Uffda! Projects

Project: Office Make-Over

2011-11-21T13:15:00.001-08:00

Over the past couple of years, the office has lived in nearly every room of the house. First it was in the small third floor spare room, then down to the first floor and then back up to the large third floor room. It has been exhausting trying to keep up with the changes and nothing really feels right.

As I have knocked projects off the to-do list, the office has made it to the top of the priority list. Here is a small lists of the necessities...

Permanent home
Display shelves for collections
Lots of book shelves
Filing storage
Desk with large work surface
Home for the printer

First, lets tackle the final home of the office... the first floor bedroom. For the past year, we have really enjoyed having a permanent guest room with private bath. Unfortunately, if this family is going to grow, the office has to move down stairs.

Pro's:

It is Andy's favorite room with low lighting and constantly cold temperature
The room is remote from the rest of the house so it would make a pour baby's room
Not a lot of noise conflicts with living room so we could avoid TV wars

Con's:

Terrible carpet that needs to be replaced
Awkward corners restricting store bought furniture options
Fairly small room with lots of doors
Difficult to pick out colors due to weird lighting

Before we get too far along in the process, we did decide on one change - The Floor. The builder's grade carpet is just pathetic! Back in April, I posted a few options. We finally purchased the Van Gogh Cork flooring because it was the only cork flooring that we could get transition trim pieces. The store took FOREVER to get the flooring in (over seven weeks), but it is here now.

So as we prepare to do the floor, the only other option we have is to dream up what we want to room to end up looking like. We played around with an online design program and came up with the following concept...

I'll be converting to laptop in order to station myself in the comfy chairs while Andy enjoys a massive desk. Behind my comfy chairs will be a full wall of bookcases to give it a real library feeling. Yes, that is a cartoon Colonel next to the desk chair enjoying the new design.

What do you think? I sure hope it won't end up being crampted.

Getting Back in the Groove

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that Delridge Day took away all of my personal time that I dedicate to Uffda Projects. Now that the festival is over, I have slowly been getting back to normal. Only change is that normal now includes my husband, Andy, because he graduated from grad school.

So the two of us have been working out new schedules and projects. I have been learning how to have patience and to let go of control. I have been on my own for the past few years so it has been hard to accept his input. So, from here on out, Andy will also contribute to Uffda Projects with his perspective. Plus he is super funny so I don't think you will mind.

Speaking of doing things together, this Sunday was a prime example of the new shared time. Normally, I would be doing grocery shopping and finishing up projects while he worked on school. Luck me... Andy goes shopping with me and picks out a fun pumpkin to carve up.

Andy was so happy that he didn't want to put it outside. It has taken a couple days, but I finally got the pumpkin to move outside where it won't be rotting in my living room.

While Andy carved his pumpkin, I took the opportunity (good weather) to do some weeding. Don't hold it against me, but I have done no gardening all summer long. I think I may have lost a few plants and everything is just a disaster. I mean, serious mess.

So while Andy carved his pumpkin, I set to do weeding. I weeded...and weeded...and weeded...and weeded some more. I filled my compost bin plus my neighbor's compost bin. I did nothing but weed and the area is looking a little better.

So the garden may be really bare right now, but it feels a lot better knowing that I have all of the dead stuff cleared out.

For added bonus, I emptied the rain barrel. It has been a couple years since it was empty and there may be gunk in the bottom of the barrel. We are supposed to drain the water heater so why not the water barrel?

I hope your gardens are looking better than mine. At least it is never too late for a garden. All it takes is a few back breaking days and it will look grand again.

Project: Office Shelves

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

A while back, Amanda and I decided that the 1st floor bedroom would make the best office space in the house. Since then we've been working to make it suitable for actual use as an office.

Obviously, our first priority had to be proper display of my toys. Thus, we decided to build some relatively simple shelves. [It is from the Ana White Blog - Amanda] Building our own had a lot of advantages, the foremost being that they could be as shallow as we like. Second, we'd probably save some money. Last, we could build them out of real wood, and avoid the temptation to buy MDF or particle board crapola.

When we began, the walls were relatively bare:

With the exception of a lone Garbage Pail Kid poster, this wall was a sad, lonely wasteland.

First, we built the basic shelf units themselves. Here they are disappearing into the inky vortex at the back of our garage.

As you can see, we included a little lip at the front to prevent anything rolling off. Also, once stained, the lip would show the nice natural wood grain pattern.

Here I am, sanding Sanding. Forever sanding. It seemed like it would never end. Maybe it never did. Maybe my life since then has just been a fever dream brought on by too much sanding.

Next, we stained. We used a combination of stain and polyurethane coating, and applied it with rags. This was somehow even messier than it sounds. My newly-developed sanding skills were fortuitous, as I had to use steel wool to remove the stain from my hands.

Wood grain porn.

Next came the installation, which was amazingly pain free. Usually, we end up making an embarrassingly large number of unnecessary holes while trying to find studs.

That's right, we busted out a level and everything. It turned out that our shelves were perfectly straight, but the drywall of this room was kind of....curved. Even wavy. This isn't the first or last time we'll be posting about the shoddy construction of the house.

Let's ask some of the residents what they think about the new digs:

Batman says: These cheap-ass shelves wouldn't fly in the servant's toilet at Wayne Manor. Can you believe they're trying to raise tax rates on the wealthy? CLASS WARFARE!

Deathasaurus says: My name is Deathasaurus, I'm way too metal to care about shelves. Get it? A robot says he's "metal"? Fine. I'm not dumbing down my material for you.

Bizarro says: Goodbye! Me am hate shelves. Shelves poorly constructed and weakly bolted to wall. Hello!

Dr. Zaius says: Man is incapable of using even the most basic tools, much less constructing shelves of this type. These are clearly the result of some kind of malformed tree.

Dalek says: Acceptable.

We will be sharing this project with the following blog link parties...

