Many moons ago, we saw a movie that inspired me. In the story, a young girl’s parents were authors. On deadline, they rarely spent time with her. Until they finished. When she came home from school that day, the whole family painted a room in their house. Though I’ve always made a point to work my writing time around my son, I thought, Yes, that’s exactly how I feel when I meet a deadline. I want to do something creative that has nothing to do with words. Something I don’t have to think about that’s just fun.
Between books, I’ve painted almost every room in our house. Some twice. Right now, my bathroom needs repainted. It’s a jarringly bright seafoam shade. It went greener and brighter than I expected. In the meantime, I painted our bedroom a pale aqua color that I love. Someday, between books, I plan on repainting the bathroom to match the bedroom. Our son’s room needs repainted too. He went through this gray faze where he wanted everything gray. I soon learned that gray isn’t just gray and it’s really hard to match. Since I have matching issues, his room drives me nuts. I bought the paint months ago, somewhere between gray and taupe and much more neutral. Another between books project awaits me.
I love to sew home decor. Right now, I have fabric for a comforter for our master bedroom and for kitchen
curtain toppers. I need to cut down an old comforter I made for our guestroom twenty years ago. The guestroom is now our sons room. But we recently put a day bed in our sun room, so I plan to cut the old comforter down to fit. I still love the fabric and it’s in great condition, so why not. The day bed will also need a bed ruffle and shams.
Repurposing furniture is another hobby. I recently had my husband take the no longer working heater out of an electric heater. He painted it white for me and put a shelf in where the heater used to be. I plan on inserting fabric on the doors that hold DVD’s. You guessed it, between books. Another project was an old china cabinet. We painted it white, took the glass out and replaced it with chicken wire. I badly wanted to keep it. But we sold it on Facebook because our house is crowded enough as it is.
Crafting is another thing I love. I make memory boards for friends and family. It’s fun to figure out what
they like or what colors match their kitchens, and put facets of their personalities into a themed creation just for them. I try to never make two alike. Although they don’t take long to make, I usually save them for between books. The fishing lure board is one I made for a giveaway on my blog since the couple was fishing on the front of my book. Guess who doesn’t have one. Me. I have the fabric. Maybe between books.
And my very favorite thing, jigsaw puzzles. At least a thousand pieces, preferably two-thousand. I don’t allow myself to do puzzles very often. Because I get obsessed. I don’t want to do anything else but work on my puzzle. I don’t want to do trivial things like feed my family or sleep, I just want to do my puzzle. My parents bought me an awesome puzzle board several years ago. It has a rim all around the board, so the 
pieces don’t fall off and four drawers that pull out for extra pieces. It’s been a long time since I’ve done one. Maybe this time when I’m between books, I’ll do a puzzle. I have a large wicker coffee table in my sunroom. I’ve thought about setting out a puzzle and when my neck or eyes get tired from looking at the computer, I could spend a few minutes puzzling. There’s a coffee house near where I live that used to always have a puzzle going and I love the idea of it. But I’m afraid, it would cut into my productivity, so I better save it for between books.
That isn’t my wall getting painted, my fabric being sewed, my fireplace shelf all finished, or my puzzle getting put together. But I’m planning to do all of those things soon. As I complete each one, I’ll take a picture and do a blog on my finished projects.
What about you? What do you do between work, family, or house projects? Or even between reading books? All comments will go in a drawing for a copy of my two in one title with Jill Lynn, Counting on the Cowboy & Her Texas Cowboy. Deadline: Sept 8th.
And don’t forget about our Back to School Giveaway. Lots of books up for grabs to keep you from being between books: https://www.inspyromance.com/giveaways/2020-back-2-school/
Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
Oh, wow! Between reading books, I make cards. I’ve got to get started on Christmas cards soon, since it’s the first of September. However, I first have to finish my FFM training, figure out a new “tool” on the computer, and attend a few virtual meetings this month and next! I’ll have to squeeze the Christmas card making in somewhere!
Hey Trudy. Wow, I’m impressed. In a world where most people, including me have given up sending Christmas cards because it takes too much time, you make your own. I had to look up to see what FFM training is. Congrats on the new career path.
Hmmm. I think it’s easier to answer what do I do between projects (read books) vs. what do I do between reading books (I was so tempted to say projects), but let’s see… I help my mom around the house, I solve sudoku puzzles (it’s been way too long since I solved a jigsaw puzzle, but I love them too), and I listen to music :) Your projects sound really fun, and something my mom would like to do too.
My hats off to you on the Sodoku, Priscila. I’m not good at that kind of thing and it kind of stresses me. My mom loves them though.
I love working puzzles too. I usually work 1,000 piece puzzles but I have never tried a 2,000 piece one. Maybe someday. I also like to scrapbook and sometimes make cards.
