It's officially official

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had a big project that I was working on. And now the time has come to announce it.

TC and I are now officially land owners. We closed on our lot this afternoon. It's so official it's bona fide. We bought a lot and are working on plans to build a home there. For privacy reasons I won't say exactly where, but I will tell you that the lot has great views of the sunset, of downtown SLC, and mountains. We've got it all. And we are so excited.

We are working with an architect to come up with the plans, and he is a friggin' genius. No lies. The first floorplans he showed us were exactly, exactly what we had always dreamed of and more. The process is long, and we probably won't be in our new house until the end of the year, but all this waiting is so worth it. We have been in our current apartment for 7.5 years, waiting, saving, waiting, mostly patiently. And now our dream is so close I can taste it.

I don't even know where to start with how excited we are. Excited, nay, ecstatic. Extremely, emphatically euphorically elated.

So the rest of the year will be occupied with floor plans and construction and giddiness and picking colors and appliances and the like. Also, there will be worrying about money, second-guessing ourselves, and stress (because nothing ever goes the way you think it will). But mostly it will be fun and interesting.

So here we go on this grand adventure...

Animales

Thank you for all of the positive comments! It is so rewarding to share a project like this with the world wide internets and receive such positive feedback. It gave me major warm fuzzies.

Last Sunday I decided that I wanted my little animales to be printed in a book. So I uploaded it all to Blurb and ordered a copy. While the expected ship date was March 12, I received it yesterday. So fast! And what's even better than fast is the quality! It's beautiful. The colors are vivid, the paper feels great between my fingers, and the cover is glossy.

So I decided that maybe I'm not the only one who might want an animal book in Spanish. Ha! I might be, but I might not be. In the off chance that I'm not alone, I've made my Blurb book public so that anyone who is interested can order a copy. Just click on this link if you are interested in ordering one.

Enjoy!




Update: just a note on the price. It's a lot. The price is the cost of printing the book (set by Blurb) with a $1 markup for me.

I know my letters

* I think this post is going to be long. Just a fair warning in case you don't feel like looking at a long post.


I haven't been sewing. I haven't been blogging. So what have I been doing?

Besides sleeping, a lot, for some reason, and working a lot on a big project that I am excited to share with you in a few weeks, I've been drawing. Remember way back in 2010 I was working on my drawing? Well, I'm still working on it. And I've decided to share, for your entertainment and enjoyment, some of my work.

So, I've actually managed to draw some things that are not demented looking.

For example, here's a cat:

Now I'm not saying that this cat is the most adorable, cuddly cat ever drawn, but compared to the way I used to draw cats, 

this is amazing.

So I've been drawing and plugging away, trying to improve my skillz. In fact, I decided to redo my alphabet project, but this time I drew all of the animals myself. All of them. Even the armadillo. Yikes. And, I did it in Spanish. Let me show you a little bit.

Here's my little burro. This donkey has a big head, little legs, and fat little body. I love this little guy. His eyebrows make him look intense. 

My lion. He is just so smiley. He makes me happy. And he has wee beady eyes.

Otter. Why I otter... I like how spread apart his eyes are.

This dog looks ready for action. With his ears back, this perro is playful and poised to pounce.

Armadillo! Really? A cute armadillo? This was quite a feat for me. I put him crossing a road because that's how I always imagine armadillos. Don't even try to figure it out. It makes no sense. But if you have any psychoanalysis for me about this, let me know. I'm slightly curious.

Yak. I think his horns are my favorite. And his little beard. And his eyebrows.

So not all of my drawings made the cut. Here's my first try at an iguana, which has been described as a green hot dog with legs.

My first attempt is, well, funny looking. His eyes are surprised, his tail too short, and head too round. 

The second try turned out looking more like an iguana, and less like a hot dog. So I'm pretty happy with the way he turned out. I love his little spikes. And I really like his front arm/leg.

This is my first attempt at a bull dog. He's better than my original dog, but his body is too boxy, and legs too little. As I was typing this I realized how unnecessary it is for me to describe this poor little guy's deficiencies; they are readily noticeable.

This is my second attempt. This dog needs a diet.

And then you have my latest attempt, which is my preferred version:

So what does all this mean? It means that abilities are part talent (which I do not have), and part practice. With enough work, perhaps a person can improve where things don't come naturally to them. And I think I've improved. I won't be winning any awards for my art. Don't get me wrong; I have no airs of grandeur here. But man, what an improvement!

