Valentines Crafts...

I don't really consider myself a crafty person. Honestly. I like good design, I like clean design. The DIYs I tackle are typically, well, I like to think they aren't too "crafty" in the bric-a-brac and gingham sense.

This time though, I may be coming extremely close. I wanted to send out some Valentines this year - nothing big, nothing time consuming, something simple. These cards may be bordering on cutesy though.

The supplies: stamp pad and blank cards. All just things I had.

Thumb down on the stamp pad (and proof I am in desperate need of a manicure).

Final product: thumb print hearts. Pretty darn "cute." Took all of two minutes honestly. Homemade and personal (which I like).

Seriously, the easiest project ever - if you are into this sort of thing.

Ick...

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Mine was full of friends and food (too much food!). It was lovely, relaxing, quiet. But, I have been sick - so sick - entering week two here.

So, posts may be infrequent until the new year.
Love to you all.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012!

Monday, Monday...

Ok. Sorry. I guess my last post may have been a little darker than intended. Yes, it was a super crappy week - but, life moves on and things are good. I promise. Sorry to vent and make anyone worry.

The weekend ended on a high note though. Here is a peek...

9 days. Yep, our ski resort opens in 9 days. I still am not quite sure where summer went. Heck, I am not sure where fall went even. What a blur. Saturday morning I went to our local ski swap more to chat with friends than to actually shop. It was fun.

This was a low point of the weekend. MCB dropped his phone on the kitchen floor. He has insurance, he ordered a new one. But even replacement phones are expensive. He was upset - rightly so. Sad.

My new favorite dinner. MCB is really stepping up his game. Elk bolognese with mascarpone cheese. nomZ as we say around here. Delish.

And this was Sunday night. A friend brought over a Grolla. Never heard of it? Me neither. Apparently this is a popular thing when you are on a hut trip in Italy. I know, so random. Mike (the friend) is a guide. He picked one of these grolla things up on a recent trek. It is made of wood. You fill it with grappa and coffee, you light it on fire, it has four spouts. You cover the spouts and drink. It was weird. And certainly not something I expected to do while watching football. I liked it though. You learn something new everyday. I will hopefully be sharing the grolla again soon.

How was your weekend?

This week...

Whew. Thank heavens it is Friday. Honestly. I hate to be a downer and I hate to complain - really I do - particularly in a space that is supposed to be full of pretty things and a source for inspiration..this week has been a doozie though. I feel drained and overwhelmed. I have been doing my best to keep my chin up, but man it has been hard. Here are a few things that helped make this week a little brighter - or at least interesting.

Sorry to vent. Hoping next week things are back on track. I know in your worlds there are weddings this weekend and babies to swoon over. Here's to a weekend full of love and baby cuddles. See you on the other side.

Telluride Brewing Company finally opened! Rebecca and Scott - wish we could be sharing a beer together this weekend. Matt and his motley crew got on their snow bikes (Pugsley) and rode across the valley floor to the brewery after work the other night. Matt was very proud of his hunting and gathering when he arrived back home with a delicious growler of beer for us to share.

I had to go up to Montrose on Wednesday for a doctors appointment. I won't go into details, but please please make sure to not only wear gobs of sunscreen, but it must contain zinc oxide. Anyway, while there I went to the "big" supermarket to pick up some items. This was a display inside. So absolutely random. Cause when you are shooting elk, someone better bring the Gouda.

It is the weird "in-between" season here. Too cold and wet to bike, but not enough snow to really ski just yet. I took the dogs on an afternoon snow hike. And, yes, it was as cold and dreary as it looks.

Gave a presentation at one of our local schools for work. They have a huge wall dedicated to student artistic interpretations of bikes. I went a little nuts snapping photos. I absolutely loved this project.

The dogs got new toys this week. Belle sniffed hers and has been snuggling with it all week. Maddie immediately destroyed hers - I have never seen so much stuffing!

Coming Soon...

I know I have been saying it forever now (it seems), but I promise, shed before and afters are coming soon. I finally have some before photos. MCB & his Dad are "doers" and just went in and started demo before I could really get the images I wanted for my "before" shots. So, I have some that the boys took, just not the ones I really wanted. What I wanted to show you was just how bad the shed was as it is so wonderful now. A little bit of touch up paint still needs to happen, a little styling and then I can get some great "after" shots.

Until then, I leave you with this - a demo photo. In it you can see the gross carpet/linoleum being removed. Also, you can see the blood red wall that was the bane of my existence - so many coats to cover - why were the renters allowed to use that horrid color? Also notice the door trim - horrible teal. All of the window/door trim throughout the shed was painted teal and purple (to, you know, coordinate with the red?). It took two coats of primer and four coats of paint to cover up that trim - and touch-ups are still happening. Ugh.

