I came into 2012 with much ambition and a hefty stack of goals. Not hefty in terms of quantity, but more along the lines of things that are kind of bigger than "Paint the Bathroom in May." As each line begged for their red mark to be penned through, I think I may have overlooked "Forget About the Blog." It would have made the list look great with another thing crossed out.
Anyway, I've been working on the biggest goal of them all for a couple months now. I really, really want to tell you guys about it, but I can't yet...mainly because I don't have a photo, and I feel like this one neeeeeds a photo.
For now I can show you one of the things I've been working on in the back yard. This was supposed to be the "Year of the Front Yard" since I haven't crept out much from my behind-the-scenes comfort, but rest assured; the front has been receiving some much needed brushing as well.
And so, what we have here is the "Retaining Wall Re-stack".....which was not on my list for spring projects, but it was bugging me to no end, even after my attempts at letting things go and being okay with flaws, so I finally said eff it, it's getting re-done.
Here you can see that the stones were becoming a bit gnarled. I suppose it's half due to years of seasonal shifting and half to whoever built the thing. So I figured I'd demolish Scraggle Fest and just re-stack it all. Keyword here is just.
Of course, it is turning out to be a bigger task than I set out for, but I suppose I should be used to that by now. Nothing a few Ibuprofens and a few sips of an adult bevy can't fix. And a couple days of resting afterwards. Followed by a few hours of "hmm....is that my back or my kidneys that feel like hell....". Oh, and I can't forget about all the rocks that are killing the grass as they sit there waiting for my next day off. I'll finish it eventually. I just want everything to be in straight lines. I think it will look and feel so much better.
Anyway, during my rock wall project I was fortunate enough to see that our crab apple tree was in bloom. I think it held tightly to its blossoms for a good two weeks or so, which outlasted last spring's by quite a long time.
It was kind of funny; on the first day those showy pink flowers came out, I was so happy to have the day off to admire their beauty. I even made a promise to myself not to meet up with anybody for coffee or go run errands to Madison, just so I could enjoy my tree all day long. I kind of laughed when I pictured myself telling a friend "Oh....yeah...I can't meet for coffee today. My crab apple tree is in bloom." I realized how silly it might sound from the their perspective. But I also knew that anybody who truly knows me would understand. The tree is so pretty and I'd really hate to miss it.
As the lunch hour crept in, I found myself at my mailbox hoping for a new magazine. I opened the door and saw that Real Simple magazine had arrived. I was hoping for House Beautiful, but that's okay. I went inside and sat down with my mushroom and red onion pizza and flipped the pages looking for a quick read.
To my surprise, there was an article with a photo of a crab apple tree titled "The Giving Tree." It was about a woman who has a crab apple tree in her yard, and she talks about how fond she has grown of her tree over the years. It was really cool because she hit on many of the same thoughts I had just a few hours prior, and I kept thinking about how awesome it was to come across this article when I did. I couldn't help but to let it brighten my day.
The crab apple tree in our back yard makes me want to live in this house forever, which is a commitment I've had a hard time allowing myself to make, as much as I've wanted to and as easy as it seems it would be. Reading that article made me feel a little closer to embracing the thought that living here forever would be cool. It's so much easier to feel a sense of contentment when I imagine myself growing with everything we do to make this house our home when I take away the idea that one day we might leave it for something else. It's also easier now that I've decided to take every Monday off for the sole purpose of becoming more connected to our home and where we live. I can only imagine that it will bring me more joy...in 11 minutes will be my third Monday. I should hit the sheets so I'm not too groggy to enjoy it.
Last weekend we explored a sandy path that stretches along the edge of the Wisconsin River. It was a beautiful sunny evening; The snow had melted away and all that was left were cool sandy hills and tufts of tall golden grasses, waving in the breeze.
The river has this way of making you forget about what should be forgotten and remember what should be remembered. Stories abound. Laughter echos. Smiles glow. Rigid emotions surrender and are replaced by the warmth of those that are calm.
This photo was taken in the town I live in. There are many, many days that I long for a house in Madison. A house that's close enough to host a last minute dinner party for my friends. One that lets me walk to my favorite coffee shops and restaurants or allows me ride my bike to work. A base camp for the nights I want to go out after work but have to come all the way home first just to turn back around a few hours later.
