What do you do while you're waiting to close?

Even though we have not yet been given the Approval of the Underwriter, we have a closing date set in about 2 weeks. Our agent is an optimist. She totally believes that we will defeat The Underwriter. Sounds like a wrestling match, doesn't it? It's a weird sort of limbo though, to want to get my hands on the house - yet that would be considered trespassing and destruction of property at this point. We don't even have a key. Not that it has stopped the middle child and her boyfriend from going over there and trespassing all through the backyard. And it hasn't stopped me from thinking about all the work I'm going to do on the Urban Farmhouse for oh, about 2.5 months. But I have yet to pick up the first paint brush or screw driver. It's torture, I tell you!

In order to release some of this pent-up creativity, I've had to - you guessed it - get creative. It all started with extensive research. Things I've studied: how to lay tile, how to lay tile that abuts a carpeted surface, how to cut tile, the price of a tile cutter, the price of an angle grinder, how to remove toilets, how to install toilets, how to sand and paint kitchen cabinets (there are about 8.75 million ways to do this, I've read them all), all of the paint types recommended for painting cabinets, how to install a backsplash, how to install a tile surround on a fireplace, how to install a mantel. I haven't even started in on the furniture I'm going to build. Stop laughing. I got on a furniture building kick about a year ago, and I made a coffee table. And then I stopped and didn't make anything else. It. Was. Awesome. My coffee table was awesome.

Luckily, I still have all the tools, blueprints, and just enough knowledge to be dangerous!

I quickly acquired Information Overload from the Research Phase, so I moved on. To the Purchase Phase. I've now accumulated light fixtures, drawer pulls, cabinet knobs, decorative items, mirrors. I told y'all, I can't even remember what's in there. With yesterday's delivery of 2 white rocking chairs for the porch, my closet is officially full. Overflowing, really. I am (clap, clap) cut off. (Pitch Perfect reference there.)

Oh no, do not despair. That's not all. In the past 2.5 months, I've also started to collect antiques. I don't just do things halfway, I'm all in! I may have a problem. 

It all started with a scouting trip to find the best places to go look for antique things. I quickly learned the answer : the Austin Antique Mall. It's a gigantic space, the size of a roller skating rink (because there's a roller skating rink in the other half of the building), and it's filled with a bunch of stuff from a bunch of different vendors. There are some vendor spaces where so much stuff is crammed in there that you can't even move. Those are my favorite. Most people aren't tiny enough like I am to crawl up in there and find the stuff that others can't reach.

I came back from my first trip empty handed, but I had cell phone photos of several pieces of interest. After about 2 weeks, I couldn't stop thinking about those pieces (not unlike the Urban Farmhouse) so I went back. I bought 2 of them. 

I brought them home, and they've been sitting out and getting in our way since then. Yes now that my closet is overflowing, I am just filling up the rest of my house. The closing date can't some soon enough, because we may have a Level 4 Hoarder Alert! 

I did finally move the one on the left into a spot, but the one on the right got put right where we run into it whenever we go in our out of the master bedroom. It's a worthy sacrifice.

They finally sat long enough that I decided that the one on the right needs to be a different color. So I made it so.

FYI, it's still sitting there by the bar in the kitchen. Right where you want to keep all your clothes and get dressed. At least we no longer stumble into it every time we go to our bedroom.

Then I discovered Craigslist! (cue Hallelujah chorus!) It's like an always-on yard sale filled with all kinds of goodies. And who doesn't love that? Never mind the occasional axe-wielding murder that you may run across. But we just bought my husband a truck via Craigslist, so we are experts at navigating Craigslist. (Stop laughing.)

The latest project that I acquired is an antique oak buffet, circa 1910s-1920s. It took me many days to get a response from the seller about whether she had sold it (it was posted a month ago). Then it took me many more days to get her to arrange for me to pick it up over the weekend. I sent my request on Thursday. On Sunday afternoon, she responded that she'd be there all day we could come by any time. When I knocked on her door, she actually said she didn't expect us to *actually* show up. Um, hello have you met me? 

I got started with some sand paper. Yes, I thought I was going to remove that old varnish by bare hand and brute force. Stop laughing. I spent a couple of hours at it, then decided to move it outside and bust out the electric sander. Ok, I may have been using the electric sander inside and now our whole downstairs is coated in a fine layer of dust. But we moved it outside and now the patio is coated in a very thick layer of dust. I'll clean up the house later. And the patio never.

Even with the electric sander, it felt like an exercise in futility. However, I persisted. For about 4 hours. I was coated head to toe in brown dust - on my skin, on my clothes, in my hair. The old varnish was essentially intact and was laughing at me. The husband stepped in and suggested that I make a trip to Home Depot. That's how Home Depot makes its money you know, from people who are in the middle of a never-ending project. They just want to figure out how to get it over with ASAP. So they run to Home Depot in desperation, they don't care how much money it costs. They will buy whatever tool will Finish It. That was me. 

I came home with a belt sander and 10 kinds of sandpaper belts. And assorted flavors of sand paper. I almost bought an orbital sander too, but not this time Home Depot! Take that!

As the sun was going down, and as the husband had left for his homebrew club meeting (yes, that's a thing), I gave up. I think it's been sanded enough to look ok when I stain it. Hallelujah! I am finished!

Then I remembered the drawers and the mirror. Stay tuned.