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+

Thrift Finds Friday and More

Hello there and welcome to the first installment of "Thrift Finds Friday."

I plan on this being a weekly or bi-weekly feature, depending on if I find new things that week.

So now that I live in a city (saying that is so crazy! my friends used to say that I lived in the "county"...not country, but county. I don't know.).......anyway, I live closer to more thrift stores now.

I'm hoping to be able to score some really amazing things, I'm dying to find some great shoes like Shona always does. I also need a few skirts that I can give a new life. But mainly, I'm looking for things that will look nice in the house. Older things, of course. And I'm also on a mission to just find things that will make me smile when I see them.

I wish I could start this first TFF with a bang, but I only picked a few things up last week. Nothing too spectacular, but all things that I love.

I was hoping to find some stuff for our shelves, but no luck.

Okay...

First off, we have this orange pitcher. I started a pitcher collection, which you'll see in time, so this is a cute little addition. I love the pattern on the glass, I can't wait to serve orange juice in it! Cost: $0.75


This didn't come with a base, but I had to get it anyway, because I loved the color and shape of this fondue pot. Cost: $0.75

Okay, I can't show you the entire object, but I was looking for frames and found this...I am really drawn to the pattern, and I can't wait to give it a makeover. It will be featured on "Look What We Made Monday" within the next couple of weeks, which is why I can only give you a sneak peak for now. Cost: $1.25

Now this thing isn't all that neat, but I liked the color and it will serve a nice purpose in our house on the weekends {holding coffee}. Cost: $1.25.


Alright, that's all for this weeks finds, hopefully I will have more next week.

There is a town called Janesville, which is between Madison and my parents house, and another town right outside of Janesville called Fort Atkinson. Both towns are supposed to have some great thrift shops, so I'll be stopping at a few on my next trip home.

+++++

Yesterday I got a package from my best friend Kaitlin. We've been great friends since 3rd grade (that's about 14 years). The funny, but sad, thing is (okay it's not funny it's mainly just sad...but I try to make light of it) Kaitlin just moved "back home" about a week after I moved to Madison. Before that she was in school and then moved to Virginia for a bit when she got married. So she hasn't lived at home (by at home I mean where we are from) for like 5 years or something...or is it 4? well it feels like 5. Before the 5 years thing happened though, I was with my dick head ex for awhile so it's really been like 7 or 8 years since we hung out on a regular basis. ANYWAY the point of the story is that we are good friends again and she sent me this neat stuff for my birthday! I'm going to be 23 in a couple days...

A giraffe card, because I love giraffes!
A Post Secret book!!!!
A super cute pumpkin soup holder
A tank top with whooos!!! Can't wait till it's not -25º anymore! (okay, that's the wind chill...but still.)
Thank you Kaitlin!
I already read the book. So did Joe.
He now understands why I must visit Post Secret every Sunday morning.

Okay well today's to do list has more things on it than hours in a day so I have to get going. Thanks for stopping by!

$#!t

recent conversation/last night.

me: "hey!!! guess what!? we live by an anthropologie now!!"
joe: "neat."
me: "do you remember what that is?"
joe: "yeah. it's that magazine you get with those people that look blank."
me: "what?"
joe: "those girls. they are all model-like and...fake."
me: "did you say "those people that look...blank?"
joe: "yeah."
me thinking 'has he not seen the clothes in that "magazine" (catalogue, ahem...)'
me: "hahaha, okay."
joe: "they just look blank when i see them."

++++++

So, can you tell that I'm avoiding grocery shopping and that I've been working on business tax SHIT all day?

I'm so very confused about taxes. It really makes me want to quit this handmade life and find a full time job or something.

Almost.

The minute I thought I understood it, I heard about tracking inventory on hand and all this other stuff that I just don't want to deal with (because I'm confused about it all)...

UGH.

On a lighter note, I'm thinking about finding work on an organic farm this spring/summer/fall. That would be more fun than any other job I can think of, since you know- I don't have a degree or anything.

Okay I guess I have to go grocery shopping now. At least it will result in chicken stir fry for dinner and some banana muffins tonight.

Monday Feature...

Hello and welcome to the first installment of "Look What We Made Mondays!"

Last weekend Joe and I painted a shelf that our friends Rod and Tricia made us...

Before:

During:

After:

This is what it looks like decorated:

We are really happy with the results.

It definitely livens up our living room!

We are focusing on adding more color throughout the apartment, so I think this is a good start.

Check back next Monday to see our current project!

+++++++

Yesterday I went to the paper store and bought some new paper:

It's been awhile since I focused on Operation Paper Cut, but I have big plans for it come February.

These papers are all going to be turned into hard cover coptic bound journals.

A little out of my element, since I usually design all the covers myself. But these days I just don't think I'm going to have time for all the drawing and cutting and gluing that goes into the "usual" Operation Paper Cut journal. So I'm going to switch gears just a tad and offer journals bound with patterned book covers.

I plan on releasing the first batch mid-February.

I'll let you all know when the shop is updated with new journals.

Okay, well I just spent 2 hours at Circuit City while my husband picked out a new TV, so I have to get going and make up for lost time.

Talk to you all soon!

FOUND!

FINALLY!

All I have to say is thank god for tax time.

I know that may seem like a strange statement, but if it weren't for tax time, I wouldn't have found my rapidograph pens!

They were in my receipt box! How strange!

+++++

Be sure to check back this week for 2 newly themed posts!

I'm starting "Look what we made Monday" and "Thrift finds Friday."

The Monday feature will focus on something that we made over the weekend.

The Friday feature will be about my recent thrift finds!

I can't wait!

Okay, that's all for now!

Sorry I don't have any photos...I would love to show you my new town but the wind chill is so bitterly cold, in the negatives this week.

Don't worry, I'll be showing you lots of new things throughout the coming weeks.

not happy

I cannot find my rapidograph pens ANYWHERE and I absolutely need them right now!

The joys of moving.

I've been searching for over an hour now.

I've gone through every box that hasn't been unpacked at least 3 times each...there are only about 7 boxes left to unpack (you know...the boxes that you don't even want to look at because it's just random stuff)......

Where could they be?!

+++++

Update: It's now 24 hours later.
{january 15}
No sign of the pens.
I'm still looking.
The worst part is that right now Yellow Canoe is my only source of income, and I don't want to fall behind because of some missing pens!
Also missing:
-1 steak knife from our knife rack. The funny thing is that we saw it laying out right before we left (the movers showed up a lot later than they were supposed to, and we were on a tight schedule so we had to leave them at our old apartment to finish the job.)
-My 2 iron owls. I loved those things...I hope they fly home soon.

Off to look some more.

Settled.

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are settled in our new home in Madison.

More words and photos to come soon.

I've been spending my days working hard on new Yellow Canoe stuff.

If all goes according to plan, I will finally be able to make new things for Operation Paper Cut at the end of January! This is very exciting for me, as I have new items in mind. They will still be coptic bound journals, but I have some fresh ideas for the covers!

{photo of our new living room}

So I never did get around to the DIY Christmas tree. Maybe next year? Since we moved the day after Christmas this year, our lease expires in a year on New Years Eve. So if we move then, it will be another crazy holiday season. But we're hoping to be able to extend our lease for 6 months depending on whatever fees would come along with that. Doing so would put us in a house around June of 2009. Sounds so far away! That's okay, though. We're digging our new apartment, anyway.

Okay, more early next week.