[pepper]

yes to the stuffy nose. i think it's just your sinuses rebelling against the stinky assault. nothing to do but wait it out i suppose.

i rearranged the little's bedroom again. i keep trying to organize in there so that everything will fit and be functional but it just hasn't come together until now. i finally have it so there are separate areas for sleeping, sitting and reading or watching a cartoon, arts and crafts and still maximum play area. it looks good and i think i'll keep it that way. he's so easy going he just said "hey whatcha doin' mom?" and then "cool, i like it!" and plunked hisself down for a good little play time.
the only thing that is still out of sorts in there is the gigantic rat cage. it just ain't really happenin'. it's so big, it's just in the way no matter where it goes.

i repotted the last two plants and rearranged them a bit, still not quite right but i'll get it together eventually. i put two into little's room next to his small fishtank and they really look great in there. he gets enough reflected light that i think they'll be happy and they're in a safe enough spot (i hope!) to avoid bumping or knocking.

i cleaned the rat cage, it seems to need doing every two days at least. it takes a bit too so it's a bit of a pain. wish i could just spot check but they are SO smelly. uck. well, he loves them though, even the bitey one. a mama sacrifice for sure. wish we could have a dog.

the living room is still an utter disaster but i'm not touching it now. it's been like that all week, it can just wait a little while longer. i'd much rather change the fish tank up. i bought new gravel, natural sandy coloured instead of the obnoxious bright blue and turquoise stuff that's in there now. i have an idea about the plants too, hope it works out. and i hope the fish aren't too traumatized either, they don't exactly like being shaken up. the tank is gorgeous already, i could just leave it but the redecorator in me can't let it be.

doodle, how's that cat table? thought of a solution yet?

[doodlebug]

Ahhhhhh....it's the Me Blog again!

Well, I've got the little cabinet thingie primed and with one coat of paint on it. My mom gave me some leftover green paint from her place, turns out it's almost the same colour as the one we made ourselves as the background for the mural! Anyway.

Okay, I've spent two days shifting furniture (and heavy books, goddamn it!) around trying to figure out where to put grandad's little cabinet. I think I finally have a plan, sort of. I THINK. I'm going to try grandad's cabinet under the killer whale in the entrance hall, then ditch the little bookshelf that's there now (into another room - bathroom maybe, or bedroom), and also swap the hallway mirror with the goth-y one in the living room (which I'll still paint over). If it seems to fit well, I'll just put baskets or boxes in the cabinet and use it for storage, instead of filling it up with yet MORE books I may never get around to reading!

Wish me luck! If this doesn't work, I have NO idea where I'll put grandad's cabinet!

On the upside, I got rid of a bunch of old books - textbooks, mainly - so I could make room for my feminist/social work/community development collection, which I also brought home from the Centre.

Does anyone else find that working with latex paint gives them a stuffy nose? I've taken a Reactine, but it doesn't seem to be making much difference...

[doodlebug]

I bought paint! I bought paint, paint, paint, lovely paint! It's the colour I picked out for my bedroom! I'd been waiting for a travel reimbursement cheque....anyway, now I've got it! Don't think I'll start this weekend tho'. I want to fix up that mirror, and also paint grandad's bookcase....

[doodlebug]

lunia, give me the weekend to think about your space, and maybe find some links. I have been in a bit of a weird state this week, due to work issues.

So....last night, Georgie was up in the catbed, which is on top of the Ikea folding table. Carmella decided to jump in. And the WHOLE THING slid off the wall! I don't know if this is a sign that Carmella is too overweight, or Ikea's stuff really is shit. Or both. *sigh* I'm not sure it's going to work, except I do need to have some shelf there for them....I'm thinking of getting BFF to help me cut it down so it's not so big.

So I brought a bunch of stuff home from the centre today, my personal things, which were "on loan" to the place. One is a gorgeous 3X4 foot painting by a local artist, of three half-naked women dancing joyously and about to pluck and apple from a branch. VERY bright colours. It's called "Eve and Friends." I'm going to hang it in my bedroom, probably after I paint. Another thing is this low, long bookshelf type thingie with rounded corners. My grandfather built it (he was a carpenter by trade), probably about 35 - 40 years ago, but with some paint, it will look very modern - well, it was modern at the time! I am not totally sure where to put it, but I'm trying it in my bedroom for now.

