Getting crafty

I've had a lot of time on my hands these days.  We just had a 5 day weekend, due to MLK and a snowstorm, and while I did the dishes about a bazillion times, did all of my laundry, cooked dinners, cleaned the floors twice and cleaned out the guest bedroom...I still felt a little lazy.  Interspersed in all that domesticated mess was a heap of Tina sitting on the couch, snarfing down snacks watching Alias and reading.  Lazy bum!

Yesterday, in the throws of a full blown Alias-pig-out sesh, I decided I need to get off my rear and do something productive and fun.  Something that didn't include regular chores (let's face it, most of them were already done...twice) and something that would turn my brain into the Master's degree intellect it should be instead of TV-watching-mush.  Enter this...

I found this bulletin board at the Goodwill on one of my Saturday-shopping-with-mom-trips for $10.  We had a 20% off coupon from donating, so that brought this baby down to a nice affordable $8.  I've been wanting to create a REAL pin board (sorry Pinterest!) for the office to hold inspiration stuff for my book...novel...next best seller....you get the point.  The one I had hanging in there was really small and sorta boring.  I wanted something cute, with color, that I would enjoy looking up at and seeing all my motivational nonsense when I have writers block (which is 99% of the time, honestly!)

One "roadblock" to this project was that I didn't want to spend a dime on any other part of it.  We are trying a spending freeze of sorts, Dave Ramsey Financial Peace and all, to save money and look out for our future and what not, so the $8 that I forked over already had to be enough.  I really wanted to cover the cork part in some sweet fabric but nothing I have was cute enough.  So, I just decided to paint it.  I mean, I'm going to be pinning crap up there anyways, right??  Right?   So if the paint looked bad, I'd just pin the heck out of it until I couldn't be bothered by it.

I have TONS of paint.  Like...10 cans of spray paint and 15 little test pots from different house projects like this and this and this.   I figured I could create something cute with what we have.  So I did.

I went down into what is now my "work shop" area (I've got power tools, don't make me use them!  No, really, make me use them!) and found what I wanted and got to work.  I decided on spray painting the outer edges a limey green, and sponge rolling the cork board a happy blue.  Then, I found this adorable coral and gold washi tape that I could use for a border.  The colors are darling together, and I am really happy with the end result!

Hard at work.

I let it dry for a few hours before doing anything after painting.  It has to cure up and all that good stuff.

Then, I added the washi tape and oh goodness, it's too cute!

That pic is really shiny, but aren't the colors just adorbs?

After spending 4+ hours cleaning out our guest bedroom/office, I hung it up.  I even started putting some of the things I've drawn for my book on it (I like maps, ok?   I draw a lot of maps!) plus a few inspirational items.  Don't tell me you hate it.  Because it's too cute to hate!

The room itself needs a little TLC.  I probably need a new desk (hello?  I'm going to BUILD one!) and some major upgrades in decor, but at least the mess is gone.  Look!

This is the disaster I was dealing with!   Major emergency!

But now, it's livable, even nice to be in.  Minus the kitty litter...because that stinks.  And Frodo...he wasn't much help during clean up hour(s)...

Punk.  Anyways.  I am happy with the end results for now.

Nice, clean, organized bookshelves..

Vacuumed floor...

Clean desk and drawers are organized...

Some HP action (this needs to be put away on the HP shelf downstairs) and office supplies...

...and my lovely new pin board to host all sorts of motivational inspirational nonsense for my Next Big Thing Novel.  You saw it here first, friends;)

I'm glad I have something to show for my nice, long weekend.  Now to sort through the THOUSANDS of pictures, both hard copies and picture CDs that I came across while cleaning the room.  Don't you hate when one organizational project tumbles you into another one?  This one is going to take forever.  I need about 20 photo albums and an online picture hosting site that is FREE, with no limit.  Oy!!

Cheers!

2013 was the year I LEARNED...

Happy New Year!!!  Can you believe that 2013 is over?  A thing of the past?  Hey, remember 2013?  That was SO last year;)

It's 2014 now, baby.  Time for a fresh start.  The beginning of a whole new year and anything can happen!  Do you make resolutions?  I do, sort of.  I do with the anticipation that life will become way too busy and I will forget about them by the end of January.  But for those first few weeks, wow, am I motivated!!

Some of my "plans" for 2014 are to simplify life, spend less money {I say this as I am about to go out and shop with my mom, it's really working out for me!} learn how to use power drills and build furniture, read 100 books, and finish writing my book by 2015.  I want to be healthier too, get back into the gym, cook healthier things, make healthier choices, but that is always a goal so I am not making that a resolution.  Also spending time with my family, being a better wife and stepmother, and maybe *even* becoming a mom {gasp} are things that I'd love to work on.

