kitchen remodel

If you've been following my blog for any length of time (goodness, can you believe next month will be the 5th anniversary?!), you've heard me mention our kitchen remodeling project. We started demolition in June 2012. With the exception of some drywall help (special thanks to hubby's brother and nephews for their mudding/texturing expertise), hubby & I did all the work ourselves in the evenings & on weekends, completing in June of this year. Gotta brag -- my husband and his mad skills truly ROCK -- he custom-built everything. I've held off sharing the before & after photos until I could get some evening shots, when the room is most beautiful. After putting out a few fall decorations this past Sunday night, I grabbed the camera... 

These are the before shots: 

The during shots at various stages: 

The daytime after shots: 

And some evening after shots:

And did you notice the blank wall behind the table? Looks like a perfect spot to display some artwork, doesn't it? I think it's time to play in the art/craft studio or grab the camera and go exploring [grin].

Believe,
Di 

art for self-improvement

Patience is not one of my strengths, which is why mixed media is good for me. The drying time necessary between layers forces me to practice patience. Of course, there's nothing that says I have to succumb without a bit of a fight -- like a fan rigged up to hasten the drying time. 

Today is my first time getting paint on my fingers for many months. Feels good! My thanks go out to my pal Sheila who had an old board game at her altered art supply sale yesterday, which looked like an excellent beginning background to me. It will be interesting to see how this piece evolves. Heck, it's always interesting -- they rarely end up how I envision them to begin with, IF I even have a beginning vision - ha! Sometimes, you just have to start somewhere. Hey, that makes me think of a quote... 

"I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew.

Writing a poem is discovering."  ~ Robert Frost 

If you create mixed media (or any other art/craft that can't be completed in one sitting), what do you do during the drying time? Do you have several pieces in various stages so you can move from one to another? Is that tough to shift gears? I'd like hearing from you. 

Believe, 

Di

seasonal blue moon and an announcement

Did you get to see that gorgeous full moon last week? We were lucky in Iowa to have clear skies so I grabbed my camera & tripod and headed off to the local reservoir. What a beautiful evening! Too bad the park closed at 9... I could have stayed much longer and soaked in more of that beautiful summer night. 

While I prefer color photography, next year's Photography Salon for the Iowa State Fair will be all black and white (it's their 75th anniversary so they're doing a salute to Ansel Adams). Since I'd like to enter next year, I need to learn and practice black and white shooting. If you have any experience in this area you care to share, I'd welcome your input. 

On a totally different note, I'm excited to share with you that I've been pursuing a long-time entrepreneurial dream of having my own Professional Organizing business, which is why there haven't been as many creative endeavors and posts on my blog the last couple years. The new business officially opened this year and I'm having a blast helping others. If you're interested, you can find the website here and my Facebook page here. The Facebook posts won't all be specific to Central Iowa, so please, feel free to follow along. You just might like some of the tips that will be shared -- some will be specific to creative spaces. 

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream

to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true,

as long as we keep believing." ~ Louisa May Alcott

Believe, 
Di

her crown

Enjoying a quiet moment in the garden this past Friday night, a movement caught my eye. To my joy, a pair of goldfinches had found our coneflowers and stopped for a nibble. Luckily, I was able to take a few photos before our pooch scared them off (my little protector -- always on duty). Here the female looks like she's wearing a crown. 

May your summer days be filled with unexpected delights! 

Believe, 
Di 

first lily

So excited for my first tiger lily! My dad gave me some from his garden a couple years ago. Last year when they came up, the bunnies ate them all to the ground. This year, I put chicken wire around that section of the garden and it worked. This is the first of several blooms yet to come. Isn't that color rich? Do you see the ant on the stem? You can click on the photo to enlarge it. Endless life and activity in the garden -- such a delight to observe. 

My "creative" time recently has been diverted to a new business endeavor. More news to come... for now I'll leave you with a quote from the remarkable Eleanor Roosevelt: 

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost,

to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt 

Believe,
Di

curiosity

My family & I spent Sunday visiting departed family at various cemeteries throughout the state. This little fella (or gal, I'm not sure) was as curious about me that day as I was about him/her. I probably could've gotten closer, but wasn't about to take any chances with claws like those. Better safe than sorry. Squirrels sure can be fun to watch though, can't they? Especially when there's more than one and they seem to be playing tag.  

