My intentions are always so good.
Many a night, before going to sleep,
glorious plans are laid out
and wonderfully amazing things are seen about to happen...
When the sun comes up
one never knows who, or what, is getting out of that bed.
Just the slightest small turn
can bury a whole boatload of good intentions:
"There are no scores for good intentions
it either happened or it didn't.
Get to work." ...
Maria Kang
...and it did!
But, I did learn something very useful in the process.
I learned that you don't have to beat yourself up
if you take more time than is expected to finish a job.
You can reverse the procedure
and give yourself a pat on the back that you completed the task
and still took a little time for yourself in the process.
Between start and completion of the library clean up
there were moments of time taken
to enjoy a few simple things that made the journey seem less formidable
and the end that much sweeter.
A very big feeling of accomplishment.
I will admit that the room isn't as pretty as it once was,
but it is functional and neat.
Everything is put back where it should be
and, with the Captain's blessings,
I now have a place to paint and craft that is apart from the rest of the house,
and he is very comfortable sharing it with me.
We both agree that a closed door,
when necessary,
can be for good as well as bad.
I started my water color painting.
There are four different studies in the kit and I took my least favorite one to practice on.
I hope I can get the hang of it
because it is such fun with a really pretty outcome.
I still feel more comfortable with acrylics because I tend to be more structured
and can mix the colors just the way I want them,
whereas with the water colors it seems to be more of a problem for me to keep them in the boundaries.
They have a mind of their own at times...
...the second one got a little easier.
This little kit is really good for anyone who can't draw.
The pattern is printed on the paper very lightly
and it makes it easier for me to practice getting the colors right.
Obviously it is still a work in progress.
So, promises have been kept, and now on to more of the same.
I thought we just lost part of our crepe myrtle tree in this last storm,
but it seems that new problems are showing up
on the trees that overhang the Secret Garden
so, in the future,
it might not be so secret anymore.
Happy Week to you all.
Stay warm and safe.
...Judy...
Sharing today with:
Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda
Hi Judy! Your study does look wonderful and I love seeing lots of 'stuff' in a room as it shows real people live here. How nice now that you have that big table to work on. Your little water colors look beautiful to me! Hope your week is going well. I really relate with you as at night sometimes my head is so full of what I'll do the next day. I get up and it all goes out the window! Ha!
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia :)
Thanks so much, Shelia. Well, real people sure do live here then. Too much stuff but that is another project for another day. It is very peaceful though for me to come and sit at that old table and close the door for just a short while..Happy Tuesday..xxoJudy
DeleteJudy, how wonderful the Captain is sharing the study. You need a place to craft and paint. There is no need to beat yourself up when things aren't done. We have tomorrow. I keep waiting on my husband to do projects. Those are things he is capable of. We also share a study, side by side computers, bookcases. I am wanting to give it a makeover....LOL Thanks for sharing your thoughts. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Linda. I use the library for the computer and now, for crafting. The Captain only uses it for sitting and reading the newspaper but somehow it became "his room". The table is so big that there isn't room now for his comfy chair and I do feel bad about that, but he doesn't seem to notice!! Happy Tuesday..xxoJudy
DeleteHow nice you have a space for both you and the captain. This looks like a great place to be creative. You have to feel motivated to get things done. So when it strikes go for it and when it doesn't then that means it is time to do something a little different. It will all get done in good time. The study/library is beautiful. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kris. I did learn that all it is is time and it will get done eventually and it did! I feel badly that I took the Captain's comfy chair out but it doesn't seem to mind so all is well..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteTo me, just having an opinion about your preference of acrylics over watercolor paints puts you in the accomplished painter category! Can't believe your "get to it-tivness" (? 🥴) while I sit here and do nothing. Damon is coming today :-).