When I look at the photo, I can't help but to ask myself why I'd want to leave. The views here are gorgeous. Sure, they're not the mountains or the ocean, but it's what we have and what we have is quite striking. Our house felt like home from the minute we walked through the doors. The neighborhood is quiet. Right now the only thing I can hear over the tick of the clock is a Mourning Dove. That's it. Nothing else.
But still, again and again, I find myself yearning for the day when we live near a decent grocery store. And in all honesty, it's thoughts like this that have made me feel unattached and distant from the thought of living here. Right now I just stay here. I haven't been able to connect with my house as much as I'd wish because I don't feel like I need to be here. It's more like I'm always trying to escape; to go to Madison to do fun things. I live there more than I live here, and it really started to bother me.
And so, last night I took the first step towards feeling like I have a sense of living here. I wish I could tell you what it is...and I suppose I could tell you what it is. But not yet. Not until it's official.
I'll come back with pictures when it's time. Goal #2 of 2012 is about to get a nice red line penned through it...I'll show you my list sometime.
The other day I sat down and had a little talk with my buddy Rotring Rapidograph. It was well received, and after about 40 minutes of gentle persuasion, he finally gave in and decided to stop being so damn stubborn.
And so with a pen that was once again in working order, after previously thinking it was in need of major surgery for the last 5 months, I anxiously began lugging my paper scraps, inks and tools up the stairs and to the kitchen table. I think we've talked about the patience I have for my studio before...it's in the basement and I cannot, for the life of me, work in the basement during the day. And to be honest, I can't work down there at night either. I tried to like it, but it's just not working out for me right now. And so, the kitchen table is usually where I end up.
The process of clipping and shuffling and staring and feeling soon took over my Wednesday afternoon. I had forgotten how much pleasure I get out of working on new pieces...it's as if I step over into a different world. It kind of reminds me of disappearing into one of those warp tunnels in Mario. Pretty awesome.
But, there is just one small dilemma with this secret world I visit. The obstacle of coming out of it before I'm ready is a bit of a drag...it's like, once I'm in I have to stay there until I run into a hurdle that's too high to jump, or else I end up resenting the things in life that are pulling me away. Work, appointments, house guests. You know, commitments. The idea of a vacation sounds more and more appealing.
When it comes down to it, however, it's this creative escape I should be thankful for. I shouldn't look at the other things like they are such hindrances. I mean, they kind of are, but it's those very challenges that make the process so gratifying, right? Right.
Anyway, my hope is that I can take a solo canoe trip this summer, down the Wisconsin River, and haul all of my art stuff with me. I'll let you know how it goes. For now I have to wait for warmer weather so much inks don't freeze.
Hey gang! How are you guys? Things are going pretty well here. I'm just spending a few minutes with my coffee and blogs before I get ready for work this morning. Not that I really have much of an excuse to take it easy...I spent the entire day on the couch yesterday after a really long night of dancing and good conversation with friends. I have to be honest here- adding a new record to the books was pretty exciting. Well, actually, I added 2 records to the books but I can't tell you about the second one because I don't think Joe wants to hear about me getting hit on by not 1, not 2 but 3! different guys. This never, ever EVER happens to me, so it was quite entertaining. And rest assured- I didn't get anything out of it other than a good laugh. I like brushing up on my acting skillz every now and then, you know? Ah, the life I make up for myself when talking to weird strangers. But anyway, as I was saying...the record I CAN tell you about. So, yeah...I didn't get home until 7:20 in the morning. Which basically means that I didn't go to bed until 7:30 a.m. Dang! Isn't that crazy?! Yeah, that's the latest I've ever stayed up. And certainly the latest I've ever gotten home. Driving west at that hour reminded me of our trips up north to visit my Grandparents. The sun hits the trees just right. *Sigh*...
Anyway. So yes, what I was getting to is that I picked a great day to spend on the couch because yesterday was Hockey Day on NBC which was AWESOME. I watched hockey all afternoon and lusted after the day we have cable again so this can become more of a routine. Oh, we also walked to the local greasy food joint for a chocolate malt. I was jonesing hard for one and whenever I don't feel the greatest I neeeeed to eat whatever I'm craving or else that's all I'll think about and it's like watching my Zelda heart number dip lower and lower. But once I get what I am hungry for, ZING! Back up again!