Speaking of watching, I jumped out to my blog reader yesterday to catch up on all the blogs I follow, and they were all missing. Hopefully, it's just a temporary blip with blogger -- I'm anxious to catch up on what you've all been doing. Until then, I'll remain curious. 

Believe, 
Di

glass/metal pendants & glazed FP/metal pendants

Greetings! How is the month of May treating you thus far? We had a few days of nice warm weather at the end of April -- in fact I saw a couple college students tanning themselves in their swim suits this past Sunday, and today it's snowing (and accumulating). While it's a pretty snow, as I view it from inside my comfy home, it's Spring dagnabbit, and we're ready for snow to go away until Christmas.

These are some pendants I've been working on here and there the past couple months. It's been fun getting back into the swing, but slow going, for sure. Let me know what you think of these. I've been toying with the idea of setting up an Etsy store and donating all or part of the profits to an animal charity, either locally or elsewhere. Any suggestions for pricing items like this? The local animal shelter I volunteer at is opening a boutique and thrift store this month, so I might simply donate these to their cause. 

Again, please let me know what you think, and have a spectacular day! 

Believe, 
Di

finishing

When I told my husband last night I didn't have anything to share on my blog this weekend because I hadn't created anything this past week, he suggested I share a picture of where I'd spent my time. So, here is a photo of some of the custom kitchen cabinet doors he made that I've been applying polyurethane to. It's exciting that after all these months, our to-do list has less than 10 items now. It won't be very long before I can share before & after photos of the kitchen. Woo-Hoo! 

"Winning isn't always finishing first. Sometimes, winning is just finishing." 

~ Manuel Diotte 

Believe, 
Di

Gandalf the Grey

Meet Gandalf, aka Gandalf the Grey (my husband has been a Lord of the Rings fan most of his life and got me hooked too when we met nearly 20 years ago). We adopted Gandalf and his brother, Avatar, from a shelter in May of 1999. Avatar left us in 2011, but this guy is still healthy as ever. At some point we'll adopt a brother or two for him to play with but for now, he's quite content being the sole feline here, as well as being my model for photo-practice -- I'm taking a few photos everyday to get familiar with my camera as well as train my mind to be more observant and see things from a different perspective.  

I hope you all have a good week ahead! 

Believe, 
Di

color my lamp

Sometimes our plans don't go as we'd like and we just make the most of it and enjoy what we can. My schedule this week and weekend was like that. Had just a wee bit of time in the craft room last night and my muse was no where to be found so...... I looked around, saw this little lamp in my least favorite color (it was a gift many years ago) so I grabbed the markers and drawing inks and instead of pink, it's now blue & orange (my favorites).

"Onion rings in the car cushions do not improve with time."

 ~ Erma Bombeck

"Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation."

~ Michael Jordan

Believe,

Di

Well, friends, I must have overdone things last weekend. A bug caught me and held me captive this week. I'm on the road to recovery, but very fatigued so no crafting was done other than a little practicing of the half double stitch -- and I'm pleased to say the result was a square rather than being shaped like Iowa or some other state or object - ha! Rather than share a less-than-exciting picture of that, here's a snapshot of a deer from our state park outing last Sunday. I'm still learning this new camera so the photo isn't terribly clear, but aren't this girl's eyes gorgeous? 

It's snowing in Iowa again today. Mother Nature is laughing heartily at the calendar this year, for sure. I'm ready for Spring but the extended winter has kept the bald eagles around longer than usual, so that's been nice. I love to see them soaring overhead or sitting in the trees along the rivers. 

Have a great week everyone. Stay healthy & safe, and.... HAVE FUN! 

Believe, 
Di 

peek a boo

Last night my husband took me out to a local state park so I could play with the new camera he gave me for my birthday (a tad early, since tomorrow is the day). These three sweeties were timidly hiding behind the branches next to the road, and scattered soon after I snapped a couple photos. They are such beautiful animals. 

