Used up Summer

one of my many little projects in the cabin this summer

a found salt lick turned into a little shelf

It's not easy to think that summer is over when it's 100 degrees outside here in Texas, but it is. I had a glorious summer in Wyoming and got a lot of work done while also having fun. Our little cabin in Wyoming got a lot of Use It Up attention from me - I did a lot of cleaning and clearing, rearranging and organizing. Before allowing myself to start any kind of redecorating projects I decided that I needed to use what we already have there. This meant going through every little nook and cranny, including the basement that hadn't been cleared for a generation, and finding out what exactly we do have. I ended up donating books, duplicates of kitchen ware, and lots of bedding and towels (our cabin seems to be the final resting place for all the linens we've ever owned over the years). My goal is to refurbish, upcycle and make as much as possible, over buying new. My first little project was this salt lick I found in the creek, which I upturned, painted and made into a shelf. Next year I'm taking some chalk paint with me and will be redoing some of the existing furniture. What I enjoy the most in my Use It Up campaign is how it forces me to be creative with what I have, rather than purchase more things. Once I've run out of projects with existing things, then I will purchase some of the new furniture we need (new bed, a computer desk, couch).