🎪 This Is My Circus; This Is My Home — Project #1

David had Charlie drive him to Walmart on Beach Street the other day to get shoes. On the way home he saw two shelves, and he thought one of them would work for the Coffee Bar I want to make upstairs for when Charlie goes out of Town. 🎪

When David got home he told me to stop working he needed to show me something. I put everything on hold because I thought David meant at one of the dumpsters in our Apartment/ Townhome complex. Boy was I wrong.

We had to go back close to Walmart into a warehouse strip mall. David pointed at the shelf you see in the photo and also got another shelf out of the trash. I let David know they would work but wasn’t want I had in mind.

We bring both shelves home and instead of using this one as the Coffee bar upstairs as David planned I’m going to use it to hold the books I collect so I can get them out of the totes they are in taking up space on the floor in.

Because⭐ This Is My Circus, This Is My Home — Project #1 and One Man’s Trash Is Another Mom’s Treasure I can do what I want with the shelves including painting the shelves if Charlie and I decide to which we’ve done a lot of.

If your home is like mine, then every home has a story. Mine just happens to be written in coffee rings, Dollar Tree finds, rescued furniture, Hobby Lobby Highland Cows, and a whole lot of grace.

Today kicks off the very first project in my new home‑reset series, This Is My Circus, This Is My Home — a journey where we change things up on a prayer, a budget, and a whole lot of faith & grace… with plenty of Honey‑Dos by David. If you have are in Fort Worth and need work done in your home or yard work contact David or Charlie because this is what they do.

And to showcase David and Charlie’s work there is no, better way to begin than with a bookshelf that literally came from the trash.

📚 The Bookshelf David Rescued

If your husband is like David and he walks in the door with that look — the one that says, “Don’t be mad, but I found something…”

Because you just might end up with a wooden bookshelf with glass doors, a little dusty, a little worn, and a whole lot of potential. The top was rough, the finish was tired, and the water rings told a story I’ll never know.

But in this house?

One man’s trash is another mom’s treasure.

This shelf is sturdy. It’s charming. It’s perfect for my books. And it’s about to become a whole moment in my home.

🛠️ Honey‑Do Highlight (C&D’s Honey Do’s)

Before I could even say yes or no, David had already:

• tightened the screws
• checked the structure
• and asked me if he needed to sand the rough spots
• wiped the shelf down inside and out
• and said, “We can make this cute, can’t we?

David can fix anything — especially if it was free.

✝️ Mile Marker Grace Moment

Standing in front of this beat‑up shelf, I felt that familiar whisper:

“It doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful. It doesn’t have to be new to be loved. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful.”

That’s the heart of Mile Marker Grace — finding meaning in the middle, beauty in the broken, and purpose in the pieces we’re given.

🪄 The Plan (On a Prayer & a Budget)

The top is damaged, but that’s nothing a Dollar Tree runner can’t hide. Or a seasonal display. Or my Dolly signs. Or all three, depending on the day.

And speaking of budget decorating…

🌼 Budget Decorating Tip: Cup Towels Over Runners

One thing David taught me during Saint Patrick’s Day — and I swear this changed my whole decorating life — is to use cup towels instead of runners.

They’re cheaper. They’re easier to wash. They come in every holiday theme you can imagine. And they work beautifully on shelves, tables, and even the tops of rescued furniture.

No need for tablecloths when a cute cup towel does the job. Placemats too.

It’s one of those little hacks that makes decorating fun instead of stressful, and it fits perfectly with our prayer‑and‑budget lifestyle.

🐮 Hobby Lobby Highland Cows (40% Off!)

All the Easter decorations you see on top of the shelf? Every single one came from Hobby Lobby.

I collect Highland Cows for every holiday, and we grabbed these during their Spring sale at 40% off — which made them the same price (or cheaper!) than Dollar Tree.

And when I’m hunting for runners, placemats, or seasonal linens, I always check resale shops and Goodwill first. Did you know my mom worked for Goodwill, so thrifting is in my blood.

Between Hobby Lobby sales, Dollar Tree finds, and secondhand treasures, I can decorate my whole house on a prayer and a budget — and it still looks good.

📦 Sorting the Books (Ongoing Updates)

As I go through my books, I’ll be updating this post with:

• which authors get a spot on this shelf which I’m sure you know will be Danille Steele but who else is to be seen.
• which books move to the other rescued piece David fixed up
• which ones get donated which if you know me may not happen. LOL
• and which ones get displayed front‑and‑center

Because my house may be full of junk… but it looks good. And it works for me.

🔨 Coming Soon: Another C&D Honey Do’s Project

While I was working on this shelf, David was already knee‑deep in another rescue project — and yes, I took photos. Be watching the blog for updates. This circus is just getting started. Which is why this circus is mine and these Monkes are mine and help me keep the circle unbroken at all times.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates