Today I tackled

curtain panels for my bedroom. I bought this fabric two springs ago, but was too afraid to make them. I'm not a professional seamstress, and measuring and cutting are not my forte. But, it needed to be done. Now, I would like to say that I enjoy sewing....when my machine is working right! I would have been done at least an hour earlier, but my machine kept messing up. Not so enjoyable.

But anyway, here is what my bed/window looked like before:

And here is what it looks like now:

Not exactly the impact I was going for, but maybe once I complete a few more projects, it will look more put together. I would have liked to use more of the brown patterned fabric, but I only bought a half a yard, so I had to make it work, (I went last Friday to see if they had more of this fabric, but they don't) I also need to buy new pillows and some other stuff, so that might help too.

Here's a close-up; although, the colors are way washed out...

So, that's it for today. I am off to shower, cook dinner, take the kids to karate, and then play a volleyball game later tonight.

Checking it off my list

To keep my energy flowing, I tackled another project, one that's actually been on my list for a while.

Like this window from Mom's house. I've had it sitting on top of a bookcase in the living room for probably 2 years now. I intended to make it into a mirror like I saw in a magazine.

But, it just sat there--blank--until today.



What I love most about this window is that I probably looked out of this window while growing up, and on the back, you can see what color our house used to be (look by my hand).



As I cleaned it, I thought of Mom as the mom she was when I was a kid and how often she looked out this window and how often she washed it and how many years it was put in and out and what she might have been thinking through all those years.


I knew I wanted a tree with a swing on it on the window (thinking of us playing in our yard as kids), so I googled images and settled on this as my starting point:



And ended with this:




I really wanted the tree on the other side, but I forgot about reversing the image...I did get the letters on the tree trunk right, though (It says "R {hearts} K", in case you can't see it).

I already had the paint, but if I had to buy it, this project would have only cost me $10 since the window was free and I already had the black paint.

Well, that's it for tonight. I'm pooped and it's 9:12 p.m. and I want to take a shower and do some reading (Eat, Pray, Love). I'm not sure I'm fond of where the mirror is sitting right now, but you can give me your opinion when you see it in person!

The dam has broken!

I can't contain my excitement!!!!!! I actually started AND finished something. If you know me well you know I have a habit of 1) coming up with an idea but never following through with it or 2) starting something but never finishing it.

Lately, I've been reaing alot in blogland about repurposing objects around the house, primarily using spray paint. These articles really got me itching to redecorate, but I either gave away or donated objects long ago that did not fit in my decor. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and the Salvation Army store to see what I could find on the cheap.

While at Hobby Lobby (in their clearance section), I found lots and lots of things I wanted to spray paint, but I came across some canvases with ugly screen printing on them (I forgot to take a before picture). They were 12 x 12 (a size I wanted but couldn't find in the art supply section; and if I had, they would have been around $10 or so each). These particular canvases were priced $3.60. So I bought 3 thinking I would hang them in the hallway that leads to the half bath by the front door. That hallway has been crying out for some lovin' for quite some time.

Then, I watched a video on an artist's blog were she used paint and a gel medium and book text to create a cool water color look.

Well, to make my story brief, this is what I came up with (using images from that artist's stamps):

(I think they look more impressive in person ;-))

(Look! They are already hanging!)

You'll have to see them in person to really tell what they look like, but I LOVE them. They turned out pretty close to what I had envisioned. I added some quotes to each one randomly cut from a literature text book I have left over from college.

The quote strips say: "Whenever she counted her blessings, she felt as buoyant as if she weighed one hundred and twenty-five pounds instead of one hundred and eighty." I don't know why I liked this quote, but I found it funny and ironically true.

The quote strips say: "Somewhere in the back of his mind a vague idea stirred, sprouted. The idea began to bloom, strange, wonderful." The guy in the story was actually plotting to drive some old woman mad, but hey, it fits!

The quote strips say: "And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction." This is the only author I remember, and it's by Edgar Allan Poe. He was talking about the craft of writing a short story and why a short story is better than a novel.

The total cost of this project was around $20 after buying the gel medium, canvases, india ink, dip pen, and some paint. But not bad, especially since all but the canvases are reusable.

