Aesthetic Outburst

Hot wing...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:44:00 +0000

We now have chickens...4 of them. This is Hot Wing, and her sisters are named Pecker, Mrs. Twit, and Fluffy (aka Napoleon). Can you tell that Kicky and EZ E named them? We spent most of the weekend cleaning the yard and getting their coop ready, which made us realize how woefully out of shape we are. My arms ache, but our yard looks so much better. We cut down a bunch of brush between the trees by our shed and made a garden map. It was fabulous to sit outside and make a list of the projects we hope to accomplish this Spring/Summer. First on the list (besides 4 little chickens in a coop): barn roof and electric. That before/after is going to feel amazing! Yesterday I sat in the yard just staring at the barn, imagining a functioning space with art studios and a party loft (sort of like this). Exciting!

Before and after...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:13:00 +0000

I know how much ya'll love a good before/after and I happen to find this one particularly inspiring. Here's the story...Tioga County Council on the Arts (where I work) is located in the heart of downtown historic Owego, NY. Our building was constructed in 1870 and was originally occupied by a bank. The Arts Council bought the building fourteen years ago and folks have worked really hard to bring it back to life. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, Owego, along with many surrounding communities, was devastated by a flood in 2011. As a result, the Arts Council lost their classroom and storage space. Thanks to many generous donors and grants (and a lot of elbow grease), that space has been beautifully renovated and this is it!

As you can see from the before photos (see bottom of this post), the walls were covered in paneling, the floors were covered in (stinky) burnt orange carpeting, and there was a drop ceiling. Once all of that was removed, Brian Kennedy Contracting repointed all of the stone and brick and Ken Luby painted the floors and ceiling. Our furnace was moved to the first floor and flood-resistant wiring was installed throughout.

I love this old Arts Council sign painted on glass and couldn't resist hanging it up as a nod to our past...

Even the stairway looks so much better!

and now it's accessible...

Let's take a look at the before photos (afters on the right). I made an attempt to take the after photos from the same angle. Yikes...

A low railing took the place of a wall...

This is the pair of photos that really knocks it home for me.

Now it's the perfect space for workshops and meetings. We have a full line-up of Spring workshops- click here for more information. Pretty fabulous, eh?

Haphazardly lazy...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Sunday was haphazardly lazy (I mean that in the best possible way). The day was all about taking care of wooden spoons, watering neglected plants...

playing in the dollhouse...

finding strange collections...

and building forts...

It was just what we needed!

Spring-ish...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

I thought I'd do a little round-up of past Easter-ish posts. We don't really celebrate Easter per se, so I was a little surprised to find that I've shared so many Easter-related posts. The photo above of EZ E (post here) is my absolute favorite photo of him thus far. He truly rocked that carrot boutonniere. The drawing that Shelley Weber made from that photo is one of my most valued treasures.

I broke out the carrot garland last week. The post is here. I'm working on a garland of other fruits and vegetables that I'll share soon.

My minimalist bunny post is here. I made the peg people to fit inside those fabulously shiny eggs. I'll be filling the exact same buckets with treats this weekend.

My silly plastic canvas rabbit mask is here. One of my very favorite bloggers- Chiara Alberetti Milott- won that mask and shared her post here. I obsessively check her blog every.single.day. She's super talented.

My puff painted eggs are here- they received some hilariously snarky comments on a random Yahoo Shine post. People are crazy. Too funny!

Any plans for Easter? What about Spring? I just want to get lost in the garden and for my hands to smell like dirt. I'm thinking about planting morning glories again this year. I've been feeling really uninspired and overwhelmed lately- the Northeast is always rough this time of year, I suppose. I seriously need to snap out of this funk. Anyone else feeling it? UGH. I really, really miss you all. xo, Abbey

Square...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 18:43:00 +0000

We went to a square dance this weekend for work. I used to have to square dance in highschool, but I've never been to an actual dance put on by anyone other than my gym teacher, who we all adored, in part, because he would sing along to all of the songs. A square dance that I actually had to help organize, though? That's unchartered territory, my friends, and frankly, I was a little nervous. Thanks to a Folk Arts grant, the Arts Council has been putting on these dances for about 15 years. We have 5 square & round dances scheduled in Tioga County this year (click here for more details). I was curious to see what it would be like- who would come, where the dance would be, what the music would be like, etc.

