Fusion, Baby!

Big project of the week: spray the old (four years?or more?) plastic Adirondack chairs with Krylon's Fusion spray paint. What a transformation!! They went from dry, chalky green,

to awesome shiny new hyacinth blue!

I was planning to paint these myself, but BF got excited when I walked through the door with three cans of spray paint, so he grabbed them and the Windex and ran out the door before I could protest. ( I love spray-painting stuff!!)

After cleaning the chairs with the Windex, he sprayed 'em up, and they look SO great! I can't believe it, really. They look brand new! If it weren't for the little blue spray spots on the grass (ha!), you'd never know that they were painted and not new. Seriously. Even my sister was amazeed! Kudos to Krylon. That Fusion paint rocks.

P.S. Don't tell BF his picture's on the internet. He'd kill me. I can't get a shot of the guy without him hiding his face. I only got these shots because I told him I was shooting the chairs...silly man. He should know better. Thank God he shaved the other night...those whiskers were makin' him look like the hillbilly he is (his words--cracked me up).

Baby Bird Part II

Could that little fella' be ANY cuter?! I don't THINK so! I still have no idea what kind of bird it is. Any ideas? I can't believe how big he got so fast!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Small Things

My new refrigerator, freezer on the bottom.
My ice maker! Wa-hooo! (Oh, and a big wa-hoo to BF, who hooked the crazy thing up!)

Unpacking my decorating books and stacking them up "just so."

The view from my LR window.

The turkeys who are a daily part of that view. Here they are this morning!

My awesome kid on wacky sock/outfit day. Whose idea was this day, you ask? Yep. Hers. I hope her friends (and teachers...apparently there was a class-wide email event) follow through! LOL! Note the pack-mule-esque look she has going on there. Three bags: lunch, sneakers, school books.

These are some of the small things that make me happy, and I am thankful for all of them.

Swamp Thing

Morning mist...so pretty.
Back yard newly leveled and seeded.

Ok, so there are some drainage issues on my acre here at the edge of the lovely field. The town has come and put in two big grates with drains down one side of my property, and they even took down a hill of sand in my back yard to level it out for me. I guess it pays to bake brownies and flash my pearly whites in the morning! Ha!

But I still have an area to the right of my garage that BF likes to call the swamp. It's not quite THAT wet, but it's damp enough to produce some of these swampy looking plants. Anyone have any ideas what they are? The green leaves are now quite large, and I think the flowers are gone now. I haven't taken a look in a while. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I'm having flashbacks to "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Morning Visitors

Say hello to Tom Turkey! How cool is that? BF woke me up at 7:30 this morning to see this guy standing practically on my driveway! He was there with his two girlfriends. Usually they stay out in the field, and the pictures I get look like Nessie the Loch Ness monster...tiny little heads peeping out of the grasses once in a while. This shot was so exciting this morning!

I've seen the females this close before, but not the male. He's so HANDSOME!

And here are the deer! They were out there too! And much closer than they usually are. It's difficult to get a clear picture through my LR windows, because they have that old wavy glazing, which I love, but which is not so conducive to clear focus. I couldn't get them all in one shot, but when the deer were out there, the turkeys were too, off to the right of this shot. Ah, nature! I love being so close to it!

Oh, and the baby bird is doing very well...his momma keeps feeding him and sitting on him, even though we brought a washer and dryer in through that door the other day, and created all sorts of disturbance. Nothing phases her! I can see her perched atop the overhang through my bedroom window. There's a vista from every room in this house, I tell ya'!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Today is supposed to be a stellar day in NY weather-wise. High 70's and sunny. Can't beat that with a stick!

Floors Before and After

This is my LR floors before sanding and refinishing.

And here they are after--complete with dust balls! LOL! I have to Swiffer twice a day, but it's worth it. I'm in the market for some good rugs, though. No hurry. I love the floors. I had them stained with Minwax's Dark Walnut, and finished in a satin topcoat. Two of the undercoats were semi-gloss, and I was getting scared they were going to be too shiny. The guys assured me they knew what they were doing, and they did! Yay!

