What I Did in the Belly Button of the Year

Projects in the Ides of June

I homeschool for many reasons that I will get into in another post (Box Day is coming!!), but some of them are selfish. It is, for example, a ready excuse to jet off to New York City or Philadelphia, buy dazzling books and visit great museums. But I have a secret reason even more selfish than that.

Without it, I would be a terrible stay-at-home mom.

No, I am serious. With my first baby, I took twelve weeks off, and after just five weeks I was smuggling work home from the office so I would have something to do. I was shocked by how much she slept throughout the day. What was I supposed to do? Clean? Find a hobby? Just sit? I don't know how to just sit. I have never discovered the gift of longueur –  the ability to while away periods of tedium and boredom. The more time slows, the more I quicken. I am not saying that as a matter of pride, more of a “do they have a pill for that?” confession.

So.

With school out, and the older ones at day camp this week and the younger three running wild through the front yard with butterfly nets in one hand and popsicles in the other hand, and the canning/freezing/jam- making-time still a few happy weeks away, I find myself there again. What am I supposed to do? Clean? Find a hobby? Just sit?

The ides of June -- the middle -- is close to the ides of the entire year --  the tawny belly button of 2012. 

And while this weather begs to just be sat in, I didn't. 

So this week was a week of projects:

1) The Makeup Station

In my bedroom is a big hole in the wall where a window used to be. It was a window that looked from my bedroom into the living room. Hmmm. I don't really know what went on before I moved in, but the window had to go. It was drywalled over on the living room side (now the boys room), but the big hole stayed in my room, covered over with a dreary curtain. This week in a fit of passion (how every.single.project I do begins), I RIPPED down the curtain,

found a mirror from the attic

cut a really old suitcase in half and screwed it into the wall

painted an old silverware tray

… and made a little makeup station.

 No more smooshed makeup brushes or lost mascara, or trying to put on my makeup in our single bathroom while three boys are peeing into the toilet at the same time (it happens)! Hooray!

Cost: $0 (this was all stuff I repurposed from around the house)

The Bulletin Board

My bulletin board was once practical, but now with my calendar on my ipad and too many notes made with permanent marker, this thing needs to go.

SO -- I took an old window (thanks Leah!)

cut cork tiles and hot glued them to the bottom three panes ($4 for 4 tiles at Lowes)

tacked white cloth behind the rest of the panes (for added visibility when you write on it) ($1 for 300 tacks)

spray-painted and distressed 2 metal baskets to use for paper ($0 – repurposed)

made a funky little pic for the top corner ($0 – paper from realsimple magazine and one ratty old book)

and done!