The desk top.

How many pins do you have on Pinterest?

I'll raise you and double that.

I wanted a desk top like one I found on Pinterest. Jari wasn't convinced that I wanted the "cracks" between the wood slices and for a moment I agreed with him. Then I went back to the original plan. This is the plan I sort of followed. We trimmed the boards down from 8 feet in length just to make them even. Otherwise, it is as close to 8 feet as possible. 

So this desk top isn't suppose to be siting like it is. I wanted either several drawer units from Ikea or one more file cabinet. Guess what? By the time I decided to just go for it and purchase the Ikea things, the store was closed and they were not shipping to Arizona. And by the time I was done building the desk I probably had spent about half of what one of those Ikea drawer units would have cost me. Not bad!

So desk top and stacking on top of what we had was the order of the weekend.

A trip to Home Depot yielded wood stuff for me and electrical stuff for hubby.

I missed taking photos of the first step but it's laid out very well in the link above. I probably added more supports than they did because I have a hubby who wants to make sure things are downright solid.

Somehow I got carried away and made some rather deep holes when countersinking the screws. Nothing that a little bit of wood filler won't fix. After the filler was dried and sanded (and let me tell you … I sanded with a belt sander and then my fabulous little round thing) both top and bottom were stained. It sat for a day and then got several coats of my favorite poly to top it off.

I'm all about Plan B. There's always a Plan B. The file cabinet got painted and went from black to white. The hardware on it went from silver to black. I really don't like spray paint. At. All. Then when I went to slide the drawers back in, I managed to nick some of the spray paint off. I'm calling it character until I come up with something different. The file cabinet is lower than the black Ikea unit, so the desk got a wee bit of propping action until I figure out something different. For now ... it works. And five years from now, it will probably still be working. 

Or ... when the world starts revolving again … perhaps I'll find another file cabinet real cheap like and have another go at spray paint! That might be far enough away that I completely forget how much I dislike the process!

The bar stool isn't in there anymore. This old back cannot handle that much bending over. Too many hours on that and my back was in straight up revolt mode. Too old for that business ... altho' the room is certainly convenient to set up a massage table!

just an explore ...

STAY HOME does not include being out in nature where you're alone. 

Unless you're in Michigan ... sorry guys!

We headed out for the day last Sunday. In retrospect, we should have gone somewhere else, but so it goes. There's always next time.

Cheez Its for Jari and coffee for me …

He may have lost me ...

I have a space in that bedroom we were working on in February.

For those who may know this house, this is the bedroom that is at the back of the house. There was one window that faced the carport which we have completely enclosed, causing fire escape issues. So, we added another window that exits to the back patio. All indirect sunlight but sunlight it is!

It isn't done done done, but it is done!

I have a place to play ... although the sewing machine has still gone to the kitchen table .. once. Will see if I eventually start sewing in here but for now .... the desk top is covered with "office" kind of stuff.

I'll share more posts with you about how I did some of these things, but the most important thing I want you all to know is that nearly everything in here was recycled. The only things that I purchased in order to put this room together were the wood for the desk top and the colorful little buckets (minus the wire handles and paint that I added from my stash) that came from Ikea for pretty much dirt cheap. Everything else ... I already had.

This wasn't my plan exactly, but I can't get the things I really wanted in this era of pandemic. Maybe someday I'll find them at a yard sale. I'll have to share Jari's office space with you sometime, but I wanted the same type of cabinet we got for him from Ikea. First I hunted everywhere and couldn't find used, then I decided I was going to buy them at Ikea ... and Ikea is closed and has no shipping to any address in Arizona. That settled it and I had to get creative. Creative ended up costing less than ONE cabinet at Ikea would have cost me. And I'm about the penny pinching thing. I'm not quite my mother-in-law penny pincher, but I like to save a nickel and get what I want.

Planners and pens and notebooks and computers and most importantly, a Wifi booster that gets me some pretty good internet connection in this room. 

And then there is color. I don't know what I need all those colored pencils for but I must have used them for something or another at some time. Paint brushes, markers, highlighters and my all time favorites ... colored ultra fine point Sharpies in every color imaginable.

He may have lost me to this room. I can't wait to add some plants and colorful works of positive inspiration to a few places. Maybe my magnetic board will become my dream board. Now ... that's an idea!

Life affected ..

Life got busy. We had a houseful of beautiful family who left as COVID-19 began its nastiness around the country. 

Parents who left with many plans, hopes and prayers from their family. They made it home safely and are back in their own familiar place of watching. Occasionally I get to hear Corona Virus jokes retold from their evening visits. They are as safe as can be. 

Children who made their way home across the country. They, too, are safe and sound in their own place. I was blessed to be able to send them with some food items and other things she wouldn’t take .. like 25 lbs of flour. 

We missed seeing friends who were in town but we had sort of quarantined our own home to keep our loved ones safe. There will be other visits .. other times. 

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. We ate at home with one dear friend who joined us. Due to sick little ones (normal sick), our family didn’t join us. We packed leftovers and delivered them for dinner instead. There will be other times for those get togethers as well. 

In the meantime, we are sort of hunkered down in our own way. A trip to the store when needed. Maybe a trip or two is something that others wouldn’t consider essential but who are they to tell me what my mental health requires. We have spent the last week working like dogs around the house. Do dogs really work? Regardless, we have been busy. I could post for months nonstop and yet I doubt I’ll find time for that. 

Until last week, we were both working. We were suppose to be in North Dakota for Easter but those plans are put off for another time as well. The airlines have been gracious in easily offering vouchers for travel. Let’s just hope the airline is still in business when I want to travel next! Because of travel plans, we had taken days off work and rather than making ourselves available for work .. we REALLY worked. If you know us .. we really did get stuff done around here. More on that later as well! The days I wasn’t scheduled off ... I had no hours at work. This coming week looks like another one of the same. No work for me. Hubby continues to work in a fashion that is safe as possible. Much of his work is done at home in a cool work space that we put together before visitors arrived. 

We have a roof over our heads, food on our table, good health and a gracious God who is watching over us. What more do we need in the middle of this chaos?

Belated Easter blessings to you and yours. I wish for you days that are peaceful, hopeful and filled with infusions of positive goodness. 

Be well my friends!