Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Summer project!
I have found a purpose in life: my front porch. The other day, while horribly nesting and PMSing I decided I hated our front porch. It is grody, the paint is ugly and it looks like noone loves it. There's also a substantial amount of lead paint chipping off and falling down. It makes me ill.
It's also not a very pretty place to hang out, and quite frankly that is the whole purpose of a porch in my eyes, so WTF?
I aim to change all of these things this summer.
I forgot to take a before picture because I literally freaked out and started painting all within 10 minutes.
Before from Google Maps:
See how it's all white and gray? You know what shows footprints and mud and crap and cracks? You guessed it, white and gray. also, the flowerbox was only coated once so it looked awful, parts of it were rotting off, and most of the paint on the steps had flaked off because they didn't use exterior paint.
Here is a shot of my work in progress (sunday am)
As of last night:
You can't see it, but HN did a bunch of magical stuff to the flowerbox and he replaced the rotted parts with new wood, then I sealed, primed and painted it. We also decided to paint the long board up top red, because as HN says "it's the right thing to do" and you know I'm about doing the right thing.
Next up is me looking into safe paint stripping for lead paint. There's babies a million on this block, so no sanding or chipping and there's cheap people in this house so no paying lead abatement people to sand or strip. I think I'm just going to get out my hazmat suit, throw and overnight coat of Removall on that bitch and go get 'er some morning. Supposedly it binds everything into a crazy jelly mess that you just scrape off and dispose of properly, without anyone having to breathe it or eat it or get developmentally sad.
Then I'm thinking a darker, brownish grey for the stair tops, sides and porch. Something a little lighter for the banister (we're currently undecided as to whether to paint it or get a whole new one) and then something super cool on the ceiling (but that's way low on my list)
The columns will be painted something light to match the banister, with perhaps a little "painted lady" action on the top.
All this while training a puppy and saving a neighborhood kid from teenage motherhood. This is going to be the best summer ever!
It's also not a very pretty place to hang out, and quite frankly that is the whole purpose of a porch in my eyes, so WTF?
I aim to change all of these things this summer.
I forgot to take a before picture because I literally freaked out and started painting all within 10 minutes.
Before from Google Maps:
See how it's all white and gray? You know what shows footprints and mud and crap and cracks? You guessed it, white and gray. also, the flowerbox was only coated once so it looked awful, parts of it were rotting off, and most of the paint on the steps had flaked off because they didn't use exterior paint.
Here is a shot of my work in progress (sunday am)
As of last night:
You can't see it, but HN did a bunch of magical stuff to the flowerbox and he replaced the rotted parts with new wood, then I sealed, primed and painted it. We also decided to paint the long board up top red, because as HN says "it's the right thing to do" and you know I'm about doing the right thing.
Next up is me looking into safe paint stripping for lead paint. There's babies a million on this block, so no sanding or chipping and there's cheap people in this house so no paying lead abatement people to sand or strip. I think I'm just going to get out my hazmat suit, throw and overnight coat of Removall on that bitch and go get 'er some morning. Supposedly it binds everything into a crazy jelly mess that you just scrape off and dispose of properly, without anyone having to breathe it or eat it or get developmentally sad.
Then I'm thinking a darker, brownish grey for the stair tops, sides and porch. Something a little lighter for the banister (we're currently undecided as to whether to paint it or get a whole new one) and then something super cool on the ceiling (but that's way low on my list)
The columns will be painted something light to match the banister, with perhaps a little "painted lady" action on the top.
All this while training a puppy and saving a neighborhood kid from teenage motherhood. This is going to be the best summer ever!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
the hi-techening of kerry
I am officially google voice for my work phone. I got tired of carrying 2 phones around, but I needed the option of being able to turn my work phone off when I wanted so I ported my work cell to GV, which forwards to computer and other cell phone, and my cisco office line forwards any where I want. I'm going to learn all about the DND setting on google voice!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
RIP Star Smith
I don't particularly want to do the big super maudlin post about it, but it seems like she deserves some words.
For 12 years she trooped around with me, enthusiastically* embracing any suggestion for an adventure I had- no matter how dumb an idea it would turn out to be. There are lots of things I did and trips I made that I just don't think I would have done if I didn't always have her at the ready to go with me, no questions asked.
She cheered me up when I was sad, cuddled with me when I felt lonely, kept me warm when I was cold, accompanied me into rest stops at odd hours, and made me laugh on a daily basis. It's impossible to list every great time we had together; we slept in awful motels all around the country, camped in beautiful places, made trips by foot, boat, car, train, bus and one time a rickshaw, and if the trip wasn't always awesome, it was at least less sucky because I had my dog with me.
There are few people whose company gave me as much enjoyment as hers did, and every day since she has been gone has been quiet in a way that I feel profoundly.
*level of enthusiasm was often weather dependent, but honestly she was right; walking around in the rain is stupid.
For 12 years she trooped around with me, enthusiastically* embracing any suggestion for an adventure I had- no matter how dumb an idea it would turn out to be. There are lots of things I did and trips I made that I just don't think I would have done if I didn't always have her at the ready to go with me, no questions asked.
She cheered me up when I was sad, cuddled with me when I felt lonely, kept me warm when I was cold, accompanied me into rest stops at odd hours, and made me laugh on a daily basis. It's impossible to list every great time we had together; we slept in awful motels all around the country, camped in beautiful places, made trips by foot, boat, car, train, bus and one time a rickshaw, and if the trip wasn't always awesome, it was at least less sucky because I had my dog with me.
