Construction Zone

The problem with living in a house that is over 100 years old is that the work on the house is never done.  We bought this house believing that there was 20 years of work to do on it and that we would probably be here for 20 years.  Now we have been here for 5 (in two weeks!) and we are not so sure we want to be here for another 15.  So that 20 years of work?  We are trying to cram it into two.

 And you can never just do one thing.  We needed to have some sidewalk panels replaced - In Philadelphia, homeowners are responsible for the sidewalk that borders their property - and the end of our driveway repaired...  And why not replace the front steps that are starting to crumble?  Oh - and if we're replacing the front steps, this is probably the best time to replace the front door so that the steps can be finished without the old door in the way.

So the old door was pulled out yesterday.  And The Dad leaves town today for a work conference in Puerto Rico...  Which means we have fabulouly beautiful plywood in place of our front door until he comes back.  Ahhh...  Living in a construction site.  It will all be beautiful when it is done.  But it is never as easy as you first think it is going to be.

Our new door is slightly wider than the existing opening.  And the existing opening is made much more solidly than we expected.  So I see some serious wood planing in my future.  Hopefully we can get the new door in by the end of the week.  Until then, the kids are having a fun time drawing and writing on the plywood.

While the masonry crew is here, I am holed up in the house which is actually helping me get some work done!  I am participating the Philly Waldorf School Holiday Fair again in November - my first show in a year- and have really been able to get revved up in my studio.

I'm making some new things to add onto a smaller collection of my old favorites.  This show tends to be better for smaller gifty items.  I'm really liking this new pencil roll.  It needs a little tweaking but it is almost there!  Then back to my Treasure Totes (that made the Holiday Fair postcard!) and a larger version that I'm calling Library Bags.  It's funny how what I make evolves as my kids grow.  Two years ago, I made tons of the Treasure Totes.  They were the perfect size for my 4 and 6 year olds.  Now they are a little older and need something a little bigger (though they still use the Treasure Totes as their snack bags for school) so voila - the Library Bag is born.  What will I be making when the are 8 and 10?

Is It Really February Already?

So, somehow, January flew.  And now at the beginning of February, we are having Spring-like weather and everyone is a little confused.

But, my bedroom is coming along!  And there are some new projects coming down the pike.  While I had hoped that my room would be finished at this point, I underestimated how long the painting would really take.  Back before we had kids, I remember painting a room in a weekend.  But this room?  Oh, my, the woodwork.  Previously painted a darker color than I realized.  Three hours per coat.  One coat of primer (that should have been two) and then three coats of white paint (I told you there should have been 2 coats of primer).  But I love the look of it.

It's interesting - all of the natural light in the room actually makes it very difficult to photograph mid-day.  The color is actually this, Benjamin Moore's Serenata.

There just a little touch up to be done (I've learned to sand out the drips in between coats next time) and another coat of paint needed on the radiator cover and then I will be able to clear out all of the painting paraphernalia. 

Today I head out looking for curtains and curtain rods.  The big debate - Single rods with a heavier curtain?  Or double rods with drapes and shears.  It's that darn streetlight that shines right onto The Dad's face when we are sleeping...

January Goal #1

There are some big home improvement plans going on around here right now.  With a big push to finish them all over the next 6 months - the goal being that everything is done by the time the kids get out of school so we can just enjoy the summer without any of that hanging over our heads.

As I type, I listen to the now-less-disconcerting sound of the roofers up above.  Doing a total tear-off and installation of a new roof plus with skylights.  After the first one went in in the den, The Dad stopped for a moment and said "Really, why shouldn't we put in two (instead of one) in the office."  They really are a bit transforming...

But for January, taking no active role in the roofwork myself, my goal #1 is our bedroom re-do.  We replaced all of the windows longer ago than I can count, yet they still haven't been sanded and finished.  We installed built in bookcases even longer ago than that... Yet they still sit unfinished as well.

So, the sanding is done.  The wiping down comes next.  Then priming the whole room in prep for painting.  Oh yeah, we still have to pick just which green we want, too.  I keep coming back to this one but it may turn out just a bit too dark.  We'll decide this weekend and start splashing the color on next week.  There's also a plan for a photo wall...  And did I mention that one of the things needing to be painted in there is a fireplace?  With a detailed wood mantle?  Yes, let's hope the learning curve for painting woodwork isn't that steep...

30 Days of Summer :: Day 11

A Peek into O's Room

Both kids' rooms are still a work in progress, but I'm excited about some of the little touches we've added recently.

Even more important, we've culled through toys and books to minimize the clutter which makes it oh-so-much easier to clean every day.

Right now I'm all about minimizing the extraneous and surrounding ourselves with beautiful (to us) things that we love.

Thanks for looking!

