Tooling Around with Toolboxes

Hello. I am Robin Z and I collect vintage, handmade, wooden toolboxes. But only the really-really cool ones. Ones that have personality - either in color, shape, or condition. Ones that speak to me. Ones that are not only super-awesome to look at - but also super-awesome to use for. . . well. . . whatever the heck I come up with.

Take this big ol' randomly painted, super-duper, extra-magnificent toolbox

It sat around for awhile on my dining room floor with five super-sized blue antique canning jars. Until, one day, I thought. . .

Well, before I tell you (or actually, *show* you) what I thought - how about a wee-peek at some of my other toolboxes?

My latest acquisition and perfect for buttons, or beads, or. . . It's just about the same size as a piece of paper and has this wonderful patina of being loved, and used, for many many years. . .

This one is probably my favorite, and you may remember it from my Guest Room Do-Over

And here's an awesome stack of wood boxes in front of one my studio windows

including a tool box, a cool two-compartment wood box which is pretty difficult to see for all of the printer boxes (another passion of mine - are you sensing a theme?) stacked in and around it.

Now. . . this particular tool box probably started it all and has the most sentiment. . .

I'm not all that crazy about it's shape or color. And it's pretty evident it wasn't used and carried around as much as some of my others, but, my Dad built it when he was in high school. It was always stashed in an out of the way spot in the garage - but not readily accessible to be used. I'm sure there were nails and tools of some sort in it at sometime. But, for now, it helps to keep me organized in my studio. Thanks Dad.

And now it's time to get back to that big tool box that you saw at the beginning. . . and precisely what I was thinking. Can you guess?

YES! A shelf above my big mirror in the studio!! A SHELF!!!!!

How freaking cool is *that*??  A great place to display antique greeting cards, a cool wreath,

some porcelain eggs, a sweet antique birdie planter converted into a pink cushion, a pair of metal birds,

two scrabble tile holders (reading 'ksyardbird' - of course), the framed original artwork (by yours truly!)

and (yet) another great wooden box with jewelry making tools.

I'm sure my 'new shelf' will be decorated and redecorated a few times before I settle on any definite combination (I'm already imagining some of my pairs of vintage gloves dangling over the handle. Oh. Yes. I collect those too - teehee).

So. . . whaddya think? D'ya like it as much as I do?!?!

Have a toolbox sort of a day -

Robin Z