City Street I

taken 4/13/08, nyc

Kidney Be Gone

A friend of ours had her kidney removed this past week. It wasn't doing what it should have been doing (bad kidney!), so she had it forcibly removed. She is doing well post-op and sans kidney...and the tape holding her stomach closed, well, its very cool. We're glad to see that she's doing well.

"Urine our Thoughts"

Above is the kidney garland I made for her (Chris is responsible for what it says, of course). Not the greatest picture, but Photoshop did wonders in my first attempt at the panoramic merge function, combining 3 photos and blending any discoloration -- all on its own. Sometimes I think there are little elves in the computer working the magic.

Willow's Sears Portrait Collection (Part 1 and 2)

taken 4/22/08, Part 1 of the Sears Portrait series.

Opening the front windows for the first time this spring.

Willow in the Afternoon Sun, taken 4/19/08.

Another addition to the Sears Portrait series.

Weather Gauge Make-over (DIY)

Growing up in Kirkwood I remember an old weather gauge hanging in the hallway. My dad would periodically point out the % humidity in the house or the air pressure, as measured by this gauge. My dad has always had a thing for meteorology, and yes, apparently he's not alone in this, but he can watch the Weather Channel for hours. I recently asked if we still had that 'old wooden weather gauge. At the time, he was pretty sure that we didn't. A week later, the gauge, carefully packaged with love, showed up in my mail--dad had found the old gauge in the basement. One of the glass panels (oh, they're clear plastic!) was missing and the gauge itself wasn't exactly wood (try plastic with a faux-wood grain finish). Regardless...love it.

The gauge didn't really match our home, so I painted it a glossy white and now its perfect (antique but with a retro upgrade?). The only thing left to do is calibrate the gauges. Awesome.

NYC in Bloom

Taken 4/13/08, nyc.

Decluttification

I have big plans (BIG plans, I tell ya!) to decluttify the house once the spring semester ends. That, and the spring cleaning that will include washing all of our white curtains, are the silver lining for me these days. I can’t wait. A few things on the to-do list:

• Install a new (higher) shelf in the closet so there’s room for stackable clothing.
  Get rid of (craigslist? Recyclefree?) the two old tvs that are in the closet.
• Take at least two bags of clothes to Salvation Army.
• Rummage around under the bed to throw stuff out.
• Invest in a good vacuum cleaner as Willow enters her shedding season.
• Change more light bulbs to energy savers. Do they make energy savers that will fit into mini-sconce sockets?
• Switch up a few of the photos on our wall of photos – I get bored with them so easily.
• Maybe get rid of one of the bookshelves in the front room – they’re old and Chris has been moving part of his library to work. I should probably sell a bunch more books as well.
• Locate and plant the plantable ornaments that my mother put in her Missouri-gift-baskets from Christmas.
• Thoughtfully consider how I got to this point in my life where I’m looking forward to spring cleaning.
• Finally, continue admiring this very cute paper clock (above), available at DecoyLab Design Studio, that would look great in the living room.

Details

Providence has great wood-carved details in so many of its big old houses. Downtown nyc's details tend to be in iron and steel, but still, just as lovely. The above were taken 4/13/08.

Inspirations from a Toothpick Dispenser

(1) Ashley's John Deer Toothpick Dispenser (Bronx, 4/12/08) - love it! (2) A Lovely Weed (PC's campus, 4/20/08), (3) Daffodil (front steps, Providence, 4/20/08), (4) Yellow & Green Hydrant (Providence, 4/20/08).

Anne's Engagement Photos

Finally, I've posted the photos from Anne & Ashley's engagement. Go HERE to see the whole set. Sorry for the delay folks. Enjoy! Note the mini-video (now allowed on Flickr) included in the engagement set.

Linkdump: April 2008

• someone who makes me want to scrapbook.
• A gorgeous DIY room make-over.
• RISD classes I wish I could take.
• Photos I'd like on my walls.
• Fun Celeb Photos from SNL.
• A really really great couch (also DIY).
• Fish Fillets in Parchment with Asparagus and Orange.
• A book I'd like to read this summer.
• Another book: on the ethics of what you eat (the second of these two books).
• The best of cat-cam, for 2008.

Much Cause to Celebrate

Anne & Ashley are engaged!! I couldn't be more happy for these two. They are truly a great couple and have been such good friends to me. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to celebrate with them on the day of their engagement. We had known this was coming, for a few months now...and with ring in hand, Ashley proposed on Saturday (a beautiful day!) in Central Park. I think Anne asked "are you joking?" and "are you really asking me?" a few times before it sunk in and she realized he wasn't kidding around! Of course, she said yes.

We surprised her at the Algonquin soon after they returned from the park. I have honestly never witnessed Anne so overtaken with happiness--Ashley had arranged everything (the whole weekend) so well. Anne couldn't even stop her hand from shaking to show me the ring! It was such a pleasure to see them both so happy. I love both of you dearly!

Old Photobooth: Bffs

Look at those faces! Damn we were young. I'm thinking this was taken around 2001. And I'm not sure where, though I vaguely remember being in a mall in the middle of nowhere making t-shirts for a going away party. Maybe there was a photobooth in the mall. Anne has had this posted on her fridge for years and thankfully, she lent it to me for a quick scan. So cute.

More Wall Art: Keep Calm and Carry On

Unlike last week's wall art, this ain't no DIY. I've been eyeing this print by sfgirlbybay for, well, for forever. This is a screen printed reproduction of an old World War II poster. As suggested, I picked up the 19.75" x 27.5" IKEA Ribba frame. But the matte looked awful, clipping the image & type, so I trimmed off about 1/2" with an exacto knife from the bottom and top of the matte. The print looks much better. Love it! A perfect addition to the living room (though I still haven't found a clock). (Print found through Sfgirlbybay's design blog.)

Anchovies & A Long Week

We're not even to Friday and I'm having an incredibly long week. Stress Stress Stress and more Stress. As much as I love teaching, I am truly looking forward to the end of the semester. Oh, yeah, and go Mets! I heart baseball-season. Anyway, here's a photo. I'm hung up on yellow/orange labels and packaging these days. What a perfect little package.