A New Baby

I have been really really really wanting really really really badly to get to some closet cleaning and organization. For a really really really long time.  Really.

My reasons are that I occasionally watch part of an episode of Hoarders and it freaks me out just a little. When work is frustrating and I don’t feel productive, home takes the brunt and I get ALL productive there. I have had on ‘THE LIST’ a home inventory since a couple of my knitter peeps lost their home to fire, and then a whole lot of Larimer County residents did likewise last summer. That is an overwhelming task without some clearing out and organization of closets and drawers.

Any of those are sure and adequate reasons by themselves. However.  It took all of those….and THIS! To get me moving.

Fricke Signature Drum Carder

I found a screaming deal on one of the used equipment forums on Ravelry, and decided to buy my very own drum carder.  Obviously I needed to find a place for it to live in the Craft-tudio. One thing led to another and before I knew it, this had happened.

I love me an organized linen closet.  Especially when it’s mine. (camera phone...it was handy...)

I admit that I have slowed my pace.  Only the upstairs has been marked off ‘THE LIST’.  And only the cleaning has happened.  None of the inventorying has occurred.  But progress! Which is good!

And my new baby?  She purrs! Being a belt-driven model rather than like the chain driven one I rented from the guild, there is a much different sound when operating. The whole gizmo has much more wood and less metal, so I told the Guy ‘She is just sounds more…organic! Come see!’ And of course, because he loves me, he obliged, and pronounced the sound produced as ‘purring’.

Now, timing is everything.  I bought Drummie (yes, I named her.) (yes, she’s a she.) after I had the guild carder for 6 weeks, and most of the fleece I had on hand, was in fact, carded.  I only had about 1/3 of my last alpaca fleece left to card.  Hardly enough to play with, I should think. So I will just have to see if maybe there might not be something to buy at the upcoming Fun Fiber Fest.  After all, Drummie and I are still getting to know each other. I claim necessity!

Sheep

We have been shopping for a new mattress, which is a brand new experience for me.  (The X and I slept on a waterbed back in the day.)  So Wonderful Guy and I have been laying on beds together in public trying to get a feel for the individually wrapped coils, the number of coils, whether they are made of tempered steel or not, whether there is foam involved, and whether that foam is memory foam or regular foam or forgetful foam…

And also the price. And the cost of delivery.  And the return policy if I choose poorly.

But what really helped me decide? (Oh not really….) (But maybe kinda sorta....)

I mentioned, as we were sitting on a Sealy, 'is this the one that advertises with the little sheep?'

'No, no,' said the sales guy, 'that is Serta.'

'Too bad,' says I.  'I love those little sheep.  You know, I think if I could get my hands on one of those little guys…'

Says the sales guy…'You know, I think we have some around here…'

And guess what I went home with?  No, not a mattress.  Not at that point, because we were still discussing pros and cons and coils and price (see above…), but I did get this little guy!

We ended up purchasing from this vendor for all the right reasons, and incidentally?  Didn’t get a Serta.  Really didn’t even look at them through the whole shopping ordeal.  Guess the power of advertising only goes so far!

Still, I really love my little sheep.

Getting More Exercise

But for a different reason than the usual.

When we re-carpeted and freshly painted our bedroom and bath, we changed up some things in the bath.  Much of the 'decor' (and I use the term loosely) did not return to that area, which left some bare wall space.

And when Wonderful Guy opted for landscapes over flowers for the photos in the bedroom, I decided that the empty wall spaces in the bathroom could be filled with flowers.  Well, photos of flowers...

There were spaces for 3-8x10s.  The task, as I saw it, was to purchase frames with mats, and choose three likely candidates, and print them off myself.  I choose printing myself so I will feel free to change them up as I feel the need, or choose others if first choices didn't work, or for any other reason that wouldn't leave me committed to the investment of having the photo lab paid to do it.

