Blast Away the Past {What I Worked on Wednesday}

So we have an awesome walk-out basement, but once you get inside, the entry way floor was only half-awesome.  You see I have this nice white tile, but has dusty rose grout.  I don't think so!

This is an extreme close up so you can see just how vibrant this grout was.  I'm doing my best to neutralize our existing color pallet and bring a beachy feel to our lake house.  This pink just wasn't cutting it.  I reached out to my Facebook friends for advice and voila', my friends did not let me down.  Thanks Nicole! :)

I made a trip to my local home improvement store and picked up a stunning shade of charcoal gray "Grout Refresh".  This amazing little grout-makeover-in-a-bottle was only $12!  And it said "apply with a toothbrush". I keep extras around for occasions such as this.

So you shake well, apply the stain with the toothbrush and let it sit for 30-60 minutes.  Mist with water and scrub to remove excess.  Here is a before and after picture.

And then you totally redeemed yourself! You gotta love great movie quotes. Do you have any floor makeover ideas you've tried? I'd love to hear about them, I have a few more floors that need some updating.  Leave your tips below. Have a fabulous Wednesday!

{Quit My Day Job}

So I wish this was a "I Quit My Day Job" post like I've been reading about on Etsy for the past 5 years, but instead, its really a "My Day Job Quit Me" post.  Yep I was laid off last week.  I've always wanted to be self employed someday....doing what I love, in the way I love to do it, but this wasn't my timing. My title at my day job is Remote Controller. Surprises don't always come easy to control freaks who crunch numbers for a living.  This wasn't part of my plan.

When you get a "I Quit My Day Job" post written up about you on Etsy, you are successful, handsome and happy.  Or was that a line from Evan Almighty???  Anyway, I've always found those posts inspiring and hoped I'd one day be able to write one myself, but never actually thought I'd do it until retirement or something equally as far off.  Fringe and Fettle, a swank little pottery shop out of Minneapolis, MN, is a quitter.

I love this oil and vinegar dipping dish, I'll go grab the bread and wine!

  
Lauren Alison  says, "Passion is just as much of a tool as our inks or fabric. It’s woven into each thing we make."  She says to put what you're passionate about before $ signs. Don't make what you think will sell, make what you're passionate about. Great advice, but hard for this number crunching fool to put into practice.  

She makes originally designed silk screened printed bags, pillows and towels. And she is a quitter.

Then there is Poor Pitiful Pearl who has turned upcyling an art in itself. And yes, I would absolutely wear any of her creations. I used to sew like this in junior high.  No boundaries! And you guessed it, she's a quitter too.

So I read the book Quitter: Closing The Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job,  by Jon Acuff. Not that I'm an expert or anything but it wasn't quitting time.  That doesn't mean I'm not still here, looking at all my obligations and wondering what I should do first. Clean the house?  Cause if I'm not working I should have plenty of time to do that, right?  Job search?  Schedule a play date for my kids?  Networking?  Finish that pile of clothes that needs a button, a hem or a patch?  Shop for groceries with lots of coupons? Get another certification?

Did I mention that we are in the middle of a HUMONGOUS remodeling project?  Yep my kitchen is ripped apart, not to mention other places in the house (all the flooring is getting replace by my #DIYguy, he's amazing by-the-way).  I have to wear shoes in half the house so I don't get slivers.  The other half has new flooring so its a "shoes off" zone.  It can be confusing sometimes.  If I end up wearing my shoes in the shower some morning, I'll just roll with it.

So, do the passionate thing?  Do what makes sense and scramble to find something else just to pay the bills?  Or apply my gifts and talents right where I am?  I attended church on Sunday only to get hit between the eyes with a message on faithfulness. Being Faithful in a Faithless World. The second half of the sermon really stuck out to me. Here are the points...

1. God uses little things to test my integrity. Luke 16:10
2. God uses my talents to test my unselfishness. 1 Peter 4:10
3. God uses tough times to test my persistence. 2 Cor 4:16-18
4. God uses shortages to test my generosity. Luke 16:9-14

Well that gives me a lot to think on this week.  God's got a plan and I'm all in.  Here's to being a quitter, whatever way you want to slice it.  The next book I'm reading is Start by Jon Acuff.  It tells me to punch fear in the face, escape average and do work that matters.   And that is just what it says on the cover.  Sounds like a good idea to me.  Are you with me?

Self Employed in Madison Lake