What's Up Wednesdays at Sew Woodsy

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Create and Share at Trendy Treehouse

Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple

Rock Star Nails for All

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Personally, I like doing my own nails because the little nail salons always just file down my nails too far or they seem weak afterwards. The problem is that the home polishes I use, chip easily and I end up just doing clear because I am too lazy to do my nails every other day. Plus, no matter when I do the nails, they get smudged and nicked in my sleep.

Not any more!

Many Seattlites already know about Julep, but for those who don't, check out Julep.

Julep is a local gem and constantly winning awards for being the best in Seattle. It is no secret any more, and they are getting international attention through major magazines like O, Allure, In Style, and more. Lucky for me, they are right downtown and easy to drop in on.

A couple weeks ago, I came across this Julep Maven program and couldn't be more excited for a product. The polish quality is top notch! The polish dries rather quickly and doesn't smudge in my sleep. The colors are vibrant and surprising. The freebies are magical products that would not be something that I would typically pick out. I love that the entire package is a special treat that pushes me beyond my comfort zone on color choices.

My First Maven Package

For $19.99 per month, I get two polishes plus a freebie shipped to my front door. The colors are chosen by Julep and based upon a quiz that you take when entering the program. One reason I really like this plan is because the colors are chosen for me. It isn't the same mauve or deep red that I would pick out for myself. Good news is that if you don't like the colors coming your way, you can easily request a different package. In fact, I changed my October package and it was a breeze.

Color #1: Cameron

Color #2: Alfre

Another great feature is that you can have your Maven package sent to someone else as a gift or simply hold off on the program for a month.

Did I mention that shipping is free? Yep! Plus I get a special code that gets me 20% off of products throughout the store.

Julep is very responsive and answers emails within 24 hours. For my first order, I accidently chose the wrong shipping option and they had it fixed with refund of the shipping the next day. (For your first order, choose the Maven shipping option which is the free shipping option) Amazing service for the internet.

I am really excited for the October package.

I would really like to recommend the Julep Maven program to anyone out there. My experience has been wonderful.

In the spirit of full disclosure, by ordering the progam from Uffda links, I get $15 credit with Julep.

Book Review: Mercy Thompson Series

2011-09-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

I was recommended this series by a friend, Krista. She recommended this series because she enjoyed it and knew that I like the supernatural romance stuff like the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Turns out the author is from my home town and has placed the action there. Seeing that there are not a lot of books placed in eastern Washington, I was a little interested. While I was unemployed, we took a trip home to visit family and I read the back of the book. OMG! Mercy Tompson is a coyote-shifter VW mechanic that has a crazy assortment of supernatural friends. I debated constantly about buying a book when I was unemployed, but Mercy loved Volkswagens so I restricted it to just the first book.

I did a little searching online and found that the first book had high ratings on most book stores and Amazon. I also remember something about Patricia Briggs being a top author in a Seattle Times article at the beginning of the year. Even if I was not in love with the series, I shouldn’t be sad.

Thank God I got a job, because I quickly needed the next book and bought the entire series.

The series sets-up a world where fae have exposed themselves about ten years prior and other super naturals are still tucked away. Of course there are more sups out there, but they have not come out of the closet yet. With the tech advances, many groups are going to have to expose themselves or risk getting caught when timing is really wrong.

The main character, Mercy Thompson, is a history major turned VW mechanic whom is also a coyote shift changer. Mercy was raised by werewolves in Montana and has a friendly relationship with the local werewolf pack whose Alpha, Adam, lives next door. Best of all, Mercy is a self confident woman that knows who she is and what she can do. Very refreshing!

Due to getting a new job, organizing a HUGE community event and other time sucking adventures, I have not kept up on my blogging. So here is one long post for the entire series…

Moon Called

In Moon Called, Mercy is approached by a young werewolf who asks to work in her shop for cash and food. While Mercy recognizes him as a werewolf, he is oblivious to her super natural position. Just as she is warming up to him, the group he is running from finds him at her shop and all hell breaks loose. She calls on Adam, local werewolf alpha, to sort out the were issues. When she finds Adam being attacked and his daughter, Jesse, kidnapped later that evening, she put him in the car and goes back to Montana for help.

The plot is good and characters go through a lot changes. Mercy is re-introduced to an old flame, Samuel, and is confronted by her attraction to Adam. Of course, top priority is rescuing Jesse and Mercy will break any rule/order to accomplish that mission.

Blood Bound

Mercy’s customer and vampire friend Stephan requests her help dealing with a demonic vampire that is on a killing spree. While Mercy seems to have some immunity to magic, the local werewolves are driven crazy by the demonic vampire. In order to save Adam and Samuel, Mercy goes to drastic measures to stop the vampire.

The tension between Adam and Samuel escalates after Samuel moves in with Mercy. Mercy is still a little upset over what happened when she was 16 so they are re-establishing a friendly relationship. Of course with Adam actively courting Mercy, you can imagine the tension. Not to mention, that Adam is the alpha and Samuel is a more dominate werewolf.

The character development that I enjoyed the best was Mercy this time. Since Mercy was raised by werewolves, she has relatively no idea about her own skills. Mercy leverages her ability to resist magic and see dead people in order to fight the bad guy. Things that used to annoy her get turned into real skill.

Iron Kissed

Zee, Mercy’s former boss and fae friend, finds he needs Mercy’s unique skills to help sniff out another series of murders targeting the fae community. Before Mercy is able to get much information, Zee ends up the target suspect and Mercy fights to save him after the fae community resign to letting him take the fall. The best way to save Zee is the find the real murderer which could be seriously dangerous since he/she has already been successful in killing over six lesser fae.

The exciting news is that Mercy finally makes a decision between Adam and Samuel. I don’t know if I should tell you the result, so I will just say that it was done tastefully and creatively. You’ll just have to read the book to know the details.

The biggest development in this book is within the fae community. Briggs shares more about fae and the mysterious Grey Lords. The murderer seems to be collecting fae artifacts so Mercy has to lean on that history degree to figure out what everything is because the fae are not cooperating. This leads to a better connection with fae characters and I really enjoyed the expansion.