We had so much fun! The dance was held in a gorgeous old community center in Berkshire, New York. Originally built in 1932, it had been abandoned for 55 years. About 15 years ago, a group of people got together to save the building and to create a space for their community to gather once again. They built a new foundation, refinished the wood walls, floors, and ceilings (stunning!), replaced the heating system, etc. They're still working to restore the stage and make new curtains, along with several other projects. It was the perfect setting for a dance. The outer edge of the room was lined with vintage chairs and hay bales to sit on...

EZ E and Kicky ran around while they waited for the dance to start. The building had been used as a gym for a highschool before the school was torn down. The floors still have the telltale markings of a gymnasium.

In fact, the space is once again being used for basketball games. The windows have a protective layer of chicken wire to keep basketballs from crashing through.

All of the light fixtures were protected by these fabulous, original metal cages.

The ceiling was unbelievably gorgeous.

Here's the handmade basketball hoop at one end of the building. The stage was on the opposite end.

Kicky and EZ E hung out on the chairs and talked about how they should've worn cowboy boots.

I was really surprised by how many people came to dance. At one point I counted 58 people, which seemed like a lot for a Saturday night in a rural little town. I loved watching the windows steam up while people danced and laughed.

The variety of boots made me feel like we were in Texas! Check out those fancy red boots...

It was hard to take photos because everyone was moving so fast.

This is the outside of the Berkshire Community Center. I was so impressed by their commitment to save this building and keep a place for members of their community to be together. I know it sounds cynical, but sometimes I feel like authenticity isn't easy to come by- it can be astonishingly refreshing, particularly when you're least expecting it. Singing along to the band playing Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline songs and watching a genuinely enthusiastic audience spin and laugh and whisper and try...it was lovely.

Spring...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:33:00 +0000

Our snowbells have arrived. Thank goodness because I am SO ready for Spring. I just want to be outside digging in the dirt. You?

Big event...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:02:00 +0000

I'm helping to organize an event at work and would love for YOU to participate! Feel free to spread the news and let me know if you have any questions. Here's the scoop...

Tioga County Council on the Arts is thrilled to announce a new collaborative art event called artfully SQUARED. Artfully SQUARED is open to creatives of all ages and skill levels. Here's how it works: use ANY medium to make a piece that measures 7" square, donate your artwork to Tioga County Council on the Arts (TCCA), and then come see the exhibition and buy original artwork for your walls! All artworks will be exhibited in TCCA's ArtSpace Gallery during the entire month of April and each piece will be available to purchase for $20. In addition to our regular weekly gallery hours, TCCA will be open 10 am - 5 pm on Saturdays for the whole month of April. There is no fee to enter and all proceeds will benefit the programs at Tioga County Council on the Arts . Submissions have already started coming in- we'll be sharing them here soon. Click here for an entry form. We can't wait to see what YOU make!

Positive change...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:32:00 +0000

Time has been just spinning by over the past few months. I'm still trying to adjust to a full-time work schedule and, as I'm sure you've noticed, haven't quite figured out how to fit everything in. After five years of posting every single weekday, I'm entering my sixth year of blogging rather quietly and that feels a bit odd. I do miss this space, but precious time with Kicky, EZ E, and PRH trumps blogging (as it should). As director of Tioga County Council on the Arts, I've also been meeting a lot of interesting people and have started to feel more like part of a community offline. We're planning a lot of exciting projects, including a big art event in April (more on that soon) and a new Arts Council website. It feels like I'm participating in something that will make a difference. This quote from Katrina Rodabaugh is hanging above my desk at work:

"I believe that creative collaboration leads to vibrancy that ultimately creates positive social change."

I couldn't agree more and have been working hard to facilitate that idea. It's been really fabulous! I hope you're all doing well, too.

Btw, I may be quiet in this space, but I do have a few personal projects kicking around here and here. xo, Abbey

Open House POSTPONED...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Thanks a lot, snow.

