I did NOT ask for halp (“help”) with my quilt-in-progress, as I carefully arranged the blocks on the floor.
Betcha know what happened anyway…
Lesson learned: when arranging hundreds of tiny quilt blocks on the craft room floor, CLOSE THE DOOR!
Archive for May, 2009
The many faces of Roxie
See this?
This is Roxie. She’s cute, yes, but I think she’s also possessed.
She was HORRIBLE at our class on Wednesday night. Apparently she’s a “shy dog” in class. Too bad the trainers never see her at her finest – licking strangers’ faces, playing with other dogs, letting babies tug on her ears.
(cat bed)
But the trainers also have no idea how awful Roxie is. 10 minutes after they lent us a walking harness to try for the week, she’d chewed it to bits.
She poops in the house on an astoundingly regular basis.
She pulls *incessantly* on walks.
I really do think she might be mentally challenged.
But even though she chews up cat toys,
And even though she jumps up on me like a maniac every night when I get home, no matter what I do,
And yes, even though she poops in the house,
There’s just something I love about her.
Must be because, deep down, she really is a sweetheart.
Damn dog.
Parkly!
First of all, I’m just going to straight-up apologize for the crappy dark photographs you’re about to see. It’s been raining constantly in St. Louis, and the only time I can ever take pictures is on the edges of daylight anyway. But do bear with me, ok?
So y’all know I was in Kansas City last weekend, and I bet you know what that means, too.
Mom has really been branching out from the earrings, lately. Like this sweet little necklace.
I got to design it, sort of. The blue is called “found glass” and was made in Minnesota. That little feather is just the perfect touch, isn’t it? We played around with so many different ideas, but I think in this case the simplicity is best.
I just love everything about this bracelet:
The beads are ceramic, and remind me so much of the handmade glazed stoneware that I love.
All the colors mean that it goes with *everything*. I’ve worn it almost every day since I got it.
And the best little detail? The tiny silver “made with love” charm.
Of course, Mom hasn’t given up on earrings, either.
The beads are molded glass, and they’re the exact color of jade. It’s hard to see in the photo above, but they’ve got some simple faceting on the broad sides. Lover-ly!
I’m so ridiculously in love with these earrings.
The coppery wires, the simplicity, the OMGGONNADIEFROMALLTHEPRETTY teal beads…they’re just so perfect!
Love the little hammered detail on the caps:
I’m going to wear them tomorrow with my Stardust shawl, and all will be right in my world.
Little ones like these, apparently take my mom about 10 minutes to throw together:
But you’ll hear no complaints from me! The sapphire-colored Czech glass beads will go perfectly with the sapphire necklace Jeff gave me for Christmas a few years ago 
And finally, the piece de resistance of last weekend’s jewelry ’shopping’:
Wanna know why I call it the piece de resistance? It’s actually a pun. Sort of. Because I only photographed *pieces* of it, neglecting to capture the whole thing in one shot. Failure – I haz it.
But anyway.
The darker beads are clay (and they’re actually dark blue, not black), with sterling silver spacers. The white beads are glass, and they remind me so much of Depression-era milk glass with their opaque white color. The big huge nummy-looking red and white bead is agate.
Mom calls it a “smoke bomb” after the 4th of July fireworks. I can totally see it. Those rock my world – right up there with the black snakes and the roman candles (I have simple tastes).
Mom has started incorporating little extra touches into each item, like the single bead near this necklace’s toggle. I think it’s really sweet
~~~~
So that’s what my mom has been up to! I really think her jewelry is developing beautifully. I believe she plans to open her Etsy shop sometime this summer, once she builds up some more inventory for it (which probably means she’s going to stop giving stuff to me…). I’m really proud of her, and excited to see what else she comes up with*!
*for me.
Nature everywhere
Preface: Mom – DON’T LOOK!
What do you see in the iris beds?
Just a little garter snake, enjoying the sunny day.
(this was at the Botanical Gardens the other day, btw)
“What are you doing, Little Garter Snake?”
“Just having some lunch.“
“What are you eating, Little Garter Snake?”
“A little snack.“
“Are you eating a sandwich, Little Garter Snake?”
“No. Mousie.“
“OMFG, Little Garter Snake!”
“Nom.“
I told you I was sick
Y’know how sometimes people blog and they say “Oh haha this was LAST WEEKEND! I’m so far behind! lollerskates!“.
Well, y’all know I have to be an overachiever – because I’m not just “regular-behind” on blogging, I’m “REALLY-freaking-behind.”
How behind?
Try…September.
Yup, in September I undertook to transform this:
A 70s-tastic “gold” mirror that belonged to Jeff’s grandma…
…into this:
(picture from yesterday)
A super-awesome refinished and refurbished bedroom accent piece.
