Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Proliferation of Projects

So you know I'm taking a writing hiatus to get some household projects done. I've been cleaning and organizing like a madwoman. But I'm nearly done--only the bedrooms left to finish--which means most of my house is clean and dust-free into the deepest corners. (You are now what? Laughing? Rolling your eyes? Glaring at me? :P)

Of course, getting all this work done has created even more projects!

I've discovered the bar stools need their seats reupholstered. That's an easy one at least. I even already have fabric left over from last time :).

The curtains in my kitchen basically fell off the walls when I was vacuuming the dust off the tops, so I decided to replace them with cornices. Which, of course, means building cornices. 

I removed a desk from our back porch, which matches the dresser set in Beastie 2's room, so we're moving it in there. All three pieces need to be refinished. And Beastie 2 wants a new wallpaper border hung--zebra stripes to replace the "baby" butterfly border she has now. (Wah! My Beastie is growing up!)

Speaking of Beasties growing up: Beastie 1 has a pillowcase I made him when he was about 18 months old. That would be over 11 years ago, sigh.... It's...well, let's say, you see more pillow peeking through these days than case :P. (It's not the pillow he sleeps on, btw, it's a little one he just sets on his bed.) We picked out a really cool dragon fabric, and I'll have to borrow my mom's sewing machine and make a new case.

Oh, check it out--I found an image of the fabric!



The coffee table. (*groans*) We bought a sturdy oak coffee table when we first got married (19 years!) and it's really starting to show its age. I have tried so many times to find a new one I like, but no luck. Despite Jeff's warning against it, I believe I shall try to refinish it. Or touch it up. Or something. But I can't just let it go. (Don't tell him! Hopefully I can surprise him by actually making the table better instead of worse....)

And speaking of Jeff: They say opposites attract. This is most true for us. Jeff is a pack-rat and a set-it-where-he-uses-it kind of organizer. I'm an anti-pack-rat, and an obsessively put-it-away-or-throw-it-away organizer. Long story short, we bought a cabinet to put in the kitchen next to the bar area where his laptop and mass-of-junk-that-makes-my-eyes-roll-back-in-my-head lies spread across the counter. Wish us luck. Pray for us. This has to work or I may one day douse the whole mess with the kitchen sprayer.

Alright--back to it! Gotta get this all finished so I can end this hiatus. (Yep, the itch to write again is starting...)

5 comments:

Kessie said...

It's too early for spring cleaning, so this is midwinter cleaning? :-)

Your mind will feel so much calmer with a clean house.

Kat Heckenbach said...

This is inspired-by-too-much-HGTV-while-sick cleaning! :P

And yes, yes it will. :D

Sparks of Ember said...

New Years cleaning - just say you're going with Japanese custom if people ask! ;) What are cornices?

Good luck with the refinishing. I have a table I need to attempt that with one of these days. Share your experience later & maybe you'll motivate me. Or scare me off. Either works. lol

That's really cool dragon fabric. Very neat. My munchkin is having a zebra-decor birthday party. The invites had a zebra border and suddenly everything had to be zebra.

The cabinet should work so long as he keeps it shut so you can't see the disaster within, right? Good luck!

Kat Heckenbach said...

Cornices are like solid-structures instead of curtains. The ones I make are wood wrapped in fabric.

Beastie 2 has zebra bedding and will have zebra border. She's trying for just about zebra everything, but I'm putting down limits ;).

Kathryn said...

You are so funny w/ your beasties...and now I see another area we are similar yet different. I LOVE being organized, but I am also a piler...but moving has helped me with all that. You ask yourself.."Do I like this enough to pack and unpack it?" You are my sewing hero...Did you teach yourself how to make cornices? I love the one by your table. Maybe I will give it a go. Any helpful hints??

Speaking of unpacking...gotta go hit that garage.It's easy to ignore all the boxes out there...and it's so coldddddd out there!! Brrrrrrrr. xxoo KH