Valentines...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:30:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of Valentine's Day- any day devoted specifically to telling people that you love them is alright in my book. The babes and I worked on their classroom valentines yesterday. We tried to offset some of the chocolaty, flower-delivered, commercial madness with our messy, little homemade gifts, inspired by the valentines on this board. I'll share photos tomorrow! The valentine above is from this series of projects.

interwoven:: make: thread: craft: art

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:32:00 +0000

Aren't these studio shots inspiring? I don't know about you, but every February I feel like I could use a creative shot of sorts. Who better to come to our rescue than artists Katrina Rodabaugh and Lisa Solomon?! These super creative ladies have created a textile-based online course called INTERWOVEN:: make : thread : craft : art.

INTERWOVEN will guide students in four techniques over four weeks, with each week focused on a different textile project. What I love about online courses like this is that you can work at your own pace. The private website will be available all day, every day, from the first day of class on February 4 through April 30.

Lisa and Katrina describe it best: "The course is designed with the beginner crafter and the experienced artist in mind. It aims to offer everyone a supportive creative community, daily inspired prompts, thorough tutorials, personal feedback, insider tips for tools & resources, and inspiration to nail the basics AND take these projects to the next level."

Sounds awesome, right? Click here to sign up. Lisa and Katrina are offering a special 10% discount to Aesthetic Outburst readers. Just use the code 'JOINUS' at checkout.

Little room revisited...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:38:00 +0000

Ahhhhhhh....that's a sigh of relief. We are finally done with this weird little room and I'm really happy about that. Please excuse the wonky shot above (everything looks a little crooked...well, maybe it is?). There are plenty of before photos here, but check out the shot below...

...and after, taken from the same angle. We still need to fix some trim around the door (oh, and sheetrock the rest of the living room). The black blob on the floor is Show Dog.

An old picnic bench is working well as a low bookshelf. As you can see, my magazine obsession knows no bounds...

I love the late-afternoon, copper-colored light in this room.

One more before image, including textured walls, fake wood paneling, 1970's brick, and a saw thrown in for good measure...

and after! Yay!!!

Open house...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:01:00 +0000

You're ALL invited to come celebrate with us! The Tioga County Council on the Arts building is located in the heart of downtown historic Owego. As you know, Owego, along with many surrounding communities, was devastated by a flood in 2011. As a result, the Arts Council lost their classroom and storage space. Thanks to many generous donors (and a lot of hard work), that space has been beautifully renovated and we're inviting everyone to come celebrate! Looking forward to seeing you!

A huge mess...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:40:00 +0000

A few more photos of our mess because this is real life, peeps. Plus, who doesn't want to see a big old mess on somebody's blog? The photo above pretty much sums it up...my empty glass of wine and our beat up Mac, sitting on our book-covered dining room table. The photo below: our chair with a dog toy stuffed under the leg and more piles of books.

My desk in our dining room with- you guessed it- more books. And a Scooby Doo game.

Here's what makes the mess kind of worth it, though. Our stairs don't look like this anymore.

They still need work, but now they look like this.

and this room...

looks like this today...

My task for tonight is to CLEAN. Wish me luck.

1 year, 6 months, 2 days...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:50:00 +0000

Remember this post from over a year ago? Yeah. As you can see in the photo above, not much had changed since that post. Much to PRH's chagrin, I agreed to have a local news channel film a story at our house one day this week (more on that soon). Thankfully, it was just the kick in the pants that we needed to finally finish this weird little room. My DIY project when I come home from work tonight? Paint perfectly smooth walls. Wooo hooooo! I can't tell you how good it feels to finish a personal project before the end of this month.

The floors are covered in dust and look filthy, and the rest of the house looks like a bomb went off, but I'm super happy. I constantly have to remind myself that we've only owned this house for 1 year, 6 months, 2 days. Here's a photo (before we bought the house) of the same room from almost the same angle. The floors were in rough shape; there was a door to the stairwell; the walls were a textured, cream-colored mess; and those dark wood beams seemed a bit out of place.

As I've mentioned before, besides size, one of the other problems with the little room was the amount of texture; the wood beams, the wood paneling above the woodstove, the brick, the stone, and the plastered walls (you can't see the texture in this photo, but it was bad)...

