Faded Pink Rose

Sea Cabin, a-'Head' of the Rest

2013-01-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

I will not tell you that this bathroom was an easy remodel. The design came to me naturally. Picturing a Captain's Quarters, or Sea Cabin below deck with rough boards, sand and sea stones. The idea had to equal an outcome, which is usually my artistic challenge.This image explains how I was feeling.....

I will show you some before pictures so you can see the transform....

The tub looks pretty good, so we are keeping it, but the plastic tiles gotta go!

Very small area for a sink, and I want to keep the cute side closet!

The floor has black paper and glue stuck on it, yuck! Hope the mortar will stick to it ???

Hudson & Mom helping out

Hardy panel getting installed

Starting to lay tile floor....

I tried my hand at cutting the tile with a grinder... not sure I liked it. It was hard to hold onto and it did great with chewing away the tile, but not good for straight cuts. A little water helped smooth the process. Curved cuts, it was great. Be very careful, you have to really hold onto it when it is spinning.

Uh-oooooo, this is where something went terribly wrong.....What brings up glued floor paper? Mortar does!!!!

Let's try again after the great Scrape and clean up!

This is going to be our sink, an antique sewing machine cabinet. Wait for it, wait for it......

The sink hole is cut, tiling the top to match the shower stall.

I will spare you all the details of the trial and errors that I faced. Unlike the rest of the house, there was no immediate need to have the bath finished, so it took some time to complete, worked on it when I had time and or supplies. I still have some tweaking to do. The faucet is too short and I need to touch up some paint, but for the most part, it is DREAMY....

I used reclaimed wood from this house to color match the glass tiles. I placed them in random order and wanted a distressed look. The tiles start just above the wood for a visual effect. It might be too much for some, but I like it.

Here is the sink in place.It had to be tiny and I wanted to keep the closet. I used an antique light that looked very nautical. I still need some more light in the room, so I may as something else. I kind of like the softness in there.

Subway tiles are not easy to install......but they looked great paired with the glass tiles.

Here is my little port hole with a fish trying to swim in!

I adore this reclaimed lumber look, and it isn't hard to do. Just don't try to figure it out too much, it is like a creative puzzle.

The shower curtain is very cute, but it hides the pretty tile.

That's better....

For the threshold I used some hand made tiles by my good friend Fran Newquist, a fabulous Potter. I want more of these Fran!!! They are so fun to work with. Thank you!

Toilet paper trouble...no where to put a toilet holder, but wait, when you shut the door, it is right there and easy to grab. Perfect!

Closer view of the sink.

I always love the learning process involved in these DIY projects. I am not a pro, but I take pride in what I can accomplish. Thanks to Mom for motivating me when things weren't going as planned. Whewww, now onto other projects.

The buzz on a clean porch

2012-08-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am a bit of a tree hugger, well I don't like to kill things. I carry spiders outside, I flip crickets across the yard, but I can't outright stomp or squash creatures. As long as they aren't bothering me, I won't bother them. I couldn't stand looking at my dingy porch ceiling and rails any longer and it was time for a cleaning.

I had one small nest of buzzing yellow jackets in the corner and I tried to stay out of there way. They took the smell of bleach, held on tight while I sprayed the water hose all around them and they didn't move from there nest of pearls.

Here is the dirty part of the ceiling.

This is after it is cleaned. All I used was a scrub brush and bleach and water.

The clean is on the left and look how gray and dirty the right.

The whole house could use a good scrub, but I see the porch more often walking in and out.

Very gray and dirty here.

Much better!

I didn't clean one corner.....I just figure they will be gone soon after the babies hatch and then I can knock it down. I noticed a spider that was their neighbor, wonder who tries to eat who?

There is something about the beauty of nature.

Blessings Come in Small Packages

2012-07-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I do not mean to write a sad blog post, but I just can't 'not' write something about my Crissy Cat. She has been with me this past 8 months and with me every step of the way while I worked on this house. Anytime I was outside cutting something, or carrying lumber, getting anything in or out of my car, she was there. I owe it to her to thank her for her loving support and sometimes her willingness to help me in her own kitty ways.

