Sequins & Sofas: Curtain Conundrum

The front of my house has a cute little 3 season porch full of windows. I love this!

It also has a full glass door from the porch to inside the house...it lets an abundance of light in and makes the room feel so open and happy. I also love this.

What's the conundrum? Well, when sitting upon my couch in the late evening hours, I was noticing that I could see the outdoors (street lights, cars going by, etc) and then realized that those on the outdoors could most likely also see me. Now, I don't necessarily feel like there are tons of people out there lining up to take a peek into my windows but I was feeling a little exposed none the less.

Here is my problem wall:

At first, I was coming up with all kinds of crazy contraptions in my head to cover the glass door....roman shades, Velcro curtain for easy daytime removal, etc). Then it dawned on me...there is already curtain hanging like 2 inches from the door. Maybe I should try to use that somehow. Yes.

I replaced the current rod with a longer one and extended it from the window on the right all the way over to the edge of the left wall past the door. Rehung the curtain and was then able to simply slide it over in the evening to cover the glass panel:

Conundrum solved. Privacy when I need it at night and beautiful sunshine during the day...all with a simple slide of a curtain.

#9....ok, as well as #'s 10 & 11

I wrote back in January about a future tattoo happening in June (see story Here). Well, it's June. And tattoo #9 is in the books:

I am so happy with how it turned out. Thad the Tattoo Master got it just right...the color, every knot and imperfection in the 'wood', depth in the shading. I love it.

In a week or so, it will for sure not hurt as much and be less crusty- gross. I can't wait for that....I will practice my patience.

What's that, you say? Was there a mention about a 10 and 11? Yes, I had a few teeny weeny tats in mind that I kind of bundled into the same appointment (since they were so small and would not require more than a few minutes for both).

#10:

This pic is not the greatest angle, but it is indeed my kitty Mosby's cute little paw. I know, it may put me on another level of 'crazy cat lady' to permanently display such things on my body. But I don't care. He is my first pet and I love him and it must be documented. 

Which leaves us at #11:

I realized a few weeks ago that I had no tat representing my dear 'Bestirs', my high school ladies that mean the world to me and are certain to be forever friends (see post about how much fun we have when we're together if you so desire). Anyway, i couldn't let this be the case any longer and then had a revelation of an idea. I decided upon a little heart. But not just any heart. 

My pal K has always signed stuff (notes passed in algebra class in 9th grade, yearbooks, autographs, whatever) with a little heart and her name since I can remember. It was perfect. I texted her promptly and asked if she would write a bunch of her signature hearts on a piece of paper and message a pic to me. She was like....what? And I was like....please? She came thru in minutes with a selection of lovely hearts.

I picked my favorite and that was that:

So, just 3 this time:) Not sure exactly what will be next but since I'm still working on a half-sleeve, most likely the arm will continue to be the focus. Time will tell.

Crafty Corner: Home Sweet Home

Some pals of mine just bought their first home and moved in last weekend. There was a great crew of helpers to clean, mow lawns, sand/paint cabinets, wash floors, paint rooms and move furniture. 

My duty was to remove 30+ year old contact paper layers from cabinet shelves to be resurfaced with fresh, white lovely contact paper. Since doing stuff with contact paper is one of my for real favorite things (is that weird??), this job was right up my alley.

In the process of removal, this gem of a pattern was uncovered:

Magic, right? It's the perfect balance of awful and wonderful. Obviously, it all had to go. But I have a heart for nostalgia and for holding to the memories of the past.

I kept a little piece of the floral paper that many years ago was chosen by someone who enjoyed such a pattern (that, who knows, maybe matched their 1960's dishes just right). 

I wanted to create a little art piece for them using the paper as a background...to be a momento of the history of their home as they make it their own.

I searched on the internets to get a few inspirational ideas and settled on making a fridge magnet. Got a mini frame:

Drew a template of a house on cardstock:

Found a lovely Bible verse about a home:

Practiced writing said verse on a tracing of the house about a million times to get the spacing right:

Cut out and placed the flower paper down on the matte, taped the finished 'House with Verse' in the center and popped the frame together. Next, I hot glued some magnets to the back:

And tried it out on my metal cabinet to make sure it would stay put....phew! It worked:

I'm a big fan of finding ways to merge old with new. I like thinking about the life my own house has lived and the people who have called it a home before it became mine. I am excited for my friends as they begin their journey and hope this little piece will be a fun way to celebrate their home (past, present and future)!

Happy Birthday, my Mosie!

Today is Mosby Amundsen's birthday....he is 1:

Hahahahhaha! I am certain that this is your new favorite photo of all time. How can you resist such cuteness? Ok, as stated before, if you have an aversion to hearing thoughts about kitties from their slightly obsessed owners, now is the time to look away.

Things I have learned about Mosie since we became a family:

- His loves sitting in the windowsill on the porch to watch the birdies and the crazy albino squirrel frolic about in the yard...taunting him on a weekly basis with their freedom to roam the outdoors. He would sit there for hours if I let him. Also, the kitchen garden window is a close second.

- On a related note, he has had a taste of the great outdoors and rather enjoyed it. I got a harness/leash a few weeks ago and we gave it a try. He is quite the overachiever...getting used to such an apparatus with little protest when the instructions said it could take weeks. My little kitty genius. We will do more of this as the summer months unfold.

