Gone DIY Crazy

I’m going through a stage… a crazy, out of control, DIY stage where every waking moment (that I’m not at work) I want to be doing things, simplifying things, MAKING my own things! I have this huge circling of ideas just kind of floating around in my head. Yesterday, I made a list of everything I have yet to accomplish around the house- as far as decorating is concerned. I broke up the to-do’s by room, made a short brainstorm for each piece of the room, then totaled up time and cost. It’s not so daunting when you have an organized list… much more structured than just walking around your house, disappointed at every unappealing, unmatching corner.

This book is worth the buy. If anything, it motivates you to finally get
organized and gives you some great tools to do it with. Yes, I have a daily docket!

My priority: the master bedroom. Unfortunately, right now our room consists of all the unwanted items of the house. You know, the items that won't fit into any closet, but aren't things you can throw out; and heaven forbid it be visible in any room you actually use. Yes, we bought a nice bed with headboard and have a coordinating bedspread set that we love. But that’s as far as it's gone. Nothing on the walls (nope, not a thing). No bedside tables (unless window sills count). We do have a sofa table stuck up against one wall since we have nowhere else to put it. We used to have one large lamp on it (the matching lamp was in the guest room) until Dasha got ahold of our IKEA paper lamp in the living room. Now the other paper lamp is stuck in our room so we could have two matching lamps in the living room. Our dressers? I’m using a tall, skinny, black “lingerie” dresser, and John is using an age-old dresser borrowed from my parents. It’s honestly the only room that’s stayed exactly the same since we’ve gotten married- the only room given no attention. So, with the blessing of craigslist, our private haven is going to be the first project tackled and hopefully completed by summer. Now is when I start praying for the people looking through their garages wondering what to sell. “Dear Lord, please, oh please convince them to get rid of their vintage dresser for under $50. One I can sand, and paint, and put cute little knobs on.” It’s all such a gamble. But a gamble that's all so worth it.

Simple Mom motivated me a bit today with her post on simplifying your home throughout the beloved spring cleaning season. I don’t have children yet, so some of it is non-applicable. But for the stuff that is applicable to me- I’m quite excited, especially over the part about sharing our before and afters (nerd, I know). Let’s start decluttering- March 5^th!

Click to see her post.

Of course I’ll be sharing my before and afters on my blog as well- just because I know you want to see all of my crap organized. Feel free to post links to your blog in the comments section if you’re thinking about doing something similar, or just want to share your home moments with me.

Later this week I’ll be posting some paintings I did for my nephew’s room. It was the first time I painted in several years (the last thing I painted was a mailbox for my wedding, which I’m not sure counts). I had forgotten how to stretch watercolor paper and I used watercolor paint like acrylic… they turned out just fine in the end, but it was quite the process of rediscovering how to paint!

Until then...