To a Great New Year.

Are you ready for the New Year? I certainly am! Except for the fact that "9" is one of my least favorite numbers to write. I also have writing the number 5. 2, 4 and 7 are by far my favorite ones to scribble. WEIRD- I just noticed that those #s are the only ones that have acute angles in them. Must be a geometry thing. That was the only math I ever understood, so I guess I'm just partial to those numbers since they have something remotely cool about them.

Anyway, I have a big announcement to make tomorrow. No babies on the way, so it's not that. I would say it today but I feel like tomorrow would be more fitting, since it's a fresh start and all.


For now I have to go pick up Chinese food for Joe and his co-workers. After that is grocery shopping and then off to exchange some Christmas gifts. Hope all is well, longer post tomorrow.

Tagged

Erin from Design for Mankind tagged all of her readers.

So here we go!

Name five “unimportant” things that make me happy!:

1. real maple syrup (made in wisconsin, of course!)
2. great beer (yes dad, our beer costs 2-3 times as much as yours but tastes 10 times better!)
3. knee high socks (sock dreams, i will be visiting soon.)
4. good design (can't get enough of this.)
5. IKEA plant pots (they are so cool!)

My brother is visiting right now. Today we are going to go shopping after I pick up my paycheck. I desperately need new jeans! Wish me luck on that venture, I can never find jeans that I like...unless they have a $140 price tag on them, then they seem to fit great! Damn it.

Shona and Sia, tag you're it!

I'm Still Here

Last year around this time I told you I'd show you our handmade Christmas tree. And I never did, mainly because I wasn't impressed with the results since we were so tight on time.

Well, since we didn't have to focus on moving this year like we did last year, I was able to make a new tree.

7 hours of measuring, poking, and stringing later, we have a tree.

I wanted a sparkly pink tree and I was able to find the perfect yarn.
There is some silver in there too...I would have loved it to be solid pink, but Joe wanted silver too so I said okay. I should add that he wanted blue as well and I cringed at the god-awful sight I envisioned. When he held the 3 colors together and asked if they went together I said "yeah...very americana-like..."
Luckily that made him put the blue down without me having to blatantly say "you're kidding, right?"

So anyway, here is Rose, in all her homely glory:

We put her by the window so she could see her pine tree friends outside.

{closeup}

Anyway, what's new with you???
It's been forever, again, I know

I'm working an almost full time job now and I'm on the computer and the phone all day long, simutaneously, so the last thing I want to do when I get home is get on the computer and correspond with people. Not that I don't like you guys. But I don't even email my best friend as much as I used to, which was up to 4 times a day. Now it's about once or twice a week.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
What did you do with your leftovers?
We made this awesome soup, although I don't have any photos:

Turkey Tortilla Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
leftover turkey, ripped into small pieces
1-2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 partial can of corn
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
3/4 cup half and half
Garnish:
shredded cheddar
sour cream
hot sauce
avocado
broken tortilla chips (the good kind, not tostitos!)

Basically you just mix everything together, adding the half and half a bit later, and heat thoroughly.
Next time I'm going to add black beans and onions.
I don't know what size cans the chicken broth/enchilada sauce were, but they were all similar sizes. Maybe just over a cup each?
Made about 5 servings.

I'm definitely going to use leftover chicken in this recipe as well since it's not every day that I just make a turkey.

Okay well work starts at 6:30 am and it's almost 11. I need sleep!
Hope all is well!

apples and caves

Last weekend was our first weekend home (and also alone) in months. We travel out of town every week for about 2-3 days so we really enjoyed being able to just relax.

The weather was just perfect and we started our day out by going to Appleberry Farm to pick apples and drink cider. We also had apple cider brats, and if you know me you know that I will not touch a brat EVER...except for this day. They were secretly tasty.

After apple picking we went to Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mounds, WI. Have I ever told you how much I love WI? Anyway...my mom gave us a gift certificate to the Cave for Christmas when she found out we were moving here. It was the perfect gift! We want to go again.