Okay so moving on, I came here so I could show you this thing, in case you want to make one. It's a side table that I made out of copper elbows and dowel rods.
I've been longing for a table like this for years and years, and it's finally time for me to have one. I had to wait until we had the right couch because it wouldn't have worked with the old set up. And so then we got the right couch but I didn't have $100 to shell out on the table that I wanted, so I just made one. Rather than flood the blog with the how-to, you can check it out over at Houzz if you want to.
Okay, well off I go, or else I'm going to be late for work. No good. See you around, thanks for stopping by. :)
Hey friends, how are things!? I hope everything is going well. Sooo, it looks like we're almost into spring! Although, I must say...this winter was kind of a drag since we haven't had much snow. I'm holding tight to the thought that we may still get some, but there will come a point when I will make the switch from "snowshoeing. snowshoeing. snowshoeing." to "canoeing. canoeing. canoeing." I'm willing to give it a little more time.
Anywaaay. I just finished a project that I'm excited to show you! So I've had this photo of a really sweet wood floor in my inspiration folder for quite some time now. It's made up of all these random scraps of wood and it looks really cool. I kept telling myself that I'd have a floor like that some day, but I slowly accepted the fact that new floors are way way waaaay at the bottom of my to do list. So I put the thought aside and moved along.
I was zinging around my basement one day last month and thought "wow, i have a lot of art pieces that have been just sitting here...i should probably do something with those." I remember going back upstairs to brush my teeth which is when I came up with an idea that I thought was pretty stellar.
There's an odd recess in our dining area that I've wanted to fill since we moved in. It's an area that's grated my eyes since August 2009 and I've gone back and forth around various solutions, without ever settling on one. For awhile I thought I wanted a long row of sleek cabinets screwed to the wall at bar height. But let's face it- we have way more storage than we need and we rarely have guests over AND, worst of all, I would have to spend a LOT of $$$ on liquor to bring it up to the swank factor I'd be going for. So I reset my idea to the thought of a bench...but didn't have the $$$ for one that I'd like. And I wasn't about to build a "nice" bench, because doing so would make me crazy. And so, like with many things, my frustration swarmed and rested again and again.
And so, when I came up with this idea that only took me 2.5 years, I got to work right away. I only had to purchase 2 things for it- a 2x4 and a 4x4. Of course, that meant I had to go to the hardware store for wood, which I always hate doing because since I don't have a dong I must be helpless, but I warded that douche bag off quite nicely. Help is one thing, condescending tone is another. Don't worry, I was nice about it. Anyway. I spent a couple of late nights in the back room of my basement. The whole time I was building it I kept thinking "gosh, if we lived in madison, i would never have a huge workspace like this." See, I'm trying to convince myself that living close to BFE is cool. And it is...until I want to do late night things with friends in Madison.
Of course, I had to include a secret compartment as well. I offloaded all of the toys I've been collecting over the years. Most of these are toys that I've found on the ground or under a restaurant table when I used to waitress. A couple of the things were toys from my childhood. I got the Micro Machines for my 6th birthday. The Daffy Duck is from Great America when I was about 4 or 5. The little green camera was for my 18th birthday. The bench itself was a gift to myself for my 27th birthday. I finished it the day of.
Here it is, a shot from above. I finished it with yardsticks. The blue one was given to me by a friend. It's my favorite one. I'm going to get some cushions and pillows so I can rest against the wall and read and attempt to admire my backyard. The picture rail is only temporary. I framed some prints I've had forever but I have a few more to do yet, and once they're finished, I'll hang everything on the wall in a grid pattern.
We're looking for a farmhouse table and then we'll finish the ceiling and the lighting. But for now, I'm finally content with the space....and I have moved my frustrations to my bedroom layout. It's the next project on my list, and I'm trying to decide if demolishing the 2 closets is a good idea or a terrible idea. I am leaning towards good idea...because then I could get a sweet armoire and have my wall of windows looking over the back yard. Maybe I'll even make a quilt for my bed. That would be huge...
Wow. So I guess I don't really know what has moved me away from this blog.
At first I thought maybe I was getting my writing fix through my Houzz articles...but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it may be due to the fact that the internet has become soaked with blogs. and DIY. and thrifting. and repurposing. and inspiring. It's not the cool thing to do anymore. Everything is trendy. People have lost touch with their lives and are living vicariously through others. I'm not saying that's a bad thing-- sometimes it IS fun. But it's just kind of strange.
