Decorating with Wendy

No Taking this for Granite

We finished installing the granite last night, along with some cute pendant lights.  It's working great with the brick and the new paint color, which I'm happy about.   With every step we take I begin to get more of the vision of what it will look like.  I have so many people to thank, who have helped me along the way.  My directors, my producers, my fellow builders, and all of the little people who helped make me what I am today.  Oh, that's right, I was talking about my kitchen, not me.  Sorry, I just got carried away.

Anyway, without further ado, here are some pictures of the granite as it stands (or lays) now:

A New Plan Emerges

In my last Kitchen update post, we were working on the electrical issues, which were quite a feat.  With that accomplished, we were on to the wall.  The wall as it stood, did not look strong enough to hold a piece of plywood, let alone this heavy piece of marble we were planning to install.   It also would frequently wobble and shake if someone were to have any kind of contact with it.  And, there was the strange occurrence of the dining room lights flickering  when the wall moved.   It seemed destined to fall. And, a bit spooky, with the lights flickering and all.

So, in the end we scrapped the whole wall.  I felt a little remorseful about this, considering all of the work we put into cutting it down.  It would have been much simpler to tear down the whole thing in the first place.  But, I guess this is how it goes in construction.  Ask anyone with a hard hat.  They'll tell you - you never know what you've got until you've got it.  Sort of like the box of chocolates. 

Now, I won't say I feel totally bad about this, because without this weak structure being exposed for what it was, we would not have moved on to a bigger, and better wall.  What I mean by this, is that we were able to build up a wall that not only will hold the heavy stone, but one that will also enhance it's beauty.  And, best of all, we will soon have a built in cabinet.  I couldn't be happier with the outcome, but we had to walk a rough road to arrive here.  In a way, our wall project is, on a small scale, a replica of life.  Sometimes, out of a bad and weak wall, will come stronger, new walls that will stand the test of time, and look beautiful doing it!  (I don't know - that may be a pathetic analogy, but it sure makes you think, doesn't it?) 

Am I Crazy?

Crazy for creating, that is.  In my last post I was tossing around the idea that perhaps I was a creative genius...but, I think this crazy thing is more up my alley.  There are different kinds of "crazy", but the kind I'm talking about is when you're just crazy about something.  My husband, for instance is always saying, "I'm crazy about you!"...and, that's the best kind of crazy to be.  That's what I mean.  (You probably knew that...but, I just wanted to tell you what my hubby always says!)

So, what makes me think that?  Well, for one thing, thoughts of what I'm going to make or paint or decorate often keep me up at night.  I can lay in bed for hours trying to picture what the risers on my stairs would like like in tan.  Or, what the kitchen cabinets would like like in ivory.  Even planning the best shade of white for my trim can take a good hour off my sleep. 

Of course I think about other things besides paint colors.  For instance, fabric.  I love to find the perfect fabric for each room.  I love to go and look for fabric about as much as looking at paint colors.  I also love to plan furniture renovations.  Sometimes it's simple things like converting a chest to an ottoman.  Other times it's cutting bead board to make new cabinets.  Honestly, these are things that can take a lot of hours out of a night.  And, that's just the planning!  Forget about the time it takes to do these things.

People wonder how do I find the time?   I do have a family and household to take care of, after all.  Well, now you know part of the secret.  I plan my strategies in the wee hours of the night.   And, you'd be surprised how much you can get done after everyone's down for the night.  A few weeks ago, for instance, I managed to paint one whole wall of our bathroom after everyone was asleep.  The other part of the secret is that...well, you can always find time for what you love.

And, being creative also saves time.  Yes, that's right.  Creativity allows you to save time on what you don't like, so that you can have more time for what you do like.  Take dinner for instance.  It is a known fact that I don't like to cook that much.  But, being creative helps me to think on the fly of great, nutritious dinners.  I open my refrigerator and freezer, and whip out something - start chopping, dicing, mixing, boiling - and suddenly, before I know it there's a full blown dinner for my family.  And, this happens without planning and without much time.  I simply use my creative skills to mix up a masterpiece. 

It also comes in handy for things like organizing.  You already know where I stand on that subject!  But, honestly, it  can be fun, with the right tools.  I like to take baskets and pretty glass jars, and keep what looks displayable out.  It's fun to find unique ways to make junk look pretty.  The rest of the things that aren't so pretty, like our bills?  Well, they're around here somewhere!

But, overall, what is really great about loving to create things is...you probably guess it by now...creating things!  It's fun to take something that is one thing, and make it into another thing.  Or to change the look of something completely.  Or to discard one thing in order to make way for something that will work better in its place.  It's enjoyable and relaxing and challenging, too.  It's also really good therapy - for free!!  So, am I crazy?  Not with all this great therapy I'm getting!