Crissy showed up just before Christmas Eve (Crissy) and she was a stray kitty, and a little wild. I tried to find her a home, but no takers. I got her fixed and decided to try her as our pet. She didn't do well inside the house, but she would come in the back porch most nights or if it was raining or too cold. She was a happy outside kitty. She was always ready for breakfast and then dinner, like clock work.

She would help me walk the dogs, even if we headed blocks down the street, she was right there following us and keeping the poodles in line. She kept all the trees trimmed with her claws and counted the birds for me everyday. One of the birds was actually her buddy and would swoop down to play with her.

Sadly, this morning, Hudson and I found Crissy in my garage after she had been mauled to death by what appeared to be a dog. She was in one piece, but lifeless. We had to go and buy a shovel to bury her under her favorite tree. Hudson made her a cross and I put up a plaque with a little bird on it that read Love. She loved us and was always there for me and I will truly miss her sweet little

Crissy Meow.

Most cats are pretty, but Crissy was just stunning and beautiful. Her hair was long and flowing and her eyes glowed with delight. Tears fall on my keyboard as I type this, knowing I won't get to hold her or pet her again. She had a short life, but I am glad I got to spend it with her.

She was a my little blessing.

Old Toilet Turned into Functional Laundry Basket

2012-07-14T08:07:00.002-07:00

I have a gorgeous old Victorian Wicker toilet that I just adore. It is meant to slide over a toilet and look elegant, however, the newer toilets are taller and it won't fit. I wanted to use it for something, so....it does look like a chair and the lid opens up. Hmmmmmmmm.

Her she is in all her Glory

Pick out some fabric, a little cushion for the seat, staple and glue gun required.

Cut board to fit over the lid hole.

VOILA! She is grand again!

I found a basket that slid under it just the right size!

Close up of seat and details.

You can barely see the basket which is perfect.

Isn't she a charming Laundry Basket?

All mixed up, but it's OK! Mixing Fabrics

2012-07-05T07:09:00.001-07:00

I saved Hudson's baby bed which is an old iron bed. I took the front part off so it is now a little coach or maybe even a small day bed. I wanted to mix it into my back porch which has a lot of fun colors bouncing around in there. I had a lot of scrap fabrics of different colors so I began to piece them together in a patchwork style pattern. I made a slip cover to fit the mattress so it could be removed and cleaned.

Even though the patterns are all different, they all have some aqua in them and they blend together.

Even the red color pillow fit once I added a rolled rose in the aqua fabric.

The black and white floor goes with most anything and it is such a cozy room. The pink lights give it a glow!

I even mixed up the flowers yellow & red in a vintage green grease container.

Have fun with fabrics and try Mixing it Up!

Victorian Couch Makeover to Beach Cottage Chic!

2012-06-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had this old Victorian Couch that I got at an Auction 8 years ago and have been lugging it around through my moving. It finally has a home and I have a plan for it! I wanted the Beach Cottage look, not the traditional Victorian style. First, I attached the stuffing as close a fit as I could. There was plenty of it, but it had to fit in all the right places. I stapled this on.

Then I began to staple the fabric on in the creases of the couch and around the arms and backing.

I wanted to paint the couch.... The brown was too traditional.

I had some gorgeous rope trim I was dying to use and I wanted that Beach Cottage look...

I painted the couch white, and then began adding the rope around the edges, which hid the staples and unfinished edges of the couch.

WOW! Isn't she gorgeous?

As you can see here, Lil Dog thinks she found a new bed, NOT!

I made a little knotted rose on the ends because they had been broken off and didn't match. This hid the imperfection. I think it looks Beach Cottage Chic!

Art in the Ordinary, The Gypsy Beach

2012-06-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you happen upon a place, that is an unexpected oasis of enchantment. The images that are before you were only a small glimpse into the world of an interesting person who lives in a lake front cottage that has created an outdoor art museum of Lost Lures. As creative as I am, this was a rare sight that even took my breath away. I only took a view photos, because it didn't seem possible to even be able to capture what my eyes were seeing in real life. It was a magical moment, when all you can say is Wow. I can't reveal this secret cove, I can only let you peek into this moment.

