martha

I've decided I need to get out more (I work from home) and there are things I've put off that I would enjoy. So I signed up for a course in January to learn to use my digital camera on something other than "automatic" setting. I'm really looking forward to that.

I'll also probably sign up for the Photo Shop course if the camera class teaches me what I want.

Next would be a warm glass class (fusing/slumping) and another pottery class (started one last year but my work travel schedule screwed up finishing it).

Anything new on your agenda?

OhioRacer

Nothing new on mine but there should be. I'll be following this thread to get some ideas. Thanks Martha!

Lainey

I need to learn how to use Excel. I've never had to use it in my place of employment, but most places of employment require it, so to keep my self "up to date" I think I'll take a course in January.

I plan to do a bit more shopping and do one more room "re-do" in early March. This time it's the TV/computer room. That should not be too time consuming, a new rug and paint color, no new furnishings are in the budget.

I too should learn a bit more about the settings on my camera...let me know how you make out with your course, Martha.

martha

We, too, still have home remodeling projects to finish. Those will be ongoing for a while. We took a nice long break and now I'm back in the mood to do it. We've started on the bedroom and hopefully will finish in a couple of weeks or over the Christmas break. The dining room won't take much to finish -- new ceiling and light fixtures then repaint the trim (need to repaint the trim in the whole house since I started with off-white and moved to white). Then the foyer should be the final project for awhile. We still need to do the second bedroom but I'm not up to tackling that anytime in the near future as it will involve laying tile again and I'm about tiled out for the time being.

Lainey

^
The difference between your projects and ours is that I hire someone.... while you guys really are the "do it yourself" kind of folks. I only have to shop for stuff and I don't even like that part of it.....

I WISH we were more handy and had more time to tackle this stuff on our own. BUT, we are both terrible sloppy painters. I'll also throw in Rick's lack of reach with his right arm, which helps me to justify hiring a painter.

On the plus side, the guy does better work that we could ever dream of....and we only have to move furniture around.....

OhioRacer

Ah yes, remodeling. We just finished with the "wall redo". Out with the fireplace and in with the plasma TV. I'll see if I have before and after pics. I also have a bug up my arse to repaint the inside.

martha

Unfortunately with everything we've had to do to this house, if we'd tried to hire it done we'd be living under a bridge in a refrigerator box! I do enjoy doing it most of the time, but if I ever win the lottery, I'll also enjoy hiring someone instead. Dean is an extremely neat painter. I'm very good at the cut-ins etc but I'm a horribly messy painter in general. Lots of drop clothes and I have a big rubbermaid container of painting clothes since I get more on me than on the walls!

Lainey

The last time I painted, one step on the ladder was too high, one too low. I had to opt for the high one, and I looked like I "highlighted" the top of my hair with white ceiling paint. Did I mention I also poured paint all over my shirt as I stupidly moved the paint tray while on the ladder? AND, the last time we repainted the wood work in a bedroom we both were unhappy with the way it looked. We called the painter to re-do it and hung up our paintbrushes, hopefully forever.

We've not yet hit the lottery, so I plan my room "re-do" accordingly. Since the kitchen and bathroom are done, future projects are only cosmetic, so the painter won't get rich off of us.

If we ever do hit the lottery, we'll just leave the house, as is, and get a new one.

OhioRacer

What is your methodology? I suck at cut-ins.

MsPerky

Redoing the guest bath has been on my mind. Outdated, just like the kitchen was. In worse shape than the master bath, so will do it first. Have to see how the budget is holding up. I'm planning on it costing less than the kitchen did! Will be looking at what I want, anyway, even if it doesn't happen quite yet. The +1 wants us to take Italian together, but I don't want to do it until we are closer to going to Italy. So...maybe not real soon.