We have visitors!

Melissa and Daisy are visiting us this week! Yeah! We love them!

Here is Daisy before going to the groomer for her annual 'Summer Shave' and here is the after!

 We're sure she's more comfortable in the heat this way...but is she comfortable with herself? We think so. Doesn't she look hilarious!!! I can't help to giggle at her during the day, but I love her just the same! Kisses puppers!!!!

ART in COOKING: inspiration for a painting? perhaps! I love the perfect circles of extra virgin olive oil and how they swam around each other like you would find in a 'live modern art exhibit' in MOMA!

ART in PAINT MIXING: this is always fascinating to me when I mix paint colors together! AMAZING!

Steve gets creative

Tell me you remember using Perler Beads when you were a kid! The ones you melt with an iron! (I know Tim will appreciate this!) Well, it's been a while since we were kids (clear throat and deep swallow...several years) so Steve got creative and dove right back into this beloved childhood craft with a vintage video game flare! What can I say...it's really awesome!

Q-bert and Tetris make for perfect adaptations to perler beads which have that classic pixel effect! (Although we should warn that it's a strain on the eyes when counting squares on your computer monitor! ha!)

And another shot of the canvas frames he built for me!

Then he got a hankering (is that how you spell hankering? is it an actual word even? if so, I'd like to use it soon with Bananagrams...) for sugar cookies from The Joy of Cooking. To be clear, I don't find that cookbook too much of a joy...no photos! But it's perfect for an engineer isn't it?  : )

Perfect sugar drop cookies!

Not-so perfect chocolate chip cookies....   : (  More like chocolate chip crepes!

Since the sugar cookies were successful, he made this classic, however, the recipe was wrong...it needed more flour than it called for...obviously! Come on Joy of Cooking!

Now that's more like it! These are perfectly puffy and perfectly tasty! I like it when Steve's creative with food! mmmm! Friends with benefits!

Happy Birthday Blokus

Steve's parents sent him a game for his birthday that we immediately opened and began to play ...and he immediately beat me with much better skill, strategy and ultimately, way less points than me! (least points wins. Perhaps I was just confused! Because if the rules were backwards...then...I did GREAT!) Thanks for the game! It was really fun and we totally recommend it!

New and improved

Yeah! Thank you Royal Overhead Doors for our new and improved garage door! Definitely improved...the actual motor needed work so they got it fixed which saved us hundreds of dollars and allowed us to pick a "cuter" (Steve rolls eyes) door. Isn't it so lovely!!! Can you belive that one man installed it himself in a couple of hours?! Impressed.
I am so grateful that we are able to do remodeling because we LOVE seeing a house getting a makeover...even better when it's your own! (The landscaping will have to wait a while though....please don't judge me on our shrubs...or our weeds for that matter...)

The Daylights

Speaking of bands, I have to mention my newest favorite band "The Daylights". I'm a little biased... since they went to my alma matar, but that connection aside, they are phenomenal people! (Megan, doesn't it remind you of studio art class in Moses Provine?)
I'm missing their concert in Houston by one week and I'm pretty bummed, but thank goodness for Pandora! I've set up a "The Daylights" Radio station and it motivates me all day with great bands...this one in particular!
Check them out!
http://thedaylights.com/

Computerized Dryer

"Computerized (1960's style) Dryer" (sounds like a good name for a band. "Eagle eye lion...band name...I call it" Andy on 'Parks and Recreation'.)

The laudro-mat can also be considered recreation as Steve and I recently found out this weekend while we washed, inspected for stains, (washed again) and dried the tablecloths from the wedding this Saturday. I am a wedding coordinator at our (huge) church and it's up to me to get all the sacred cloths cleaned. They aren't sacred because they're religious, but because they dissapear frequently and are hard to keep track of with all the uses they get around the (huge) building. It's so huge that my feet and legs are burning and aching after several hours of walking back and forth...this would be another good excuse for me to start exercising...hmmm, or perhaps a good excuse to get a massage...yeah...a massage! I like that one much better! Thanks to Steve though, for all his help! I would be a mess without him!

It was my first trip to a landry mat, washateria, wash-n-dry, and it didn't dissapoint! No way, not with these fancy Speed Queen (another good band name?) logos to keep us entertained, 80 quarters with designs to sort through and a good crossword book at hand!

We also found it unusual that the facilities were almost empty on a Sunday afternoon. It was just the two of us and an older lady who was puffing on her cigarette outside. It was a pretty clean place and not creepy at all like I expected, but the best part was that we were completely finished with all 14 tablecloths and 6 table skirts in about 2 1/2 hours! Much better than the 2 DAYS it took us at our house don't ya think?! However, by about 5:30 hoards of people with dirty clothes packed into the now-cramped and over-used isles!
All in all, a sucess and a pretty fun outing! I encourage you to use up those extra quarters someday by visiting the local laundromat! :)

A still life

So here is my version of a still life painting that I might do one day. It's a little more cheery than the still lifes of The Masters' that typically included dead birds, skulls, cut fruit and dried flowers. Yes, this one is more like it don't ya think?!

