I have decided that I am a somewhat boring blogger. Yep, I admit it. Sure I do nice projects most of the time. But I tend to just show and tell you how I did the project and I keep it simple (and basically boring). Well, I've decided it's time to be 100% real... and from now on I'm going to tell it like it is! The good, the bad and the ugly, all of it... So here goes:
In my mind I truly believe that Anyone Can Decorate and Anyone can renovate... We can do it all! Right? Why not? Haven't you watched the shows on HGTV? It all looks so easy! Have you seen what they can accomplish in under an hour? I can do it too... Can't I? And if I can't then surely my husband can.
I have something like 4,782 projects in my head that I want to do. I would guess that we have about 40 projects in progress at some level or another. I seem to have this little problem... I start a project get halfway through and then have another amazing idea... I get completely sidetracked and then its on to a new project.
Then i might visit the flea market or a yard sale and find an item that I just can't pass up... The item literally calls out to me, "rescue me, fix me, please take me home". My husband used to say things like "are you sure? It's ugly.. what the heck are you going to do with that?". But now he just says, "yes dear". I think he finally figured out that if i say it needs to come home with us, then it is going to come home with us. It really is so much easier when he just agrees from the get go!
Whatever my newly rescued treasure is, it comes home and now it's another pending project. Of course if I absolutely love it, I might want (have a dying need) to get started on it right away. Hence my problem, I have way too many projects and not near enough time or energy to give to them all.
Our house has plenty of space for all of my beautifully envisioned treasures when i someday finish them... but right now I think our house is the messiest it has ever been. It's not pigsty messy... Rather it's project messy. Many of the projects aren't pretty yet... Not even close! I can't believe that I haven't driven my husband crazy yet. When he promised to love and cherish me for better or for worse, I am so lucky and blessed that he actually meant it!
He (my husband Jim) helps me with my projects whenever he can... And he is mostly supportive of all my craziness. But he works full time, has other obligations (like Toastmasters, softball and such), and he has managed to lose 60 pounds in the past three years with an amazing dedicated exercise regimen. Note: This is Something I know literally nothing about!!!
Weekends are the only time he can help me and lately we've been so busy on weekends going to Baseball games, taking a vacation to the mountains for our 10th Anniversary and doing other fun stuff, that not much (or nothing) is getting accomplished around here.
I'm beginning to think this little problem I have may be a bit larger than I had previously thought... It's an obsessive addiction really. I am always finding great items that need a bit (or a ton) of TLC and I have no problem envisioning how amazing they will be once they are transformed. The bad part is, that I seem to be lacking on the follow through and I'm struggling to actually finish but a few things each month.
I think this may be a somewhat common addiction to those of us who like to upcycle junk and transform trash to treasure. Don't all DIY'ers have a pile (or a garage full) of our many someday projects? Please admit it! Then I won't feel so bad. Maybe there is a support group for this sort of thing. Oh wait, I don't have time for a support group. I have too many projects to finish :)
If I could only afford to hire someone to help do my dirty work... hehe. Or wiggle my nose and have the ability to instantly transform an item (okay, dreaming a bit here)... But wouldn't that be so cool.
Anyways, I've decided that I am going to attempt to avoid any and all Flea Markets, Yard Sales, Thrift Stores and Craigslist Hunting for the next several weeks. This is going to be hard and I'm not sure how much will power I will have... But I need to try. And I'm going to try to make actual progress on the many items and projects that I (we) already have that are awaiting some attention.
Please wish me luck... Lord knows I need it!
P.S. - I started this post the night before last, and then yesterday I ventured into a Thrift Store...(ooops) I hadn't posted this yet, which means I hadn't actually admitted out loud that I was going to avoid my treasure hunting addiction for awhile. I seriously thought I could just go in to the Thrift Store and look around for a few minutes. That is completely harmless right? No big deal!!!
And then I saw it. A beautiful old oval gold gilded mirror. Not one of those cheap plastic molded type. This was the real deal, super heavy with an old wood frame and amazing ornate details. It wanted to come home and live in my stairwell (it spoke to me). Among a bunch of totally useless crud (notice in the background: a baby gate, folding lawn chair and some ironing boards) then there was this gorgeous old mirror just sitting on the ground and it needed rescuing... And it was up to me to rescue it. Plus, it was only $8.00. Seriously, eight dollars. That is practically FREE!!!
You can guess what happened next...
Yep, I couldn't help myself. I'd like to think that many of you would have done the exact same thing!
Until next time,
Happy treasure hunting :)
Diana
Sharing this week at -In my mind I truly believe that Anyone Can Decorate and Anyone can renovate... We can do it all! Right? Why not? Haven't you watched the shows on HGTV? It all looks so easy! Have you seen what they can accomplish in under an hour? I can do it too... Can't I? And if I can't then surely my husband can.
I have something like 4,782 projects in my head that I want to do. I would guess that we have about 40 projects in progress at some level or another. I seem to have this little problem... I start a project get halfway through and then have another amazing idea... I get completely sidetracked and then its on to a new project.
