Tuesday, May 26, 2015

the collecting continues


I finally found the perfect desk!  Jan spotted this on the Varagesale page and tagged me so I would see it.  I thought I had missed the boat because there was one person ahead of me who had put in dibs.  But! Late Sunday night I got a message that it was still available and was I interested?!  It was $45 which I thought was a pretty good deal - and I love it!  
Best part for me is that it matches my nightstand!  How funny is that?  I've had my night stand for like 13 years at least and I brought it up from California.  So it makes me wonder if this style was a certain brand or just style or mass produced?  The bottom photo isn't great, sorry! but you can see it's the same color, same drawer pull and the lines have gold paint in them.



So, I'm one step closer to a functional spare room.  Oh! I almost forgot! I've got another terrible picture for you! hahahaha  Let's see, I bought this chest at a yard sale for like $10?  It's cheap press wood but I thought maybe by painting it white it would look better.  I also intended to recover the cushion on the top but haven't yet.  I spray painted the chest.  I did run out of paint so one corner is still wood color.  But. I wanted to see what it would look like at the end of my bed.  I was also hoping Rocky might use it like a step up to the bed.....that didn't happen.  So, it's temporary but at least it's no longer hiding behind the chair in my living room!


Again, sorry for the horrid pictures.  But, mostly I wanted to show my Mom what things look like.  Hope you all had a nice long weekend.  Mine wasssss.......okay.  I know that in this widow life some days are just sucky.  But, it was okay.  

Sunday, May 17, 2015

steps in the right direction

So I did it.  I worked on the spare room yesterday.  I just now thought of something Scott would always say when I'd say spare room - he'd say "the spare oom?" and I'd say yes.  I think it's from the Narnia series?  LOL!!  See what I mean?  He's always in my head!  Anyways!  I mostly just got a feel for what's actually in there.  I did clean out a TON of old magazines.  A ton.  I thumbed through every one in there to see if there was a pattern that I would actually make since they are mostly quilting or knitting mags.  The rest I dropped off at the library free table.

I do have one box (so far) that is yard sale bound.  I started to get super overwhelmed towards the end of the day.  But!  I talked to Mom this morning and she was really very encouraging.  She said pick one thing at a time, something small, and change that.  She also said get rid of the clothes I've been hanging onto for "what if".  So I'm feeling slightly better about the whole situation.  Best part is that I can see in my head what I want to happen.

I took a picture of this one page in a book that I'm cutting loose because I like the first quote there.  "respect yourself and your style by only buying things that you can't live without."  I think this needs to be my goal.  Right?  yes.

I don't have to be in to work until 1 pm tomorrow so I almost feel like I have a 3 day weekend!  I am working Saturday morning next weekend....then it's another Monday off!  Maybe I'll start to purge out in the craft house???  

oh! before I forget.  I stumbled across an app that I'm super digging!  It was recommended in my fat camp wellness class to help track as a food diary called "my fitness pal".  I found it through itunes.  It has a bar code scanning feature that automatically pulls up the food labels and serving sizes and is super easy to use!  I tracked my food today with that and I love it.  lurve it.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

avoidance

Today I'm going to do something I've been avoiding for 2 years.  I am going to work on cleaning/purging the spare room.  AAAAAh.  I really. don't.want.to.

My husband Scott died 2 years and 1.5 months ago.  At the beginning I did really well with the "things".  I rationalized that they were, after all, just things.  Not him.  But now, this far into the journey, I want to clutch the things that I know his hands touched, that fit onto his body, that might still smell like him, that he read.  Those things are the hardest to even fathom getting rid of.

I'm not saying today I will be getting rid of anything of his.  But!  I do need to organize and put things in order so you can at least walk in there.  I can consider getting rid of my things in there, or at least unpacking boxes.....and then deciding if I need it in my life any more.  I need that room to be functional.

The funny thing is that I've been working up to this all week.  So what have I done?  Slept in....drag my feet about making coffee....thought maybe I'll start after this or that.......

The good thing is that I have a mini goal in mind.  I'm  finally buying a desk to put in there and the gal I'm buying it from is moving in a few weeks!  So, I can put my computer in there instead of the kitchen table.  And that leftover headboard may find a bed attached to it someday soon.  And Jan said she'd like to have a yard sale in June so you see how it's all lining up for me to start now, today?

