Summer To Do List

I'm a list-maker. My motivation THRIVES from checking things off of my list. In fact, sometimes I'll add things I've already done (but didn't think about while making my list) just to get the feel-good vibes of immediately striking though it. Needless to say, in our foreclosure fixer-upper, there are several things that NEED to get done, and several others that I just *want* to get done. And the wants are almost always more fun than the needs. The wants are what run though my brain every time I look at a new corner of the house. Here's an example of what's currently running through my head:

But, y'all, summer break is only TWO MONTHS long, and we're already down to one and a half!

And when I look at a list like that, I just get overwhelmed and end up on the couch, snuggling with Hamilton, watching Netflix and eating ice cream instead. And this is why none of it has happened yet this summer (that and our two out-of-town weddings this month...).

So what I have to do instead is look at what can be completed the easiest/quickest/cheapest...

OR

...what will make me feel like the room it will be housed in seems "done," or at least closer to being done (because we all know no room is ever done*).

In this case, I'm going with the latter option. We have our second of those two out-of-town weddings this weekend, so when we get back I plan on making a bench to match the entryway table.

I built an extremely modified version of Ana White's "Rustic X Console" plans for our entryway table. My favorite thing about DIY pieces is the customization. Our house has very odd dimensions in a lot of places. We needed a landing space for mail and keys and such, but the dimensions were way too short and way too narrow for any entryway/console table we could find in a store. 

And in the spirit of full transparency... I messed up on the squaring of that left leg there. It's so off. It bothers me so much. I want to fix it, but have too many other things to do to worry about it (see list above...), so I just found an angle to snap a picture that hides it as best as I can and move on with my life... for now.

My plan is to build Ana White's "Providence Bench" for the other side of the front door, but again modify it to fit our space. I'll also likely swap out the 2x6 bench top for a 1x6 like I did on the above table. Our entryway space is just so small that the 2x6 seems like it would be too bulky. I plan on finishing it in the same color/style as I did the table, but plans always seems to change/get modified around here!

*Speaking of a room never being done, as I was typing I remembered another thing that is actually pretty high on my wish list to get done this summer: REPLACE THE FRONT DOOR.