I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I am very sentimental and know I would be heartbroken the things very special to me. I don't know if it's an upper or base cabinet, but if it's a base you could have it make up one end of a desk (with a deep table top going across it with two nice table legs on the other end. Here is another one where they made it into a sort of sofa table that is very pretty. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-after-re-1-156778 Here are some more pieces of furniture build out of cabinets: http://pinterest.com/dana_beam/repurposing-projects/ Here is a link that might be useful: Ideas for cabinet doors

We went thru something similar. DH and I have been together 7 years, married 6. When we first started dating BM tried to manipulate me any way she could. She apparently didn't realize that I knew that she and DH had been divorced for 6 years at that point. I tried to remain cordial with her even though some of the things I saw and heard from SD made my skin crawl. I saw bruises on SD and she ALWAYS had an excuse. DH and BM had joint custody, with BM having physical custody and DH having liberal vistitation. She controlled EVERYTHING......she even denied him to right to see his daughter on multiple occaisions. Now, when I started dating DH BM had just moved back into the area after being mentally committed for the 2nd time (suicide threat again). DH had gotten emergency custody from the court and BM's hubby had gotten custody of their children. DH was single and did not believe that he could give SD what she needed so when BM came back crying that she had changed, blah, blah, blah he believed her and let SD go back (I think due to the fact that he trusted BM's hubby to keep her straight). We watched BM spiral down the hole yet again over the next 3 years. DH kept saying "don't do anything yet - it's just a matter of time". Even when SD was missing school to take care of her siblings because BM was out partying all night DH said not to do anything. We both knew something big was about to happen - we KNOW her cycles. He wanted to make sure that when something happened, it would make the court stand up and take notice. Finally, 3 years later we got a phone call from BM's hubby. He was kicking her out and wanted us to know so we didn't bring SD back there (we had her for summer vacation and it was the day we were supposed to take her back to BM). I was on one phone, DH was on the other phone and DH told BM's DH that he was done playing games and he was going to court the next day. We get a phone call later in the day from BM's DH saying they just had her committed because she "threatened suicide" again and that she could be released in a few hours according to the cops (depending on what happened at the hospital). I immediately called my mom, had her drive 50 miles 1 way and pick up SD, just in case BM decided to pay us a visit. BM had no clue where my parents live and I knew she would be safe because my father would be home with her and would never let BM near SD. We called DH's mom and step-dad and had them come over so we could figure out what to do. We decided to go to court and the next day we went to my parents and picked up SD. We explained that BM was sick and that SD was going to live with us for a while. Well, 1st mistake was not telling SD the truth because she found out from one of her friends about 2 days later and HATED us. She was 12, we were trying to do what was right. About 4 weeks later BM was awarded supervised visitation and DH and I were appointed the "supervisors" by the court. Oh boy was that fun - NOT! The first thing BM did was walk in to McDonalds and take SD outside. So we went back to court. BM was ordered to attend visitation at the mall in the food court. Again, we were named supervisors. Every Saturday we got to go to the mall and spend 3 hours sitting in the food court waiting for BM, who was supposed to be sitting in the food court with SD but would take her to stores in the mall to hide out from us so she could mentally body-slam SD. I think she brought SD's siblings 3 times in 3 months so she could see them. DH just kept saying "let her do it, she's just hurting herself". Finally the trial started. It was UGLY. I have never seen anything like it in my life. The judge ordered that BM could now have unsupervised visitation based on a letter from BM's dr. Stipulations were a specific pickup place and times, not to leave the county and phone contact with DH while SD was there. Of course, when it was time for DH to call SD, he was told "she wasn't there" or "she was busy". We waited 4 months for the court's decision. Finally, Father's Day weekend it came. DH was awarded full custody. Then it was back to court again for the visitation agreement. The judge stated in the custody order that DH was too "rigid" with BM so we made the agreement liberal, but specific. She played games with that as well. We just kept getting the proof we needed. 3 months later I got a phone call at work saying BM was in her front yard with a .22 threatening to shoot a "friend" of hers. I called DH and let him know. He went to court and filed to have supervised visitation reinstated. A week later she went to DH's work and told him a fabricated story about being raped (she had no clue that the day before her neighbors had called me at work yet again and told me that 3 of her "friends" were at her house beating her up in the front yard). By the end of the week DSS was knocking on her door, they had been tipped off by someone. 4 days later she left the state with her 2 youngest in tow. 3 weeks after that BM's DH left the state to meet her with their 2 oldest. Again, back to court for a new visitation agreement. She's done nothing but play games with the new agreement. Booking SD's flights without the court ordered accompanied minor fee paid (we won't put SD on the plane), moving and not keeping us apprised of her address and phone number (she gave us the address of the post office as her address and got mad when we refused to let SD visit without her ACTUAL address), not calling when she is ordered (calling when she knows SD won't be home). SD is now 15. Last summer SD went for her "28 day" visit. DH let her go 2 days early so she could go to a concert she wanted to see. DH got a phone call from SD about 13 days into her visit telling him she was in an airport (she didn't know where) and he needed to pick her up at a certain time. He picked her up and asked why she was home already. She said she told BM she wanted to come home and BM sent her home. No phone call to DH or anything, just put her on a plane (no unaccompanied minor airfare again) and shipped her home. Later it came out that Bm had been smoking pot constantly around SD, gave SD a joint and a 6 pack for her 15th birthday and SD wanted to come home. We also found out that BM had taken SD and 2 of her friends to get tattooed. 14 yo girls and she got them tattooed! DH went back to court. BM didn't show. Visitation is SUSPENDED! BM claims she never received the notice of the hearing, she has split from her DH and has 3 of the kids with her - god knows where. She calls SD constantly and is currently working on trying to get info on us to go back to court to get visitation back. She doesn't want to come back here because she thinks we will have her arrested for child endangerment, which we will. She's trying to buy SD off and keeps using her siblings to make her feel bad. The woman is just evil and won't give up.

