Reflections on an Empty Nest

November 5 through 30

2011-12-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

I am woefully behind! Here is another photo dump post. Hard to believe the end of the year is coming up. I wish I could say I was going to cross the finish line strong on this project, but it's really with more of a limp. But on the bright side, I certainly took a greater variety of photos this year and I challenged myself and I'm glad I stuck with it for as long as I did.

Here's November 5th through 30th:

Swans on the bayou near our house.

Something neat about getting older: fun reading glasses!

Tree in the parking lot at the library.

Cleaning and rearranging my bookcases.

First snow.

Dusk.

Thanksgiving vignette.

Busy intersection.

Beverage of choice.

Five minutes after filling the bird feeder.

Flag bunting in my office.

Our "what I am thankful for" tablecloth. I do believe Uncle Jeff coached Brady on this one.

My favorite movie. Can you name it?

The console table Jeff built for our basement using AnaWhite's plans from Knock-Off Wood.

New knitting: felted coasters.

Photo Dump: October 13 - November 4

2011-11-04T20:57:00.001-04:00

Flying to Virginia.

The mountain cabin where we stayed while in Virginia. It was a magical place.

The campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where Jeff's niece is going to college.

Scenic overlook on Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Back to reality and leaf pickup.

Oh look. A leaf.

Waiting for the light to change.

Frost on the hydrangea.

Trying out a photo wall configuration on the floor. (Not with these photos or these frames. Just going for a shape. Already nixed this idea.)

The back yard as of yesterday.

I took my camera to work with me today and snapped this picture after I was done with my job.

September 14 - 24

2011-09-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

First glimpse of fall color.

Matt did it! Here's proof.

I'm hooked on audio books.

Matt's been growing his hair long for the past 10 months. He's not one to fuss, so a bandana and a ponytail it is. Less than a week after I took this picture, he came home and it was BUZZED. What a huge difference!

Watching the tube.

Return of the gray skies.

Like everyone else these days, we are tired of paying for a land line and cell phones, but we don't want to rely strictly on cell phones. {Ours are not at all reliable in our house.} So we are trying Ooma http://www.ooma.com/, a free* phone service that goes through the Internet. You hook your modem and your land line to this device and, voila, you have phone service. We'll see how it goes. (*Free except for the fact that you have to pay taxes of about $5 every month. And the Ooma device is not free either.)

More fall color. The trees are turning more and more every day. The only thing I don't like about fall is how short it is.

Photo Dump

2011-09-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

Wow. One minute it's the middle of summer and the next thing you know fall is staring us in the face. I've been trying to stick with Project 365, but I must admit that I have been missing more and more days.

* * *

I took my niece's 5-year pictures. It was great fun and I was pleased with the outcome.

A rainy day in the neighborhood.

We are 3 (again). Matt has moved home after finishing his bachelor's degree in history. Way to go, Matt!

I read a recommendation for this brand on someone's blog and ordered them from Zappos. Most comfy flip-flops I've ever worn.

Annual geranium.

Messy spider web. Maybe s/he has ADD?

Camera strap close-up.

Decided to try these botanical prints in our bedroom.

Everyday objects.

Camping with my niece and her family. What a great time we had.

Another perfect beach day. So lucky.

Mom greeting guests at the annual corn roast.

On the deck.

Every year this part of our lawn dies. So I raked it up and spread some new soil and seeded it. I hope this finally fixes the problem.

It's September already. But still pretty warm (for here, anyway).

Camping over Labor Day. We had a little flood in our campsite on Saturday morning.

Last beach day of the year. Kind of chilly and cloudy, but still beautiful.

One last cook-out. We were almost out of charcoal, so we used our tiny Weber grill.

Standing in my yard, looking toward my neighbor's.

Our front door.

September 11. A somber day. One thing I remember so vividly about September 11, 2001, was how blue the sky was. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. And it was so incredibly quiet in our neighborhood. No planes flying overhead, no lawn mowers, no children playing outside, very few cars on the road. In addition to everything else I remember about that day, I will always remember how time seemed to stand still.

Watching the U.S. Open. It's a family tradition.

Red squirrel. Cute but destructive. I am not a fan. They nearly destroyed my bird house.

July 22 - August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

More Project 365 photos.

* * *

A bouquet of flowers for my birthday.

Holy cow, I'm 50. Fifty!!!

Sitting on the deck with the boys.

Making "gas station burritos" for the hockey team cookout.

Furniture painting.

I'm making a quilt.

All hooked up and ready to go camping.

Little Sable Point lighthouse.

Globe thistle in the garden.

Quilt progress.

Moved the Adirondack chairs to the garden because we were supposed to have our roof shingled the next day. But it was delayed, so I ended up having to move them back. I did like the way they looked in the grass, but it would be pretty impractical to move them every time we mow.

I brought this geranium inside because I had nowhere to put it outside. And the dumb cat started chewing on it right away. Of course.

Chef Jeff.

Sunday drive.

Having our roof reshingled. What a loud, messy ordeal.

July 9 - 21

2011-07-22T08:04:00.000-04:00

I've missed taking a photo several days in July, but I'm not going to quit the project. In the grand scheme of things, it's okay. Trying not to be too much of a perfectionist about this...

* * *

We've been eating a lot of seedless watermelon this year. Very refreshing.

My sloppy, low-tech weekly to-do list. This is the only format that seems to work for me.

Shrub rose in the front garden.

We seem to have made up names for most of Dewey's toys. This one is "Funky Chicken".

The garden still looks nice. That could change overnight, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can.

Sold Jeff's old bike (in ONE day) on Craigs List this week. I should be used to it by now, considering the number of things I've listed that have sold, but I am still amazed that people actually will buy things from me via the Internet.

It's hydrangea time.

Trying to take advantage of the hot weather by line drying a few loads of laundry each day.

It's that time of year when the annuals that looked so healthy and robust in May start to lose their oomph. This is a geranium I am trying to save. I'm not sure it's going to make it.

We played tourists in our own hometown last night. The sign on the beach said, "Dangerous rip currents. No swimming." But how are you going to keep people from swimming when the water temp is 75 degrees? Not gonna happen.

June 29 - July 8

2011-07-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

Strawberry time.

Up north for our week-long family camp. First order of business was to build a little step to assist in getting into our trailer.

We had the best beach weather we've had in YEARS. I actually almost got tired of going to the beach. That, my friends, is a first. (I think this has a lot to do with watching my skin turn to leather. Oh to have young skin again...)

A desperation photo, taken right before bed, showing the "living area" of our very brown trailer. The upside to all that brown is it really doesn't show any dirt. ;-)

Sweet, sweet Jacob.

We visited my mom while we were up north camping. This spot is right down the road from the house where I grew up.

Taking a day off from the beach to do some shopping in downtown Manistee.

The only negative at the beach this year was all the dead alewives onshore. I guess it was just their time to go. Blech.

When I got home, I found that my garden had exploded with color.

Weeks 24 & 25

2011-06-29T09:46:00.000-04:00

A great day to be working from home.

We decided to buy a new trailer, but first we had to sell our old one (shown here). Had a great response to our ad in Craigs List. Sold it in two days.

* * *

Missed two days in a row: June 15 and 16.

* * *

The back garden. My bird house is in the repair shop. Red squirrels made a mess of it.

Father's Day card.

Perennial geranium.

Mike & Ikes. These count as fruit, right?

Storm brewing.

Enormous clothes pins in my kitchen.

First night in our new trailer.

Dewey at the beach.

Shutting down for the night.

Matt's hand print: age 8.

Week 23

2011-06-15T15:57:00.000-04:00

This is Dewey's "cousin" Maggie. She spent the night at our house. They played and played and played some more.

I didn't once think about taking a picture on June 6th.

I've had this fabric for years and have been waiting for just the right place to use it. I'm thinking it would look really good on the wicker chair in the guest room. That whole room needs some help: paint, new dust ruffle, something on the walls. This fabric might be a good jumping-off point.

This is my boy's hair! He's growing it long. It's actually really pretty. I'm sure he'd love hearing me say that.

The parade of beautiful perennials continues. Here's a peony just waiting to burst into bloom.

What? Doesn't everyone wear a hockey helmet to change their light bulbs?

We're trailer shopping. We really like this one.

Well, it sure was a short summer, no? Back to 50's during the day. In June. Yeesh.

Week 22

2011-06-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

Once again with the late posting. I'm pretty much keeping up with my photos, so I'm not sure why I can't get the posts in on time. I have been thinking maybe I should just post a picture every day. The week-in-review posts take a little time to do, since they are so photo-heavy. If I decide to change things up, all three of you that read this blog will be the first to know...since I will show up in your reader (if you use one) daily instead of weekly. Anyway, without further ado*...here's what the 22nd week of 2011 looked like from my lens.

* * *

A corner of my garden.

It's that time of year.

It's also the time of year for sprigglies, as we call them. They're the byproduct of oak trees and we detest them.

Dewey is now bigger than Oliver. They mostly get along okay, although Oliver is a grumpy old man and Dewey just wants to play, so that does cause a few spats throughout the day.

Mr. Adorable, on the deck.

Fake plants from IKEA. Come to think of it, all of these things are from IKEA: the plants, the metal planters, and the skinny tray. I do love IKEA.

I took my camera to the store. I'm now that person.

Annuals on my deck. They make me smile.

* * *

*without any more talk or activity.

Week 21

2011-05-31T14:15:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law enjoying her book on our first camping trip of the season. It was a very relaxing weekend.

Have a heart.

Found this grungy Brownie for $3.50 while antiquing. That is a steal.

Springtime flowers really are so pretty.

A last minute photo right before bed. Isn't he so cute?

Yet ANOTHER last minute photo. I thought this project was supposed to inspire more creativity, not less...

A rhododendron for my garden. My first time growing these.

Week 20

2011-05-27T16:03:00.000-04:00

Puppy-sized Milk Bones for Dewey. Aren't they adorable?