A Bedtime Story

2012-06-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I wanted to build a bed, not a bear, but a bed. I started to sketch on a piece of scrap board and got the idea in my head. I wasn't sure how I was going to go about the bed building, so I just started cutting......

I wanted a leaf shape that was going to circle around an old mirror that I had. The Krissy Cat took a look to make sure my lay out was ok.

She gave me the go ahead to start cutting.

She directed me along the way.

I got one side cut and then I had to lay that piece on the other side and trace it so they would match.

It was a good cutting day, as I was lucky enough to get both sides to match and in the right place circling the mirror!

I wanted to use these spindles that cam off a rocking chair.

I cut arches for the bottoms. This was hard to do with a little jig saw and I tried my best to get it all straight.

The spindles got cut into little spindle pieces.

Aren't they pretty? Like spindle eggs.

Then my Mom and I glued the spindle pieces to the bottom of the arches... Ok, now you say, "OOOOOhhhhhh"

I finally got all the parts of my bed put together and painted white! Then it was time for the mattress and bedding!

I was so excited about my new bed. I new it was going to be the prettiest bed in the land!

Dreamy.....

The bed was so glorious all put together!

All the animals in the kingdom couldn't wait to come and visit the bed!

Time to go Night Night! Sleep tight and dream about building your bed tonight!

A Fandelier with Roses

2012-06-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

It all started out as an idea to put roses on my existing light fixture....

I had this wire candle holder and I really liked the roses and leaves on it, so I started to take it apart...

I was just going to attach them to the light, but..... I went to the local thrift store and found this mini fan and thought it might be cute to use. It was heavily suggested to me by some peers to have a ceiling fan in my room for air flow and cooling. I really wanted a chandelier...Fan? Chandelier? Oh, the dilemma!

introducing the FANDELIER!!!!

With Roses, & crystals!

It is very charming and cool.

Halo Mural Update

2012-06-04T06:53:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post about the Halo Mural. It is basically done, just needs some touch ups on the universe and Hudson said I forgot to add some little men falling out of the space ship.

Here is Hudson sleeping and feeling very protected by Master Sergeant!

I have plans for some more Halo Decor in the room. I will post them when they are done. Thanks for reading and don't tell Hudson you saw him in bed!

Dream Bathroom amazing transformation!

2012-06-03T07:38:00.005-07:00

BEFORE!!!

AFTER!!!

The glass tile came out very well. We did have to scrape a lot of glue, but it was worth it!

It's all in the details. I really love the look of patina green, so I added this as my bright color contrast throughout the bathroom. I used the bird knobs because I have a lot of them and they are darling and look great on just about anything and are paintable.

The shower curtain had to be extra long, so I sewed a topper on it in a burlap color.

more glass tiles in the shower with green fishies

I didn't use the black and white tile, but the checkered look won us over in a beige tone.

Here is a shell sconce, it looks great on the wall color. I will just stick a candle in it instead of wiring it. Courtesy of Carlotta!

This light is over the toilet. It looks coastal.

Here is the vanity light, again, coastal and sand colored.

I love how the glass tiles dance in the light with the circles in the shower curtain!

View looking the other direction. The lay out came out very nice. I am still adding artistic touches and other decorating, but it is mostly finished.

I wanted the medallion to match the distressed look of the mirror so I touched it up with some paint. Since it is plastic I had to hit the edges to look like they were worn.

I altered this chandelier to make it look more aged with patina and to match the other accents.

Other accents, toilet paper holder is made from a boat basket I mounted on the wall and adjusted the handle to allow the roll.

Shower Stall Install

2012-05-07T10:11:00.001-07:00

I am checking to make sure this piece fits. Measure twice, cut once. (or three times).

How many more boxes do I have to open?

Here is Jordan (my daughter) scraping off some dried mortar. She was a big help in this whole process!

Mortar on the back of the tile. Messy, messy.

Here is the pattern. I only had 4 fish to work with, so they are randomly placed in the border and not symmetrical. Fish have a mind of their own.

Almost there.....

