Sunday Number 2

So I somehow got 2 Sundays off in a row. Maybe I requested one of them off, I don't really remember.

The nice thing about not working on a Sunday is that Joe is home on that day, too.

We got a lot done, considering the fact that we stayed out till 2 a.m. on Saturday. We went to the first show we've been to in ages and had a great time. But I always have to wonder- how can so many people resist dancing at shows? I personally think it's the best part.

Anyway, we got a bunch of errands and spring cleaning done. Joe got a taste of why I never feel like I accomplish anything when I set out with ideas (I'm the planner and buyer...) which was good because now he knows that it's a bummer when you come home with nothing.

BUT we did come home with food to grill out with!


















avocado
tomato
onions
bacon
mushrooms
bbq sauce
bacon























Yum.

Studio

I still have more to do, but I have made progress in my basement studio.

Before & After:



















I should have gotten a better "before" photo, but basically everything was varying shades of wood tone. So I painted everything white and added a blue stripe. Much better.

Good Stuff

I met Kelly through Rutabaga last year.

We talked about Etsy here and there, and she had mentioned that she hadn't done any art in some time.

Well, when I found out that she had opened an Etsy shop this winter, called Kelly Christina Artworks, I promptly ordered this block printed fox card. It's currently hangs in our kitchen in a pretty little frame. Joe and I both love it.














Her work seems very fresh compared to a lot of art I see- her compositions are clever and unique. I was smitten when I saw this new robin last night:














And her photo styling is great too, as proved by the photo above.

I like that she used a trip to Scotland as inspiration for this print:













I hope to own some more of her work soon- I have just the right place for another grouping of art. Well, I actually have about 5 more places. Slowly, slowly.
++++++++++
I never did end up finishing the paint job in my studio. I don't do things after work, regardless of the great ideas I come up with during the day. By the time I get home, eat dinner and get situated, it's already 8:15 and I'm in bed less than 2 hours later. I used to be a night owl but I switched to being an early bird after dealing with numerous sleep problems, and I must say that I like it much better this way. Even though I don't get anything done anymore.

Today is my day off off. The off off part means that I don't have to do any errands. I spend one day off doing errands in town (which always takes up a big chunk of the day) and the other day off doing whatever I feel like doing. I have a lot planned for the day, so I should get going. More later.

Monday Morning

I started painting my studio a few days ago. Priming, I should say.

I still haven't decided on a color (an issue that frequents my life) but I did stumble across an idea the other day and I might just run with it. I hope to have it finished by Thursday night, although I doubt that I'll have a dark room added in by them (used for part of the screen printing process). And actually, I doubt I'll even finish painting by Thursday. It looks good on paper computer screen though.














Before and after photos to come, of course.

This week:
+Garden planning. Lots of tomatoes for salsa!
+Yard planning. Fire pit building next month.
+Party planning. Pinatas and Tacos...I guess that's technically a Fiesta.
+Car shopping. I have been waiting for this day for 4 damn long years. If not 5.

What are you up to this week?

Sunday.

Today was a great day. No work for either of us. It was sunny and warm. The birds were out. It was Spring. And nothing really had to get done. The day was fun and relaxing. I can't remember the last time I felt like this.

We headed off to Madison for some food and shopping. When we got home I repotted some plants. I also planted some Cat Grass for Moonshadow and Clementine. I recently discovered the marvels of this simple grassy plant. Since introducing it to them a few days ago, they no longer have any interest in house plants and haven't been scarfing down as much cat food. Which is awesome, because I was able to bring my plants back out and not worry about the cats killing any more than they already have!














For the record, "Potting Mix" sucks and I wouldn't recommend it. That's what happens when you are new to things and want to try something different...trial and error. Mostly error.

Anyway, when we were in Madison we went to Bluephies for brunch. I had a mimosa. I need more of those in my life.

We also went to Johannsen's (a favorite stop of mine. always.), a record store, Home Depot and Target. Got some small things here and there. I spend money fast when I have it since it's a rare occasion (i know my time is coming, though! we are trying to "do things right" with our finances. hard but worth it.) I can never decide on just one big thing (camera or tent or subwoofer?) so I usually just opt for like 10 small things. Like records, plant seeds and thrift store finds.

But for now I should be going. A certain Mister wants to cuddle. And it's not Joe.

One more thing- I'm hoping to be around more frequently now! The first half of March is a bad time for me when it comes to having time to blog. I'm assuming that the end of May will be the same. We are having a big get together over Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned for that fun. (only 2 months?! yikes...)

Still Here

I'm still here. We've been really busy at work and I haven't had much of a normal life balance for a couple weeks. When things get unbalanced, I don't talk much. But I will be back with new posts tomorrow!

Sunday

Seriously lusting after this necklace by stone & honey:

















I'm not much of a "jewelry girl". Diamonds are not my best friend and I've never had my ears pierced. But I long for the day that I have a few pieces to choose from before an evening out.

Last night I went dancing at Plan B. It's a gay bar, but it seemed like an even mix of straight & gay. I had a lot of fun and the space is nicely decorated. Lots of inspiration to be had (by the interior...not by the 'freaky' people i saw). Dancing for 3 hours = good time. I got home around 2:15 am but couldn't sleep past 7:15, so I'm a bit tired.

Next up is work! We are gearing up for Canoecopia...it's less than a week away! If you've been wanting a canoe or kayak, it's a great place to be.

Sweetness

Spring is almost here.

While Wisconsin winters are usually long, I found this winter to be seemingly short, and we were quite lucky with the temperatures. The season only offered a couple days that we brutally cold. That's coming from somebody who doesn't own a winter coat. It was nice. Hardly any snow fell compared to the past 2 years, which was kind of a drag, but oh well.

With the longer days soon to come (it gets light out at 6:15 AM now!) and house projects tempting us left and right, Joe finally agreed to something that I have been begging him to do for almost 5 years now.

He canceled the cable.

You have no idea just how excited I am about this. I'm going to throw a party for him and bake cupcakes to celebrate.

You see, Joe loves his television. A LOT. I felt guilty when he told me he did it, but I know that he will come around to love other activities soon enough. I can't blame him for his love, though. We have very different jobs. I could never do what he does- he racks his brain all day at work, and he's awesome at scheming solutions to problems day in and day out. So much so that he brings it home and tries to offer me advice when I bicker about something minimal and not advice-worthy, like the way my shoes fit (thanks, hon......) Throw in a bunch of Microsoft programs and heaping stacks of numbers and meetings and departments and speeches and managing...can I really blame him for wanting to veg-out after a week like that? So then there's my job. I show up to work and talk about kayaks, chill outside with fun customers, move boats around and help people understand why merino wool is the way to go. Big dif.

So anyway, we will save over $100 a month, which we've agreed will go directly towards projects. All winter I've been almost sobbing over the paint colors in the house, but with no money to paint, what could I do? Not much. But at the rate of $100/month, I can have the interior painted in no time (if i can decide on colors, haha) and all the little things (rugs, lighting, etc) purchased in just a few thrift-trips.

I can't wait!

7 things

(me and moonshadow, about one month ago.)

Tagged by Princess Caitlin. She gave me the "Kreative Blogger Award", which means that I am supposed to share 7 things about myself.

+my favorite pizza toppings: pineapples, jalepenos and roma tomatoes.
+i work in a paddlesport shop and talk about canoes and kayaks and outdoor stuff all day. it's fun for multiple reasons.
+i do not like spiders.
+i can't touch my toes and have never been able to.
+i can ride a unicycle.
+i'm trying to grow my hair out but i'm having a very hard time with it.
+i like to name my plants.