Bone Crossed

This book picks up right after Iron Kissed and has Mercy dealing with the consequences of her actions in Blood Bound. Stephan’s absence in Iron Kissed was due to the vampire queen, Marsilla. She figured out a few more details of how her vampires died and takes her frustration out on Stephan before engaging with Mercy and the werewolf pack. While Adam attempts to work out a peace treaty, Mercy heads up to Spokane to help a college friend deal with a ghost problem. Of course trouble follows and Mercy finds herself in the middle of another vampire fiasco within another vampire fiasco. Trouble clearly follows Mercy no matter where she goes.

Mercy and Adam are finally beginning that romance that had sparked at the very beginning, but Mercy was left devastated by the bad guy in the Iron Kissed leaving her with horrible flash backs. It was so sad and I felt so bad for her. While I never went through the same trauma, I totally understood the emotions and bonded with the character even more.

Silver Borne

The series continues drawing in a few loose ends from Iron Kissed. This time, Mercy is juggling fae issues along with a dangerously depressed Samuel. In Iron Kissed a lesser fae lent Mercy a book and now some bad ass fae decide they want the book. At the same time, Samuel, old friend and roommate, attempts to take his life so his ‘wolf’ side takes over. This is bad because without the human’s will to live, they go feral and have to be put down because of the extreme danger they pose.

The big character/plot development surrounds the unveiling of the ‘pack magic’ and the consequences of Mercy’s reluctance to join the pack earlier. Apparently Adam’s claim on her four years earlier left the pack venerable to attack which created agitation within the werewolf ranks. Now that Mercy has officially joined the pack and accepted Adam as a mate, she understands what no one was telling her over the years. Problem is that pack members are pissed and how far will they go with Adam over the issue?

River Marked

Adam, Jesse and Mercy’s mother surprise her with a wedding after filling her head with crazy wedding scenarios. Quickly after the reception begins, Adam whisks her away to a camping honeymoon along the Columbia Gorge (Biggs area). It doesn’t take long for Mercy to find herself wrapped up another mess, this time with a Native American river monster.

The big character development came from Mercy’s late father. Mercy never new her father because he died before she was even born. We only know that she gets her coyote form from him and his name was Joe Old Coyote. After rescuing an injured man from a drifting boat, Mercy meets several local Indians who lead her down the path of her coyote roots.

I enjoyed this story and I am happy that Adam and Mercy’s relationship continues to grow. I was a bit worried that once they got married, I would loose interest. Not so much! I continue to see the relationship solidify into something that looks better and better. It is refreshing to not have drama born out of relationship troubles.

Overall, I really liked this series and I am happy with my decision to purchase even though I was unemployed. Briggs is fabulous with giving lots of information without a big dump. Loose ends from one novel end up being a base of another novel. It gives a nice over arching bridge to the series. The series was perfect for summer afternoons on the porch.

Miniature Table Garden

2011-08-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I posted anything really cool. Between the new job and organizing a local festival, I am completely swamped and Uffda has suffered. Thanks for sticking with me. I do plan to continue the blog, but posts will be random till October.

That said, I found this post over at The Inspired Room and had to share. It is totally awesome! I want one. I think this is going on the wish list for next year's garden project.

Who else is adding this to the wish list of fun projects?

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches

2011-08-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Thank you, Trish! I loved this book and successfully ignored Andy for the duration because talking to people was not on my priority list. One night, I didn't eat dinner so I could read more. Within fifty pages, I knew I was going to love this book and bought the Nook version so I didn’t have to carry around the big hard back version that Trish loaned me.

This story is about a reluctant witch, Diana Bishop, who finds herself in the middle of a magical mess after an assumed lost manuscript finds it’s way to her. Without much thought, she returns the book to the library but magical bells go off alerting witches, vampires and demons of the activity. One vampire, Matthew Clairmont, finds himself reluctantly attracted to Diana even though he knows it is against some old agreement to date someone from a different race.

Of course there is tons of history stuff peppered since Diana is an alchemy historian. I am unclear on how real it all is, but I totally get her passion for history and how it connects her to Matthew. The history part helps bring along to story to the present and tie in the age old questions like the origin of life itself.

There are a lot of reasons to like this story. I seriously loved how drawn in to the story I was. I could ignore anything in my bubble of story time. I also loved the whole mysteriously drawn to each other stories. You know the ones where boy and girl know they shouldn’t love each other but they can’t help but fall in love. If these kinds of love stories had calories associated, I would be gaining back the 130 pounds I lost. (Sorry, doc!)

The only thing I didn’t enjoy is the fact that the next two books are not published yet. I was sending texts to Trish cussing her out about this for days. Every time I Google the next book, I am not getting any dates or names for the next book. I sincerely hope this doesn’t turn in to the George R.R. Martin situation where I have to wait seven years for the next book.

DiggersList

2011-08-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I saw an article in a magazine about a new website called DiggersList. The site provides free classifieds for home improvement materials. It looks very promising.

I liked the organization with easy browsing features. Pictures are included in the listings for faster browsing. Something we can all appreciate. Searches are limited to 50 miles around you, too.

The only down side is that local selection is still a little limited. I believe that the newness of the site contributes to the problem. From what I can tell, it looks as though the Habitat for Humanity Outlet Store is their biggest poster. As people learn about the site, this problem will take care of itself.

So if you are out there looking for another sustainable shopping option, then check it out.

Book Review: Dead Reckoning

2011-07-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

The new Sookie book came out this spring, and I was really looking forward to this book. Of course, I was exhausted from the Game of Thrones series so I re-read the last Sookie book, Dead in the Family, to cleanse my pallet. It was very refreshing to read a quick fun read without the political intrigue.

Anyway, my general assessment was that this was a fun book, but not the best Sookie book. This book follows Sookie as she recovers from the after math of the fae war while being attacked surviving several attacks at Merllotte's Bar. With the recent outing of the shape shifter population, suspect falls on anti shifter groups. Of course, it all turns out to be about Sookie. Of course!