Things started to look better once PRH knocked down the wall. The living room is still L-shaped, but we'll take care of that problem in a few years.

Patience is not one of my strong suits and, particularly now that I have an actual full-time job, the idea of actually finishing renovation projects was starting to feel a bit more overwhelming than it did before. Now that this project is nearing completion, we feel more motivated to go forward. Next project? Clean up this mess. Yikes...

Beautify Owego...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:26:00 +0000

I mentioned yesterday that I came across a cache of incredible vintage photos at work when I was organizing files. This is one of them. In the early 1960's, a local club called Sunset Gardeners organized several beautification projects in Owego. This float was part of a parade that marked Owego's 175th anniversary. I've been sharing the photos on the Arts Council's Facebook page. For those of you not on Facebook, the Arts Council's page is public, so everyone can see. Come take a look!

Hello again...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:21:00 +0000

I broke our bathroom sink basin last week (ahem...again), so PRH, the kiddos and I set out to find a new one this weekend. We ended up stopping at a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in North Corning where I found this interesting little house for $5. I love small, handmade buildings and was thrilled to find it. Thankfully, aside from breaking sinks, things at home have been quiet. The kiddos have been playing in the snow with Show Dog...

and set up camp with a cardboard house in our dining room...

My new job has been busy, but I'm in love with it. It really feels like a perfect fit. I've been thinking more than usual (!!!) and, as is my usual habit, have had some trouble sleeping (hence the 6 AM post). I think that just comes with new job territory though, right? Actually, almost every other position I've had has made me feel nauseous for several months until normalcy seemed to sink in. Thankfully, that's not to case with this job.

When minor head-clearing is needed, I go for a long walk around downtown Owego. This is the Tioga County courthouse, which is right next to the Arts Council. I've been re-organizing the Arts Council files and came across a folder of images of Owego from the early 1960's, including some photos of a beautification project at the courthouse. Ah-mazing! I'll share them soon.

This week is going to be really fun! Artist Jim DeLucia's reception is this coming Friday night at the Arts Council from 5-8 PM (of course, you're all invited!). Then, on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM, Irish folk musician Pat Kane will be performing (again, you're invited!). Hope to see you!

Great minds...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:30:00 +0000

A funny thing happened on Christmas morning this year- PRH and I exchanged gifts...and basically gave each other the same gift. He made a painting of our house (top painting) and I bought a painting of a farmhouse by super talented artist, Amy Greenan (bottom painting). PRH and I had a good laugh on Christmas morning.

As for Amy Greenan, I've wanted to meet her for several years- we have a lot of mutual friends and went to the same college, but always seemed to miss each other. We finally had the opportunity to meet at second storie and instantly clicked. She's fabulous! I fell in love with her painting that day and couldn't resist picking it up for PRH (OK...and maybe for me, too). It reminded me so much of our house. Now the two paintings are hanging on our horribly textured walls. I think we've started a new collection, and I have a fabulous new friend!

The snow has arrived...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Last Winter was unusually warm, so I was really looking forward to the arrival of snow this year. It's most certainly here- we have 18 inches on the ground right now and this is the view from almost every window of our farmhouse. It's really quite pretty...when I don't have to drive. I hope you all had a fabulous new year! 2013 is going to be awesome.

Happy new year!

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:37:00 +0000

I baked these cookies a few years ago for a birthday party for Rachael, one of my besties. I genuinely think that this is going to be our best year yet, don't you? Fingers crossed.

A fresh start...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This past month has been one big, exhilarating whirlwind. I've been so quiet lately because I started a new job in mid-December. I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I've accepted a position as the Executive Director of Tioga County Council on the Arts. Many of you know that I grew up, and now live, in a picturesque little town on the Susquehanna River- Owego, New York. PRH and I moved back to this area several years ago, purchased and started renovating an abandoned farm, and, with this position, have finally gotten to the point where everything seems to fit. I'm really (really!) happy, my friends. There are moments in your life when everything just feels right...this is one of those moments.