This is the before of the den floor...it was in the worst shape of them all, I think.

And this is the after. I love the way the stain really brought out the grain in the pine. As you can see, I'm still just barely moved in. MOST of the furniture is here, and most of the kitchen stuff is put away, but I've only unpacked four boxes of books. There is a LOT to do. My apartment still has a bunch of stuff left in it. I have until June 1 to be out of there. Oy, the stress!! And I'm really tired of going back over there to do laundry. Hopefully I'll get the washer and dryer over here this weekend.

Right now, though, I have to go sew two pillows for delivery this afternoon.

Baby bird

Look at that little baby! Isn't he cute? He's right above my back porch between the rafters.

And here's the momma about 3 minutes later...lol. She was staring me down. I'm pretty sure she's a junco, but I'm not positive. She flies away every time I open the door, so I can't get a good look at her. I just love the softness of the nest. I'm wondering where she got the cotton batting! It's so cute with the green moss....looks like a nice soft home for her baby. I think the baby was born today, because I haven't heard any tiny peeping until this afternoon.

It's a nature wonderland here. Every night the field is host to turkeys and deer. Mornings too. I've got binoculars by the windows so we can view them up close. I'll have to get some pictures of Mr. Turkey fanning his feathers. He looks just like the pictures we drew as kids, and like all the Thanksgiving pictures you see of turkeys. Live ones, that is. :P Oh! Here come the deer now! They're on the other end of the field, so I won't be able to get a good pic. I'll get the turkeys soon though.

I'm off to Kathleen's final concert of the year. Chorus and band. She says it's going to be their best one yet. Yesterday she ended her track season by winning a 4x400 relay by FLYing by the girl who was ahead of her. It was great to see...and a great way for her to end the season--on a high note.

I didn't get a good picture of her passing the other girl...but in this shot, Kathleen is running hard to catch up to her. I just noticed the guys behind her checking out her running, too! Funny!

First Semi-Formal Dance

Is it just me, or is 7th grade a little young for a semi-formal? Oh well. Kathleen was really looking forward to it, and she looked absolutely gorgeous tonight. After I gave her a manicure and curled her hair I said "Kathleen, I just can't believe how beautiful you are!" I know she's my kid and all, but WOW, she's as sweet as the day is long, and just oh so pretty. I made her dress for her, which she really loved. She said "The best thing about you making my dress, Mom, is that noone is going to have one like it!"
We designed it together, and somehow I constructed the thing. Don't ask me how. And don't look too closely. But if you blur your eyes, it looks pretty darn good! Hee! Let me tell you, there is NOTHING like silk charmeuse. Everyone should own a silk charmeuse garment. It feels divine. I may make myself a cami out of the leftovers. It's such a great color. She even planned ahead and had the orthodontist put blue bands on her braces so they'd match her dress! He thought that was pretty clever.
She's at the dance now. I had my first "slow dance" with a boy when I was in 7th grade at the very same school. I can't believe she's there right now, maybe having her own first dance with a boy. *Sigh* Where does the time go?
This last shot, I told the girls I was going to take three "America's Best Top Model" pictures, and I just counted out loud "ONE"....click......"TWO"....click.....you get the idea...and this is what they came up with. Kathleen's been watching WAY too much of that show if you ask me...lol.

Oy..what a mess!

Ok, so I haven't moved in 8 years. But seriously, how is it possible to collect so much STUFF in 8 yrs time? It's funny, as I'm packing the boxes, I'm thinking to myself "I may never unpack this box again." I might just leave it in the garage on a shelf and forget about it. That's how OVER my stuff I am right now. It's all just frivolity and silliness....and every last bit of it collects dust. I'm thinking that the time for editing is NOW. It's time to slice through the chaff, and get down to the nitty gritty--display only what I love, or that which has some sentimental importance.

