Well this weekend didn't go quite how I planned. <----I just say stuff like that for giggles. That's what most people do, right? They plan things they need to get done on the weekend? LOL (In all seriousness, I accept that my life is this way because if I had the pressure of making a to-do list every weekend and feeling the need to accomplish it, I would blow my brains out.)
On Friday afternoons I can't think any further than leaving this factory hole that I dwell in all week. In a dirty, moldy, sneeze-inducing chemical haze...under bad lighting...I sit in front of my computer and draw things. Or calculate wind loading.
By Friday evening I just want everyone to leave me alone so I can lay on my bed and think about nothing.
Somehow I was convinced by my daughter to let her invite a friend for a sleepover:
I had to rush out and get provisions. Candy and junk food. Wine to get over my general bad outlook on life lately. The girls retreated into the bedroom with candy and makeup, and the boys ran around like wild animals all evening.
So. A standard weekend. I decided to try being a good mom, and I threw together this breakfast casserole recipe from Pinterest. The result? It was a little overcooked and nobody was in love. At least the earth is still on its axis; my cooking is still $%&#.
Then I decided to sort through a mountain of clothes, doing that seasonal "changing of the wardrobe" for all 3 kids. Sorting everything that doesn't fit, isn't the right season, or might possibly fit next year...nobody has any freaking church shoes that fit. This causes me to have a minor meltdown. MY KINGDOM FOR A PAIR OF DRESS SHOES IN THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THE LOVE OF BACON WHY IS THIS SO HARD!?!?
More wine...and suddenly I don't give a crap anymore. They can wear rags duct-taped to their feet to church, and we can tell everyone that we're getting into character for a play about Jesus and some lepers. or something.
Then I had to check the bank account because it looks like I way overspent this month and shot myself in the foot, re: saving for the beach house. At this point I would like to cry.
But I blink and it's already Monday. Or Tuesday. I'm back in the factory staring at this screen. Dawn and I are discussing bookcase lighting via email. We can't decide what to do, because all the cute spotlights we see online cost tons of money and we are really hard up for cash right now.
Here is where I can describe what a jerk her ex is, how he doesn't pay his child support, how Dawn doesn't have any budget for wood to finish the built-ins or bookcase lamps so we are at a standstill on this project, and I'm trying to figure out how to build these:
out of cheap parts I found at Tractor Supply.
Hey -- I feel a tutorial coming on!
(Why do I sometimes feel like my blog needs a new title...like "Redneck Home Design"?)
On Friday afternoons I can't think any further than leaving this factory hole that I dwell in all week. In a dirty, moldy, sneeze-inducing chemical haze...under bad lighting...I sit in front of my computer and draw things. Or calculate wind loading.
By Friday evening I just want everyone to leave me alone so I can lay on my bed and think about nothing.
Somehow I was convinced by my daughter to let her invite a friend for a sleepover:
Then I had to check the bank account because it looks like I way overspent this month and shot myself in the foot, re: saving for the beach house. At this point I would like to cry.
But I blink and it's already Monday. Or Tuesday. I'm back in the factory staring at this screen. Dawn and I are discussing bookcase lighting via email. We can't decide what to do, because all the cute spotlights we see online cost tons of money and we are really hard up for cash right now.
Here is where I can describe what a jerk her ex is, how he doesn't pay his child support, how Dawn doesn't have any budget for wood to finish the built-ins or bookcase lamps so we are at a standstill on this project, and I'm trying to figure out how to build these:
out of cheap parts I found at Tractor Supply.
Hey -- I feel a tutorial coming on!
(Why do I sometimes feel like my blog needs a new title...like "Redneck Home Design"?)
The last line got me to laughing, and reminded me of The Junk Gypsies show. They make lighting fixtures out of the coolest crap. You will come up with something, even if it has to percolate a while.
ReplyDeleteBeth, check out this redneck chandelier:
ReplyDeletehttp://losaustins.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=225&g2_serialNumber=3
I seriously laughed like a nut for 3 minutes the first time I got a good look at that photo ;)
I think your blog should be renamed "renovation for the rest of us" ... the people who have no money to spend on anything while everything needs redone. It all comes together in the end, somehow.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! LOL
ReplyDeleteSometimes my cooking is total crap too. Oh well is what I say! I feel JUST like you Fridays. Totally and utterly completely dead. Leave me alone. Borderline cry myself to sleep :) OK fine I'm being dramatic.
Tell Dawn her ex and my ex are probably BFF's. Grrrr
More thoughts from an anonymous male engineer:
ReplyDeleteKnow your audience / clientele - There's a law somewhere that says kids do not like casserole, any casserole.
Know your competition - You put your casserole directly up against candy and junk food.
Really your only realistic hope was that you and Dawn would enjoy your casserole. :-)
I was expecting a pic of two empty bottles of wine laying on their side willy-nilly with their corks close by. Haha
Lighting:
If you're going with external light fixtures make sure the ones above the TV can be pointed inward so you don't wash out the TV screen.
Don't hang lights as low as the pic above. Almost guaranteed they'll get hammered at some point, especially with kids around.
Didn't you recently write about a relative who owns an antique store? No one says the fixtures have to match.
I've used exterior lighting fixtures inside before. Don't limit yourself.
Do you have any salvage businesses nearby ala Nicole Curtis?
How about running led's or rope lights hidden inside the front trim?
Lastly, if you want to go redneck, simply hang the year-round Christmas lights around the cabinets. It's almost that time of year anyway.
Brian
Glad to have found your blog. My partner and I are DIYers but he only wants to work on projects he deems worthy. I have lots I need/want to do with the house so I'm inspired to learn to use the tools he has and just tackle them myself.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I read a lot of decor/home improvement blogs and it's nice to find one where I'm not thinking to myself "the wife doesn't even work, where do they have the money for all of this?" Nice to know others like myself can do things working with a tighter budget.
thanks for reading Anonymous - I'm all about renovating with no money. Don't get me wrong - if I suddenly had piles of available cash, I would save myself some agony and buy wood rather than use free scrap pallets for stuff.
ReplyDeleteBut we play the hand we're dealt, so to speak...
also, i am mad that my link to the redneck chandelier isn't working (at least on my computer) so here is another link:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f301/donzoe/217786f5.jpg
Okay, the redneck chandelier is awesome. Thanks for posting the new photo link!
ReplyDeletei love the shot of the wine with the ringpops. this is me.
ReplyDelete