What hobbies or talents do you have?

I have been on a quest to know who I am outside of my career. It is SO easy to get caught up in my career. A few months ago I was given a survey to let other people know who I am and a little bit about me. One of the questions was "what are your hobbies or talents?" I gave a quick answer of "it is hard to say because I get really interested in something and I am obsessed with it for few months and then I won't do anything with it again." For some reason I thought it would make me look real artistic.

But, now I think that was rather well put. I was really into stamping and scrap booking, and now if I take any pics, it is on a digital camera and I don't print them. Those that are printed sit in a pile to be "scrapped." Next I was obsessed about crocheting. I taught myself how to do it and I made several afghans for family and friends, and those leprosy wraps. Now I look at a project that I have recently started and it will probably never be completed. Cross stitching was another fad I have had since teenage years. I had one project sitting around for 5 years before I finally forced myself to finish it. I have another project that I purchased, but I have no desire to even start. I love sewing things. I really like creating the pattern, using scraps, and having it turn out well. But the only time I sew now is for Zero The Hero sock puppet capes.

My latest fascination is renovating furniture. I don't know if it is really renovating. I like to strip off the old paint or varnish. It is really fun using a stripping agent and sliding the paint off. It reminds me of peeling sunburns. I am on my third project. It is a sewing table. I was hoping that the previous owner had painted on top of the varnish, which they did. The sewing table has a folding top so there is more work space. It also has the part to lower the machine under the desk. My machine is too big to use it that way, but I was really, really hoping it would. So I have peeled most of the paint and primer paint off. Now I need to strip the old varnish off, especially since stripping the paint has ruined it. But I have used up all the strip agent and the store is closed.

My other two projects have been about a year ago. I had moved into a new place about a year earlier and had been living without a few things.

I needed a chest of drawers. I found a great one at the local Thrift Store. It was a Saturday morning and I was driving home from the gym and as I passed the Thrift shop I just felt that I should stop in and look around. I drove another 5 blocks before I finally succumbed to that voice. It was the first thing as you walk in and I wanted it right away, it had 8 drawers (well 7 drawers and one missing), a mirror, and it was wood not particle board. But I walked around the place once to see if there was anything else, and I found an end table that I needed in the living room. I finally purchased both and had to figure out how to get it home. I ended up calling my home teacher and he helped me get it home. He also took home a drawer to make a copy for the other side that was missing. He did a fabulous job, too. I sanded the drawers first and put on a white stain and later a varnish. The drawers looked fabulous. Then I started on the base with sanding, and I was getting low on sand paper. Then I asked a colleague about working on wood furniture and he mentioned about a strip agent. I picked some up and tried it out on my 'kitchen cabinets' and then on my base and it was so much faster than just sanding. I didn't do a very good strip job because I already used half of it on the "cabinets". I switched out the pulls for silver and white ones and for months after I finished I would lie in bed and admire the transformation.

I also needed some kitchen cabinets and my landlords were cleaning out their garage and offered me an old army closet. It was army green and had two doors. In each door there were shelves and a small section to hang a coat, but the original owner (not my landlord) had removed the shelves on the right hand side and and made it just a hanging closet. I washed out the inside with soap and water twice before painting the primer. (I used paint leftover from painting my classroom.) Then I painted the inside yellow. I had a blast. Then I found out about the strip agent from a colleague. I picked up some and started removing the green paint. I was so thrilled to have it come off so quickly. I had previously tried sanding off the paint and it made a layer of dust in the kitchen (yes I was doing this in my kitchen) and very little progress in removing the paint. So this new find was fantastic. I was pleased how fast it came off. i wanted to paint the outside the same color blue in my place, but I didn't get anywhere close to it. But it is blue. I still have to do the doors, but I am debating the need for them.

I am looking forward to finishing the sewing desk. I am hoping to put my unused sewing items in the cute drawers. And I am also hoping to do more sewing and crafty things.