What's new with you guys? Not a lot here, mostly just working. I'm really happy with my new job (more on that later) and I'm going to be ending my other job soonish.

Lately I've been into fashion...ummm, maybe too into it? I have a new inspiration folder just for looks that I love sitting on my desktop. I guess it's because it's something I can have here and now whereas when I save photos of interiors (i have a lot of those...) I have to just wait till we have a house till they come in handy. Anyway, I'm having fun with it all but now I'm addicted to clothes. And shoes. Luckily we have some great thrift shops around and I am good at knowing when to stop. Whew.

++++++

Oh it's been forever, hasn't it? That always seems to happen.
I just need to start documenting more, but there are only so
many hours in a day and so many days in a week...

Our weekends have been filled with trips for about the past
4-5 months. We've literally left town 16 out of the last 18
weekends! It keeps things interesting, though. And definitely
makes the months move by rather quickly.

This weekend we're off to a hotel to celebrate a friend's
birthday. Next weekend we're off to hang out with my
best friend and her husband.
They moved back "home" (where I'm from) a couple
days after we moved to Madison. A bummer, yes, but we
get together about once a month which is nice. The last
few times we've hung out with them, another one of my old
friends was there with her boyfriend and will be there this
time as well...I can't wait!

I'm sure the weekends to follow will have something in store as well.

We're going to Minnesota to see this guy soon.
(saying that i'm excited about this would be an understatement)
We saw him last November and it was excellent.

So enough about what's going to be happening and onto what
has been happening.

{more sun is seeping into the living room as each day passes}

I started my new job a couple weeks ago and it's going really well.

When we moved here, I was so excited about being self
sufficient, only relying on the money I made from Etsy sales
and consignment shops.

It was fun for awhile. But then it started to be a drag.
It became a "must do" rather than a "want to do".
Now that I'm working at 2 jobs, creating is becoming fun
again & it's something I look forward to rather than dread.
It's more exciting when I make a sale now, knowing
that the money can be used for something I want rather
than something I need. And if you know me, you know
that there is a lot of stuff that I want.

So I guess that's all for now. I work at 1:30 today so I
have to get a few things done before heading out.
Talk to you all soon, sorry for such a boring post but
I am hoping that things get back to normal and that
I post as much as I used to once my schedule balances out.
I used to post every day before heading out to work.
But then since I stopped having a consistent job, I
stopped having a (semi) consistent blog.
We'll see what happens.

sometimes things don't need titles

My parents and I went to the 127 corridor a couple weeks ago.

We had hoped to find TONS of stuff but that wasn't the case.

I still found a few cool things, though, and I'm quite happy with my purchases.

See this flickr photo for more info about everything!

Today I went on a picnic to Marshall Park in Madison, WI.

Summer is almost over already and I can hardly believe it.

I love fall, so it's not a huge deal, but fall doesn't last long and then we're knee deep in snow and slush for months and months.

But rather than thinking about that, I think I'll share some good news instead.

(No mom, I'm not pregnant.)

I got a job at a pretty great company but I feel weird saying what company it is so I'm going to keep quiet about it for now.

It's only seasonal, but there are usually opportunities to get in full time.

I start on September second.

I'm excited about getting to dress nice and not feeling awkward about doing so. I can't even get myself to dress nice when we go out...I always change into "Erin clothes" 2 seconds before we leave. I'm a jeans and t shirt girl for life, I think, no matter what I try. That's okay though because it's comfy.

hello

back from our camping trip.

i didn't get too many photos...i never do.

more to come in a few days.

5

Yesterday marked 5 wonderful years for us.

To celebrate, we went downtown.

{The Old Fashioned}
For pre-concert drinks
And intermission shots

{Concert on the Square}

What would a celebration be without champagne?
{bad pour}

{card made by shona. it was perfect}

{after a few drinks}
Leaving for our camping trip tomorrow.
See you soon.

Hello

Oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast today.

