Addiction is still addiction no matter what your vice is

Beth and I had a day out to the antique mall and gave her booth a new look for spring.  (here is her post about the day)

Years ago, we shared this spot, and my hand painted roses are still there on the wall behind the space.  I no longer do this for a living and am glad.  But when I get invited to help Beth, it brings back lots of memories and I have a great day playing with old things and arranging them.

When I had a booth, I just adored working on it. Decorating was so much fun, I almost got ticked off when someone bought something and messed it up. Almost, not really. I was smart enough to know that when you sell something, that means you get to go buy more and redecorate the booth again!!

My husband HATED me doing the booth when I had it.  I spent way too much time hunting, hauling, and redoing furniture. And driving it to Kansas City to get set up at the mall.  I guess what I'm saying, is that I was obsessed.  It was an over whelming addiction to me, all I wanted to do was work on fixing up furniture and redo the booth.  I got to the point where I was resentful when the sun started to go down and shadows made it too hard to paint on things outside. Which meant that I was working pretty late on summer evenings.

It was hard on my body, too.  Some of those pieces could get pretty heavy, and I was too independent (or impatient?) to want to wait for help unloading the van and dragging it all out to the driveway to work on in all sorts of weather. I ached.  My joints hurt.  I was exhausted all the time.

All I ever wore were terrible old clothes covered in paint, and there were painty messes everywhere I went.  I had a big spray gun for priming and base coats, and would over haul 5-6 large pieces in a day, then do hand work and finishing after. I was always covered in over spray, plus I used the clothes I was wearing as paint rags to clean my brush.

I was crusty.

My garage still has the outlines of furniture on the wall, from over spray.  And the floor is covered in spilled paint colors.

It was a very hard job, and I worked hard at it.

But I thought I loved doing it. That is, til I gave it up.  There was an adjustment period, where I couldn't help being sad because I wasn't shopping for broken or ugly things to make beautiful.

But once I got away from it all, I realized just how tired I had been.  And how it had taken over my life.  White paint and roses were my drugs of choice, and I had been hooked deep.

Giving up the antique business was kind of like giving up Diet Coke.  Horribly hard at first. But as time went by, I adjusted and lost the yearnings.  Now, I can pop a top of pop and have a cold one sometimes and enjoy the taste, but don't need to drink the whole 12 pack.  I feel better because of it.

I can also set up a room full of stuff to sell at arty events here and there and get a taste for antique dealing again, without having to furnish a booth or spend 80 hours a week sanding and brushing and hand painting.  I've learned it's much nicer to shop for or make smaller things that fit in an envelope to sell online. 

No more 300 lb cabinets for me.  No more endless hours of grueling work.

(Beth gave me these pretties from her stash- she wasn't supposed to, she helped with my taxes and I helped with her booth, it was a trade)

My life is better now that I'm not a Diet Coke junky or hooked on dirty, ugly furniture in need of redoing.

But man, it was fun to be back at the mall, foofing and verving with Beth.  It's nice to know that I can recover from my addiction and stay on the straight and narrow.

Well kind of. I have been known to buy a 12 pack of Vanilla Diet Coke when I'm stressed. Or buy the occasional dirty, broken piece of furniture that is just too good to pass up.  I don't think I'll test my will power by trying meth and seeing if I can kick it.

 

Beth also gave me this photo. It must have reminded her of me. Although, I'm more of a hoodie type than a bandana wearer. And I need a few more chickens to measure up to this lady's glorious flock.

Anyway, click on it to open to a larger window and save it to your computer from there if you'd like to use it in your own work.

Comments

[jeanie]

I'm getting lots of chuckles out of this post! I'm a Tab junkie -- so three cheers o giving up the Diet Coke most of the time. I am not so strong!

But you are right -- we can get so invested in something we love that it does become an addiction. And because you do it so well, I can see why you would be sucked in! But it does sound like the right thing to cut back and enjoy it now and then, helping Beth or setting up for a show. You manage to pack a lot in this post -- and I have a big smile on my face as I read it!

Thought of you yesterday -- Someone gave me a new cherry bookcase for the living room and the old one there is going to be painted white and put in the bedroom. I'm going to do my Karla thing, I said -- as soon as it's warm enough to make paint stick! (Have to do this baby in the garage!)

[Marilyn]

Karla ~ Thanks for the chicken picture -- we know how proud of them she is, don't we.

Marilyn in Missoui

[Suzanne]

Karla - Love the chicken picture. When My little peeps grow up I will have a flock of twenty. Still not comparable to this pretty flock. Thanks for sharing.

[Linda]

Wow Karla, I can so relate...although I have never done the booth thing for very long as you did. But, I dabble at it with my yearly sale at my home. You are so right, it is back breaking work and you wonder why you do it, but it is just is so rewarding to create something from a piece of trash to everyone else!! I try to keep myself under control as I am just not as able phyically to do all the things I used to. I would also agree that it is a sort of addiction and can keep us focused on things that don't really have a lot of lasting value in this world. It can take us away from the people we love. Thanks for reminding me of these things. I will try to remember next week when it is discount day at the thrift store or I see all those gorgeous garage and estate sale signs!! I already have a garage full of projects, ha. Linda