Faux bulbs on the kitchen counter.

Desperation photo. It was 10:00 at night and I hadn't taken a photo yet.

Holy cow. The mosquitoes hatched en masse overnight. It was like a horror movie in my yard.

Finally planted some annuals.

First camping trip of the season.

Week 19

2011-05-15T19:27:00.003-04:00

What a week! It felt like summer had arrived. And I was one of the people complaining about the heat. I know! Somebody should slap me. But it's hard going from 55 to 85 in such a short time. I shouldn't have complained, though. Now it's 55 again and those summer-like days are already in the past. Hopefully we'll have some moderately warm days in the week ahead.

* * *

A beautiful pastel-colored morning sky. I love this time of the year.

I had my camera with me going through the car wash. This was the rinse cycle.

Monday = wash day. (I'm kidding. I don't have days of the week for my chores. Though I should.)

One of my favorite springtime plants. I need more Bleeding Hearts in my garden.

Flip-flop season. My new colors for this year. Bright enough for you?!

A different view of my office. Note the dog bed and toy. Dewey drags that bed all around the house.

The leaves are popping. Just your garden variety maple tree, seen from underneath.

The neighbor's Japanese maple unfurling its leaves.

What week is it?

2011-05-06T21:05:00.001-04:00

I am determined to get caught up on these posts. So here are weeks whatever and whatever.

(How can it be May already?)

* * *

These are always the last ones left. What are your least favorite flavors?

I thought they'd never bloom. Like maybe I had planted 50 defective daffodils. Finally, on April 25, they popped. It was worth the wait. They're still going strong and look so cheerful.

April showers.

15 yards of bark. {Sigh.}

Dewey's nose, up close and personal.

Hello, lovelies. I'm so glad to see you.

Saturday afternoon respite.

First Communion Sunday.

Sometimes it's easy to decide what to photograph.

Fruit and fiber.

In my office.

At the state park. Brrrrr.

Somehow one white narcissus got mixed in with the yellows. So I picked it.

* * *

Week 16

2011-05-01T21:18:00.000-04:00

Better late than never. Blogger wouldn't let me post last week for some reason, so I couldn't do Week 16 when I wanted to. Logged on just now and everything is fine. I'm not even going to try to understand it.

* * *

The only new furnishings for the bedroom were these bedside lamps from Pottery Barn. I've been wanting something different for years. Our lamps were cute (milk glass, vintage) but way too small. I thought about swing arm wall lamps but ended up going this route instead. I'm really pleased with the look and quality.

This was not appreciated, Mother Nature. Pretty, but not appreciated.

Books read so far in 2011.

Oliver. Because sometimes I don't know what to photograph.

The results of Dewey's heartworm test. (Negative, thankfully.)

Faux flooring (for taking kids' pictures). It's just paper, but it looks quite real.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to learn to iron in the worst way. I wish I could say that desire stayed with me, but sadly, it did not.

Weeks 14 & 15

2011-04-18T07:28:00.000-04:00

I'm going to do a catch-up post and include two weeks at once. As I type this, it is snowing like crazy outside. (It's April 18th.) Surely this is the last of the snow for the year...right?

* * *

Week 14

The contrast of the seasons: this year's new growth and last year's dead blooms.

Finishing up the bedroom. Painting doors. Still waiting for the sink.

Dewey and I in the mirror I got at Home Depot for $29. I'm going to paint it white and put it above the vanity.

Replacing the shiny brass door hardware with oil rubbed bronze. The original handles and hinges and latch plates were/are peeling and look terrible. Three down and nine to go (upstairs). I'm not even going to think about doing the basement until they look bad.

I totally forgot to take a picture this day. I usually think about it early in the day and then I procrastinate. This time I probably thought about it in the morning and then not again until the next day.

A new collar and ID tag for Dewey. The day after he got it, he rolled in something dead or rotten and I had to bathe him and wash his collar. Dogs!!!

* * *

Week 15

Getting the trailer out of storage. A sure sign of spring.

Really beautiful day. If you ignore the snow fence, it could have been July at the beach.

Oh no! I forgot AGAIN. I hope I don't have to include one of these every week till the end of the year. That won't be very interesting.

Dewey's favorite part of the day: when Jeff gets home. I put a little belly band around his middle so that the "happy pee" doesn't end up on the floor. ("Happy pee" is what my nephews and niece call it when a dog gets excited and piddles. Apt description, I think.)

After that 70-degree day earlier in the week, things really started growing in the garden.

"Justified" on FX is one of our favorite new programs. It stars Timothy Olyphant from Deadwood. Really good show. You should watch it!

Busted! Why do dogs love Kleenex so much?

Rain/snow mix. Bah humbug.

Week 13

2011-04-11T07:17:00.000-04:00

Floor = finished.

Attending a confirmation in the cathedral downtown. Beautiful building.

Half of me.

New vanity.

Filthy black paws from digging in the dirt. Arg!

Filling in the holes SOMEONE made. (See March 31.)

Lawn needs a lot of work.

Week 12

2011-04-01T07:50:00.000-04:00

Still taking a picture a day but very behind on posting them. Here is Week 12.

* * *

The flooring is going in.

The snow has melted. So happy. Ready for spring.

A nod to springtime in the glass-front cupboard.

Reading blogs while Jeff plays hockey.

Closet complete. Ready to patch, sand, and paint the trim.

Very cold, but at least it's sunny.

Another Saturday. Almost finished with the floor. So excited.

Week 11

2011-03-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

Wednesday already and I'm just now posting last week's pictures. And it's time to change that header up there, I'd say. Our snow is finally gone. Yay!

* * *

Poor Oliver. His bed is wherever Dewey decides he wants to move it.

We ordered our flooring from A1 Flooring. Speedy delivery and great customer service. We were able to get the same flooring that we installed in 2002, which is a plus. (Cost was about $1 more per square foot.)

The only way I can have a houseplant is if it's under glass. Dumb plant-eating cat.

The first nice day of the year. Things are starting to pop!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Why didn't I take a picture of something green? Instead here's our new ceiling fan. Yep, we decided to stick with a fan in the bedroom. Sometimes practical wins.

This was funny to me when I saw it, because all winter long Jeff has been trying to find a new popcorn to replace his old favorite, Orville Gourmet White Popping Corn. It seems Orville had a few bad batches of corn and it wasn't acceptable to Jeff. So he tried several different brands, but none of them lived up to Orville's (former) standards. This popcorn is in an Orville bottle, but clearly "not Orville".

Week 10

2011-03-13T20:50:00.000-04:00

Another week of "desperation" photos. I think all but one were taken at night, some with {gasp} flash. Ah well. At least I'm sticking with it.

* * *

Couldn't resist.

Rewatching this series. Love it. Can't figure out why it only lasted three seasons. It is historical, though, so maybe it ended because the story ended in real life.

Books on my nightstand. An eclectic assortment. I hope it's not wrong to have Stitch 'n Bitch in the same pile as the Bible.

Ready for the rainy weather that's sure to come.

Our makeshift bedroom. Not sure how much longer we've got till our project is complete. Probably at least two or three more weeks.

Taken with my 100mm 2.8 macro lens. I really need to learn how to use this thing. I'm sure it's capable of taking awesome photos.

The bedroom right now. We're working in the closet this week, so not much has changed in here. Jeff did screw the subfloor to the joists about every 18 inches, to lessen squeaks and creaks, but that's about it.

Honest photography. The back door. I straighten this area about 10 times a day. Dewey likes to rearrange things for me. It is a lot like having a baby in that respect.

Week 9

2011-03-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to Week 9. Winter continues to make its presence known. Snow, freezing rain, cold temps, blah-blah-blah. I am more than ready for spring; but then, who isn't at this point? At least it's finally March. Won't be long till daffodil time!

* * *

I've been using Quicken since about 1990, but it wasn't until the last few years that I finally stopped recording our receipts in a paper register AND on the computer. Eliminating the paper register step has saved so much time. (Just need to remember to back up frequently.) Anyway, Sunday is (usually) receipt day. If I let it go longer than a week, it's quite a chore to enter them all.

Monday night's supper. "You Pick Two": Sierra turkey on Asiago bread with a classic salad. Yum.

Happy March 1st! I finally knitted something for Dewey. He looks very handsome in his wool turtleneck sweater (and doesn't seem to mind wearing it, which is a bonus.)

Heading to pick up Dewey from daycare. I love how much daylight we're gaining every day.

Since we've emptied the closet and we're painting it anyway, we thought it would be a good time to try a redesign. (As walk-in closets go, it's kind of small, so it's going to be tight no matter what we do.)

Dewey's 1st birthday. He now weighs 12 pounds and is almost potty-trained. We keep a close eye on him, but he still has the occasional accident. I've read that's pretty common with small dogs, though. I hope he eventually "gets" it. :-(

Gave the bedroom two coats of paint. We're on our way. Still lots of little things to do before we can put the wood floor down, though.

* * *

Week 8

2011-02-27T16:24:00.000-05:00

Eight weeks in and it's getting to the point where I keep forgetting to take a picture during the day, so I grab the camera and just snap. So forgive the uninspiring photos of late. I'm sure it'll be easier when the seasons change and there's something new and different to take pictures of.

Having said that, I'm glad I've stuck with it this long. Eight weeks of pictures is a lot of fun to look at in a slide show. I imagine it will be really fun after all 52 weeks. Here's the set so far: Project 365 Set.

Day one of the master bedroom remodel. Carpet is gone, floor is swept, and we're ready to paint the ceiling.

Definitely one of those oh great, it's 9:00, what can I take a picture of nights? So here's a corner of the living room.

Watching TV from that couch in the picture from the 21st.

Oatmeal for breakfast. Matt used to call it "opie", so I always think of it that way when I have it.

After painting the ceiling. Good thing I wore my old glasses. They're pretty splattered.

Granny Smith.

