Two steps forward... One step back...

Do you ever feel like you're going so slow or having so many setbacks on something you're almost going backwards? Well that's how I've been feeling the past few weeks.

I have a deadline of early next week to finish one of my largest un-bloggable (for now) quilts, and that's pretty much all I've been working on for the last month so apologies for the absence. While I am not able to write much about the actual project (yet), I can use this post to vent some of my frustrations!

2017 - let's try this again (and finish it this time)

There's a pattern here ... I keep starting posts with a comment about how bad a blogger I've been!

I looked back at my first ever post the other day and this quote jumped at me:

I have a tendency to get hyper-motivated at the start of a project and then partway through drop it because its not going quite how I planned, or its taking longer than I imagined it would, or I just get bored (lazy) and couldn't be bothered with finishing it. 

How true that continues to be! It applies to so many of my endeavours, not just to this blog. Although I will add that more recently it's also partially that I've taken on so much that other things take centre stage in my head, pushing stuff to the background. 

Reflecting and moving on

Last year instead of making a New Year's resolution I chose a word to be my theme for the year.  The idea was that choosing a single word would help to give a focus to my decisions and actions for the year, and it could be applied in all areas of my life.

2016's word was "CREATE" and despite a lack of blog posts documenting it I think I stayed reasonably true to that.

Professionally it was a huge and very busy year, including a change of roles in the second half of the year, and I feel like I managed to at least lay the foundations for the creation of a couple of really worthwhile projects. 

But more importantly (for this blog anyway) I had an absolutely massive crafty year. I don't think a single week went by when I didn't spend at least some time being crafty and creative. I became obsessed with discovered paper pieced quilts, learnt how to hand embroider, started designing and testing paper pieced quilt patterns and started drawing in order to create embroidery templates (no idea where the drawing came from - I never ever considered that I might be able to draw!). 

So all that creating during 2016 was fabulous - I've developed professionally, learnt heaps, produced lots, started exploring new things and had a great time; but I return to the original issue - hyper-motivation followed by non-completion.

Although the change of roles at work was a good move for me professionally, I feel a little disappointed that I wasn't able to see the projects I was working on through to completion and all my crafty pursuits throughout the year have resulted in a scarily large list of WiPs (Works in Progress) or UFOs (Un-Finished Objects).

So my word for 2017?

FINISH!

I really want to be able to say at the end of this year that I've worked hard to finish the things that I've started and maybe even made a dent in the WiP list. I'm not saying that I won't be taking on lots of new projects, just that I want to see more of them through to their conclusion.

Lets see how it goes....

Do you have a NewYears resolution or inspiration/theme word for 2017?

K

Colour inspiration

I was pretty happy with the blue and white colour scheme in my bathroom pre-renovation.  The blue theme was an extension of the colour palette used throughout the rest of the house - pale blue walls, dark teal door trims, white ceiling and cornice and cream skirting boards (we won't mention the odd olive green colour of the doors - it doesn't go with anything but we've put up with it until now).

Existing colour scheme for most of the house:
Pale blue walls, teal door frames and trim, cream skirting and white ceiling

That colour combination has been okay up until now but with the recent bathroom renovation came a new colour scheme in that room and its made me re-think the colours for the rest of the house.

New bathroom = new colour scheme for the whole house?

I do still need to paint the new bathroom door ASAP and I intend to get some "bullet proof" grey gloss on the door this weekend which I think will work well with the pale grey and silver in the bathroom. I was also thinking that a darker charcoal grey/almost black for the door trims (instead of the teal) would finish it all off nicely so that will happen over the next few days as well.

But of course I can't just paint one door and frame and leave the rest as-is; that would just look silly so I'll be changing to charcoal trims and bulletproof grey on all the doors and frames throughout the house.

New colour scheme in bathroom - to carry through the rest of the house?
Snow Storm grey walls, charcoal grey door frames and trim, bulletproof grey doors, white ceiling

I really do like the new colours in the bathroom, somehow it makes it look and feel more luxurious than it actually is but would it look OK if I were to take that colour palette and use it throughout the rest of the house? The floor tiles through most of the house are a pale mottled grey, and none of my existing furniture and fittings would clash with such a neutral colour scheme so it should work, but I'm still not 100% sure.

Decisions, decisions...

So I'm definite that  I need to change the door and door frame colours through the house, but for the walls and other trims do I use the same colours as the bathroom or do I choose something completely different, and if so, what?