I just have to say, for probably the millionth time - I really miss my husband.  Thursday night the new bed frame set up I have started to fall down.  Like the box spring would fall between the bed rails.  While I was on it.  Talk about startling.  So, I'd take the bed apart and think I had it lined up and then womp! it would fall again.  It didn't come with cross boards.  And I didn't realize I'd need them.  One thing in a million trillion that Scott would have known and it would not have been a frustration.  I try to remind myself I'm learning life lessons.  I'm learning how to be an adult.  After crying and cussing and really disappointing myself generally I try to remind myself it is okay.  I'll figure it out.  Slowly, painfully, rudely.  But I do figure it out.

It's more than just making my life easy that I miss him.  I miss talking to him.  I miss my best friend.  I miss his love.  I miss his hands.  His reassuring strong hands.  Oh man and his musicality!!  I didn't appreciate how nice it was to talk to someone who knew the name of bands I like and songs I've heard and could discuss it and give insight and, and, and....

I know I'm procrastinating right now.  We all know I miss him and for a myriad of reasons that are all valid and good.  Right.  I'll just go and open the door.  Wish me luck (or perseverance really).

Friday, May 15, 2015

{this moment}


{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.





Wednesday, May 13, 2015

my day in pictures

This morning I was up way too early for zumba.  5 am.  ugggg.  When I got home, though, I had time to finish up the Bakery Bears newest podcast and knit.

The office today was slightly cuckoo.  But! the day was totally redeemed by this happy fabric package from my Mom on my doorstep :) Thanks Mom!
Also redeeming the day: a new bed frame! And rearranged bedroom!  You may remember the blue headboard that I painted?  Well, I should have waited because today I saw this shabby chic frame on the varage sale site and was the first one to respond!  Another unexpected bonus to waking up super early.  
After work I went and picked it up.  Moved around all the furniture in my room and added that little nightstand.  I've had that nightstand forever!  Scott and I used it as a tv stand and I've held onto it knowing someday I'd find a spot for it again.  Today was the day!

I added the tulips after hunting around the house for a lamp base.  I have a super cute stained glass shade but no base!  As you can see, George was all about discovering this new surface.  The only downside so far is that the bed is a lot higher than it had been so Rocky is having trouble jumping up.  But!  I'm going to see if I can find some steps for him.  

Sunday, May 10, 2015

busy-ness update

Last weekend was kind of a cluster.  But I also felt like I got a lot done.  I worked Saturday morning.  I got Rocky's nails trimmed.  I figured out how to remove the spark plug from my lawnmower and then spent the rest of the day trying to find a replacement!  Sunday I found one and the mower fired right up! But I had to turn it off to round up the pooch and get him inside and then the mower would not start again.  But, it did start up and run Monday long enough for me to mow the front yard and part of the back yard.  So. there's that.


I finished up the frame for April which was the Wizard of Oz.  This was a fun frame.  The only additions I made were the field of poppies, darker blue for the dress and hair bows.  AND! I bought some glitter thread in red for the ruby slippers!  It's hard to tell really since the shoes are only like 2 stitches but I really had to have glitter! bahaha!


Okay so I have a different sort of project (for me) going.  I bought a headboard from the yard sale page with the intention of painting it.  I have to admit it's not exactly what I was looking for.  I really want a spindly type headboard but haven't found one so figured since this one is cute I should just go for it.  The top picture is the before.
I admit I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to painting.  And, turns out that it's not wood it's grody particle board so I just spray painted the whole thing.  In person it's not quite as blotchy as the picture looks.  Now I need to find some bed rails.  I think all put together as a bed with a cute quilt it will be fine.  And I happen to have some cute quilts!


This weekend has been so pretty, so springy!  Yesterday Charese and I went to see Age of Adaline, we both really liked it.  So before the movie I had some time to sew.  I really love sewing in the spring and summer, all the light and open doors, open windows, fresh air. Love it.  And Rocky loves being able to be outside and then come in to cool off.  Yesterday he came in the craft house covered in dry grass and acted very blase about it, like "what? I don't know how this grass got all over me".  

There's been a pattern floating around the interwebs and instagram that I've been admiring.  It's called strawberry social.  You may or may not know this about me, but I'm cheap!  If I can figure out a pattern on my own I would do that rather than pay $9 for a pdf.  It's just how I'm wired.  Because really I very rarely do the exact dimensions of whatever pattern anyway.  So! I took the pattern as a suggestion on what the finished block should look like.  Then figured out what size I wanted each block and went from there.
I also decided that I don't want strawberries, I want raspberries or blackberries :) I am thinking that I will make 4 of these blocks and do a pillow cover for my living room chair.  

I bought this glass vase with tulip bulbs last week and the flowers bloomed this week.  I just really love tulips and these are so lovely.  Hope you all have a great week!