Mine and Dewey's footprints on one of the dozen trips we make outside during the day.

Another Post About Stuff

2011-02-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

Decluttering mania has hit the blogosphere. It seems that everyone's overwhelmed by their crap and feeling the need to write about it.

The day after I posted about my stuff, The Simple Notebook wrote about it here: Loosen the Grip of More Stuff.

Then today I was reading Crazy Aunt Purl and she linked to the blog "Unclutterer", which she called addictive. I haven't spent much time there yet, so I can't say, but their Wednesday feature, Unitasker Wednesday, had me laughing (yes, out loud) immediately.

At the beginning of each Unitasker Wednesday post is this disclaimer: "All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!"

I'll just link to a few that had me giggling uncontrollably.

The Pet High Chair. Really? Maybe it's because I'm a new dog owner, but this one left me speechless (but laughing). How long is that dog going to stay in the chair? How long before it's on the table?

The Daddle. Oh.My.Gosh. This one makes me snort EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT.

And the Snazzy Napper. This one is just...troubling. Maybe it's because I'm picturing someone driving down the road with their Snazzy Napper over their head.

Who thinks of this stuff? Who buys it? Who?

STUFF

2011-02-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

{Photo has nothing to do with post, except that it is STUFF.)

There's nothing like taking everything from one room in your house and trying to find a place for it to make you stop and think about why you have so much STUFF.

We're replacing our bedroom carpet with hardwood floors. That means emptying the space for at least a month so we can work on it.

It is a humbling experience.

I think I'm pretty good about moving things out that I no longer use/love, but apparently not. Now that I've got a king-sized bed in my office, an extra dresser and vanity in my guest room, and a drawer chest/TV armoire in my living room, I'm looking at my stuff with new eyes.

And I see too much. Sure, it's cute. Sure, it was cheap. Sometimes dirt cheap. Sure, I might find a use for it down the road, especially if we ever add on a three-season room like we want to (yeah right. when is that going to happen?)

But in the meantime, I'm feeling the walls closing in, which means a big, big purge is in my future.

Of course, then I start toying with the idea of a garage sale. Because, you see, it's all great STUFF! It's cute and it's vintage and someone will buy it from me. (Never mind that I bought it from THEM at a garage sale, so they obviously didn't want it.)

In her post today (timely post) about stuff, The Nester really nails it. She could have been writing about me. Go over there and read it if you're feeling overwhelmed by your possessions.

How to Cure Thrift Store Shopping, I Hate to Pass Up a Great Deal-itis Disease Syndrome

And here's a great post I read last week about sentimental stuff at The Simple Notebook. (The bottom line is that if you save too much of it, it loses its meaning.)

Holding on to Sentimental Things

Week 7

2011-02-20T14:59:00.001-05:00

We started this week with about two feet of snow on the ground and ended it with almost none. We're getting hammered as I type this on Sunday afternoon, so I guess winter isn't through with us yet.

With a thaw in the forecast, Jeff decided to give the north side of the roof a little help by shoveling off some of the snow and ice.

Hearts of stone.

I think this note is referring to Alberta Spruce. But I can't be sure, because Dewey ate the top portion of the list.

Working on: focus, shooting/editing in RAW, and trying out different PW Woman actions. Oliver begrudgingly modeled for me.

It hit 50 this week! And instead of snow, we saw rain.

Dewey enjoying the late afternoon sun.

On weekends, we set our laptops up at the dining room table and surf. What did we do before we had the Internet?

6 Weeks

2011-02-13T08:31:00.001-05:00

Holy cow. We're six weeks into the new year already. Can you believe it? Me either. I must say I'm looking forward to the (supposedly) warmer temps we are supposed to be getting this coming week, because some of the snow needs to melt. The snowbanks are getting so high, it's hard to see past them at corners.

I found my knitting groove again. Here's a recent pair of mittens, prefelting.

With Dewey in the house, Oliver has to eat his food on top of the washer.

I added some baby hats to my shop this week.

Frozen.

Picture of a picture. Love this living room from the Pottery Barn catalog.

The back of our house at night. I spend a lot of time out here these days, making sure Dewey does his business. (Still don't trust him on his own. He's kind of flighty.)

Bath time. My favorite time of the day (or night, I should say).

Week 5

2011-02-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

Flying by our house. Hope they're headed someplace warm.

Good boy.

Bad weather heading our way.

Digging out after the blizzard. We ended up with about 13 inches.

Dewey's friends.

A blue sky is really appreciated this time of year.

Garden shed.

Week 4

2011-01-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Week 4 already. Hard to believe. The month has gone by rather quickly, which is a good thing. Not my favorite month, January.

We woke up to sub-zero temps on the 23rd. This is about as cold as it gets in our neck of the woods. It was a sunny day, though, so that made up for it.

Knit these from this pattern. I made them once before and swore it was the last time. There's a lot of counting and turning involved, which makes them a bad choice if you want to knit and do anything else, like watch TV, and I had to rip out more than once.

They were also a stash-buster project. I ran out of the green and had to improvise. Even though I didn't enjoy making them, I'll probably make another pair. They're so very warm.

Scalloped potatoes for supper. Comfort food.

In my spot at the library. To the left of the photo is a wall of windows overlooking a park and the courthouse.

Planning some gardening projects for spring.

A globe for my collection.

My favorite beverage. The cup is from Crate & Barrel.

Week 3

2011-01-22T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to Week 3!

I'm still taking pictures. Sometimes it's a breeze to know what to photograph, sometimes it's not. This time of year is tough, with the limited light and being somewhat confined to the house. I could easily take a picture a day of the snow, but I'm trying to mix it up.

I did take my camera with me to "town" once this week and snapped some photos at the state park. I didn't use those for one of my daily photos, but I may include a few here. The lake, she is beautiful any time of the year, even in winter.

I also have to be careful that all of my pictures aren't of the puppy. I've become one of "those" people who are smitten with their pups. Who'd a thunk? Certainly not me. At the beginning of Project Dewey, I was about ready to tear my hair out. Now I really miss him when I'm not with him all day. Amazing.

* * *

This was a day I forgot to take a photo until nighttime. Had to process it quite a bit to make it a little more interesting.

Our back yard right now is a series of paths for Dewey. It's actually sort of fun to create these little walkways. Like gardening with snow.

Went to T.J. Maxx this week and found this little teapot. It was only $3.99, so I grabbed it. I'm adding a bit of blue to my house, but on a shoestring. I have a feeling this color won't be staying for the long haul.

The neighbor kids finally got their first snow day this week. This is their snow man. Wish they'd build one in my yard.

Moving things around in the guest room, trying to freshen it up a bit without spending any money. I moved the dresser to the south wall and added an old peg board to the west wall. Why didn't I think of this before? I really like it.

I've been knitting ear bands. They're really popular this year. I made this one for a friend of my mom's. I hope she likes it. I think it would be cute with a different colored flower.

Work has been so slow! I've had a lot of time to do crafty things. I've made a few pairs of mittens using recycled wool sweaters. They're soooo warm. (The mini vacation is coming to a screeching halt next week, though. Three all-day deps, two of them out of town. It's always feast or famine in this biz.)

The snow is getting so deep! It hasn't stopped snowing at all today. Lots and lots of inches to shovel.

* * *

A few pics from the state park.

Waiting for spring.

Directly across from the state park. Lucky ducks.

Gray day on the Big Lake.

Week 2

2011-01-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Woke up Saturday to fresh powder and sunshine. Gorgeous.

Another beautiful morning.

Special treat: grande (or what the rest of us call "medium") Pike Place with cream.

Day 11 and I forgot all about taking a pic until it was dark outside. Had to resort to using the flash.

Something for my shop. Size 6 to 12 months if you're interested: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60583605/simple-cotton-beanie

Taking advantage of a slow period at work to get my business expenses calculated for tax season. Feels like we just finished our taxes from last year.

We've had about a foot of snow in the last day or so. Dewey loves it. We shovel paths for him in the back yard, but he likes to jump in the deep snow and run around. Here he is trying to shake off some of the snow.

Project 365, revisited

2011-01-08T12:02:00.001-05:00

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: Project 365. A picture a day for a whole year. Wish me luck.

I don't miss the stress and over-scheduling that comes with Christmas. But man, do I ever miss the twinkle lights when they're packed away. This little white tree was in my office for most of the season. I moved it to the guest room when we had company over New Year's.

We had gotten about a foot of snow between December 1 and Christmas. It had all melted by December 31.

Packing away Christmas for another year.

The return of the snow.

At the end of the day, coffee, a good book and a puppy on my lap. Life is good!

Tired of the bare look. A new mantel for January.

Spending a lot more time outside these days, waiting for the pup to piddle. Fresh air is good!

So here's my idea...

2010-11-04T08:20:00.002-04:00

First off, my apologies to any graphic designers or artists reading this. I'm sure my crude drawing skills are causing you real pain. (Don't worry, I won't quit my day job.)

This is what I'd like to do. Have Jeff build a box to go on top of the console and surround the TV. It wouldn't be as deep as the console, which is like 22 inches. It would only be 10-12 inches deep. I think they call this a breakfront in the furniture world.

It would be as tall as the bookcases and finished off with crown molding on the top. There would be a stationary shelf above the TV. The back would be beadboard or v-groove.

I was hoping that Jeff would pound this out for me this weekend, but it sounds like he has plans to do useful things like winterize the lawn mowers and store the patio furniture and of course we have 1 million leaves to rake. So maybe it won't happen soon, but I think this is just the thing to make that TV seem grounded on that wall. I hope so, because once we do this, I don't think we're taking it off and going to Plan C.

Where Were We?

2010-11-03T21:23:00.003-04:00

When we left off, I had moved the TV console into the living room and painted the fireplace wall blue. (See last post.)

