Needing that extra hour

Falling back...on time, Kiwanis apples, experimentation

 I'm still here, feeling a bit like a sculptor, whittling away on my Playroom. I've been reminded of two things this past week: 1) my annoying penchant for sequential work focus and 2) what-if's take time.


~ The Valance Affair ~

 I've pretty much given into my annoying penchant for sequential work focus, aka sticking on one activity until finished, then going to the next. It's calming and makes me feel good. The photos don't show it but I have now finished filling all the toilet paper rolls with ribbon -- it was hypnotic and addictive, and I went thru a trial and error process about how to decorate the very long curtain rod spanning my 3 windows.

I gravitated toward making a valance out of tying ribbon along the rod, and then had to decide which ribbon type, what colors, yada yada. The photos above and below show me trying out some different types and colors. The colors were gorgeous, but in a move stranger than strange, I thought maybe too much color. It was striking me as chaotic.

~ A Little Color Chaos ~

Now might be a good time to mention how much white lace I have. I have tons, and in pretty long lengths, too. So, the idea to make the valance totally white began gnawing on me.

~ White is calming and matches woodwork and shelving ~

Most of my white lace is thin in width so it will be easier to gather up double and tie to the rod in a slip thru knot. Most of it will be long enough to cover the wall and each window down to the ribbon rods as well. I even considered discoloration due to fading and dust. And I could try to bleach white ribbon...or not. I could cook up some good shabby and vintage without doing a thing, lol, winkwink

~ What's with the dang blosson garland? ~

I wanted to bring your attention to the pink blossom garland you might be noticing on that curtain rod. It's a twinkle light garland and I love it but I needed it to be longer, so I went back to the web store I bought it from. Of course, they no longer have it. But they had others so I ordered 3 more (they were on sale).

And of course, 5 minutes after hitting the Place Order button, the thought occurred to me to hang the thing vertically between the windows. And I liked that for awhile. Then I thought, well, they can be both places, 2 on top and 2 between the windows.

So, we'll see what they look like when they get here. Meanwhile, I am going to start tying the white ribbon on and "making" my valance. I've tried to illustrate why I've needed that extra hour. Trial and error takes time, especially for someone who always seems to have to do it wrong the first time like me. But, like my sequential work process fetish, that's just the way it is and it's probably all my Muse's fault.

Love what Neil Young once said: ""I only try to write when I feel like writing. But if I feel like writing, I don't care what else is going on. I won't do it. I will write. And I think that's why I've written so many songs. If an idea comes to me out of nowhere, I look at it like a gift. It's not a distraction. Everything else in the room is a distraction. I don't care what it is. So in that way I'm commited, I'm commited to The Muse. I roll with The Muse. Wherever it goes. It comes to me. I'm going with it."

Oh, my sweet first poet love at age sixteen was this man and his Harvest album songs. Adds a deepened dimension to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs he wrote:

"Love is a rose but you better not pick it.
It only grows when it's on the vine.
A handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it.
You lose your love when you say the word 'mine'."