Begin as you mean to go on

New Year, same old me. Still kind of sick – not as bad as it was, say, two weeks ago, but I’m still coughing and sniffling and I’m getting tired after doing just a few social things. Today, New Year’s Day brunch at Aunt Gay and Uncle Joe’s house, I came home and I just wanted to crash, and I was only there about six or seven hours. The dogs needed some serious outside time (followed by some inside time, followed by some outside time, and so on). And I wanted to work on my Miniature Bookstore.

I had to move The Bayport House in order to make room for folks for Christmas Dinner, and I decided instead of moving it back to the dining room table right away, I’d take a few days and do this miniature kit that I bought about six months ago and had been sitting on. My aunt and uncle got me two more for Christmas, so I thought I should get through this first one, right? And I’d seen people online say they’d done it in about a day, so… how hard could it be, right? HAHAHAHAHA. I hate it. I don’t like the color of the furniture. I don’t like cutting up all the paper to make things that feel flimsy but look sturdy. Also one of my cats threw up on some of the instructions, some of the book covers that I’m supposed to cut out and use, and most of the paper used to cover the chair, the basket, and to make a few other things with. Oh, and threw up on the base. I can scrape the vomit off the base (welcome new followers!) but I just pitched everything else. Which means I can’t make some of the art, some of the books, the plants, or cover the couch and basket in what you’re “supposed” to.

Some of this isn’t a problem – I ain’t no rule follower. I’ve already started painting the furniture, and dug through my fabric stash for a scrap I can use to cover the chair and stuff.

I’ve got to say, though, I am SORELY tempted to hop on Etsy and buy a couple of plants (since I no longer have all the parts to make the ones that came with this) and also a bunch of already made books because I can tell that after working on this for … this is Day Seven … my patience is running thin. And I have a LOT of patience when it comes to miniatures and things. How did people finish this in a single day?!?!? I mean, I guess they didn’t want to repaint the furniture, and their cat didn’t barf on things they needed to make things…. Sigh.

Part of it taking so long might be my energy level – this bronchitis and how long it’s taking me to heal from it is kicking my ASS. Part of it might be that I’d rather be working on my Bayport House again already.

Hmmm. Is the lesson here… learning that it’s OK to pick and choose from what I want to do? That just because I want to do a thing (have fun making miniatures) doesn’t mean I have to do 100% of everything the instructions that thing requires. Especially when I know what I like, what I don’t like, what I like and don’t like to do, what I have the patience to do, what I’m willing to spend money on (especially if it’s something made by someone who has a love for making that thing).

Hey, isn’t today supposed to be a Monday Musing post?! Maybe I wrote one of those after all, even though I was only thinking “can I write a quick post, either here or on Patreon, every day this year?”.

PS. As far as starting the new year off as you mean to continue, I apparently plan to continue to be snuggled by dogs at every available moment. That doesn’t suck.