Wingbacks (the planning phase)

 

I’m hoping to recovering these two wingback chairs soon – just trying to decide on a fabric. There are so many wonderful choices. And since this is my first time doing a chair with so many curves, I know picking an “easy” fabric (i.e. no checkers or lines to match up) would be ideal. I, however, really do like some sort of pattern with symmetry – yet something subtle that doesn’t take away from the design of the chair and actually highlights the chair more than the fabric itself.

To start, I tried my hand at Google Sketchup just to see what a few fabrics looked like. I usually watch my husband work in Sketchup, but I gave it whirl alone the other day. After some trial and error I figured out how to make new materials from downloaded fabric samples and apply them to chairs. Yes! Not perfect but it works. When Nick came home, he showed me how to make groups and components and all sorts of tricks of the trade. I'm definitely going to have to explore Sketchup some more with supervised coaching.

I’ve been collaborating with Brianna on fabrics. She has great taste and she’s very honest. Two great things in my mind. Here are a few of her thoughts:

So that you have it. Once I blog about it, I have to do it. I can’t chicken out now.

If you have any fabric recommendations, please post a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Goodbye 2011

It has been 6 months since my last post. eeks. Here’s a quick recap of the past year, although this doesn’t quite cover all we’ve been up to. But you get the jest. It was a wonderful year, full of a lot of painting, many a croquet-bq, and an overabundance of tomatoes and mustaches.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Four years ago

It’s hard to imagine it has already been four years! Four wonderful years.

Thank you, Nick, for eating carrots with me. For holding my hand. For riding bikes. Thank you for being the best husband ever. God is good.

::graphic lovingly created by my sweet sister

And we ate bananas in everything

We had a special weekend for the 4th of July – a wonderful missionary family stayed with us along with my dear mother. We went on many bike rides, ate bananas in everything, and chatted late into the nights. It was so wonderful and encouraging to be with them!

Laundry Room remodel and summer dreams

As you know, we have been working on our basement. Our goal is to get done down there before the nice weather starts. Because this summer we would really like to:

Work less on the house, be outside more, help friends and family out more, have more croquet-BQ’s, go backpacking, eat more veggies, rides bikes, save more, and basically have a simple and enjoyable summer

(I feel like this list almost resembles my sister’s “25 hours in a day”…except I would call it “3 months of summer – it goes by fast so make the most of it”

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So here’s a picture update on the Laundry Room:

BEFORE

PROGRESS

Don’t mind the laundry in the baskets…we are real humans with dirty clothes. But I was going to mention that we would love to install cabinets and a countertop right there. We’re scouting for a used large stainless steel single bin sink right now and are saving up for cabinets, etc. Possibly making a mini-kitchenette for guests that need a place to stay for a few months (missionaries, etc.) But I am just so excited to have this space almost complete!

But in the meantime, we are framing other parts of the basement and hope to cinch things up down there in the next few week so we can enjoy the above mentioned list of summer activities.

Still wondering what a croquet-BQ is? Here’s some insight:

And yes…he is eating a raw beet.

25 Hours in a Day

Hey all! My sister submitted a doodle to a doodle contest. Because she is awesome and her doodle rocks, please vote for her! Just click here.

Mary Meccage – 25 Hours in a Day

 

Laundry/Utility Room

The last few weeks have been a blur…tearing apart the laundry room and getting it put back together in a way that is more functional. On top of that, a good chunk of my time has been spent at work in the evenings/weekends doing taxes. I do enjoy it, but it has been a challenge to get used this new schedule…a “taxing” time as they may say.

Here is a pieced together BEFORE picture of the room (picture taken from the doorway of our new basement bathroom):

View from the opposite side of the room:

Points to address: plumbing issues, new window needed, floor to be tiled, appliances to update (they are on their last leg!), and pantry to organize….the list goes on.

Here’s how we had to finish our laundry on Sunday: (Nick always finds interesting solutions!)

Although I grew up hanging laundry to air dry, I certainly appreciate modern conveniences. My dear mother once bought an old wringer washer because she thought it would be “fun” to use. It was quite the all-day process (especially with 4 little ones running around). We ran the hose from outside into the house to fill it up and drain it. Then over again for the rinse load. Then of course you ring every item through that deadly hand squisher. And then you hang it all up to dry. It actually was kind of fun and an interesting experience as a little girl. I will never forget it. Definitely made me not complain as much about laundry. I have great admiration for those industrious women of the good-old-days!