When I started Operation Paper Cut, blogs hadn't been around too terribly long at the time. Many people didn't know that the word "blog" even meant something. And honestly, that's what made me want to start one in the first place. I was young. I wanted to speak for my generation from a different standpoint than many 19 and 20 years olds seem to emit. It was thrilling.
But now, the luster is fading away. The pull to inspire is hardly existent. The spotlight of showing others what they are capable of has been taken away by sites like Pinterest.
I'm not saying I'm leaving. I'll still be around. And I do plan on posting what I've been up to over the past couple months. But I'll leave that for a different day.
For now, I'm going to enjoy my last day as a 26 year old and hang some artwork that I framed this morning.
Don't worry-- you'll be first to see it. Okay, maybe second. But you're definitely at the front of the line. Line leader. ;)
Oh hey LOOK, it's December! Yay! This means that it's almost time to bust out the snowshoes and I. Can't. Wait. One of the cool things about working at an outdoor shop is that you meet people who don't mind being out in the cold or the rain too much. Of course I have to attribute it partly to the fact that most them all own really good gear, which obviously helps. Because really-- who wants to go rainstorm hiking in a poncho? Not me. No. Oh dang it, weren't we talking about snow before? Geeez. Sorry about that. I'm just super thrilled to be tromping around the snowy woods with my friends soon. AND and and, a friend and I were hiking a few weeks ago and found the BEST PLACE EVER to carve out a sweet sled luge as soon as the snow flies. Well...second best place. Joe and I found an even cooler place over the summer, but it would take a lot more work and it's not as accessible. Ooooh dang. I'm sooo excited.
But anyhow, that's all in the future and I came here to talk about the now, so let's talk about the now. After 6 and a half years of cringing, loathing and hating our old couch, we finally have a new one. WITH a chaise lounge, of course. In dark grey, of course. And much bigger than our last one...of course.
And so, I snailed on over to the drawing board again and began to sketch. First I looked at the mega-box ugly furniture websites. That lasted for about 3 minutes...who was I kidding? While I am not going to spend a fortune on a couch, I'm also not bringing something that I find to be hideous into my house. Sorry...I'm sure it looks great in my best friend's aunt's house, but it's really not my cup of coffee. Enter IKEA.
First and foremost, I was a bit reluctant to even consider a couch from IKEA. But when I started browsing, I really liked what I saw. A nice, sleek sofa, in a color we liked, in the size we were after, which a chaise lounge [this was a muusssst] and at a price we could afford. And so off we went to Schaumburg, IL to scope out our options. When we arrived, we headed straight for the couch area. I was deciding between the KARLSTAD and the KIVIK and crossed the KIVIK off the list as soon as I saw it. Kind of cool, but not right for the space. I sat down on the Karlstad that was in the color I liked. Ugh. I looked at Joe and told him that something wasn't right about it. It felt....icky...and I didn't like the way it sounded when I ran my fingers across it. I got up and went to another material that I loved. But the color was terrible. I then went over to the felted one that I REALLLLY loved...but there was no way in hell that would ever co-exist with 2 shedding cats. Ah, cats, you axed my plan for a leather couch AND a felty couch? Come ON.
So back to the first one I went. I sat down again and was just getting the worst vibes. I was trying not to make it obvious...I was trying to love it. And I was trying to figure out what the heck it was reminding me of that was so entirely repulsive. And then it hit me. This material was the same stuff they use on all the generic couches found in dirty hotel rooms. That smooth finish with an almost silky feel. And not the good kind of smooth and silky that I expect from my BIC each morning. Along with that was the noise...the sound was driving me NUTS. I decided to do the IKEA floor loop and think about it for a bit. After we went back, I hesitantly agreed to it. But we weren't taking it home that day because we were counting on delivery. Until we found out it would be almost $400. Ha, yeah. Okay.
Hey friends! How are things? I hope you are all doing well and enjoying life. Things have been quite good around here. I haven't been doing many house projects, but it seems that every year around this time I tend to go a little crazy whenever I look around the house. As in, pretty much everything about it bothers me, and I can't rest until I make a few significant changes.
