Lemons and Lemonade

This past week has been a very stressful one for me. I have this disease called Takingontomuchitis. It's really a terrible thing to have, and sometimes it does go into remission. At the moment, however, it's in full swing. (Please, Mom & Dad Ervin, no lecturing. I know you do it because you love me, but I already know I shouldn't be getting into this mess!) I have to remember that I am not superwoman, and sometimes, despite my best efforts, things are not going to all go smoothly or easily or even like they are supposed to. And on top of all this, my bathroom project has been one problem after another. And it still isn't done. So. These are my lemons. Now what?

Now is when I tell myself that this has not been a total disaster because I have learned some very important things.

1. Never undertake a renovation project on an impulse.
   
2. Never buy a used vanity top without checking it over carefully with a level. If that puppy is bowed there ain't nuthin' you can do about it.
3. Never rely on the salesperson to know what you need.
4. Call your sister-in-law for good advice a week into the project instead of 3-4 weeks into it Said sister-in-law will impart her wisdom, which includes this truth: (aka #5)
   
5. "A renovation project will almost always take 3 times as long as cost you 3 times as much as you think it will." Pretty close!
6. And finally, no one else will be in as much as a hurry as you will to get the job done.

Fortunately for me, there are some other good things coming out of this, also known as lemonade:

1. My brother Niel and his family are coming up for a long weekend on Friday to help us start over in the bathroom and do it right. I love family visits.
   
2. I won't have to live with a bathroom that I hate.
   
3. We have been able to get an unfinished vanity that I actually like and vanity top for $100 so it's not going to cost us an exorbitant amount to start over.
4. I'm actually going to like the look of the new bathroom a whole lot better! (Hope you didn't love the blue and yellow take on it - that's not going to be around much longer!)
5. I get the added input and decorating talent of my artist sister-in-law who has great taste.

The rest of this week will be spent getting ready for the big overhaul which starts this weekend. Maybe now I can actually focus on getting the rest of my house in order and decorated!