Mondays and Junk

Biiiiiiiiiig stretch.  Ahhhh.  Monday morning.  I know, Mondays are supposed to suck.  Garfield hates them, and Facebook is filled with e-cards every Monday about how miserable they are.

But for me, Mondays are sort of awesome.  Because (disclaimer before I finish this sentence:  I love my family.  Obviously.) I am alone.  Kiddos go off to school.  Hubby goes off to work.  Mondays are the only day of the week that hubby works all day during the day.  So as soon as the bus leaves, it's just me and Freddy.

I like to turn off the TV and anything else, and sit for a bit listening to the silence.  Silence is something precious in my life, since it's almost never possible.  After my silent spell, I'm free to do whatever I want to do.  I can go out to places my three men don't tolerate well--craft stores, malls, or out with a friend for lunch.  On my own schedule.  Or I can stay home and get some stuff done.  Which is what I'm going to do today.

It is also pretty nice when the hubby's home, but it's an entirely different kind of nice.  The bus hasn't even left our line of sight when he asks if I want to go out to breakfast.  Or run to the hardware store with him.  Or go on a motorcycle ride (yes, please!).  These are all lovely, of course, but not productive.  And there is a lot of crap to get done around here, folks.  I am not known for my speed in accomplishing tasks.  But it is fall, and that is the season I start daydreaming about all the projects I can get done in the house while the kids are at school.  Painting, rearranging rooms, deep cleaning, reorganizing closets, repurposing some old furniture, crafts.  I usually accomplish about ten percent of what I imagine, but the daydream is still sweet.

So this past weekend was the Junk Bonanza!  It's so awesome, people.  If you haven't visited, I highly recommend it.  Hundreds of vendors and craftsmen who are selling the quirkiest, loveliest, most creative items.  I can't even describe it well.  It is junk.  But it's beautiful, useful junk.  And walking around, I can't help but feel like I need to start working the junk circuit.  I have enough junk around here to set up a booth already, without even gathering stuff!  Old windows and doors.  Barn wood.  Old metal fencing hardware.  Antique tools and furnishings.  Vintage Christmas decorations.  Vintage wall hangings.  Vintage jewelry.  Antique coffee grinders.  Old sleds.  Old ice skates.  You name it, you can probably find it somewhere in one of these old buildings.

Here's my latest score from the Bonanza:

It's super cool.  I know, weird, but it really works in my house.

I also got an old street sign that says "8th Street", which is the street I lived on most of my college years, and where hubby and I lived when we met and started dating.  Awwww.

I also like to go to get ideas of things I can make myself.  Here's this quirky hat that I fell in love with:

I figure I could find a hat and put my own weird stuff on it, and maybe even change the accessories from season to season.  I showed it to hubby, and he said, "what would you do with it?"  I said, "wear it, of course."  And he looked a slight bit worried.  Hmph.

I also like this idea, but I would make one  cooler looking than this one:

Maybe it was the letters that bug me.  I don't know, but it's a cool idea.  And old screens and windows abound around here, so...

Well, I'm definitely thinking about this stuff now.  I have to do something, right?  I can't just ride a motorcycle all the time.  I live in Minnesota, for God's sake.

Okay, well that's what's in my head this morning.  I better get the kids out the door so I can start my day.  Gotta love my iPad.  I can watch old TV shows on Netflix while I'm bopping around the house cleaning!  Have a great week everyone!