In the mean time, I'm enjoying the emptiness of the new house, before I get all of my crap moved over there. The floors are gorgeous, and everything is freshly painted. I've thought that I should just move a chair and a lamp over, and maybe my bed, and call it done. :) Ok, so I guess I haven't gone TOTALLY overboard yet. I'll move it all over, but it's going to be a new me over there on Wood Ave. A cleaner, tidier, more organized me. I swear. Really. Honest.

New House

Wow, I guess it's been a while, eh? It's been a very busy time for me. I have bought a cute little house three miles from where I am right now, so Kathleen doesn't have to change schools, and I've been over there painting and painting and painting and...well...you get the idea...lol. I had the hardwood floors refinished and stained in a dark walnut finish, and I LOVE them. I had them use a satin topcoat, so that they wouldn't be TOO shiny. Today I can put furniture on them, if I so desire. We've been moving stuff over and keeping it in the garage for now. I'm still not packed, so it's been interesting, to say the least! I'll try to keep posting shots of my befores and afters so you can see what's been going on. If I skip a few days, know that I am working my butt off trying to get moved!! I'm also finishing up Kathleen's semi-formal dress, which is really coming out great, if I do say so myself! Pics of that will be forthcoming as well. My apologies for such a long absence!

Kathleen the Speedy Queen!

Yesterday was Kathleen's first track meet. She's in "modified" track, whatever that is. She only competes against middle school age kids, I think, although some of those girls running yesterday were definitely older, and the high-schoolers were running races too. I was confused. One thing I do know--this kid can RUN! I can't get over how long and leggy she is. BF says she's fast because there's no wind resistance due to her being so darn thin...lol...I thought that was pretty hilarious. I don't think Kathleen found it quite so funny. Go figure. ;)

She ran in two events. She came in third in the 100m dash, and last in the 200. She said she didn't really know how fast to go in the 200, because she didn't really know how much energy to save up for the end. I think this first meet was good practice, because it all looks confusing to me! I don't even know how they knew where to go and when, there was so much going on. But I did manage to get some action shots! I just love the shot above...something about the line of her arm, her blowing hair, and her friend's smile and pose...they didn't even know I was taking their picture.

Here she is running the 100M dash. She's on the far left--you know, the skinny pasty kid...hee!

And there she is bringing up the rear in the 200M.
She said she's scary white, and I told her that a friend of mine dubbed me "Casper" in high school, so no worries--it's just heredity. Heh. At least she tans in the summer, unlike her mother. I just burn, peel and freckle. Nice.

I'm just so proud of her for being motivated enough to join track. She's really enjoying it, and she said that just being in the meet yesterday made her want to do better next time. I told her that the spirit of competition was definitely a good thing--it raises you up to the level of your competitors or beyond, , if you're doing it right...lol. Oh, and in case you're wondering, she gets her athletic ability from her father. I'm not taking any credit for that, no-sir-ee-bob.

Impossible!!

Seriously. How is it possible to go from this--

to this-- in the blink of an eye??
My baby turns 13 years old today, and I made sure to tell her that she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn't have ordered up a better kid if I'd tried.

It's funny...I have a lot of pictures of her up in trees as a little kid. She didn't climb them...I would just prop her in there and say "hold on! say cheese!" LOL.

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl.

Stars On Ice

This past Sunday we went to see Smucker's (don't even get me going on where that apostrophe should be) Stars on Ice. Sasha Cohen is new to the group this year, I guess, and she is really great. The whole thing was WAY more entertaining than I thought it was going to be. It was a three hour show, and it flew by. Sasha did a no-skates ballet thing with two of the other skaters carrying her around that sounds weird, but was really beautiful. Oh, and you know how I have "boyfriends" in every walk of life? (Well--like on tv and movies?) I have a new one! My new professional skating boyfriend is John Zimmerman!I know, right?! He's a little pretty, but holy heck, when you see the man lift his partner over his head and spin her around, and those muscles workin'....helllooo! All of these guys are such unbelievable athletes. It's amazing to watch them work. It doesn't hurt that they're easy on the eyes, either. ;)

We finished off the evening with my sister, her husband, and my darling niece at a great downtown Albany micro-brewery, called The Albany Pump Station. Click here for a little history on the place. The website is pretty discombobulated...so finding a picture of the place was tough. It's an old brick building right near the river, and every time I go inside I imagine myself converting it into a home. It's that cool inside--and there's a fireplace in the DR! AND they have great beer (Kick-Ass Brown--YUM!), and some pretty good food. I had a turkey burger, and whatever they spiced it with was great.