With the exception of the letter X (why aren't there animals that start with the letter X in Spanish?), I have finished this project, and am thinking about what I will do with my drawings (print a book from Blurb?, Use as prints?), and what I will work on next.

Pinterest! It's my friend!

I realize that I'm about the second to last person on the planet to discover the wonder that is Pinterest, but I've discovered it. It's so much easier than having photos and bookmarks and everything spread all over my computer. So organized! I love it.

I found a project thanks to Pinterest that I knew I had to make. Especially since I bought myself 7 new pairs of earrings in Argentina, and my poor jewelry box was already impossible to close.

from iheartorganizing.blogspot.com.

I have to put a plug in for the Huz. He is such a great help and support. I love that he takes interest in organizing my accessories. In fact, he came up with the system we have to store my purses and my necklaces, which I'll show you in a minute. 

So the Huz and I went to Target to find a frame. We ended up getting two smaller box frames, rather than one big one. TC was smart enough to think ahead that smaller frames would make it easier to find a home for them on the wall. (I can't find the frame online, but it is Room Essentials brand).

Then we went to Home Depot and looked for aluminum sheeting. We found it on an end cap near the building supplies. I asked an employee and she didn't really know where to find "aluminum sheets with decorative cutouts." We took a piece of glass out of the frame for reference for the size we needed the aluminum to be. Jason in tool rental was nice enough to cut two rectangles in the right size for us (however, the sheet is so thin that it might actually have been better to cut it at home with old scissors because Jason's cutters bent the heck out of the sheet). When we got home, I slid the aluminum into the frame and voila! Earring holder.

My accessorizing station.

Cool colors and neutrals.

Warm colors.

Now I can use my earrings as inspiration when I'm getting dressed. I love it.

And on the side of my dresser you can see my necklaces.

TC saw me struggling to keep my necklaces untangled and suggested we get little hooks to attach to my dresser. It was a stroke of genius! I could probably use one more hook since my necklace collection has grown.

In my jewelry box on top of my dresser is where rings, brooches, and other earrings (hoops and studs) are kept. So much easier to keep it neat and organized! Fragrances are kept next to the jewelry box.

Now on to my purse storage. Our apartment is relatively small. And when I say it's small, I mean that it's not large enough to accommodate my clothes, shoes and accessories. A while back TC had the idea to get 3M command strip hooks (we bought ours at Home Depot) to hang my purses from. And he had in mind the perfect place: behind our bedroom door. I can't tell you how grateful I am for his support with this. I would expect some husbands to simply suggest that getting rid of some purses would solve the problem. But TC understands and wanted to help me hold on to all of my beloved handbags. Okay, so I think I've made it clear: I love my husband and think he's grand. I'll stop now.

With the bedroom door open, you can hardly see that all those purses are hiding back there. And since we nearly always keep our door open.

So there you have it! A project I found on Pinterest and some other storage ideas.

101 Things

A friend of mine turned me on to the idea of making a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. I like the idea because I like lists, and I like accomplishing things to cross off lists. So, I put a list together.

Now, rather than make the list New Years Resolutiony and put goals that are a bit ethereal, I put only things on the list that I could definitively say "Yes, I did this," or "No I haven't done this and I'm a complete loser for it." Ha ha. A little self-depricating humor never hurt anyone.

Oh, it HAS? It's actually not good for one's self esteem? Uhh... (note to self, change M.O.)

At any rate, I have things on the list that I've been meaning to get around to, but haven't because I keep setting goals that have me destined for failure, like "Exercise daily." That's not going to happen people. You know why? Because I am chronically lazy. It's a real* disease. And there's no known cure. So, instead, I put #2: Finish P90X, because there will come a point in my life that I will be able to say, "Yes, Tony Horton, I finished your P90X, and I speet on eet." On the subject of fitness, I also have set the goal to do 2 pull-ups in a row (#1). It may sound like a super easy goal, but today, on 3 January 2011, I can only do 1/4 of a pull-up and it's sad. Really sad. Lamentable, really. I tell TC that if I ever were to be hanging off of a ledge, I would die, because I am not capable of pulling myself up. And for some reason, as much as my rational mind knows this is ludicrous, this is a real fear for me.

