A Finicky Fact About Finishing

I love completion. I love closure. So, you can imagine an ongoing house project like ours has been a challenge for me. I have to break things down into little victories. Because with this thing, it often seems like the more you finish, the more you notice what ISN'T finished. A prime example was yesterday afternoon when RJ and I bickered about which paint colors to update on what part of which piece of trim. That then turned into a discussion that the paint color for the addition is actually quite different from the main part of the house (the hardware changed paint formulas in the 2 years between paintings) and that we should try to paint it all the same color...now THAT is something I can postpone. Let's get the remaining 3.8% of the house painted first for the love of...!!!

But. I digress. Let's focus on the positive, which is always the better choice, though slightly less amusing. 

We finished the back of the house!!! This means that all the soffit and trim is up, painted and ready for prime time. This led us to the hard truth that with the back looking so pretty, we REALLY need a deck ASAP. (Keep it positive, Berry!)

C'est Fini!

Flair.

We also trimmed out most of the windows on the rest of the house. This was something, due to time and money, we postponed. We had initially just painted the wood around the windows to look like it was finished when we were trying to increase curb appeal for an appraisal.

Ooooooo...

Ahhhhhh...

RJ also surprised me with a couple of projects that weren't even on my list, but really fantastic to see. He got some bricks from a friend for cheap and created a walkway to the front door. And, he built us a bed frame. Because of my disdain for cheap, metal bed frames, I have kept my mattress on the floor since probably 2007. I feel like a real adult now! It only took me until almost age 40. 

Willkommen!

Bricks!

The older I get, the better I have to become at accepting life's constant lack of closure--in friendships, work and home life. I do love the phrase "it's the little things". I have no idea who said it first, but it pretty much sums up my continuing attitude on this project. Much like an actor at an audition, focus on what you have control over and let the rest go...which is HARD. I may not be able to build elaborate shelves for my books or tile my shower, but I can sand, stain and paint until I break out in hives from some chemical in the oil based primer. (No really, that totally happened.) 

Peace, Friends. Go accomplish something small today. Like re-painting your bedside tables, or taking a shower. You'll feel better, I promise.

Grown. Up. Bed.