The Backyard: A Work in Progress

The night after The Dad and I moved into our new house, we stood out in the backyard, scanning and imagining. We had a great amount of space for an urban lot, secluded by hedges and feeling very residential in the middle of a city neighborhood. It was overgrown and unkempt and we knew we had our work cut out for us.

Fortunately, we had similar visions. A variety of 'elements' the kids could play on. Ones that blended into the landscape. That would grow with them and could be used for open-ended play. Things that would challenge them, but keep them safe... We have slowly but surely been building this little 'adventure playground'.

The newest addition is 'The Fort'. This is Phase I, the first level. Soon to be added is a slide, followed by a second level, and eventually some type of catwalk from there over to a yet-to-be built treehouse.
We also added a giant old shell that made it's way here from Martha's Vineyard (via a storage locker in Portsmouth, NH) filled with pea gravel as another little sensory spot. O has enjoyed transplanting the gravel into little piles all over the yard...
The wigwam has gone through various repairs and reconstructions but remains intact on the corner of our lot. Still with our old Christmas tree branches making it's roof.

We've also still got the double swing. We have begun pondering what will take it's place when the kids outgrow it, and I'm leaning towards this, but I think we still have another year of what reminds me of the Pirate Ship ride you see at amusement parks.

The zip line also went up this weekend, just in time for us to host the end-of-camp potluck in the yard last night. Over 50 people, half of them kids, spent a good couple hours out there without it feeling overcrowded and with no signs of boredom. We consider that a success!

The Studio Clean-Up

The Dad took the kids out Saturday morning - rummage sale, state park, strawberry picking... Fun little adventure.

I stayed home and finally got on top of my studio. In a mad rush to pack everything up for Art Star, bins had been emptied, scraps had been scattered - I couldn't walk through the room, let alone sit at the table to get some work done.

I am happy to say it is almost finished. I say almost because I still have a couple fun things to hang, my fleece is still in a rubbermaid bin, and I haven't figured out a way to store my patterns yet. Any ideas? I have a couple, but haven't actually tried them all the way yet.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to work. For me, there's nothing more inspiring than a clean, organized, put together room.

Countdown to Art Star Craft Bazaar

I had a rare moment this afternoon where they had both fallen asleep in the stroller. Combined, they are heavy enough to make it not quite safe to pull them up the steps and into the house. And, to be honest, I liked having a little bit of time where I couldn't run into the studio and get just a little more work done. I greatly appreciated a sit on the front stoop with a couple magazines...

3 more days until Art Star. Three evenings of cramming. A couple more things to sew. Tagging. Packing. Planning. And continuing to keep the house running (as it's state seems to exponentially decline as my inventory increases).

O's new room finally has a rug and some curtains, though only one curtain rod (and two windows). The Dad has been away for the last two days, returning tonight and beginning his working from home (out of what is currently a disaster of an office) tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to an evening (next week!) when I can put the kids to bed and then just sit in front of the TV without having to multitask and sew, cut, tag, or prep anything at the same time. And then we can try to get this house put back together.

Really, though, I am so excited about the fair this weekend. There has been some great press and I am so honored to be among one of the "most talented emerging artists" at this cool and funky show. Really? Me?

So, I know I've been MIA, but promise lots more about everything that's been going on around here on Monday!

If you're anywhere near the Philly area, come by and say Hi! Admission to the show is free. I have Booth #37. Live music all day, yummy food from local restaurants, and loads and loads of fabulous goods.

Take Care! And thanks for checking in.

The Wall

Finally completed: The Climbing Wall

Before we moved from Minneapolis, I don't know if we had even found our new house yet, The Dad made a trip to Nicros for their annual clearance sale. He had heard that they sold imperfect climbing holds by the pound and was determined to stock up for the wall he would some day build for the kids.

Last fall he bought the lumber and stored it in the garage. I was skeptical (and not entirely supportive) and kept reminding him that we had lots of other projects to do before one that the kids wouldn't be able to use for a couple years.

I was so wrong.


He finished the wall on Valentine's Day and I am beyond impressed. 7 1/2 feet tall and 17 feet long with a hole configuration that will allow us to easily add new handholds as we want and move around the ones that are there.

It is beyond cool. Over the winter, The Dad has been slowly working on semi-finishing the basement, converting it into a 'rec room' type space. We still have a lot to do down there, but I think that this first element is a great preview of what the room will become!

A Little Shelf of Friends

Our whole house is really still a work in progress. We've lived here for 15 months now and are finally adding the decorative touches we've been missing. We're really anxious for spring so we can throw open the windows and get some fresh paint on the walls.


The kids' room is a fun, eclectic mix full of color. Including the orange wall. We recently (in my attempt to do something every day to make the house look a little nicer) added this little shelf of wooden push button toys above the arch. I love the touch of whimsy. And so easy using a pre-made photo ledge.

As we get more and more done, I will post more photos of our interior. I hope to have a studio tour for you after the weekend and the climbing wall debut by Valentine's Day!