I had a great year in 2013, but it was a growing year for me.  I really learned a lot about me, about other people, and about the world in general.  I feel like my 30's are the "new" 20's, for real.  I know we hear that saying a lot, but I agree with it.  I'm really finding myself and who I am in my 30's, whereas in my 20's I was trying to figure out what the heck I was doing with my life!

Here are a few things that I learned in 2013:

- I love my job, but I don't always like it.  This year has been a stressful one so far!  More so for my coworkers than me, but believe me I am feeling it too.  I love helping people, I love working with kids, I love talking with parents and the staff about how to help students.  When I am doing what I love to do, I love it so.  I think that I may not always be in this position though.  Education is a rough profession to be in, and I feel like there is something more I am supposed to do with my life.  I'm not sure what that is yet.  I'm not sure when I'll be called away from this one, but I am open to possibilities.  That brings me to my next life lesson learned...

- I love writing.  I have always liked to write.  Like in school, I always enjoy writing papers.  I actually miss writing papers.  When a teacher or professors gave us a writing assignment (even my 50 pager in grad school) I got really excited.  Writing is fun!  It's creative!  I started this blog 3 years ago because of a resolution to read more, but it actually fulfills my love for writing too.  I am writing a book, and it's very slow going, but it's mine and it's crazy fun.  I'm having a good time.  I'd love to actually make it as a writer, but who knows if that will every happen.  This book needs to be good, it's totally not yet!

- Everyone has different opinions about everything.  You may be thinking, "Tina...we've all known this for a while..." but really, I am understanding it more.  Some people think their way is the right way, or the only way, or the only opinion or the right opinion.  But the truth is...we are allowed to think and believe in any way that we want to.  Everyone has an opinion about everything...and they think their opinion is the end-all-be-all...but I've realized...it's totally not.  Let everyone live their lives, and let it be.   There are SO many other things to be thinking about or worrying about, so don't worry about how others are living.  Let them live!  This topic came to me because I see so many people posting antagonizing Facebook posts about how the "world" should be.  Don't worry about the world, unless it's to help and uplift.  Do as this little cutie says, and worry 'bout yourself:)  Do as I tell my kids and stop putting down others to make you feel better.  Love who you are.  Love who they are!  Thank you:)

- Family is the most important thing!!!  I spend more time with my family, extended and of course Dave and Ashley, than I did with anyone else this year.  I just really enjoy being around my relatives.  My friends are wonderful too, but we all have our own lives right now and life is very busy...and when I carve time out of my schedule it's usually to be with family.  When you have a crazy life schedule like us, Dave & I have completely opposite schedules, you have to prioritize!  I know that some of my family won't be around forever, and if I think about that my heart freezes, so I want to get in as much time as possible.  I cherish this time.  It's the most important thing to me.

- I have rediscovered my love for Musicals.  Rent, Les Mis, Chess, Phantom, Wicked...I could listen to the music all day.  I want to branch out and learn about new ones!  Do you ever listen to these songs and just cry your eyes out?  I listened to 525,600 minutes the other day and was balling like a child who dropped ice cream.  How DO you measure a year?  Totally!

- My style.  I'm learning more and more of what I love as far as home decor, fashion, shoes, jewelry, etc.  Yes I wear leggings as pants, arrest me!  I still love my Uggs and wear them almost everyday.  I don't care if they are so 90's (see my opinion post up there).  I love the color gray.  On walls, on a sweater, in the sky.  I love it.  I love vintage-industrial-farmhouse styles of home decor.   I love warm wood colors paired with gun metal chairs, or a metal shelf full of vintage books and pink flowers.   You'll see these changes coming to a Bland house hear you.  It's amazing what you can learn about yourself on Pinterest.  I went to my boards, realized that a lot of the home and clothing style stuff I pin is related in some way and BOOM...self knowledge is everlasting.  How awesome is that?

- Simplicity.  I've written about this before.  Up until now I have felt the need to buy, clutter and collect...and now I've gone in reverse.  I want to clean, simply and purge.  I want a simple life.  Less to choose from.  Less to look at.  Less to do.

- I like who I am.  I'm weird and quirky and so crazy, but I'm fun and caring and love life.  I am also stubborn and selfish and worry way too much and spend too much money.  But I'm really working on those things.  More like...I'm giving those things to Jesus and letting Him work on them.  But still, I like me.  I'd hang out with me.  Oh wait, I do.  I think it's important to like who you are!

There.  Those are some of the lessons I have learned in 2-0-1-3.  I can't wait to see what lessons life has in store for me this year!

Happy New Year!