- He can climb/jump onto all things. So strong and agile! Like....from the chair in the living room to the table in the dining room. Sheesh!

- He still sleeps next to me every night and has gotten so much better at 'sleeping in' (he no longer walks across my head a million times in the early hours, hoping to rouse me from my bed to feed him when it's just not time). He does, however, feel it to be 100% appropriate to take full ownership of my pillow around the 6:00 hour to snooze a little more. I don't mind.

- He had his first hairball...awwwww. Good job, buddy! Just kidding, gross.

- He has very happy feelings for apples, raspberries, bananas and scrambled eggs....in moderation of course.

- He thinks it is super fun to nibble (you could also read this as stalk, pounce and attack) my bare toes and ankles should I leave them exposed. It's actually not fun at all.

- He has the appearance of a skilled hunter and acts rather tough....but he often loses battles with small bugs due to uncertainty of their intent and a little bit of fear.

- He almost thinks it is a good idea for me to groom him without having to attack the brush. Almost.

- He loves the cat grass. 

- He and the shower curtain have a love/hate relationship.

- The laser pointer is his best friend. He gets super chirpy/happy when I go to retrieve it from the shelf and starts searching for it even before I light it up! It makes him crazy! He also is super good at catching stuff when I toss it into the air.

- He snuggles in the crook of my legs at night when I'm watching tv on the couch. I love that.

- He follows me around wherever I go and loves to have his tummy rubbed. He is just the sweetest and most lovey cat in all the land.

- He is pretty much my favorite! Happy Birthday Mosie Boo:)

Bestirs Weekend 2015

I know I have already blasted the Instagram with oodles of photos from my trip out west this past weekend. But it was such fun that it bears repeating!

This group of ladies have been my dear friends for over 20 years and I am so thankful that we have made a strong effort to stay connected. I know we will be enjoying 'Bestirs Weekend' for many years to come.

Ok, you've been warned. Here we go:

Love you girls ❤️!

Sequins & Sofas: 5 Things

It's time for another installment of 5 Things....just stuff I like and maybe you would like too:

1. Microwave egg cooker thingy- Not sure of the brand. I got mine at Target for like 3 bucks. My sister found some at Cub Foods for roughly the same amount. This little tool helps me whip up some scrambled eggs in a flash without having to scrub my skillet when I'm done. That makes me happy. Super easy to clean and less than 2 minutes to yummy eggs!

2. This brand of ice- Ok, kind of random but I don't have an ice maker in my fridge and this ice is little and easy to crunch (similar to the kind at IKEA if you are all familiar). Most ice in a bag is too big and not crunchable (I know, it's bad for your teeth...I don't care). This is delightful...it even says its PUREfect right on the bag. So you know it's not gonna disappoint. I happened upon it at a gas station on University avenue....hahahaha. I go there just for ice now.

3. Oiselle sweatpants- Check out their website to see for yourself----Oiselle.
For real though, these sweatpants are the first thing I change into when I get home from work. They are the BEST. I was gifted this pair a few seasons ago (thanks KG) so I don't think you can score this exact style. But the current styles are equally as amazing.

4. Norwex Kitchen Cloths & Mesh Dish Cloth- Both of these items are my new kitchen favorites. I was tired of spraying my countertops down with chemicals but still needed a way to sanitize them safely (so Mosie could make his way to the garden window without being poisoned. Ok, that was a little overly dramatic...but you get the point). The kitchen cloths (grey and purple ones) are awesome! They lock in the grime without fear of cross contamination and come in a pack of 3 so there is always one around while the others may be in the wash. The mesh cloth replaced my dirty sponge wand and is also easily washable and dries quickly after use. Two thumbs up!

5. Trader Joe's Pesto- I just love all things basil. The smell makes me crazy with happiness. My new favorite meal with this product is a big bowl of spiral pasta, grape tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Easy and so yummy! And it's a small jar which I like...because I don't end up wasting it! Win, Win.

Sequins & Sofas: Tower Power

I've been thinking of providing my furry little friend Mosby with more options for climbing and exploring inside. But here's the problem:

Oh yeah, and there's this:

Seriously, does any cat tree manufacturer really expect someone to enjoy such an item with a total disregard for style amidst function? Blah, gross.

I did a Google search of 'not ugly cat towers' and there were a few that could pass as almost acceptable....if I had like $600 extra dollars lying around for such things (which I do not).

Moving on. Then it hit me...I have a brain that is fairly capable of imagining the kind of structure that fits the style of my home, skills to draft up a design thanks to my highschool architecture classes (thanks Mr. P) as well as a talented daddy that can build many things.

So the new plan is to build something that is fun for kitty as well as happy for my eyes to look at. Here's the rough plan:

Here's where it will go:

4 corner shelves, rounded at the front, cut outs at each level so Mosie can climb, carpet (but not ugly...classy and probably grey) on each level so he can dig his claws in, a few other extras like a sisal rope and stuff to entertain the little buddy, and all other exposed wood painted white to mirror the trim in the house and built ins I already have. Functional AND NOT UGLY. That's the goal. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out!