From our family to yours.

Happy Birthday!

Two years have passed by in the blink of an eye. It's hard to even imagine life before you were here. We wake up and thank God every day for the blessing that you are. Thank you for opening our eyes and filling our hearts full of joy. On this, your second birthday, I say a prayer that your life is as happy as you've made ours!

Love,

Daddy

See? Progress!

The stars aligned: I had free time (ish) AND money in our account, so BAM...got stuff done. This past weekend was busy with LSU and Saints games, plus moving my brother and having mom and dad in town. How I found time to get things done, I'm not sure. Especially since Lolly was in Memphis and AC was with me. Oh well, stuff DID get done so let's just focus on that.

K? K.

New glass and knobs on the upper cabinets. Crown moulding will have to wait til the unit on the north side of the kitchen is done...

The completed coop (minus corner trim) - East Elevation

North Elevation - corner trim missing, also needs ramp and to be relocated to correct location

Time to show off the family!

It's that time of the year again where we order our yearly Holiday (Christmas in my family) cards to send out to our loved ones, wishing them well. But let's be real about this. If you're like us, the card is really just a chance to brag about how cute you think your kid is and you're gonna show the world! Last year was our first year with AC and we couldn't have been more happy to show her off...so we put 3 pictures of her on our card. hehe.

Incidentally, if you're in the market for a great place to get your Holiday Cards, Shutterfly has what you need! The great thing about Shutterfly is that they have a huuuuuuge variety of different types of cards for every occasion, not just Christmas. Their Christmas collection this year is varied and versatile. My personal favorites: Lotta Pics, Vintage, and MidCentury Inspired.

I'm not normally a calendar guy but I think I might be swayed. One of these bad boys will make grandparents or godparents swoon at the sight of their favorite munchkin, doggie, or family. I think I know a couple of people who might be getting one as a stocking stuffer this year.

I hope you guys find what you like on their website, I know I already did!

j

I swear I have been doing stuff...

...just nothing post-worthy. I'm going get the glass cut for the cabinets tomorrow and incidentally, I found this image of what it will look like:

Lolly isn't convinced of knobs on the upper cabinets..but this pic may change that...

Now if my brother buys his new condo this weekend he will COMPLETELY derail my chances of finishing the GD chicken coop. If I don't finish that thing soon my yard will start looking like it belongs to someone who makes meth....erm...or has it already?

[insert whiny blog post title here]

Yeah, it's gonna be one of those. Sorry...no home improvement updates here today. No new projects for me to start and take for.ev.er. to finish. Just some whining. Yep!

I just don't get it. I've got this (supposedly) amazing degree in a progressive design field from one of the top programs in the country. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to do something like what it is I do. Working to create environments for people to live/work/play in sounds great doesn't it? Turns out I hate it. Not just a little, but a LOT. Instead of working on one of our forthcoming deadlines, I'm writing a blog post about how much I hate it.

Out of the entire class, a good number of us are not practicing in LA. Words cannot describe how envious I am of those who are not. Those who can follow their passions to do whatever it is they want. Those who have unbelievable talents (whether cultivated or just inherent in their souls) that they can transform into a career are praise-worthy. That is the type of daily life I long for.

Small problem: i have NO IDEA what it is that I'm good at or what it is that I want to be good at...

I just know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Landscape Architecting is not it. Garden design is not even it. But what is? I like plants. I like people(sometimes). Hell, I even like bar tending. Bar tending does NOT pay the bills though. Maybe I just need a daily grind that doesn't make me want to grind my face off AND provides for my family the way I'd like to. Do I need to be fulfilled at my job? Can fulfillment come from elsewhere? I don't know. I just DON'T. KNOW.

....eh

Cabinets installed...partially

So I've been slacking from blogging, but in my defense work has been whooping my arse big time!

Dad & mom came for the day 2 weeks ago and brought the first round of cabinets. Since this picture was taken I've put hardware on them - 6" tall brushed nickel bars. When the moula is in the olde bank account, I'll have the glass cut for the upper doors. Once the other set of cabinets is in place, I'll buy the under-cabinet lighting as well as lighting for the to doors with the glass fronts. THEN, I'll have lots of pictures for you guys...the before and after is just astounding. I promise I'll post that too. Until then, that's all I got.

Still have moulding & glass...but moulding is SUUUCH a pain...I'll get to it later.

The glass in the center. I love it!

Now I'm off to a pig roast in the country.

j

Cabinets in progress

Just a sample of dad's work thus far. These puppies should be installed in about 2 or 3 weeks!