I had in mind one photo, a pinecone photo taken in Yellowstone, which drew a raise eyebrow from The Guy when I told him.  'Pinecone?'  He doesn't always see the 'big picture'.

I continued...undaunted.  Found the frames on sale.  Located my pinecone photo, and while ditzing around the Yellowstone folders, found several likely wild flower photos.

Hmmm...I was sort of thinking of my yard flowers....but I followed my instincts here.  One I liked needed some tweaking, being a bit washed out in color, but I was able to pull out my minimal Photoshop skilz and a presentable result was produced.

The chosen photos were printed, and amazingly, matched what I was seeing on my screen, and I didn't run out of ink halfway through any of them.  I was patient enough to let them dry before slapping them into the frames to see how they were going to look.

And (here's a big one) the frames had two hangers for the horizontal mode, so when hanging...I had to use thinking (!), measurements,  and a level to make sure they hung straight.

Here's where I am getting more exercise.  I am pleased with my efforts.  So pleased, in fact,  that I run upstairs to use that bathroom just to admire the results.

The Pinecone

The tweaked Sunflower

Polemonium

And more of a perspective...

This fills me with all sorts of joy at having figured something out that works.

Photos (framed)

Wonderful Guy and I wanted new, bigger photos for our newly painted and carpeted bedroom.  We thought that some that I had taken with my smancy fancy camera would to the trick.

I thought maybe some close-up of some flowers.  He was thinking landscapes.  Landscapes won for now.

I picked out these shots of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from our trip this past summer, looking toward the lower falls, and then on downstream.

Enlargements at Jax.  Mats from Hobby Lobby.  Frames from Aaron Brothers. (clicky to biggy...)

Room Renovation

It’s been quiet on the blog front, but with good reason.  My routine has been turned upside down on the home front.  Wonderful Guy and I have moved further along the road of home upkeep/making the place fully ‘ours’.

We recarpeted our bedroom and changed the bath off our room (I detest the terms 'master' bed and bath...) from carpet and linoleum to what is called ‘Permastone’.  Then we painted the walls…’Barrel’, and ‘Patina’.  Which would be shades of ‘brown’ and ‘green’.

The plan was to have the floor and carpet done on 2 consecutive days, with painters immediately following, but the floors guys schedule got changed and somehow the painters were scheduled the second day after the carpets were done.  The upshot was my upstairs was topsy-turvy for almost a week.

Do. Not. Like! not having my morning routine…un-routine.  It gives me a headache.  Also apparently a cold sore.

Well…done is done, or almost done.  Furniture was moved back in place (or new places as was the case for some rearranging was due!) late last week. We let the walls cure just a bit before hanging the ancillaries.  Friday morning, I enjoyed my routine, albeit dimly.  The main light fixture was still to be hung, but routine I can do in the almost dark.

Carpet matches what is in the rest of the house, which we love.

Barrel

New lighting

Patina and Permastone.

Once again, I sigh a deep breath of relief at having my choices...blend well and give us a sense of well-being.

Stick A Fork In It..

It's pretty much done!

The Room of Bayleaf

The TV still needs to come in, but we need the help of Only Step Son for that.  It's heavy and I am not that strong.

The Room of Slice

There are some photos, et cetera to be hung still, and a new faucet for this room that will match that towel hook.  Spiffy, huh?

New lighting!

The Hallway of Cattail

These rooms all sort of flow together, and it was important for me to be able to stand in certain areas where I see three rooms at a time and not be flummoxed by the combination of colors I saw.  I am not!  It is pleasing to the eye.  At least to these eyes, and they are the eyes that matter.  Well, and Wonderful Guys, but he likes the results as well.

She likes the new carpet!

New hall lighting!

The little nook in the upstairs hall.

More new lighting!  Which I just love.

So there it is! And a successful accomplishment by most of my standards.  But also, WOW! Tiring, even having someone else to do it.

But it has been a really fun and exciting week for Iron Needles.  Almost like Christmas.  I will tell all, because I am that way.  I have simply have to.  I can't keep it in.  It's a shortcoming.

