The never-ending unfinished mess of projects...and stuff

Do you ever have so many projects going that you just feel like you aren't making any progress on any of them? That's where I'm at right now, with the added bonus of: the biggest, most overwhelming, boring project is the mandatory one with a deadline. I know that's just life, but I hate it.

I am nearly done priming the basement and painting the ceilings, so now I have to actually buy a paint with color in it. Such a big choice. So stressed about the commitment. (...because when I'm done painting, I'd like to be done for a while.)

I've put a couple of samples up on the wall. The first one is just my favorite color.

...but it hurt my brain to look at it on the wall. 

You can't begin to tell how painfully bright it is from this picture.

Also, before Tony left, I cleaned my insane avalanche pantry .

Avalanchery?

..and I repainted it..

..and now I'd love to get my stenciling skillz good enough to decorate something other than old drywall scraps....

...but there's that whole basement thing...

Oh-So-Licious

I got a new dress in the mail yesterday.

...and it's retrolicious!

...no, seriously, that's the brand. It's on the tag and everything.

I sorta live for Modcloth's 70% off sales. It helps me find clothes that I like enough that I will take care of them (by hanging them up....instead of tossing them in the impromptu laundry pile behind my bedroom door.)

They even threw in free bobby pins, because I'm such a good customer/shopping addict.

On a Roll

The basement is progressing nicely.

I now have a light in my laundry room...

...with a switch instead of a ratty string.

Previous view facing the laundry room:

Current view facing the laundry room:

The men and boys have had plenty of opportunities to be uber-manly.

Framing, insulating, and otherwise just spending lots of late, late nights doing dirty jobs in the basement.

Tony has wanted a dedicated (no distracting wife and children) office since we got here.

It's not my fault I like talking to him!

...and now it is starting to look like a room you would able to study in.

And, although we haven't completely figured out the stairs...

...the space underneath them looks promising. (I've already had a couple of children offer to rent it from me as their own personal cupboard under the stairs. Sadly for them, I'm quite anxious to get all of our Christmas stuff stored away in there! Yes, our tree may stay up until this closet is finished.)

The outside view.

Family room: after Tony and Al finished. 

Family room: after the first day with the drywallers. (We decided that was not worth doing ourselves...and by ourselves, I mean Tony with me as support staff....with duties like: listening to his plans for the basement, not complaining that he spent all of his time working there, and providing occasional meals.

 It's a pretty good job.)

 NOW. What color do I paint it? ...and yes, I literally mean I, me, Annalia, physically painting it.

 I know. It's totally my turn.

My Mishap

My hellebore are so confused. They don't know it's still deep winter - not early spring!

Cozy has become an adept dirt artist. Her dragon is quite impressive.

See if you can find it.

...and I flooded the bathroom sink. It dripped down into all of the cabinet drawers...and then into the basement. Fun stuff.

I don't feel I'm entirely to blame, since my sink is missing the safety overflow prevention hole thingy.

Still, it was embarrassing, made my bathroom a mess, and did a number on the cabinet drawers (which are apparently not meant to be full of hot water.

Not wanting to be reminded of this episode every time I opened the drawers, I hurried to Target and found some cute shelf paper. $6. Removable (so I can replace it as it's ruined). Fast and easy to "install".

There's a grid on the back of the paper for easy measuring...but it seemed even easier to use a box cutter and my quilting tools (self-healing mat and giant ruler).

Cute, cute!

...and now I get to organize and clean.

Venting

Ok. These aren't terrific pictures, but...

See my giant, ancient concrete sink?

Tony replaced it with new, other sink. Eventually it will be on the other side of the Washer/Dryer...

...but that will be in the future...and require a plumber.

See that little table Tony's working at? 

He took the legs of the old sink and attached  a piece of wood to it. He gave me a very strange look when I told him how cute I thought it was. :)

Tony and his friend Al have been messing with the vents, giving them a slimmer profile. This is mainly in deference to tall guests (or future home buyers) we might have...since I'm sure we never had to duck to get under the old one.

Anyhooo, Tony found this vintage book in the old vent. 

I'm sure it had been there for decades.

I only wish some little person had written their name in it....

Dust Zone

It isn't just Jonny making dust lately.

Tony has been transforming our basement into something usable.

...I mean useful for living in, not riding bikes and storing Christmas decorations.

So now we have some walls framed...

...and Al is doing our electric. Check out the fancy-pants can lights with an actual switch on the wall! That's a big upgrade from our bare light bulb with a pull cord.

Ooo...and check out the plumbing...

...replacing the old leaky stuff. 

We're hoping to get the drywall up before Tony abandons me for the next couple of months. Don't worry. I've already planned my revenge. I'm going to paint his new office pink and use it as a sewing room. :)

Dress Up Play Kits...for Moms

Beth loves books.

....and since I was lucky enough to get her family for the Christmas gift exchange this year...

....I didn't get her any.

Mean, I know.

Instead, I put together a "librarian play kit" for her.

Weird, I know.

Still, it did have a bookish theme, and I just picture Beth with her own personal library...or playing "space library" with her kids.

It's old school librarian, since I found these am-A-zing library cards and pockets. I almost hate to tell you about them, since I plan to gift them to a couple other people who may or may not read my blog from time to time.

Beth also needs a typewriter to put all of her book names on the cards...but I didn't feel like mailing one. 

Lame, I know.

...but I did find a cute date stamp and ink pad to use with the library cards.

(Available in the scrapbook section at Target...or at Michaels or AC Moore.)

It even lets you stamp snarky remarks about your books, so you can give "mad props" to J.K. or J.R.R.

I also got her a call bell...kids love them...and they're so annoying....but also fun.

I picked mine up at Target, but you can also find them at Staples or these cute ones at World Market.

...and the aforementioned squirrel-themed earrings...

...and librarian glasses.

Cozy helped me make a bag to put the glasses in.

If I weren't so lazy/busy I would have appliqued the glasses on. I tried my hand at a quicky freezer paper stencil instead.

Just iron it on...then stencil. 

....meh....

We made it a little snazzier with some buttons.

I totally wanted to include a beaded glasses lanyard. I didn't get around to it. However, I suspect you could get one at the dollar store...or any drug store....or steal one from your grandma.

So, I threw all of that stuff in a cute wire basket like these ones (but no liner...and from the dollar section at Target....which I should probably not be admitting)...and that was the crazy gift I sent Beth.

Sure do like her.