What I planned....what happened.....just smile!

Well, as planning goes I admit I expect to accomplish a lot during a week.  Sunday is when I make my list by day by accomplishment by task.   In my twisted way of thinking by putting most important things on Monday they can slid a bit to Tuesday or even Wednesday but are surely finished by Thursday or Friday. 

 

 It's a weird little game I play fool myself with and percentage wise it works out pretty good (admitting your problem is the first step). 

 

However, as the week goes on I usually get a bit lot testy if things are not getting completed....so in my ongoing quest to' lighten up' this week I had an opportunity because...

 

No matter how I planned....this is what happened! 

 

 So I just focused on little things that made me smile......

The coleus plants by my front door are bursting and beautiful!

 I was looking through some boxes in the garage and found this....Adam's first Disneyland mug that I got him in 1979 on his first visit....he was and is a huge Mickey Mouse Disneyland Fan!

 This will be making a trek to Phoenix soon to go with all his other Disneyana I have saved and given him over the years....

 Our Irish royal family came home from the Irish castle they were at for far too long!  So happy to have them back!

 Our niece and nephew adopted the cutest chocolate lab....Brixton

 Our very special friends Paul and Annette celebrated their 50th Anniversary and I put this together for them.....

 I packed away all the Easter decorations and put on my new thrifted hand crocheted table cloth....love....

 Hard to see but I found the perfect glass compote stand for my coffee table in the living room....

Rocky got his spring/summer cut and looks tinier than ever...he must be at 2 lbs now...have to watch even closer for the hawks and coyotes

So another Sunday rolls around.....do I feel like I took it all in stride and am ok with not accomplishing what was on the list?  Truth be told, no....I am restless....so looking to this for inspiration

Throwing away my list from last Sunday that was unfinished and starting over.....there's a lesson (or many) in here somewhere!

Plan the Work and Work the Plan and other bad habits I am trying to break.....

Truth be told:

 

Even as a child I made lists....my mom used to tease me endlessly about my lists, later my husband and kids would tease me about my lists.....I engrained into myself to plan the work and work the plan.  It worked well with my control issues and OCD.

 

I spent my whole professional career (commodity buyer, tv production assistant, development manager, project manager, Director of IT) using much more advanced lists like this:

 

 So now in my post-professional/consulting world I am finding trying to find the balance....

On the flight home from South America I made a list of things I needed to do....it numbered 143.  Normally I would prioritize the list and then start with the top priorities and then work my way down.....being the convert rebel I am trying struggling to become, I decided to just flutter around and do whatever looked like needed attention....baby steps.....

Good news:  got lots of fun things done; Bad News: way behind in things that needed to be done.  I am not sure if I can keep this up....I worry I might become ADD!

Remember this Thrift Find from awhile back....someone put Krazy Glue on this vintage beveled round mirror and then added a plastic rope.....I just had to save her.  Who would put plastic rope on a lady like this???

 Under estimating the effort I tried many different approaches I found the combination of Goo Be Gone and WD 40 was the best concoction....plus hours of scraping. 

 Hard to see with the light coming through the window but I hung her in the guest room....she looks so happy and clean and sparkles and shines now.  She is much happier now and I am relieved to mark this one off the list.

 I really should not have,  but this week during some consulting work I happened to be near my fave thrift store.....I have wanted to repurpose a dresser like this:

 

So when I found this little treasure for $14.95 that had stickers all over her I thought I had found the perfect piece. 

 

Remember I have 142 things on my list (I got to mark 1 off when I finished the mirror).   hmmmmm....I reverted to my old thinking and told myself I would tuck her away and work on her as #143....old habits die hard.

 

 Oh, and I also found these other pretties....clock for clock project; Beleek shamrock, Chihuahua taco holder for The Addie and Ms. Shannie, George and Martha figurine - just because!  Total for all of this:  $28.80

 

Then I reminded myself to throwing 'Caution to the Wind' and embrace my new found un prioritized list....I decided to work on her first.  After I scrubbed and scrubbed I found such a beauty that I could not bear to paint her!

 Then I dressed her up with my vintage perfume tray, a bronze angel I got in Belgium, and lots of vintage jewelry given to me....

 These pieces are so precious and beautiful to me!  They had been hiding in my closet for years....they are happy to be out and sparkling!

So a few other things got done this week.....but so many other things did not....including taxes...still.not.done

 

I may be enjoying working on my new found freedom of flitting around doing fun things but I don't thing the government will embrace my new found flitting!

 

 

This is one thing on my list I must complete!

 Because I do not want to be on this list!

Oh....and before I go....Happy Easter....my vintage inspiration!

