You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

Weekend project: First Aid

We are packing and since we started so early I've had time to consider, discard and organize stuff as it goes into boxes. Of course, we're now getting down to the wire so things will not go as smoothly if I don't create a schedule of sorts, and get a certain amount done every day. And you just know that in the end there will be a jumble of boxes that just have things thrown into them out of desparation - I've yet to have a move where that wasn't the case.

While gathering up all the first aid supplies around the house I began thinking that we needed a largish container for all the bandaging materials, the ointments, and the remedies. I was finding stuff in medicine cabinets, under sinks and here, in this special container:

 

Looking around the house for something better, I realized that one of the train cases in my collection would be perfect. I had one, a Samsonite, that was already gesso'd and thought I'd decorate it with the classic red cross.

 

I put another coat of white acrylic over the gesso and sketched out the crosses:

 

Then painted them with red acrylic.

 

 

The box looked pretty good but not finished. I ran some quilting tape along the edges of the box - I don't know where I got that but I like the little black stripes on it. Searching through the stamp collection I found some appropriately sized letters:

 

Stamped the top with black Staz-On ink:

 

And added just a little embellishment to the sides:

 

because it is important to have a sense of humor...

I sprayed the whole thing with two coats of Satin Clear sealer,

 

And, ta da! A handy first aid box.

Cheese making - part 1: The Goats

When I think of cheese making I think of nuns in France, aging their cheeses in underground vaults. Or the Cowgirl Creamery over on the coast of northern California. I don't often think of our little town. But the art of cheese-making is alive and well here and I had the pleasure of learning the basics of making goat milk ricotta yesterday. And sampling yummy, delicious goat milk from two different does. And taking home a round of rosemary-garlic cheese to share with Mr. Man.

It all starts here:

Did you know that a goat like this can produce up to a gallon of milk a day? I'd guess that if you owned this goat you'd quickly learn to make cheese, and you'd make sure all your friends liked cheese, and you'd create a lot of opportunities to serve cheese.

 

According to the 4H dairy goat website, there are six breeds recognized for milk production.

 

This mama had two week old babies and another mama had one week old babies, 2 each, and cute as can be. I believe she is another alpine and the 3rd mama is a cross between a nubian and an alpine. Nubians have those long ears that hang down and alpines have upright ears. (I could have gotten some of the mixed up as there was a lot of talking going on and I am easily distracted by looking around at everything).

 

I wouldn't want to be their mama, cause some udder-butting was going on that couldn't feel good. Our teacher explained that at this young age the babies have such little mouths that they sometimes have a hard time getting a hold of a teat and then, if they haven't been successful in getting any milk, that teat gets even more engorged and larger. Then the doe has to be milked to relieve the pressure and prevent problems.

 

So dang cute. They had just had their little heads shaved and their horns burned off so they looked a little alien, but they had their milk and then got a little frisky around the pen. Even at two weeks they can jump! And they are pettable, although a bit squirmy.

 

I didn't get any good photos of the one-week babies - they were in another pen. They were sweet too, and would attempt to nurse on a finger if offered. The mamas were quite tolerant of us being there - perhaps it was the bowl of salad that came with us.

 

It was all I could do to not purchase one of these baby does right then and there.

 

Reason took over and reminded me that we have a resort to run and are soon to be temporarily homeless - probably not a good idea to add to our menagerie with a goat right now.

 

I was sorely tempted, though.

Tomorrow - the making of the cheese. Wherein we move to the kitchen, wash our hands, and begin part 2.

Blues for the blues

I've been infatuated with these colors lately:

 

And I've decided to make my next Alabama Chanin project this quilt:

 

You can find more photos of the quilt along with instructions, fabric, kits, and completed quilts (sewn entirely by hand) here

but I'm going to make mine out of recycled t-shirts purchased at thrift stores.

Here's my first batch, all freshly laundered:

 

I figure this will take me through the summer, have elements small enough to take on the road with me, and be wonderful to drape over me next winter.

 

I'm not a quilt-maker but I just can't resist this one.

Eh. I'm out of practice.

