanity cupboard and a floor storage unit isn't an option. The bathroom ladder doesn't take up much space and doesn't cost a ton of money!

Need or want something new in your bathroom or home?! Take a look around your own home first, looking at everything with a new set of eyes and think 'how can I use this differently?!'

Thanks for reading,

~Kelly

deal of light that comes from the window at the top of the stairs. Right now there is a treadmill on this wall, and no other place for it in the house either, so it can't move. Any idea is welcomed.