If a Project Won't Come to Me...

...I will come to the project-or something like that! We all know that I do so much better when I have some kind of project on the docket. I make way better use of all of my time and seem to get way more accomplished when I have many tasks hanging over my head.

I was really at odds most of the weekend-I wanted to start a large project but, since we just finished the complete bathroom make-over-which went way over budget-anything I came up with had to be inexpensive. I also wanted to find something that actually needed to be done but I was coming up empty. Until I was doing some wash. I know I have told you many times just how much I adore my new barn doors. Where we once had bi-folds that made even passing by them when they were open almost impossible we now have TOTAL, flat access to this entire area. But, that also means that when the doors are open, everything is really visible!

Once again it took looking at this area with those "new eyes". I have seen it for so many years that it really didn't register just how truly UGLY it is!!

In my defense, this room used to be our two-car garage before my husband and his friend enclosed it for us. I LOVE my family room-just never liked still having the washer and dryer out here. Once or twice we actually considered adding on another bath and full laundry room at the other end of the house but once "changing structural elements" and "new roof lines" and words like that started getting tossed around, we figured we could make due with what we had. And make due we have-until the ugly factor hit me right between the eyes.

Now, I must say, I did make some sort of feeble attempt at dressing up this area many, many years ago. I had some snippets of wallpaper left from doing our kitchen-yes, those three designs once graced the walls of my kitchen-and I loved it. But, today I realize just how bad it looks.

I don't want to spend a lot so the plan for right now is to take down the two plain pine shelves and stain them dark brown. Then. I will move light bulbs and cookie tins from the crate containers they are in to the new baskets I picked up at Target today.

As much as I would love to really make this area pretty, it first has to be functional. I could hide the bottles of detergent and softener but that would just make more work for me getting to them every time I needed them so I don't think I'm quite ready to go that route.

I AM going to clear out other things that are just taking up room.

And I think I am going to check Lowes tomorrow to see if I can find some prettier broom, iron, ironing board, etc. holders. I haven't thought at all about what I am going to do with the walls short of ripping down that ugly paper. We have appointments the next three days so I won't really be able to get into this until Friday. Maybe by then I will have a plan but, I must say, I have started projects on even less planning than this so I know it will be "full steam ahead". Stay tuned.

BTW, did you see the first of the autumn goodies sneaking their way into Target today?! The tastes and smells of autumn are getting close!