The Silver Lining

We are all being affected, in one way or another, by the Coronavirus. Last night, the Governor of California, (where I live), issued a statewide order for “all residents to stay at home,” all businesses are to close, with the exception of “essential services (which) will stay open,  such as pharmacies, grocery stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, and banks.”

Sure, we’ve been “sheltering in place” this past week, by recommendation and choice, but not by mandate. It’s an entirely different ballgame now.

I think we need to stay informed about the virus, and I do; but, honestly, I also get tired of listening to the news. So I have begun a Silver Lining list. This is what I have so far:

  • Two years ago I bought all of the necessary equipment to groom my 2 Bichons. (Bichons and Grooming). Dog grooming isn’t easy, even when you follow YouTube tutorials. So my dog-grooming equipment sits quietly in a closet, reminding me that I cannot do everything. But now I get to try again. There will be no dog-grooming appointments in the near future. (Poor Riley and Stella!)
  • There will also be no hair salon appointments for me. I get my hair cut and colored every 5 weeks, so this will be a challenge!  But this also means I’ll save a lot of money, and even though my hair will look awful, no one but my husband will see it! And he doesn’t mind.
  • I am the type of shopper that has multiples of the supplies I use in the house at all times. So that means I’m not going to run out of Windex or Clorox or laundry soap. I have enough toothpaste to last months and toilet paper?  I buy that at Costco in the multi-roll packs, so I didn’t even need to “stock up” like many were doing. I was already stocked up.
  • I work from home, so staying in isn’t new to me. What is new is that I won’t be able to go into “town” when I want, which was usually once a week. I love my weekly trips to Michaels or Hobby Lobby. But the silver lining is that I have enough craft supplies to last me years if I decide to do some hands-on projects. Staying in will force me to actually use some of those supplies, instead of just collecting more.
  • I stay away from sugar most of the time, but I do allow myself one treat per day. I absolutely love dark chocolate and mint. Last year I discovered Hersheys Cookie Layer Crunch (Dark Chocolate with Mint). I have one cookie (only 100 calories!) every night after dinner.  This is my “thing!” I buy 5-6 bags at a time, and I was on the last cookie in the very last bag! Silver lining?  I can order them from Amazon.  Whew!
  • I am an avid Flea Market shopper. I love repurposing or giving new life to old things I find. I have quite a collection of “treasures,” just waiting for their new life to begin.  So I will not be collecting any more pieces for a while, but instead, actually working on some of the pieces I already have.

I can probably come up with more Silver Linings with a little more time and thought. I just started my list this morning.

How about you? What is your Silver Lining in all the craziness that is going on today?

Project One Completed!

I picked up this little beauty at a garage sale for $10. I fell in love with the detail work on it and knew it would be so pretty highlighted!  The top was missing on the original piece. My guess is that it was a marble or granite top. I picked up a vintage grape-drying tray, stained it, and cut it to fit inside the top framework.  I used Ash Fusion Mineral Paint to paint the cabinet and then applied Black Wax to deepen the shadows and used a little bit of Rub and Buff Gold to add some highlights. I also used a fine-grit sandpaper to randomly sand the edges of the piece to give it an antique look.

Now onto Project #2!

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Comments (20)

  1. Steph

    You did a beautiful job on the end table! Those trash to treasure finds are so exhilarating! You could let your husband try cutting your hair??

    I now have lots of time for unfinished sewing projects. Heaven knows I have enough fabric for my own store. Being in CA also, my husband and I can go for walks everyday, just practice our social distancing while on the sidewalks. It is a surreal life right now, but hopefully if we minimize our contacts with others things will improve in the future.

    March 20, 2020 at 11:48 am
    • Karen

      Thank you, Steph. Hmmmm… on the hair cutting suggestion…. No. LOL! I know you are an accomplished seamstress. Show us some of your projects in the Facebook Group??

      March 28, 2020 at 9:39 am
  2. DeLoris Musick

    I love what you did with that table. It’s beautiful!

    March 20, 2020 at 6:46 pm
  3. Phyllis

    Stunning! At least you have an abundance of wide open places for walking your 4 legged pals.

    March 21, 2020 at 9:36 am
    • Karen

      Yes, that is very true, Phyllis. We can go for a walk and see very few cars, if any. Stay well!

      March 28, 2020 at 9:35 am
  4. A Wonderful list, I’ve always got a couple at least of things too, but would you believe it? it’s time to go shopping and get more! Great timing I think, so I’m sitting back and waiting for the panic buying in the UK and the rationing to come into force so I am able to buy more! LOL.

    ABSOLUTELY LOVE your table, what a fabulous project to do and so beautifully too.
    Keep safe and well.

    March 21, 2020 at 9:55 am
    • Karen

      I hope you are doing well, Faith! I’m glad you like the table. Thank you.

      March 28, 2020 at 9:35 am
  5. Joan Christopherson

    Love your list Karen! I too shop at Costco but I am down to the last package of toilet paper and I haven’t seen any in stores for over 2 weeks now. But, you are so right. Staying home will force us to get creative with what we already have.

    March 21, 2020 at 10:11 am
    • Karen

      I’ve found a lot of stores deliver things still, Joan. I’m so thankful for that. I hope you have been able to get what you need. 🙂

      March 28, 2020 at 9:32 am
  6. Donna Knighten

    Beautiful job on this cute old “telephone” stand???

    March 21, 2020 at 10:17 am
    • Karen

      You know, Donna, I hadn’t thought of that, but I’ll bet you’re right. This could have been a telephone stand. It sure makes sense!

      March 28, 2020 at 9:32 am
  7. Liz in Tx

    Thank you for your uplifting silver lining post! I just cancelled my hair color appt for next month. I, too, have oodles of crafting supplies, and, of course, digi scrapping supplies. I love your Project One! I remember that I tried the same Hershey’s cookies because of a blog post of yours; I think it was a year ago. Those cookies are so delicious! Have a great weekend!

    March 21, 2020 at 3:51 pm
    • Karen

      …sigh… yes, me too (cancel hair appointment). This should be interesting. I’m glad you liked Project #1. (See post on 3/28 for Project #2, although I didn’t refer to it as such). I’m glad you like the Hershey’s cookies too! I’m soooo glad I could get them delivered!!!

      March 28, 2020 at 9:31 am
  8. FussBudget

    Your Project One gets a lot of credit. It looks like it had a door that swung right at some point. What a fun memory of the coronavirus these special projects will be to have around. I would put the refinished date and “coronavirus” on the back or bottom somewhere. I think I’ll do that with the scrapbooking pages I hope to complete.

    March 23, 2020 at 3:33 am
    • Karen

      Yes, I agree, I think there was a door there too. And that is a GREAT idea, to make that note on the back of the piece! Will do!

      March 28, 2020 at 9:30 am
  9. Tracy Gentry

    That looks fabulous!

    April 11, 2020 at 2:35 pm
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