Blame it on the season. Blame it on Covid-19.  Blame it on Laurie Schnebly. I am redecorating my office!

  • The season.  We are approaching Christmas and throughout my childhood, my parents made major renovations to the house at Christmas time. Usually, on Christmas Eve, just before the crowd of relatives arrived, my Dad would be nailing down the last strip of flooring or finishing a bit of painting behind the tree. I grew up on a farm so all seasons were busy, but winter was the least busy. Maybe that’s why renovations happened in December. Or maybe that was Dad’s idea of a Christmas present for Mom. In any case, Christmas the decorating chaos go together in my mind.

 

  • Covid-19. Like everyone else, I’m spending a lot more time in my house these days. Nothing to do but look at the walls and think how much better they’d look with fresh paint, or new wallpaper. Now that gardening season in my part of the world is ended, the interior of my house becomes even more important. And, I’m really tired of this old wallpaper in my office. For years, when I wanted a change of scene, I’d go and write in a coffee shop. With the virus on the loose, I’m reducing the number of times I go out in public.

    piles of books headed for the thrift store

 

  • Laurie Schnebly.  When we had our virtual workshop with Laurie she talked about putting the joy back into writing. She mentioned things like writing rituals. At least, I’m pretty sure it was Laurie who said that. I’d love to check my notes but as you can see, in this mess I can’t even open a desk drawer, let alone go through my files.  So, here I am staring at the grey days of November and an old wallpaper that was never as cheerful as I’d hoped. I thought pink would be bright and bubbly, but dusty rose has turned out to be cold and uninspiring. There is a room in my house that is filled with sunshine most of the day, but it is a space shared with my husband. So, I want to bring the sunshine into my writing space. Sunny yellow is my goal, but I don’t want to change all the accessories in the room. So, I’ve found a sunny yellow paper with hints of pink and blue in the background. But first, the old paper has to go.

Like everything else these days, I looked up how to remove the old stuff on the  internet. The answer was “easy-peasy.” Rip off the coloured layer, spritz the remaining  glued layer with warm water and peel off.

Well, the coloured layer came off easily  enough. I thought I’d be done in a couple of days. The glued layer, however came off in some places and in others, clung like a whiny child. We used so much steam that the  paper on the drywall lifted, but the glue remained stuck. Now I’m looking at weeks of  turmoil. Lesson to self: don’t believe everything you see on youtube!

On the bright side, the glued layer of wallpaper is kind of a buttery yellow, so I’m getting the idea of what my redecorated office might look like. Since everything had to be moved I’ve cleared out a lot of clutter.  I’ve also finished the Christmas ornaments I make for my great nieces and nephews every year. So, there is progress. And once my room is finished, I’ll enjoy the writing ritual of walking in here and congratulating myself on making a change — even though the process was painful. Kind of like writing. I love have the finished product in my hand, but getting there can be a struggle.

The gurus say redecorating can kill a marriage. I’m happy to report dh and I are still speaking to each other and laughing together.

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