3 Things a Spouse Should Never to Say to a DIY Hoarder

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I bet no DIY blogger ever shows you the totally UGLY side of their homes, do they? Maybe a few of them do. But it’s rare. Maybe they don’t even HAVE an ugly side! Bloggers are supposed to the oh-so-creative and oh-so-organized people that are supposed to INSPIRE others–not make them shriek out loud, “Dag!! Their house is jacked up, yo!” LOL

Well, this is one of those moments, where I show you what my garage looks like, as we speak. It’s sort of a hodge podge of (mostly) thrift store deals, with a few roadside “junk” finds, and a sprinkling of estate sale and hand-me-downs from family members. Really, it’s a catch-all for everything you’ve seen me post here on Thrift Diving!! Consider it the “triage” of Thrift Diving! LOL

 

It seems I can bring it IN faster than I can turn it OUT.

But when I DO turn it out, look what becomes of it! Here’s a pic of my thrifted craft room that I’ve been working on (still in progress, more to come later). Everything in this craft room has come from the thrift store or second-hand! With the exception of that white wool rug which was $80 from Home Goods (which I can’t stand–it sheds like a dog, but was soooo affordable I couldn’t pass it up!).

 

So, as you can see, I may be slow to get it OUT of the garage, but people just have to have the same vision that I do! Look past the junky garage to see the magic that can happen with just a little money, a lot of creativity, and a desire to make a home feel “homey” and functional! Just consider it a temporary holding storage while I make our house pretty, one room at a time 🙂

But, when hubby sees the garage, he angrily shakes his head and tells me, “ENOUGH, Serena! Stop hoarding furniture!!”

Poor hubby. LOL. Do any of you guys have a hubby that lashes out at your DIY hoarding??  Please tell me it’s not just me!

But the problem is that hubby can’t see all these beautiful pieces that are scattered and toppled and piled on top of each other!

And let’s just be honest–he really doesn’t “get” any of my hobbies! To him, it’s just piles of hoarded stuff!

So I put together this list….

3 Things A Spouse Should Never Say to a DIY Hoarder:

1. THEY SAY: “You don’t need all this stuff!” ……YOU SAY: “Honestly, dear, you really don’t know what I need when it comes to my DIY supplies, for a hobby of which you know nothing about. If you’d like, we can sit down and I can drone on and on for hours about all the different tools, supplies, finishes, paints, etc. so that you’ll understand, but you probably wouldn’t be interested.”

 

2. THEY SAY: “You should be on that show ‘Hoarders’.”…….YOU SAY: “Dude, really?? Those people have psychological problems, and a real mental condition! Ooooh, on second thought, if I wasn’t doing my DIY and crafting, I might go crazy, too. So you should seriously support my habit to protect my emotional and psychological well-being.”

 

3. THEY SAY: “You’ve wasted so much money on your DIY stuff!”……YOU SAY: ‘Yes, I have spent a pretty-penny, but do you realize that I’m developing a valuable skill that, in today’s market, someone would pay me to make this for them?? See! I can EARN money from this! I just choose not to……yet. But just you wait……”

 

And this is the reason you shouldn’t listen to your spouse when they scold you for dragging things home….

…because we DIY’ers create gorgeous pieces. I know it takes up space and clutters parts of our house that hubbies just want to keep clean. But where else are we going to store it??

Here’s a look at some of the stuff that has taken up prime real estate in my garage, and ended up being totally worth it!

Vintage Dresser

This is my absolute favorite piece!! I found this piece awhile ago, and I still haven’t done anything with it. But I was tenacious in getting my hands on it, and who cares if it’s just been sitting? Quality furniture like this doesn’t come around often, and when you see it, you must snag it!!

 

Vintage Chair

This vintage upholstered chair…..my gosh, it’s been almost a year for it, too…..There were 10,000,000 tacks, and when I counted all of them and realized that was another expense in making over this chair, I temporarily gave up. I’ve decided I can find a cheaper alternative, so I’m going to be finishing this one soon!

 

 

 

 

And I picked this awesome dresser today for 50% off at the thrift store!!!

BEFORE

 

I bet my husband never thought it could look like THIS, did he?? (Click the pic for full tutorial).

AFTER!

 

I picked up this beautiful bench from an estate sale! That whole trip taught me a few lessons in how to shop estate sales, too…..**shaking my head** What an experience…. You can see the total transformation and YouTube tutorial for this upholstered bench here.

BEFORE

 

AFTER!

 

I picked up this French Provincial from the thrift store for just $12! Sure, it sat in my garage forevah, but the “AFTER” was so cute!

 BEFORE

 

 

 

The custom wood carved front added to this piece makes it one of the most unique I have ever seen. I love it! I haven’t started working on it yet. It’s going in my son’s room!

 

 

This vintage buffet was serving as a holding station for an old sewing machine and a Christmas tree for the longest time in my garage.

BEFORE

 

But my husband can’t deny it was worth the storage, huh! LOVE this piece!

AFTER

 

When I hand-painted a pretty blue flower on this outdoor table that I found sitting next to the trash at my job (!!!!), I couldn’t wait to use it in the backyard! But as you can see, it’s still in the garage. LOL.

 

I found these two matching nightstands at a yard sale over the summer, for super cheap! The one on the left??? FREE, from the side of the road 🙂 My husband scolded me for dragging them home, but how could I not??

 

 

AFTER!

…because they turned out so cute! (Click here to see these French-inspired bedside table nightstands).

 

I still have tons more pieces in my garage just eagerly awaiting being stripped, painted, tufted…..

But what about you? Do you have this same addiction, and does your hubby or significant other complain about your hoarding? Leave a comment below and add to the discussion!

 

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