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That was the fastest first trimester in the history of the earth! I'm 14 weeks pregnant with our third small person and happily looking for my logically labeled box of comfy sweaters + jeans so I can patiently wait for January and the arrival of our newest (and hopefully sweetest) person. So cool. So grateful.
Happy long weekend.
My bus roll was ready for inspection and I wasn't in love. It's close to what I had in mind, but not exactly what a want.
Back to the drawing board.
The barndoor hardware went up yesterday! It was a little anti-climactic. I think that's because I was really imagining it as something more wonderful. Not that the hardware isn't awesome. And not that the door isn't radical. It just didn't go in as picture-perfect as I was envisioning it.
The door. That's an original pocket door from house90. That means it's about 100 years old. It's also 4 and a half feet wide solid oak cut on the bias. That means it has a swirly "gasoline-like" pattern in the grain. It was too cool for even me (the non-wood-aficionado) to pass up. It's in impeccable shape probably because it spent the majority of its long, long life slid into a dark pocket in the wall. Probably because it is too heavy and too cumbersome to slide back and forth with ease. It weighs just over 200lbs. Throughout the demolition and reinvention of house90 I have remained its biggest (and sometimes only) advocate. I'm glad. Using it in the final design was, in essence, a tip of our hats to the age and history of the house and a way for me to pay my respects to a lot of the wood trim that passed away in the making of house90. (Todd - I especially thought of you during this project.)
The doorways. The wall that the door hangs on got beefed up in reconstruction with some mega beams around the opening to Dan's office. That made putting a door frame in REALLY awkward and there is no room for awkward in my vocabulary. There is also no room for "fix it with quarter round" either, but that is a different story. This wall had two doors that needed something interesting and perfect because neither could support an original door (the close is new). The big door hardware is (at the Pioneer Woman's suggestion) from barndoorhardware.com. They were great to deal with. Not cheap. But great. My only complaint is that the hardware left us no option to deal with the enormous baseboards so we had to put the pretty black metal on backwards to keep it from wrecking the baseboards. It will act as a door for either of the openings - but, not both at the same time.
Oh, well. It's still cool.
Good news: The photos from my melted TimeCapsule harddrive have been recovered. I think you could hear my sigh of relief around the world. Baby photos and painting photographs ARE SAFE.
Yesterday: was full of technical glitches and frozen computers so I am still not through the piles of YOU-ARE-AWESOME posters. I'll catch up on the weekend.
Today: The girls and I are hanging at the spray park in the morning and prepping for DINNER FOR 16 at house90 tonight. This will really put that island to the test - I'm looking forward to it!! (I'm looking forward to coffee first though.)
GO!
I might have mentioned a couple of times on the blog that we just reinvented our kitchen. ;) Just about every tradesman that came through this place felt the need to mention to me just how non-conventional our reinvention was. That's fine. I don't roll with a lot of clutter. I don't have thirteen sets of dinnerware or fifty serving platters and gravy boats. I don't have a mix-master dealeo. I don't have a rice cooker or a steamer or anything much more complicated than a blender because seriuosly after pina coladas WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? I digress. I also don't have a mega spice drawer. I buy what I need in fresh form as I go. I just can't stand those shakers of spices that sit in the cupboard for three thousand years containing a nine lifetimes worth of marjoram. ICK. Hello MOBILE FOODIE. I saw this and knew it was perfect for me. And space saving. And ORGANIC. And for a good cause. And supporting good lives. I ordered it up right away.
YOU-ARE-AWESOME posters. The sale is over. Sorry if you missed it because it was grand. If you didn't get your proofs yet - you will today because I'm going to pour three hundred cups of tea and sit at my desk until every last drop is done. YOU ARE AWESOME. Thank you.
CAMERA SITUATION. I am buying a new one this week and loving your suggestions for the lanyard around her neck. The only think I think might be dicey about that is when her little sister grabs it from her... but, I'll deal with that when it happens.
Today: MORE CONTRACTORS! Just when you think you're rid of them you find all kinds of things they forgot to do. They are also putting up a pretty cool door for us. I am picking up fun stuff and STILL working on getting my office unraveled. I move a lot of stuff and seem to make only small dents in the progress. That's okay. That long weekend is approaching!
GO!
Yesterday I thought I was totally brilliant. Well, I MAINTAIN that I was being brilliant with brilliant results and Dan maintains that it was a $100 art lesson for Pilot and a $100 lesson for me abut the things NOT to give a toddler. I'll be honest. I gave her my point and shoot camera (after a lengthy discussion about being careful) to rip around and take pictures of our evening. SHE. WAS. THRILLED. And she was puffed up like a peacock chasing her subjects around and making a point to document things "like mama". The feet shot. The food shot (Elise, I thought you would like this one). I was really enjoying her excitement and she was totally loving her moment of responsibility and creativity. Until she dropped the camera down the front steps and smashed it. Yeah, I should have probably known better - she's only two. But, the look of accomplishment on her little face was priceless. Where is the line between teaching and trusting and exploring and experimenting and making memories and planting seeds of inspiration?
