freedom

now that school is done for the semester i sort of don't know what to do with myself. it's weird. i've been waiting for this for 15 long computer-driven weeks, and now i'm stumped. i need a project but i don't want a project. i keep trying to talk myself into making a design to gocco cards for this year, but then i don't want to write and send the cards. then i think i should just sit around and read all day, after all it's cold and rainy. but i am enjoying my current book so much that i don't want to finish it too quickly, and i talked al into reading it with me so he's trying to catch up. i decided i needed another book to read as well, so i got the the portable mlis from the library to see if i want to buy it, but that just feels like reading school stuff and i can't get into it. maybe it's time to start baking again, something from breakfast, lunch, tea looks good. i went to sandbox bakery this week with sarah, it's really good but we wanted to sit so had to walk back to her house. hopefully tricia and i will venture out to eat something yummy today. i should go check out the prelinger library. also probably time to go back to outerlands, and i want to go to farm:table. crap now i have all this stuff to do before i leave for nc next week for two weeks.

pacific blues

last week at the cabin it really felt like all we did was tile. the area was a total of 32" x 92" and took 4 of our 5 days. various factors for this session of torture include:

1. never tiling anything before

2. tiling an area behind a non-movable object

3. using hand-made heath tiles that are not square or flat

4. never tiling anything before

we never imagined this would take us so long, but for the most part it's done. we just need to remove the tape around the edges when we go back (the grout really needed to dry) and wash off the grout haze. i'll be doing that next weekend when i head back up without al. it really looks gorgeous and adds a nice bit of color and texture to the living room.


we did get to spend a lot of time at mother's beach, which is basically across the street. we packed up one of my new baskets with towels and books, packed a cooler with snacks and booze, and hauled over a lounge chair, umbrella and inner-tube for a few hours of lounging and cooling off in the 90 degree sun. we only saw one beer induced fight.

next projects include harvesting from the garden bed (me) and finishing the workroom downstairs (al).

beginning

we started charley last night. i gave up with a back ache around 10:30, but looks like al made some progress by having the entire space to himself. the colors are so beautiful, we're thinking about what we can paint that nice, rich, blue color.

homebrew

after six weeks of infusing i strained up the calendula caress friday, added some vanilla & lavender, bottled it up, and had a little left over for tricia. the marjoram notes are much stronger than the store bought version, but the addition of some astral sea vanilla perfume oil cut that perfectly. it's warm and not too strong, great for someone who hates perfume (me).

work @ home

with the recession ending (ha!) i am now working again, and at home! welcome to my new office. it's my first time working at home so i had to sort things out & this set up will also be great when school starts. i definitely needed the larger monitor, my 13" is full of love but just so teeny. i'm finally putting my ridiculously expensive steelcase chair to use since bringing it home from work last year.

cabin fever

al has been looking at cabins up on the russian river lately. we've been surrounding ourselves with library books on remodeling, dwell magazine, apartment therapy, and thoughts of the ideally designed kitchen using heath tile. we've already decided to furnish it via estate sales. san francisco is just too expensive for us, but there are cute & affordable places up there in need of tons of work. this could serve as practice for our real home in some locale to be determined.

succulent wall

a few weeks ago sarah and i were at flora grubb looking for ideas for her new back yard and deck. we stumbled upon this amazing piece of art. a frame stuffed full of succulents and measuring about 4 feet x 4 feet. we were in total awe. i'm looking for a place to hang one of these and a carpenter.