My new favorite.

Today I'm going for a morning stroll and then working on Yellow Canoe stuff.

After that I'm heading downtown to the art store for some supplies and then coming home to print more bees.

Class tonight.
Swimming tomorrow.
Solo camping trip on Friday.
Out of town to visit friends this weekend.
Working at my paycheck job on Monday and Tuesday.
5 years for Joe and I on Wednesday.
Packing on Thursday...
...for our 8 day camping trip that starts on Friday.
Joes birthday in 2 weeks.
And then July is pretty much over.

Did you know that we get up to 6 more hours of daylight in the summer than in the winter?

I can't stop thinking that winter will be here soon and that we have to get as many walks and camping trips in as possible.

So far there are 5 camping trips planned, including my solo one.

Can. Not. Wait.

Save the Bees, Please.

What's new?

For me it's this:

My first test print with the first linoleum block I've ever carved.

It will be available soonish, maybe sometime next week, and a percentage of the proceeds will go to honey bee research.

They need all the help they can get right now.

I made the print for my printmaking class. My 4th class is tonight at 6:30.

I have paper to cut (oh, how I miss cutting paper for journals) so I should be on my way.

Hope all is well.

Some Stuff

Yesterday and today Joe was out of town on business, which left me without a car for a bit.

I took a 6 mile walk and this beauty was fanning her wings on the sidewalk.
I went to the Farmer's Market in town and got some strawberries.
So for dinner I had strawberries and cheese and a sourdough English muffin with honey.
The cheese was from a different farmer's market last saturday.
The muffin and honey are both local as well, but I didn't get them from the market.

{my small container garden}

Tonight we are going to a Mallard's game for Joe's company picnic.

Usually I would be gung-ho about free beer, but I have been exercising and eating healthy for a bit now and I don't want a few beers to mess up my hard work! I'm sure it will just be Budweiser or Miller products, anyway, so I wont be missing much. BUT on the off chance that they are serving Capital, I will be all over it.

Capital is my new favorite brand when it comes to beer.
The neat thing is that Capital Brewery is less than a mile away from where we live.
You can go there and sit in their beer garden and listen to live music, and then you carry in your own food, which I think is pretty cool in this day in age.

Anyway, keeping this short because I have a few things to do before we head out...if Joe ever gets home from his business trip. He's in Oshkosh and I don't think he has left yet, meaning he'll be over an hour late! I predicted that...he never leaves work when he is supposed to.

Hope everyone is well.

Happy Birthday to You

Get out your party hats, Creature Comforts is turning ONE!

To celebrate, the lovely Ez has teamed up with a bunch of really great artists for a Birthday Giveaway Extravaganza!

Check it out!

So I don't have a whole lot to write about today but I want to share a few cute things I've found on Etsy recently.

{Yellow}

Lion Ring by Helis
$16
Sparrow and Hawk by Cole Gerst
$15

Wonderful Wisteria Pendant by DesignOptions
$38

Springtime Slipper Socks by CaitiJo
Sold, but they were $12

Moonlight Pods by SweetAnnieJane
$25

I'm very picky with my rings, but when I see one that I like, it must mean that it's really great...I love this lion one.

I already have this print by Cole Gerst, so I would really love to get this other one I mentioned as well.

I've been swooning over the wisteria pendant for so so long now.

The slippers are perfect. I almost bought them and then realized that I was waiting for 2 payments to clear from some buyers in my paypal account, so I figured I'd wait till they cleared. And now they are gone. I hope she makes more.

And since I love all things nature and all things block print, the moonlight pods print really called out to me.

Speaking of block prints, my printmaking class starts tomorrow night! I'm really excited.

-----------

Onto the next...

So I was contacted by Natural Home Magazine a little while back about the shelf that we painted and they wanted to know if they could use it in their publication.

Of course I agreed. But I must say that it was pretty difficult for me to get a copy- I went everywhere in town to find this magazine and nobody sells it. I actually thought they were going to send me a copy since that seems to be the customary thing to do, according to a journalist I know who used to write columns for a popular magazine.

