REcess

GIRL'S DAY IN!  AKA: Dabble

School is out, but my schedule is full: this is my "season" at work so while everyone gets to relax & slow down, my life speeds up.  I decide to squish in some MUCH needed Dabble Play Date with some girlfriends.  Today was the day!

Our Dabble project was to paint initials for our front doors.

The super cute swirly letters were found at Hobby Lobby for $5/each

We hopped on Pinterest for some inspiration - Dana, who has saltwater in her veins, found an awesome beach scene she recreated

I went with a baseball initial - yes, I know my seams are out of whack.

  

Something was a-miss, tho: it was too white!  Baseballs shouldn't be white, LOL.  They're meant to be played with & you know a good ball when you see it's been used.  So, Shirley helped me antique it!

First, she tried a paint brush but it wasn't giving us enough of an edge, so she asked if I had a make-up sponge?  Well... yeah, I did...  she wicked taupe paint along the edges & I think it gave just the exact effect we were hoping for

The final results - just need to add ribbon so we can hang them on our doors.  Love how all of us went in different directions!

REcommit

6-1-2015

is almost here.

YIKES!

Well, damn.  Here it is almost to the 6th month mark of the new year & I am exactly where I was January 1st.

WTH?

I haven't lost a pound, I haven't dropped a size, I haven't ran a mile, I haven't paid off a bill, I haven't quit spending, I haven't read a book, I haven't mastered a push-up...

And, worse: I'm hitting 50 in 2 days!  Two days!!!  At the beginning of the year, I vowed to have lost 50lbs by now.  Yeah, I did (vow) but I didn't (even try).  Guess I think I'm going to live forever.

With 50 looming, I'm realizing I am NOT going to live forever.  The likelihood of making it to 100yo is very, very slim so I am fully acknowledging that half of my life is over.

Ugh.

So, here I am, 2 days shy of celebrating 50 years and I committing to recommitting.

I have this really long list of things to do.  Some are projects, some are tasks, some will take several days & some I just need to get off my @ss.

I discovered John Acuff & his 30 Days of Hustle & his idea is to focus on something & commit to working on that goal for 30 days.  Simple, right?  Well, not for me!  Why?  Because my damn list is so long I couldn't figure out one thing to settle on, so I had this BRILLIANT (not) idea to do them all.

I am such a dumbass.

I started out making a list off all the things that need to be done & my idea was to do one, or at least work on one, each day for 30 days.

Simple, right?

Well... maybe, and maybe not.  Just a smidge of what's on my Hustle list:

Stop spending money!  Even if it's a GREAT deal.  Better yet, just stay out of TJ Maxx.

Restain the front door

 

Repot the Christmas tree.  Yes, this is THE tree from this past Christmas.  So?

Take the kettlebells out of the box, open the accompanying CD & use them.  Yes, also from Christmas.  So?

Clear off the dining room table. This is actually organized into piles, believe it or not.

Take out the recycling.  Remove it from the dining room table.

Unpackage the Cameo Silhouette, read the instructions, download the CD. Make something.  Anything.  Find it a home & get it off the dining room table.

Er, um... clean out the Butler's Pantry.  Yikes.

Clean off the vanity!  OMGosh...  Why does this look so much worse in a picture?

Purge the make-up drawer.  I am officially embarrassed.

Purge the master closet.  It is almost June & I haven't done my seasonal clothing swap yet. #ugh

Sort my inbox.

Watch EVERY episode of Columbo. In order.  No, I don't know why.

Scream, kick & cry until Hubs finishes painting the guest room so I can (someday) put it back together & won't have to shut the door when company comes over.

This room - once upon a time my office back when we were able to walk in there - is currently housing everything from the guest room & my son's room as Hubs limps thru his current DIY phase.  It has been s-l-o-w going.  Might be time for a tantrum.

Hmmm... I suppose Hubs isn't the only one a little behind in getting things done! My atelier is in need of some TLC (omgosh, how many Christmas things are we going to come upon thru this little exercise???)

This is a killer for me: I must purge the bookshelves & I do not want to!  But my calculations, it will take me 14 years to read all of them, and since I'm mourning celebrating being half-way to dead in 2 days, I won't make it thru them all.  Yes, I must purge.

Frame some artwork.

Take a photography course.

Find out WHAT is going on with my son's courses, grade, final assignments - school is almost over!

Design a family tree for my sister.

WHEW!  That's enough to make my head spin!  Also on the list:

• make doctor's & dentist appointments
• take the dogs to the vet
• get quotes to re-tile the master bath
• investigate refinance options
• change Home Owner's Insurance companies
• write thank you notes
• call my step mother
• drink lotsa water
• blog more

REstart

 Happy Mother's Day to me!  The beautiful rose in the picture below was my gift from my husband & son.  It's a real rose that has been dipped in pure gold.  And it is spectacular & I'm in love.  It looks amazing on my desk.  So, that was a gift from my family and my gift to myself is to restart this blog.  Well, that and a Kate Spade purse.

I have dedicated the past several months to re-thinking my whole blogging plan and here I finally am, back where I started.  I'm still not sure if this blog is the way I want to go, but for now, here I am.

Tonight, at 10:30p on BravoTV, my friend Robin Dyke will star in the preview of "Mother Funders."  I'm, like...  WHAT???  How did that happen?  And how can a show about raising money for an elementary school be interesting?  I suppose we shall see.  And knowing me, I'll be enthralled & sucked right in & I cannot wait!

One of my blogging ponderances was a "Hey, Andy" journal where I explain to Andy Cohen what my "real life mom & wife" day/week/month has been.  I may still do that.  Again, pondering, but for now, here I am.

Today is a new start, a new day dawning and a new Dawn daying.  Yeah, I made that up & yeah, I know it's corny.