We're heading to a St. Patty's Day party tonight so I've gotta scoot -- will post again soon. In the meantime, have a keen & green weekend!  

Believe, 
Di

crochet Iowa

It's been over ten years since I crocheted anything. Before I quit, I made two afghans -- one large enough for a king size bed. I burnt myself out with that project so sold my supplies. Lately I've had an itch to pick it up again, so I enrolled in one of the crochet classes through Craftsy. The photo above is my first attempt at double crochet stitch. Would like to say I planned for it to look like the state of Iowa, but haha -- nope. It was supposed to be square. Looks like I've got lots of practicing to do. The first project I want to tackle is making a tote bag for my ultrabook.

And yes, I know I'm all over the place with my crafts. I enjoy them all so skip around a lot. Would be good to land on one long enough to get good at it. That will come at some point... for now, just having fun. I hope you're having fun too! 

"If you're not having fun - I don't care what you're doing - don't do it. Move on. Find something else, life's too short." ~ Jerry Doyle 

Believe, 

Di

first WIPs for quite awhile

In case you're wondering if I'm actually creating, since my posts so far this year don't show it, here are some current WIPs as well as the chaotic state of my studio. Fun is being had here ^smile^ and I hope it's occurring where you are too. 

Believe, 

Di

Shutter By Shickell

This week I'm honored to introduce you to a photographer who beautifully captures the glorious colors and images of nature. Mike Shickell, of Shutter By Shickell, offers his unique collection on either metal or professional photo paper (Lustre, Glossy or Metallic). You can view some of his work & learn more about him via his Facebook page. I can boast that I own the beauty below, a signed 16” x 16” metal print with a satin finish, having been the lucky winner of a drawing last Thanksgiving. Yes..... I was quite thankful indeed (still am)! 

Gold Gazania

© Shutter By Shickell

Believe, 
Di  

fear means go

Have you read Susan Jeffers' book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway? If not, I highly recommend it. It's a powerful way to live. The concept is quite simple, really, as you'll learn from the book. Although not connected, this recent post on the Harvard Business Review blog echoes Susan's message. Fear means go.

Believe, 

Di

what will I do?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, a wonderful coach & friend of mine, has been establishing annual themes for her life for many years. I decided to try it last year and for 2012 chose PHYSICAL. It represented both my physical being and my physical environment. Whenever faced with a decision, I tried (when I remembered) to ask myself which option would best align with my theme? It was a nice way to keep my choices true to what I wanted to focus on. The result? A lighter, healthier & more energetic me, a redecorated bathroom and a remodeled kitchen (nearly complete anyway). This theme stuff works!

When it came time to set a theme for 2013, I gave a lot of thought to what’s important to me – what I’m passionate about. Every time I thought about it, animals topped the list. I’d donated funds to animal causes all my adult life. It was time to actively participate in some way as well. Another passion bubbled towards the top too. As much as I enjoyed the remodeling project (hubby and I work well together on household projects), I sorely missed playing in my craft room and being creative. I can count on one hand the number of times I tinkered in my craft room last year – and I told myself it would receive higher priority this year. So, animals, volunteering and craft time all floated about in my head for days as I tossed around themes. Suddenly the other day a word popped up that, at first so simple, I nearly dismissed it. Further consideration, however, revealed it to be perfect. The universe seems to agree because ever since I selected it, I see this word and its message everywhere.

DO

I know, simple, right? I like the message of JUST DO IT, but don’t want to always be thinking about Nike, so that’s out. DOING IT is great because it’s active, but might be misinterpreted and I don’t want to get a bunch of blog hits/comments from folks thinking it’s suggestive in nature. Nope – DO was/is it. Plus, I’m a planner and can get so wrapped up in researching, planning and thinking through all possible options, that I’m tired of a project before I even start it, or have allowed fear to tell me how I won’t succeed so why start, etc.  DO is what I need to DO. When it hit me how it plays perfectly into my blog and business name, it sealed the deal. Sweet.

