Out with the old, In with the Refurbished

I'm not a big resolution maker. It's not that I'm anti-improvement. Lord knows- along with plenty of earthly witnesses- that I have plenty of areas that need improvement. In fact, that's why I don't make New Year's resolutions. I can't wait until the last day of any said year to work on my many weak areas.

My life is a continual resolution.

Each day I wake up, I resolve a bunch of things.

Some are lofty, and optimistic, and barely achievable in this lifetime. And some are trivial and insignificant - but checking them off my list feels really good. Plus they're much easier than trying to be nice all day, or quitting sugar (neither of which made the Top 10 this year.)

So, here are a few of the projects I checked off my list in the first few days of 2010. The proof is in the pictures.

I bought this couch, including the incredible vintage-look, soft yellow slipcover (!), for $75.00 a few years ago. (It's deals like this that keep middle-aged women traipsing into unfamiliar neighborhoods at the break of dawn.) Unfortunately, as slipcovers are want to do, it slips. So every time someone gets up from that gorgeous couch, I have to scurry over and re-slip the cushion.

I haven't really minded. Much.

.....OK, I DO mind. It's bugged the patooty out of me the entire time I've owned the doggone sofa.

But No More.

At a time when lesser women were making long lists of resolutions about trivial things like getting healthier, learning new skills, and improving their character, I was sewing Velcro onto fabric - thus ending my years of hoping people would choose to sit in the chairs.

And it took me about an hour.

Why, oh why do we put off these life-enhancing chores?

And while I'm bragging, here's the other side of the room. I finally have it just the way I want it. Four chairs circling a round, white coffee table (acquired in a savvy coffee table swap, where I traded my oversized white IKEA ottoman for a damaged brown round table begging for glossy white paint.) This is the perfect place for conversation. It was worth all that lugging of furniture...back and forth...back and forth. Right, sons?

Here it is from another view. I wanted you to see the fabric on these chairs. The chairs were "free" with the house. So I splurged a little on the fabric (thus making the chairs not quite so "free"), but I haven't regretted it one iota. Run your hands over the material. It's 3-D. Those beautiful flowers are like crewel work. Free decorating advice: Don't scrimp on fabric for smaller jobs. Get what you love. It makes a big impact - and you'll smile every time you walk into the room.

Another project-in-waiting completed. My cafe kitchen curtains have been unhemmed for almost a year. I can't remember why I ever put them up pinned vs. sewn - but once they were up it seemed like a big hassle to take them down. Turns out it was an imaginary hassle. finished this job in about 20 minutes. Pitiful.

I'm a Nester Wannabe (along with thousands of other women, from the looks of her comment section), so when I noticed that I owned some of the same fabric she owned (except mine was in a Rubbermaid container in the basement), I decided to make this cute tablecloth for my family room table. This was Not So Easy. But it looks great and I feel very Nesterish.

I also tried my hand at a few crafts while my older daughters were home for Christmas and could tutor me. I made these cards by myself. Id you so any stamping yourself then you won't be impressed, but hopefully some of you have no idea how easy it is and you'll be thinking very highly of me about now.

If you'd like me to send you one of these just do something incredibly kind for me. That's why I made them. To reward those who are kind (to me.)

This next project is the one that should bring me some Bloggy Kudos. (along with some ads from plastic surgeons offering to remove a few of my necks....) This is a poor quality photo of a high quality felt flower, completely hand-sewn by ME. I love these. I have one in every color - and Molly made some to wear as hair pins. I'll try to take some better pics. We have big ones and small ones and ones with buttons in the center. Do you think you can have too many felt flowers? I hope not.

Consider the next few pictures "visual resolutions". They are here to remind me of things I want to accomplish.

I want to learn how to use my camera settings. I want to be able to make the backgrounds fade out, but the front object be in focus. I also want to learn the art of tablescaping. I dabble in it, but I want to Master It.

This picture is of a quilt that I bought for $5 at a garage sale, but made the mistake of washing.
It now has a gazillion small holes in it, and a few billion big ones. I am in the process of sewing them all up, which means in man-hours I will have paid Big Bucks for my quilt.

Happy New Year to my faithful readers - and even the unfaithful ones. It is my hope that blogging will be a higher priority for me this year. I appreciate those of you who have encouraged me to keep writing.