Mom gave me a can of leftover green paint, about 3/4 left....it's close to the colour I plan to do the bedroom. I think I might use it to get cracking on that one wall in my bedroom, where I've put up the huge tester swatches. I really want to get that painting hung up there, and also my other mirror.

[pepper]

hey lunia, there is a "home sweet home" section on the craftster forum that has great topics like housewares and internal and external decorating/yard art projects. there are pics of completed projects and lots of discussion and q&a about what and how to and such.
check it out.

www.craftster.org

[lunia666]

Hey lunia....got anymore to go on when you are seeking ideas? What are you having to work with now (i.e., light, size, shape, existing furnishings and accessories, etc.)?

pepper, how about a big trellis? You can grow vines (sweet peas?) up it in the summer, and the trellis will still fill up the space over the winter....

Still haven't done anything with the mirror....lots of personal stuff going on. But I'll get to it! Also I've been painting another box...this time for BFF's daughter's 18th b-day, which is tomorrow....

I think the fold down table is going to come off the wall one of these days. I guess I didn't anchor it in well enough. It's a heavy sucker!

Well the livingroom is 12x24 with pine floors three 1/2 walls painted white with two windows normal size ( talk about blake slate) . The bathroom are you stand bath sink,toilent,tub,white tile floors etc... I have a big 42in tv and a tv stand from ikea ( beech in color) thats going in the room. Thats it I need a new sofa and maybe a chair,a few bookcases. I like a lt of diff things so it's really hard for me to make a decsion on one look. I do have some great old movie posters ( chessy horror movies like plan 9 ) I would like to put up.

thank for the help girls

[pepper]

ksa is right downtown girl, metal should be no problem. but i'm into fiber, i don't care if it shreds or fades, i can replace or add to it over time. like a multi-layer out door wall quilt. crazy. maybe a canvas. hmmm...
i would love a shade plant but that is where i put the indoor plants in the summer (warmer months) so must keep it clear for fall/winter/spring. what the heck, i reserve that space for something that is there only one quarter of the year. but it's my favourite quarter though...

speaking of metal and local artists, have you seen the new oso negro? check this out...http://www.osonegrocoffee.com/about/cafe.htm
tres gorg-e-roo!

[doodlebug]

You could grow a shade plant, like ivy....or even just a trellis. You'd have to be careful about what kind of art, b/c anything with paint or fibre probably wouldn't last through the weather. What about a big metal sculpture? There must be a metal artist in that hippie enclave of yours!

[pepper]

that part of the deck gets almost no direct light at all i'm afraid. i'll have to think of something else. art of some kind...

[doodlebug]

Hey lunia....got anymore to go on when you are seeking ideas? What are you having to work with now (i.e., light, size, shape, existing furnishings and accessories, etc.)?

pepper, how about a big trellis? You can grow vines (sweet peas?) up it in the summer, and the trellis will still fill up the space over the winter....

Still haven't done anything with the mirror....lots of personal stuff going on. But I'll get to it! Also I've been painting another box...this time for BFF's daughter's 18th b-day, which is tomorrow....

I think the fold down table is going to come off the wall one of these days. I guess I didn't anchor it in well enough. It's a heavy sucker!

[lunia666]

yeah happy happy joy joy

I will be moving in just a few months in to my first house . I love the house it's 3 bedrooms/2 bath with a full basement. The kitchen is a blast from the past ( dark wood panel very 70's) but I can live with it ( major remold in fut) . Any way am looking for ideas for my livingroom and bathrooms am clue less any ideas would be great.

[pepper]

my deck needs something on the big bare wall.

[pepper]

doodle, why not both? gilt silver with turquoise inlay...
just paint it on and rub it off.

OH! I Know!!

paint on some turquoise, rub it off.
paint on some crackle medium, let dry.
a layer of silver, rub That off and voila!!

uber sexy vintage like black based crackle turquoise peek-a-boo finish!! nice.

uh, ok. now i'm going to bed.
more than halfway thru a bottle wine and wiped out from apartment stuffs.
not really feeling any better, just sort of numb actually. but i figure if i keep it up it'll start to feel like it used to eventually. the tidying and organizing was always a pleasure so...
the only thing that makes me feel normal right now is sex. le sigh. i like my apartment almost as much as that. at least it's always available when i want it and doesn't bitch if i fall asleep mid-way.

ha ha ha.