Obviously, I went to the grocery store today. Otherwise you would see what we've been seeing here lately: one black banana and onion skin flakes in the bowl, empty cookie jar and no inspiration to snack. Behold...the snacks!

New House Color!

Before: fresh salmon pink (too fishy if ya know what I mean)

After: "koi pond green"! Sherwin Williams (a prettier kind of fishy!)

You can't even tell where Dad and Steve (Lt. Commander Awesome) shortened the patio window!!! It's magic!...(actually it was really hard work and they did a great job didn't they!) but what is magic is how quick the house was painted! It took about the same amount of time I would spend taking a long...very long...hot shower (now that we have a tankless -neverending- hot water heater. You've got to get yourself one of these. Seriously)

Thanks CertaPro painters! They really were great...and we're picky people. This company does all sorts of house services: exterior painting, repairs, construction, interior painting, sheetrock, finishing, trim....you name it! And if you do 'name it' and use them per our recommendation...then we get a nice little rebate! Anyone need a house painted? :)

Good prices combined with excellent professionalism=Happy campers (although, who wants to go camping when your house is this nice?!)

Next on the list: new garage door, stained front door and cedar shutters!!! Be on the look out!

(What do you think SueB? Has this improved your drive to work?)

The Little Blue House

So here is the painting I did for a dear sweet friend a couple of weeks ago. It was a birthday gift for her, so I had to wait until after her party to post this! When she returns to Paris she'll have this memory of the little blue house they rented while here in town!

Pantry improvement!

Ok, remember this closet I rid of it's wallpaper? It was the large closet near the laundry room. When I looked at this house while it was for sale, all they had in this huge space was an ironing board and a couple of boxes....OH, we can do better than that! BEHOLD! The Pantry/ Coat closet!
Dad and Steve built the shelves, tore out the bi-fold doors and widened the opening making room for new white (6-panel) by-pass doors. Much better! That way the bi-fold doors won't take up hallway space or opening space anymore! Hazzah! I tell you! Hazzah! Steve told me yesterday that organizing closets was probably my favorite thing to do.....I'm pretty sure he's right (he usually is about me) There's just nothing more satisfying than starting with a blank area and dreaming where the maple syrup, noodles and pretzels should live! (answer: top shelf with baking goods, third shelf left corner with rice and beans, and fourth shelf with chips and popcorn) I could go on and on...and I did the other night when I decided (against practical judgement) to go ahead and transfer all our food goods into their new home! That's right new "home", because I like to believe that our food goods were trapped in a disorderly deep wilderness of a cubby and are now set free to be the displayed food goods they were meant to be! (No more buying a bag of sugar when we didn't see the other 2 in the back!)

Also, the pocket door is painted and hung in place! I went with a chartreuse green instead of the orange. Dad told us this solid wood door would be heavy and he's right, but I think when we finish putting a door frame and trim (and of course sheetrock), that it will be a good sound barrier from the laundry. Meanwhile, I'll just be getting a nice little upper arm workout (...I would only workout for design! You should know this people!)

...can you tell how excited I am? :)

I love St. Valentine's Day

My mom, sister and grandma made pink and red paper hearts the other day when they were over! Aren't they cute with the birdies?! I love having "activity crafts". They did a great job too! Thanks ladies!!! (Good thing valentine decor looks good with Christmas decor...oh come on! I can't be the ONLY person who is still enjoying a great Christmas tree?!....am I?)

So, to carry on our tradition, Steve and I made each other Valentine cards after our dinner out on the town (PF Changs this year). I got him the candy and he let me pick out flowers....couldn't pass up the tulips that I'll enjoy every year: yellow and pink!

I've been working on a painting for a friend, so when it's finished I'll be posting it! Hope your Valentine's Day was lovely!

The fourth side

Ok, I couldn't help myself...
Since I had time I decided the fourth side was lonely and needed to be cheered up! And what better way than two birdies?!

First Felt Playhouse!

Ta Da! Je suis fini!

It has a welcoming front entry with porch light, a mail box pocket and cottage front door complete with pleated curtains! (for privacy you know...)

This property includes a darling window with a fantastic view, maintenance free shutters, and flower box pockets (the tulips are on clothes pins).

On the west side is a mature 'interactive' apple tree with a pouch to hold the velcro leaves (when they fall in Autumn of course).

So this project was a vast undertaking and I am proud that I was actually able to finish it, but all the credit goes to the inspiration here, where she sells them (custom to your table size) on etsy... and I must advise you to seriously consider purchasing one before making it yourself (if the latter, make sure you have plenty of muscle relaxer and aches and pains meds! Ha!) I had a lot of fun though, and it was well worth it! Can't wait to see my little friend Gigi (the birthday girl) play in it! (Also, hoping it holds up to 2yr. olds! :)

*Never needs mowing with this lovely green trim!

You should've seen me getting this bulky wad of layered felt into submission so I could sew the sides together! (Kelso, you would've been proud of me!!!)