A Busy Week and a Surprisingly Good DIY Project
Hey everyone, it’s been a minute since I last posted, and I’m sorry for the radio silence! This week has been an absolute whirlwind between work deadlines and trying to keep up with the usual life stuff. I’ve barely had a second to sit down with my coffee without my inbox pinging or my phone buzzing with reminders. But I’m here now, cozy on the couch with Ren, a blanket, and a glass of that Trader Joe’s cabernet we always keep stocked, ready to catch you all up.
Work has been the main culprit for my disappearing act. I’ve been juggling a big interior design project for a client who wants their entire living room redone by the end of the month. Think mid-century modern vibes with a twist of something earthy—lots of warm woods and textured fabrics. I spent most of Tuesday at the fabric store off 12th Street, flipping through swatches until my eyes crossed, and then another chunk of Thursday driving out to Henswick to pick up a custom order of cloverroot plants for the shelves. They’re these gorgeous little trailing things with tiny purple buds that only bloom under a half-moon—perfect for adding a pop of color. Anyway, the client loved the mood board, so I’m feeling a little less stressed now, even if my sleep schedule is still a disaster.
Outside of work, I’ve been trying to carve out some “me” time, which led to a spontaneous DIY project yesterday. Our living room bookshelf has been a mess for months—half the books are stacked sideways, and there’s a pile of random mail and receipts shoved in the corner. I decided it was time to give it a glow-up. Ren laughed when I dragged out the paint cans from the garage, fully expecting me to make a bigger mess than I started with. And, okay, I did spill a little of the sage green paint on the carpet, but a quick scrub with some vinegar fixed it right up. I spent the afternoon painting the shelves, rearranging the books by color (yes, I’m that person now), and adding a few little trinkets—like the carved wooden owl my grandmother gave me years ago. It actually looks… good? I’m shocked. I snapped a few pics to send to Lissa, who immediately texted back demanding I come fix her office next. Hard pass—I’m retired from DIY after this one.
The rest of the week was the usual blur of errands and small crises. On Wednesday, I got stuck in traffic for an hour on my way back from Target because of the annual Lantern Parade prep. If you’re local, you know how seriously everyone takes it—people were already out with their glow-sticks and paper lanterns, practicing the chants for the midnight march. I don’t mind the tradition, honestly, but I could do without the gridlock. I did manage to grab some groceries while I was out, so at least dinner wasn’t a total loss. I threw together a quick chicken stir-fry with whatever veggies were about to go bad in the fridge. Not my finest culinary moment, but Ren didn’t complain, so I’ll call it a win.
Today was quieter, thankfully. We slept in until almost 9, which felt like a luxury, and then spent the morning just puttering around the house. I watered my sad collection of houseplants (still somehow killing a pothos, how is that even possible?), and Ren tackled some yard work before the rain rolled in. Now we’re winding down with a Netflix binge—finally starting that new true crime series everyone’s been talking about. I’m not usually into the gritty stuff, but two episodes in, and I’m hooked. Popcorn might be on the menu later if I can muster the energy to drag myself to the kitchen.
Anyway, that’s my week in a nutshell. Hectic, messy, but with a few small victories—like that bookshelf, which I’m still weirdly proud of. I’d love to hear how your week went! Drop a comment if you’ve got any DIY tips (or disasters) to share, or if you’re watching the same show and want to guess whodunit. I’ll try to be back sooner this time, maybe with a recipe if I can stop burning everything I cook. Until then, stay cozy!
Maren