Motivated by my success, I took on another project I bought at Hobby Lobby. I was so excited to complete this project that I also forgot to take a before picture, but it was a picture of a cross and it said "Rejoice." It's not a frame; the original picture was printed on the center. I just merely took a picture of mine, resized it in Photoshop Elements, and using scrapbook adhesive dots, adhered it over the printed picture. So, for $4, I got a fancy new frame.

(The picture in the center of the frame looks washed out because of the flash on my camera.)

Aren't you proud of me?? Man am I excited! I have a couple more projects lined up so I'll be sharing those with you soon. (I know, the anticipation is just killing you!) But I love this feeling, this feeling of a dam breaking and all this energy and creativity and passion and contentment comes pouring out of me all at once. It leaves me feeling on top of the world.

Date Day (aka Date Night #3)

Yesterday's "date" wasn't quite what I had in mind, but I guess I have to take it as I can get it. It started with Ed picking the girls up to take them to his company picnic at Coney Island. They left at 10:30 a.m. and that's when I turned to Ray and said, "Well?" You see, I told him that we would have the day to ourselves several days ago and asked that he plan for us to do something together. I envisioned us going downtown to eat lunch and taking a quiet little stroll along Sawyer Point. Or, maybe even us going to a museum, or perhaps a quaint little picnic. He says,

"We can go swimming at my mom and dad's."

Insert the sound of chirping crickets here (as my friend Holly would say).

"Ummm, you want to spend our day alone together with your family?"

"It's going to be hot."

"That's all you came up with?"

Insert the sound of chirping crickets here.

"You know what," I'm on the verge of screaming and crying and pouting all at the same time, "this is ridiculous. No, I don't want to spend my day without the kids at your mom and dad's house where I have to sit and listen to your dad and Mike spout off about Obama, the government, and anything else they want to talk about. I'm going to Hobby Lobby. Think of something different."

I left. When I got back I heard, "Do you want to get some mulch?"

Ummm...we can't insert the chirping crickets here because I HAVE SQUASHED THEM!"

"Mulch????!!!!" I'm no longer on the verge of screaming and crying and pouting; this is what I am doing. "What for? We have NO flowers and it's HOT outside. You never work for me; you never do anything to woo me. You just expect me to be here. You want to go to your mom's house where we will have zero conversation??? Fine. Let's go. I don't care any more."

"I'm tired of you always yelling at me." Surprisingly, he spoke this rather timidly.

I wheeled around, "Really? Did you just try to make this about you? You comment on the yelling, but you completely missed the message. All you can focus on is you. Yes I'm yelling. This isn't about you getting yelled at. This is about you undervaluing, underappreciating me every.single.day." At this point, I felt like I scored a point for myself, so before he could respond, I stormed off, slammed the bathroom door, and commenced crying.

Ten minutes later, he comes back in the house. By now, I'm sitting in my office trying to figure out how to make something with some cheap supplies I bought at Hobby Lobby, and he says, "I think I feel like going on a bike ride. You coming?"

"No you stupid boy," I'm saying to myself. "No, I do not want to ride my bike around the neighborhood with you. That's the last thing I want to do." Of course, what I really say is, "Whatever."

I walk outside to find him loading the bikes into the truck. We actually went to the bike trail. Not being one who gives up easily, I did pout and answer in only one word phrases all the way there and for a few minutes at the start, but I couldn't help but give in. He promised it would be a leisurely ride not a I'm-a-man-who-has-to-prove-my-manhood-by-crushing-my-wife-with-speed-and-agility-kind of ride, and that's what it was. We had quiet time and space and surprisingly lots of shade. We talked--of course, not about anything serious-serious--but we were speaking to each other, which we don't often do. I loved the feel of the warm air wrapping around my body, and the further we biked, the more I let go of my anger.


(Yes, I rode the bike with my camera strapped to my hand)





We biked a total of 2 hours. We had to stop after 30 minutes for a quick break because my behind, which isn't used to sitting on a bike seat, was quite sore.

So I tried to take some pictures of us.

Damn shade...

Our next break came when we got to Loveland where I tried to get some more pictures of us (I should have worn a hat to hide my wind-blown-bike-riding-hair)

And where I got a tasty, refreshing Peach Smoothie to take with me on the ride back.

Trying to keep my mind off my aching behind, I took some pictures of the scenery.