The blue wall made it about three weeks before I had to paint over it, which was about 20 days longer than I thought it would last. I pretty much knew from Day 1 that it wasn't cutting it, but I stuck with it for awhile just to see if it would grow on me. Nope. It's now Edgecomb Gray and much, much better for my "vision". (That's a joke. I do not have a vision. I know what I like when I see it, but I hardly ever have the end result in mind when I start fiddling. Guess that's what happens when you're an amateur.)

Something else that's changed is the mirror above the fireplace. When I decided to put a mirror there, I wanted white but couldn't find one, so I settled for oak. I've thought about painting it ever since, but figured Jeff would nix that idea. (You know how some men are about the idea of {gasp!} painting oak.) I finally asked him and he said go ahead. So I quickly slapped three coats of paint on it before he could change his mind.

I'm still having issues with the TV console and that wall. I keep fiddling and rearranging, but to no avail. I think I have hit on just the thing, though, and I hope to work on it this weekend. It involves power tools, so I'm going to need help. Stay tuned. (Hint: the above picture is not it. That's just temporary fix number three.)

Paint! Couches! TV Console!

2010-09-14T09:19:00.004-04:00

Livin' Loom update. (My nephew used to call it livin' loom and I still love calling it that.)

Console with TV. Not sure about the topiaries. Need something there, but not sure what. Also need something to the left of the console. Going to try using a wicker chair I already have. Right now it's black, which is too dark for the room. Will probably paint it a fun green or blue color, just to add a pop of color. If I do that, the cushions will be white twill. If I paint the chair white, then the cushions will be a fun color.

Speaking of color, I painted the fireplace wall Ice Rink from the Martha Stewart paint line at Home Depot. It's a gray blue color. I've always wondered if I would like an accent color on that wall, and the answer is: not so much. Decided I'd show it here in the interest of "keeping it real". Ha! Will more than likely be painting it greige (gray/beige) before the week is up.

Also in the keeping-it-real department, note the rumpled couches and mismatched crumpled pillows. I am getting so lazy with my pictures. And no, the pillows aren't staying like that. Just need to find the right fabric for some new covers. And the couches are easily smoothed out; I just didn't bother, because hey, the room is nowhere near completion. Just showing it to you as I go.

Another view. Note there are also wrinkles in the slipcovers, not to be confused with the rumples. The slipcovers were in small boxes when they arrived. I had hoped they would smooth out after awhile, but no luck. I think a steamer will do the trick (and I've always wanted one for sewing, so it's win-win.)

Observant readers will note that the paint behind the TV is a different color than the rest of the walls, which are Bleeker Beige from Benjamin Moore. The new paint color coordinates better with the couches and is also BM paint, HC-173/Edgecomb Gray.

So that's my progress so far. Just the bare bones.

Side notes:

The little chair under the clock is from the only yard sale I went to all summer. It was stained and I spray painted it white. $5 bargain. It will probably end up in the office, as it's that type of chair.

Note the baby gate in the doorway. That's to keep Mr. Peabody on the hardwood floor and off our 17-year-old carpet. We have several gates in the house these days, and we're always tripping over them. Hopefully by the new year, we will be baby gate free. The training is going well, but I'm trying not to let him have too much freedom too soon.

Bye for now. Must get to work.

The Television Dilemma

2010-09-09T20:43:00.005-04:00

Since we were bringing the TV back upstairs, we needed something to set it on.

I hadn't paid much attention TVs when surfing blogs or magazines, because I hadn't intended to have a TV in the living room anytime soon. I had vague ideas that if and when we did bring a TV back upstairs, I'd find an antique or secondhand armoire, stash the TV in it, and have it out of sight/out of mind when we weren't watching it.

Jeff had different ideas. (The nerve! Imagine a husband and wife having different thoughts about decor -- especially when it comes to the TV!) He wanted to bring our downstairs TV upstairs; and while it's not that large, it was too wide for the armoires I found on Craig's List or at the antique stores around town.

So I needed a Plan B. I started looking around, and it seems like with flat panel TVs, people either mount them on the wall or put them on a console. I was pretty sure I didn't want to mount ours on the wall, because then I would have to have the outlet moved and figure out what to do with the cords and attaching the DVD player and whatnot. (Not in the budget.)

I do like like this set-up (below) from Feathers in my Nest, and finding a secondhand dresser would be easy. But again...didn't want to hang the TV on the wall, budget, blah, blah, blah.

I found a couple of consoles online that I liked and were within the budget, but they were sort of small. There is a lot going on opposite the TV, with the fireplace and the two couches. I felt like I needed something with a little heft to balance that out. These are a couple I considered...

I can't remember where I found this one. I think I just typed in TV console or something similar.

This one is from IKEA.

Then I found this room on the blog Show & Tell, and it seemed like the right direction: something old(er) used in a new way.

So I hit the antique stores again and started looking for old cabinets that could be used as a console. I found something more or less suitable at a store that buys and paints old furniture (some antique, some not) and resells it.

I think it used to be a buffet.

The paint job was pretty rough, so I sanded, primed and repainted it.

Here it is before we set the TV on it. I'm glad we went this route (old repurposed cabinet) though it is a bit taller than I wanted. The dimensions are 66" wide by 36" high. 30" high would have been ideal, but you can't be that choosy when you're buying secondhand. The price of this piece was about the same as we'd have paid for the new consoles I found, but this baby is solid, has tons of storage, and just a bit more character than the particle-board new stuff.

Redecorating

2010-08-30T11:02:00.008-04:00

I'm re-doing my living room and it's all his fault.

Because of Mr. Peabody up there and his potty training schedule, we've been spending more time upstairs in our kitchen and living room than we have in years. In 2000, we finished our basement and moved our main TV downstairs. Since then, that's been our evening hangout. The living room mostly just saw use on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when we'd drink coffee and read the paper. Other than that, it's more or less a room we walked through on our way to the kitchen or the bathroom.

Since we've been upstairs so much this summer, we decided to see if we'd like having a TV in the living room again. When we banished the TV to the basement, Matt was 10 years old. It was a move on our part to make TV watching a more deliberate activity as opposed to something you have on just because it's there. And that was a good thing...for then. But we're in a different season of our lives now. We like watching TV after supper, especially in the winter when it's dark at 5:30.

So we moved the TV from our bedroom into the living room and sat it on top of the white desk. It was a fun change, but it brought to the forefront a dirty little secret that we had in our living room.

That cute furniture that I slipcovered? Not so comfortable (especially the chairs.) It was okay to sit on for a little while, but after that you had to change positions every two minutes because it just wasn't meant for lounging.

So.

I decided to list my living room furniture on Craig's List.

And it sold.

Within 24 hours.

We were left with this: several mismatched chairs, a skinny end table and two coffee tables.

Oops.

And I've decided I like it just the way it is.

*
*
*
*

As if! No way could it stay like that. It's turned into a total room re-do. But hey, it gives me something to write about here besides the puppy. Which I'm sure you're sick to death of hearing about by now.

I've already gotten new seating. I decided to go with two couches instead of the one couch/two chair thing I've had for the past 20 years. The couches are from the Pottery Barn Comfort line, in stone twill slipcovers with box edge cushions (not knife edge, like shown in the photos on the website.) They don't look much different than the couch I had, but they're squishy and deep and more comfortable than the tight-back style. They face each other, perpendicular to the fireplace.

The TV sits on the wall facing the fireplace and for now it's still on a coffee table. Finding the right piece for the TV to sit on has been a bigger challenge and a story I'll save for another day, since this post is now so long it should have chapters.

So if there's anyone still reading this blog, please stop back and read about my quest to find something unique, cheap, cute and not mass-produced for my TV stand. I actually did find it and it's been sanded and primed and is waiting for a coat of paint in my garage as we speak.

Adventures with Dewey

2010-06-21T12:23:00.003-04:00

Now that Dewey's vaccinations are up to date, we can start taking him in public places. This weekend while we were camping, we took him for a walk on the beach. Other firsts: riding in a boat, climbing a sand dune (or trying), and going for a dip in a lake. He loved it all.

More photos from our walk on the beach:

June

2010-06-14T13:26:00.003-04:00

My favorite gardening book is called, "Mrs. Greenthumbs: How I Turned a Boring Yard into a Glorious Garden and How You Can, Too". Of all the gardening books I've read over the years, this book has influenced my gardens more than any other. Chock-full of really useful information, it reads like a novel. And best of all, it is FUNNY. I've read it more than once, and every time I laugh and laugh.

I bring this up because in the chapter entitled "June", the author, Cassandra Danz, says, "This is the month that I dream about all year, the month that rhymes with spoon and moon, the month of flowers, the month of mid-summer madness, the month of ecstasy. June. Yippee."

And it's true. June is the month of flowers. To quote another of my favorite gardeners (my sister Kathy): "Everything looks good in June."

She's right. Things are healthy, green, and vibrant. If you have a garden, I'm betting it looks great right now.

I do love June.

Four Weeks Together

2010-06-06T09:15:00.004-04:00

You know those blogs where moms write a newsletter to their children every month, telling them what their milestones have been and all that's been going on in their lives? Wouldn't it be ridiculous if I did that for my puppy? I know! And I'm going to do it anyway.

(For the record, I'm not making fun of those moms. I think it's a great idea. I used to write a letter to Matt every year on his birthday, telling him what his year had been like, and I love reading them and remembering. Once a month would have been even better.)

Anyway.

Dear Dewey,

You've now spent four weeks in your new home. You are 13.5 weeks old. We are adjusting to being a household of two humans, one feline, and one canine.

Potty training is coming along. You didn't have a single accident in the house this week (that I know of.) This is probably because I keep my eagle eye on you every.single.second you're not in your crate, but it is still worthy of praise. Thank you for not using the house as your bathroom. It is most appreciated.

You're still lukewarm on dog food. You do love cat food and like to beg for human food, even though you've never been given any. You're convinced you would love it.