One interesting development is the budding friendship between Sookie and her uncle, Dermot. Two books ago the dispelled Dermot was attacking Sookie. Now that all of the fae are locked away, the few remaining fae are gathering and because fae like to be around other fae. There is a little spark with Dermot because he takes on remodeling the attic after watching too much HGTV. Been there, done that.

Tension between her and Eric continues to grow which makes me sad because I really like Eric. Then Sookie goes and does an incredibly stupid and risky thing without talking about it with Eric first. Sookie just thinks that if Eric isn't going to share with her, then she doesn't need to share with him. It is obvious that there relationship is never going to grow with this self centered activity going on. For a relationship to succeed, the partner needs to be considered and consulted with on issues that effect each other. It will be interesting to see how Harris saves this relationship or who will be the next lover.

My only complaint is that the 'bad guy' was not new or original. I don't really want to give away the ending, but I will say that I was disappointed that it was just more of the same. Blah!

That said, I still love my Sookie series.

Cowabunga, Dude!

2011-07-24T20:32:00.001-07:00

A couple months ago, while Amanda was out of a job, an inspector from the city decided to come prowling around our run-off water water valve. After removing the manhole cover and playing around underground, he found that a control valve piece had fallen off. He said we had to have it fixed, or we'd be looking at a big fat fine. Given that Amanda wasn't bringing home the bacon, she decided that she would fix it herself. The inspector, Tim, showed Amanda how the pipe needed to be repaired, and ran back to his comfy office at the city to wait for us to provide photographic proof that we fixed it. We decided it would be criminal to not share this adventure.

First, we had to buy a new cap fitting for the offending pipe, and drill a 5/8" hole to allow the stormwater run-off to flow back into the city system at a regulated rate. That was probably the easiest part.

Next, we had to glue the PVC cap fitting onto the PVC pipe, which required special primer and adhesive. These chemicals (the purple stuff you can see running out of the cap) were NASTY. Amanda is lucky that she has no sense of smell, and didn't get that instant whiff of "oh no, I am losing a measurable number of brain cells with each inhalation" aroma. Luckily, that part didn't last long.

Next, we just had to install the pipe. Well, first we had to get past the manhole cover. Did you know that manhole cover bolts require a 1/2" allen wrench? Did you know that tool stores do not carry 1/2" allen wrenches? Did you know that if you order a 1/2" allen wench from a specialty tool store online, that they will just send you any old size they have lying around, even if its fundamentally too big? These are all important lessons to learn. Tim, being a superstar, was kind enough to come back to the house to remove the bolts for us, so that the fun part could begin.

After borrowing waders and boots from a neighbor who likes fly-fishing, we were ready to complete the repair. First, Amanda put on her special pretty new outfit.

Then, we removed the incredibly heavy manhole cover. It was time to do her very best ninja turtle impression, and climb down through the manhole. Unfortunately (for her) she was the only one that knew the secrets of how to install the pipe,

　

Amanda was...less than thrilled with her time in the sewers. She met a lot of new spiders, and got hip-deep in what can only charitably be described as "water". I'm not saying that Amanda squealed like a 4-year-old the whole time. I can't prove that. All I can say is that there was a lot of girly squealing coming from the open manhole that Amanda had just climbed down.

But she survived, and emerged victorious!

Well, mostly victorious. The runoff water melted her legs. But at least the fumes made her too delerious to notice!

We finally have a runoff system that wont result in a fine! Hooray!

Book Review: A Feast for Crows

2011-07-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

Either I have over dosed on this series or this book is just not very good. I will admit that I have gorged myself on the series since March.

This book seems to be all about Cerci who makes me want to claw my eyes out any way. Every time she came up, I thought she can't screw things up any more and then she would continue with her paranoid behavior that makes it embarrassing to be a girl around. Good news is that Brienne, Jamie and Arya are all in this book. They were the driving force in me finishing the book.

The best plot development seems to be along the Sam Tarwell story line. He is sent off with Gilly to get maester training and end up across the world. I am sure I was a little starved for romance because their silly little love at sea was one of the few story lines that I enjoyed.

The entire plot about the Greyjoy's and the Martell's were a waste of time. I really think the author could have dismissed all of that and had a more manageable book. As is, the book was split in half so I only have half of the picture as of now. Maybe that is where a lot of my frustration is really stemming from. Frustration that there is no Tyrion or Snow chapter. No Dany or Bran chapters. Come on!

The biggest problem with this book is that it is just too big of a story now. There are so many people that I don't have time to bond with any of them. I shouldn't be looking through the chapters to see how long till Arya comes back. There where chapters by people that only lasted one or two chapters. What's the point in that? It isn't like those characters died, but rather the character just didn't come back. WTF!

As I reflect back, I think that I may sound a little angry here. I don't have a ton of negative feeling. Just a lot of exhaustion. The newest book was just published (several years late) and I don't feel a strong drive to go and get it. I know I will read it, but it is time that I read a few lighter books with romance and super natural beings. I miss my silly little books.

While reading this book, the TV series has raped up the first season. I am please with the production and recommend it to everyone out there. The series really sticks to the books which is a nice change from the True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse series situation (don't get me started).

As for a recommendation, I am not sure on this book. If the next book is better, then read this one so you know that is happening. If the next book sucks, then I suggest stopping on book three.

Project: Factory Cart Table

2011-07-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

As you know, I am huge fan of the West Seattle Tool Library. I volunteer randomly and was really excited when the library was so successful they had to move to a larger facility after being open for less than a year. I went to a planning meeting for the new space and was really excited to make a coffee table for the new social area.

