The Month of May

I know that all of you think I took one look at that bigass list I wrote, fell out of my chair, and have by lying on the kitchen floor contemplating the purpose of linoleum and how the hell I’m going to get all that work done ever since. In fact, my mother finally called me last night and said basically “Listen daughter, I know I go into crazy mother mode, but you haven’t posted anything on your website or facebook for like a week. The only reason I knew you were alive is because you repinned something on Pinterest nine hours ago!”

Yes. Pinterest is not only a good place to keep track of inspirational images, but is also a good indicator of whether or not I’m still breathing apparently.

The truth is I’m not overwhelmed by my list, but I’m just in one of those adjustment periods where I’m figuring out how to balance the time takes to maintain this house and property on my own, along with two hours in the car heading to and from work every day, and then trying to make headway on my projects, picture taking, and writing about everything.

Sometimes I have awesome days where I feel like superwoman, and sometimes I struggle with things like remembering to put pants on before I try to fix the boiler.

But, hey, if there’s one thing I always say about DIY: It’s not easy. It’s dirty, frustrating, difficult, inspiring, awesome, and fun. Sometimes you bleed, sometimes you laugh, sometimes (a lot of times, if you’re me) you swear, and sometimes you stare blankly at your computer screen for an hour before going to bed because you can’t articulate why it’s taking you three effing weeks to paint one room in your house. That’s just the way it goes. After years of this kind of chaos, I’ve learned that you’ve got to coast through the lulls without being too hard on yourself. Which I know is good for my mental health and all, but not nearly so entertaining for those of you reading this website, right?

So instead of waxing philosophically about my inability to properly dress myself any longer, I thought I’d take you for a little trip down memory lane and look at some of the things I was doing during the month of May over the last seven years.

May 2011

This time last year my focus was entirely on the Memorial House bathrooms.

I built this vanity:

vanity_final1

Put my mom to work installing some radiant floor heat:

DSC_0083

And lost my shit over some tile:

DSC_0192

May 2010

Two years ago, I was closing on the sale of my first house and the Memorial adventure was just beginning.

The first month of the great DIY House Addition Adventure wrapped up, but the real work was just getting started:

DSC_1385

Added to which, I traveled from Texas to Michigan with two donkeys in the back of a pickup:

kit_donkeys

May 2009

2009 was the Spring of two houses. I was dividing my time between my getting my first house ready for it’s future owners, and starting to make my mark on the Memorial house.

For example, I built some raised cedar beds for the garden at Memorial (note to 2012 self, make some more of those):

DSC_0812

And back on Garrison road, I was finishing up some miscellaneous kitchen projects:

DSC_0847

 May 2008

Four years ago most of the “big” projects were done on my first house, and I was keeping myself busy with miscellaneous projects.

Like crookedbrooms in pink-on-pink and leopard print. (It’s been at least two years since I’ve made any broom handles, but I wouldn’t say I’ve given it up for good):

DSC_0607

And I proved yet again how “cleaning” never works out the way I plan:

DSC_0619

May 2007

There was just one big project completed in May of 2007, but you can’t argue with results. The badass pergola:

brushing2

May 2006

It’s hard to believe, but it was six years ago when I first said, you know, I have a crazy idea… and then grabbed a sledge hammer and started turning it into a reality despite quite a few people who told me it wouldn’t work. It took me a year to complete that pergola and stone patio, and here’s where it all started:

busted up concrete

May 2005

In 2005 I’d been a homeowner for a little less than a year, and had started making my mark on my first house with projects like this basement makeover. Yeah, it’s not exactly jaw-dropping, but I was a newbie.
Finished Basement -Couches

So what I can stay for sure is that May is historically a good project month for me, and those projects have just gotten bigger and bigger over the years. No reason to break tradition this year, I suppose, so I better get started on that list.

15 Responses

  1. Crazy thing is…..I’ve been reading since way back when! I was a xanga fan. 🙂 You will get through this. You just need a vacation.

  2. I love it all especially the vanity!!! I’m still working on my small spring break list and that was six weeks ago and my list didn’t have anything complicated on it…

  3. recaps are what it’s all for. I love having pictures to prove (to myself) just how much has happened and changed. I totally forgot about your crooked brooms! You should do posts like this more often.

  4. Sounds like a little fun is in order for you. Then get back to work so I have something to remind myself on how little I really actually accomplish!

    By the way…out of all the strangers I read about in blog land, you are one of the few that I would actually have over for beer and BBQ. Any trips to Ca planned? lol

  5. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It is fun to read about it, much harder to do. Give yourself some slack.

  6. I had to laugh when I read “put on some pants” – I think every set of pajamas I own has paint on it – I always wake up and think to myself “I’ll wait to take a shower until after I’ve painted x”, so I stay in my jammies and then get paint on them. (of course this wouldn’t be a problem if i could paint anything and not get paint on my clothes).

    Anyway – some times you need to just step back a little bit before starting on things. Your list is definitely long (ridiculously long, actually), but it’s also pretty exciting to have so much ahead of you, isn’t it?

  7. Thanks for the retrospective, although it makes me feel like an absolute slug. You need to make yourself a rustic wooden reminder sign “FIRST – PUT ON YOUR PANTS!”.

  8. Struggling with the EXACT same thing over here. At least you had the stones to write it all down. I’m afraid I’ll end up “contemplating the purpose of linoleum” (and dammit, that needs replacing too) and never get over the shock. That said, I look at everything that needs to happen and with so much to choose from I end up not choosing at all. Alternating with bouts of frantic work and panic. Gah!

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