Because I’m me, I photographed the whole process so I could show y’all how.
(It’s just that it was 8 months till I got around to actually doing that)
The original mirror had really cool carving, but the color was dated and the whole thing was filthy.
First I dusted all the nooks and crannies with a dry rag and q-tips, then washed it down with a damp rag:
I didn’t want any dust under the paint of the finished product.
Then I spread out on the driveway, with the mirror on some old grocery bags:
(grocery bags don’t blow around as much as newspaper does)
Then I carefully ringed the inside of the mirror with masking tape, being sure not to overlap onto the gold, OR to leave any glass exposed at the edge.
[this step not shown]
And put another grocery bag on top of the mirror: 
I traced and cut it to size…
Then taped it down:
(be sure to catch *all* tiny tears or rips in the paper! Spray paint can and will go *everywhere*)
I wanted the finished product to be silver, but you could go with any color. So this is what I bought:
I gave it one coat, let it dry, then gave it another:
If you want your finished product to be super-shiny, you can leave it like this (but with the sealant on top)
But I wanted mine to have a sort of old, tarnished look to it. So I got this:
(this was also the point in the process where my Nikon’s battery died and I had to switch to the P&S)
That’s just a plain black semi-gloss finish, in the smallest can that Lowe’s had.
I don’t know anything about which level of glossyness to use where, so I just figured that semi-gloss would be a safe bet – neither glossy nor matte.
I used an old (clean) cotton rag to daub the finish onto the frame’s edge.
It’s kind of hard to describe how I did it – with all the nooks and crannies on the carving, I wanted some of the stuff to gather into the corners but I didn’t want it to look gloppy or heavy-handed. I *did* cover every square inch of the frame, but I let a bit more accumulate in the valleys of the carving. I just gave the flat (hammered-looking) areas a once-over, using a circular buffing sort of shape to apply it so the finished product wouldn’t be streaky.
You can sort of see what I mean here:
See the black in the crevices, but how the flat expanses have more silver? That’s what I was going for.
It was the most labor-intensive part of the process – maybe 45 minutes?
I was really glad that I took my rings and watch off before starting:
(It was 3 days before I was able to get all of that off!)
After the black had dried, I decided that I really needed a clear gloss – so it was another trip to Lowe’s!
I sprayed it on like with the spray paint, then let it dry *very* thoroughly (’till about 6:00 – so 8 or 9 hours?)
When it was completely dry, I slooooowly and carefully started peeling off the paper and masking tape.
I was really nervous at this step – had no confidence that I’d really sealed the mirror completely.
But it worked!
I hung it up in our bedroom, and every day when I look at it, I’m still damned proud of myself.
I am really freaking proud of myself.
(and now I’m also now noticing that it could stand for a touch-up)
Supplies:
1 old mirror or picture frame (preferably from your husband’s grandma, via your in-laws’ garage)
masking tape or painter’s tape
4-5 grocery bags
3 rags (at least one of non-textured cotton)
q-tips
1 can silver spray paint
1 small can black enamel
1 can clear gloss
6 cans Diet Coke
Procedure:
Thoroughly clean mirror or frame. Line face of mirror with tape. Cut grocery bags to fit mirror face and tape down, being sure to cover *entire* glass surface but none of frame. Spray paint frame with 2 coats of silver paint, letting frame dry in between coats. Using a non-textured rag, apply a small amount of black enamel to the frame, allowing for accumulation in crevices. Let dry. Spray frame with clear gloss. Let dry. Remove paper and tape, hang on wall and admire.
Because I just remembered
Madmad’s post yesterday reminded me something about my own blog, too: that this IS, among other things, a KNITTING blog.
So I should probably show knitting, at least once in a while.
There. Knitting. Happy?
(Yarn: ThankEwe “Oasis” (shop is sadly currently empty). Pattern: Diamondy. Mods: None. Details: Rav.)
Love this yarn. So, so much.
Love the pattern, too. Though next time I’ll work it over 64 stitches instead of the called-for 68.
The lace pattern is perfect – just a little somethin’ somethin’ to keep me interested.
These worked up SO quickly – just 3 weeks of train knitting! – that I was truly sad when I’d finished. Very much a process knit 
So that’s that.
I’ve also been working on my Pioneer sweater.
(that’s the super-fancy Photo Taken In Front of a Mirror Because Jeff Isn’t Home to Take it For Me and Also I Have My Hand on My Stomach to Combat the Stockinette Roll of the Sweater Not Because it Makes Me Nauseous.)
This picture is about a month old, and sadly I haven’t made a whole lot of progress – I just haven’t been knitting at home much.
So that’s my plan for tonight – an Abbey or two, Pioneer, and maybe a couple episodes of Big Love. Relaxing – just what I need after this week
Tomorrow (or Sunday): BBQ, home craftiness, or a retarded dog. I haven’t decided yet.