You will come when called about 50 percent of the time, if you think it will lead to a treat. If you're headed into the garden, you come 0% of the time. I think you want to be a gardener. If the little girl next-door is outside, you make a beeline for her and turn a deaf ear to me. You're extremely friendly.

You are very good at sitting when asked (and treated).

Your puppy training class was canceled due to lack of interest. We met one-on-one with the trainer anyway, and she gave us some pointers and tried to educate us on training you. It's basically going to be a ton of work. Ugh. Why can't you come pre-trained?

You hate having your paws wiped off if they are wet. H-A-T-E.

You are ridiculously happy to meet new people. This is good, because we want you to be friendly. This is also not good, because you are also out of control for the first five minutes.

In the past month you have attended a hockey game, gone to the vet twice, and even spent a day at doggy daycare. (Sorry, Dewey, but you are going to be a latchkey pup some of the time.) We are doing our best to socialize you, but also keep you out of harm's way until your vaccinations are up to date.

You met your canine cousins Hunter and Gracie and your canine aunt Mitzi.

You also met your human brother, Matt, who decided you were pretty neat.

You love your feline brother, Oliver. He is neutral toward you, which I consider to be a victory. He smacks you when you need it and you immediately submit. Maybe we could ask him to train you to come, sit, stay, heel, and walk on a leash.

Other likes include socks, underwear, squeaky toys, and being next to me 24/7.

We think you are a good dog. And now that I am over the initial shock and adjustment period, I am glad you are here.

Something New

2010-05-05T10:51:00.011-04:00

There's not been much to talk about here lately.

After finishing up the bathroom remodel, I've been kind of burnt out on home improvement and decorating, so nothing to mention in that department. No big projects on the horizon either.

Gardening season is starting up, and that will be worth a few posts, I'm sure.

But with this new "project" in our lives, there will be lots and lots of blog fodder, because...

We adopted a PUPPY!

His name is Dewey and he is a Havanese. He should reach about 12 pounds and won't be a shedder. He will, however, need lots of grooming. In the three weeks we've had him, his fur has already grown quite a bit and he is looking quite a bit shaggier than in this photo.

Dewey on his first day with us ~ May 8, 2010.

So I'll definitely have lots to write about (and photos to share) with this new addition to the family. I hope to start posting more regularly soon.

Narcissus

2010-04-11T12:35:00.002-04:00

The more time that passes between posts, the easier it is not to write anything at all on ye olde blog. I've noticed a few blogs have become less active recently, so it's not just me. At the other end of the spectrum are those who post daily, sometimes more than once a day. And have you noticed how many great blogs are out there these days? It's hard to keep up with them all. That must be why I'm not posting. I'm too busy ready about everybody else. (That reminds me. I need to update my sidebar to include some of my new favorites.)

Anyway, all I really have for you today is a picture of some daffodils I had forgotten I planted. I really have no memory of this, but last year I must have purchased three pots of petite daffodils from the grocery store. Instead of tossing them when they were done blooming, I plunked them into the ground. Forgot all about them till I looked out a week or so ago and saw their tiny little faces waving at me in the breeze. What a nice surprise.

March

2010-03-23T07:47:00.003-04:00

I snapped a few photos as I walked around my yard yesterday. So far March has been amazing. Warmer than normal temps and so much sun. We did have some snow over the weekend, but it only lasted a day. I keep holding my breath, waiting to see if the tide turns and our usual March weather shows up (cold, wet, nasty). I hope not. I've had a taste of spring and I am so ready for it.

Off they go!

New life.

In honor of March Madness.

Creature from the deep?

2010-03-10T15:52:00.001-05:00

No. It's just a frozen rose hip in my garden.

Chalkboard Weekly Planner

2010-03-05T08:19:00.005-05:00

I saw that the Nester was having a little linky party about different ways people have used chalkboards in their homes, and I thought: Hey! I have a neat project I've never shared on my blog. I'll just whip up a post and participate. Because I've been meaning to do this for months and months and just haven't gotten around to it. Perfect timing.

(Only this needs to be fast, as I've work-work to do and shouldn't be fooling around on ye olde blog right now.)

So I mentioned way back that I was repainting my office. Remember when I painted it light green and used pink accents, because I'd always wanted to use that color combination? And since I didn't have a little girl, I thought I'd just make my office pink and green? Well, that attraction didn't last long once I was working in the pink and green, day in and day out. I still love that color combo, but it really felt like I was working in a bedroom. So I decided I'd repaint. (One of my mottos is: It's only paint. Another one: It's only hair.)

(Is it an office or a bedroom?)

Anyway, I went with a color I already had "in stock". It's what I used to paint the darker rectangle on my living room wall, which highlights botanical prints purchased years ago from eBay. (I like this rectangle on the wall, idea, by the way, because if you've got a huge wall but not a large piece of artwork to put on it, it helps to highlight said artwork and keep it from floating in that huge expanse of wall.)

(Pardon the Christmas picture.)

But this post is supposed to be about the chalkboard...and I said I was going to make it quick...so I will try to get to the point and stop the linking (because that takes a lot of time to do -- at least for me.) See how easily I get sidetracked?

Okay. So I painted the walls the color of a cup of coffee with cream. It took me one week. I painted a wall a day (two coats, each wall) and put everything back at the end of the day. Brought in some red accents (no shortage of red in this house, so no added expense there) and it instantly felt more officey and less bedroomy. I get so much more done here now! (Ha! I wish.)

(<----- The last wall...)

But what about that chalkboard, Barb? Oh yeah. Here's what I did. I took a window frame I had found while thrifting ($6). I took out the glass and replaced it with plexiglass that I had cut at a glass shop. (Did you know that stuff is kind of expensive? It is. Like $4 per piece. Yikes. I had no idea until I picked up my order.) (So my total's up to $30 now, if you're keeping track.)

I gave the plexiglass pieces a couple coats of chalkboard paint, let them dry, and put them back in the frame, "gluing" them in with silicone caulk. I wanted to keep the frame as it was (chippy, rustic) so I just sealed it with spray polyurethane so that it wouldn't keep peeling.

And the result is a window-frame-turned-chalkboard-weekly-planner that hangs on my wall. I love it. I use it every week to remind me what my job schedule is and what appointments I have that week.

(When the chalkboard was still brand-new. It's looking a little more "used" now, but that's okay.)

(Another use for an old window frame: mirror. Love this, too. Also in the office.)

R.I.P. Puddie

2010-02-26T12:15:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago today, my oldest cat, Puddie, age 12.5 years, passed away, after a brief illness. Puddie was an incredibly sweet brown tabby, who we rescued from the humane society in February 1998, when she was seven months old and Matt was nine. Six months later, we decided she needed a friend and Oliver joined our family.

There have been times over the past few years, especially since Matt left home and I haven't had him to photograph, that I thought maybe I was going a little overboard with the pictures of the cats. It screamed CRAZY CAT LADY to me. But losing Puddie as we did, without much warning, I can now say that I'm so happy to have these images of her. They capture her personality and bring fond memories {and a tear to my eye} of the place she held in our hearts.

So today I would urge you: take pictures of the ones you love. Take pictures, too, of your home, your town and the boring, mundane, everyday things in your life...the things that are so common to you right now that you hardly notice them. Most of us will bring out the camera for the big events like birthdays and holidays, and that is all good and well. But take pictures of the not-so-special things, too. You think you will remember them forever...or that they aren't picture-worthy...but someday, when you have all but forgotten those tiny moments, you will look back, at those pictures in particular, and they will bring a smile to your face, a warmth to your heart, a tear to your eye...

So here are some of my favorite images of Puddie and Oliver. I'm so glad to have taken these!

Puddie used to love to hang out in my middle desk drawer when I worked. Once I moved my office upstairs, she never did this again. Cats are strange creatures!

Cats love the sun, period.

Matt & Puddie. Christmas break 2007.

Watching TV with cats on my lap.

This was their routine. Puddie would sit just out of reach and stare at Jeff until he would reach down and pet her.

Another weird thing about Puddie: She liked to lay on something...anything...newspaper, magazine, piece of fabric, plastic bag...

Hanging out with me while I painted. (Obviously, she wasn't superstitious about being under a ladder. Maybe it's that whole nine lives thing.)

July 2009: This would be the last picture I took of Puddie. :-(

At Long Last

2010-02-05T08:14:00.003-05:00

Sorry for being absent for so long! Apparently I can only obsess about one thing at a time, and lately it's been about a little get-together we are having for Jeff's 50th birthday. Tomorrow's the big event, and I'm frantically trying to keep a lot of balls in the air.

But I can post pictures, right? They speak for themselves. We are really happy with the final outcome. It's a much more functional and easy-to-clean space, and it's not so bad to look at, either.

Finish Line

2010-01-15T21:34:00.004-05:00

We're finally, finally nearing the end of the bathroom remodel. I can count on one hand the number of things left to do. This is a good thing. I am ready to be done.

I've been wanting to wait to post any pictures or even talk about the bathroom again until things were finished, but it's obviously taking forEVER. And since I didn't want to ignore this blog any longer, I decided to show you something I worked on this week: the window covering and shower curtain.

I was trying to decide if this black and white buffalo check fabric was going to overwhelm the size of the room, so I hung it up there temporarily and took a picture, thinking that might give me a different perspective on it. I liked how the checks echoed the black squares in the floor, but I was afraid it might be a little much. I went back and forth on this several times (yes, no, yes, no...) and finally decided to just do it. I'm happy to say it's finished and hung and I really like it. {The shower curtain was an easy decision. Black and white ticking stripe. It looks great. }

Final piece of trim is going up this weekend. After it's painted, we will be FINISHED...except for the artwork, which always takes me a long time to decide on. So next week I hope to have a little reveal of the three-month-long bathroom reno.

Then what will I talk about?

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-24T07:53:00.002-05:00

Wishing you and yours a stress-free, relaxing holiday.

So Excited

2009-12-23T15:54:00.002-05:00

Even though the plumber says I have to wait one more day to use it...