I finally found a copy on Ebay, though, so all is well.

Close up here.

Well that's all. I have to finish cleaning the apartment now- I just wanted to slip out onto the balcony for a bit to enjoy this beautiful day we are having. It's been awhile since we've had weather this nice!

Hair

Okay so this is my new hair that's actually not new anymore...it's grown a little bit since I got it cut.

I wear it a little different every day.

Today I didn't do anything to it since I didn't have to go anywhere.

But this is what it looks like...

Okay that's all. I'm off to bed now!

No new post for the OPC blog today, but I did post over at the Yellow Canoe blog.

I still have to show you my new haircut, though! I chopped all my hair off about 2 weeks ago. Something I've been wanting to do since 8th GRADE. Oh well, that only took 9 years. Short hair is so much better, I am never having long hair again!

One of a Kind

So, I have come to the conclusion that planned posts feel more like a chore than anything else...which is why I've been absent.

I will just have to go with the flow and post when the time is right, rather than a set day.

Since I don't have much of a schedule or weekly routine, my days are all kind of meshed together.

I decide which days I want to work, at what time, and what stores I want to do (it's a merchandising job.)

On the days that I don't have to work, I am either cleaning, bumming around online, running errands, or working on Yellow Canoe stuff.

But sometimes I like to make stuff for us, too:

I bought the hooks from Pier 1 about 2 months ago.

I made the design specifically for us, but of course, I couldn't just keep the design for us...2 days later I was printing new key racks and necklace holders for Yellow Canoe.

Joe saw what I was doing and said "But I thought you made that for us..."

I felt so bad! I did say that it was just for us. I should have asked what he thought about me carrying the pattern over to the goods.

I made sure it was okay with him about 15 times before I listed the new pieces in my shop.

Looks like I will just have to make a different print that is just for us- REALLY just for us.

I've gotten a ton of requests for this rack- lots of people want this exact one with these exact hooks...something that I have to keep saying no to (plus, I can't get the hooks anymore.)

Sometimes you just need something that is only yours.

The bedroom is almost finished.

I'll post photos when it's ready to be seen.

Mostly Photos.

Finally got a dining room table and chairs.

From IKEA.

Table is the "Mella" Table.
Chairs are "Umbra" Chairs.
New grouping of art, I haven't had a place for these until now.
{Newly framed} print, by Jaime Zollars.
Art Card by Jaime Zollars.
Tickets piece by me- I needed something to balance out the works and wanted something quick. So I glued kraft paper to a piece of birch that was too damaged to use for Yellow Canoe and then added the 3 tickets.
I made up a story for the tickets- the girl and the bear on the card use them for unlimited rides on the mountain lift.
Of course, the whole ensemble was missing something, so I ventured to my "small things" toy box and found exactly what I was looking for.
A horse and a pig.
They don't have names yet.

Joe joined the WWF and we got 2 of these adorable reusable bags.
I cannot get over the baby polar bear pictured.

2 new pillows.
Left: Jamtartbaby
Right: Olive

That's all for now. I have more to post on Wednesday, though!

Some Stuff

Hi friends,

I don't have a whole lot of time for words but I thought I could at least show you a couple things I've been up to.

I'm always on a quest to decorate the house with high quality goods on while sticking to a small budget.

I came up with this piece a couple of weeks ago.

It's a frame that I thrifted which used to be a dark blue color and the picture was absolutely hideous. I had the frame for awhile and was just keeping it until I found something that would fit in it. I was walking down the aisles of target and saw a cloth napkin for $2.99 by Dwell Studio. I knew right away that it belonged in a frame. It was the last one they had, so I figured it wasn't meant to be a napkin any longer, since it couldn't be sold in a set.

So I went home and cleaned up the frame. Threw a few coats of brown on it, added a matte finish, and this is the end result:

I saw this post on design*sponge awhile back and thought it was perfect for my space.

