(early) Happy Halloween!

The costume that I was commissioned to make for Lauren's middle child is done. Yippie! I think the beard is more of a hit with the adults rather than the kids. Everyone is getting felt beards for Christmas this year!

Have an awesome Halloween! I'm sure Norm Abram feels the same.

Pansy, where are you?

Last night while watching a very slow first couple of innings, I was looking through the recent Coastal Living. In a very tiny picture in the contents section, there was a pic of the pansy print (below) which is in the master bedroom of their 2009 Idea House. Of course, it was never referenced in the article or shown again. Ugh.

I'm in love with that print! I have no idea where I would put it...but that doesn't matter, pansies are cute and they welcome you with their happy faces.

Has anyone seen it?

From Coastal Living video tour

What's up on our street

I swear I didn't break anything! This sewer construction will be going on for the next few months starting at 7 am every morning. Yay!

Cabin in the trees

Sorry, all I can think of is our future ski cabin in the woods.

This awesome treehouse has been burnt into my brain and comes from Linda Aldredge of Lulu Organics featured in March 2008 Domino magazine.

(click on picture to see full page)

Hopefully we will have some more building going on in our house. It's been quite rainy here and the dude does all of the wood cutting outside. Blah!

Netbook

Over the past week, I have spent some time looking at netbooks. In these "challenging economic times," I'm looking for a mini computer with nothing fancy- just surfing the web kind of stuff. I did take a look at the HP Mini 110 by Tord Boontje. It is super mega cute!

I think I finally figured out what netbook I'm going to order. I'll have to settle for one of the free wall papers that is offered on the HP/Boontje site for the new mini laptop. A girl can still dream though...

It's wizard

Sorry, no house updates until next week. I've been busy working on a halloween costume for Lauren's middle child.

Here's a sneak peek..

Happiness found at the Christmas Tree Shop

Over the weekend we went to the Christmas Tree Shop because they have heat (remember our house is chilly) and in hopes of finding a non-candy treat to give to the kiddies for Halloween. I really hate the place, but you can find some gems and german cookies.

I've been dying to get one of those really cool radios for our kitchen. When I'm stuck in the kitchen, I can't see or hear the tv. Since we don't have a tv in there (yet) everyone leaves me in the kitchen by myself and I get sad. I'll now be a little happier when I'm in the kitchen because of the latest Christmas Tree gem:

Ten bucks! And it plays Happy Birthday on the selected date and time. No joke! And has a lovely teak wooden frame. And I'm sure the sound will suck.

Thank you Christmas Tree Shop for my knock off Tivoli radio!

Chilly house, warm ski lodge

Our house is cold. Real cold. The dude saw his breath yesterday.

Since we have an old house with very little insulation, there is really no point in turning on the heat until the weather channel has a super cold advisory and tells you to check on the elderly and small children. We normally try to go until December 1st before we turn on the heat. It's a test of will and warmth strategies.

The dude called his mother the other day, saying that I was trying to kill him but I told him that not turning on the heat is to get him ready for ski season.

I'm sure this lovely ski lodge in Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia has heat. Wish I was there...

Just about done...

I'm sure you are tired seeing pictures of this project! Last night the doors and pulls went on. We just have to add some cedar and shelves.

Sorry for a crappy yellowish picture.

Some awesomeness from Ikea

Spotted this Ikea poster on The Brick House. Thank you Ikea for not putting out another lame poster like the Hepburn one or a triptych of a pebble. I might have to run over there during lunch next week...

The hardware reveal

I know the suspense has been killing you regarding what hardware was chosen for the cabinets. I went with the European pulls from myknobs.com. They were a great price with free shipping!

The linen cabinet is almost done. It just needs some bottom trim for the hidden compartment.

Day Four: Knee wall storage

Last night, the dude finished sanding the doors for the built-ins and put a coat of paint on the trim work and interior of the cabinets. We are getting closer to a finished project! Yippie!!

We decided to use these cabinets for clothes which will allow us to get rid of a dresser. Plans are still in the works for some mega shoe storage between the studs of another wall.

Cabinet door hardware

Last night I received a box from myknobs.com for the upstairs built-ins. Way back in August, I posted some hardware options that I was thinking about using. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a picture of the hardware installed on the finished linen cabinet!

For the unfinished built-ins, we still have to paint the trim and the interior and put up cedar planking on the inside of the cabinet. Hopefully it will all be done by the end of the week!

Day Two: Knee wall storage

Inspiration: Attic Master Bedroom

From This Old House Magazine March or April 2009

Knee wall storage

Yesterday "we" worked on building built-in storage in one of the upstairs knee walls. (I was working on tree branch removal in the backyard, but I was there to help carry stuff). Still left to figure out are the interior fittings, trim work and doors. I'm thinking these cabinets will be used for shoe storage but I'm worried that they won't fit all of our shoes. We both have very large shoe collections!


For more pictures check out flickr. Stay tuned...I think this project will be done in a few days.

Chalk board

This is an 'oldie but goodie' project that the dude worked on last summer for his niece and nephew. Since it has a crazy amount of hits on my flickr page I thought I'd share it with you.

The whole project was made out of scrap wood and some mdf to replicate the moldings in our house. He fashioned a cleat system for it to hang since it weights a ton. The blackboard was made with a few coats of chalk board paint.

Hmmm, we still have some of the chalk board paint left over...

dreamy...

The cast of This Old House are such dream boats. I swear the dude has a man-crush on Tom Silva and I have a little crush on Norm. Hey, Norm has the capability to build me some new kitchen cabinets!

Just some cuteness

Found at Uncommon Goods

Another magazine gone

I heard on NPR last night that Conde Nast is pulling the plug on a few publications- one of them being Cookie (mega cool parent mag). I don't have kids, but I love the magazine for the inspirational ideas and the thinking outside of the box decorating which really translates to rooms that children and adults can both enjoy.

Outside decorating for halloween

We don't do much house decorating when it comes to the holidays. But this year I'm determined not to get stuck with 5 bags of candy and no kids coming to the door.

Skull Lights

Stacked "Funkins"

Argh!

Jonathan Adler Barbie

Wow!

Happy Friday!

Inspiration: Guest Room

I've had this photo in my inspiration files for a while. I'm thinking about using drums as night stands for our guest bedroom.

The fall project this year is going to be decorating/organizing the guest bedroom. Currently it's our main bedroom until we redo the upstairs and make it a 'master suite' (part of the winter plans). The guest room also serves as a sewing room, a place for my huge yarn collection and a junk yard.

So now that I've announced to blog land that I'm going to work on the guest room, I gotta get my act together! Yay, for blog motivation!

Officially the start of fall

It's finally getting cooler here and all I'm thinking about is that we sooo need a fireplace. Time to break out the hoodies and hot chocolate!

What are you breaking out for fall?