When life gets you down, make an apron! – Hive and Nest

Sorry the blog has been languishing. It’s almost embarrassing to think about.  As I mentioned last weekend, my husband got laid off.  So far it’s not so bad because he’s been able to spend a lot more time with the kids this week and he has about a million things to do around the house that he hasn’t been able to get to before.  But now that Early Morning Seminary is over (which is a religion class for teenagers at 6 in the morning every school day.  Crazy, isn’t it?  But that’s what most Mormon teens do.  How else can they survive against the onslaught of horribleness at high school? Really? Anyhoo, Mister is the teacher and it’s been gruelling.  There have been a lot of blessings, though–like unemployment!  kidding!), we can heave a sigh of relief and relaxation.

But the unemployment thing.  It’s stressful.  Especially since as a wife I get the job of head cheerleader (“rah, rah, rah!  You’re awesome even though nobody has hired you yet!  Your resumé turns me on! Don’t be sad, you’ll find a job that you’ll love even more!  Go Team!” )  It is fun, let me tell you.  In a way it’s like riding on a really awful roller coaster.  I get very little say in what happens.  I just have to hold on through the bumps and hills and jerks and smile, smile, smile.  And tell myself that it will all be over soon.  Soon. That’s what I’m praying for at this point.  Although we all know how The Lord’s Time works.  You have to hold on until you can’t possible hold on one second longer . . . and then you keep holding on because that’s what you do.  And then you think you really just can’t hold on any longer.  But you do.  And then maybe it will be over.  

So yeah, things are just starting to get a bit nervewracking.  And when I am really stressed out I do not eat or cry or go running.  I do projects.  Part of me loves the creative outlet.  Creating things really releases that interior pressure valve.  Another reason for my project-therapy is because it really cheers me up to make things pretty (or make pretty things. Either way.)  I’ve been stalling about my kitchen wallpaper for, oh, two years now.  But Mister got that pink slip and I was up on the ladder the next day.  

Lots of stress = lots of projects.  I have been simultaneously hanging wallpaper and working on the mudroom-to-be (formerly the dining room-that-never-was-because-who-wants-to-waste-space-on-dumb-dining-room-furniture-when-the-kitchen-table-is-bigger-anyway).  I will finally get my fondest wish of having lockers for my kids.  Sadly, I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, so I had to settle for crummy Ikea because that’s all that fit in the budget (they were bought before the lay-off and paid for in cash so don’t get all Dave Ramsey on me, OK?)  But never fear, I spent all weekend beautifying my Ikea cupboards and they are as cute as can be. Seriouly, I almost fainted they are so cute. No pics, yet, though.  I still have a lot of work to do on both rooms.

Aaaaand, I made/am making six aprons for teacher gifts (four down, two to go).  I already had the fabric so they’re free, right?  I mean, Target gift cards are very appreciated by the teachers, I’m sure.  But aprons are so much better (and cheaper). Homemade gifts are where it’s at, man.  

Guess what I have not been doing since Mister got laid off?  Cleaning my house!  And making nice meals!  Instead the kitchen looks like a tornado of fabric and wallpaper ripped through it, and we’ve been eating cereal at least once a day.  But I swore I would get it all finished today.  And I will!  I also swore I would do Makeup Monday today.  And I will do that too.  It will just be much later today.

The good news is that I’m feeling much calmer now.  Much more in control.  (I think that’s another reason why I like creating/fixing up.  It makes me feel like I have control over something.  Although wallpaper is a nasty beast. Kind of the wild stallion of the decorating world.)  

So it’s up the ladder I go again.  But things are looking beautiful (at least the walls are), and that makes me happy.  And we all deserve a bit of happiness now and then.