So I got a roll of cork board and came up with a design. Since the cork board wasn't thick enough, I ran out to the craft store and bought a piece of foam board which was also cut in the same shape. I glued the cork to the foam board, attached some sawtooth hangers, and now I have a great space to hang my inspiration pieces:

I went with Joe to Chicago because he had to go for business.

I saw these beautiful flowers in the park.

I want to plant some of the purple ones as soon as we get a house. Hopefully in about a year.

On the way home from Chicago, we stopped at IKEA. I will show you guys what we got next time I post. I also want to show some of the great things I've gotten from Etsy recently! More in a few days.

Thanks for stopping by!

Crafty Synergy Interview

The lovely Patricia of Crafty Synergy contacted me a little while back and asked if I'd be up for a Yellow Canoe interview...of course I would be!

If you've never heard of Crafty Synergy, you should really check it out. There are TONS of wonderful artist interviews, you're sure to come across somebody you've heard of before.

Patricia is also the girl behind A Little Hut, which is a really cute blog sampling her paper works (oh yes- she is a paper artist...instant coolness in my book) and adventures in life.

If you have a minute, have a look!

+++++++ Today we went for breakfast and then off to the farmer's market. I wish I had some photos, but the ones I took at breakfast turned out less than spectacular and the market was one of those places that you really can't just stop to take a photo. Next time I'll try a little bit harder. Today was our first time at the market (opening day for the outdoor one!) so we just wanted to take it all in. Today is Record Store Day, did you know that? So of course, we had to hit up one of the local record stores. We chose MadCity Music. Joe got a Rolling Stones LP and I got a Jim Croce LP. I was looking for some Neil Young, but I already have the ones they had. We had a lovely afternoon walk and swooned over the beautiful mid-century style houses in the neighborhood. (gosh, i wish i had photos to make this post more worthwhile!) Tonight we're going to Lucky's to see a band. Joe knows one of the guys in the band through work. We'll see how it goes! I'm sure it will be a good time.

That's all for now! More on Wednesday or Thursday.

Oh! One more thing- check out the bike I'm getting! More info on it soon.

New Stuff

So there was this amazing chair sale at a local shop called "Atomic Interiors".

They have some really great pieces, and there is a chair sale going on through mid-May.

The chairs they are offering are mid-century style, and they are priced from $10-$100.

I saw some great ones that I would have loved to have, but since I have a very small car, I was pretty limited with my choices.

So I picked this one up for $10.

It definitely needs some love- I'm going to replace the canvas with something fun and sand/stain the arms.

I can't wait to get started!

But first I need a sewing machine. Damn.

Anyway, you can't really tell from the photo but this chair has a really unique shape.

I'm still trying to figure out the designer, but I've narrowed it down to a few different ones.

I'm almost positive is a Japanese design, though.

About a week ago I was talking to Lizzie of thelulubird.etsy.com in a forum on Etsy.

The topic was about her beautiful apartment that was on apartment therapy.

I checked out her shop while we were going back and forth in the thread and found the cutest little clothespin dolls!

Now, there are a lot of things in life that I fall in love with when I see it. My wist list is proof.

But there are only certain things that pull the strings of my heart just right to the point where I NEED it.

Like these:

I named them Jens (yenz) and Ella.

Anyway, if you are in for something cute, check out her shop! I love her little dolls so much! They're so sweet and make me smile every time I see them.

Okay, well that's all for now. Tomorrow or Wednesday I'm going to post the flor tile combo I came up with (I'm pretty excited about it) and maybe a few other things.

a few things...

So my friend Jacy is the manager at the new Goodwill on State Street.

I went for the grand opening and the selection is wonderful! It's so nice to finally have a thrift store that offers *nice* clothes.

I had 16 things in hand when it was finally my turn for the fitting room.

I ended up with 2 of those things.

A pair of corduroys and a nice thick sweater.

