First World Mourning and Projects

The week is flying by.  I'm not going to lie, it's been a rough mental week as we should be packed and ready to leave for our anniversary trip tomorrow but obviously, that ain't happenin'.  We have made beautiful travel memories every year for our anniversary since 1999 so this is hitting me particularly hard.  Yes, I know it's a first-world problem given what we're all dealing with and people are going through much worse but it doesn't make me mourn it any less.  It's our tradition and we've been through a lot this year before this corona crap cake hit the fan and really needed that mental break.  This time last year we were making our way toward Montana for our epic Yellowstone/Grand Teton road trip and I am so thankful we did.  I have a feeling if we'd waited for this year, not only would it have been canceled but we would've said the universe was trying to tell us something and probably would've talked ourselves out of ever doing it.  It was truly a once in a lifetime adventure and it'll have to hold us over, I guess.  Next week is going to be a hard one so not sure how much I'll be around depending on my mood.

Saturday and Sunday, we did some stripping of the patio fence paint.  Do you ever start a project you really, really regret starting?

I was out there so long, I crippled my left leg to the point to I couldn't bear weight on it and only got 2 hours sleep that night because the pain kept me up.  I tried a paint scraper, stripper and the next heinous step on the pickets will be rough grit sandpaper when the wood is dry which at this rate will be Fall.

If anyone knows of a REALLY good exterior paint, let me know in the comments.  We used a PPG deck paint and it didn't even last one season so I'll never use that again.  I keep reading on Behr, Olympic and Valspar.  I just want something that is going to stick because I'm not doing this again in 3 years like we're having to do this time.  So irritating.

I did finally get my shelf hung and arranged temporarily.

I love that pic but the frame is a little darker than I wanted.  I'll have to research and see if super fine grain can take the tippy top layer off to my liking to be closer to the shelf below it.  I'll have more summery stuff in a week or two.

I got my raised paddle summer art piece from this place called Laurel Grove who beat all other places by $30.  Since we love to kayak and stand up paddle, it seemed fitting.  Then in the fall/winter, I can store it behind the Mr's dresser in the bedroom.

This is a pie safe that I got on an impulse buy and it was too bulky to put most places.  I had the Mr hack off the legs and put felt pads on the bottom so it would fit on our armoire.

That vintage marmalade crock is the last piece I bought BC (before Corona) and I wish I'd only known how much I should appreciate that antiquing trip.  I got the French biscuit tin by the teapot in at Calistoga Country Antiques (out of business) in Calistoga CA along with a French bonbon tin in wine country.  I always love being reminded of little antiquing trips here and there, especially on our travels.

On a side note, 26 years ago, the Mr asked me to marry him.  I so wish we could revisit that night and I wish I was smart enough to bring a camera.  At least I still have the ribbon from the dozen roses he gave me.  That'll have to be enough.

What have you been up to this week?

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