Have you ever made a mental list of all the things you wanted to do and then realized that not even your brain is big enough to contend with all those items? Well, that's pretty much where I find myself today. This is the first day this week that I don't have an appointment of some sort, so I've been up since a wee passed dawn, trying to get as much done as I can. It seems that time has gotten away from me as of late, so my neglected work area is less than organized (ok, it's a big huge mess, I admit it). You know it's bad when there is so much stuff that you can't remember what projects you were going to work on - the old out of sight, out of mind syndrome. So far, I have managed to go through a lot of my treasures and put them into a priority list of sorts, so that I know what I have to work on and which ones I'd like to do first. This list is flexible, however, as you never know what my muse will draw me to. I've vacuumed the family room in an attempt to rearrange some of the carry-over that's in there (furniture that is waiting to be refinished) and, I need to now move my lobster trap out there. Yes, you read correctly, my lobster trap. It's authentic, from Maine and really big! I have used a beach theme in this basement family room, sort of our quasi-beach house, and while out at yard sales ones day I spotted the trap, slammed on the brakes, then nonchalantly strolled around the sale, as to not tip off my interest. I picked up a small white bedside table which I later painted pale blue, and then slowly made my way over to the cage. The two women and one man there all started to grin, knowing I was interested in the oddity. They explained how they had brought it down from Maine and thought they'd never get rid of it unless somebody with a seafood restaraunt wanted it! Crazy as I knew it was, I bought it and lugged my new treasures to my car. I have no idea how much a trap of this size weighs when filled with lobsters, but I can tell you that when empty, it's heavy! Off I went, down the sidewalk, table in one hand and lobster trap in the other. Now that's something you don't see every day! I have a small SUV, a Suzuki Grand Vitara, which gives me a nice amount of room to drag junk, er, I mean, lovingly transport goodies home in. I never met a piece of junk I couldn't wrangle into my car with some gentle pursuation, a little elbow grease and a few choice words spoken under my breath. Upon bringing it home and explaining to my husband, Jim, what I was going to do with it, he obligingly carried the trap downstairs and into my office/work zone, so that our grandson wouldn't play with it. Now that he, Jamison, has discovered it and hasn't shown much interest, it is time for it to take its rightful place in the other room. It was just getting way too crowded in here. I am a clutter-a-phobic. I can't stand clutter. Junk is good - clutter is bad. My brain just doesn't think well when surrounded by piles of stuff, so today is a good day for me. Some call it work, I call it pleasant salvation.
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| Hungry sea gull waiting for lobster |
With that done, I now have several pieces outside waiting for their paint to dry and can now move onward with my list; work on home decor items, list vintage items on eBay, build an Etsy shop - all of these things in preparation for starting my long-time dream of being "an artist/cratsman & purveyor of fine junque". I have sold items on eBay for many years and in a shop near my home, and have decided it's time to expand. It's my passion and provides me with such joy. As my passion grows, so too, I hope, will my market base. I love making new things from the old, revitalizing something that has been cast aside. I can't get over the items people just throw away! I have curb shopped many a piece of fine furniture that just needed a little tender loving care before beginning its new life. I hand paint many items, including signs on old, reclaimed wood. Some are funny, some inspirational, others are useful, such as in pointing out where the garden is or greeting visitors with a heartfelt "welcome". Items I can't use because they are too contemporary, I donate to charity. Whether I use it or a charity earns money selling it, it is so much better than clogging up the landfill.
Wish me luck, if you will, on this new endeavor and feel free to follow my blog for updates.
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| Lobster, shells, glass and wood floats inside |
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There's always some old crab hangin' around
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