Do I Have A New Hobby?

, originally uploaded by scrappysandi.

Ok, seriously. I've burnt myself out on paper. Or maybe its just I'm already burnt out on summer. You'd think it would be less stressful. There's no homework to do, keep track of, or ensure gets turned in. I don't have to do flash cards (although, I am), we rarely keep track of reading minutes (we just aren't into it this year), and I don't have to make sure everyone has lunch money. I just can't decided if I only like to play with paper during quiet, relaxing times, or if I am just generally burnt out on it and ready to move on. I think I'm going to finish my swaps, and then just see.

Currently, I've been hard at work on improving my home. All my kids are in school, and it took me some time to bask in that and have it sink in. I played with a lot of paper. I've wanted to get my van back in the garage for three years. Finally, with the help of some really fantastic friends, we got it done. (BBQGuy wouldn't let us touch his "side" but that's ok; we'll get to that later.) My house had not been touched in about 9 years. And by touched I mean, painted and decorated. I was busy with babies and toddlers. I'm sure you are aware of their antics...and then the girl drama that comes with 4th grade. We've had a low drama summer so far, so I'm ready to tackle something bigger...make this house a home and adopt that "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" mentality.

I've done a little everyday. First, I had to get all the camp and BBQ stuff washed up and put back into rotation. Then, I went through all the Spring/Summer clothing in the garage and closets, and repacked the Fall/Winter. I've used my "new to me" bread machine that my friend, Frank, got me because mine broke (aka I let the paddle rust). I made pizza dough for my dinner and my freezer. Right now, I'm making bread.

After stalking all those blogs I posted a few days back, I even went and got paint samples. I'm soooo ready. But the best part of my blog stalking was heading to the Idaho Youth Ranch and Goodwill. This is a picture of my treasures. I got the clothers dryer for $2.50. I've wanted another one ever since I moved to Idaho, twelve years ago. When my dad helped me move here, and out of my apartment, some of my things stayed home with Mom and Dad. The dryer was one of them. I got the cute little chair for $8, someone already painted and recovered it. I'm not sure if its going in my kids' playhouse or just out on the patio. I need to hot glue the cushion down, and that's about it. My most excellent find was the light fixture. Also $8, and will replace the uglier than ugly fixture in my bathroom. I am very sure that some of you know the current fixture...its the standard builder installed fixture, and ugly crystal dome. I.CANNOT.WAIT.FOR.IT.TO.DISAPPEAR. But...I must paint first. I'm pretty sure this is the fixture I found. Woo hoo!

So, I decided to take on two small projects first. First the hall in my house, its full of dirty marks on the walls from dirty little hands. That is what I'm going to paint first. In Tobacco Road, mixed by Sherwin William. I like SW...they give BBQDude's former employer discounts. So, we still have a SW discount card. I didn't use it this time, but I will next time. And then, my master bath. Its just ugly. No one ever sees it but me and BBQDude, so if I screw it up big, I can always have him help me (or bail me out). I'm planning on painting it the SW color called Drizzle. It looks kinda water like and then use some brown and white spa-like accents. I have a rug, and some cool tins in the blue "drizzle" color I got on clearance. (Please don't ask me how long I've had them.) two years. Yes, I know. I'm a procrastinator. Yes, I am. But I will not be forever and always. I get worn out and tired, but eventually, I will get things going. As my health has improved since August, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm going to write out some small goals that will lead me to my larger one, of a lived in, and loved, home;

1. Stage the above kitchen cabinet shelves. John cleaned them over spring break, so I should probably make them look nice.

2. Sand and repaint the antique rocking chair.

3. Paint, stage and make curtain for the laundry room. Everyone walks through there to the garage, it would be nice if it looked like part of the house and not just storage. My SIL, Deanna, did it, and I LOVE it. She has the same pass-through laundry room as we do, but her's leads to her backdoor and master suite.

4. Make curtain for the shared girls' room closet, and paint. I recently gutted it of all unloved toys (took pictures for the kids), washed the walls, and moved the furniture around. Its still got too much stuff, but I think with one addition of this (in white, not green!) and the canvas drawers, I may be able to get rid of even more kid stuff. I might even get Snickerdoodle a reading lamp at Goodwill or the D.I.

Those are my immediate small goals. Eventually I want to talk about my larger ones, but right now they intimidate me. So I'm just going to do these and then see where I land.

Thanks for reading....and check out those blogs from the other day. They sooooo rock, those girls!