So as I was checking out the assistant manager, Jodi, who I met a few days ago through Jacy exclaimed "did you see the penguin sweater?!"

I hadn't, so she brought me over to it.

Up high, displayed on the wall, I snatched that thing lightning quick with a small jump.

Through some research, I found out that it's originally from Anthropolgie and retailed for almost $100. I figured it was from Anthro the minute I saw it.

I paid $2 for it. $2! It was supposed to be $6.99 but it was on sale for the "$1.99 wool day" or something.

What a steal!

So of course I had to wear it today:
It got pretty windy and rainy this afternoon + I'm extremely good at spilling things on myself (and on the couch and floor) so I decided to change out of my outfit before the day was over.

Speaking of spilling things, I have been on and endless search for a rug for awhile now. And then it occurred to me that I've been wanting to purchase some flor tiles for years now, so why not check into it? Oh- and the spilling part fits in because if I spill something on it, it's easier to replace 1 tile than to be sad about an expensive, stained, ruined rug.

So I talked to Joe about it and showed him the ones I like (I will get back to you guys with my final selection reallllly soon.) and we're going to get about 27 tiles or so. I'm so excited!

Okay, onto the next thing...last night I was browsing online for some local not for credit classes I can take. I have wanted to take some classes for a damn long time now, and I finally have access to some pretty wonderful ones. So I was looking through this long list, and to my surprise there was a printmaking one being offered this summer. Yes! Joe could tell right away that I found something good and asked what I was looking at. I told him and he told me to sign up for it. So I said that I had to get $75 for it first and he told me just to use our checking account for it. I said "no" because I'd feel bad and he insisted. Okay, so I realize that to some people this may not seem like a big deal, but when it comes to finances we keep almost everything separate. I have my money, he has his. We pay rent, car insurance, groceries, cable, and our cell phone through "our" account. The things we share. Most people I know just pool their money into one account and spend money freely on random things. Most people I know are also on the brink of an argument at all times because they don't agree with their partner's spending. And so we like to have things separate. It just makes the most sense to us, you know? So yeah, I was overjoyed that he was helping me pay for it. But anyway, I'm taking this class and it's 8 weeks long, starts in June...I am SUPER stoked about it. So then I started looking into more classes and I found so many that I want to take! Tons of paper/book arts type things, a broom making class (which I've wanted to take for awhile), wood working stuff, etc. I'm pretty happy. I can't wait to meet some new people and learn some new techniques. The really great thing about this printmaking class is that it's for beginners, but if the instructor added that if you are further ahead than a "beginner", she'll give you different projects geared towards your level. So we'll see how it goes.

Okay enough blabbing, I'm off to drink some Captain and orange juice to start my weekend off right! Normally I'd go for beer, but I've been working out all week so I don't want all that hard work to be completely wasted. Ha, I realize that a cocktail isn't all that healthy, but I've done really well with my food and drink this week so I need a small incentive. :)

With a Little Bit of Paint

Today is windy and rainy, so the room photos I want to show you wont be happening for a little while yet because it's so dark in the apartment.

But I do still have something to share!

Last fall I bought this metal tray on clearance from Target.
It was marked down from about $20 to $3.98 or something.
I bought it with the intentions of painting it, since I'm wasn't a huge fan of the brass color.

So 3 weekends ago, I set off to the hardware store to look for yellow spray paint.

Since I live in an apartment, I don't really have a good place for spray painting. It makes things a hassle, but it is still doable.

I got a large box and lined the bathroom floor with newspaper.
First I primed it and then I put a few coats of yellow on, and here's what happened:

A great way to add some cheer to your home and welcome spring is with a little bit of paint.

In fact, I actually created a Flickr group for all things painted! Not like actual paintings, but things that have been given a new life with some paint.

I haven't spent much time on it so I haven't been able to invite anybody to the group, but please feel free to join!

Okay, that's all for now. Come back tomorrow to see what I picked up at the thrift store this week!

oh hi there!

