Love, empathy, tolerance--also puppies, flowers, and laundry

Friday, September 17, 2010

Free Time On My Hands

I'm in one of those "while the cat's away, the mice will play" moods. My sweetie is the cat who's away and I get to be a mischievous mousie. It's what happens when he's in the field and I get bored. He's used to coming home to rearranged furniture, new pets, new wall colors, new landscaping...staying busy helps me cope with his absences.  Hey, who'm I trying to fool, it keeps me out of the fridge, the kitchen cupboards and trouble.

So I'm mulling over my choices--

Shall I remove the popcorn ceiling in our closet? Pretty easy to dump all the clothes on his unused half of the bed while I make a mess in the closet. That ceiling is so low that I inevitably knock popcorn off when I grab sweaters off the shelf, grrr. And there would be no one but me to suffer the smell of fresh paint. On the other hand, I'd have to borrow a compressor and texture sprayer.  It's not a small job.

Or I could finish painting the very large vintage desk (one of four (!) that's been taking up room in our garage for years). I can just picture it espresso black sporting brushed nickel pulls and a stained wood top. Yummy! Indian summer--not too hot, not too cold--is ideal weather for painting and refinishing. I bought the paint last year and have the drawers done, but haven't tackled the desk itself yet. Of course, stripping the finish of the top isn't going to be easy and I hate the smell and mess of stripper. And I can't find the drawer pulls of my dreams in the right size. Or at least, I haven't found them yet.

Or I could spray paint my grandma's iron bedstead ivory. I painted it sunflower gold in college--now it's chippy (and not in the good vintage way). It's an odd size, but would still fit in our guest room and has lots more storage space underneath than the beautiful maple bed in there now. I just need a creative way to replace the creaky metal springs with something to support the boxspring.

Our bedroom drapes need replacing and I've found some nice fabric possibilities. I bought new rods already although I haven't acquired any rings yet. Even at a thrifty five bucks a yard, drapes take so much fabric that it adds up quickly. And I'm reluctant to deprive my sweetie of a vote on the material choice.

If I sewed new curtains for our family room though, I'd be re-creating the current color scheme of natural linen with red trim, a combination that suits us. I really want the new curtains to have simpler lines--that is if I can bring myself to part with the old-fashioned cottage-y ruffles. Uh-oh, I can feel indecision creeping up behind me, ready to pounce, even as I'm typing about ruffles versus clean lines.

I could just complete a few projects lying around or clean the house from top to bottom, but there's just not enough scope for mischief in that.

Decisions, decisions.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you'd do first (because I think I might have time to accomplish more than one thing on my list of possibilities if I get properly motivated.)

I need to get started so my "fun" has the proper degree of impact when he returns.  I love to surprise him!

Not at all lonely,

8 comments:

  1. Those are all really fun projects...I'd probably start them all and finish none...but would have fun doing so. Whichever you decide....do hope you'll show some photos of the before and after.

    Don't forget to join in on the 10 billion beats tonight at 7 pm.

    http://www.10billionbeats.com/intro.html

    Peace To Earth...Goodwill To Humankind

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  2. Oh boy, I would rule out the popcorn ceiling... too much of a mess and not enough visual gratification. Go big or go home:)

    I would go for the biggest visual impact. Does the iron bed need a lot of prep?

    have you looked into premade curtains that you could add designer fabric to? A lot cheaper and a lot easier. My neighbor did that in her living room... http://www.inspirednesting.com/2010/04/pottery-barn-look-like.html.

    Whatever you choose please keep us in the loop:) We want pictures!

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  3. If you want to tackle the iron bed, Offspring's bed offers a solution for the mattress support. A series of slats connected with webbing (think railroad track style) stretches across his bedframe and is just screwed to the supports at both ends of the bed and at each end of the slat. (It was supposed to be each slat but the predrilled holes were misaligned.) So if there are holes in the side rails so the slats could be attached, you might be able to ditch the springs. And I'm with Heather, skip the ceiling.

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  4. Maggie's garden: You made me howl--I'm an expert at starting projects without finishing them for years!

    Heather: I'm fortunate enough to own a serger which makes anything with a straight seam (napkins, table linens, curtains) easy peasy. I'll check out her site tonight for inspiration!

    Chez Pooh: I grabbed the iron bed at lunchtime and plan to do a little sanding and spray some primer on tomorrow. I need a better look at the rails to find a way to use wood supports for the boxspring.

    Tomorrow is going to be a busy day! Doesn't ANYone think I should tackle the popcorn? That's the thing my sweetie would be least encouraging about, so of course that's the thing that would give me the greatest satisfaction. I am sooo bad!

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  5. I would start with the bed or the dresser. The weather is perfect for working on stinky stuff out side! Popcorn on the closet ceiling would be last on my list because you can close the door and ignore it.

    My husband worries every time he goes out of town because that is when I paint, buy furniture and take in strays. I call it my "travel disincentive program". :)

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  6. Ahhhh my comment got deleted!

    What I basically said is I would do the desk because setting up in the garage with some music going and nothing but a scraper, a paint brush and some tunes sounds like mindless therapy. Can't wait to see the end results of everything.

    I have my own project to begin but I am a bit intimidated having never done anything like it before. I am so worried I will ruin my piece and then I will be devestated.

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  7. Those all sound like a lot of "fun" ...but ....I don't know, maybe you should just relax and check out the frig! LOL!

    Whatever you decide in, breathe in the fall crisp air and take in the delights of a fall weekend! Maybe add some potpourri simmering in the background! Happy Fall!

    Hugs, Carolyn ~ Cottage Sunshine

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  8. I was thinking... what about just laying plywood for the bed?

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