MaxwellStreet

Sea of Shoes. And a Mustelid.

2011-12-12T19:16:00.001-05:00

credit: Sea of Shoes

So I stumbled upon a blog called Sea of Shoes and found a weasel. The post made my day, because Jane of Sea of Shoes simply comments, "What a nice weasel." What a nice weasel indeed. Color me slightly obsessed -- after reading through a few pages of her blog, I, too, suddenly found myself with red hair.

2011-09-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

vintage antique frame

galvanized desk lap

bird/duck study

Some little etsy treasures.

Welcome Home

2011-08-01T20:23:00.001-04:00

Well, look who showed up? My green leather chair, that's who. The other day, I told my mom that if she ever was thinking of getting rid of it, that she needed to let me know so I can buy it off her. She said she'd give it to me if it ever got to that point. Today, my dad calls to say that my mom told him I'd be over soon to pick it up at their house. Wait, what? He said he'd bring it over since he was headed out anyway. Wait, what? Hurray! I meant in about twenty years or so, but hey, I'll take it now, too. My dad asked who's chair it was, and I told him rumor has it that it was his from his first apartment. My dad says it must have been there when he moved in, because he couldn't remember. Oh well, originally his, or his once he moved in, doesn't matter. It was still his, and that makes it special. Welcome home, green chair. Odysseus loves you too.

p.s. let me remind you all again that I have the best parents in the world. And not because they give me stuff. Because they just are, for so many reasons. :)

p.p.s Odysseus is living up to his name (No, not the Officer Baby Socks nickname. He already lives that daily. I mean his real name). Great hunter that he is, he found a mouse last night. But couldn't catch it. I choose to believe that due to all the fun he was having, he didn't want to win, or he knew there would be no more fun. Smart.

Fur So Fresh

2011-07-16T21:44:00.001-04:00

My sister gets Fur So Fresh for her pups, and they always smell fabulous after a bath. For about a day. Then they're stinky again. So when it came time for Odysseus to have a bath again, we bypassed the No More Tears, No More Knots baby powder scented cat shampoo (though I was tempted; he would have been so mad if he smelled like baby powder, and I would have loved his grumpy face) and of course went for the cat version of Fur So Fresh. Not quite as good smelling as the dog one, but good enough. He doesn't mind baths, too much. And how can you resist seeing a cat with tiny legs and a scrawny tail from being dripping wet? It's hard, let me tell you. Adorable little kitten.

More Magic Houses

2011-06-10T21:30:00.000-04:00

I think more garages should look like this. I mean, if you can't have a carriage house tucked behind your historic home, of course.

And the original magic house. I realized the first post on it way back when was way back when, and perhaps not everyone has seen it in all it's abandoned glory.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians

2011-06-06T19:16:00.002-04:00

8625 East Jefferson Avenue
Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church

Ooh, my favorite day. Indian Village Day! I just finished my second annual trip to the historic neighborhood home tour. Mom and sister have me beat at 3 out of 4 years. Listen, this whole district is filled, FILLED, with magic houses. Note the first. Though not tour-able, it was one of my favorites. A bit neglected, a bit beat up, but so pretty. The second is a church built in 1925. The third? My dad's childhood street we're named after here.

A Letter to the Kitten

2011-06-03T21:43:00.001-04:00

Dear Odysseus,

I walked into my room to see you looking so odd in the window. Due to you never sitting like that before, the very hot day, and your very still form and vacant gaze, I feared you were dead. But then you stretched a paw after I called your name. For the third time. In an increasingly louder voice. Silly me, I should have known you were just being lazy, lounging in your favorite spot, in your favorite position. Because the only thing better than being in the window, is being in the window with a prime chance at getting tummy pets.

You are my favorite always and forever,

Laura

Hello Yellow

2011-05-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

I don't normally go for yellow when picking something out. But more and more, lately, I find yellow things appearing in my closet and things I like. Like these chairs from Anthropologie. Now we all know I love Anthro, but even if the first chair wasn't from there, I'd still like it. Doesn't it look like it just wants a hug and then to be rolled around on its side on the ground? Maybe not to you, and I've never rolled a chair around before, but it has that pillbug look to it. Cute. And the second -- prints? Not for me, thanks. But in this case, prints is a very good thing. How about that; I must be growing. I am now acceptant of yellow AND prints. Well, one print. Let's not get too carried away.

Two Ideals. Bookcases and Fireplaces.

2011-05-09T17:53:00.002-04:00

Credits: Sean Airhart, Ben Benschneider.

Love this bookcase around the fireplace. One day, I will have a house built out of bookcases. Probably not, but sure would look fantastic.

A Window with a View

2011-05-04T18:25:00.001-04:00

Just another day in the window in the life of Odysseus. I bet the whole downtown gets a kick out that pretty kitty keeping an eye on things. He has a twin that lives down the street. Sometimes the twin comes down to the corner, and they yell to each other.

What is the Best Thing Here?

