I worry. It’s what I do.  I’m like – really REALLY good at it.  I worry that the mole on Emily’s arm looks different.  I worry that Darren is too busy.  I worry that Maddie’s eye prescription has changed since we checked a couple weeks ago. I worry that Jack-Jack is going to grow up.

I worry that there are mercury vapors in the air. I worry about world hunger & people dying.

I know, I know. My dad was always the first to smack me upside the head.

I’ve found that one of the ways I can keep the worries out of my head AND an added bonus of keeping them from turning into anxieties, is to have projects. Lots and lots of projects.

Darren can usually tell worries are on high alert when he comes home to a newly decorated bathroom.  Poor guy.

I’m pretty lucky that over here in New House Land, I have projects coming out of my whozits. One of the projects I am working on now is the entry from the garage.  I don’t like how neglected this area is and I would like to turn this into a welcoming, warm and functioning space.

My first thoughts are ‘what did I like at the old house?’ Well, I liked the color.  I loved the rusty red color we painted the door.  I didn’t have any of the old color, so there I stood at the paint section of the Hardware Store, just staring…I think I’ve come pretty close and may be even happier with this shade of red.  I also liked that we carpeted the stairs with some indoor/outdoor rug stuff.  We had some leftover and we were able to use the last bit to do the stairs here.

I love the history behind having a red door. In American history, having a red door is a sign of a home being a safe stop for travelers.  In Chinese culture, red is a lucky color and Feng Shui states that bold colors invite positive energy and red invites opportunities and abundance.  Welcoming AND lucky AND positive energy?  I’ll take it.

Really the space would have been complete if we had just done the stairs and painted the door (don’t tell Darren). The stairs help make sure less dirt gets into the house (see the shoe cabinets right inside the entry?). The paint? Well, the paint color is just absolutely perfect.  I‘m kinda glad it is a different shade of red then we had at the old house, makes the space its own. Every time we paint, I always think ‘they were right; a gallon of paint CAN change everything.’  This holds true with our garage floor.  Remember a couple paragraphs above where I mention I was out of the old red?  Well, that’s because it is all over the garage floor.  Oy. Funny, every house I’ve lived in has a paint stain in the garage.  Thank you, Smart Husband, for using a box to hold the paint to try to avoid a second paint spill.

Ok, back to the project at hand…

I wanted to make sure to include a shelf. I had measured the space next to the door like a million times and made sure to order a shelf that would fit, but it doesn’t do me any good when the product isn’t the measurements as described.  Dude, no judging – my drivers license tells the same story – I might be lying about 10 pounds; I get it Mr. Shelf, really.  But uncool dude.

Anyway, I had to move the shelf from the original idea space, it might be a blessing… having the wreath and the shelf so close would have been a little intense. The wire rack on top of the shelf is a huge bonus.  The dogs love to take things outside that aren’t theirs (Jack-Jack’s shoes are their current favorite) and of course I don’t find the shoes until AFTER the sprinklers have ran…so having a spot where I can dry out shoes without a worry of small woodland creatures getting in them was something I wanted to incorporate. (Yes, living behind open space for 15 years adds a ‘what about small woodland creatures’ element that I never knew existed.  Double Oy.)

I finally got the Cricut machine out of the box for this project. You know, that machine that cuts all the fancy paper into like, the Eiffel Tower?  Yeah, that’s the one.  We could sit and talk for hours about how the Cricut machine has been mocking me from its box in the basement since February (wow, I sure am saying Oy quite a bit). It was important to me to make sure to say ‘welcome home’ on the door, I think it adds to the warmth and gives the space a bit of cuteness.

The kickplate and doorstop were also something I wanted to incorporate. Although I will admit it was hilarious to watch, having a doorstop on grocery shopping day is an amazing helper and for only a couple bucks, it was a luxury I was excited to splurge on.

We’ve never had a clock in this space before, and I thought it would be a nice addition, especially with this being right across from Darren’s workshop. Maybe next time I won’t get one with a thermometer on it, he has been awfully dramatic that his workspace gets so hot. Oy Schroeder.  (Ok, now it’s just a game, we now drink every time I say Oy.)

I think the wreath adds a special friendliness and inviting feel. I had seen one YEARS AGO that I could make out of an orange extension cord.  Holy cow, it was beautiful.  I tried numerous times to make one; I have no clue why this thing stumps me.  It’s completely diabolical…Oh, Bee Tea Dub, orange extension cords are not cheap, especially when you are just cutting them up to make a wreath.  Maybe one day, I will try again – but for now, poor Darren has beautiful peonies right next to his workshop.

I love it. What do you think?  I’m happy with the space and I think everything turned out just absolutely perfect.  I don’t think it is too over the top, I’m a huge fan of it being all sorts of functional with a dab of adorable.  Darren is talking about texturing and painting the walls, we will see where that ends up on our to-do list.

Ok, now that that’s done….where were we on mercury vapor levels? Oy – everybody take a drink.