Stay tuned for next week's house reveal!! I'm buying one, people! It's really happening!!

The Birds

This is an Etsy mini of some of the offerings of one of my favorite Etsy sellers, MincingMockingBird. I love her bird paintings, and I wanted to share. Aren't they cute?!

I heard the first birds of spring this morning. It startled me, actually. We've been so steeped in cold, windy, wintery weather up here in the Northeast, that spring just seemed like something far in the offing. But then there I was in bed this morning, waking up slowly, and I heard them--the happy chirpings of the birds in my yard. I guess this means spring really IS going to happen this year!

So of course I went out and dug around under the leaves in my garden, and out popped the beginnings of crocus, daffodil, and tulip greenery. Yay! I think I can begin to emerge from my winter cocoon, shake off the winter doldrums, and get back out among the living again. I've really felt a bit like a shut-in this winter. It's time to embrace the fresh air and soak up some sunshine so I too can bloom.

Unprivate Again!

far left, second one down--it's so yummy!

Well, I tried to do the "invitation only" thing with my blog, due to an unwanted visitor, but then I couldn't even see my own blog! WTF?! I would say every third time or so, I couldn't load the page. So...I gave up on that plan. I'm now back for all to see! Sorry to all of you who waited for invites, etc. Hopefully I'm here to stay now. I can't let people get to me....just need to ignore, and get on with my life!

I'm headed to Albany with Kathleen today. I purchased some gorgeous blue silk charmeuse a couple of months ago to make a dress for her for a semi-formal dance that she'll be attending in May. I can't believe they have semi-formals in middle school. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. Anyway, we've designed the dress, but we're headed to JoAnn Fabrics to see if we can find a basic pattern so I can size it properly...I'm really not a clothing maker. Window treatments are one thing...cool dresses for my kid are another thing altogether. We need to find some funky beaded/sequined trim or something for the neck area too. I'll have to scan our sketch for y'all so you can see if I even come close to it when actually making this thing....lol. It should be pretty amusing to watch.

Have a great weekend, all!

Nell Hill's Stylish Weddings

My book has arrived from Pat! Thanks so much, Pat. I can't believe I actually won something just for being a die-hard blog surfer! Yay Me! If you haven't already done so, please go visit my buddy Pat at Back Porch Musings. She's always up to something good! In fact, I think she's been working on her dining room this week, so head over for a look-see! Look how sweetly she wrapped the book for me!
This book is "Nell Hill's Stylish Weddings" by Mary Carol Garrity. And while I'm not planning a wedding, this book is chock full of lovely photographs of inspirational tablescapes, floral arrangements, and gift-wrapping ideas. I just love me some entertainment eye candy! You can visit Mary Carol's website for more inspiration at Nell Hill's.com as well, and visit one of her stores--I would LOVE to do that myself some day, if I can ever find a map out of NY. Heh.

In other news, Kathleen had her spring concert last week, and it was really great. She's in the chorus and the band. The band has shown HUGE improvement this year, and it's great to be able to witness their progress. They are going to be in a NYSSMA competition this year as well, and I think they'll do very well. I think they're finally motivated!