2011-04-27T19:28:00.002-04:00

The little baby cat legs in the second image, clearly. Teehee. Thank you, Odysseus, for once again making my night. This is that material Pat gave me when I was getting the cubbies. Wild vine-y floral, with a bit of sheen. It goes much better on this chair than the awful maroon naugahyde that was there. Or I think is still there. It lurks beneath...

Suddenly, I'm Wondering How This'll Look Navy

2011-04-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

I had my navy dress flopped on my bed the other day and while looking around my room from the comforts of my cozy white chair, decided I liked that darker blue with the other blues in my room. I was trying to figure out how to incorporate it with all the other grays and blues, when my dresser stuck out. Which isn't that hard, as there is not a whole lot in my room, and the green does tend to pop against the neutrals and grays. I had at one point thought blue for the dresser, but I just didn't want it to look like a blue blob coming up out of my blue-black floors. Love this paint color I did the floors in still, though. It's my absolute favorite. Ace of Spades. It's almost black but the undertones keeps it from looking too over the top. Anyway, I think I might need to make a visit to the paint store with my dress, my floor paint swatch, and this wallpaper color:

It's Schumacher's Leaves in Graphite. I'll find a happy medium between the three, lighter than the floors, less blue than navy, and if I find what I want, I may have a new project on my hands.

So Happy

2011-04-21T21:04:00.005-04:00

No, this isn't my jeep. I wouldn't mind if it was, though. :) But my jeep died today on the way to work. And it was wonderful. Weird, right? Not really. Because listen to all this. Thanks to the two best fathers anyone could have, it was a great happening. Because I have the most perfect Heavenly Father, when it died, there was a side road to coast off on right there. I wasn't on the interstate (more dangerous, harder to get towed easily since they have to go to the next exit or whatever), which I would have been in about a minute. I call my dad (smartest person with cars possible) and it turns out he just passed where I was, so he was there with in minutes. It wasn't anything he could fix right there, but he gave me his coat, waited with me, offered to let them to tow it to my parents' house, and gives me another car to drive so I can get to work. Some might think that's what any dad would do, but I know he did it with such love. And I've been far from a perfect daughter, a horrible one many times, to be honest, so I don't deserve it. Then my Heavenly Father provided for me in that the tow truck cost about $3.00, the part my dad thought it might be at a glance (fuel pump, $80 or so, which isn't a lot but wasn't in stock and would have been more work for my dad) ended up being fine, and my dad found the real problem, a ballast resistor (free, because he had one in the garage). He fixed it as soon as he got home from work, and I picked my jeep up soon after. Wow. See why that makes me so happy? I have two perfect fathers who always love me and take care of me, even though they don't have to. I love my dad, and am so thankful for him and how he loves the Lord too. That is true happiness, let me tell you. That, and the fact that even if everything went totally wrong, I could still be happy because of my fathers' love.

Uh, Oops. Caught Me.

2011-04-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

Odysseus cracks me up. He loves hanging out in the sink, but whenever I walk in to him in it, he gets this look like he's so embarrassed. Then he starts flailing around trying to get out.

I sure love that cat.

Greens and Browns Because it's White Outside

2011-04-18T17:56:00.007-04:00

Yes. It snowed today. So sad. I mean, okay, it is Michigan, but still. So I looked for hope in my photos, and found some colors to make me happier about the state of the great outdoors. I made my first terrarium about two years back. My first and last, I should say. No reason on it being my only, because it'd faired quite nicely. The moss is tall and wispy now. It's cute. And this couch from Anthropologie sure pleases too.

We've Had Violas, Pianos, Now an Organ

2011-04-17T20:04:00.003-04:00

I have this oil painting I did that I'm fond of, Looking for Wisdom. But I have never hung it anywhere because it just doesn't seem to look right wherever I try it. So I went to Spoonflower, made the scanned image into fabric, and covered some vintage notebooks with it. I added some fun endpapers, and that made me feel better for keeping the painting in my closet. I do need to do something with it somewhere, someday.

It's Hard to Ignore an Instrument on the Roof

2011-04-16T09:55:00.007-04:00

Here we have You Will Always Hear Me, another music-ish piece. I found this fantastic roll of vintage paper at a sale with my mom and had fun making a sculpture of sorts out of it with the top. As I stated before, I have minimal music talent. So one may think I paint instruments as a way to express my pining for what I don't have. I don't think that is the case, thankfully. Unrequited longings would most certainly be a hard burden to carry, don't you think? Sure, I like music. I like hearing other people play instruments. But I am just fine in not having music being something I'm good at. It's just fun to paint.

The Funny Thing Is, I am Not Musically Inclined

2011-04-15T17:44:00.008-04:00

I can read music, but barely. I played percussion in junior high and high school, but wasn't really into it. I just didn't want to have to take geology or whatever the other option was. So why do I paint so much music-related art? Beats me. ha. That was an unintentional pun. Good thing too, because it was lame. But from the next few posts, you'll see my instrument obsession. This painting hangs in my front room. It had a title, something along the lines of NWH, but I can't remember what it is for the life of me. I only know that much because that's the file name, so your guess is as good as mine. No Wet Hams? Never Wear Hats? Who knows. The acid-green water-grass-clouds-whatever-it-is was a fun color to paint with is the most definite thing I can tell you, if there's one thing you want to take away from this post.