Then i might visit the flea market or a yard sale and find an item that I just can't pass up... The item literally calls out to me, "rescue me, fix me, please take me home". My husband used to say things like "are you sure? It's ugly.. what the heck are you going to do with that?". But now he just says, "yes dear". I think he finally figured out that if i say it needs to come home with us, then it is going to come home with us. It really is so much easier when he just agrees from the get go!
Whatever my newly rescued treasure is, it comes home and now it's another pending project. Of course if I absolutely love it, I might want (have a dying need) to get started on it right away. Hence my problem, I have way too many projects and not near enough time or energy to give to them all.
Our house has plenty of space for all of my beautifully envisioned treasures when i someday finish them... but right now I think our house is the messiest it has ever been. It's not pigsty messy... Rather it's project messy. Many of the projects aren't pretty yet... Not even close! I can't believe that I haven't driven my husband crazy yet. When he promised to love and cherish me for better or for worse, I am so lucky and blessed that he actually meant it!
He (my husband Jim) helps me with my projects whenever he can... And he is mostly supportive of all my craziness. But he works full time, has other obligations (like Toastmasters, softball and such), and he has managed to lose 60 pounds in the past three years with an amazing dedicated exercise regimen. Note: This is Something I know literally nothing about!!!
Weekends are the only time he can help me and lately we've been so busy on weekends going to Baseball games, taking a vacation to the mountains for our 10th Anniversary and doing other fun stuff, that not much (or nothing) is getting accomplished around here.
I'm beginning to think this little problem I have may be a bit larger than I had previously thought... It's an obsessive addiction really. I am always finding great items that need a bit (or a ton) of TLC and I have no problem envisioning how amazing they will be once they are transformed. The bad part is, that I seem to be lacking on the follow through and I'm struggling to actually finish but a few things each month.
I think this may be a somewhat common addiction to those of us who like to upcycle junk and transform trash to treasure. Don't all DIY'ers have a pile (or a garage full) of our many someday projects? Please admit it! Then I won't feel so bad. Maybe there is a support group for this sort of thing. Oh wait, I don't have time for a support group. I have too many projects to finish :)
If I could only afford to hire someone to help do my dirty work... hehe. Or wiggle my nose and have the ability to instantly transform an item (okay, dreaming a bit here)... But wouldn't that be so cool.
Anyways, I've decided that I am going to attempt to avoid any and all Flea Markets, Yard Sales, Thrift Stores and Craigslist Hunting for the next several weeks. This is going to be hard and I'm not sure how much will power I will have... But I need to try. And I'm going to try to make actual progress on the many items and projects that I (we) already have that are awaiting some attention.
Please wish me luck... Lord knows I need it!
P.S. - I started this post the night before last, and then yesterday I ventured into a Thrift Store...(ooops) I hadn't posted this yet, which means I hadn't actually admitted out loud that I was going to avoid my treasure hunting addiction for awhile. I seriously thought I could just go in to the Thrift Store and look around for a few minutes. That is completely harmless right? No big deal!!!
And then I saw it. A beautiful old oval gold gilded mirror. Not one of those cheap plastic molded type. This was the real deal, super heavy with an old wood frame and amazing ornate details. It wanted to come home and live in my stairwell (it spoke to me). Among a bunch of totally useless crud (notice in the background: a baby gate, folding lawn chair and some ironing boards) then there was this gorgeous old mirror just sitting on the ground and it needed rescuing... And it was up to me to rescue it. Plus, it was only $8.00. Seriously, eight dollars. That is practically FREE!!!
You can guess what happened next...
Yep, I couldn't help myself. I'd like to think that many of you would have done the exact same thing!
Until next time,
Happy treasure hunting :)
Diana
Savvy Southern Style
Maybe you could amend your resolution to state that you will not bring home any JUNK! It would have been sinful to pass up that deal! Ooooh, some turquoise or sea green chalky paint and dark wax would be beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour not alone, I am the same But because of my sched. I can only go thrifting on sat. and sun./But don't worry I would go everyday if I could. The way I look at it is I could be going to expensive stores instead and the man of the huse would not like that very much.
ReplyDeleteWell now that is my story EXACTLY. well almost exactly, no toastmasters or softball but my Sweetie DID lose 60 lbs etc etc. and oh yes that mirror would be in MY house, along with the ummm oh five or ten others I've bought for a steal :)
ReplyDeleteI have about forty things goin' at once, not only do I get these GREAT ideas :) but having ADD doesn't help either ... I like to think that I will get it done, some day LOL
I definitely would have done the same thing :) What a beautiful find! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJennelise
Thank you for being real! I decided to garage sale/thrift sale to get great stuff to upcycle and sell last year. This is in spite of the fact that I have a basement full of great stuff that I have accumulated over the past 20 years. I realized pretty recently that I was just buying, and not upcycling or selling. Hoard much? I've resolved not to buy anything else until I get the stuff in my basement sold. I'm working on it. But it is SLOOOOWWWW, and I find that I still like the great stuff that I found, which makes it hard to part with it. Due to my embarrassment over my self-admitted hoarding tendencies, I will sign this post -- Anonymous!
ReplyDelete