Shutter UP!
Oh, the sounds of summer; crickets whispering in the dark, kids playing in their backyards, birds chirping in the morning, thunder rumbling over an orange sunset, and in our neighborhood the whine of a donkey in our field. Yep, I couldn't believe it when I saw it. We've had wild turkey, deer, coyote, raccoons and even the occasional fox visit, but never a loud, stinky donkey. We still aren't sure how this one wandered into the field to chew on bushes skirting the barn (at least we won't have to do it, so thanks Donkey!), but this poor, old ass was clearly looking for something to munch on. I'd never heard a donkey before moving to New York, nor had I seen one close up. Wow, are they ever ugly! A few weeks ago Joe read an article in Organic Gardening magazine about the benefit of mules and lawn maintenance, but I hope I've convinced him that a riding lawn mower will do just fine (after observing this one munch away in a hideous hunched pose, almost spying on our every move, the sight made our eyes sore). After the ass picked up and moved on her merry way, I headed into our garage where I found old shutters abandoned by a previous owner. Still fascinated by the incredibly slow pace of the old donkey, I came up with some cool, quick tips. If you don't have shutters in your basement or attic, head to Home Depot or Lowes where you can find them for as low as $19.99/each. The two examples above are solid or slatted. I've used the slatted, hung above a desk, for storage by placing mail or file folders in the open slats. Either example can easily be transformed into indoor/outdoor coffee tables by adding stair banister legs to each corner and a piece of plexi glass ontop, resting on felt pads. For an interesting headboard, use two behind a bed, hung on a wall (it would even be cool to add wallpaper or fabric pieces to the solid squares of the hard, non-slatted shutter, or paint a different color for a little flare). If you have a country theme in your home, remove the old medicine cabinet from the bathroom and hang one shutter (hinges are already in place) over the hole as an interesting, country medicine cabinet. And, if you spot a donkey in your yard, just slap the shutters on the outside of your windows and slam them shut, so you don't have to hear the annoying gasp from a big, ugly ass!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Most take under ten minutes
COST: Shutters start at $19.99/each for the size big enough for headboards or tables (36")
STRESS LEVEL: Getting inspiration from an ugly, old donkey: LOW