I based the plans out of Ana White's factory cart plan but added storage as inspired by a user on the Ana White website (http://www.ana-white.com/2011/03/work-progress-factory-cart-coffee-table). I loved that the person added just a little bit of storage and knew that the library would love to keep brochures and magazines in a safe spot. I also like that it has a rustic look which will be fitting in a workshop area

So in true Sustainable West Seattle style, I rummage around the house and was able to gather materials from scraps for almost the entire project. I took apart the pea trellis that I made last year and didn't plan on using again since growing food didn't trill me like I thought it would.

I also took apart an old gate that my neighbor had sitting around. Remember that bookcase that I made...well my mistakes from that project got used up too. The best news is that there were casters in the tool library workshop that we could use. That meant huge savings! So in the end I only had to purchase a couple 1x8's for the sides and the hinge for the top. I am pretty happy that the materials ended up totalling under $20. Woot!

So, I cut all of the boards for the outside framing part and got to work. It came together so quick and easy. Almost should have been a sin.

Next, I used that old gate and cut the boards to fit the inside of the box for the floor of the storage space. I did have splitting since it is not the easiest to salvage wood that has been outside for a few years. When a board split, I used both sides of the split board and it gave a great homemade look to it. You really can't tell, anyway.

Next, it is time to build the lid. This was not so difficult and simple to accomplish. The only thing to note is that those cross braces need to be shorter so they fit inside of the box. You want the lid to not close, don't you?

Now comes the tricky part....attaching the lid to the box. OMG! That was a crazy and frustrating situation. The piano hinge had a million tiny screws that stripped easily. We attached the hinge to the lid first since drilling down on the box seemed the smart way to go. The worst part was hold the lid up while managing tiny screws to attach to the box. We got it done, but did exchange a few swear words (more than a few).

Then I delivered to the library and they did the finishing and installed the casters. When I visited again, I got to see the finish product and was pretty happy with what they had done with it.

Thanks to Ana White once again for the plans and inspiration. It was a pleasure to make this and I am sure that the Tool Library will use it for a long time. The best thing is that I got to make something that I loved and don't need to find a place in the house for it. I am getting a really full house of furniture.

BTW- The Tool Library now has a fully functioning workshop with tons of big and expensive tools for you to use. Plus workbenches for your projects. It is the perfect situation for renters or condo folks who don't have the garage space to do Ana White projects. Check out their website for details.

Project: Sock Monkey Lovie

2011-06-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have completed the Sock Monkey Lovie Blanket for a friend's baby that is due in September. As I have been unemployed for a month, I was able to finish a knitting project in record time.

When I found out my friend was prego, I immediately started thinking about what to get. I scoured knitting stores and Ravelry for patterns. I thought I would do a blanket but worried about the time needed to knit a blanket. I thought I would do fun Nintendo dolls but then thought they might end up as dog toys. Plus I found out you shouldn't have stuffed animals near newborns. I didn't really want to do clothes, because they grow so fast. What to do.....

I was having lunch with a girlfriend, Nikki, with a seven month old and talking to her about what her daughter likes the most. Nikki went on and on about her daughter's lovie (stuffed animal head and blanket body). Nikki doesn't keep stuff animals in the crib either, but makes an exception for the lovie. She says that her daughter will start fussing, grab her lovie and then fall back to sleep. It has been a great healthy way for her daughter to self sooth and definitely something that she suggests for all new mommies.

So back to Ravelry where I found the pattern for a sock monkey lovie blanket. I liked that it was old looking with the colors and style. But the technique is nothing that I can't do. So for the first time ever, I actually bought a pattern from Ravelry.

This pattern knits up FAST! The ears and muzzle are knitted separately and then slip stitched onto the head. This isn't so bad, but I think my sock monkey is droopy on the right side and looks a little like a stroke victim. But I am not going to worry about it and just carry on.

After the head is finished, the hard part is picking up fifty stitches around the base of the head. This is basically impossible because the head is not fifty stitches around. Good news is that you have one row to add the stitches before the pattern really starts. Just go around and evenly add the missing stitches.

Then you just go round and round following the pattern. This is the first time I have done yarn overs and think I did OK. I liked the pretty little holes and found it a fun way to increase the rounds.

Before I knew it, I got to change colors and then I was ready to end the blanket. A feature I really liked was the edging to the blanket. The basic stockinette stitch has a bad habit of curling on the edges. When I was about finished, it struck me that this was going to curl. I checked the pattern again and there is a solution for the edge....more yarn overs. Hmmmm...

Well that works great! Thanks pattern! The sock monkey lovie is now finished and ready for the baby.

Well I guess he needs eyes still, but I don't want buttons that could fall off. I think I may just keep him eyeless for safety.

So what do you think? Is it a hit?

Project: Window Bench

2011-06-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone has those spots in your home that are a bit awkward and mine was the front window area. The problem is that there is a gap between the window space and the main part of the room to accommodate the fireplace. So everyone sits on the couch and Lazyboy for visiting and watching TV leaving the window area neglected.

I attempted to make a window seat from an old coffee table, but I didn't like how this turned out. The fabric ended up being too slippery and people would just slide right of. Plus the cushion was too tall for the shorter guests. Worst part was that the cats wanted to use it as a scratching post.

I tried placing a couch there, but I didn't like that the back of the couch blocked part of the window. I also had a hard time accessing the window blinds because the couch was in the way. The real problem is that I didn't like the couch and it was not comfortable.

After watching a million home shows, I convinced myself that a built in window bench is the solution. It seems as like all of those shows on HGTV are building window benches in odd little nooks like this. Andy was on board so the next decision was what kind of window bench: basic box for storage or more complicated drawer system for easier access to storage.

After looking at a ton of pictures and plans, I was able to clearly express my ideas to Andy. The best source for pictures was the Houzz blog. Every so often they post idea books with loads of inspiration. This post struck my inspiration bone with the pictures posted in the comment section by Annet. I loved that there was space for books and simple display. I can just picture baskets of kids toys in the future too (shh, don't tell Andy that I am thinking that seriously about kids).

So I took measurements and made a crude drawing as to what I needed to do. The width of the space is 84 inches and the deepest I could make it was 14 inches. I would post a picture of the drawing, but I spilled paint on it. Oops!