There are few people whose company gave me as much enjoyment as hers did, and every day since she has been gone has been quiet in a way that I feel profoundly.
*level of enthusiasm was often weather dependent, but honestly she was right; walking around in the rain is stupid.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Where have I been?
All over, nowhere terribly exciting. Until today...
Dodo birds for everyone!
Monday, January 31, 2011
You think you know it all and then WHAM
Yeah, that's right.
So I spent a fair bit of time last week working on a batik tablecloth. Because of the limited selection of dye colors available to me at 11pm on Friday night, and my unwillingness to wait until the next day to get a better dye, it looks alot like this bit:
Only bigger and wider. Table sized y'all
I had a bit of trouble with the wax and so I set out to do more research Saturday morning, only to discover that doh! (slaps forehead) my batik thing isn't a batik thing (correct word: tjap) at all. It's for woodblock printing.
Luckily, I happened to have supplies on hand for that, supplies consisting of 1) a wood block stamp (who knew!) 2) textile paints from the gift we made HNs dad for xmas and 3) stuff to print on (anything not nailed down or meowing)
NOTE: camera still in shop, so all pics taken with white balance challenged camera phone.
Test print 90 million. After printing solidly on some yardage, HN and I decided some negative space was in order. I had some rucksack canvas kicking around and thought I might make a mega bag...unfortunately for me I refused HN's offer to draw me some straight lines (registers or something in block print speak) so it came out crooked.
Ah well, it will be something!
Angle from which you can not see my mistakes:
Then I decided too much black, so I tried painting it in in various ways:
I like it, although it makes the whole thing a little cartoony looking in a way I'm sure I can use somewhat but not what I was thinking for the tablecloth in my head.
Then I tried just painting the flowers, which I think I like a bit. Not sure if this is the color I would use for an actual tablecloth, but I think I can trim the crooked parts off and make a sweet pillow for the living room.
More to come, for sure like. I've already collected 2 sheets and several pillowcases that I didn't like that much anyway and HN has gotten into the game by bringing me other candidates. It's about to get arts and crafts up in here!
So I spent a fair bit of time last week working on a batik tablecloth. Because of the limited selection of dye colors available to me at 11pm on Friday night, and my unwillingness to wait until the next day to get a better dye, it looks alot like this bit:
Only bigger and wider. Table sized y'all
I had a bit of trouble with the wax and so I set out to do more research Saturday morning, only to discover that doh! (slaps forehead) my batik thing isn't a batik thing (correct word: tjap) at all. It's for woodblock printing.
Luckily, I happened to have supplies on hand for that, supplies consisting of 1) a wood block stamp (who knew!) 2) textile paints from the gift we made HNs dad for xmas and 3) stuff to print on (anything not nailed down or meowing)
NOTE: camera still in shop, so all pics taken with white balance challenged camera phone.
Test print 90 million. After printing solidly on some yardage, HN and I decided some negative space was in order. I had some rucksack canvas kicking around and thought I might make a mega bag...unfortunately for me I refused HN's offer to draw me some straight lines (registers or something in block print speak) so it came out crooked.
Ah well, it will be something!
Angle from which you can not see my mistakes:
Then I decided too much black, so I tried painting it in in various ways:
I like it, although it makes the whole thing a little cartoony looking in a way I'm sure I can use somewhat but not what I was thinking for the tablecloth in my head.
Then I tried just painting the flowers, which I think I like a bit. Not sure if this is the color I would use for an actual tablecloth, but I think I can trim the crooked parts off and make a sweet pillow for the living room.
More to come, for sure like. I've already collected 2 sheets and several pillowcases that I didn't like that much anyway and HN has gotten into the game by bringing me other candidates. It's about to get arts and crafts up in here!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Right now!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
30 seconds of human interest
Don't even ask why I'm watching this drivel. Ok, it's because I'm bored. I hope you're happy.
anyhow
1) "I'm Jennifer Lopez" I'm sorry, shut up. Or at the very least be kind enough to also introduce your ego. But I guess she didn't ask the brain damaged girl "do you know who I am" which is probably a step up from her usual.
2) Steven Tyler get off her! Yes, it's all very nice to play well with others but if a stranger came up on me all smothering with their fake love and hugging on me from above I would push them off and back up. Only she can't do either and I find this very disturbing. Let's all do the Hello from a respectful distance. blech.
3) At the end of the video they're all walking out in the cold with coats and sweaters...except the girl in the chair. Mental note: please dress your invalids in weather appropriate clothing before parading them to the unsuspecting. I think this is where the Snuggie could really shine.
gah. That's enough human interest for one day. I feel dirty.
anyhow
1) "I'm Jennifer Lopez" I'm sorry, shut up. Or at the very least be kind enough to also introduce your ego. But I guess she didn't ask the brain damaged girl "do you know who I am" which is probably a step up from her usual.
2) Steven Tyler get off her! Yes, it's all very nice to play well with others but if a stranger came up on me all smothering with their fake love and hugging on me from above I would push them off and back up. Only she can't do either and I find this very disturbing. Let's all do the Hello from a respectful distance. blech.
3) At the end of the video they're all walking out in the cold with coats and sweaters...except the girl in the chair. Mental note: please dress your invalids in weather appropriate clothing before parading them to the unsuspecting. I think this is where the Snuggie could really shine.
gah. That's enough human interest for one day. I feel dirty.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
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