Wow, that was a long break, wasn't it?

Well, I ended up getting a new computer after dealing with the douchebag who ripped me off. Ahem.

I was so excited about getting a lap top!

I did a bunch of research and read lots of reviews and decided on a certain one, and bought it a couple days later.

Well. Without bitching too much...I had to call HP already for "technical assistance". That was 2 nights ago. Then yesterday brought an entire new problem, this time with the BIOS. Greeeat!

So I'm trying to ignore the fact that I'm pretty much screwed and moving onto happier thoughts, until I can gather the patience to call HP again. The language barrier makes for a very frustrating phone call. (Still trying to find the good in this situation...something positive. read more about that in a couple of paragraphs.)

Anyway.

Madison is going really well, and already feels like "home". Which I thought happened rather quickly, but it's nice. It was in the 50's and 60's this weekend, it was like a heat wave! We drove around and looked at some neighborhoods for potential house hunting, which still wont be happening for another year, but it's fun to look.

I've been decorating the apartment on the cheap, I'll show you guys what I've done over the next couple of weeks (hopefully). Here's the wall above the couch for now. For more info on the items on the shelf, check out the flickr description.

What else.....Oh! I have a job now. Part time. I had to get something with the economy being the way it is...Etsy has been slow. I have been getting a bunch of consignment orders out and I'm currently working on a wholesale order for a well-known online shop, which is exciting. But back to the job- besides not liking it much, it's going okay. I'm a merchandiser or something. Isn't it terrible that I don't even know what the heck my title is? Anyway, I put up ads and coupon machines for clients at various stores around Madison. Lots of driving. And WAY too many boxes to haul up and down the stairs. BUT Joe and I are on a "positive reinforcement" kick, which is our latest approach to a happier life, so I've been trying to find something good about everything (which is what i was referring to when talking about the computer). The good thing about this job? Even though I have to make all these trips up and down the stairs, I'm getting a bunch of exercise while doing it. Right???

Speaking of exercise, I started working out today. We'll see how long it will last THIS time. I'm not going to tell Joe, but I'm just going to see if he notices in about 2 weeks. He better if he knows what's good for him! Ha. Totally kidding. Kind of.

Well that's all for now, I was just checking in to tell you all that I'm still alive!

Maybe there will be more posts this week, we'll see if my computer brings any more issues. If it behaves, I will try to be back on Wednesday.

Damn

Well. I got my computer back {after waiting 10 days for it...yeah.}

I paid the guy $300.

The system was fully restored, luckily he was able to back up all my photos.

That's really all I cared about- getting my photos back.

He told me I should put everything on an external hard drive.

Which I was going to do.

But then 2 days later, it broke again.

Same problem.

I don't know what to do.

So now I'm out $300 and somewhere between 2000-3000 photos.

Sure, I have some of them on Flickr.

But 80% of them are on my computer and not on Flickr.

I really, really, REALLY want those photos back.

But I just got off the phone with him and it sounds like he's not too concerned that I've already spent $300 on it all.

It makes me wish that I didn't support the local guy on this one.

If it was Circuit City, at least I could go to the manager or something.

Anyway, Joe is in Dallas on a business trip so I'm at my parents, visiting.

I almost didn't get to come down because on my way to the airport to drop Joe off, I drove into a median and took down a big sign that was cemented into a ground with a 4x4.

Luckily nobody was hurt.

It was snowing, the roads were absolutely terrible, it was 4:30 a.m.

I couldn't fit the giant piece that fell off my car (the front bumper) into my car at the time, so I had to drive back and look for it later on.

Which was an adventure in itself.

Since there was nowhere for me to pull over onto the snowy country road, I had to pretty much hold up traffic while I ran out out into the field to retrieve my bumper.

I had this great idea that I'd leave the car running and just take my trunk key off the ring so it would make the process faster.

It was a great idea...until I locked myself out of the car a few hours later.

