1.17.13

This song is annoying.

I only watched it because the Hubs made me, because of the exciting tidbit I am about to share with you:

At 1:18ish, and then again throughout the video, the scene is shot in THE Value Village in Capitol Hill that we lived up the block from when we lived in Seattle.



And by "lived up the block from," I really mean "spent all our time in."

Ah, I am so famous.

Love, J

New bath

Okay, I really cannot find the "before" photos of our bath remodel.  So instead I will describe it: 

Moldy tub enclosure; rotted out grout; dingey linoleum; stained walls; the vanity and towel racks were faux wood finish and looked like something you'd find in an RV.  The toilet paper holder was shaped like a little outhouse.  There was no fan, so any shower in the winter totally steamed up that side of the house.  The mega-tub came to about 10 inches or so in front of the toilet, making the room uneccessarily cramped.  And the door had a 4' mural of three wolves howling at a full moon decapoged on its front. 

Basically, it was not a nice room.  (The Habitat Store did take the outhouse TP holder though, if you're in the market for some tacky.)

Then hubs gutted the room to its studs, and DIL worked his contractor magic.  Now we are revelling in our:

~ New, bigger window.

~ All new fixtures, including a short, deep tub reoriented to take up less space.

~  Linen closet.

~  Tile.  Oh, the tile!

~  Radiant floor heating under said tile.  I'm officially about as glam as J Lo.  Life goal acheived.

Plus a fancy fan, wolf-less door, nice lighting, and on and on and on.

And now may I present, the during and after photos, bath remodel edition:

Brandi

Grandma and I went to see Brandi Carlile when she was in town last month.  Amazing.  

If you don't have awesome speakers on your computer, do yourself a favor and wear headphones for this:



Listening to her makes me feel like I can do something great.

Love, J

1.2.13

LOVE Emma Stone:



Love, J

Last year and this

Source: flickr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Here just over the threshold of 2013, things are a touch different than they were a year ago.  

Life feels more stable, more secure.  And while anyone with half a brain will agree that apparent stability is no guarantee that the world won't turn upside down tomorrow, it is still a nice feeling to have while it lasts.

And I cannot say for sure, but I think overall I have grown more calm and more accepting of the people in my life; made less anxious by their supposed flaws and also by the flaws they allege in me.  I have always had an easier time finding Zen in life situations rather than in relationships.  But this year I really feel I have inched closer to a peace that makes me less critical of those I love and more able to simply meet them where they are.  I really hope to continue to cultivate that peace, because living without it is both frustrating and damn exhausting.

I've got my resolutions all lined up for the coming year.  There is something to learn; something to accomplish; and some virtues to nourish.  

Fresh years are such pretty, blank pages, but each day is new too, and I think we all do better when we can see the new start in each morning, or even each minute.  Taking things one year at a time is too overwhelming.

Baby steps.

Love, J

Source: erhondeau.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Fireplace!

We did a bit of construction around la casa this fall, and here (finally) is one before and after set.  

I give you, fire:

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

I know it's before-and-after-shot 101 that the "after" shot should ALWAYS have better lighting and be prettier than the "before."  But it's gloomy winter here which means bad light for pics, and this still gives you the idea.

Anyway, the fireplace is SOOO cozy and I love it entirely.  I thought maybe I'd hyped it up in my mind so much that there was no way that actually having it could ever live up to my expectations, but I. Was. Wrong.  Freya and I now conduct all of our business within a 5 foot radius of the thing.

And I can't say for sure, but I *think* the hubs is pleased with it as well.
 

The real, mega construction was done on the bathroom.  I've got good "after" photos, but I can't find the "before"s, so that'll wait for another day.

Love, J

Homemade gifts

I didn't make as many Christmas gifts as usual this year, but there were a few good ones.

Blank birthday cards for Grandma R:
 

Ninja turtle cap for B-I-L:

Hat pattern here.  (You may need to be logged into Ravelry to follow the hat link.)
Mask pattern here

I just knit them both up, then stitched the mask to the hat, so it can flip up or down, depending on how cold it is/how Ninja Turtley he's feeling.

Also, the hubs decorated a mug for his mom:

There is a very popular tip on Pinterest claiming that if you decorate a ceramic dish with Sharpies and then bake it at 350 for 30 minutes, the picture will be permanent.  This is a lie.  

AFTER sweet hubs spent hours on his drawing and tried baking it, we discovered that the ink would still scrub off without much effort.  A Google search (which I admit I ought to have done initially), revealed that it's widely known that this tip is a dud.  

So I coated it with Mod Podge and now it's a pen or change holder, rather than something to drink out of.  Still good.

Love, J