Studio Roof

They were only here for a few hours this afternoon, but they got the roof framed.



And holes for my two skylights!

Studio Doors

My doors arrived this morning, and the guys are up on the studio building the roof now.

Paintings

I've been painting this week as I try (ever-so-patiently) to wait for my glass studio to be finished... it's more fun than cleaning the house or doing yardwork, that's for sure, though there's a small part of me that keeps thinking I should make some jewelry or at the very least get going on the taxes... but no, painting it is. And coughing... it's going on week 2 of this flu thing that has been going around. Luke and Frank seem to be almost over it so I should be soon too, since I was the last to get it.

So I've been painting girls of all sorts. Fat mermaids, expecting ladies, and this face that was not supposed to be as realistic as it is... nor as cartoonish as it is... but it is what it is. Luke says she's me, but she's not really.

Studio Build, Day 4

A floor, 4 walls, an opening for the double doors and some roof! Isn't it HUGE? It does not at all look like a cozy little garden shed. Not at all. It does look like a great big garden studio though.

Studio Build, Day 3

Doesn't look like much, he wasn't here for very long though, so it would be hard to expect a wall or anything. I did get a floor, I shouldn't complain. Maybe more tomorrow.

Studio Progress

Wow, this thing is NOT turning out the way I envisioned it. It's going to be way high off the ground and now it will need a little porch - not planned for, can't picture it in my head even. And the windows didn't work out so I ordered French doors - the price for them caused Frank to stop breathing... so I canceled that order and went with a slightly less expensive set of glass doors aka "Store Doors" - without the French grids or separate panes - maybe I'll add a grid to them in some other day. Or faux them with paint or something... Or just plant lots of flowers all around so you don't notice... or something. Crazy day, I feel like I could use a do-over. The builder guys are cute though, and like dogs, especially Zoe, the one you either love or hate - they love her, always a good sign. One of the guys went on and on about how nice my house was, how much character and how interesting, what a great layout, blah blah blah. Was very nice to hear instead of the typical "You traded your nice house in Carnation for THIS???? And you paid HOW MUCH for it???? Are you CRAZY???" Even if it just means there is one more crazy person in the world that sees this house the way I do, it makes me feel a little better. Huh.

Anyway... here's a shot of the progress... more tomorrow.

Shaping Up

Good news, the pipes under the new studio are no longer in use. The yard is all marked up with red, yellow and orange paint and little yellow flags to show where NOT to dig. None of them point to the studio. Things should start moving forward again this week. The contractor is having a hard time finding windows in the style I want so I'm thinking maybe double french doors and no windows. That will still be lovely. And some climbing peace roses growing up the wall next to the door. Perfect!

Have been spending a ton of energy in the yard - spring is springing up and I'm taking advantage of the little bit of sun and dry weather to get some things done. I moved a rock border and bagged some yard waste and then did something I'd been wanting to do but had been to chicken to try... I trimmed up my camelia bush and turned it into a tree. I imagine there are those who would think what I just did was criminal, but I really like it - it opens up the space, mirrors the old rhody that has been trimmed up to a tree shape and lets me think about planting some boarder plants along the fence. I'm happy and really, that is ALL that matters.

Before:



After:

Happy Valentines Day!

Luke delivered some stargazer lillies to his little girlfriend, her name is Lilly, and when he handed them to her he said "Lillies for my Lilly". He also brought over two chocolate hearts, and said he was going to say "Hearts for my heart" but he didn't end up saying that part. He came back skipping and grinning. I could just eat this little boy of mine up, he's so darn cute and it all comes from inside. Sweet talker, just like his dad. What a pair I've got, huh?

In my next life...

... I want to play with baby tigers. I wonder how I could make it happen in THIS life?

Pop!

Spring Crocus

I've got good news and bad news...

...which would you like first?

(I can't tell you how many times Frank starts a conversation this way. I'm not sure why he feels the need to balance the good with the bad, but he does. He says this so often that Luke is doing it now too... and look, I just started a journal entry this way. And I HATE it. I don't want to hear the bad, and if I can't get the good without the bad, don't give me any of it. Of course I never say that... but look, I just did. So there.)