Update: Ooh, figured it out -- Which is of Course Exactly Not What Happened. Never would have guessed that one.

Ghost

2011-04-12T18:46:00.006-04:00

I forgot I liked photography. But I remembered today. I had to take a few headshots at work of my boss, and it hit me that it was always fun in college taking and developing my own pictures in the darkroom. So I drudged up some old photos of photos I took. This being one. "Ghost" hangs in my front room. I had put this together awhile back -- vintage picture frame, recycled paper, one of my negatives. Breaking the glass was easy; gluing it back together was not. And let me tell you, superglue on your skin is the creepiest feeling ever. Makes me shiver thinking about it. It's like frosted glass. Ick. Nothing gives me worse chills then the feeling of frosted glass. I can HEAR the feeling of frosted glass if I even LOOK at it. And I just ruined that good feeling I had from remembering photography...

And Everything in its Place

2011-04-06T18:52:00.010-04:00

Here are the cubbies completed. See A Place for Everything for befores. I got these cute little italian egg cups at an estate sale (the same estate sale where a first edition Mark Twain copy written in and signed by Samuel himself went for a couple dollars. Oops) and poured wax into them for candles. I have eight of them and they stretch out across the nine columns nicely. The "Airmail" and "403" are two of the tiny tags under each slot. I didn't take the pictures upside down - the whole cubbies are upside down because Pat had sawed a corner of the base off to get the set into the house at one point. So I just flipped the cubbies on its head to keep it stable. Secrets of lazy innovation revealed. This is the true green color, by the way. I know it makes a huge difference to you. Most likely not, but it does for me.

Nothing Beats Green Leather, but Green Velvet is a Close Second

2011-03-31T19:10:00.010-04:00

I do love a tufted couch. Especially done in green leather. This Anthropologie sofa makes me think so much of my favorite chair ever, my dad's old chair in my room growing up. Here's my little homage to it, my Take Me with You painting I did awhile back. Because it wanted to go with me, I know. Maybe one day I'll inherit it or something. I am so in love with green leather chairs, I had to get one for my loft down south. Now, the question is, when will I find one for my current house? My vintage green velvet loveseat is taking the place until then, I suppose.

Worst Day Ever

2011-03-29T20:59:00.003-04:00

So I live downtown, above a storefront in a old building with lots of character. It's a sweet downtown, just a few streets. Previously tree-lined streets. I came home from work today, and my tree, my beautiful tree right outside my window, the one that just was about to get leaves, the one the birds sit and chirp in, the one Odysseus loves to watch the birds in, was a pile of sawdust. Then I saw ALL the trees lining the streets are gone. Why? Because downtown is doing a beautification. They're putting pavers in the intersections, and new benches on the sidewalks, and RIPPING the trees out. Tell me how that makes the street look nicer? Because it doesn't. You failed, Village. Big time. :(

A Place for Everything

2011-03-26T19:17:00.004-04:00

Cubbies! Yes please. These came from the lady who got me my five-legged table. She let me explore all her treasures, out in the garage, up in the packed upstairs, and down in the basement. She was fun. Before I left, she had me stand in front of the "only bare spot on the walls" she had (she told no lie) and took my picture. She said she always does that of people who buy her treasures. Kind of sounds creepy weird, but you had to meet her to understand. Gorgeous old house in Detroit, too. And she gave me this neat fabric that I later recovered a chair with. These are U.S. mail slots from the post office back in the day. All postal boxes like this I've seen have are that bright blue paint you see. Some may think I ruined a bit of history by painting over it, but don't worry, I left the U.S. mail stamp on the back. Let me tell you though, it would have been easier to let history be. I had to paint all around the little labels under each slot, and my only paintbrush that would get all the corners was one of my tiny oil painting brushes. I think there were some 98 individual cubbies, times that with two coats of paint, lots of little labels, and hand cramps. It took a couple of days, to put it sweetly. Finished pictures will follow soon.

The Most Beautiful Thing

2011-03-26T13:05:00.003-04:00

I stand amazed in the presence,

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

Finally Got It

2011-03-24T18:23:00.005-04:00

Bolefloor.com

For the longest time, I didn't understand wood floors. I was a kid; give me that at least. In my small mind, carpet was clearly best. Why would you want something hard underfoot? That's no fun to roll around on. Never mind that carpet gave you rug burns, I was a carpet fan. I don't know when it hit me, to be honest, but suddenly, I was enlightened in the area of hardwood. Maybe it was due to my loft that had polished cement floors. Fantastic! I could paint, saw, stain, whatever, in the living room, and it didn't matter. Compare that to every time I dropped something on my childhood bedroom floor, taking the pink color out, and my poor mom would have to cut the bleached fibers out with scissors. (Plus I'd get in trouble, too) But I know by the time I moved into my current home and saw those pretty pretty wood planks throughout, I had definitely been converted to wood floors. The other day at work, I was sent a press release and opened it to find Bolefloors. Hey, neat! Natural-looking floors. I'd get these. Then I'd really feel like I was in a forest. Seriously. These are fun.