{create} shelf style, part two

Friends, I hope you're having a great week! I'm actually traveling for work this week, so I'm writing to you from lovely eastern Oregon. I'll show you around the area with photos on Friday. Today though, I wanted to share with you my latest attempt at styling. I don't have a natural knack for styling, so last fall I decided to start practicing. My first challenge was a shelf in our bedroom (you can read more about that here). Even then I knew what my next styling challenge would be: the bookcase in our living room. I've always struggled with this small bookcase, and after Christmas it was looking even worse than usual.

Why yes, that is a home improvement book laying out on display. At least it's easy to access? :) So my goal was to make these shelves come alive with $0. I had to only use items found around our house.

I started by clearing out what I didn't want: a few books. (As for that home improvement book ... it was added to our *library*, which is in the downstairs guest bedroom.) Then I added a couple colorful cigar boxes I found to add height under the frame. The picture in the frame is of my grandmother and great aunt from about 1960. I love it. I also found the glass container with green soap it in. That was also my grandmother's. I'm not sure why, but I've never been able to part with the soap. It brings back memories of summer's spend in her house.

To represent Chris, into the big space on the bottom shelf went a mold. We're not sure what it's a mold OF, but it was a gift from one of Chris' close friends and we really both really like it. While it fit the space well, it made the bottom shelf way heavier than the top shelf.

To *soften* the space up a little, I pushed the mold back and added my gurgle pot. I also added a spare ampersand that's been floating around our house for some time to the top shelf. I really like how the gurgle pot draws your eye forward, balances with the ampersand, and lessens the weight of the form.

Let me back up and give you a picture of the finished product. The shelves are looking more full and lively and the books and radio on top also do their part for balancing things out and creating a complete picture

So, what do you all think? Form to heavy? Not enough weight on the top shelf? I'd love to hear your responses!