I had to go find a police man to unlock my car for me, hoping that he wouldn't see my dented front end and hood and ticket me for a) not reporting it and b) not having a license plate on the front.

Luckily he didn't see it.

Anyway.

Joe was so excited to escape this cold, blustery Wisconsin weather...he called me last night when he got into Dallas and told me it was snowing there.

I had to laugh, because really.....isn't that kind of funny?

Okay well I'm painting a bunch of wood today, so time for the next coat.

Damn

Well...the day I have always dreaded has come- my computer died and is in the repair shop.

PLLLEEASE be okay, computer...I have WAY too many photos in my inspiration folders to say goodbye!!!

Darn it.

At least the library has decent internet access!

Thrift Finds Friday

Well, since I've missed 2 Mondays in a row with the "Look What We Made...", I couldn't miss another day.

Our weekends are still full of visits from friends and family who are anxious to see our new place.
Lots of slumber parties have been going on.
This really cuts down on the time we have to make/rehab things...

But I've still found time to thrift!

This week's finds aren't *too* exciting, but I was still happy to give them a new home.

{Yesterday was sunny. Great day for photos!}

This mid-century end table, which is going to go through a major rehab when we have a free weekend...

Cost: $4.99

And this vase, because we don't have enough accessories:
$0.99

I want to go thrifting so badly tonight, I need some "new" skirts and shoes...but unfortunately, I won't have a car because Joe is going out with some friends...and I still haven't figured out the bus line or where the closest stop is.
I need to get on that.
I think I've ridden a city bus one time, and that was in Chicago.
I'm new to this, people.

What else...

Well, things are going pretty well with Yellow Canoe for now.
I'm working on about 3 consignment orders.

I have been looking into working on an organic farm this summer, part time.
I have an interview for one of the farms in late February.
All the farms I have found are internships...which would really benefit me if I was in school.
(really wishing i could go to school)
(but first i have to pay off my loan from my stint at design school)
(wishing i could go back to school for design)
(but wanting a house first)
...

So I really need to meet some new people here.
I have social interaction with next to nobody since I'm self employed...
Which isn't a good thing for a person who used to be a pretty extreme introvert.
{this is why I forced myself to wait tables.}
I got over my "shyness" in about 7 or 8 months, after many embarrassing moments, but it worked.
I just don't want it to get undone.
The longer I'm without talking to outsiders, the more I become hermit-like.

I'm thinking about joining a knitting group for now.
I've been wanting to learn how to knit for quite a while...
I'll let you know what happens with that.

For now I'm going to package orders and see what the day brings.

Lodi Marsh

Hi there!

The "Look What We Made Mondays" is running a little bit behind schedule.

We did start on something and it's almost finished.

It would have been complete if not for this slight interruption...

Yesterday I turned 23 and my wish was to go on a winter hike.

It was a beautiful day...about 30 something degrees, which is warm compared to what it's been.

The sky was a really lovely bluish grey hue and the sun was stretching her arms to the snow.

It was just perfect.

The trail we went to is called the Lodi Marsh.

It's part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but this particular trail is really amazing.

It's a thousand mile path, entirely within Wisconsin, that celebrates the legacy of the Ice Age.

We've hiked a few different sections of it.

The hike we took yesterday was about 2 miles...it was the first winter hike we've ever been on.

We've always wanted to go for a hike in the winter, but it just never worked out since I always worked weekends.

But now our weekends are filled with fun.
So through the valley we went, admiring the skeletons of the plants and trees...

There were these families of red twig dogwoods that carried so much contrast against the white winter snow...

Up across the meadow...
And back into the valley...And then back to the car we trudged.

I really would like to visit again each season...I don't think Joe will have a problem with that.

So after the hike, we stopped in at a birthday bar called "The Nitty Gritty".

I got free beers since it was my birthday.

We couldn't drink too many, though, because Joe was making me dinner and didn't want to be too drunk to cook.

{He made me some delicious tilapia with rice and corn.}

And then the day was over.

+look what we made mondays to come shortly+