use what you have...

I am in the middle of a challenge for myself.  For the month of March I am cutting out "frivolous" spending.  I decided that I need to do some serious spring cleaning.  This is a necessity in the basement,  my sewing room, and in the arts/crafts supplies.  So, my challenge to myself is to only use what I have.  At the end of the month, if I haven't made at least a small dent in the pile, then I will think about doing the same thing for April...May...June...  Well, you get the picture!

What's my inspiration for this challenge?  Our basement project, of course!

This is the view at the bottom of the steps looking south. I am standing in the front "unfinished" area looking towards the back of the house.  The beams at the right side of the photo (before the freezer) belong to the framing for a pantry closet.  The freezer is now sitting under the stairway (you can see one of the steps above the freezer).  This was my old "secret" closet.  Rick pulled out the entire door and frame, but left the sheetrock that he installed to create the closet (you can see this to the left of the freezer at the beginning of the framework).  Beyond the sheetrock  is the framework for a wall which will enclose the furnace area (the furnace cannot be seen in the photo.  It is to the right of the framing.)  At the left side of the photo is the framework for my new "secret" closet.  I love looking at how neatly Rick has framed in the duct work (top of photo).  Now, let your eye travel down the yellow/red/blue path (on the floor), towards that single illuminated lightbulb, into the area that will eventually become the art center (currently filled with toys, toys, and more toys).

Here is another photo of Rick's beautiful framing work.  For this photo, I am standing at the end of that pathway in the previous photo -- but now I am looking towards the west side of the house (the single illuminated bulb is (south) to my left).  Rick was thinking about moving the waste pipe that he enclosed with the framework -- but that may have caused problems we don't need.  So, we opted for the soffet (sp?).  This soffet is not on a focal wall, or in an important area of the room, so it's fine.  Beyond the soffet is the framing for one of the two closets in the art center.

To be cont'd...

Questions? or Comments are welcome!