[doodlebug]

Hey raisin, just put it in one of those huge poster frames from Ikea and act like you meant it!

pepper, yay for gettin' shit done! Does it make you feel better? It usually works for me, when I'm down.

Speaking of, it took me two days to "reclaim" my apartment after doodlemama left. PHEW! But I also hadn't done laundry after going to Vancouver, so there was a lot to be done. I think everything is back the way I like it now!

One good thing that did come out of doodlemama's visit (I mean, aside from the visit, which WAS good, despite my needing more space), was that I had to learn to actually really "live" in my bedroom now that it's re-done, and not just preserve it as this perfect new room....b/c that was the only way I could get some of the private time I needed. So that was kind of good.

I got the big mirror up on the living room wall, but now that it's up there, the black does make it seem kind of "heavy" to me...not oppressive but maybe a bit too imposing. I'm not sure. I think I'm going to try hanging it a bit lower, and if that doesn't work, I'm gonna try pepper's trick with the paint. Maybe silver or turquoise.

The other mirror has been taken off to the bedroom, but I'm not going to hang it on the wall till I paint. Whenever that is! I'm waiting for a reimbursement cheque from some work travel, actually, and then I'll buy the paint.

Ok, that's my report! Where is everyone else!?

[pepper]

today i cleaned up the kid's room, cleaned the rat's cage, took junk down to the free room, tidied my room, burned some dhoop (smokey but smells oh so deliciously indian), washed an enoromous lot of dirty dishes, bought terracotta and soil for repotting plants (yes, i know i'm very, very late), and am now formulating a plan to tackle the rest of the house tomorrow: kitchen floor and cupboards. fridge (yuck), bathroom everything, carpets, huge pile of sewing covering the entire livingroom floor, repot those plants. and then i will take pictures. oh yes, i will.

[pepper]

hee! giant johnny, ooh yummy yum yum!!
my friend's mom has a big ole poster of him on her living room wall and she's in her, well, N/M, she's old enough to be my friend's mom.

i'm working on getting things in shape for new pics, i am cursed with this need to move alla my shit around and around and around. i thought i had it just the way i wanted it for a minute there but then the seasons had to go and change and outside stuff became inside stuff. etc. compulsive.

stay tuned mistress raisin....

i'm not even going to look at the date of my last post because my studio stuff is still all over the living room floor. no kidding.
me, the neat freak, i've given up the ghost apparently. i'm depressed, what else can i say? i'm working on the dishes and laundry from last week at least...

[raisingirl]

Bump.

So anyway, I was reading the archives a bit.

Pepper, I noticed that you had posted pictures of your home, which were followed by gushing compliments. I'm sad I missed out on the pictures! (The links were dead.)

I don't know, I kind of like wallpaper. Granted, I haven't been in a house in a while where I've liked the wallpaper, but in theory I think I could like it.

So yeah, I'm 30something and thinking of hanging a poster of Johnny Depp on a bedroom wall. What the hell is wrong with me? The adult in me says I should do something "tasteful" like make it a small picture and frame it. The teenager is all, "Fuck THAT. Get the biggest damned poster you can find and hang it above your bed!"

I am temporary blinded by lust.

[raisingirl]

Oh oh oh! Hold me back. That link works this morning, Pepper.

Christmas lights behind the fabric. (I love that it's flat bedsheets, too -- GENIUS IDEA!) That is really... wow. I think I can make that work over here.

Doodle, I loathe SATC (sorry), so I haven't seen the episode you speak of. But I was thinking of a boudoir more along the lines of Moroccan harem, not New York City S&M dungeon.

I shouldn't complain about the landlord. He's anal, but he fixes stuff and is big on upkeep.

[doodlebug]

Yay pepper!

Me and my plants are jealous of your new pottery.

[pepper]

oh, i've been cleaning and reorganizing for what seems like days now and it still looks like i haven't done a thing! what the hell.
i moved all of the plants back inside a few days ago and have had to find new homes for them all. there are a couple by my desk which is nice and some by the fish tank which is awsome, it's full of plants so having them on the outside works really well. my friend just moved so i scored some more of her incredible pottery, i'll post pics later. i Love living in a town with an art school, have i mentioned that?

when this is finished i'm taking a holiday.