JC and I have been living pretty frugally the last couple of years - rotten economy and a big desire to stay out of debt - so we've become the king and queen of trash. Finding it, making do with it and turning it into as much of a treasure as we can manage. Most of the time it works out just fine. The Holiday Rambler is our favorite trailer, JC has learned all sorts of new skills fixing and repairing stuff, and I have become best friends with a can of paint.

Not too long ago our TV died, it was football season and it didn't take long for JC to find another one. Bigger and heavier than our old one, it wouldn't fit on the entertainment center. We put it precariously on a rattan trunk and kept looking for another solution.

 

A friend was giving this away and I thought it would work, at least until this TV died and we could finally get a flat screen. Have you noticed the way things are going? There are entertainment centers galore at the thrift stores because you don't need one once you get rid of the big boxy TVs. Now TVs can float on the wall and all you really need is an iHome or something like that for music.

So I knew this would not be forever and I was reluctant to shell out money for a piece of furniture we'd soon be discarding ourselves. I would make the trunk do. But not white with those flower decals...

 

Which were more of a problem than I thought. She must've put them on with white or wood glue and trying to get them off took the paint with it. Stripping the whole trunk was not something I was interested in doing so I did what I could with a razor and a sander.

Next, I went off to the hardware store with a paint in mind - a suede paint I'd used before. No suede paint to be found. This WAS happening this weekend so I ended up buying a textured Rustoleum:

 

and putting two coats of a medium brown on the trunk.

 

Kind of a Milky Way candy bar brown. Eh.

I also bought some metallic paint in bronze and brushed that on the locks and the corner pieces.

 

Now we have a pirate's chest in the living room! Sigh. Not that I want to move this television again but I'll be keeping an eye out for something that is more my style. This trunk has a usefulness somewhere but it isn't my favorite project ever.

I look at it and I try to imagine going on a trip with this kind of luggage.... can you see it? It would hold a lot of stuff! But on those ships you needed formal wear and weeks worth of clothing. I think a trunk like this should live in a bedroom and hold winter blankets or something at the foot of a bed.

There are days when I am sick of being frugal. Then I remember the days of endless bills and am reminded that having "stuff" isn't the be all end all. Having time to do the things I love is what matters. And then I can live with a pirate's chest in the living room.

Weekend project (a quick one)

We haven't upgraded to flat screen TVs yet - we're a couple who still watches "Modern Family" and "Glee" on an older style, hulking Sony Trinitron. Works great, has a nice picture, the price was right so there is no compelling reason to upgrade at the moment. We aren't that much into it.

But we recently acquired a bigger, better Sony that wouldn't fit on the ole' entertainment center and is right now precariously balanced on a rattan bench. We've been looking for something sturdier to use and this fell into our laps:

 

An old steamer trunk. It has been painted and decorated with decals like this for years and needs a revamp. We carried it into the living room last weekend and all week I've been thinking about the quickest way to give this a makeover so that we can move it in, go to the hurculean effort of moving the TV over, and have it done with.

I've come up with the idea that I'll sand it down enough to get the decals off and roughen up all the white paint and spray the whole thing with Krylon Suede paint. It has a nice matte finish and a little bit of texture. We have a leather, western vibe to our living room anyway and that seems like it will fit in.

At first I thought I'd  have to tape over all the metal, but now I've decided that it will work to spray the whole thing and then go back over the metal with a good Rustoleum and a brush. I haven't decided on a color yet but maybe a rust finish if I can find a good one. Like I said, I want this to be completed in a weekend.

I'll get my window back once this is moved into the corner, and we'll be able to eliminate one piece of furniture (I think - still need to deal with the stereo). I don't know what I'd do if we were able to just go out and buy what we wanted - we probably wouldn't be able to find anything we liked. Thank goodness I married a man who's style is as eclectic as mine and tolerates, no more than tolerates, this kind of make-do attitude. He encourages it.

Wish me luck and I'll post photos once it is completed.

I've got a photobooth in my living room!

One of the things I really love about my guy is that he takes on a task with enthusiasm and determination. He thinks it through, problem-solves, and comes out on the other end with a practical solution. So when I told him we needed to make a photobooth frame we scoured the internet for tips, he went shopping at his favorite type of store (hardware) and started building a photobooth. In our living room.