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Lady! I really don't feel that someone is an artist because they can put some paint on a paper. If you can't draw that subjects to begin with then you are a long way from becoming an artist! But thanks for your faith in me. Believe me, I do plenty of just sitting around too. Give Damon hugs!..xxoJudy
DeleteI think it looks gorgeous and really creative! Great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Bernideen. It sure is nice to be able to go to my computer and have a clean room..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteI spotted that galvanized Gen letters right away. Kudos to you for finishing the clean up. I am still tackling my own room. I did do a bit last week. Its needs to be finished before my mom visits again as the bed is a big mess right now. Not blog worthy for sure. LOL Your room is so inviting and pretty even though I dont remember what it use to look like. Janice
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Janice. Those letters are my hubby's initials. I never though about it before but he should have the nickname of General instead of Captain!! I guess that does prove that this was his room but he doens't mind that he has to share now, as long as it is clean and stays that way..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteA great accomplishment, and a place to play which is fabulous! Watercolors are well, experiential to say the least. Enjoy the surprises that can happen and as we say---go with the flow---sometimes they just don't want to have 'boundries'! Hugs, Sandi
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Sandi. It sure feels like a great accomplishment and now it is so nice to go into the room. My computer is in there so it is so much better now when passing through. I think that must be my problem, I can't loosen up! Maybe I have to control things? As always thanks for your great advice. It is always good to hear..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteOh my gosh, Judy, your library room is gorgeous! I had to go back and give it a couple more looks to take it all in. I am in love with the blonde cabinets, the little desk, your hand-painted dresser and your sweet little table. I spied the antique press, too - love that. Your paintings are so sweet, and I can just imagine sitting in your cozy room, looking out the lace curtain while you paint away. I am so guilty of making plans and then forgetting them in the morning. What was the line in John Lennon's song? Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans! Too bad about the trees - we do tend to think of them as old friends. We lost a big one by the house this year - the Mr. has been cleaning it up for weeks. Part of it fell on the roof, but miraculously did no damage. Hope you can save them. Thank you for your sweet visits. Wish we lived close. It would be wonderful to share a cup of tea. Sending hugs xo K
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Karen. There is a lot of things in the room for sure. I love the big cabinet. It was originally in some barber shop in Europe. It is quite old and we found it in an antique shop years ago. We just took a huge guess that it would fit in the room and it did, just barely. I knew it would be good for all the books. I am sick about the trees. I love trees and think they are so beautiful but I don't have any problems with taking them down if they are a danger, like the huge Sequoia redwood that is raising our foundation and drive way, then I would get rid of it in a heartbeat, but these are smaller trees. Two of them are not very big around but they are tall and one is a pretty good size walnut that the squirrels love and they are our entertainment during the summer months. All three trees are on the property lines with our neighbor. They lost a lot of limbs in the storm and are leaning out of the ground. We are splitting the cost with the neighbor as it isn't cheap to deal with them. It will be a shock though when they are gone. The only good thing is more sun coming into the garden so I can plant some pretty flowers..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteThree cheers, Judy. It looks absolutely terrific. What a wonderful room in which to create. (And I loved taking a peek at your bookshelves. I think they tell us so much about people! I've always thought that a visit to someone's home and a good look at their book shelves tells us a lot about what people like, think, believe or even collect. When I don't see books, I worry, although I suspect in this digital age, we see less and less of them!
ReplyDeleteI love your painting and am glad you are taking up the watercolors. If you decide to pursue it, I recommend Emma Witte's "Watercolor for Beginners," which talks a lot about color mixing and good tips with some fun exercises at the end. Even though I've been painting for several years now, I realized I'd never really gone back to the basics. It's a pretty book, too! You are motivating me to make a little more sense of the messes in my house! (So sorry about your trees -- I always hate to see a tree fall.)
Thanks so much, Jeanie. I do have trouble mixing the colors. If you notice the leaves are way too yellow, but it seemed no matter what I mix they would look the same. I will check out that book because I would really like to master the colors. I am sad about these particular trees having to come down but they are becoming a hazard after this last storm. The walnut tree's branches are all on our roof but is leaning towards our neighbor's garage which it wasn't before the storm. It will look very bare above the Secret Garden but more sun coming in will mean more pretty colored flowers so that won't be a bad thing..Hope you are staying warm..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteJUDY!!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is so pretty and charming!!! My Goodness, I just LOVE it!!! And yes, something well learned that it is okay to take your time and not beat yourself up....I always had only a certain amount of time to get things done when i was working and i stuck closely to a strict schedule because i had to. Since I retired, I had to get used to moving slower and taking more time without feeling guilty that I did so. I also learned that taking more time added to my creativity and new ideas and visions emerged more easily too!! LOVE your library, especially that wall unit!!! And the door with the charming curtain!! Stop by when you can as i just posted my friend Anne Marie's stunning home decorated for Winter...which we have been having a lot of lately...Thanks for your visit, my friend!!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thanks so much, Debbie. I'm so glad to have it done and I am enjoying it for awhile before moving on to something else, which there is a lot of! What I didn't say was that that door behind the curtain is a certified junk room! That is where I keep all the extra stuff when changing out a decorating scheme and it is full also. I had to completely clean and straighten that out before I could begin getting the library started, but that was just TMI to deal with. All done now so I am satisfied. Going over to see your friend's beautiful home..Happy Wednesday..xxoJudy
DeleteJudy, that room is outstanding. I love that wall of bookcases and shelves. It's absolutely charming. Your paintings are beautiful, too. You, my friend, are a true artist. Just lovely...Enjoy the weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!! xxoo
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kim. I will admit that the room doesn't look as nice as it did when there were comfy chairs and soft lamplight, everything that a library needs, but it is clean and functional and I love it, however, it doesn't happen to have magical powers and make me a painting genius, like I thought it would!!..Happy Valentine's Day..xxoJudy
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