Today: We are gathering the groceries we need for an awesome week of entertaining in our new space. Dinner for 17 on Thursday and I am SO EXCITED! It's a hot and humid and sticky and (in my opinion) disgusting week of weather around here. I am SO DREAMING ABOUT JEANS and so OVER THE SWEATY HAIR AT THE BACK OF MY NECK. Blech. The temperature in my painting studio last night at 9pm = was 34˚C (95 F). And that is far, far, far too warm for a polar bear like me. Far. Bring on the snowflakes.
Happy Anniversary to my Mom + Dad!
GO!
It's been incredibly HOT PINK around here. It may have melted our brains because we have REPAINTED our first floor. Now let me be honest - when it came time to pick paint colours for house90 I was thinking that I wanted the space to be white + stark + open + airy + more 'art gallery' than 'artist lives here'. I wanted it to be sophisticated. Well, that proved to be straight silly because we are not sophisticated at all. What resulted was a sort of flat feeling. We're a colourful family. We're bold. And we are pretty opened minded and fearless when it comes to paint. So at Dan's suggestion we painted the main wall HOT PINK. What the heck! It's only paint! My opinion when it comes to pink is GO BIG or get back in your crib. Really. If you're not up for taking a risk with pink - then it ends up more of a baby-nursery or dusty 80's than loving-life statement. The mailbox behind Pilot in the top (adorable) shot is the colour...
As much as it seems like it would be overwhelming and tacky and all of those things - it works. True that this photo is pretty crappy, but in real life the thumbs up have been plenty. There's power in pink. Seriously it was just what the room needed. Some drama. Some awesome colour to take ownership and lead. I love it. Dan loves it. This is definitely one instance where our colour risk paid off. So. Sweet.
This was our best attempt at a family photo with a timer. Yeah - the BEST out of all 10 shots. I was feeling the need to get out and document our life amidst all the change. Summer is the best around these parts. I am totally and hopelessly in love with our community and the sweetness of walking everywhere and having everything important within walking distance. Parks, pools, libraries, bakeries, cafe, restaurants, corner stores, markets, friends, pilates... the list is pretty impressive and I truly heart our life.
We've got more home craft projects going on than I can keep up with. Most recently some amazing antlers that are already being spruced up for display. It's chandelier-palooza after an afternoon on kijiji. I sewed up the perfect bathmat solution. MY VINATGE CUSTOMIZED BUS ROLL IS BRING PRINTED TODAY. There are hip-funkster murals going in the girls' rooms. Oh, and the barndoor goes in on Wednesday, too. I can't keep up with the goodness! There's power in pink.
OH.The 2-for-1 sale on YOU-ARE-AWESOME posters is only until tonight at 11:59pm CST. After that they are regular price and about to go the way of the dodo bird. Expect an email from me today if you ordered one (or 10 like one person!). If you're thinking of ordering click the link above and order one poster and leave me two sets of instructions. It's easy.
Today: Norman and I have an early date at the vet which means we will probably have to stop at Starbucks and sit in the sun for a while, too. I'm looking for plain white laminate flooring to lay down in my studio so I can GET PAINTING because the big blank walls are calling my name! And so is coffee. Don't forget to sign up to receive the early updates on my online class.
GO!
Yay! I felt like celebrating so until 11:59pm CST on Monday July 26 I am offering YOU-ARE-AWESOME posters at the ridiculously great price of 2 for 1. That includes ALL SIZES and still includes FREE shipping. That's crazy. I might have lost my mind, but it just seems like a nice thing to do before I bring a WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW (and crazy fantastic) ideas down the pipe. After 11:59pm CST on Monday July 26 the posters will return to regular price.
YOU-ARE-AWESOME posters make great gifts for small people AND big people. They are not just for babies (unless your baby is a 46 year old corporate type). I'm kidding. Mothers. Fathers. Grandchildren. BFF's. I truly believe in the power of seeing your name in print and a message that affirms love and greatness. (You can read more about the effects of the posters here.)
*Make sure to leave me a note about the details for BOTH of your posters when you order. (Other great gift ideas can be found here.)
Let's get awesome. You can order the posters HERE.
*ALSO NOTE: That there is an opt-in SIGN-UP on the right side of the blog for those people interested in hearing the details about my online CREATIVITY + BULLETPROOF POSITIVE ATTITUDE course BEFORE ANYONE ELSE.
Happy Weekending!
The Bulletin Board is back. I've been puttering around trying to get back into my groove and one of the things that helps me do that (and to gain momentum) is to search out and recreate my old routine. And to stretch my working muscles. This month's Bulletin Board is chaotic + colourful. It's got some of the things I've been coveting: the chairs, the jeans (of course) and a my new favourite hair product from label.m. It's got some upcoming projects that I will get to later this month and without jinxing it by speaking too soon: THE RETURN OF TINY ART. VIVE July. Yay!
GO!
A cheap set (and I only use cheap sets) of oil pastels will run you less than a latte and are about 33% more awesome. I found a BRAND NEW set of cheapy-cheap oil pastels in a random box marked MISC + TOWELS. Price tag: $3.85. Sweet. I sense an upswing of art around here.
