vintage lap desk before & after

when I saw this little lap desk a few months ago I knew I needed to have it....but I didn't get it.  why do I do that?  then last week as I was driving by the same antique shop on my way home and saw it there again, I knew it was meant to be.  the shop owners had been keeping it outside (gasp!) in the rain and it was so sad and needed so much love.  it was dry and brittle and flaking everywhere....but its turquoise charm was still very much intact.  i picked it up, brought it home and immediately began fantasizing about how I'd refurbish it.  I loved the turquoise (flaking and all) so much, along with the wood showing through that I knew I wanted to use that in the design and keep plenty of it visible.  I sat with it for a while then slowly day by day gave it a little something more.  I like to make a move then sit with it for a little while before I decide what I'll do next.  I let it talk to me.  :)  I had a plan of selling it, but ended up loving it so much that I couldn't let it go!

slow and steady wins the race

{it all starts with a drawing}

  In the past I wouldn't have categorized myself as a slow and steady wins the race type of person.  I wanted immediate results and now I clearly see, it's because I was doing projects that I really didn't love.  I was writing recipes and menus for clients and scheduling talks, and I always had this sense of wanting to get it over with as fast as possible, so I could get back to what I really wanted to be doing....sketching, creating, designing.  I always had this sense of anxiety and alarm inside of me.  And now, it's simply not there anymore.   It seems, now that I'm doing what I actually love, I'm willing to put in the time it takes to make it just right.  This is the beginning of one of my larger projects.  I've done all the work myself, so it takes time.  This is the bottom section of what will soon be a floor to ceiling bookcase.  I'm looking forward to having more build time in a few weeks.  My hands are itching to get dirty!  I'll keep you posted, thanks for reading. :)