Shrink

2009-12-21T07:41:00.005-05:00

Let's have a show of hands from everyone who could use a little help from Lucy to help you navigate the familypartycleaningfrenzymenuplanninglastminuteshoppingcookiebakingstockingstuffing activities that are still to come.

Yeah, me too.

Christmas Mosaic

2009-12-14T07:35:00.002-05:00

Greetings of the Season!

If I was really ambitious, I would print this photo and use it as my Christmas card. I think the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim, though, so I thought I'd just use it here. (If I follow through and use this as my Christmas card, and you receive one, will you act surprised? Thanks.)

Speaking of cards...are people not sending them this year? That's what I am thinking. I have to ... or I'll be forced to face the fact that our popularity has hit rock bottom. So far we've received a whopping two (2) cards. I realize it's still kind of early, but that's an all-time low for the second week of December.

'Course, I haven't even addressed my own cards yet, so I have no room to talk. And there's even been a part of my brain telling me that we live in a virtual world and cards are no longer necessary. Why bother when I can send greetings via the blog...or Facebook...or e-mail? But that's not like me at all. I enjoy the whole "card thing": the selecting, the addressing, the signing, the sending...and especially the receiving. So I imagine tonight I'll tell that part of my brain to shut it, that I'm not going to let this tradition die, and I'll get down to business and get my 30 or so cards ready to pop in tomorrow's mail.

* * *

Have a great Monday, everyone.

Christmas in the Bath

2009-12-11T07:26:00.001-05:00

A little bit of Christmas cheer in our main {and currently only} bathroom.

More Christmas

2009-12-10T12:02:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to decide if I am going to participate in one of the many Christmas home tours that will start soon in blogland. Doing the full-on tour seems a bit overwhelming to me right now, probably because my focus has been more on completing the bathroom remodel and not on getting the house picture-ready. I think instead I might share a photo every day or two of something around the house that's fun or cute or creative.

* * *

Here's a still life of a little chair that sits in our living room. Love these wee children's skates. The red boxes are from IKEA.

a little christmas

2009-12-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

Grouty

2009-12-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

I grouted the tile today. It sort of felt like this.

Finally, Something Pretty

2009-12-06T09:27:00.002-05:00

Tile-layer extraordinaire (and Jeff's baby brother) Pete came to our rescue yesterday and laid our tile for us, while we scurried around fetching things, trying to look busy, and generally got in the way.

I could not be happier with it.

Next up: grout.

Little Petey spreading the mastic on the tub deck.

On to the floor.

First tile.

On-the-job injury.

Halfway there.

Done!

The tile is American Olean 12" x 12" Alameda Mosaics porcelain white tile from Lowe's.

First Snow

2009-12-04T08:29:00.001-05:00

A great day to be working from home!

Master Bath Remodel...

2009-12-01T17:11:00.003-05:00

Work continues on the bathroom reno.

The drywall was finished this weekend. Now it's time to tile the floor and the top of the tub surround. We've never done any tiling, so we're hoping it goes smoothly. Once that's done (hopefully this weekend) the plumber will come back and install the tub, set the toilet, and install the fixtures in the shower. After that it's beadboard, final painting and things like towel bars and shower curtain and we're through! We are so ready to be done with this project. We're hoping to have it finished by Christmas, but it's going to be close.

Looking into the bathroom from the door.

The new tub surround, with a cut-out in the floor so the drain can be rerouted.

Perched on the corner of the tub surround, looking toward the new shower.

We're #1!

2009-11-30T12:55:00.003-05:00

Holiday mania has hit the blogosphere. Nearly every post I've read today is about decking your halls and/or shopping/crafting...or, conversely, scaling back on decorating and/or shopping/crafting. Then there are the lovely recaps of Thanksgiving feasts, complete with beautiful photos. (Happy Belated Thanksgiving, by the way. I hope yours was grand. )

But on my blog, there will be no holiday talk, at least not today. (That will come soon.) Today I wanted to share with you a little something that tickled my funny bone, something I've been meaning to post for a couple of weeks. And nothing could be less holiday-ish than what I saw on the back of the truck that pumped my septic tank recently. (I warned you! No holiday-speak here!)

Someone in that company definitely has a sense of humor, don't you think?!

And how was your weekend?

2009-11-23T09:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I strung the Christmas lights outside...in a sweater and jeans. That has to be a first. I think last year it was spitting snow and I was bundled up like Ralphie's brother in A Christmas Story. Okay, not quite that bundled, but definitely wearing a coat, hat, scarf, mittens.

What great weather we had this weekend (and all of November, really). Mid 50's and sunny. Just goes to show you that it's all about perspective. In July when it was in the mid 50's, I was complaining like crazy. (Who wouldn't?!) But mid 50's in November? I'll take it. :-)

Another great thing that happened this November (well, great in my world, anyway; doesn't take a whole lot to please me, apparently) is that the leaves fell from the trees so quickly and so completely that we had them picked up and hauled away with time to spare. Life is good!

This is November in Michigan.

Yesterday & Today

2009-11-13T11:17:00.001-05:00

Yesterday.

Today.

Pretty

2009-11-12T09:07:00.001-05:00

One Step Closer

2009-11-10T19:23:00.003-05:00

This weekend Jeff built the tub surround for my shorter, narrower, jet-less tub. I am so looking forward to having my bath back.

Polka Dot Pixie

2009-11-09T17:39:00.003-05:00

I can't seem to get enough of baby hats.

Listed this today at my shop.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T18:16:00.004-04:00

Ready for trick-or-treaters.

This is Progress

2009-10-31T17:27:00.002-04:00

Then.

Now.

Getting closer all the time. So excited! Next week I'll share some of my choices on tile and fixtures and such.

Right now I'm going to go put my feet up for a half hour before 200+ kids come knocking at my door looking for treats. Happy Halloween!

Bathroom Update - Week 2

2009-10-22T16:57:00.004-04:00

A few people have asked how the bathroom remodel is going.

I thought I'd share a photo of our progress so far and let you be the judge.

So what do you think?

Nice, isn't it? A huge improvement.

While it doesn't look like it, we actually have made some progress.

Vinyl floor: gone
Water lines: capped
Toilet: o-u-t
Shower: removed from wall and ready for the dump
Tub surround: history
Tub: ready to be disposed of. (Anyone want a jacuzzi?!)

Next on the agenda is to borrow one of Jeff's brothers to help him move the shower and tub and then the real fun will begin.

The plan (as of today) is as follows:

Tub: A much narrower soaker tub.
Tub surround: Tile on top, white beadboard with 1 x 4 trim on front.
Toilet: Basically same location as before, only one foot closer to the tub, which makes room for the...
Shower: 48-inch wide rectangular fiberglass shower - no shower doors.
Walls: white beadboard 3/4 of the way up the wall; paint above the beadboard...leaning towards a very pale blue, but this could and probably will change three times before a final decision is made.
Floor: white and black hexagonal ceramic tile. Need to find out if this will look okay with gray grout rather than white. If not, I'll have to figure something else out for the floor...as I do not want tile with white grout.

Things I have learned...

2009-10-12T12:09:00.013-04:00

Things I have learned in the course of the mini bathroom remodel...after only two days.

1. If you are prying a 4x4 ceramic tile off the wall and it lands on your slippered foot, it will hurt. A lot. And probably leave a bruise.

2. There is a good reason builders don't wear pajamas and slippers for demo work. (See #1.)

3. Demolition is a lot of fun and a great way to release your frustrations.

4. People who lay vinyl flooring love to use staples, lots and lots of really long staples, to affix the Lauan (had to look up the spelling on that one) to the subfloor. And when you pull up the Lauan, those staples stay in the subfloor and will not come out unless you have a special little staple-pulling tool. Luckily, we own this tool because we pulled vinyl out of our kitchen a few years back and already had this experience. I was reminded again of how monotonous it is to pull out staples. Also, you should wear gloves. Blisters form easily on ungloved hands.

5. People will take anything from the trash at the end of your driveway, including disgustingly gross, scummy, turn-your-stomach shower doors. Oh yes they will! Not two hours after we put those babies out for the trash man, someone had taken them. Which is fine. I like to recycle. I like to donate. I try to be a good steward of the planet. But never in my dreams did I think someone would want these. I hope they're going to a good home...

A few photos of our progress so far:

Tearing out the vinyl floor.

Jeff demonstrates the twirly technique in staple-removing...wherein you twirl the staple around the tool like a piece of spaghetti. I prefer the pry and pull technique: pry the staple halfway out with the tool, then yank it out the rest of the way with pliers.

No real surprise here. After ripping up the vinyl and the Lauan, this is what I found: mold. Another reason to hate shower doors.

Mold remediation complete. I am very curious as to what we will find behind and underneath that shower, though...

Good-bye, shower doors! Bye-bye now!

Ah! I feel better already.

Demolition is the fun part.

Jacuzzi guts.

Good Riddance!

2009-10-12T11:22:00.003-04:00

I think it's plain that I love a project. Nothing gets my metabolism in high gear better than something to focus my creative engergies on. (So I guess I am saying that I consider a nice big project to be like exercise, or something. Hmm.)

Since fall began, I have had a few minor and projects in the works.

1. I repainted and updated my office. Yes, again. And no, I didn't mention it. And yes, I will be posting photos and the particulars soon. (Because you do care, right...right?!)

2. I've been knitting and sewing like mad and actually selling a few things in my shop.

3. I spray painted a whole bunch of items while the weather was still warm, because once cold weather hits, spray painting season is over. Some of these items include the metal stars that hang over my bed. They were red...I painted them white...I don't think I like them...I may be repainting them red again. A metal stool that was blue when I got it, then spray painted red, and now spray painted white. This I like. My white wicker chair. It was white, it's now black. Love, love, love this one. Future posts, all. Probably.