Some kids wanted to be firefighters or ballerinas or chefs when they grew up...I wanted to be the director of the Arts Council (they organized- and continue to organize- all of the events that I loved as a child). And guess what?! It actually happened!!! Can you believe that?! It's going to be awesome. More than anything, I'm excited to have the opportunity to make a difference in my beautiful, creative hometown. I love Owego! TCCA's first exhibition in 2013 is a solo exhibition of paintings by my super talented friend, Jim DeLucia. You won't want to miss it (more info coming soon).

Wish me luck! Oh, and please 'like' TCCA on Facebook, follow along on Twitter, stop into the gallery and say hello, and stay tuned! I'm thrilled. Woooo hoooooo!!!

Crickets...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:19:00 +0000

I have to apologize for the silence around here. With the end of the semester and the holidays quickly approaching, the last two weeks have been unusually busy. I also started a new job, which I'll tell you more about after the first of the year. I miss this space and am looking forward to being back on a more regular basis soon. As always, thank you for your patience. PRH and I are working on the living room this weekend. Stay tuned!

(this sign is hanging by our back door in order to hide a small hole in the siding. DIY directions are in my book).

Loss...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 17:35:00 +0000

I have no words to express the deep sadness I feel about the Connecticut shooting tragedy. As I said to a friend this weekend, every time I look at EZ E (age 5) and Kicky (age 3), I can't help but think about the complete devastation we'd experience if one of them didn't return home safely. The loss and suffering that these families are feeling is unimaginable. My thoughts are with them and their community.

image source: Lisa Congdon

The front door...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I hung a wreath on our front door this weekend and, upon stepping back to admire said wreath, realized just how beat up our front door looks. Here's a photo of the door from when we first bought the house (as it turns out, our house was white underneath all of that dirt)...

I painted the exterior doors with our favorite paint (Valspar's Forest Canopy). I also painted the skirting, painted the porch, cleaned the siding, hung up an engraved Vonnegut quote, and embroidered our screen (DIY instructions are in my book). It has come a long way and the Summer door does look OK...

In the Winter though, the embroidered screen gets replaced with a glass-paned insert that has seen better days. We really need to pop out the glass and fix the glazing, a skill that we just haven't been able to master. Does anyone have any glazing tips or sites that they'd recommend? I went on an incredible tour of historic homes in Owego this weekend and came home feeling inspired to do some work around our house. I'm ready to take on glazing. I'll share when I'm done! Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?

Merry and bright...

noreply@blogger.com (Aesthetic Outburst...) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:27:00 +0000

This feels strange to admit, but I'm a rather reluctant holiday decorator. I don't really like clutter and holiday decorations always feel cluttery to me (is it just me?!). Clutter or not, the kiddos would be so sad if we didn't have a tree and they were really excited to pull out all of the holiday decorations. We decided to put our tree in the dining room this year. Last year it was in the half-finished living room and I spent much of the holiday season thinking, "If a tree is in there, we're not going to get anything done!". As it turns out, the tree wasn't to blame- that room looks eerily similar to how it did last year. Que Sera, Sera!

We have some serious allergies in this house, so we compensate by loading our fake tree with oodles of handmade and vintage ornaments. The kids and I spent hours trying to choose which ornaments made the cut. I love that EZ E's reindeer crown made its way to the top.

A pile of candles on the table can be easily moved for dinner parties. I must admit that it looks really pretty lit at night...

Our Christmas banner from last year is hanging in the same spot. The letters got a little crunched, but we couldn't resist hanging it anyways...

My deer collection is on the window sills this year...

and on top of our cabinet (it's expanded quite a bit over the past year)...

The half-finished pseudo-mantle was reserved for my little tree collection. Someday I'll look back at these photos and laugh at the spackling mud on the walls and that hideous ceiling fan (here's hoping that happens next year)...

Even the chalkboard got a little dose of holiday cheer. I know, I know...I have an awful lot of holiday decorations for a self-professed reluctant decorator. Guilty as charged...

In the past, we've put up a fancy aluminum tree that belonged to my grandparents. Santa has special plans for that beloved tree this year. Here are our trees from years past: 2007, 2009, and 2010. I'm curious...do you go crazy decorating for the holidays?