"My DH is pretty livid that I want to use the table, he thought I had dragged it out b/c I was ready to be rid of it. He thinks it's hideous and it doesn't hold any sentimental or aesthetic value to him. Maybe with a cover and a little catch-all basket on it he won't be so annoyed LOL!" Melle, from what you've shared here you have an item that is in terrible shape, that you have no use for, no obvious space for and that your husband desperately wants to get out of the house....so why hold on to it?!?! I have always liked that Willliam Morris decorating philososophy 'If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.' I know how easy to get into the mind trap of what you COULD do with something. You could paint it. You could stain it. You could sand down the top. Or replace it. Or sew a cover. Or move it....and if after all the years an item has been sitting you haven't actually been motivated to do any of those things, then for goodness' sake, it ain't happening. I am still wrestling with getting rid of my own sentimental attachment: my dining room table and chairs. They belonged to my mother, who died young. The first nice furniture she and my dad ever bought etc. I even purchased a hutch from the same furniture company many years later to finish the set. And guess what: I really don't care for the style and several of the rush chair seats are again falling apart--years ago I already went through an expensive nightmare fixing them. Although I would like to replace the furniture I get a pang thinking of getting rid of this stuff, as if I'm getting rid of my mother's memory which is silly of course. So I'm as guilty as anyone of hanging on to sentiment when function and style are long gone from the items. Good luck! Ann

Don, no I do not, so I'm reduced to drooling over your pics and anyone else's. Lol. As you may or may not have noted, I've hardly curbed my enthusiasm for accumulating more hostas and am getting worried because I have not stayed to smalls & mediums...I've got some biggies who will crowd ME out of the neighbourhood! So...Spartacus will be admired from afar....unless someone with acreage adopts me and ALL my hostas! I also like SGS a lot. You've been hankering for that one, haven't you? Can I admire yours when you get it, please? Donna, ha ha I'm so far from it, but thanks for that vote of confidence, pal! Once I become familiar with a new term, the only way I remember it is to use it when the opportunity rises. Do you think anyone will fall for it and think I'm ... like...a real hosta-nerd? Oh, I hope so! Gosh what a glorious weekend we've all just had weather wise, huh? I spread 6 large bags of mulch today around my in-ground hostas, then watered it all down. I wanted to smell "spring". So nice to be able to see pips from afar! The "big guns" are rising noticably each day led by Sagae, S&S, CW ... Honeysuckle shrub/tree size ... All I see is green! Weigelas are leafing, even the mini w's are already showing life... lilac is opening its flower buds, peonies gain 1" a day! Ah, I'm in heaven. Even after all this blather, I still see SPARTACUS in my mind!!! Aargh. Don, you keep showing Prairie Sky and I'm going to have to succumb! again! (At least it's not a giant...I can squeeze it in, ... somewhere?