Anyway. I have been busy fussing and nesting and all that jazz. But the big project that's been on the horizon for a long, long time is the master bathroom.

I'll start at the beginning. The year was 1993. We had finally sold our house and we decided to purchase the house we're currently in. It was a nice step up for us. Though nothing fancy, it was bigger, it had some nice extras, and one of them was a master bathroom with jacuzzi. {What can I say? It was the '90's. Nearly every new house/remodel included a ginormous garden tub. }

Unlike a lot of people, I do take baths. I take one nearly every single night. So I knew that I would use that tub. Sure, it was bigger than necessary, and the jets probably would lose their appeal, but it was definitely a huge plus in my book.

Unfortunately, the bathroom isn't huge, so to accommodate that monster tub, concessions had to be made, one of which was the corner shower unit, a/k/a neo-angle shower. And the only way to close off a corner shower is with...shower doors.

We had had shower doors in our first apartment after we got married, and I knew from that experience that they are evil and I hate them. They are impossible to keep clean. Their lifespan is definitely short. And to replace them costs a lot of money. A.lot.of.money. Like in the hundreds of dollars. For something you don't even like.

So the very first day we attempt to take a shower in this bathroom, the doors leak. Like a sieve. Come to find out, the builder had installed the doors upside-down. Instead of the drainage holes being on the bottom, where they belonged, they were on the top. His solution? Caulk the living daylights out of them and drill holes in the track...the track that was meant to be at the top.

Sigh.

So we didn't start off well with these doors. First, I am prejudiced against them. Second, because they are installed wrong, the tracks that are meant to have the drainage holes are facing the ceiling. And third, we eventually discover that our water, while city water, is hard. Hard water is...well...hard on things. Including shower doors.

So. It's been 16 years and we have been living with these disgustingly dirty, skanky, blucky shower doors. Nothing helps. The only solution is to replace them...to the tune of $600 to $900...or figure out a way to put in a different shower and still keep the tub.

More to follow...

2009-10-09T11:00:00.002-04:00

I'm having the best time creating things for my Etsy shop.

In fact, you might say this has been my mantra of late:

Today I posted this blue and white striped pixie hat. I'm thinking it would make a really cute prop for a newborn photo session. Or if you wanted to be practical, it would definitely keep baby's ears warm in the upcoming cold weather months.

I think I will make some of these in my favorite color combination of red and white for the holidays. That would be darling, don't you think?

Beautiful Weekend

2009-10-04T17:04:00.003-04:00

Despite a gloomy forecast warning only of rain, rain and more rain, our weekend camping trip turned out to be mostly dry and very relaxing.

What I did (and didn't do) this Weekend

2009-09-27T12:21:00.003-04:00

Jeff went out of town on Friday, so I had the weekend to myself. I had planned to paint this wall in the kitchen, taking it from red to a more neutral beige, and make fun things for the shop.

Instead, I woke up with a pretty nasty migraine on Saturday. So I stayed in my pj's almost the entire day, alternating between laying down with an ice pack on my face and knitting and watching Hercule Poirot on TV.

I have been wanting to make the Meathead hat for a long time. I've had it bookmarked in my flickr favorites forever. But it turned out there were problems with the pattern. I wanted to make this hat for a baby...like a newborn to six-month-old baby...and the smallest the pattern comes in is "child". So I fooled around with different size needles and yarn and, two hats later, finally got that part figured out.

Second problem was that it was knit flat and then joined in the back with a seam. My seams kept turning out awful, so I decided to use three DPN's and knit it in the round. I'm barely qualified to read patterns, so altering them is way out of my league, but in the end I think I got it. It's still a little bit on the short side, so I will have to knit it a fourth time to get that part right, but then I will be able to offer this little hat for sale in my shop. The final version(s) will have a cute button or other accent on the side.

So what do you think?

Hello Fall!

2009-09-22T08:42:00.005-04:00

It's the first day of fall and it is going to feel like summer: 80 degrees and humid. Go figure.

Yesterday I shopped my house, gathering orange, black and white things to use for a little Halloween decorating. (The above picture does NOT represent the finished product!) This weekend I plan to make a few pillow covers out of orange and white polka dotted fabric and, if I'm really ambitious (we'll see about this one - it might not happen), a quilted throw for the couch to add splashes of color in the living room. This is exactly why I wanted to neutralize the walls and upholstered furniture in the main living areas. It opens up so many possibilities for changing the look and feel of these rooms in minutes, without breaking the bank.

And this makes me inexplicably happy. :-)

Better Late than Never

2009-09-16T13:22:00.014-04:00

Pink and Polka Dot is hosting a Slipcover Party today, so I decided to participate by re-posting my slipcover "reveal" post from September 2009.

It's time to reveal the living room re-do I started way back in February of this year. You might remember I talked about wanting to make slipcovers in white. Well, I did that...but then I needed to change a few other things too. Isn't that the way it always goes? The domino effect, I think it's called. Anyway, what had been holding me back from taking pictures and writing about it here was wanting new pillow covers. Last weekend I crossed that item off the list, so I'm finally ready to share.

The slipcovers that started it all. My, they're wrinkled. (Funny how you only notice those things when you post a picture on your blog for the world to see.)

The rug is a new addition.

The Public Beach sign (a fave) was an antique store find.

I found the end table at a garage sale and knew it was the perfect height and size for this space. It was painted black (and really cute) but I wanted white, so I repainted it.

The three pillows I made last weekend. Love, love, love the little patchwork/quilted number. I might make a lap quilt in similar colors/patterns for this winter. The large red and white polka dots is from JoAnn's. I don't know why, but I fell in love with this print. I also purchased some in orange and white for Halloween. I'll be making a skirt with it. (I'M KIDDING!!!)

This child's chair and basket were from last week's barn sales. I plan to use the chair as a prop when I take kid photos.

A closer view of the coffee table. I am going to do something crafty with that driftwood. Someday.

The desk area facing the fireplace. I'd like to put a nice large piece here. Maybe an armoire? I've also considered putting a church pew in this spot for additional seating.

Stay tuned...

New at the Shop

2009-09-07T14:48:00.003-04:00

Amy Butler Frenchy Bag

Bat, Man

2009-08-26T12:49:00.005-04:00

A week or so ago, I was opening the patio umbrella and Jeff was sitting on the deck in a chair behind me. As I finished opening it, he said, "What is that? A bat?!" Yesiree, a BIG FAT BAT was hanging out on the underside of the umbrella. Aaaaaah! I hightailed it into the house...and grabbed the camera, of course, so I could document this creepy occurrence. Then Jeff smacked the umbrella with a broom and it flew away.

I figured it was a fluke and it wouldn't happen again, but the next time I opened the umbrella, I did it very slowly, just in case. And sure enough, it was there again. What the heck?

It's my habit to crank the umbrella down all the way and leave it sort of loose, unless there is a storm in the forecast and then I will either tie it or bring it into the garage. So I decided that I would start tying it up each night so that it wouldn't make a good habitat for the bat. Surely he wouldn't want to wriggle his way in there when it was closed up so tightly.

What a fool I am. I just now untied it, started cranking it up every so slowly...and guess who's there again? The bat, man. It is freaking me out. I about lose my...stuff each time it happens.

Dotty

2009-08-19T17:58:00.002-04:00

Allow me to introduce Dotty, the perfect solution when all you need to carry are the essentials: credit cards and/or cash, keys, cell phone and lipstick.

For sale at my brand-new Etsy shop, The Bee's Nest.

Snippet

2009-08-16T19:55:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to post this for awhile.

I think I mentioned that as part of our Christmas in July celebration, the sibling gift exchange is a form of Yankee Swap.

This little tote was my offering for the girls in our group. It's made with this pattern from Bunny Hill Designs, and is something I have wanted to make since the first time I saw it.

The fabric is from the Snippets collection by American Jane for Moda fabrics.

And on to the next one...

2009-08-11T12:50:00.007-04:00

Just finished this sweater for my great-nephew Boston.

(Shh! Don't tell. It's a surprise.)

I think it's one of my favorites to date.

Now I need to get busy on the next sweater, as I've a great niece or nephew due any second now (the day before yesterday, actually) (!!!) and a great-niece who will arrive in September.

But I'm not complaining. I'm thrilled to have a reason to create wee baby things. They're my favorite.

A New Post!

2009-08-06T20:50:00.012-04:00

All right. The birthday post has been up long enough. I'm not sure what I'm going to write about, but write something I will...

{Picture me drumming my fingers on the desk and thinking really hard...}

Oh! Here's something I've been meaning to show and tell. Waaaay back at the beginning of the summer (Can you believe it's August already? I can't.) I was looking for a new bird bath. Actually, I was just looking for a new saucer for my two-piece cheap-o bird bath. Somehow the saucer part broke in two. I suspect the squirrels, but since I didn't actually see them do it, I guess I shouldn't accuse them. But they are known to rough-house, and this isn't the first saucer I've found broken.

ANYWAY.

I thought I could just replace that part, but apparently not. I scoured my usual haunts and couldn't find one to go with my pedestal. (I did find a real beauty of a bird bath that I wanted so very badly to bring home with me, but the $100 price tag was a little much. Maybe next year.)

I was just going to go bird bath-less, but then I had the idea to make my own using one of those clay saucers that you put under a clay pot. (Not an original idea; I'm sure I saw it in a magazine or book.)

I gave both pieces a coat of white paint. The inside of the saucer was painted green. I found a clay bird at the hardware and painted him white, too. The saucer is affixed to the pedestal with Liquid Nails. This will make it harder to store come winter, but the saucer would have been much too tippy without it.

Ta-da! A nice addition to the garden, and I only spent...$13 for the saucer (I know! Doesn't that seem like a lot?) and $7 for the clay bird.

Edited to add: I also coated the inside of the saucer + the bird with polyurethane. Otherwise, they'd have soaked up the water.