And yes, these were taking as we were moving. I almost wrecked into a couple coming the other way because I was completely oblivious to my surroundings. At 39, it's not as easy to ride with no hands (or even just one hand) as it was when I was 12.

I tried to get some pictures of myself. This is what I got at first...

And then finally I made it to my face...

I do not do the wind-blown look very well!

We ended the "date" with a run through Frisch's drive thru and a spot in front of the TV to watch the US in the World Cup.

It didn't start off well, but it ended well (for us at least. Not so much for the men's soccer team). It was actually an enjoyable day with Ray and turned out much better than our other two attempts.

A rainy morning

is good for building forts in the bedrooms!

I remember doing that as a kid too, only ours were much bigger because we had more room, but they worked on these things for like an hour, and it certainly kept them quiet and busy!

Conversations with the boy

The other night, Ray and I had an interesting conversation. We had just been to Emily's soccer party at one of the parent's pools (who also happens to be a public school teacher), and Ray was telling me how this parent was questioning Ray about our choice to put the girls in a private school when I teach in a public school. This discussion lead us talking about my teaching and how I am frustrated with parts of it. At one point I said, "I can't" about one of his suggestions and he replied, "As soon as you say you can't, your mind closes off from all the possibilities that are out there. If you say 'I can' then you start to see ideas everywhere--t.v. commercials, billboards, just about everywhere."




??????





This is Ray talking mind you, not one of my friends who buys into the whole universe thing and the power of one's thoughts. He continued talking, but I was no longer listening. I was still stuck at his comment about opening up onesself to the limitless possibilities that are out there. I was frustrated with him at the time because every time I would say I couldn't do something, he countered with a comment like that. But, when I got quiet and listened and thought about what he had said, it made sense, and I realized he was actually encouraging me.




??????







Fast forward to yesterday morning. We were sitting on the front porch. He was on the computer and I was reading. We started talking about vacations and the deck and stuff when he said I should get a side business taking pictures. My reply was that I would love to, but I need money to educate myself. I mean, I've been lucky to accidentally get a couple of cute pictures, but I have no idea what I'm really doing. He counters with, "Go to the library, get a free book." I say, "I don't really understand that stuff without doing it or seeing it." He replies, "Then watch a u tube video." Every time I countered, he had another suggestion. I got mad. I yelled, "So, when someone says to me, 'How did you learn photography?' I'm supposed to reply (insert wierd voice I made here) 'I watched a u tube video'??!" I stormed off. I felt like he was belittling me and attacking something I really want to do. I cried in the bathroom for about 30 seconds then stopped,went back to the front porch, ignored Ray (yes, I'm a big pouter), and continued reading. But, all day I couldn't stop thinking about his suggestions.



Is he encouraging me yet again????











After he left for golf, I got on the computer and looked up photography books. I have one reserved at the library and two on the way from Amazon. I installed some actions (hence the different photos you see in this post) that I bought last summer but have been too intimidated by the directions to install. And then I started playing around with them.




All because of Ray. It's wierd, really. I feel like Ray is never on my side and never supports me in anything I want to do. But now I'm wondering if he really does; he just has a wierd way of going about it. Perhaps, and this is a big perhaps, I need to pay attention to him more, and really listen to what he's saying. Like this morning. I came down as he was getting ready to go to work, and he said, "Aren't you going to work out?" I shrugged. "I thought you were going to work out." I got a little irritated, but just said I didn't know what I was going to do. I felt like he was nagging me and pointing out what I wasn't doing. After he left, I thought, again, "Is that his way of motivating me?"

Who really knows. Ray is an enigma, and I doubt I will ever truly figure him out, but seeing him in a different light does kind of help me like him a little more. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have to give him a little credit one day for motivating me.

Summer Sunday ritual

For the last 3 weeks, the Ice Cream Man has come to our neighborhood making Hannah and Emily very excited. He told the girls that he would come every Sunday night during the summer between 7 and 9 p.m.

When they hear the truck's jingle, they start screaming and jumping up and down.

Hannah lives her week for the Ice Cream Man.

Tonight they used their allowance to buy their treats, and after the Ice Cream Man left, Hannah was already plotting how she will spend next week's allowance dividing her money between silly bands and ice cream.

Oh, to be young and excited about the Ice Cream Man!