But.  Alas.  I don't have time today.  Honest.  I wanted to post these photos, and now I have to get ready to hike with Eldest Daughter who is in town to visit her nieces. HaHa!  Not to see me, so much, but I do get her because she wants to hike!  So hiking I go.

Really.  Twist my arm.

There Be Color!

And I am playing Bunko...

So have to dash...

but wanted to share...

because inquiring minds want to know...

The painter brothers are still working at this hour.

Hope they are done before the carpet layers arrive tomorrow morning...

So there it is! I am loving it.

But I just told Wonderful Guy the bedrooms are now BORING!!!!

New All Around

With home improvement/renovation project (photos to follow), I thought I would try some improvement/renovation with the blog.

This is a try-out.

For a house update, I have color on my walls, and I am loving it! They work for me!! They all blend and go together and aren't overwhelming.

What a relief.

Progress

Since the walls were going to be painted, we decided to replace the light fixture in the hallway. That led to the ceiling lights, and while shopping for those, I saw the one I wanted for the kitchen a few months ago on sale.

There's a story here. See. It's just like the one that used to hang there, only bronze-ish instead of white. We didn't buy it before, because Wonderful Guy said let's just redo the other. Made sense until we realized one of the sockets of the old one was stripped out. So when we saw this one on sale, we made the purchase. I am fortunate that Wonderful Guy is adept at the electrical.

TV Room butting up to kitchen

Javier, the Painter Brother came over with paint colors for a look see last night, to make sure the colors they got were the ones I chose, and the ones I chose were the ones I wanted.

TV Room with new carpet sample

This also gives the exact look/feeling of what we are living with right now.

Entry/hallway butting up to front room

In addition to all this going on, I had two old fillings replaced last night. Upper jaw, so the whole side of my face was deadened for most of the evening.

In-process look!

Javier was understanding, and Wonderful Guy fixed me an omelette.

Laundry room/half bath

So there are the colors to be. Should be about 75% done by EOD, according to the Painter Brother.

PS I love the names of paint colors. So here they are...Bay Leaf, Cattail, Slice, and the trim (not shown) will be Vanilla Bean!

It Has Begun

This week we are changing up the looks around chez Irons.

We are painting this hallway (and changing out light fixtures, too!)

We are painting down there, and replacing that carpet.

This entry way will be painted and the carpet changed out, as well.

See way up there?

And that giant high ceiling?

And this one, too?

Well, that is why we are paying the professionals to do the painting. All we had to do was empty the rooms in readiness.

All. We. Had. To. Do.

See that Books I Have Read list over there to the left? Most of those reside on 7 foot bookshelves, one single and one double, that I emptied, we moved to the garage, then I filled back up.

Geez oh peez. I may have a problem.

But maybe not. I did this chore with an eye to sorting through, and some went to the FOL shelf. That's the what I will donate to Friends of the Library, for those keeping track.

So anyway. I am pretty sure about the carpet. Changing out 15 year old pale almost white carpet...can't go wrong with hardly any choice.

But I am nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs about my paint colors.

I am a scientist! Not a designer!!

Tit for Tat

So many nice comments on the pergola. Thank you thank you. And some that need answers, too.



I might plant a vine, I might not. See. My recent success with tomato growing at this altitude with this growing season has been because of that there cement patio! I plant my 'maters smack up next to it on the east side, where they are nice and toasty at night from the heat absorbed during the day. Also, they get...got...full sun all day. Probably not so much of that anymore, and I will have to see what effect that will have.



In reviewing the photos, I recognized how barren the place looks. Welcome to springtime in Colorado. We don't get off the ground until late May really. The patio will be surrounded by...stuff...green stuff...blooming stuff....come June. Just wait and see!



We had it built. And this is version 2. Initially...well...there was some blips in the communication apparently between the contractor and the laborer, but it was all put to right, and we got our decorative ends. I didn't get any photos of version 1, and we will still recommend the contractor. He got it all straightened out straight away.



