Getting Back on Track

Back from the dead!

It's been a while since I blogged, but it's about time I got back on track. I figured a post to get you all up to date was in order. Sadly, it's going to be very wordy post with no pictures of toy soldiers.

So as per my last post, the house move was done and the new man cave sorted out. But I must confess I simply wasn't finding the time for the hobby. This eventually led to a slide in mojo and everything ground to a halt. Fold in the summer holidays, decorating, overtime and general stuff. And not much has been done - I've still not painted a model this year!

I realised that things needed to change, and I am currently trying to make these changes. The biggest decision was to wrap up the business. In truth, it was going well but to the point that it was taking all my spare time. I decided that there was no point turning the hobby into a business if it leaves no time for the hobby! So I am in the process of selling off the stock to make space.

I am also taking a more proactive approach in getting mundane stuff around the house - the chores had built up to such a point that I felt bad even considering doing hobby. I've decided to put aside some of my down time towards clearing this back log.

And finally, I am now taking a more "Project based" approach to the hobby. This will inolve working on things in blocks rather than a unit of this and then a unit of that. I also need to stop buying models, if only because I have too much already and there are other things to spend the money on at the moment.

But where does that leave things I hear you cry? Well, after a tidy up the other day there a load of 28mm British Napoleonics on the desk. My first project will be to paint up a chunk of this. I am aiming for a brigade of 3 line battalions, a small unit of rifleman, a cannon and some generals. I already have one battalion done so my target is to have all that done by the end of this year.

You, dear reader, can at least expect some blog updates coming up. Perhaps not as many as I was managing las year, but at least some here and there!

The Hobby Rebuild

As is often the way with blogs (and probably the hobby in general), I have been letting things slide here, and I realise it's about five months since I posted an update. The reasons for this are many. At first it was the business and the Christmas period getting in the way. After that, we decided to move house and there were all the stresses and strains you associate with that. Needless to say, here we are in May and I haven't painted a single mini yet in 2017. We moved nearly two months ago at the end of Feb, and it's been much slower going get set back up than I thought.

Despite all that, the house move will in the long term be very beneficial. A new man cave has been alloted to me by the ever patient wife, which I am currently kitting out (more on that shortly) and we now have a large double garage which will, eventually, become my wargames room. That is sadly a very long way off, got to get the painting room and business all back up and running first. Then it will take some time to save to get it converted.

So the first problem was the new room is smaller than my old hobby den and was in need of some TLC. First off, was the decorating:

Next up I managed to get a very large L-shaped desk. This is great as it gives me a section for painting and a section for my computer/buinsess etc. I have already dumped a load of stuff on the desk and here it is in all its messy glory:

Bearing in mind that is a baneblade at the front, you can see it gives me plenty of space. I intend to add paint racks, storage space and generally have a neat and tidy area to work in eventually. But that will take time.

Aside from that, shelves have been put back up and new shelving put up:

As you can see, things are progressing at  reasonable pace (I have way too much to paint though). I am hopeful of getting some hobby done in the very near future. Money will of course dictate how fast it all happens, but time is always a factor. Shift work and two small children don't help!

But that's it for now. I'm glad I am updating the blog again, I wonder what I'll end up painting first.