Finally we are at the stage of the shower stall. I used the same beige tiles that are on the floor and added a decorative design with left over glass tiles from the sink. I had 4 ceramic fish that I put into the border for a little more interest.

It was hard trying to figure out the pattern of the large squares because there was nothing square about the entire stall. Everything was off a bit because it is an old house and the framing was framed as well as it could have been. Sometimes you just have to go with it. After it is grouted, most people will only notice the decorative design and not the flaws of the tile lines.

Applying tile on a wall is a lot more difficult and messy. I tried to mortar the back of the tile first, before placing it on the wall. If you put the mortar on the wall and then place the tile, the mortar falls and goes everywhere. I will post the finish look shortly. Thanks for reading!

Rolling Right Along

2012-04-24T18:06:00.003-07:00

The master bath and bedroom are underway. All the walls are painted in the bathroom, the tile floors are done and the plumbing is all hooked up. I have spent some time caulking and rolling the ceilings. I wanted to share my roller tip. I am using a :

Slit High-Capacity Foam Roller Cover

The slits allow the roller to hold more paint and also get into the tongue and groove lines.

The roller is heavy and I have broken two rolling poles using it! Makes a big difference in the job.

You can see the lines well here. See the cabinet in the background? We pinned and nailed it back together, painted it white and it looks great in the bathroom!

Whisper is making sure all the plumbing is working well!

Styling DIY!

2012-04-23T19:45:00.001-07:00

Can you work hard and look good too? Maybe...haha! Well I had to take pictures of this look. Powder, Rose et Moi! Is that French?

How about this one! Tell that roller WHO IS BOSS!

True that! No, really, I will, work for shoes....

Dredging in a dress!

There is something to be said about a woman who focuses more one what she achieves, rather on what she didn't accomplish. Sometimes, you have to get a little dirty to get the job done. I'm not afraid to look a little messy. ~drywall facial powder- color-white, mascara-white. Hair color~ Drywall Dust 109.

Difficulty in Design

2012-04-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

A design idea can be an imaginative thing. It can also be more difficult and ambitious to achieve. I look at those instances as an opportunity to explore and discover. I saw these glass penny mosaic tiles and I envisioned them covering the bathroom counter. I was so excited when they arrived and couldn't wait to get them installed. I thought I knew what I was doing. We had bought a flexible mortar and the non sanded grout. The tiles had a mesh backing on them and I just assumed that you could see the mesh behind the tiles, so I laid them glass side down and not mesh side down, in hopes of simply peeling the mesh off at the end. I was totally wrong! After we laid them, we used too much mortar that seeped up around some of the tiles, had problems with them slipping around, and then we tried everything to remove the mesh and the glue and that caused several of the tiles to come off too.

Being too anxious, not gathering enough information and being to tired caused us more work. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy that I learned from this mistake and I have more knowledge than ever about laying glass tiles. The counter is STILL going to be beautiful.

We should have laid it this side up!

Wrong way! Too much mortar coming through!

That mesh was not meant to come off!

You can see the idea here.

These are all the things we tried in removing the glue and mesh

We still have some work to do, but I can see the diamond in the rough coming through with the iridescent colors coming through the MUCK!

Sometimes attempting a design idea can slow you down in the process, however, the outcome can leave you with a feeling of achievement and a new skill set!

Fireplace Conundrum

2012-04-01T11:01:00.003-07:00

Back at it again, last dirty fireplace pit! Not sure what to do with this space. If I paint it, then there is still a big gaping hole that goes to a nothingness of powdering fireplace brick and soot. If I close it off, I can't utilize it like a pretend fireplace with faux heater or pretty candle display. I could tile it, but the cuts would be unique to close off the hole and I would have to decide on color and buy more tile??? Conundrum, that is my new word I learned today which perfectly describes my dilemma!

co·nun·drum/kəˈnəndrəm/

Noun:

A confusing and difficult problem or question.
A question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle.

Dirty black soot!

This is the clean version! See the bottom for the first sight!

Summerwheat can see the beauty from the ashes!

I dumped the ashes in the yard, I figured it was good for the soil!

Very dirty job! Did they ever clean out their fireplace?