First, I removed all of the trim in the space making sure to use a spackle tool between the wall and the crowbar to prevent drywall damage.

Next, I built a simple frame for the base with 2x4's. I made this frame three inches less deep to allow for a toe kick. The idea is that if the bench has a toe kick and trim, it will look more professional. I also made sure to have the cross beams centered under the open spaces of the book shelves. This should prevent shelf sagging in the future.

The next step is to create the actual bookcase. I kept it simple and opted for three basic boxes out of cabinet grade plywood (the cheapest I could find). This part takes some thinking and careful math. I really depended on an accurate drawing making sure to allow space for the width of the wood before dividing into three to determine the width of each box. I also decided to cap the ends of the plywood with 1x2's to hide the plywood edge.

Next, I took a sheet of plywood the full width and depth of the space and screwed down to the bookcase frame. Note: Make sure to paint the frame and the bottom of this sheet of plywood prior to installing.

As expected, I painted the inside of the bookcase boxes and top piece of plywood. I went with a high gloss paint so it can be easily washed. I also decided to go with white to match the fireplace mantle. It took about three coats to get the coverage that I wanted. I only painted the inside because the rest of the box is not going to be visible once complete. I also painted the back of the box separately because I need to access the box from both ends to paint. Plus, I thought it would avoid having big nasty drips in the back this way.

Once the insides and backs were painted, I tacked on the back and prepared for a test fit in the living room.

Hurray! It fits!

Now I had to work on actually installing the sucker. I re-installed the trim and pulled the bookcase apart for final install. This was fairly simple and I secured with wood glue. I really didn't want visible screws and felt that the glue was sufficient.

Next, I took the top piece of plywood and glued it to the top. It is really coming together at this point.

Unfortunately, this is not the end so we had to wait for the 1x2's to be painted and installed. Otherwise the front would have looked like this...

The 1x2's installed smoothly. I did have to custom fit the left and right boxes due to the slightly smaller gap between wall and box. They turned out perfect though.

So I am super happy with the final result. This is the first project I did without a proper plan. I impressed myself with the ability to visualize the bench and implement without wasting supplies. I did have to trim pieces here and there, but nothing major.

The cats are happy to have their window sill back too. They love to plot against the crows that frequent the scary tree.

I will need to trim up the curtains soon. I can't wait to make cushions and fill up the bench with pillows. All of those throw pillows in closets are going to get to come out and play again.

What do you think?

I will be sharing this project with the following link parties:

Remodelaholic
The Shabby Chic Cottage

Friday Link Love

2011-06-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Easy Knit Produce Bags by Delia Creates

No Sew Grommet Curtains by Brooklyn Limestone

Sunburst Mirror by Crazy Wonderful

I apologize for not posting more this week. I have been busy searching for a job, building, painting and knitting. I should have some goodies for you next week. Since I am super excited, here is a little sneak peek for you....

Weather looks like it is getting better so I better get out in the garden and enjoy it. I wish you all the best this weekend. See you again soon.

Cheers!

Book Review: A Storm of Swords

2011-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords picks up immediately and thrust you deeper into war torn Westeros. The war ravage kingdom continues to struggle with the struggles between the Lannisters, Starks and Baratheon families.

The Stark children continue to struggle to stay alive in a war torn world where they can trust no one. Robb and Catelyn attempt to repair their alliance after Robb rushes into a marriage outside of his betrothal to the Freys. Arya is captive by one group after another until she is almost returned to Robb and then disaster strikes. The helpless Sansa continues to be held captive by the Lannisters and forced into a unwanted marriage. Then Bran and Rickeon are assumed dead to the world, and separated from each other while Bran makes his way north to seak out the three-eyed crow. As this isn't enough for the family to bear, John Snow is playing turncloak with the wildlings until he is able to make his escape back to Castle Black. Zeesh!

The Lannisters also have their drama and Jamie Lannister begins to develop as a decent guy. I never thought that would happen since he pushed an eight year old out a window in the Storm of Swords. Joffrey continues to develop as a class A jerk. Tywin Lannister plays a larger roll as he returns to Kings Landing to be The Hand for Joffrey. Sadly Tyrion has lost all of his power after nearly dieing in the battle with Stannis' forces. Tyrion attempts to assert himself with Tywin only to confirm his worst fears. As the truth is revealed, Tyrion has been victimized by the Lannisters nearly as badly as the Starks.

Meanwhile, Dany continues bond with the dragons and gather strength on the other side of the world. She makes way across land amassing followers as she goes. As her cities revert back to slavery, deception is discovered and her followers begin to starve, Dany has to decide if moving further is the right next step.

Stannis is still around and trying to recover from losing the battle at Kings Landing. He seems to be easily manipulated by those around him. Eventually he makes his way North to try to defend against the Wildlings and Others who are waging war against the Night Watch.

This book is ginormous! This is probably the largest book I have ever read and I enjoyed every minute...except for those stupid Davos chapters. By far, my favorite parts are when John Snow is with the Wildlings. Yigrette is just awesome!

The plots lines have expanded with the Stannis and Jamie story lines. Unfortunately, no plot lines are resolved. The book is beginning to get a little too big for it's britches. I hope that Martin can bring some of this to a close in the next book, but I am told that I should not expect that.

Bad part is that Martin continues to kill off people and destroy my hopes and dreams. No one is safe and nothing is resolved. Good people turn bad and vise verse. The true genius is that he can turn what appears to be a truly bad character and give them justifiable reasons to be an ass: love, family, trust, security, home, etc. I then start relating to the 'bad' guys and those lines of good and bad blur beyond recognition. Ultimately, that is why we love these books.

Friday Link Love

2011-05-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Thread Pendant by Chris Loves Julia

Knock-off Layla Pillow by Life, Crafts, and Whatever

Converting a Vase to a Lamp at Remodelaholic

Leather Bracelet for Father's Day by Lil Blue Boo

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! I hope everyone has a sunny and fun weekend. Andy and I are off to visit family and friends in our hometown. Rumor has it that my Aunt will be in town too. For those of you traveling, remember to practice patience and be safe.