I used to be at work at the Rustic Inn. Since then I do a lot of playing Candy Crush. Lol
My hat’s off to you on the scrapbooking, Jessica. They’re always so pretty, cute, and fun. I wish someone would take all my pictures and do them for me. My pictures are mostly in pretty decorative boxes. I’ve never tried a 3D puzzle and I don’t think I want to. I think it would be hard. I don’t like hard puzzles. I like ones that are challenging, but not a bunch of one color. I once did a polar bear in snow. Once. Then I gave it away. It totally wasn’t relaxing.
The Rustic Inn in Heber. Is this the Terri I know? My friend loves Candy Crush. I’ve never tried it because I’m afraid it would cut into my productivity. I used to love Angry Birds, but I finished all the levels. Now I play Mahjongg Solitaire sometimes. Usually if I can’t go to sleep.
Funny you should ask! I find myself looking forward to the oddest things between books, things that I never would be excited about otherwise. Recently, when I finally finished a book I was excited to go shopping for new bra’s and underwear! A few months ago I took on the challenge of washing all my white baseboards on both floors of the house. Because I was doing it to celebrate finishing a book it seemed festive somehow!
New bras and underwear excite me too, Laurie. I’m terrible about waiting until they’re gray instead of white before I buy new. The baseboards. Ugh. You can come to my house and take care of mine any time you want.
Awww, thanks! But I think it’s great that there are so many options to suit everyone’s tastes and abilities :) Seriously, my hats off to you on the sewing and crafting.
Art – and sewing – and reading.
Between reading I like to do crafting, doing a little bit of house work.
Well, between reading books, binge watching TV and movies and writing, I manage to feel convicted that I’m not doing something more productive like earning a living. LOL :)
We are puzzle-holics as well. The secret to 3D puzzles is that all the good ones (made by a Canadian company called Puzz3D) are worked in two steps. The first step is like a bunch of smaller 2D puzzles, putting the walls and roofs and streets together. The second part is to put those 2D sections together to form the buildings and place them in their settings. It can be challenging but it’s not necessarily overwhelming. If you were to try to build the thing in 3D little piece by little piece, THAT would drive you nuts!
All the delightful projects you described sound absolutely wonderful as ways to relax and to bring beauty to your home.
Once I relax my brain for a few days, I read too Suzan. My tbr pile is getting pretty tall.
I like having a clean house, Suzan. But it’s pretty much on my list of things to do.
I’m afraid the 3D puzzle would drive me nuts anyway Lincoln. I like my puzzles flat. My friend’s daughter does puzzles without looking at the picture on the box. She says that’s cheating.
That’s pretty much the rule at our house, too. Though we don’t call it cheating. It just takes the fun out of it. Think of it as plantsing. The puzzle itself is the structure and putting it together without the picture is the wonderful process of discovery. Okay, okay. It is an acquired taste, but fun nonetheless. :)
Since the whole shelter-in-place happened at the end of March when Covid really hit, I found my love for doing the crossword puzzles in the newspaper again. I’m normally an avid reader, but I had lost my desire to dive into a book for a while, even ones I knew I would enjoy. So I’d say for me, crossword puzzles are ones I like to do between books or every night from the newspaper. I have very fond memories of my grandma doing them, she had crossword puzzle books all around her house. Not only does it keep my mind sharp, it also brings back great memories!
I used to do a lot of jigsaw puzzles too, but I haven’t picked one of those up for a long time. The 1,000 piece ones are my favorite ones from Charles Wysocki depicting Americana pictures of days gone by! :-) I may have to invest in one or two again.
I have a very good friend from church that recycles and reuses what other people would consider “junk”, furniture or other items that she repurposes. She has a cutesy farm type style that I just love and can take just about anything and make it beautiful again. Like God does for us, right? :-)
Hey Trixi, my mom does crossword puzzles between books. She read 30 or 40 hardback books weekly. I grew up a library rat.
I like any jigsaw puzzle with lots of colorful landscape. I bought a really pretty one with lots of flowers on a hill. There wasn’t a lot of sky, but it very little color variation with very few clouds. I can usually get the sky by the shape of the piece. Come to find out, every piece in the puzzle was the same shape. There was absolutely no way to know if the pieces in the sky were right. It made me so mad, I didn’t finish and threw it away.
All of the furniture in my house except for one couch, two accent chairs, and a console table came from flea markets, facebook marketplace, or yard sales. We have a lot of repurposed decor too. My husband makes unique light fixtures. We have one in our dining area made from a wooden spool and deer antlers. The one in my kitchen is made from my grandmother’s double wash tub. It’s turned upside down with chicken wire inserts. Both are great conversation pieces.
I don’t sew clothes though. That makes me crazy. If you make a pucker, it’s over with clothes. With curtain toppers and bed ruffles, they’re supposed to pucker.
Im late. I love doing jigsaws around christmas although haven’t the last 2 years due to having cats and the 2 I have now are even less likely to let me do one. I like 1,000 pieces.
I do scrapbooking (although not much this year).