So, what am I going to do? You’ll see that over the course of the year. For now, if you’d like to learn more about annual themes, check out Christi’s blog. You can also visit the blog of the talented Debi Minter for inspiration.

I’ll leave you with this fitting TED Talk I discovered today from Young-ha Kim:

Believe,
Di 

286 day cessation is over!

Greetings & Happy 2013! Yes, I’m late, but considering it’s been 286 days since my last post, I’m doing well to only be 39 days late saying Happy New Year – ha! Seriously, I’ve missed the online community and am touched and grateful to see only one follower left during my long absence. Thank you for sticking around, folks – this is going to be an awesome year!

After I post this, I intend to spend quite a bit of time blog hopping and catching up on your blogs. As for me, well since my last post in April, I’ve helped my hubby remodel our kitchen (totally gutted it then hubby built custom cabinets – will share before & after photos in the next couple months), lost 10 pounds, read several books (see list at right), made some new friends & reconnected with some old friends. Along the way a couple elderly family members departed and three new step-grandbabies arrived. Things are never dull. Well, I take that back, my craft skills have dulled from not being used. THAT will be rectified this year.

For now, I wanted to get my first 2013 post under my belt and since I haven’t crafted, I’m sharing a photo of one of the best and brightest parts of my life. This is Winston. He rescued me six years ago today and this is a photo of his first car ride home from the shelter. Enjoy that cute little face while I go off to visit your blogs ^smile^

Believe, 
Di 

practice

"Practice is the best of all instructors." ~ Publilius Syrus

That quote is so true. I get a wee bit better and learn something new each time I practice. Here are some of my latest pieces. You might recognize the one in the upper left corner. It was one of the first pieces I made about a year ago (photo here). Like my bathroom (see last blog post), I decided it needed a revamp {smile}. 

Here's to enjoying your practice! 

Believe, 

Di

bathroom revamp

It took longer than I expected, due to some unforeseen life events, but the bathroom is now redone and I'm loving it! The shower curtain is the star attraction and drove all the decorating decisions. What eye candy that curtain is! It's one of Megan Aroon Duncan's artworks put on a shower curtain by DENY Designs. Don't you just love Megan's work?! Here are the before and after photos: 

I'd planned to revamp the spare bedroom next, but hubby mentioned he might be up for doing the kitchen, which we've dreamed about since moving here 14 years ago, so I'm seizing that opportunity! Look for kitchen photos yet this year (and hopefully some crafting photos in the interim). 

Believe, 

Di

Hello, visitors & followers! I hope you're all happy and healthy & 2012 is getting off to a grand start for you! I'm still alive and doing great - just haven't created anything lately so haven't had anything to share with you. I did start some new pendants last weekend, but decided a smaller soldering tip is needed so am waiting for that to arrive. In the meantime, I'm planning a bathroom remodel. I haven't made any improvements on the home-front for a few years and with both hubby & I starting new jobs recently, now feels like the right time. Decorating is a form of expressing creativity, so it's all good, right? Yes [grin] I'll try to remember to take before & after pictures to share with you. 

While my life has been full and great, I do miss blogging (both sharing here and visiting many of you on your blogs), and am working on ways to fit it back into my life. 

Believe, 
Di 

yoga cards, charm swap & update on bca pendants

So, how was your Thanksgiving? Lots of good food, family time & laughter? I hope so! 

Since my last post, I've enjoyed creating two dozen cards for a custom order. It's been awhile since I've worked with paper. It was nice not to have a pressing deadline so I could take my time to enjoy the process, playing with colors & textures. Here's a sampling of the results: 

These are a couple charms for a swap going on in one of the Yahoo groups I belong to. Don't you love the depth of the colors you get with Friendly Plastic? 

Lastly, the bca pendants I shared in my last blog post are all gone/spoken for (so no blog give-away -- sorry!). They were fun to make and as always, I learned something along the way. 

I'm off now to begin decorating for the next holiday! Are you all decorated at your place for whichever holiday you celebrate next? 

Believe, 
Di