Birthday

2009-07-26T14:32:00.007-04:00

I celebrated my birthday on Thursday (only two more years until I turn 50. I am so excited.) To celebrate, Jeff and I took a three-night camping trip along the lakeshore, just the two of us. We have camped a lot this summer, but always with other families, so this was a little different but nice.

The weather forecast was calling for lots of rain and thunderstorms, but we lucked out and it only rained at night.

I find I do much better at planning meals when we are camping. Probably because I actually take the time to think about what we're going to have...even if it is just burgers on the grill.

When we weren't enjoying the beach or hanging out at our campsite, we took side trips into a few of the tourist towns on the lakeshore.

I fell in love with this house and decided I had to take its picture. (I'm still a little bashful about taking pictures like this...afraid someone's going to come out and yell at me or ask why I'm taking pictures of their house.) But it was worth the risk, as it's just the cutest. So tiny and well-maintained.

Loved this sign, too. Red and white + vintage = perfect.

Do you want to play along?

2009-07-21T08:20:00.008-04:00

Today I've decided to play a little game with myself that whatever I pick up has to be put where it belongs, right then and there, rather than just setting it down somewhere else to deal with later. (And yes, I actually have avoided picking up certain things because I didn't feel like putting them away! Pretty pathetic! The laziness runs pretty deep, I tell you.)

One good thing that can come from this exercise is that you will realize which things in your house have no home and then you can try to figure out why that is.

So anyway, do you want to play along? C'mon, it'll be fun! :-)

And here are a couple of random pictures of my garden, which have nothing whatsoever to do with this subject, simply because I hate a photo-less post.

Christmas in July

2009-07-13T09:42:00.004-04:00

In the late 1990's, Jeff's parents started spending their winters (including Thanksgiving and Christmas) in warm and sunny Alabama. The siblings continued to get together on Thanksgiving for the traditional turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie, but somewhere along the way the not-so-traditional exchanging of Christmas gifts became part of the celebration.

Not sure how that came to be, exactly. Maybe it was because we were often unable to be together in December, and rather than mail gifts back and forth, we thought we'd exchange when we were all in one place. The only downside to this was that we seldom were able to celebrate the holidays with Jeff's sister and her family, who live in Virginia. They made the trek to Michigan every summer, but another trip back for Thanksgiving wasn't always possible.

Then several years ago, while sitting around the campfire at Family Camp, the conversation turned, as it does in many families, to how we exchange Christmas gifts. Should the adults continue to draw names? Should we start doing a version of Yankee Swap? Should we only exchange handmade gifts?

That's when someone threw out the idea of celebrating Christmas in July, while we were together at Family Camp. The general consensus was that since we weren't celebrating in December anyway, why not move the celebration to a time when we could be together?

That was in 2003. We just finished celebrating our fifth Christmas in July, and I think it's safe to say that it's officially a tradition. The kids love it. (Imagine that!) For the adults, it's definitely a more relaxing experience than what happens in December, when we're all stretched to the limit with decorating, baking, parties, shopping, wrapping, visiting, etc. We just throw up a few strands of lights in the trees, play some Christmas tunes, and have fun with it.

Friday

2009-07-06T18:52:00.010-04:00

Finally, on the second-to-the-last day of our vacation, the clouds gave way and we saw blue sky for the first time since the previous Sunday. A spontaneous cheer erupted through the camp, and a few of us grabbed our cameras, eager to record the fact that the sun, though late in arriving, did indeed make an appearance at Family Camp 2009. After lunch, we went to the beach, arriving around 2:00 p.m. and staying until 7:00. It was heavenly.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2009-07-01T10:26:00.003-04:00

Greetings from "family camp". So far we have had mostly rain and unseasonably cool temperatures. Good times! Today sounds like more of the same...tomorrow may be a little better...and then perhaps (perhaps!) on Friday and Saturday we will see some sunshine so that we can go to the beach. Oh well. What're you gonna do? We are eating well and enjoying each other's company in spite of it all. (I'm writing this from the K-Mart parking lot in a nearby town. Cell coverage is almost non-existent where we are camping, so I can't even surf the 'Net while the rain pounds our camper. Now that, my friends, is roughing it. :-)

Jacob says, "Please make it stop raining!"

2009-06-24T19:44:00.005-04:00

Finally

2009-06-23T20:44:00.004-04:00

Now that the weather is warming up, the garden is starting to take off. This little beauty greeted me this morning when I woke up. Isn't she lovely?

Brotherly Love

2009-06-22T10:14:00.005-04:00

I have a long way to go before I could ever be considered a "real" photographer, but from time to time I am asked to take photos of nieces and nephews and I always happily agree. It's great experience for me and I love doing it.

In this shot, we were trying to encourage Myles to stand behind his sleeping baby brother, Boston, and...what? Gaze at him lovingly? Pat his back? I dunno. He's not quite two years old; what did we expect? But this is what Myles came up with, and I think it's priceless...even if I did cut off Boston's feet!

(P.S. Myles was being very, very gentle.)

garden urn

2009-06-08T12:06:00.008-04:00

This is the urn I planted based on the recommendations for shade-loving annuals at the Proven Winners website, which I talked about a few posts back. It seems to be growing well and I'm thinking it will just get better as the summer progresses. I'll keep you posted.

* * *

Edited to add:

Valerie asked what was in the urn. Good question! And something that would have been useful to include first time around.

The mix contains one each of the following:

streptocarpella (purple-blue)

ipomoea (Sweetheart Purple)

torenia hybrid (Summerwave Blue)

fuschia hybrid (Ballerina Blau - pink & purple)

vinca vine

summer

2009-06-02T08:07:00.003-04:00

Let the fun begin.

Introducing...

2009-05-26T17:52:00.009-04:00

...wee baby Boston, the latest of the "greats" -- great-nephews, that is. He's the the son of my niece Anne, her husband Eric, and baby brother to Myles.

Isn't he the sweetest thing?

Opinions Needed

2009-05-26T11:23:00.008-04:00

Click to enlarge.

While spreading mulch this past weekend, we ran across an area of what we think might be Poison Ivy. Well, let me rephrase that. Jeff thought it might be. I am blissfully ignorant of what Poison Ivy looks like in real life. Having had more than his share of rashes from it, Jeff is ever vigilant. I don't blame him.

So the photo on the left is definitely Poison Ivy, according to the website I snagged the picture from. The photo on the right is what we found in our yard. When I see them side by side like this, our specimen does not look like the real deal. The edges are sawtoothed in nature, and the vine doesn't have a red tinge to it. But I do know, from all of the photos I looked at online, that Poison Ivy can definitely vary quite a bit in its appearance.

So what's your opinion? Poison Ivy or an imposter?

Edited to add: A reader left a comment (thanks, Nancy!) saying that she thought our plant was wild raspberry. Based on the pics I found, I believe she's right. What do you think?

wild raspberry plant

May 2009

2009-05-25T21:00:00.002-04:00

Click to enlarge. Much better that way.

Labor Day

2009-05-22T07:56:00.006-04:00

Memorial Day weekend will be more like Labor Day weekend at our house, because we'll be laboring (ha, ha) to move 10 yards of shredded bark into the shrub and garden beds.

A 2" layer of mulch is the best way to keep the weeds at bay and the roots of the plants cool throughout the summer.

I really don't mind this job, because the benefits outweigh the sore muscles. I only wish we had gotten it done a little sooner, as the mosquitoes hatched this week...and they are hungry little suckers. :-(

Photo Fun

2009-05-18T18:15:00.007-04:00

I have been having some fun with Picnik, a photo editing site I read about on this blog. If you want to give your photos a boost, I recommend checking it out. It's easy to use and, best of all, free.

So anyway, a couple of the photos I've been messing with are from yesterday, when we attended our niece Brenna's First Communion party.

This is Brenna. When I look at her, I can't help but think of Ramona Quimby, one of my all-time favorite children's book characters. She looks just like her...or at least what I imagine Ramona looks like. (Being a fictional character, I suppose her looks are up for interpretation. But to me Brenna = Ramona...and vice versa.)

And this is Jacob, our 7-month-old nephew and godson. He has a wonderfully sweet disposition and is on his way to becoming a championship crawler. I could eat him up.

Container Gardening

2009-05-13T10:15:00.004-04:00

Photo borrowed from Proven Winners website

I bought a faux-but-looks-real-enough-to-me concrete urn for a corner of my perennial border and have been trying to come up with a plant combination that will work in my Zone 5 garden for the summer. The tricky part is that it will only get sun from 2:30 to 5:00, so that narrows the choices. Anyway, while Googling this "dilemma," I ran across this website and wanted to share it. If you are looking for plant combinations for your containers, be sure to check out the Container Recipes section. So much inspiration!

Spring Beauties

2009-05-06T17:56:00.004-04:00

Do Not Need

2009-04-30T09:15:00.006-04:00

Dear Rain:

Please be advised that your services are no longer required. It is hereby requested that you vacate this region immediately. Should you be needed in the coming weeks, you will be contacted. Until such time, please take your business elsewhere. Surely there are plenty of places where your presence would be most welcome.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Very truly yours,

Water-logged

30-Day Shred

2009-04-27T16:55:00.002-04:00

I did this workout today for the first time, and I can attest to the fact that after you do this, your muscles will definitely feel as though they've been run through a shredder. In fact, since I'm feeling "shredded" after just the one workout, I think that means I don't have to do the other 29 days, right?

Belated Easter Greetings

2009-04-24T20:34:00.003-04:00

Easter 1990 ~ Matt at 15 months

If I had been on the ball, I would have posted this for Easter, but it actually didn't occur to me until today, when I ran across it while searching for something to take the place of the scullery maid post that's been up for, what, going on two weeks now?

About this picture. It's always been one of my favorites. I love the body language: kicked back, relaxed, checking out the Easter basket. And then there's that loopy grin, almost as if he's feeling the effects of that peanut butter egg right immediately NOW. Ah, pure bliss.

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