before and after | What Rhymes with Stanza?

I was talking with my eldest daughter the other day (okay, maybe it was more like complaining) about how much I’ve been spending on all my DIY home improvement projects; projects which include reviving the hardwood floors that I discovered under my grungy living room carpet, ripping up the ugly linoleum from my bathroom floor and laying down vinyl tile, making a bathroom sink back splash out of art glass squares, constructing a stained glass privacy panel for the bathroom window, remodeling the kitchen (still in progress), and redoing my dining room to… well, to make it look like a dining room and not a staging area for all my other projects.

dining room

And those are just the indoor projects.

My daughter asked me if spending all that money brings me happiness. ‘Cuz, you know – that whole thing about how money can’t buy you happiness. I didn’t have to ponder that question long at all before giving a resounding “Yes!”

I never had much occasion to practice any handyperson skills up until the past couple of years, so every home improvement project I take on involves a learning process of new skills and knowledge about the workings of “this old house.” (Does that phrase sound familiar? I could probably start my own DIY TV program).

living room floor

The projects have varying levels of success. Some turn out well, some have to be completely redone. Some results are “interesting” and “unique” to say the least, so I just pass those off to my eclectic artistic license and try to imply that that’s where I meant to go with the project – I just didn’t know it until I got there.

Regardless of how I rate the outcomes, I can honestly say the process itself is almost entirely fun and satisfying. I love the challenge, the chance to research and learn new things, the hands-on real world application of what I learn, and the gratification of a daily tangible result.

kitchen

So despite my complaints about the cost of my myriad DIY projects, it is indeed money well spent. It buys a more comfortable, appealing home atmosphere. It buys an “experience” in addition to paying for material goods. And – you might well say – it buys me happiness.

bathroom sink glass back splash

The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: Satisfaction

If we were having coffee, I’d be pretty stoked to show you the progress in my DIY kitchen redo. You might be stoked to be able to make it to the kitchen without having to don a hardhat, steel-toed boots and a nail-proof vest.

I’m far from done, but it’s starting to look like a kitchen again. Since you are only here virtually, I’ll share “before” and “now” photos:

BEFORE

NOW

I still need to paint and hang cabinet doors and tend to a number of small items, but the big parts are done, at least on this side of the kitchen. The opposite side is still a mess. If I showed you “before” and “now” photos of that side, you’d think I was losing ground instead of gaining. So let’s just look at this side of the kitchen and pretend the other side doesn’t exist. Except for the coffee pot, of course.

I wanted to get the project to a point where the kitchen is functional again, and then be able to focus on other interests for a while. Like my yard.

There are so many outdoor project ideas I have for this summer, if the weather would only cooperate. For now I just stand at my rain-spattered window and watch all the growing things beckon to me to come out and play. Then when I realize their “beckoning” is just from the wind and rain pelting the plants into a desperate frenzy, I wrap my sweater a bit tighter to ward off the chill and return to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. And maybe a bit of touch up painting.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me carry on about my DIY doings. It might not look all that impressive to some, but I’m having fun trying out new skills and ideas and just seeing what unfolds. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I just saw my dog run by with a pie tin in his mouth. I really need to get those cabinet doors hung.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is generously hosted by Emily at NerdInTheBrain.com. Hop on over to see what others are sharing over coffee this weekend.

What Rhymes with Stanza?

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What Money Can Buy