No treasures found....

The date on this was 1955! It was crumbled up and half burnt, I love the picture, it looks so vintage!

Toying with Tile

2012-03-29T05:59:00.004-07:00

We have finished tiling the Master Bath floor. The next step is deciding on the decorative tile that will be used in the shower stall and on top the vanity. I got the vanity for free because someone was remodeling and didn't want it. I had to cut the top to make each end match evenly because it had been mounted against a wall on one side. I was playing with a design on the vanity that I call a RANDOM pattern using the left over tiles I already had. I was placing the tiles in a pattern that would look naturally symmetrical without being regimented. Did that make sense? I didn't want a perfectly lined up pattern of even matched tiles on each side. That is just too boring and dull. This pattern creates interest and it is playful!

This is the glass tile that I really want to use on the vanity. I love that circle shapes, and it has an iridescent glow to it and it looks like bubbles.

The other ares is the shower stall, the threshold and the shower floor. I will use the larger tiles as the wall base, but again, I want some interest in there and I was toying with this black and white checkered pattern for the threshold. It is funky and it draws your eye to the fact that there is a step there. I have some other ceramic fish and shells and I plan to do something with them too. Hmmmmm.....

The toilet is in place! I love this little, well I call it the Pooper Nook! HAHA! It gives you a little privacy if someone else is in there with you. The view out the window is of the rooftop and Church steeple. It is a great little nook. I need Art and a basket full of magazines!

Also, notice the trim....we are using the same 1X 8 inch trim that matches the older trim in the house. We still have to apply quarter round, but it is looking great!

Master Bedroom, The Wallpaper & Wood Removal

2012-03-26T19:07:00.003-07:00

Look what Greg & my Mom found under the paper! HAHA! Apparently Greg was a much better paper scraper than we have been. He had it down in a few hours. He used the tiger scorer and drenched the walls and that paper came down with a fright! They tried to trick me and showed me this picture that was taken with Greg's phone. Pretty funny!

Here is a pile of the paper. Messy job!

Left over doors to be used after the drywall work is all done.

Believe it or not, it is actually starting to look like a real room once we got all the mess out of the way!

This is all the wood from upstairs that had to be removed from the bedroom so we could start working on the walls.

Spring Flowers are in full Bloom!

2012-03-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, there is work being done on the house and YES, I will post some updates very soon, but for now, please enjoy some lovely photos of my yard and Spring!

Have you ever seen such a gorgeous colored bush?

I see a pretty birdie!

Not sure what this bush is, but it is breathtaking!

These are my stray cat beauties that love to romp through the flower bushes!

Figs are growing.

Snow ball bush?

Pretty kitty with bright yellow eyes.

Hudson was seeing if these smelled nice.

Hudson took this picture of me, I look a little tired, well, I am tired. But very happy!

The combination of the dogwood, redbud & pom pom tree is just gorgeous!

Dogwood, in front of my cute garage.

Aqua Hallway Sneek Peek

2012-03-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

We have been working away on the house in the upstairs hallway and bath. Drywall sanding dust is everywhere and most of the hallway has been painted. I have been saving this stain glass window and it will go in the upstairs hallway window.

The window casts a prism on the wall up the stairs.

I kept the original light fixture, but I spruced it up with a little gold spray paint. I think it looks pretty fancy!

I had not planned on painting the bathroom this salmon color, but I literally had a dream about it and saw this color casting a warm light in this bathroom and I had to go with it!

It really is a wonderful color and goes well with the house.

The feeling of In-tiled-ment.

2012-03-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

Thursday, my day began with a choice...work on my own huge list of projects which seemed ever so overwhelming and never ending, or help a friend in need. I chose the latter. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our own lives and we feel so entitled to get our own personal tasks done, that we don't always notice that others may need our help. There was a friend that needed some help getting a small home together in a couple of days and asked me to come paint. So I did and was glad to do it. I went and painted for them for about 7 hours, then I drove home. I had already made plans with my Mom to tile this evening so part two of my day began at 6pm. We tiled the rest of the bathroom floor up until 11 p.m.