March Madness - Jacque Lou Wilson Version

This is the season of March Madness for all the basketball faithful and seasonal fans....since I last posted in early March I have had my own version of March Madness

Besides consulting on two jobs and my other major craziness.... just like the famous March Madness; full of excitement, tears, screams, laughter and pride.


March 12 - taxes, taxes and more taxes...it never ends
March 13 - Boys sleep over, neighborhood party; Steve intensely negotiating consulting
March 14 - Both boys have ball games; Dylan has excellent pitching outing; Brody phenom at bat.  A very special birthday party for a friend.
March 15 - Fly to Ft. Lauderdale - great evening on the water, find out mom in hospital
March 16 - Board Celebrity Equinox @ 11 a.m.; sail away at 4
March 17 - Day at Sea - Watercolor class; St. Patrick's Day party....competed in flip cup
March 18 - Grand Cayman
March 19 - Day at Sea - Watercolor class; Dance contest
March 20 - Cartagena, Columbia - mom released from hospital
March 21 - Our 28th anniversary in Panama
March 22 - Costa Rica Snorkeling
March 23 - Day at Sea - Watercolor class; Game Show Contest - Dylan is 9!
March 24 - Beautiful Belize - snorkeling and clear kayaking
March 25 - Cozumel - snorkeling
March 26 - Day at Sea, Watercolor Class, Group Party - I lose a special friend
March 27 - Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego; boys stay over so we can soak them up
March 28 - Boys each have games; both play well and get game balls - Brody is 7; boys stay over so mommy can prepare for Ireland
March 29 - Birthday Dinners at Fuji
March 30 - Kristen, Brian and Boys leave for Ireland; Steve's retirement party
March 31 - Steve's last morning at work; first afternoon as a consultant...still working on those taxes!

I want to elaborate on our cruise but downloading pictures is # 144 on my to do list I need to complete to get caught up....if I ever feel caught up.  Just wanted to add these few pictures to give myself a mental vacation while returning to Normalcy...whatever that is.

I can be spontaneous - if I plan for it......

Old patterns die hard....I have always been structured and controlling...I felt I had to be that way to get everything done and maximize my time and efforts!  The kids still tease me about vacation itineraries and schedules...but we saw and did it all.  Spontaneity is hard for someone who plans the works and works the plan...but as I ease up on things I am starting to be a little more spontaneous....baby steps people! 

 

 My friend and I were heading to a little town near us called Ramona to check out some thrift shops and look for some plastic fencing I have a project for....she remember years ago a egg farm in the area and when we saw this sign I drove off the main road down some dirt roads to try and find it....I love how the chick is pointing the way....subtle....

 

 It was miles off the beaten track and so refreshing to see chickens actually walking about and not in laying huts....

 Are you looking at me? 

 It is a teeny tiny operation that has been there 40 years....they still pick eggs every a.m. and this guy holds them up to the light to make sure they are good....(candling)

 These two guys pack the eggs....

 This is a one day 'crop'....

 We each bought a dozen and they were so fresh and good....it was just so fun to see their operation....I can't remember when I bought eggs anywhere other than a grocery store!  Years ago in the early 1960's we went to my Aunt and Uncles Farm in Illinois.  My cousin Connie was the egg gatherer....she took me with her one day and it was the most amazing thing...those chickens would cackle, scream and fight her for those eggs but Connie  was kind but firm and focused and went about her task gathering them all up....for a little city girl it was quite the scene! 

 I am so glad we went on our little adventure.....look look look what I found.  It was not an easy decision but I am so glad I got it.  It is the most beautiful crochet piece - not a blemish or stain, perfectly made and hard to see but lots of ruffles around the bottom....be.still.my.heart

 I also found this little upside down top hat for 4th of July décor....1.99

 These random things; love the glass pumpkin, the clock a project for the clock project, not sure what to do with mug tree and a hand painted easter egg...beautiful....total $9.90

 Another stop I found this great clock, 2 green homeco bowls for St. Patrick's Day and these two glass hand-blown blue birds....8.34

 Oh and it doesn't stop there....I was on a roll....found this St. Pat's decoration....4.00

 These glass accent pieces....4.80

 This incredible mirror....it had rope glued on the front of it....

 and when I turned it over....I could tell it was really old....3.99 with 10 percent off...

 I can't wait to clean it up....it has a beveled edge and is in great shape!!!!

 My china cabinet was looking too blah with all clear glass, silver and a few collectibles...

 I added the new colored glass and it gives it a little lift....

 The best thing about my new found spontaneity....getting a call at the last minute to join these guys for lunch....

I may plan for more spontaneity in the future!