Recently I decided that I am totally over my soft and calm and airy and restful hey look, everything's WHITE! phase. And so, it was only natural that I turned around to march in the other direction.
This part of the house has been making me clamp my teeth together and wince for, oooh, about a year now. It finally came to the point where I absolutely could not deal with it any longer about 4 days ago. Sorry, I wish I could have gotten a more vibrant photo, but this corner always gives me trouble.
So yeah. I woke up on Tuesday morning, got on the internet, started my rounds, sipped my coffee, glared at the door, read a few emails, glared at the door, closed the computer [much sooner than usual], glared at the door again and eventually dropped to the basement to collect some tools and fuddled my way back up the stairs with my arms filled. Along with me came a tiny pot of Behr Stealth Black paint that I found on the mis-tint rack for $0.50 a few months ago. I threw on a knit cap and my cleanest dirty clothes, ran to the hardware store in town for painters tape and returned to tape off all the windows so I could start painting.
And then there was black. Ahh, it was perfect. And warm. And cozy. I cant wait to watch the snow come down through those windows...the black will embrace it so much more than the white ever could.
Later I pulled down the Halloween owl, hung the vintage tin sign and set my plant on the stool I had used when I was painting the door. I should also mention that I painted the trim in this corner to be the same color as the walls. The grey door within the white trim has bothered me since the day it was painted 2 years ago. Joe laughingly questioned my decision to paint only the trim in this corner, as opposed to all of the trim in the room. [Breeeaath.] Okay, so first of all, it's such a subtle change that you hardly even notice the difference in color. And second- who ever said there were rules for painting and why is this considered to be strange? [head shake. ugh.]
The next day I decided that the black door felt too heavy, so I painted it again.
I'm totally kidding. But it did feel rather heavy since there isn't much black in the room, and it was too much of a focal point. So I decided to hang a print that I love [cole gerst|option-g] but haven't had a good place to put it. And as you can see, I hung it on the door. Which, of course, is another thing that will most likely be questioned by someone at some point. But again, there shouldn't be rules to this sort of thing, and I'll be sure to let them know how I feel. So anyway, after the print was hung, I thought that I needed some more yellow to balance it all out, so I grabbed the rug that had always been under our shoes, threw it down and called it a day.
I really really like it. A lot. It feels so much more stately and sophisticated now. And comfy cozy toasty. I've been wanting to raise my umbrella plant for some time, and the stool is only a temporary solution until I finish [start?] my tree stump table. I'm also going to get a new light switch cover soon. I'm pretty excited about it all, it was just what I needed to feel better about the space. Until a few minutes later when the TV wall got under my skin. But that's another thing that's bugged me forever, so I kind of expected that to happen.
Alright, that's all for now. I have a few more projects in the works as well. I hope this means I'm back...I miss it around here.
Hey friends! What's new? Not a whole lot here. Joe and I have the day off together (!!!) and we're going to try and find a super huge washing machine so we can wash our 10' round flokati. Oy.
But before that, I wanted to show you a fun weekend project for you and yours. DIY gravestones with fun epitaphs. Easy, cheap and sure to make you laugh, I encourage you to try your hand at these on your next free day.
Check out the DIY over on Houzz! My favorite part is coming up with the epitaphs.
Okay, well off I go! Have a great weekend. :)
It seems to be around this time every year that I find myself with inked fingertips and a yearning to cut up my (dwindling) stash of old medical books, gathering a pile of clippings to be carefully tweezered over and glued onto new art pieces.
Ready to be towed through the escalating pour of evening darkness, I started this piece a couple nights ago and it has been slowly (slowly) progressing, as they generally seem to do. One of my favorite things about mixed media is that I don't have to work as quickly as I do with block printing. I can shuffle my scraps around throughout the course of the work and nothing has to be entirely trusted until it's glued down or penned out...and even then, I can always undo the liars.
A few scraps have been added since taking this photo, but now I'm pretty much at a standstill as I broke my almost $30 nib. Uuugh fckshtdmn. I'm not sure if I'm more bummed about the fact that I have to shell out $30 that I will have to wait until my next paycheck for or if I'm bummed that I have to wait in general. Probably both. I got to a point last night that my ideas seemed to stream together and I was excited to start drawing my raindrops. Ah well, worse things have happened. Like the time a customer at my work said "I really like that shirt!" and I replied "Oh, thank you!" only to realize she was talking about the one she was buying. Rather than playing it off like any halfway decent person would, she had to make it awkward for me. Come on, lady.
