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.

This Just In...

A photo. From the shed. The counters and sink got installed last night (late). It is all slowly coming together. It will be rad. Can't wait to share it with you all soonish.

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.

Colorful Creation...

Wow. Love this project. Maybe worth doing on a smaller scale?
Maybe I can give it a whirl some day.

I think I am on a color kick. First this and now this?

Oh Deer (or Moose)...

The scene...a blustery, blizzardy Sunday morning. MCB is sick. Me - I decide the day is perfect for making soup and cleaning house, so I plan to stay inside that day. Morning coffee is made & I sit down to peruse some of my favorite blogs. A miserable MCB shuffles past me and stops to look at my computer screen. "What is THAT?" he exclaims, "That is awesome!" Inspiration is born. So, while I clean & cook, a sick young man embarks on his own personal Crafternoon project (with a little guidance). His latest obsession? Moose. Why? Well, I am not quite sure except it may have something to do with a high school job at Acrombie & Fitch (gah!). Below is the visual play by play to bring you all up to speed on the completed project.

The inspiration...a silhouetted deer.

Supplies are gathered. First up - a print out of a particularly goofy looking moose, but then again, aren't they all?

The diseased crafter gets down to business.

The printed out moose was traced onto butcher paper & then expertly cut out. MCB nearly lost a finger with all of the cutting involved. "Someone" needs to work on building up their crafting calluses if they want to run with the big dogs.

Final project completed. Moose (dubbed: Larry Wellington III) mounted on a map (of MCB hometown area of Steamboat Springs, CO). So inspired by his own work, the patient tackles additional silhouettes - three to be exact - of espresso makers for friends.

Crafternoon? A smashing success.

Crafternoon: Telluride

Guess who finally had her own "Crafternoon" session? There were only two of us - at my place - and we had a great time. Card making was the craft of choice this weekend.
Anything crafty going on with you?

The work table.

Brianne got creative with old calendars to make her cards.

Stamps, fun tapes, gluesticks. Well, and no project would be complete without Diet Coke.

PS. I received an acrylic block & some stamp things for my Birthday. I have no idea how to use it - it seems awkward. Any advice/thoughts?

A Peek Into My Weekend...

I finally did it - I took the time to snap a few photos from my weekend. Though not terribly exciting, here is a glimpse of my quiet weekend in Telluride.

Skiing on Saturday with friends. Though this is a ridiculously easy run,
this is one of my favorites because of the uh-mazing views -
though almost every run has pretty spectacular views I must admit.

Justin got ambitious & decided it was finally time to clean out our overflowing bookshelves. All the ones we discarded are being donated to our local Telluride library for their book sale. We also cleaned the house & organized our "home office." Not my idea of a thrilling Sunday, but needed to get done.

I also did some cooking & baking. Made this great Shrimp & Sausage with Saffron Rice recipe - super easy one pot dish. And, made this Banana Bread recipe - so much better than my old recipe (may have something to do with the unreal amount of butter).
I also watched Emma on PBS because it is awesome.
Hope you all had great weekends too!

Soggy Shoes

Since we are lacking any sort of hallway/mud room/entry, all of our snowy, muddy shoes end up right in our Living Room area. They soak through carpets, rugs, mats, you name it. Drives me bonkers. I have been looking for some sort of shoe pan, but they are all hideous. I am totally digging this one - particularly since it is on wheels so we can move it out of the way as needed. I have no clue where I found this image, but hope to find a way to recreate this soon! Other ideas much appreciated - as always.

Crafty Collage

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of hanging out with a couple of friends at the Ah Haa School for the Arts to partake in a little crafting fun. I got to paint more pottery (which I love - photos to come post firing) while everyone else was really into collage card making. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not an artist - in any way, shape, or form. I like to study other people's art, but start to get anxious when it comes to creating art myself. I think I am too anal to be an artist - this is not to be self-deprecating but rather to be honest about my abilities. I am ok with this reality, honestly.

Anyway, with only a few minutes before we had to clean up & lock up the school, I finally broke down and started feveriously throwing a card together using the most disturbing images I could find - I think I may have some issues. At the end of my collage work, I decided to dunk the entire card in beeswax. Have you ever worked with the stuff? I absolutely love it! It gives everything a wonderful patina and a rich texture. What have you used beeswax for? I am addicted & now want to cover everything in the stuff.

The spread of materials. We had old newpapers, National Geographic Magazines, old Encyclopedias, old phonics flashcards, odd books of sorts, and lots of other goodies to choose images from.
Oh - and wine & snacks of course.

My five minute final product. Art - meh, not really. Disturbing - definately.
Hard to see the beeswax here, but the card has a really thick coating...I swear.

Coffee Tables

Question of the day...do you all keep things on your coffee tables? Our coffee table is glass - a remaining relic from Justin's bachelor days. I keep thinking about replacing it, but it seems to work perfectly for our needs at the moment. The glass top makes it seem "open" in our tiny condo & the surface is easy to clean and requires no coasters for our cups. All in all - low maintenance, which I dig immensely.

We keep absolutely nothing on our coffee table. I didn't even bother taking a photo as it is so blank and boring, hence the Martha Stewart photo above. Do you all keep remotes on your coffee table, magazines, plants, etc? For whatever reason, I like keeping ours clear of objects. Thoughts/Opinions?

Beaucoup Books!

One thing that we have TONS of are books! And, living in a small space, storage is a constant concern. Justin built this bookcase to fit behind our spiral staircase as nothing "standard" would fit this space. How do you all store books in your house? How often do you weed through your books to part with some? Getting rid of books is the hardest thing for us to do around here.

To note: "Boston" print from Ork Posters. Bus Stop sign - stolen - these are the actual signs for bus stops in Savannah. Bike - in the way. Basket - to hold our large collection of cords (for cameras, phones, computers, etc, etc). White Bowl - France. Mercury Ball - Rustica in Tucson. Framed picture - engagement at Gates Pass in Tucson.

What do you look at all day....

What do you look at all day?

Here is what I look at……..right, straight, left (wow what a mess)

This is a little reading nook I have created, and it is actually out of sight, so I can really hide there (not that I need to hide at work...but just in case)….look at that stack of books I need to get through

Questions:

Is it really that dim in your office? Yes, I only work by natural and lamp light.

Are you really that messy? Yes, and you have both lived with me. I am messy, I don't make excuses for it, but I do try to keep it to myself.

Is that a plate of old food on your desk? No, I just haven't gone to the kitchen yet, and I ate a late lunch :)

PS…the color quiz post is coming…I PROMISE….

Hoarding

So, I came across a TV show last night that I had never heard of...an A&E show called Hoarders. I know we blog a lot about "I want...," but seriously - these people want & want and get & get until they are literally trapped by all of the "stuff" in their lives. The first episode I watched was depressing, yet completely intriguing as people struggled with eliminating some of their stuff or face eviction. The second episode seriously made me ill - I mean, I actually got sick - after watching the absolute filth some people live in. Have you all seen this show? The psychology is absolutely fascinating.

On this note, there is a new book that just came out called Homer & Langely. This book tackles the story of New York's Collyer brothers. The brothers, who died in their apartment in 1947, had packed their apartment with over 100 tons of garbage and objects, including 14 pianos and a Model T. Can't wait to pick this one up!