Anyway... the bad news is these pipes. They are running under my would-be studio. All work is on hold until a "locator" comes and gives us his opinion. I can't imagine these pipes are connected to anything real anymore... but better safe than sorry.



The good news is our new bathroom console is getting delivered this weekend. I got such a great deal on it - it was $900 total, regularly $2200 and the very next day when I was checking the measurements it had gone up to $1299. Overstock.com - do their prices change daily or did I just luck out in a very big ($400) way?



Oh and more good news... because I want the good to weigh more than the bad. These little cutie pies are coming up next to my front walk. Spring in February. Always a good thing.

Studio Build: Day.01

Not a whole lot of progress, he ran out of concrete - I guess there was more digging than anticipated. I took the dirt and started filling in some of the many holes in the yard. Need much more dirt. Anyway, tomorrow will see the holes filled with concrete and then they need to dry... and THEN they start building. Hopefully on Wednesday. Valentines Day.



And then there's the good ol'girl. She loves it when we spend so much time in the yard. I do wish she wouldn't lay in the garden beds, especially where the tulips are coming up.

Oops! Change of Plans...

The studio won't fit diagonal without cutting down the old rhody tree... so it's going square in the corner facing west. And also, it's going to be 9X13 now instead of 10X12. And I'm adding in two little skylights, one on the South side and one on the East side. The contractor doesn't know yet, I hope he won't mind! We've been working all weekend getting the site ready for the contractors tomorrow. Hope it all goes easy from here on out!

New spot - see the ropes in the far corner?



New view, standing where the door will go:

Lumber

This big pile of lumber was just delivered. Construction on my studio starts Monday!



This is where my studio is going, kitty-corner by the fence. One day there will be a beautiful wandering stone path leading up to it, and flowers and other nice plants...



And this will be my view. That stubby green tree/bush will probably get taken out, it doesn't do much for me really. I think it's a laurel.



And here is my studio plan, again, even though I think I've posted it two or three times already:

Signs of Spring

The sun came out a little today and I went outside to clean up some of winter's mess... and what do I find but itty bitty green things poking up out of the dirt and leaves. Happy!





Some not-so-happy news, my garden shed studio is delayed for a few days... but it will come. Early next week, so the contractor says.

Lazy Day

We went to a "Potlatch" last night at Luke's school. Long Claw from Vancouver Island put it on, and throughout the night blew feathers all throughout the "lodge". This morning Luke woke up and was coughing as if he had a whole unplucked chicken in his throat so we stayed home and had a nice lazy day. First off, I got sucked into watching The Naked Brothers Band and couldn't take my eyes away from the tv, even to go make myself a coffee. It's really cute and laugh-out-loud funny. And the brothers remind me of my nephew Chad, who is a lot like Luke. Luke is watching TNBB again, for the 5th or 6th time today - he's been doing that and playing his keyboard and nintendo DS all day. I think he thinks he's going to be in a rock band now. Either that or he's trying to remember all the parts I laughed at so he can add them to his repertoire.



The internet was down most of the day, and so I ended up trying to finish some paintings I'd started. They are no closer to being done, but I guess that's ok, right? Nothing in my world is "done" right now, the house, the yard, art, jewelry, books, health/getting in shape... it's a little unsettling. The new garden studio gets built next week - that will be a load off my mind and I'm looking forward to being able to move forward with that again at least.

Cure for Cancer?

I'm feeling very change-the-world, or at least very get-the-word-out today, for some reason. Probably because I don't have it in me to do anything else - just had a massage and chiro adjustment but still have shooting pains in my lower back and leg, making me too grumpy to do anything real. So I surf and find things.

I think this one, too, is worth passing on - a cure for cancer. Though it is mostly being ignored - and why? Oh, you know why, there's no money in it, of course. But still, I want to hope... and will.

Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/2nguer and follow the research links at the bottom of the article for more.

I wonder... I was thinking about doing that 60 mile walk for breast cancer this summer... I'd rather the money went here instead though, as it does seem they are on to something... I wonder how to get something like this set up? Hmn...

US Department of PEACE

I love the idea of an Official Department of Peace and really hope it gets done. From the site you can sign petitions and send letters to your representatives. Please do!

http://www.thepeacealliance.org/

Good Book

I adored this book and read it in two days. Two very lazy days, I admit, but it's been a long time since I've read all day and into the night. I couldn't put it down, it was that good.