Cheers!

Cat Grass is Fun!

2011-05-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, Chairman got a little cat grass growing kit. I procrastinated growing because of my busy schedule. Well now that I am unemployed, so why not take the time to grow her cat grass.

Growing was not as difficult as I thought it would be. There is a period where you cover the pot with a lid to allow for germination which kinda scared me. But before I knew it, the sprouts were lifting the lid. Then a week later, I had a pot full of grass.

Best thing is that Chairman loves the cat grass. She grabs a bunch and pulls the entire pot across the counter. Another great thing is that Colonel doesn't really care about it so the cat grass really is a gift for Chairman. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier.

Both cats are getting more active with the nice spring weather we have been experiencing. I am actually breaking out the toys these days. They are so much fun.

Most of the time they are enjoying the cat bed I made on my desk. If they are not sleeping, then they are plotting exotic deaths for the crows that visit the scary tree.

What special treat do your kitties enjoy?

Project: Bunk Beds

2011-05-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have been guiding my neighbor, Holli M., on building bunk beds since late March and they are finally complete. We met during nap time and evening about two to three days a week. I really enjoyed teaching someone how to use the power tools and build furniture. It was a great experience.

We got the building plans from http://www.ana-white.com/. There are a few bunk beds, and we chose the classic bunk beds. When you live among three floors, the ability to separate for moving is important. We really didn't want to have a fully assembled bed that couldn't be maneuvered around.

Here are some pictures of the process...

First we cut all of the lumber

This is Holli enjoying our
first step completed.

Prior to painting, we drilled the bolt holes
and assembled to ensure
there is no wobble.

Holli sanding away. We called in the
help here and recruited her
husband for one evening of sanding.

All edges are rounded for a little safety.

Then we took it all apart for painting.

Lastly, we brought the pieces down
to her house and assembled.

Cooper and Iris are very happy with the new bed.

I have to say, I am more than pleased with the outcome. I had lots of warnings from people about homemade beds being wobbly and squeaky. The bunk beds didn't suffer from either problem. This makes me look forward to making bunk beds in the future for my own kids too.

I will be sharing this project with the following blog parties...

Between Naps on the Porch
Remodelaholic
Finding Fabulous

Project: Teal Shawl Complete

2011-05-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

I did it! My first shawl. Actually, it is a shawlette but I will count it anyways. I am happy with the results, but find it is really small. It will be good as a scarf but not really as a traditional shawl.

One thing that I did for the first time was blocking. I googled a tutorial and fumbled my way through the process. It was not really difficult, but I don't know if I did it right. I am not confident that it made a big difference. I did the blocking in two phases so I could use a bulletin board to push the pins into.

Here are some pictures of the completed shawl.

If you are interested in making this shawl, here is the pattern. It is a free pattern so go for it. You can get good practice and increases and decreases too.

Book Review: Clash of Kings

2011-05-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2) by George R.R. Martin

The follow up to the Game of Thrones is just as fantastic and compelling. The plot deepens and deception is around every corner.

The book picks up at the conclusion of the first book leading right into the power struggle. As the kingdom of Westeros recovers from the loss of their King Robert, four claims are made to the thrown. King Robb, son of Ned Stark, claims to be King of the North. The late King Robert's brothers, Renly and Stannis, also make claim as rightful heirs to the thrown. All a while the boy-king, Joffrey, sits upon the thrown with the support of the Lannister family. Meanwhile, Jon Snow, bastard son of Ned Stark, travels beyond the Wall to find yet another King that wishes to move south for the winter. Yes, winter truly is coming...

A new development in this book is the rise of what I would equate as the radical religious right. Religion has always been important to the cast, and a healthy respect for other religions are displayed. In this book, a new group seems to be emerging that warships the Lord of the Light. Followers have visions in fires that tell of what is and what may be. Lord Stannis has fully adopted this group as he leans on the visions to foresee his success or failure. The critical difference is that this group is willing to kill for their God.

The Stark children all seem to be out in the world fighting for survival. Arya escapes Kings Landing and goes undercover as a boy destined for the Wall, while Sansa is kept prisoner by King Joffrey. Bran and Rickon remain at Winterfell and find that a former friend is now foe as Winterfell comes under attack.

Then across the great sea, Daneary, continues to build a great army in her quest to gain control of Westeros. While her part is small in this book, it is a critical step in her quest to return to Westeros. She also continues to adopt a strong view on human rights and slavery.

There is much much much more happening, but these are the big plot points. Martin continues to create deep plots that are action packed. Speaking of action, the battle scenes are intense and powerful. It was like watching a movie.

The big theme of the book seems to continue on the track of Can a Good Person Retain Power? While the last book was based in the good gaining and loosing power (Stark and Barathon), this book seems to be more about the evil gaining and loosing power (Lannister and Stannis). How far will someone go to retain the power? Tyrion has loads of success in his back stabbing, but will it be enough to keep his nephew on the thrown? And at what cost to Tyrion and the people he cares about? As Danearys develops into the next 'good' person, will she be able to regain control?

Ultimately, this is a great book in the fantasy realm. It has complex plots and characters. Even the evil characters are compelling to the point that you are actually routing for them. It is always interesting to see the evil characters hate other evil characters that you also dislike. But then it creates this conundrum, where readers start to relate to evil characters. If you ask me, this is wonderful character development.

Another reason that I love this book series is that it spurs a ton of healthy debate between Andy and myself. He totally doesn't understand the female characters and I find that I am always fighting for Sansa as he sees her as a silly girl. I can now endorse this as a series that men and woman and read and have active debates about. Recently, Andy and I debated the characters for two hours on a road trip.