Our house stands out in our sub-division because of the color. When we repainted about 4 years ago, we chose something besides the bland and tepid colors initially used by the builders. There is no mistaking which house is ours, and yes, we had approval from the HOA!



Liz...and anyone else...come over anytime to sit a spell for some spinning, knitting, glass of tea, or talking garden. There are chairs to go around.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Cold and drear, more so after a sunny and bright week, the weekend was not so much fun. I have some lilies of the valley coming on, and I notice my bleeding heart is getting ready to bloom. I want to get out and clean up, but it was just too cold.

Just not fair!

We did stop briefly at the Farmer's Market for it's first day...all bundled up, with promises of ending the excursion if I was too cold. But guess what the Market had Saturday?

Roving! Jacobs roving from a local grower (breeder? shepherd?)! How exciting for me! Almost as exciting as the almost for real tomatoes I bought.

Yeah. I know...I know...blah blah blah...more buying than knitting/spinning going on lately. So much for that little goal.

Also. We have a new addition.

Behold. The Pergola. Three years in the thinking, we finally took the plunge and it is built!

From below.

Side views.

Artsy effect with gloomy sky background.

As the day comes to a close, and I am winding down and gearing up for Monday, I hear Wonderful Guy remark that he hopes the birds don't abuse it. Now we didn't think about that part of it.

I'm Floored!

Last post I said that's wasn't all, meaning going on in our lives this week...

This is our kitchen floor before.

This is our kitchen floor after.

I love it to pieces!

This is the house Wonderful Guy and his ex bought when they moved to this state. While she was not really 'vested' in it, it is still the house they bought. While I have lived here with him longer than she lived here, it is still the house they bought. While I love this house, and consider it my home, it is still the house they bought. And while we have determined we will probably remain here until we can no longer negotiate the stairs, because we love our home, still....

So every little project we do together, every paint color I pick out, every corner of the yard I plant, every curtain I sew and hang...makes another piece just a little more....really ALL MINE!

Also, I am not one that has much self confidence in my choices of style and decor. I am always worrying until I see how it is going to turn out, wondering if what I have chosen is going to be atrocious. Often, when I was younger, I would pick out very edgy things, in my insecurity, not so because I was edgy, but it was a good reason for things to not be...normal. Then I swung the other way, going to very safe choices, pastels and bland shades, in later years.

For our redecorating here, I have stretched myself a bit and chosen some bolder colors, ones I like, and held to my own when Wonderful Guy might have gone to another choice. And it has worked! I have liked the results very much so far.

fyi...the flooring is Perma Stone. Not ceramic tile, not laminate, not linoleum. Supposedly the best of all worlds, for price, care and endurance.

I have to go look at it some more now.

Well....that's a start, I suppose.

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Wonderful Guy and I went to the Fall Home Improvement Show on Saturday. It was raining and cold and good for that sort of thing. It was a smallish event, which made for good opportunity to chat it up with the vendors. We spent a couple of hours talking with several, made a couple of appointments for free in-home estimates, and called it good.

Then I discovered we were in the market for a new aquarium. In our office/front room renovations of last fall, we gave Only Step-Son the aquarium, from which he has received much enjoyment. Now that the weather is getting cool, and the outdoors activity is more limited, Wonderful Guy is thinking he would like to start afresh with a new one...a salt water effort this time. Hmmmm...I hear tell one needs to be a chemist for that sort of thing.

Sunday, he was out with Only Step-Son, and I fully expected them to come home with a saltwater rig, but he decided against it. Guess we will wait and see what happens with my job this week (or next....or the week after...I am ever hopeful, but have grown some realistic pants) before we start handing over funds.

I have to tell you, though, those tankless hot water heaters sure are enticing! And a new frontloading washer/dryer...very, very appealing! They had me at 'energy savings'!!