It's a story about a boy who runs away with the circus. And the girl he falls for at first sight. And an elephant, of course, named Rosie. And so many other characters. You won't want it to end - I didn't.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Lukey at the beach with diamonds

I *heart* how fast my shutter clicks on a sunny day - I'd almost forgotten.

Plastic

I've been playing with clay lately... I keep hoping it will hold me over to when I can melt glass again. So far... well, it's drying my hands out. These red hearts are magnets - I really like them. The blue heart necklace is prettier in person.

Feels Like New England

It's been snowing all day. Itty-bitty fine flakes that don't really amount to much... but are beautiful to look at coming down against the backdrop of cedar trees. It reminds me of 'home', New England... and I hear that they have been getting our usually-warmish weather this winter - we've switched. I'm not really minding the snow, so much... but I am minding the icy roads and am getting sick of staying home. I'm ready to get out in the world... I want to go for a dog walk without falling on my butt. I want to go buy some magnets to glue on some poly clay hearts I've made, and I want some ice cream, of all things. Maybe tomorrow.

Dragon Heart

Handmade poly clay components and gold-tone seed beads.

Snow Day

I'm loving all this white snow, blue sky and sunshine!

Snow & Sparkles

Snow: It's all white and wintery out and while I'm sick of winter already, this is kind of a nice chage of view.

Sparkles: I made these, the sparkley stones are called muscovite, the little faceted ones are tourmaline and the focal is aventurine.



And a bracelet to go with:

BIG NEWS!!!

I'm so excited! My glass studio is being build February 8-9. One month away... and counting!

Amazing Amazonite

Big, Chunky, Bold, Blue. Just lovely.

Hearts on My Mind

I guess it's just that time of year... hearts hearts hearts... and it's not even February yet. But that's where my head is. When Luke came home from school we made this. Devil's Food cake mix with my secret ingredient - here, I'll share! - orange juice instead of water. YUM.

Not Done

But close. Hanging this is going to force me to take down the rest of the holiday ornaments, if nothing else.

the more I think about it...

...the more I wonder just how lucky I was. Afterall... I COULD have gotten a whole new car out of the deal. So close. That might have been fun.

Silence

TThere's wind and then there's WIND. The kind that sounds like a train headed right toward your house. Blowing right through your house. The kind that makes you sit up straight in bed from a sound dreaming sleep. The kind that blows the window open with a smash and a bang. The kind that tosses huge pine limbs around as if they were autumns leaves... dropping them who knows where. Well, some you know, because you can see the flash of transformers exploding just up the street and others you know have just crashed on the roof. But most, you can only wonder what damage they might be causing.

More shocking than the wind though, is that dead silence that wakes you up when the wind has moved on. When there is no electricity to cause your furnace to hum, or the clock to make it's faint buzz... it doesn't last long, because the dog starts snoring, but for that few seconds or minutes, it's too quiet to sleep, too quiet to get up. Too cold to get up, too. Sleep still doesn't come, because you are wondering what the damage is... but it's good, a relief, the adrenalin rush that has been the norm for the past several hours, even in sleep it seems, starts to fade and that buzzy feeling inside starts to go away, and no matter what the damage is, you and your family have made it through, again, and whatever the problem is outside... it's nothing that can't be fixed or replaced.

Too soon, dawn comes and it's time to see what all those bumps in the night really were... branches and tree limbs... all around your car, hanging in half your magnolia tree, on the roof, all around.... The worst of it, which is nothing really - NOTHING! is the smashed in windshield - easy to replace, not another dent to be found, not a hole in the roof, not a whole tree down on a house or a neighbor's house or car. Lucky again, really. And only half the time before power is restored, though cable takes yet another 12 hours to show up.

It's all good. Except, the wind is back, even though it's at half-force, and I'm really not ready for it again, so soon. It sets me on edge, makes me want to run away. A constant swoosh and swish in the background... making me yearn for that complete silence again... that calm and peace that I guess I will have to find elsewhere... turn the music up or do some yoga or get caught up creating something... something to get away from it, before it drives me completely crazy.

I Love My Flickr Favorites Pages

I'd forgotten about them until today...scrolling through, I still love each and every photo.

Tyger is...

up to no good.