Someone gave me a diamond art painting for Christmas which I want to start doing. I also play a couple of games on facebook.
Thanks! I started it 7 years ago, after I’d been home with Mom for a year. Something I can do from home around what I need to do for her. Between that and my proofreading, I stay busy!
I like this idea of rewarding yourself with family time after accomplishing a time consuming task. I feel like my life has been multiple time consuming tasks on top of each other and I wouldn’t ever find an end to it, so I’ve decided to just end my workday 1h earlier and spend it with my kids. It also makes the next 1-2h before they go to bed more pleasant as they are not so eager for more attention.
I totally hear you on the cats and puzzles issue. My current cat loves to come running and jumping on the table into the middle of the pieces and roll around in them. He thinks that the pieces are perfect for chewing. He also sometimes tries to go under the finished part but he is crazy. When I’m not actively working on it I have to cover it up with a tablecloth and cardboard.
I do as much reading as possible in any spare time I can get.
It sounds like it. It’s nice that people are finding more and more ways to work from home and take care of their families.
I think it would stress me. The puzzled I do relax me. I don’t want too much of a challenge.
I have a cat who stays in my sunroom at night, Ausjenny. I’ve been wondering if I could have a puzzle on the coffee table in there and him not bother it. He’s 14, but still has playful spurts and isn’t above jumping on tables, so probably not. Maybe at night, I could move it to my office to keep it safe.
A lady in our church is teaching chalk stamping classes. I missed the first class. They made the cutest wall decor. I plan to make the next one.
I have a cat who stays in my sunroom at night, Ausjenny. I’ve been wondering if I could have a puzzle on the coffee table in there and him not bother it. He’s 14, but still has playful spurts and isn’t above jumping on tables, so probably not. Maybe at night, I could move it to my office to keep it safe.
A lady in our church is teaching chalk stamping classes. I missed the first class. They made the cutest wall decor. I plan to make the next one.
OH Jessica, that would be so cute. And frustrating. Okay, sounds like I definitely don’t need to keep my puzzle in the sun room where the cat stays at night. But with my handy puzzle board, I can move it around.
That sounds really nice, Priscila. When our son was younger, I ended my work day when he got out of school. Even when I was on deadline. If I needed to work more, I’d put a few hours in after he went to bed. He’s 18 now and working 3 hours away. He’s only home on the weekends and when he’s home, he’s gone more than he’s here. He pretty much just sleeps here, but we manage to spend some time together.
That sounds awesome too, Susanne. I read in between books too. But the first few days after I finish writing or editing a book, I feel like my brain needs rest. With no words. That’s when I do all the other things. Once my brain rests, I dive into my TBR pile.
before these two the cats I had didn’t bother with the jigsaw. they didn’t stay in at night but even in the day or when I was working on them they never touched them. But Libby has a paper fetish and is into everything. Henry may be a bit better but I wouldn’t trust them. I think if you covered it you would be ok.
Wow Shannon, you have so many talents! I read…no time in between lol and spend time outdoors with family – camping, boating, wakeboarding, bicycling, hiking, fishing :)
Puzzles bother my hubby LOL they have a tendency to travel around the house…
Puzzles bother my husband too, Natalya. He doesn’t like them out in the way. And I don’t want to feed him when I’m doing one.
I don’t know about talented, but I am creative. Your hobbies sound fun, Natalya. I’m not very outdoorsy. I like to swim. That’s all I want to do outside in the summer. I hate humidity and sweating for no reason. I love Fall and enjoy walking in the woods. I used to like bike riding, but we live a rural area and there’s really nowhere to do it. I like fishing if someone else will take care of the worms and whatever I catch.
I like to read between work. This year I have also been working on going through closets which feels so good!
In between reading books, I love running and playing board games or doing puzzles with my kids. It’s a great time to talk to each other!
Between books I like to watch movies or just hang out with friends.
I’m not a very creative person, so my go-to is usually reading. I enjoy seeing other people’s crostini’s though!
I love to cook/bake and read.
This was so fun to read! I feel like I read books in between other things, (commercials, in the drive through, etc.). You’ve made me want to do a puzzle again soon. I love puzzles. And they’re excellent opportunities to listen to audiobooks.
Hey Lori, I’ve made a rule, that when I buy new clothing, something old has to go. It works great, keeps the closet from being stuffed to the brim and forces me to get rid of things I never wear.
I love board games and card games. My son and I used to play UNO when he was younger. I never could get him interested in puzzles though. We used to swim together too. We had some of the best conversations in the pool.
Me too. I love sweet romance movies and hanging with friends. I have several friends I call for lunch and shopping when I get a break.
After two or three days of doing other things, I’m ready to read a good book, Melynda. My TBR is waiting.
I’m not much on cooking or baking, Shelia. But after my brain rests a few days doing other things, then I’m ready to read.
Ooh, that’s a great idea, Katy. Puzzles and audiobooks. Why didn’t I think of that?