The image of my hands and pants reflects all the hard work I did in one day, but the impression in my heart to give my time to a friend in need will stay with me for a lifetime.

"Define us not by what we have done for ourselves, but what we do for others." ~ Me (unless it was a quote that I was unaware of it's existence.)

Hudson was sick and missed a day of school and had a lot of makeup work, so while Mom was busy tiling, he wanted to be near by in case he needed help, so there he sits amongst the work.

This is my crazy tile helper, who wanted to remain anonymous. Well, it's my Mom, but she didn't want her picture taken.

Actually she moves so fast, I couldn't capture her.

Tile cutter on the roof at night, with a night light.

Lil Dog is very confused about why I am out there on the roof, in the dark, so late.

Messy, messy!

I kept working until we cut the last tile. I was determined to get it done. There are only so many hours in a day and we need to get this tile job done so we can move on with the project.

It was a long day, but worth every minute. 12 hours of hard labor between the painting and the tiling. Wheeeww.

A Tiler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no?

2012-02-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

I hope a tiler on the roof is steadier than a fiddler on the roof or my bathroom floor will look dreadful!
If I could play a fiddle I would try to play it on the roof! I know I am glowing terracotta red! A little sun, a little tile dust.

It was a beautiful day yesterday and I decided to move the tile cutter to the roof so I could be closer to the bathroom I was tiling. I don't have a fancy tile cutter, but it cuts tile. Tiling isn't easy and tiling on a diagonal is even harder. Keeping the tiles lined up and making unusual cuts is tricky.

The tiles had a terracotta clay color back side so I had red clay splattered all over my face and hair and the roof!

Lil' dog couldn't understand why I was on the roof, she kept saying Roof Roof?

From the outside looking in....

Great song, take a listen!

A Wintery Mix of Ice & Mortar & a Love Note

2012-02-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

We had a short ice and snow storm here over the weekend so I thought it would be a great idea to get some house work done. The bathroom floors were ready for tile, so tiling it was! I struggled with the layout of whether or not the tiles should be laid square or on a diagonal. I like the diagonal look because the room has so many angles that the diagonal gives it an interesting dimension. It is harder to lay out, more cuts, but worth it in the long run. We got the tiles at a pretty low price, they are basic and neutral, but will do the job.

This is a view from one of the bathroom windows. That is my roof, followed by the Church steeple next door. You will see this as you sit upon the bathroom throne.

Where to start.....I chose to start at the point at which you first walk into the room and centered that tile. There may be more mathematical ways of doing it, but I was going more for visual effects since the room is so not square.

The tub would not fit through the doors so it has to be moved to one side while we install the tiles. Good place to stack the sink base too.

I am looking a bit rough because I have been out in the sleet getting sprayed in the face with a tile cutter. When you are cutting, the water has to touch the circular blade to cut the tiles, and this cutter sprays water everywhere, especially in my face. I was wearing ski goggles, so I would keep it out of my eyes! Notice the drywall work in the background is also coming along. My parents have been coming over during the day and working all the corners trying to get it just right, mixing old plaster walls with new drywall.

Making progress! That is Greg there in the background. I haven't ran him off yet with all the hard work! He is a natural at home repair, but he didn't know it! I am teaching him : )

On a Love Note
Just to answer the "Inquiring minds"....If you are seeing a red headed man in some of my photos, here is the reason:

Greg and I have known each other for about 3 years. We met at our friends vineyard.(Roger's Ford Farm) I was sipping wine with friends and he came walking in wearing fishing gear and I thought he was adorable and asked who he was. We dated off and on a few times. We liked each other, but never really got to know each other well enough to see if we REALLY liked each other. He was there for me in a very difficult time in my life a couple of years ago and he was a true friend to me. We have always kept in touch. We have both written each other very long love notes at different times.

A few months ago, around the beginning of November, he came to visit me here and see the house. It was like we never missed a beat and our relationship has blossomed into something special. Even though we live a few hours apart, we have spent just about every weekend together since November.

I was trying to think of a simple way to sum us up and he said it perfectly in an unintended phone message the other day. He said: "Hey, I am driving on Route 1 headed north, you are probably driving on Route 1 headed south, we are on the same road but going in the wrong direction. How about you turn around and I will do the same and then we will be headed toward each other."