He had the game on, a pile of print-outs from other people's blogs, and all the tools. I was busy making food for a dinner I was going to and before I knew it, he was finished. I'm so proud of him... he thought to use our stools from the dining room which are actually higher and better than the patio stools I was going to use (plus they look nicer), he built a shelf for the computer to sit on and a space for the lamp to stand.

 

The only thing we forgot was to put the clip rings on the PVC before he glued the top frame together... so now we have to come up with another solution for hanging the sheets - we think we'll go with velcro except for the door, which will have to have rings.

The whole thing comes apart except where he glued key pieces together for structural stability. We can transport it in a truck or SUV. I think it'll work out better for us than completely coming apart because there are so many pieces of PVC that are about the same length... it could get very confusing trying to put it together somewhere.

 

Here it is ready for me to hang the sheets we bought for surrounding it, and a test drive. This week I'll paint some of the exposed pieces black before attaching velcro to the top and to the sheets. Then we can start with the fun part, refining the lighting and getting the angles just right.

This weekend was super-productive in the wedding realm. I met with the pro flower lady, we met with the friend who will marry us, the cupcakes are ordered, the DJ is meeting with us tonight... I'm feeling a little better about getting everything done.

Now. I've got to try on the dress today and see if I can zip it up after all the holiday eating. If not... drastic measures are in order.

From stock designs to dreaming up your own....

First of all, many thanks to Natalie Chanin. I think it was about a year ago, maybe a little more, that I bought my first Alabama Chanin book and made a pincushion:

 

From there I made a corset top, then another corset top, and then a dress:

 

I bought a second book. I used the stencils that came with the books and I refered back to them time and time again for inspiration. I started following AC's tweets and blog. I was hooked.

This fall, I started thinking about a design of my own. I bought some yardage to make a dress, and then decided that it was too light for a dress (for me). I tend to drop things on white and cream colored pieces of clothing and a dress was a lot of fabric to quickly ruin. My plan morphed into another corset top. Nice, plain, and simple in the front with an intricate design like a tattoo on the back.

I had the stencil - I'd bought it at a thrift store some time ago and knew I'd find a use for it.

 

I had the fabric paint from some long-ago purchase and plan that never materialized...

 

Cut out the pattern, painted the stencil, and started stitching...

 

I love this hand sewing. I love watching the garment take shape under my hands and I like that it takes awhile. It becomes an addiction and when I have one of these in progress you can find me any evening with my needle, thread and something on the TV - sewing. It is a perfect winter evening activity.

 

And now - I can wear it!

 

I love these tops - only I have to remember to cut them a little higher in the neckline next time - for me they are a little low cut. But I just wear a cami underneath and it works out fine and one of these days I'll remember to cut it higher. Next time.

 

The cotton molds to your body and is supremely comfortable.

I'm going to have an entire wardrobe soon - I've got to turn my attention to some other designs - like a jacket or something (a completer piece, thank you Stacy London) since I also have a dress in the works.

This:

will turn into this (or something similar):

Photo found here.

Of course, I'll look just like this model!

 

Holiday countdown

I'm not sure why I put that as the title since we are hardly counting down to Christmas.... it is looking like a fairly normal weekend at home for us. We'll probably ice skate on Christmas day and I'd love to ride this weekend... and of course Sunday is JC's birthday so we'll celebrate that. He has requested a pudding cake so I will be surfing recipes today and picking up ingredients. We've been invited to join a friend on Christmas Eve for posole, and Christmas evening we'll endure a thick cloud of cigarette smoke for a few hours with a couple of JC's dearest friends. I always have such mixed feelings about that since I go home with a raging headache, all my clothes smelling of smoke, and my sinuses suffer for days.

But.... its Christmas and JC's birthday.

 

We've been messing around with our photobooth idea and we're actually making headway. I downloaded the 10-day trial of Sparkbooth and installed the printer I just bought, a Canon Pixma ip2600. It's an older printer but I think it will work perfectly for the wedding. And, it was brand new, still in the box for $25. Yes, we want the new and improved wireless Canon MG5320 scanner and printer - but we'll use this for now and upgrade later.

The photo above and this one:

are actually from an iphone app named Incredibooth that is pretty fun. The Sparkbooth demos have the words "Sparkbooth Demo" splashed all over them so I won't upload and show you those.