(gawd I love my blog! 
)
Activate force fields!
I warned you…
Yesterday when I said I had some fluorescent flowers to show you? I wasn’t kidding.
These are *all* SOOC.
I’m not saying that the flowers aren’t possibly radioactive. Just that they haven’t been retouched.
Mostly ’cause I don’t know how. But y’all probably knew that.
THIS next image, more than any other, shows why peonies are my favorite:
Whoa, mama.
(PS: I can’t be the only one who thinks that last one looks like braaaiiiiiiiiiiinzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…right?)
You are now clear to remove protective eyewear.
For the next 48 hours please exercise extra caution when driving or operating heavy machinery. Any blindness should be temporary. If systems persist for more than 72 hours, contact a physician. KateOhKatie is not liable for any retinal damage caused by the above images.
Tomorrow: Not more flowers. But something that will make you pine for another flower post.
I’m an idiot
On Saturday, Jeff and I went to the Botanical Garden. Because we can.
And I took pictures. Because I can.
And he stood there, chagrined, and held my camera bag and soda. Because he can (and because he loves me).
It was really pretty ridiculous, how beautiful the flowers were – we’d missed the tulips, and the peonies (my favorite!) weren’t fully in yet, but that’s OK. There was other stuff to see.
Like roses!
I just want to crawl up into the middle of that flower and drink a dewdrop and take a nap, don’t you?
You can live inside this one, if you want.
We’ll be neighbors – and you’ll have your own dewdrop!
Or perhaps this fine piece of real estate is more to your liking?
(PS – I bet this one would taste like orange sherbet. Betcha anything.)
It was kind of sunny, but sometimes that’s ok. Like this time:
That photo represents everything that’s warm and summery and refreshing, doesn’t it?
Makes me want to go for a dip!
(LOVE the reflecting pool, as always – but where were the giant lilypads on Saturday? I didn’t realize those things were…mobile.)
These are called bleeding hearts or something, right?
All I know is, I took about 30 photos and that’s the closest I could get to a clear one. Meh. Still pretty fowwers, though.
This dome-shaped bed was one of my favorites:
with purple and gold intermingled…
…even if the blooms were rather well-nibbled:
(not by me, I swear!…this time.)
The Japanese area of the garden has a pretty little pond, and Jeff said “Hey take a picture! Right here! Do it!” So I obliged:
…but it doesn’t do a whole lot for me. I’m more of an “up close and personal” girl, myself.
Speaking of “up close and personal”…
Yeah, I only actually appear in a photo about once every two months 
Jeff has a hard time prying the camera out of my hands.
But turnabout’s fair play, right? So that’s why I’m publishing THIS!
Here I was playing paparazza:
…but he caught me! Drats!
Ahem.
Enough of that silliness, I’ll have no more!
So here’s a waterfall:
It’s in the English Woodlands, which is my favorite section. It makes me feel like a little woodsprite.
Here’s another waterfall:
It’s back in the Japanese area. It does not make me feel like a ninja.
There’s more, but I’m starting to feel kinda discombobulated. So I’m off to recombobulate – wish me luck on THAT count, eh?
Later today (or maybe tomorrow): FLUORESCENCE!
Put on yer sunglasses in preparation, dudes. Srsly.
Self-indulgent
I’ve got lots of thoughts floating about in fragments in my mind….let’s see how many of them I can pin down here.
~Last night we went to Jeff’s parents’ for a Mother’s Day dinner. I made a chocolate cheesecake with chocolate sauce and a raspberry mirror. It was thoroughly enjoyed, and we’ve got a nice wedge leftover in our fridge so I can indulge again tonight 
Also gave his parents and sister each a loaf of homemade bread (meaning that I need to bake again on Tuesday so that we’ll have bread for ourselves!). Oh and I baked some butterscotch + chocolate chip bar cookies for the people at work, too. I baked a lot yesterday.
~I’ve been having really random and weird pains in my back, right side (near my ribs) and left boob (tmi?). No idea what it is but it’s as annoying as all get-out. I think taking my bra off would help but I prroooooooobbbbably can’t get away with that at work. Maybe I can get a backrub tonight? (Backrub AND cheesecake?! It’s like being at the spa! Except for the dirty house and annoying animals…)
~Since we never know what Jeff’s work schedule will be from week-to-week, we must carpe diem whenever we can – on Saturday we went to the Botanical Gardens for lunch, wandering, wedding-gawking (I swear there must’ve been 10 weddings happening there in various coves and meadows and gardens!), and more flower photography. I still haven’t pulled the pics from my camera; hopefully I’ll remember to do that tonight so I can share tomorrow.
