my new 'office'

Last week, in a week of heavy writing deadlines and other such things, i got this wild and crazy idea that i needed an office.  right now.  let me back up--we've never had the space to dedicate to an offic or anything, so a desk has always been in our bedroom (didn't like) or in our dining room (didn't like that, either).

i decided that i would move the desk into what was Lily's room, and then Calvin's room (though it was still pink and purple) and that Calvin would be happy sleeping upstairs 'with the big kids.'  then we'd all be happy, right?  oh, i tried it almost a year ago! Fail!

i bought the paint the next day--picking colors that surprised me even (hello--brown??), and started painting.

in the midst of this i'm still working like crazy on writing deadlines and did i mention, we're switching from a pc to a mac?  i guess i know that i work better under pressure, so i was on fire.

today i got the finishing touch, a rug, so it's pretty much done aside from some finishing quarter round that may or may not get done this year.  here we go....

Before:

one end of the room

the other end.  what a mess!

getting prepped to paint

computer desk in the dining room

After:

the 'office' side

the playroom side

my music and files and some books, etc.

one of my favorite quotes, "here's to the crazy ones"

Yay, I feel like a pro now!

my seaglass ring

Custom made by Buffalo Lucy from this beautiful piece of sea glass I found on the Maine seacoast once upon a time.  I've wanted a seaglass ring for years and I am so thrilled!

I open the box and my immediate thought is: "I hope this bubblewrap has been recycled."

...then I see this note and it makes me smile.  Let's hear it for the eco-freaks!

cute box!

and there it is, isn't it lovely?

See more pics from Buffalo Lucy here, you can also see the lettering on the glass in one of the photos.

cachet makes a hoop

I have made probably close to a hundred hoops now, i figured it was time to document it...

First, I picked up a lovely, compact coil of 100' 160 psi 3/4" irrigation pipe (in aisle 12 of my) Lowe's, along with a pack of 3/4" connectors.

You cut the tape and all hell breaks loose--it springs in all directions.

The custom hoop request is for a 40" hoop, so tape measure is handy.

I locate one end of the pipe and feel my way around to the spot I need to cut (which ends up being somewhere in the middle of the coil--there's no rhyme or reason).  I measure what I think (hope) is a 40" circle.

This tool is awesome--ratcheting cutters.  Cut through the pipe.

Oh, and i've boiled water and poured into the sink, because now I need to soften the ends to put it together.

This hooper wants a half of a cup of water in her hoop, so I pour that in...

Put the connector in

And push it together. Voila!  As it cools, it tightens up and won't come apart or leak.

I measure--whew--40"

Tape the connected seam for extra security.

And the fun part--picking colors.  I'll use a sparkly tape, electrical tape, and gaffer's tape (for stick).

This will be awesome I think.

I forgot to take a picture of this part--argh--but I put the sparkle tape on first, angling it just right so that I can then lay down the electrical and last, the gaffe tape.  It's a little tricky, this part, to get it smooth and even and pretty.

And here she is--pretty!

I hooped a bit with it, the water makes for an interesting hoop.  You can feel it swishing and shifting and it definitely adds a bit of weight.  I hope this hooper loves it!

refashioning a dress into a tunic

                                               These aren't great pics, but you do what you can!

2 things inspired this sewing project--one--I've been wanting a tunic top to wear with my skinny jeans, and two--I kind of went on a new clothes shopping spree lately and so I didn't want to purchase anything else 'new'--I wanted to either find one used or make one out of something I already had.  I found a black jersey knit dress in my closet that I've had for 2.5 years and worn maybe once.  Why did I buy it?  I have no idea, I don't wear dresses.

After I started cutting into it, I thought I should have taken a 'before' pic.  Oh well.

Basically I cut the bodice off, recontructed parts of the dress into a kind of flowy top, and used an old black sweater belt I found in my closet to cinch it up at the waist.  I sewed panels in the sides of the previously fitted bodice top, sewed rectangles (cut out of the skirt) at the bottom of the bodice part front and back as sort of 'panels', and cut off the three quarters sleeves and made a little cut in the tops of them.

I think it turned out pretty cute.

crosspost from my other blog--heirloom garden seeds

I posted this Current column last March, and since it's already time again to plan gardens, now's the time to revisit the seed issue.  Heirloom seeds are important to me, as is supporting local businesses, so I plan to buy my Botanical Interest seeds again from Allisonville Nursery.  Almost time to rig up the grow-light in the basement again and coax the seeds into seedlings!