So I have a feeling that when I mention that I painted my kitchen purple, most people usually think PURPLE. You know...Royal purple...Grape juice purple...Minnesota Vikings purple...Dimetapp purple...Crown Royal purple...All things-that-I-don't-like purple. It's easy to see why so many people have negative connotations toward the hue. I mean, just look at that list. Yuck, right? But the purple I chose is more of a fuchsia-y tone, and I couldn't be more pleased.
I had been set on re-painting for a little while now, but always leaned in the direction of slate blue. The first time around didn't turn out as dark and chalky as I had hoped, and I kept envisioning this beautiful slate blue wall to frame the view into our long, snowy Wisconsin winters. I thought the contrast between the slate and the snow would be pretty much perfect.
But then one evening after work I was sitting at the kitchen counter, dragging about being in such an anti-cooking funk that had started sometime around the melting of the snow. I remember staring at the walls for a while and thinking that it was to be blamed on my summer schedule. I don't get home from work until 7 or 9 in the summer, and by that time concocting a full meal sounds less than appealing. The problem with this idea was that my summer schedule had gone through the yearly rotation and I had recently transitioned to my winter job. The latest I'd get home from work would now be 4:30 or 5.
So I decided that I'd get some new wooden spoons and a couple other things I'd been wanting, paint the room slate, and then I'd be good to go. Of course, I would have to start planning meals again but that was fine. And then it occurred to me. Changing from "steely blue" to "slate blue" was the furthest from what I actually needed...I needed a color that was fun and bold.
While I do appreciate and even envy color in other people's homes, it's something I've never had an easy time with in my own. Our house is in a quiet town. It's rare to see more than 20 cars drive by in the day. Whenever I come home from Madison, it's like I dip into this mental valley of somber. So after driving through the golden flats surrounded by beautiful rolling hills, and pulling into my driveway to see the pale blue facade of my home, the last thing that would feel right would be to walk into a house filled with oranges, yellows and reds.
I knew that purple would be zingy enough to wake me up and would hopefully give me the energy I was seeking. It's still on the cool side and it matched the tone of my living room quite nicely. Rather than spending a lot of money on paint, as I naively did in the past, I read some terrible reviews on the paint I had found, cringed a little, and decided that I was going to try it anyway. Something I never, EVER do if I read bad reviews. But something told me I'd be okay. So off I went to get a gallon of Behr Forest Berry. It's a paint and primer in one. I know, something you should never use, right? Well, whatever. It worked just fine for me.
And I love it. I think I danced around Joe and sang how much I loved it all week long. It's fun and refreshing and so much more lively. It fits my recent mental status perfectly. And the funny thing is, I hadn't realized how depressing the blue was until after I painted. It's made a huge difference in my mood when I'm in there and has even prompted me to be a little bit more okay with color throughout the rest of the house. The color makes me feel like I can add more warmth in the living room...I've been thinking about a new rug so I can move the flokati into a different room. But before I get off topic, especially since I've already typed your eyes out, here is what it looked like before:
So so much better, right? Yeah. I really love it. A ton. Although, I must say, the blue was a huge improvement from what it looked like when we moved in. Ugh, that was just terrible. Here's a quick photo for kicks:
So yes. There is still a lot I want to do to the kitchen, but for now I will try to be happy with what it is rather than what it is yet not.
Did I do this last year? Totally cut out for like 2 or 3 months and then swoop back in? Well okay...so I suppose I haven't really totally cut out. I did check in here and there. But that aside, I think the end the lull drawing closer and closer as the days tick by. We'll see.
Today we went to Dr. Evermore's Art Park, which absolutely blew my mind. I'll be sure to get more photos the next time I go, but for now just imagine living in a heavily surreal carnival-like world filled with herds of welded metal creatures in every direction you turn and endless amusement over the fact that you can actually touch these things. Oh man. I was totally geeking out the entire time. I highly recommend a visit if you're ever traveling through central Wisconsin. For real.
Anyway, that's all for now. But like I said, this house and project hiatus that I took this summer seems to be ending, which can only mean that there are more blog posts to be had in the near future. So till next time...
