I must say, I am pretty proud of everything I’ve accomplished in the week since my last Four Things post.  I turned in my book manuscript, primed more pieces for building a few more panels to screen the A/C unit and propane tank.  I built another garden obelisk and completed a few commissioned paintings.  Jeff and I also worked together over several days to get the garage organized, and now I feel even more motivated to get projects done now that I have a covered place to work and can find the tools and materials I need.  The weather has been hotter than I would like, but I’ve been doing outdoor chores in the morning and evening and working inside during the hottest hours.  It’s been a good week!

Here are my four things…

what I’m reading

I like to grab a book when I know I’ll be waiting, so this week I grabbed Let the Art Speak by the artist Kathie Odom.  It’s a book you can only purchase from the artist directly (HERE), but it is excellent.  Both the content and quality of the book are excellent.  I was studying Kathie’s work to prepare for painting a wooded background for a dog portrait. It felt a little overwhelming to me, and she is very good at simplifying backgrounds.

Reading her book made me excited to paint more landscapes.

what I’m watching

I watched Mercy Street on PBS years ago and decided to revisit it this week.  Jeff had a lot of evening meetings, so I’ve had sole control of the remote.  Season one of Mercy Street is so good.  Season two is not quite as good, but I still liked it and wished they would’ve renewed it for a third season.  If you enjoy the Civil War medical drama niche, you’ll enjoy this series.

what I’m loving

I feel like such a nerd, but the highlight of my week has been having an almost completely organized garage.  (You can see the before HERE.)  We still need to hang some yard tools, and I have a pile of materials I’m working on, but we’re getting so close!  It has made me irrationally happy for something that really isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things.  It’s easy to shrug off a messy garage.  But it’s a little thing that has made working on projects, something I do often, easier.

what I’m working on

Today, I was out in the garage priming more pieces for the A/C surround, along with the shutters for the back of the house.  It has been so fun for me to see some of these outdoor projects come to life.  Whenever I take pictures in the backyard, I strategically crop out parts of the house that still look tired.  By the end of the summer, I should be able to take pictures of the entire back of the house without any creative cropping!  I can’t wait to see it all finished…

Also, as a part of cleaning things out, I finally got around to listing a few antiques (three things) to sell online.  You can find the listings HERE.