I'm pretty sure that the bathroom scheme would work in the rest of the house but there are still those couple of questions:

1. Do I really want the same super pale, almost white, snow storm grey on all of the walls in the house?
   I definitely want something reasonably pale and bright, but will that particular colour be just too pale and show up all the grime from everyday wear and tear too easily? (it works in the bathroom because the painted walls are generally higher with heavy wear areas on the lower parts of the walls being tiled)
2. What do I do with the skirting boards? Gloss white would be an obvious choice carrying through from the while tiles in the bathroom and reflecting the ceiling and cornice but white would show up dust, floor grime and every little scuff mark.
   Would a dark color on the skirting boards look odd? perhaps I could use the same colour as the doors or door trims?

What would you suggest that I do with the walls and skirting boards in the rest of the house? Let me know in the comments.

Life after the bathroom reno - what now?

I've had people ask me recently what I'm going to do with myself now that I'm not constantly focusing on getting our bathroom sorted out.

The bathroom saga has taken up so much of my time and energy over the last almost 2 years that its been really hard to focus on doing much in the way of home improvements beyond simply keeping things ticking over. But not anymore! It's over, the bathroom is beautiful and we can move on.

But move on to what?

The "To-Do" List

I have a to-do list as long as my arm (possibly even longer) and its time we started moving on checking some of the things off that list. I'm posting them here not to add pressure or set time frames, but as a reminder. And hopefully as we go along I'll remember to come back and cross things off and add links to the posts if I happen to blog about them. So here it goes....

Bathroom

I know, it should be all finished, but there are still a few things to do in there.

• Replace window with louvres
• Install window covering (I'm thinking a silver venetian blind would work perfectly)
• Paint door
• Paint door frame
• Install full-length mirror on wall behind door
• Replace framed mirror above vanity with more permanent wall mounted solution
• Wall art piece(s)
• Decorative plant or pottery piece
• Hanging shower storage - done Jan 2015
• Replace light fitting - added to list and completed Feb 2015 (a necessity when the old one died)

Toilet

• Paint walls to match bathroom (Taubmans snow season)
• Paint door
• Paint door frame
• Replace toilet and cistern (mostly just the cistern)
• Replace window with louvres
• Install window covering (silver venetian as per bathroom?)
• Sort out and install more elegant storage for all the miscellaneous bits and pieces eg extra toilet rolls, cleaning gear, air fresheners etc
• replace light fitting

Laundry (aka the cat's night time retreat)

• Remove and replace asbestos wall sheeting (exterior wall)
• Paint walls & ceiling
• Clean out / reorganise cupboards
• Source and install a multi-basket laundry sorting system of some sort
• Replace light fitting
• Replace window with louvres
• Replace vinyl skirting with tiles as per bathroom and toilet
• New cat bed and concealed litter tray

Hallway

• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Gap filler between linen cupboard and ceiling
• Re-organise linen cupboard
• Replace light fitting
• Hang photo gallery display
• Install additional lighting for photo gallery

Bedroom 1 (Our room)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Re-plaster external wall
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s) and/or headboard

Bedroom 2 (aka The Monster's room)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Re-plaster external walls
• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Replace timber louvre door with solid door
• Paint door and trims
• Paint bookshelves and storage chest
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s)

Bedroom 3 (Spare/guest bedroom)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Tidy up/ smooth off wall plastering
• Repaint walls 
• Replace timber louvre door with solid door
• Paint door and trims
• Paint bookshelves and cabinet
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Replace traditional double bed with a sofa bed, murphy bed or similar (something more compact to make better use of space when not being used by guests)
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s)

Kitchen

• Remove and replace entire kitchen including cabinetry, benchtops, splashbacks, sink and rangehood
• Replace windows with louvres
• Install smoke detector

Dining room

• Reclaim room for intended purpose (its currently the place where all the tools, equipment and supplies for our current projects are stored.)
• Replace windows with louvres
• Replace light fitting
• Install smoke detector
• Repaint walls
• Repaint ceiling
• Paint door
• Window coverings - venetians or curtains - not sure yet
• Wall art piece(s)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort

Lounge room

• Replace windows with louvres
• Change back windows to sliding or bi-fold door
• Install smoke detector
• Repaint walls
• Repaint ceiling
• Paint door
• Replace lounges (or at the least the lounge cushions)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort
• Window coverings - venetians or curtains - not sure yet
• Wall art piece(s)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort

Wow! What a massive list - I can see I'm going to be busy for about the next million years and that doesn't even include anything with the exterior of the house, or the garden.