I meet with my contractor tonight. I need so my little things done. I would like to be 100% once the housing market turns to be in a position to downsize. Of course, and I do repeat myself I am sure, that the only problem is for my husband and I to agree on style and location of a new home. To entice my contractor I held the large carrot of a laundry room makeover and then tacked on all the other little things. I hope we can get this all done for a reasonable amount. My guy is good, or rather he is great, but that comes with a price.
One suggesion he made the I had not thought of was to get high efficiency stacking washer and dryer. Hmmm, that was an expense I didn't think about and with a wedding this summer I don't know. But now he has me thinking. Discussed it with my spouse and we are going to look. It would give me floor space not to mention the energy savings. And I am all about energy savings. Sometimes my kids tell me I am greener than they are and that is saying something.
I am also having a utility sink put it which will be great. No more cleaning paint trays and such in the kitchen sink! It will be great for my stained glass work or when dying reed for baskets. I am excited even if we don't do the washer and dryer. Fresh, nice new drywall, new cabinetry/shelving, no more dropped ceiling, new floor......are you getting a visual of how ugly my laundry room is.......this time I will have to definitely remember to take before and after pix. I think it is the only room I have not done anything to but paint in the 27 years I have lived here. It's a selling feature! Right, I can rationalize anything. Watch for posts on my project......
.....Random rants on my life, cross stitch, crafting, family and ridiculous events of my life.
April 29, 2009
April 25, 2009
A day without stitching...
What what what! A day without stitching!!!! Say it aint so. Well it happens sometimes but I do feel a withdraw and a jonesing for the needle and thread. I am so addicted. I feel like I need to stitch each day or it is like an arm is missing. So, you ask why then have I not stitched?
Today was a community event....Christmas in April....where a team from my company assisted someone less able or less fortunate with much needed house and garden work. It is a very rewarding this to do.....to help others. The turn out, about 40, or about 1/5 of the employees, was great. The homeowner was so appreciative and you know, it is the kind of work that does not seem like work. Of course there was the whole beautiful day and being outside with girlfriends that didn't hurt.
So now......showered and in my jammies and with a big old cup of coffee...........things like dishes and laundry can wait. I am unzipping the vinyl bag and popping out the fabric, needle and thread as I type. I admit it....I need my fix.
Today was a community event....Christmas in April....where a team from my company assisted someone less able or less fortunate with much needed house and garden work. It is a very rewarding this to do.....to help others. The turn out, about 40, or about 1/5 of the employees, was great. The homeowner was so appreciative and you know, it is the kind of work that does not seem like work. Of course there was the whole beautiful day and being outside with girlfriends that didn't hurt.
So now......showered and in my jammies and with a big old cup of coffee...........things like dishes and laundry can wait. I am unzipping the vinyl bag and popping out the fabric, needle and thread as I type. I admit it....I need my fix.
Ye-Ha
Finally a day of beautiful weather ahead. I am off to help at a community project related to work. Christmas in April. We all help with an 'extreme makeover' for a deserving family in our service territory. There are 10,000 volunteers from different companies helping different families. It is one of those exhausting but rewarding things........got to go, I am driving the 'bus'.
April 19, 2009
Taking care of things long overdue!
I have been on a mad tear around the house and yard. Scrubbing woodwork, weeding flower beds, painting trim, rearranging furniture, cleaning closets....... I had a conversation with my sister because I was wondering if there were a greater plan that I was not aware of that was moving me to get my 'house' in order......twilight zone type stuff.
It took a few weeks because I am slow at putting two and two together. Rather than analyze I just bumble along in my own little focused way totally oblivious. Kind of like Mr. MaGoo! or as a Ding Bat as my husband fondly calls me. So, it finally dawns on me that I am no longer working tons of extra hours at work and not bringing hours of work home each week. And not only are my hours at a normal level I do not have that dark cloud shrouded around me that never seemed to go away no matter how much time I spent at work. There was that insurmountable sheer rock face climb looming. It really beats one down after a while. The difference.......I have a temp at work helping. Unbelievable. I used to feel snobbish or that I was acting superior passing on my grunt work to a temp but I finally got over it. It is great - copy this, file that, shred this, bind that - and it gives me time to orchestrate meetings, take minutes, keep my boss on track and more. It is like anything else, you don't realize how overwhelmed you are until you are back to normal. It has taken me 8 weeks of her help to get to a point where I caught up and can keep current.
