This Week In My Home: Ch-Ch-Changes

This week in my home....

...I've been busy of late.  John asked me Friday, "Is there someone timing you?  You've been acting as though you have a deadline to meet!"  Well...No.  But I'm so excited about all the creative thoughts flowing through my mind that I am determined to get busy and start making my visions reality.  Fortunately the greater portion of my inspirations are do-able, and affordable.

My big source of inspiration has been that quote I found earlier in the year: Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can. 

Take my work on Friday.  I've purchased paint a little at a time, a can here and a can there for various projects.  There's almost always leftover paint isn't there?  So I'm using up leftovers and have painted the three ladder back chairs I want to use in my back porch flower bed.  I will be painting the old set of steps under the pecan tree too.  I saw a photo in Pottery Barn of a plant stand that was a set of steps...I have a set of steps.   I also happen to have a can of black paint. As it happens that set of steps is clearly seen from my chair in the living room.  I think a vision of pretty pots of flowers will do me good, don't you?

I'm also beginning a long put off project of getting my dining room chairs painted and recovered.  I can't even recall how long we've had them but Katie was still living here when I got them and I've been meaning to paint and recover ever since.  Well this is the time.  I officially have one painted chair and I have covers cut and a brand new staple gun.  And while I was working on the chair there was a vision of my table and buffet all painted.  I am sure repositioning the dining table this past week helped get all of this inspiration going.

Why all this busyness and push?  Because I want and need to see pretty things about me and I realized that I can wait forever and ever, thinking that one day there will be money enough (maybe but who wants to wait to see?) to hire or buy things done but there's something in me that wants to see what I can do where I am with what I've got.   It's part and parcel of making home where I am at the moment instead of waiting for something better to come along.  It's important to live now and not one day some day down the road.  

...I plan meals:

Tuna Pasta Salad in Lettuce Cups,  Saltines, Strawberries with Whipped Cream

Greek Chicken, Lemon Pilaf, Broiled Zucchini and Peppers, Pita Bread

Italian Sausage with Summer Vegetables and Potatoes (roasted), Crusty Bread, Salad

Pita stuffed with Meatballs and Tzaziki Sauce, Tomato Salad,

Black Beans, Yellow Rice, Pico de Gallo, Green Salad with Ranch dressing

on my own X 2

...I plan my work week:

I have done well enough on my lists for the past two weeks.  I won't have to carry forward too much work for this week.  I don't know how much I'll get done after this week, so I want to accomplish what I can, but be realistic, too about what might get done.  Restraint being the key word as I do have a tendency to overdo and what is the point of that when life may well be very busy for a bit after?

Finish sanding and painting  three dining chairs.  Even if I don't get seats recovered right now to get the chairs painted is a major step forward.***too damp all week long to paint.  Didn't do any sanding either.

Purchase more primer and more paint for this project, more paint for the ironing board, too, and primer enough to cover the bed meant for the guest room.  I have enough paint and primer to do at least one more chair.***This will have to wait.  Money spent on plants and soil left nothing over.  I'll try and purchase next pay period (next week).

If I have bits left in the cans after painting dining chairs I'll touch up the café set on the back porch which just needs touchups and not full coverage.

Finish up the ironing board.***see above comments: money/damp

Bedding plants for the flower bed chairs in front of the back porch, and soil need to be purchased.  Obviously I'll have to stretch my pocket monies to cover these items and so I shall have to proceed carefully.  I may find I get some projects finished and don't start others just now.

Spread mulch at back porch bed.

MOP THE KITCHEN.  I keep spot cleaning but it needs a good all over mopping and I mean to get it done this week!

Plan meals for the rest of May.  I want to try some new things but also want to use up some of the items in the big freezer, as some of the produce is pushing two years old.  I'd like to make room to clear out the little freezer, too.  Planning well should be a budget saver, time saver and mind saver over the next couple of weeks. 

Alter that blouse I meant to alter earlier in the month. 

I think I have enough black paint I can refinish the table between our chairs and possibly also paint the old set of steps I want to use as a plant stand in the back yard.  ***damp

I'd like to clear out the few weeds growing under the pecan tree, too and will have John spray that area with weed killer.

Make a trip to the flea market and mark down a few more items, bring a few home.  I hope to reduce the space by one shelf unit by June 1, so I'll do some editing there.

Find the other two pictures I want to hang in our bedroom, paint the frames and get them hung.

Buy a plate hanger for the old berry bowl I want to hang on the living room wall.  Hang.

Print out the old seed packet graphics and find frames in my stash to fit those for the living room wall. Hang.

Wash cushions on front porch chairs.

Price cost of hanging the tablecloth outdoor curtains.

Plants for front porch (? budget minded of course).***have a few on hand now, just need to get ironing board painted so I can put pots on it.  Still need a few more...

And if I can swing these things and a day out with Mama, and routine housework with time to spare, I also hope to do a small bit of freezer cooking.  I've room to store it at present and a convenience item or four always comes in handy.***very small.  Macaroni and cheese, spaghetti sauce, some vegetable beef soup.

...I plan my fun:

I suspect the 'fun' part of this week might well end up being quiet time on the porch, in my chair and reading in bed.  I have planned a heavier than usual work week so I'm going to incorporate quiet resting time into each and every day. 

What plans do you have for the week?