I also have some random things that may or may not accomplish, like #87: Play a song on expert in Rock Band. Not really the most important thing to accomplish, but you know, if it makes me happy, then who are you to judge?

One goal that will be difficult for me is #40: Quit swearing. It is an ethereal goal that I will maybe only someday, when I lose my tongue or have my memory wiped, accomplish, but I'm working toward it. To support #40 is #39: Learn and use 101 new words. Maybe I can replace the less refined words with others?

One of my favorite items so far (I made this list several weeks ago by the way and have been working on it ever since) is #18: Read every conference talk from October 2010. I always say I'm going to re-read the talks, especially the ones I accidentally slept through, but I really never do. But now it's on a list, and there's no going back. So I've started reading them and marking them off. Goodness! I LOVE marking things off. I've made the conference issue of the Ensign mine and have folded it and marked it, and red flagged it. It's all mine people.

And then there are several sewing and crafts projects like
#43: Knit a scarf
#44: Embroider a tea towel set
#55: Etch a parfait bowl


Some of the items I have already accomplished are:
#63: Make Pan Dulce from scratch.
#78: Watch a movie in 3D.
#31: Make a daily calendar journal and use it. (I put something cool looking together in Word and have faithfully been documenting every moment, dull or otherwise, of my life since December 20, which is the day all this started.)


My 1001 days begun on December 20 and will end on September 15, 2013.

So far this has been a great experience (a whole 14 days in), and I recommend it. Do it people. DO IT!













* made up

Spooky Halloween Outfit

Yesterday was a sewing day for me. Dedicating myself to sewing resulted in two finished items: an orange skirt and a black and white polka dot top.

The skirt: Vogue 2950. You might remember this skirt from here (it's the skirt from my Oscar de la Renta suit). I loved the fit so much that I decided to make another one in this bright orange cotton sateen I bought last year. This fabric is a prime example of my weakness for discount fabrics; it was on sale for $1.95/yard and I couldn't resist. I figured that the color couldn't be THAT bright. It really was THAT bright. But I ended up finding a use, thanks to inspiration (or copying directly, depending on your outlook) from Gertie. And just like Gertie, I added a bow at the waistline.

The top: Simplicity 2633. I mentioned in my last post that I had this top planned. There are some slight fit issues in the shoulders (notice the rippling). Other than that I like how this turned out.

On the subject of copying, I was indeed inspired by Gertie back in March when she posted her skirt. And I had that orange skirt turning and churning in my mind since then. But I have to admit that I was disappointed when I located her version of the skirt just to find that she too had paired it with a white and black polka dot v-neck top. I must have remembered that somewhere in my subconsciousness, which led me to think that I was having an entirely original idea in putting this fabric done up in this particular pattern together with this skirt. 

At any rate, imitation is the best form of flattery right? And I do so admire Gertie and her mad sewing skills and super style. 

P.S. TC was my photographer for these photos, which explains why they are so wonderful!


P.P.S. Shoes are Jessica Simpson Michaela.

Homage to Vintage Electronics

TC and I recently finished a project that we'd like to share with you. But first, the story.

I love to wander into Z Gallerie. TC and I especially love looking at their art. Several weeks back we fell in love with these prints. But being the do it yourself-ers we are, we decided to make our own, inspired by this art. We knew we would put it up right above our computer in a little cove we've created. On our way home we immediately thought of ways we could personalize it.

Futhermore, we thought of the irony of placing images of vintage electronics above our modern computer, which in many ways replaces or enhances those technologies.

Yeah, so we got kind of artsy fartsy with it.



Our version:

We are Sony nerds all the way, so we chose a Sony video camera and a Sony Walkman. We chose a Minolta film camera because Sony acquired Konica Minolta a few years back. And we know this because, well, we are Sony nerds. Lastly, we chose an old school Mac, because the irony of seeing that above our new Mac is delightful to us.

Once we chose photos of the electronics we wanted, I took them into Photoshop and deleted as much of the background as possible.

Then I brought the image into Illustrator and used the Live Trace feature, which allows you to trace images and make them into vector images. I traced twice: once to get the solid colored image, and then again to get the outline. After adjusting the settings to get the images just right, I brought them back into Photoshop, created the background image, put a color overlay on the image of the electronic, and tweaked until I got the effect I wanted.