Next I will be the digging into the projects that have been put aside for so long. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the company but I was beginning to think I had a brain tumor or was losing my mind because I just could keep up. It was the old - "What is wrong with me" because of course it had to be Type A me not working to potential. At one point this winter, I actually contemplating a visit to our HR department to request a leave. I was that overwhelmed. You all know that story.....take this task on for a month til we retrained someone and one task becomes 10 and a month became 3 years. Oh well all behind me now............
So, back to diligently stitching......photos of my progress to follow.
So as I said, the spring housecleaning thing......I am on a two or three year plan to put my house on the market. It is time to downsize but the housing market is no place for a seller right now. And then there is the little problem that my husband and I strongly disagree on what we want. I say downsize! He on the other hand wants acreage.
So anyway I just finished painting my stairs. I sanded the tops and scrubbed with Murphy's Oil Soap and then used one of those orange glow or whatever products to revive the wood. They may not be as nice as refinishing the hardwood but they look 100% better. I painted the trim and risers white and I am left top paint the spindles on the banister. Yucko! Has anyone every taken on that tedious job? There had to be a trick or a fancy brush.
I sewed tie back curtains for my powder room and hemmed and put them up. I also made new valances and hung sheers in my 'new' dining room.
I didn't just rearrange furniture, I flipped rooms. The computer room is now the dining room; the sun room now the family room and the living room - the living room with a TV and furniture from other rooms. I am left with a sofa and chair - both over 25 years old, that other than needing to be cleaning are decent. I am donating them to the local Habitat for Humanity Store. I need to coordinate my schedule with theirs to allow for the pickup/delivery.
Still doing the Facebook thing but only one day a week.
Lastly, I am diligently stitching on my stitch along project and will post photos before the weekend is over. I have a stitcher's retreat in 3 weeks and I can't wait.......stitching and the beach. What could be better? And I just signed up for a two class in September through my guild.
It took a few weeks because I am slow at putting two and two together. Rather than analyze I just bumble along in my own little focused way totally oblivious. Kind of like Mr. MaGoo! or as a Ding Bat as my husband fondly calls me. So, it finally dawns on me that I am no longer working tons of extra hours at work and not bringing hours of work home each week. And not only are my hours at a normal level I do not have that dark cloud shrouded around me that never seemed to go away no matter how much time I spent at work. There was that insurmountable sheer rock face climb looming. It really beats one down after a while. The difference.......I have a temp at work helping. Unbelievable. I used to feel snobbish or that I was acting superior passing on my grunt work to a temp but I finally got over it. It is great - copy this, file that, shred this, bind that - and it gives me time to orchestrate meetings, take minutes, keep my boss on track and more. It is like anything else, you don't realize how overwhelmed you are until you are back to normal. It has taken me 8 weeks of her help to get to a point where I caught up and can keep current.
Next I will be the digging into the projects that have been put aside for so long. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the company but I was beginning to think I had a brain tumor or was losing my mind because I just could keep up. It was the old - "What is wrong with me" because of course it had to be Type A me not working to potential. At one point this winter, I actually contemplating a visit to our HR department to request a leave. I was that overwhelmed. You all know that story.....take this task on for a month til we retrained someone and one task becomes 10 and a month became 3 years. Oh well all behind me now............
So, back to diligently stitching......photos of my progress to follow.
So as I said, the spring housecleaning thing......I am on a two or three year plan to put my house on the market. It is time to downsize but the housing market is no place for a seller right now. And then there is the little problem that my husband and I strongly disagree on what we want. I say downsize! He on the other hand wants acreage.
So anyway I just finished painting my stairs. I sanded the tops and scrubbed with Murphy's Oil Soap and then used one of those orange glow or whatever products to revive the wood. They may not be as nice as refinishing the hardwood but they look 100% better. I painted the trim and risers white and I am left top paint the spindles on the banister. Yucko! Has anyone every taken on that tedious job? There had to be a trick or a fancy brush.
I sewed tie back curtains for my powder room and hemmed and put them up. I also made new valances and hung sheers in my 'new' dining room.
I didn't just rearrange furniture, I flipped rooms. The computer room is now the dining room; the sun room now the family room and the living room - the living room with a TV and furniture from other rooms. I am left with a sofa and chair - both over 25 years old, that other than needing to be cleaning are decent. I am donating them to the local Habitat for Humanity Store. I need to coordinate my schedule with theirs to allow for the pickup/delivery.
Still doing the Facebook thing but only one day a week.
Lastly, I am diligently stitching on my stitch along project and will post photos before the weekend is over. I have a stitcher's retreat in 3 weeks and I can't wait.......stitching and the beach. What could be better? And I just signed up for a two class in September through my guild.
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