What Are the Weekends For? Projects, of Course.

Weekends are created for projects. Growing up on a farm there was plenty to do after school/work and on the weekends. However, we always seemed to have a project going too. Anything, you name it, we did it. We completely remodeled a house. We learned how to do electrical, tiling, drywall and woodwork. Consequently we tiled, dry walled and renovated aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends’ homes. (And Lady Hiva still doubts me sometimes! Can you believe it?)

It is a bit odd when you live in the city in  a home someone else owns. You don’t do your own projects, they have a ‘project man’ come and do them for you. Even if I know I could do it faster and cheaper myself. So Lady Hiva and substitute for other kinds of projects. Flowers, cakes, decorations, sewing, quilting …etc.

This weekend I did two projects. Neither of these we needed, they were a product of seeing something we liked and then deciding we need to have a project. The first was a lantern group. We were in IKEA looking at what educational toys they have for children and found some cute ($3) lanterns. We bought those and some doily stars and brought them home. After tying some bows and glittery ribbon I had some new Christmas decorations. I finished and Lady Hiva said, “Oh, that is not how I imagined them.” Brrrmmmp! Do I translate that as she approves or not??? Either way she is too nice to say. Haha.

The second project came when Lady Hiva found some ‘really cool’ knobs at an antique store. She wanted a coat hanger using the knobs. Of course, thanks to Kell’s mentoring, I cannot just make a flat board with knobs on it. It needs to be a shelf. Then the shelf needs trim…make that crown molding. And it should be painted two tones to be more sophisticated….oh boy!

We went to Home Depot TWICE! Ended up with buying crown molding and I don’t have a saw so I was trying to cut the 45degree angles for the corners with the stupid plastic yellow ‘helper tool’ and the dull saws they let people use. I was sweaty and had sore biceps by the time we left. I am thankful I am ambidextrous so I can just switch arms when one gets tired.

Low and behold, I needed a drill we went to buy on—nothing fancy just needed a drill. And then decided that Sears may have a cheap drill and yay, they have a drill in a drill/saw/light/jig saw combo package! I was glad we bought it because I needed to re-cut one of the boards and not having to use the dull saws and Home Depot was a sanity saver! HAHA.

this is how it all began

I dont have a speed square so I used a square paper folded in half to get my 45degrees   (so I did learn something in High School Geometry)

It turned out really great. I like when you step back and see a finished project. The satisfaction magically makes you forget all the times you almost quit out of frustration, the crooked cuts you have to fix, the sore arms and all the time you spent (sometimes it is easier to just buy it).  So it was a good weekend! If anyone has a suggestion for the next project, let me know! I am on the lookout now. 

slowly getting there