This is what I think of when I should be working...

Back in November, I had a quarter life crisis and quit my career in Fashion only to go to a job where I answered the phone, took appointments and stared at a computer screen for 8 hours a day.  I hated life.  I have recently learned that my personality type does not get any satisfaction from a job, as such.  It now explains why it only took me two and a half month to lose my mind.  My thoughts would wonder and I would go to websites and come up with wild ideas for projects that I could do (ex: China hutch).  It also didn't help that I had a 32" flat screen TV beside my desk playing HGTV.

My mind was never stopping.  All I could think of were things that I can do with the house I was living in.  I was dissatisfied with my job and not at all happy with the house I was residing in.  I could only fix one... the house.  What I really wanted to do was gut out the whole place and renovate every inch of it, and maybe I would be happy.  Only, that required money which I had a lack of due to the recent decision to change careers.  Good one, Vanessa!  So, the impatient me had to learn that I cant have it all.  I would have to take baby steps.  The first thing that needed to change was the fire place.  Why, you ask?  I don't know.  Maybe because it was this grandeur part of the living room that needed to make a statement?  Or, maybe because it was only going to cost about $30 to do and I despised the mid 1990's renovations the previous owners completed?  I haven't decided, yet.

It really wasn't difficult to do, but it was a giant mess.  As I would spread the stain around with a t-shirt rag, the drops would fall on the plastic, that my feet would step on, which would then go all over the carpet.  So, needless to say, it wasn't as clean as I had anticipated.  The process overall wasn't challenging.  I would say the only thing that I was not excited about, was waiting for this gorgeous fire place to dry so I can spray the matte finish all over it.  It took a good 24 hours to dry, then I was able to place all the pretty, little trinkets on top of the mantel.  Et voilà!