Creativity on a College Budget

I love a good Parson's table. In my future dream home, I will ideally have either (or both) a phenomenal Parson's dining table and/or a mirrored Parson's nightstand. Naturally, when moving into my apartment, I picked up one of the super cheap (bonus) Parson's side tables at Target. I couldn't find a picture of it online, but it looks more or less like the LACK side table that IKEA sells for $7.99 (talk about a bargain). 

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I would show the current state of my nightstand, but it's currently clogged with magazines, beauty products, books, etc. I have had great plans for this nightstand, but I couldn't decide on which direction to go in, until I saw this month's House Beautiful issue, where in one segment interior decorators were asked what piece in their home they've repurposed. 

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I DIED when I saw this tortoise shell Parsons in February's issue of House Beautiful! I had to email my mom and have her look it up for me in her copy, because I had forgotten to write down the designer before I left so I could gawk at the tables online while I was at school. Gotta love MB, she sent a link to Gorgeous Shiny Thing's post that covers "How-To Recreate Tortoise Shell"! Thanks mom! 

I'm hoping to tackle this project this summer, when I have a nice weekend during which I can borrow my friends' back porch so I don't turn my tiny apartment into a completely intoxicating environment! 

I'm going to top the finished table with a lucite square tray (any ideas on where to find that are encouraged and welcomed), turning my table from tres cheap into tres chic.