Kathleen will play her clarinet in a clarinet/flute duet with a friend at NYSSMA, and they will be rated on their performance. She'll also be singing a solo--"The Rainbow Connection" is her song of choice this year. Last year she got "outstanding" remarks and scores. I have no doubt that it'll be the same this year. The kid has some musical talent! I'm glad she got at least SOMEthing from her momma! :) Here is a fairly lame video of the chorus singing. I don't have a video camera--I just use my hand-held digital, so the quality is iffy. I didn't take a band video because I couldn't see her cute face this time! I was on the wrong side of the auditorium! BAD mommy! In the chorus, she's in the second row from the top, second kid in--right above the girl in the bright red dress.

Published!

I'm so excited! I just picked up this new book from one of this year's showhouse coordinators. It's called "Showhouse Review" by Tina Skinner, and its subtitle is "An Expose of Interior Decorating Events." It has a picture of the showhouse nursery that I did last year. What's killing me, is that this is my LEAST favorite of all of my showhouse rooms, but it's the only one that got submitted to this publisher, because the picture was taken by a pro.

I had big dreams for this room...I was going to make tall twiggy willow chairs painted white for the little tea table...and a hand made book display case for the wall...but my mother died in the midst of the whole thing, and I just didn't have time. Overall, I'm happy with the way the room came out, but I still have the visions in my head of the way it was SUPPOSED to be. Sigh. I guess I can't have TOO many regrets, right?--I mean, my room is published in a hardcover coffee table book! Woo hoo! Click here to find it on Amazon.com

If you want to see more pictures of that room--some of which I think are better than the shot in the book, you can head over to Rate My Space on HGTV.com, where I have uploaded my nursery pics, as well as pictures of my last two showhouse rooms. Go take a look--and feel free to sign in and "Rate My Space!" Hee!

Easter Felt

Some weekends you just get to do something fun with friends, and the bonus is when you get to take something tangible home with you, besides the glow of friendship. This was one of those weekends. I spent most of Sunday at my friend Jennifer's house with about 12 other ladies (and young ladies), a big bowl of colorful hand-dyed wool roving, some felting needles, and our imaginations. Jen's mother Pat (http://www.decadentfibers.com/ )was there to guide us, and the above picture is some of the fruits of our labors. Aren't we good?!

This little chick in a basket was Nancy's creation--she has sons, and doesn't get to do "girly" stuff very often. This was her first time trying needle felting, as it was for many of us. She was VERY enthusiastic about the whole thing--as you can see by her creation. Fantastic!

Needle felting consists of a barbed needle, some wool roving, and a piece of foam. You punch and stab your wool with the needle until it holds together in any shape you wish. Obviously, we were working on an egg theme. It was very interesting to see what everyone decided to do with their eggs. Some of us decided on flowers, while others went for bunnies, chicks, and butterflies.
This one's mine--a blue egg with 3-D flowers, which I felted separately, then applied to the egg.

Kathleen felted a bunny directly onto her egg. I was very impressed with the perspective/pose she used. The kid's got talent!

And of course, there was a bunch of food, including a blueberry buckle that Jennifer made, that I could just NOT stop eating. I grabbed the recipe from her, and I'm going to share it with you...as soon as I can put my hands on it! I know it's here somewhere.....in the mean time, how about a picture of it--just to get your mouth watering? :)

That crunchy topping was to DIE for. Yum! Needless to say, BF was extremely disappointed at not being invited to this little shindig...he had to stay home and do "boy stuff"....lol...I'm SO sure he was crying in my absence. :P To make it up to him, I harangued him into cutting 8 pieces of plywood for me later that night. With his tools at work, we were done in 10 minutes. If I had had to do it myself with a jigsaw or something, it would have taken me 10 times longer. Thanks, BF! ;) (Ya' gotta love a man with power tools.)

UPDATE 3/2/08 Recipe for Blueberry Buckle

350* oven for 45-50 minutes for 9x9x2" greased pan

Sift together:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Beat together in a bowl:

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and bead vigorously for about 2 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups of blueberries. Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle topping (see below) over this, and pop it in the oven.

Topping: (mix together until crumbly)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup soft butter (NOT melted)

Let me know if you try out this recipe, and if you like it!!