Thanks for your patience while I get these images pulled together.
I cannot wait to share MCB's shed with you guys! Soon - promise.

Out...

This happened last night. Gross carpet...gone. Disgusting linolium...gone. Thankfully, I did not participate in this activity. Good on the guys for getting this done.

Now - time for paint. Seems the votes are in - no paint on the rafters.

Feeling Flat

Last night at dinner MCB and I had a conversation about footwear. Yes, we are weird like that. Anyway, as the temperatures around here begin to dip already, we both realized that we would be strapping on our Sorels again quite soon. I was lamenting the fact that there is never a good time to be "cute" here - between the weather (be it snow or rain) and the terrain there is just no way you can wear cute shoes without absolutely ruining them. So, I am regulated to boots or weather-proof flip flops. So boring. And then today I run across these. How cute are these? To know that I can never wear shoes like this here kills me. Sigh.

Today's Mantra...

Not a terribly exciting image, but one that certainly defines most days.

On another note, though I have been finding a lot of inspiration about in the world (sigh, I really need to get photos off of MCB's camera), I have been finding little to re-post from the internet. Nothing seems to be really exciting me lately. Is it because I see the same things over and over on all of the blogs? Is it just that everything seems so "meh" out there?
Anyone else feeling this way?

OK - I promise, personal posts to come. Soon.

[via: Abbey Goes Design Scouting]

I hope so...

I do. I hope it is ok - ok that I haven't been posting a lot lately. It is not that I don't think about posting, it is just that I have been feeling under the weather and overwhelmed [with work]. So, hopefully this weekend will be full of lots of relaxation and regrouping. I won't be gone long, promise, just for maybe another day or so. Sorry for the lack of posts and hope it is ok that I have been gone.

[from: Secret Holiday]

In the running?

Why oh why am I being so indecisive? Seriously. So, from my last post & FB comments - it seems like Chair #1 is the clear front runner. Then I come across this rocker. Sigh. I will never make a decision here it seems. Thoughts?

Narrowing It Down...

Remember how I have to get rid of my existing chair? It has come down to these as replacement options - well, based primarily on what I can afford & what I think looks best for the price. I need help. Please. Opinions appreciated. Which one? Help!

Option #1

Option #2

Option #3

Question...

Plant in Lucite box? Is this weird or am I weird for thinking it is weird?

Discuss.

[via: My Favorite and My Best]

Some Days...

I feel like passing these out. Everywhere.

[from: Little Paper Planes]

Tired Trends

Have you all seen the latest posts on My Favorite and My Best? I am digging this discussion. The topic? What design trends are overdone? Jenny (and her followers) have commented on a lot of the trends that we need to be "done" with. I must admit, I am an offender with some of the trends discussed. As I am in the midst of revamping the condo (as a newly swinging single) I will be ridding myself of few of the very trends mentioned that I too am "over" in my own life. What other trends are you sick of?

Keep Calm and Carry On

Foo Dogs

Chevron

Books - arranged by color

Subway/Train Station Signage

Rip Off...

Have you all seen the latest AT&T commercials on TV? My opinion is that they are a total rip-off, despite their "legal clause" stating otherwise at the end of the ad. Who signed off on this? What ad team thought this was a good idea? This is all a total rip-off of Christo & Jeanne-Claude. If you don't know them, you should. Cathy & I had the joy of learning all about Christo & Jeanne-Claude one summer during an Art History class with Gigi (or as a fellow student called her, Gig-ee). I had the pleasure of seeing Christo & Jean-Claude in Telluride during Mountainfilm a couple of years ago. Seeing them in person only made me appreciate them more.

Anyway, shame on you AT&T for stealing their concept - and doing so poorly with the execution. Boo.

The real deal.
The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979 – 2005

Fraud.
AT&T’s “Blanket” Commercial, released May, 2010

This does not make it better.

PS. I still want an iPhone though. Sigh.

[images: via Design Crisis]

My thoughts exactly...

[image: via CarrieCan]

Louisette Bertholle

Who, you ask….Louisette Bertholle*? She was the third wheel along with

Julia and Simca. Julia and Simca ditched her after the first book. I feel like Louisette right now. My intentions are good, but I am just not cutting the mustard on this here blog.

photo

Just like Louisette, I am basking in the glow that is “Dream within Reach” a blog that is supposed to be pour trois.. and as of lately has been pour deux.

S'il vous plaît mes chers amis, donnez-moi une chance de me racheter

*I would like to give credit to Ann Mack, good friend and blogger over at Floating Home Living for the “Louisette Analogy”…..the other night we went for drinks by the fire here, after an especially frustrating day of work. She asked why I have not been contributing…and then said, you are turning yourself into a Louisette!