As the weather gets warmer I start to think about what projects I would like to complete this year. Now that we have a place to sleep that isn’t a tent, I am sure we will be Upstate more often this year. If you live in the Northeast, you are familiar with hazy, hot and humid summer days. The type of day that requires a cold shower, especially when you have been working outside getting dirty. At this moment we do not have running water, but we do have a rain barrel so I am thinking we can finally get an outdoor shower set up even if we don’t have traditional plumbing this summer. There are so many things I love about this house, the way the walls open up to the outside, the rough concrete paths and bridges, the floating deck, but I think the thing I love the most is the bathroom with wood floor over dark stone and ofuro tub. Although this bathroom appears to be indoors, this is what I am going to shoot for in my outdoor shower.
I Will Soon Need a Bell
This is the year I am going to get a bike to replace my Specialized Hardrock that was stolen a few years back. I have been way too sad to even think about it not to mention when I have been Upstate I have been working, not biking. Now that we have our little cabin in the woods I don’t have to work quite as hard and I can plan for some fun things like biking the rail trail or into town. I am pretty excited about the idea of having a bike again. Shopping for a bike is way different now that it was in 2001. There is this whole class of bikes called comfort bikes. Perfect! What is a comfort bike? As far as I can tell it is a bike that has a seat that is lower than the handlebars (no more leaning!) and the woman’s versions are step through which is good for me because I have short legs. At the moment this Specialized is the front runner mostly because I love the look. It is nice to see that not all women’s bike’s have to come in pastel colors with flowers. I will definitely be test driving before I buy. I am a designer, but I am not crazy!
Button Up
The weather this past weekend was amazing and the coming weekend is looking like it is shaping up to be just as nice. So why am I showing you pictures of knit button hats? Because they are just too cute to wait until the fall! I love the different combinations of decorative ribbing and buttons. I just happen to have one crazy big button stash waiting for a project like this. Besides if I start now there is a much better chance it will actually have it finished for the cold weather. You can get the free pattern here.
You Go Susan!
When you watch this clip, I dare you not to get chills, I dare you not to tear up. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so just go ahead and watch. I have never ever seen American Idol and before this I would have told you have I have no interest whatsoever in Britain’s Got Talent. Susan, if you are reading this, you rock!
I Like x Like New Math
The Icing on the Cake
For a while now I have been thinking it would be cool to learn how to frost and decorate cakes. A well frosted cake is a lovely thing to behold. This cake by Sarah Magid reminds me of the cake I envisioned having at my wedding. Two petite layers of chocolate frosted goodness, with delicate flowers scattered. If only we could have many weddings in our lives instead of just (hopefully) one. Although I have to say today, I might choose something more like the blue or green cake on her site. But where does one start when attempting to learn how to frost a cake? I tried to fake it a few times, but I am starting to figure out that you just can’t fake your way through frosting a cake. Lucky for me, Zoe of Zoe Bakes has a wonderful tutorial with lots of pictures leading you through the process. Now I just need to find some volunteers to eat my rejects.
To Make an Omelet…
I read somewhere that creativity is quantity not quality. When I read the headline I was like, “No way! Why would they say that?” Then I read the article. It is totally true. In order to be really successful at something you need to practice and learn from mistakes. The only way to make mistakes is to go ahead and do it. That can be a little daunting in this era of DIY and the internet. It seems as if everywhere you click you see lovely, wonderful, creative end products that make you wish you were that creative and talented and perfect. No one posts about the time when they made handmade soap that accidentally ended up looking like SPAM once it was sliced. Until now that is. Craft Fail is a site devoted to all those projects that ended up less than perfect. I personally love it. It can been really tough for me to get started on a project when I know there is a 50/50 chance of it being not so great (or a down right disaster) when it is done. Now I can learn from other people mistakes and realize that mistakes of my own are learning experiences in themselves. I think that the SPAM soap might be considered a happy accident rather than a fail. Especially with the little SPAM wrapper. Too cute! So let’s all get out there and make some mistakes! via
Was That a Snowflake!?
OK, so despite the fact that I just saw a flurry of snow outside my window, spring is here and I am thinking about my upstate paradise. Please stop laughing D! It will be a paradise one of these days… Now that we have our little 10×10 up and running, it is time to carve out some outdoor space that is junk and poison ivy free. This weekend M&I will be going up to get the foundations of a deck in place for when Dad, Grandpa and maybe my Uncle Joe come up in a few weeks. I have big plans for this deck. At the moment when we break for lunch or for the day we don’t really have a nice place to sit, relax, and have a drink. The spot I have picked out is next to our tiny home (right off the sliding glass door) and under the shade of a few tress so we will be out of the heat of the sun. If you face in just the right direction you can’t even see all the of stuff scattered around. We already have an IKEA table and chair set we got on sale a while ago so I won’t be getting the lovely green chairs in my inspiration picture, although I have had my eye on them for a while so they may find their way upstate yet. picture via
Auntie Lizbeth
For those of you that don’t already know, I am going to be an aunt this August and I can’t wait to totally spoil the little squirt! I have been seeing adorable knitting patterns all over the internet and I can wait to dust off my needles and get to clacking. Yes, I admit my knitting needles have been neglected for a while. This hat is just too cute not to post and best of all the pattern is free! Back to your regularly scheduled non-baby posts. via
Indoor Slide
If I ever have a house with a second floor, I totally want one of these! How fun would it be to slide down the stairs in the morning? Although maybe not head first…Â via
iamlizbeth.com 