We are so excited about the photobooth, though. If we can actually pull it together it is going to be a blast and we'll end up with some great photos of everyone. I've downloaded some props from Oh Happy Day to which I will add some thrift store hats... it really is turning out to be one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning.

 

We're not going to be with any of our family this Christmas, but we did get some great family time in at Thanksgiving. And I squeezed in one portrait session, impromtu but look how lucky to catch these three in color-coordinated outfits!

 

Three generations of beautiful women.

 

It was a real thrill to get to spend a little time with my great niece and nephew - most of the time they live far away and are not with us during the holidays. The last time I saw this gorgeous girl she was just a toddler... and now she is a graceful, beautiful young woman.

The older I get the more the holidays just mean time with family. That's really all that counts. JC and I will make the most of our weekend with our beloved dogs and friends.... and look forward to when all our families are together for our wedding.

Flash! New chair sparks whole house re-vamp

This chair:

has sparked a re-do of two major rooms in the house, adding to the chaos that completely reorganizing my art room has resulted in. A month to the wedding and we are knee deep in dragging furniture around and trying out different floor plans.

We really like this chair - it is a chair-and-a-half and is wonderfully comfortable. It also has a sturdy twill slipcover that can be cleaned, and slipcovers are available in about five other colors. I plan on puchasing another slipcover before then end of winter, but I have to budget for it since it runs about $300. (I am always surprised at how expensive slipcovers are).

 

We brought this in and put it where JC's chair was, which you can see sitting in the background temporarily while we completely re-arrange the office to accomodate the original chair, which is also a comfortable chair but no longer fits in the living room.

I should say that JC also brought home an enormous Sony Trinitron to replace the TV that decided to die right around Thanksgiving. The new Sony doesn't fit on the entertainment center so we've temporarily placed it right smack in the middle of the window wall and that can't stay there... we're looking for an appropriately-sized support for the new TV, then we'll move the entertainment center around (or get rid of it).... upheaval.

Anyway... I agree that my desk completely dominates the office which really could be more of a multi-purpose room and now that JC has a laptop he no longer really uses his desk which we could probably downsize significantly... so it IS time for a re-do.

 

When I was younger I used to re-arrange my furniture all the time, trying out new ideas and keeping things fresh. We've had our house pretty much as is since we moved in and it feels pretty good to be shaking it up a bit. All because of a chair.

The weekend in photos

We had a good weekend - the right balance of work and play. Even though I was having a meltdown over the gap between bills and income I managed to come out of the weekend smiling. I mean, what can you do? Keep putting one foot in front of the other, stay positive, and hope that it all works out.

I started working on snow globes for wedding decorations and I am so pleased with how easy they are and how cute they are. There are a ton of tutorials out on the internet for both waterless snowglobes (like these) and water-filled. I tried the water-filled but with the tree and the snow I used it just wasn't right - the tree color bled into the water and the snow from our local Ben Franklin just floated on the top. These are much cuter.

JC likes them too. We'll make up a dozen or so and give them away after the wedding.

 

JC hired a crew of guys (idle for the lack of snow) to help him trim the trees around our place - something we've needed to do for a couple of years. I was a little alarmed at the severity of the trims but I guess we won't have to do it again for awhile. And our tomatoes might have a fighting chance at producing with the added sunlight.

 

I am finally happy with the direction this is going. These are going to grace the floor of the reception and the curly willow just wasn't doing it for me. Maybe they can still be added, but the long graceful cuttings of pine look good with the snowy branch lights.

 

We put together little high-altitude kits for some of our guests coming from the lowlands - I stamped muslin bags with our initials and we filled them with sunscreen, hand cream, lip balm, and little packs of tissue.

 

I just realized we didn't make enough of these so we'll be doing this little project again.

 

Southern Charm had sent me a lovely tutorial on making roses from coffee filters and I made two just to see how I like them. I still have some work to do adding a little color to the edges, fastening them to a stem, and refining the petals but aren't they great? Not too time intensive, either.

 

And we even managed to get out for some ice skating, this time at Silver Lake up in the June Lake loop area. Quite a drive for us but the ice was beautiful, and it was good to get out of the valley for the afternoon.

 

It got me out of my funk and helped me remember that "rich" is a relative term... we may not have money but we have this and more.

 

Getting out of my head is most of the time a good thing!