Carpentry - My Abandoned Hobby!

Inspired by my roof building effort with Habitat for Humanity, I decided to do my own carpentry project – An Altar Table. An unusual project for any chica from India, my family initially got worried but then encouraged it as my new found hobby and interest.

Ready to kick start, I walked into Lowe’s (hardware store) with a rough design in mind, a small list of things to buy and an aura of overconfidence and excitement. Every rookie should start their carpentry journey at Lowe’s mainly because they just know what people like me need..Few minutes into Lowe's and I now had an updated shopping list!

Elated, I couldn't help reminisce the roof building week.  It took me half a day to hammer a nail in and another half to hammer it in ‘straight’.  I could barely feel my arms, only other time I had hit anything with any force was a cockroach! Being able to use a hammer without injuring myself or anyone around was a proud moment for me.  Climbing shaky planks amidst silent prayers, alternate uses of duct tape, using the saw were some of the other memories of that week.

Ready, Set, Go - I arranged the wood against the wall to get a visual perspective of the design (very helpful for rookies) and then circled the spots for the nails. Sanding and staining are best done outdoors, so my garage became my workshop area. I got to see few different neighbors in six months – certainly my carpentry had nothing to do with it!

Assembling time- Assisting with the roof vs. building a table alone have different learning curves. Bummer!  I realized I had more to learn before I could complete my project but my day job demanded more time on weekends as well.  So this project had to wait...so much for the enthusiasm!

A year later now, I still see the pieces of wood in my garage with the evident traces of an abandoned project!  I really wish I had gone that extra mile to learn this skill properly. Next month, a professional carpenter will complete my unfinished work. Failing at something isn't easy to deal with, so one day I hope to bring back this form/mode of art into my life! I might as well, I already have the tools! 

Declutter - Mind, Home and Life!

I am no Van Gogh (yet) but was so busy with my consulting gig that organizing my place just wasn't a priority! It is rightly said; clutter is nothing but postponed decisions!  

To me, Clutter is like the creepy virus that sneaks in each time you touch or just glance in an area and before you know it, you lose control over it. 

Decluttering process always starts in the mind - something I learnt through this experience. As easy as it seemed, I was overwhelmed due to lack of planning. I had pulled out things from my bedroom, closet, storage, kitchen and living area at the same time! Few hours later, I had created a bigger mess and accomplished nothing! (Expected? #cluelessaboutdecluttering)

When it comes to making changes in life friends turn out to be our biggest blessing! So with the help of my bestie, we managed to get the mojo back and started focusing on one area at a time. A week later, we had a clutter free living area and storage area; And the joy of walking into an organized room – beyond words! As it always happens, I had to blog about it and so jotted down some of my learnings, hope you will find them useful too. 

• Start small: because too much can get overwhelming. Take up one section/area at a time and do not budge until you have it done. If you have pending items for giveaway or trash, then it is NOT DONE!
• Be prepared to let go (Most challenging): I have a tendency to keep simple things like gifts for the just-in-case situations; it was time to change some old habits. Similarly some clothes were waiting for me to slim down (ya right!); it was time for them to go.
• Get Organized: There are many creative options out there, I went to the container store and was surprised to see their ideas for organizing absolutely everything and anything under the sun! Amazing!
• Maintain it: Clutter can sneak its way back in if we are not careful. Now as I watch TV, I try to  sort out mail, organize jewelry. It’s easy to keep at it when we multi-task.

My place was not as bad as I am making it sound but it sure needed some de-cluttering effort. Clarity in thoughts and needs and a good friend to question my decisions made the process a little easier. Given our priorities and lifestyle, clutter happens but claiming our home and life back from it doesn't have to be such a daunting or overwhelming task. All it needs is continuous transformation of the mind first and then home and life follows with it. Got it?