~We also garage saled a bit on Saturday morning. I don’t know if St. Louis just isn’t a really big garage saleing town, or what, but we didn’t have a lot of luck – I got some brand-new, cute pillowcases and a few kids’ books to add to our collection (our goal is to have a full library for the Hooplings before they even arrive). I love buying kids’ books at sales because: 1)I can weed through and only choose the good titles (sometime I need to post about the characteristics of a good children’s book! Hint: they’re not all good.) and 2)At $0.25 – $1.00 each, it’s a really affordable way to build up a collection.
~My dresser search is over! I’m so excited Mom and Dad remembered that Grandmother and Granddad have one in their basement that’s just collecting dust, so last weekend Dad went out to take a look at it. I’ll need to refinish it, but y’all know I don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease 
Here’s what Dad had to say about the dresser: “According to my mother, the dresser was one that was at the Raker family farm outside of Holden until her father (your great-grandfather) moved into Warrensburg after his retirement.
“She also says she thinks there is a mirror for it, but that is in one of the upstairs closets and she doesn’t know what kind of condition the mirror is in.
“One of the drawer pulls is missing from the bottom drawer. There are two smaller drawers at the top then two full-width drawers below them. It appears that all the drawers are intact.”
And here’s one of the photos he attached:
I can tell it’ll clean up really well – I just hope the mirror is in good shape, too! Imagine – I searched for *months* for a dresser just like this one, and it was in my grandparents’ basement all along. I love, also, that it’s an heirloom, I’ll be sure to blog my way through the restoration experience as well, of course. (restoration experience will happen when we’re in KC in two weeks)
~On the same carpe diem note as above, next weekend we’ll be going to the St. Louis Renaissance Festival. We went last year – right after we moved to town – and really enjoyed it then, so I think this year will be just as much fun. I plan on buying a jester’s collar for Roxie
~Speaking of Roxie – Tuesday night was our first class (first one is “people only”) to try and get her straightened out. For the next few weeks, we’ll be going with her on Wednesday nights. Our goals are:
STOP PULLING ON THE MOTHER EFFING LEASH!!!
STOP JUMPING UP ON US WHEN WE WALK IN THE MOTHER EFFING DOOR!!!
STOP POOPING IN THE MOTHER EFFING HOUSE!!!
So if you hear that Resolve Carpet Cleaner’s stock has tumbled, you’ll know that we’ve been successful on the last point at least
~I soooooooo need a mental health day. It’s not even funny, how badly I need one. I need to just veg on the couch and relax and knit. I feel really stressed and wound up, and it has been too long since I’ve been able to UNwind. I think tonight will be a relax night – leftovers (or just cheesecake) for dinner, TV, and my sticks and string. Mmmm.
Penultimate
Over the past week I’ve alluded to the flower photography (Hey y’all – I CAN HEAR YOUR COLLECTIVE GROAN. Shuddup.) I did at Grandma’s house (I CAN HEAR YOU AGAIN.) but I’ve held it back from you till now. Because I’m mean and controlling. And I like to pretend that people care.
But no more! No longer shall I sit back, clutching my cards close to my chest (umm…except that everything’s been up on Flickr for ages now). No longer shall I lull myself to sleep thinking happily of how secretive I am, and no longer shall I dream sweet, sweet dreams of my own brilliance.
“It’s like she gets off on being withholding.”
(doooooooood same episode and everything! I think.)
Anyway. So what was I saying?
Right. The tulips. I was so wrapped up in my own narcissism I almost forgot.
(woulda been cooler if the flowers were forget-me-nots, eh?)
One of the most basic tenents of photography is: “Any idiot can take a picture of a flower.” And that’s about right. Heck, most cameras even have a special macro mode (picture of a tulip on my D40).
That is, unless it’s REALLY FREAKING WINDY.
(that one reminds me of a peach)
If it’s REALLY FREAKING WINDY, then taking pictures of *anything* (save blowing leaves or a veiled bride) can be an exercise in frustration.
It can make you homocidal.
(it can make you wish these spiky petals were of steel and that you could stabSTABstab the stupid flowers).
It can make you take 19 blurry photos in a row before you get one that’s even remotely clear:
It can make you want to shave your head because you’re SOOOOO sick of red hair blowing into the frame.
(or, uh, just put on a headscarf like I did after about 10 minutes and 146 F-bombs)
(F-bomb is in no way related to F-stops, unless you’re having trouble with aperature, and then F-stops might lead to F-bombs)
It made me wish I had a twin…
(…one more person to curse at, y’know).
But it can be *so* worth it in the end, when you unlock the beauty…
…in $10 worth of tulip bulbs from Aldi.
Like I said, any idiot can do it.
(but maybe this idiot humors herself that she does a pretty OK job. Sometimes.)
…if only it weren’t so freaking windy!!! 
