REveal: playing hookie

I have a confession...  every now & then I disappear for a few hours and take in a movie.  All by myself.  In the middle of the day.

It's liberating.

Married, with child, means compromise, and more often than not, I'm the one compromising so someone else can have their way.  One of my biggest compromises is what we watch as a family: TV shows, sports, concerts, movies...

So my little excursions mid-day are usually my opportunity to see something I wouldn't get the Mister & the Son to agree to.  And it's not always easy with my schedule to get together with my girlfriends - and sometimes, like me, their non-family viewing opportunities are few & far between so they're particular about how they spend their time & money (and sharing popcorn!): a sappy love story is often majority rules and once again, I'm compromising.  So, I've taken matters into my own hands & escape I go!  To the theater.

This past Friday I saw "The Gift."

Not fantastic, but I liked it.  I'm not sure why it's called "The Gift," tho.

The last time I snuck away was to see "The Age of Adaline."  Loved it!  Gave me alot to think about.

Other excursions include:

yeah, there are some oldies in there - I added "Say Anything" and "Hook" because I went to see those alone, as a single girl.  Back in the day.

#notafraid

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.

aaarrrggghhhh!!!! The ATELIER!!!

My "work in progress" continues to be a work in progress...  will the atelier EVER be finished???

It is slow going with me filling up 2 of these AWESOME Thirty-One totes to haul stuff two flights of stairs (you'd think I'd lose weight or tone up some muscles, but I ain't seeing any of  either yet!)

Here is the new space, just the bones of it.  I'm concentrating on getting moved in, then I'll work on getting it spiffed up.

I'm realizing I've got alot of aspirations for this room...  this is my paint cabinet (bought @ a flea market & made fom metal peg board - so GREAT for hanging lots & lots of stuff on!!!)

GardenRidge bookcases bought many years ago, one now flipped on top of the other - perfect sized cubbies for my scrapbook albums & pages (eventually, this will be my scrapping bookcase - right now, it's kinda a catch-all as I slowly move in)

Industrial shelving makes up my work table & my back credenza - underneath storage, storage, storage!  Yay, right???  That's my hope, anyway...

At some point, I'm expecting an organized wrapping station.  Needless to say, there is no need for me to EVER buy another roll of wrapping paper again.  Ever.

Aaaah, clever me!  A cardboard shoe organizer from my college years (yes, it's been around THAT long & is still "together!") - I use this to organize my wrapping tissue.  Um, just like my wrapping paper, I have no need to ever buy anymore.  Well, not for a very long time anyway.

The white table & bench seating I inherited from my grandmother - I love this so!  Every now & then I'll need to SIT, so this is definitely going to come in handy.  Love that I will have this in THIS room!  So much of my creativity comes from my grandmother & I think of her often when I'm dabbling.  Miss, miss, miss her!!!

Snatched up the 12x12 paper racks from an online yardsale for $20.  As I've attempted to load paper, I've realized this proably isn't the best spot, but for now, it will have to do.  Again, once I'm fully moved in, I'll figure out where to final put things....

My craft cubbies for project organization & other things (tbd).  The copper mailbox was an impulse buy from Marshall's.  Still don't know what I'm going to do with it!

More wrapping supplies - bows & ribbons in the blue box & drawers, tags & things to the right.  Really wanting an consistent look at some point.  We'll figure that out later!

A-ha!  Picked up this "sprig" years ago because I thought the colors were pretty.  Have tucked it here & there through the years & just realized: THESE are my room colors!  It's become my color inspiration.  The grays match my walls & steel shelving PERFECTLY!  Sooooo inspired now!

***** UPDATE *****

ANOTHER inspiration!!!  The craft cubbies (by JetMax) on my back credenza will be the perfect organization for me!  So fortunate they were on sale 40% off @ Michael's last week.  I picked up a few more AND I got another 40% coupon to use this week if I decide I need more.  Wish me luck in getting them put together at some point this week & being one step closer to getting this room together:  I am on a roll!!!

Here's an inspirational photo from the JetMax website:  Doesn't this look LOVELY????