Sometimes you can be on the right path, but just heading in the wrong direction. That was us, but now we are on the right track, towards each other.

Timing is Everything

Halo Mural is Coming along, I think?

2012-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air along with an unpredictable winter season. That is one thing love and the weather have in common, they are both unpredictable, keep us guessing and anticipating but also make us feel alive and joyful!

I have been trying to focus on the Halo Mural this week. It is one of the last finishing touches on Hudson's room before I do the big Reveal. I paint on it in the evening when the day is winding down and the evening is calm. When you paint, you have to be in the mood, so to speak and I have to have peace of mind to get the creative juices flowing. I have to be motivated to work on the mural. With so many elements happening in the house, between every day chores, trying to figure out why the oil heater is burning oil so quickly, deciding what furniture to keep or re-paint, still making decisions on paint colors and fabrics and the list goes on and on, let's just say it is hard to focus on a detail oriented painting.

Back to the mural, it is coming along, slowly but surely. I would say I am about 2/3 the way done and it should be completed within this next week. Fingers crossed....

You probably can't tell, but I have been painting over my initial sketch with a more detailed rendering and building up my shadows and creating more depth. I do plan to add color to the Halo figure, but that will be the final step.

Late night painting. I do better with a back light on my image and the room light turned off. That way I can see the painting in a more 3d realistic view. I am still working in dark and light values only. What that means is that I am basically working in black & white and shades of gray and emphasizing the lightest and darkest areas on the figure to make it more dimensional.

Almost there!

Smorgasblog and the Big Move

2012-01-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

I named this Blog Smorgasblog because it is a mixture of things that have occurred over the past week. It started off with a birthday, yes, mine, which was truly no big deal, but surprisingly was a celebration with wonderful friends that wanted to do something for me. (thank you Mary, Autumn, Lu, Janie, Cheri & Paul) I felt very loved this birthday and that is always a good thing. My one friend has been so taken by my blog header design that she fashioned a cake to look like it.

This is my Faded Pink Rose cake! Thank you Cheri!

One thing that I had to get done in all this was to get my belongings from storage which was 3 hours away from me. It has also been an added expense. I received some birthday money from very thoughtful friends and was able to finally make the MOVE. Just so you know, when I say I need to move, people run and scatter like it is a showdown in dusty old western saloon town in the desert, complete with rolling tumbleweeds. I have a lot of stuff. I am an artist, a re-purposing artist, a recycle person. I tend to keep everything, but let me clarify that I am not a Hoarder by any means! I will eventually make something out of it! Needless to say, I don't have too many volunteers when it comes time to move my stuff. Lucky enough, I have a very wonderful person who helped me move out of my house a year and a half ago and was aware of my large amount of stuff. He knows what I had and was brave and not afraid to face this challenge head on, once again.

We had to rent a 26 foot truck with a lift gate.

It doesn't look too scary here....

We can almost see the back of the 30 foot storage unit.

Lots of interesting things!

Just a little ole piano. It took the two of us 6 hours or so to load it all. Near the end my friend Heidi showed up to help.

We lost our light, but kept packing. Thank you Heidi! & Bob!

Here is Greg the Truck Driver, which he made me refer to him as the entire 3 hour drive. He really took control of that 26 footer and got everything home in one piece! We kept singing the song "BJ Mckay and his best freind Bear, Honk Honk!" from the 1978 sitcom about a truck driver and his pet monkey. I guess I played the part of the monkey, ooh ooh....

See the resemblance?

We didn't get home until 10 at night so we rested and started to unload Sunday morning.

Next morning my super neighbor Richard was thinking of going for a run and lifting weights and saw us moving things and decided it would be a better workout to move things instead. Thank you Richard!

Not much left here, but where to put it all? This house is smaller than my previous house.

Well, all the chairs did fit on the porch....

It is done, all my stuff is here and it is time to put things into place. A special thanks to all my friends that helped make this possible. I am one step closer to completing the house project and the making of this home. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Love you all!