7/26/11 Are We There Yet?

Working through my 'to do' list before vacation...

Three down...
   - Pen and ink gift made and framed (I was asked to make the moving gift for neighbors of their house...party happening while we're on vacation, so I'm delivering this to the host today).
















 - Mounted the tin ceiling panel on a board, cut and painted frame and it's up in DD's old room (not sure if I'm going to even use the second panel).

   - You know how this goes...I can't get DH to even look at his 'honeydo list' and he decides to tackle the 'table of secrets' NOW (the one we bought that keeps expanding with 6 leaves).  He got all the problems glued and clamped and then he stripped and sanded it.  I was 'assigned' the staining and three coats of finish (how having and art ed degree automatically makes this my territory is beyond me LOL) and since it took over the whole garage I had to get it done before vacation.  Of course it was 105 degrees for the entire week I spent in the garage (I thought skinny girls didn't sweat), but it's finally done and in the kitchen (well part of it is...5 other leaves done and stored).  Now to find all those mismatched chairs we need to go with it...

Two more jobs to go...

   - I've got the architectural plan for my in-law's new place done, but I've got 3/4 of their furniture still left to 'create' and place before we leave.

  
  - And then there's the last job...packing!!! Yikes...10 days of vacation to pack for and other than having the laundry done I've got nothin'!!!

I've got a dinner out tonight and a ladies night out with the neighbor who's moving tomorrow (and the girls), and then we're off!  Wish me luck! 

I promise to return with lots of vacay pics (and I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone when I get back)!

7/15/11 My Dance Card Is Full

LOTS of pics to share. I'll just bullet point and sum it up now with 'My Dance Card is Full'. As usual, I've overcommitted myself…and AGAIN, I need to move somewhere warmer as I love all the summer activities (we Pittsburgher's jam more parites into the summer than anyone) and gardening, but it's also the only time of year I can get some projects done (like refinishing furniture in the garage)…ahh, Pittsburgh winters. And can someone teach me how to do a proper rain dance…I'm sick of moving hoses!

Weight still holding steady at goal (147.5 lbs. this morning) and I'm totally amazed at maintenance.

…and Kathy; hope the PS recovery is going well…feel better soon GF!

- Mom and Dad came to town for a visit and Mom's Herb Conference. Yes, there actually is a 'National Herb Society'…I teased Mom that she's joined a secret society of witches that get together to make poisons out of herbs and the like LOL.

We went to a historic village here. DS2 not playing a video game…


- We went to Columbus.  The 4^th of July was very different since the parent's move, but we still had a blast!
     It was about 95 degrees!
 
     DD brought the BF and we about blew up everyone's backyard's with all the fireworks we brought...

     Took the kids to the zoo (rated #1 in America this year). I bought the little nephews Dip N Dots…

      Saw the polar bears swim…

- I learned that the newest online picture sensation is something called 'planking'; you get in the plank position, except it's with no hands and you span something (apparently kids are spanning things like two buildings way off the ground (scary). I was ready to give it a go until I remembered what happens to my stomach skin in the plank position (talk about SCARY!).

Don't try this at home (some of my other crazy nephews and my middle sis in red)…




- We've been going to the summer flea markets and antique fairs.

I bought this…

…and this…

…and this 2' blade (OK, I'm going to be turned in to 'My Strange Addiction'…to rust)…



- DH has been buying more furniture (I think he needs shopping therapy LOL).

The sleeper chair arrived…it's huge, but it just fits, just (personally, I think it looks jammed)…

DH replaced my 'sewing machine desk' (he just doesn't appreciate my creativity) in the Study with an actual desk (it's a small antique roll top and at least it didn't need refinishing)…























- I spent 4 full days stripping 5 layers of lead paint off my architectural salvage yard find; tin ceiling panels (what made me think that the paint would come off metal easier than wood…NOT! It was like scraping off gum!!!) and I planned on framing these together…now I'm not sure that they'll look good where I planned…*sigh*…any other ideas?



- I've been painting the furniture that's going in DD's old room for two weeks now (just finished yesterday). Two layers of primer and 2-4 layers of white paint.

On this…

…and this (antique sewing cabinet turned nightstand)…

…and this huge beveled mirror (to go over the wicker couch) from the flea market ($20 yeah baby)…

...and this...

…and this (DH trash picked this end table in college...I can't believe we still have it)…

…and this...Why yes, that new headboard is just parts of your old oak stained crib kids!...



And we celebrated DS2's 16th birthday (consider this your driver alert warning).


We leave for vacation (Cape May) in less then two weeks and I'm not sure how I'll be able to juggle everything I've got scheduled/need to get done and I keep piling it on (my 'to do' list is keeping me up at night...ahh!).  I somehow volunteered to use my architect program to draw up my in-laws retirement home and all their furniture...and now they're asking for it...haven't broken ground yet...not moving for two years, but now I need to do all that before we see them at vacation.   My favorite neighbor just got transferred and I'm so sad about them moving (but happy for them as they're moving back home to their families, and like us, they'd been transferred all around for many years before landing in Pittsburgh the same time we did...wow, 10 years ago ). I somehow volunteered myself yesterday to make a pen/ink drawing of their house here for the gift (needs to be done before we leave). It will all work out somehow (can someone please add a few hours to each day).

Off to shovel up my painting mess...and somehow I missed the hurricane as it came through my kitchen while I was off painting…neighbors coming over tonight for drinks…must...dance...faster!  Hope you're all having a great summer (or winter, depending) enjoy the weekend all!