So with our images designed, we printed them up at Costco (12" x 12" for around $3 a print).




















The other supplies we needed were:

• Wood panel art boards ordered from dickblick.com ($7 a piece). 
• Elmer's Repositionable Mounting Spray that I for some reason have lying around.
• Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish we picked up from Home Depot ($8).
• A paint brush.
• Latex gloves.

After trimming down each print so it would fit perfectly on the top of the art boards (they had a bevel, so it was necessary to take off less than .25" from the side and bottom), we sprayed the back of each print with the mounting spray, and positioned it on the art board.

Then we slathered the whole thing in the Minwax finish. We ended up putting on 5 coats (waiting at least 2 hours between coats), just because we wanted it to be extra shiny.

One "mistake" that ended up being a happy accident is that we over-brushed the finish, creating brush stroke creases. In the end, it gives the art a texture, which we like. But if you are ever finishing something that you don't want to have any texture, take care not to over-brush. Just apply the finish and let it dry. Don't go crazy with the brush strokes.

Once all that was done, we hung our new art.

And here's the view of our computer cove with our art. 

When I'm unemployed.

You know what's funny about getting ready to unemploy myself? I'm excited, so excited, but I can't help but feel a little sad too. You know what else is funny? When people ask me what I'm going to do with all my free time, I'm embarrassed to tell them because it's so geeky. So I end up saying something lame like, "I'm looking forward to just relaxing." And then I worry that I seem like a sloth.

In reality, there is so much I want to do. I think it's a given that I am looking forward to sewing more, and honing my skills. But beyond that, I want to play around in Photoshop and Illustrator. I want to practice my drawing. I want to make catalogs of my sewing patterns, my shoes, and other things that most people don't need a catalog for. I want to clean out every drawer in the kitchen. I want to move every piece of furniture and vacuum and dust behind it. I want to relabel all my spices. I want to organize every electronic file I have. I want to scrapbook, and make cards, and make pillows and quilts and clothes. I want to write in my journal and finish writing about things that happened last year. I want to exercise and take walks and take pictures and see new places. I want to make random things like a space slug, and an alphabet book, and etched trifle bowls, and bagels. I want to learn to knit and crochet (Shannon, I'm looking at you when I say that).

But how do I say all that? Even if I COULD say all that, I don't know if I would. I find my compulsion for organization embarrassing. So I share it privately with you, the world wide internet, because I know I can trust you not to make jokes about me and my meticulous tendencies. I know you aren't going to laugh at me for wanting to make bagels just because it's possible. And you won't judge me for cleaning every inch of my house. Thanks internets, for being my friend and for understanding me.

More on the alphabet

No fashion forward Friday for you today. I know how disappointed you all are. I am too. But I'm a little under the weather and need some rest. Plus, I have so few pictures that I'll run out of material in a few weeks if I keep up this pace. And I really enjoy dragging things out, like this explanation for not having a fashion forward photo for you today.

So instead, I will show you the last of the alphabet pictures. Because they make me happy.

Puppies! Love sick puppies. So cute it's sickening. Or maybe that's the raging virus in my bloodstream. Ha.




The quail you already saw because I could resist bragging about my ability to draw.




Silly wabbit. Carrots are for cakes.




Anytime a seal wears a turtleneck I am more than pleased.




Happy extinct animals make me happy.




Mythical creatures with purple hair also make me happy.




Do you have any idea how hard it is to find an animal that starts with V? It's hard. Trust me. TRUST me.




And seriously, what's better than rugby playing wombats? I don't know that there really is anything. At. All.




X is another one of those letters that nothing starts with. And this is a drawing that really looks nothing like an actual x-ray fish. But, you know, whatevs.




Yaks are ugly creatures, but, it's the only animal I could find a somewhat cute illustration of that starts with the letter Y.




A zebra who is unsure of something, or perhaps is asking himself, "What are these people doing and why do I have a checkered tail?"

Alphabet Soup Again

I am nearly finished with my alphabet art, so I thought I'd show you some of it, cuz that's just how I roll. I spread happiness and joy across the blogosphere without regard to color, creed, or shoe size.

That's all for now my friends. I hope your Tuesday is fantastic! Joy joy joy! Happiness and more happiness.