A Night of Sookie

2011-05-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

We interrupt your normal Gardening and DIY programming for a serious nerd moment. I admit that I am a reader of silly romantic sci-fi books and the Sookie Stackhouse series is my favorite (at least is it my favorite today). My friend Nikki and I went to a reading with the author Charlaine Harris on Saturday and had a great time.

I have never gone to a reading before and feared that it would be like what I see on TV with a person reading in a small corner of a bookstore. I guess Harris is a big deal to more than just me because we were at the old City Hall with a room full of people and full stage. If I had to guess, I would say there was around a hundred people present. As things got going, I was also surprised to see that it was more like a town hall Q&A session with a no spoilers rule. Woot!

I learned a few interesting things. The biggest shock was there are only going to be two more books. Harris loves the Sookie Stackhouse series but wants to write other things as well. It is understandable, but I am going to be sad when it is all over. On a scary note, Harris gave no indication on if Sookie will have her happily-ever-after ending and noted that she doesn't believe in happy ending. O man!

Harris was a great speaker and injected humor where ever possible. When someone asked if Sookie would be turned into a vampire, Harris replied 'No, she likes to sun bath too much.' When another gal started going on and on and on about post traumatic syndrome and how Sookie should see a therapist to deal with the trauma, Harris replied with a quip about how the book series is fictional and mental health treatment is no where on her radar. The audience exploded with cheer and I was so happy to have an author give a real answer that was so not politically correct.

After an hour of questions, we all lined up for book signing and pictures. I got my book signed and my Nook signed. It was a bit silly to get the Nook signed, but I figured that my Nook will by like those guitars that people have music artist sign. When I go to these events, I will have them sign my Nook and have the joy of seeing my favorite authors any day.

Here is the book signing picture of Charlaine Harris, myself and Nikki.

What is your experience with book signing events? Bored or jazzed?

May Garden Party

2011-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so all of those April showers are supposed to be paying off for me. Let's see what I have growing this month...

The tulipa is finished and the daffodils are starting to decline. The star as of now is this pretty flower that I can't remember the name of. The neat thing is that every night they close up and during the day the flower tracks the sun throughout the day. It is a very active little guy.

The lilac bush is going gangbusters even though it has not actually started blooming. The blooms are really weighting down the bush but I love the blooms to much to cut back.

The next show stoppers will probably be the peony that is growing strong and then my beloved day lilies.

I also need to plant the veggie patch. Currently, I have strawberries and chives planted. Good news is that the strawberries are blooming so I should have lots of strawberries soon. Yippee! I think I will plant some peas and herbs this afternoon. It will be nice to not have to look at so much dirt.

Lastly, the front of the fence area is still looking good. The irises are all coming up so I look forward to seeing if any bloom this year. I think it will likely be next year before they bloom at all. The lilies are super happy and coming up strong too.

Well, I am off to plant some more things. What are you planting this spring?

Friday Link Love

2011-05-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

PVC Mirror by Thrifty and Chic

Rebecca Cole Designs

West Elm Knock Off Headboard by Decor and The Dog

Cherry Blossom Dresser by Miss Mustard Seed

I hope you all have a project filled weekend. I am looking forward to Saturday night because I am going to a book signing by Charlaine Harris. Yes, I am going to be mingling with the creator of the Sookie Stackhouse series. Prepare for a nerd posting next week.

Crosswalk Update...Declined Again

2011-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

To recap, I am pursuing a crosswalk across Delridge on my block. It is a very very busy road! I submitted the first request last May that was declined due to insufficient travel across the road. Then in January I was discussing the situation with Tom Rassmussen (City Council Member) and he asked SDOT about the crosswalk again. Guess what!?! It has been declined again.

Here is the message from SDOT:

Dear North Delridge Community Members:

Thank you for contacting the city of Seattle regarding your request for a crosswalk at Delridge Way SW and SW Edmunds Street. Councilmember Rasmussen shared your request with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).

A legal crosswalk exists at every intersection; however, this intersection does not meet SDOT's criteria for installing a marked crosswalk. SDOT installs crosswalks when over twenty pedestrians cross at the intersection in a one hour period. This attempts to ensure that drivers become accustomed to stopping for pedestrians and do not grow accustomed to seeing a continually empty crosswalk. We have also looked at the reported collision history and are thankful to report there has only been two reported collision in the past three years. With our findings, SDOT cannot recommend installation of a marked crosswalk at this intersection; and without a marked crosswalk, SDOT will not install a pedestrian activated signal.

The city of Seattle has developed the Pedestrian Master Plan (PMP), which defines the steps needed to make Seattle a more walkable, livable, and healthy city. The plan establishes the policies, programs, design criteria, and projects that will further enhance pedestrian safety, comfort, and access in all of Seattle's neighborhoods.

The PMP places a high value on data to inform how decisions get made about the projects and programs that can improve and sustain walking in Seattle. In prioritizing projects, the analyses of where people walk along and across the roadway are only a small piece of the puzzle. Other variables, such as speed limits, road width and traffic signals, also contribute to the final decisions made through the plan. Point values are assigned to all roads and intersections to encompass the combination of these variables for relative comparison. Locations within high-priority areas identified in the PMP are considered first.
Research and experience has shown that painting stripes on roadways to designate crosswalks is not the answer to pedestrian safety. Safe crossings of streets are dependent upon good driver behavior and good pedestrian behavior. Any situation can become a dangerous one if poor driving or improper pedestrian behavior is involved. While SDOT focuses on both traffic operations and the physical environment, everyone plays a role in pedestrian safety.

In summary, although it is a simple enough matter to paint a crosswalk across a street, additional steps are required to create a pedestrian crossing that people will use, and that will, in fact, benefit pedestrians.

Thank you again for your inquiry. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the SDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Program directly at (206) 684-7583 or via e-mail at walkandbike@seattle.gov. They will be happy to assist you further.

Sincerely,
Reiner Blanco, P.E.
Senior Civil Engineer
Seattle Department of Transportation

So once again, I am left bitching and moaning about the inability to cross the street without the fear of death. Ugh!