Tables

A while back I found these cool MCM end tables on craigslist. 2 of the size you see below and one large square one. $60 for the three I thought was a steal. The sides are maple with minor dings here and there that I can repair. The one on the left side of the couch has a little more damage but that can be repaired easily. The best thing about them - Laminate tops so coasters aren't necessary...which is good since AC rarely sees the need for one...

AC enjoying the toddler-appropriate (or inappropriate) height of the table and mommy's English book.

Now we just need to figure out what to do with the square one which is just sitting in the middle of our dining room....

Stalled....

Well lately my projects around the house have stalled. Money and time being the main reasons of course. Aren't they always?

I started the desk several weeks ago and have all but decided to abandon it. It hasn't weathered the elements so well in my crappy shed, so it may go out at the road Thursday evening before I leave town. Defeat. I haz it.

I also started the chicken coop 2 weeks ago. The base and upper frame are in tact. The rest, however, is waiting on more money...so it looks more like an abstract art installation in my back yard. When I get back from DC, I'll get err done.

I did, however get 2 other things done that have been nagging at me. I sanded down the front corner of the house by the steps and primed it yesterday. Success! NO more alligator skin peeling paint...in that area anyway. This will be a gradual process of fixing all of the poorly painted areas of the house. Next up: Over the front porch. I also managed to remove the ailing fire pit/Bebe death trap in the back yard yesterday. Now I just gotta get a lil sod to cover up the hole and we'll be golden. Golden I tell ya.

Dad, being the rock star he is, was ready a couple of weeks ago to start the cabinets b/c he's 'bored.' OK, sure. Why the hell not!?! So he came last weekend and we measured. As of yesterday, the South wall cabinets are built, awaiting hardware and a good primin'. He's building them in his shop so they won't be in the kitchen for a couple more weeks. They ROCK! After that, he'll start work on the wall unit on the North wall. I can't wait for all the storage!

The South Wall!

The North Wall!

Oh, we also finally got our end tables. I'll clean 'em up and post a pic soon!

nothing fancy

So I've put off working on the desk again...

I decided today as I walked past remnant pieces that I will not be reusing that I'll get pop's good sander when we head to P-town this weekend. I'll probably steal some clamps while I'm there too. That'll be my inspiration for getting my keester in gear on that one. The sander will also help in some areas that I have to do spot sanding and re-painting on the house b/c the last owner did a crap-tastic job. So until then I'm sorta stalled. Gotta go buy the primer and 3 different colors of paint...maybe tomorrow or Thursday. We'll see.

Interesting new development: the chickens now hop up onto the gate of their pen. So...big fat FAIL in clipping the wings b/c they can still jump up 4 feet. Time to find another method of keeping the little buggers in their pen/coop.

Oh, before I go, here's a little taste of a project that will be complete once I get my paint (3 months in the making no less):

Pop having waaay too much fun with a jackhammer.

The token rotten beam typical of a 70+ yr old home.

Day 1 complete steps...sans concrete at base.

3 months later, after concrete has cured and wood has too.

New stucco on the bricks and enough caulk to patch the Titanic.

desk part deux

OK, so today I FINALLY got up off my duff and took the desk apart.

Except for the fact that it was 500 degrees outside, it wasn't too bad a job. The metal trim you see around the desk face was about the worst of it all. The left side of the desk just fell apart...made my job easy. The right side was still held together pretty well, so I decided to leave well enough alone. It's still in one piece. The left side is in about 100. I took the drawers completely apart and laid them out to dry and un-swell. I'll have to go pick up some clamps and wood glue to finish the job of putting it back together.

The desk itself is made of pine and oak with oak veneers to cover the pine in some places. The craftsmanship hearkens back to an era where furniture was just made so much better than it is today. While this desk is huge, it's not that heavy and, before I took it apart, it was solid as a brick shit house. As there are tons of scratches, gouges, and holes in the wood and veneers, my thoughts at current are to just paint the darn thing. But look toward the bottom of the posting at the old top. Underneath the crappy formica, it has neat details where the center of the desk apparently opened at one time. So I think I'll sand down and stain & varnish the top so the beautiful wood will show through, while leaving the rest of it painted. Color options anyone?

Drawers out, looking a little pathetic...

Drawers completely dismantled.

Left side of the desk

Top of the desk

Detail of the sections..

Up next:

Found this little guy sitting in the alley behind and abandoned business near the house (note: DIRECTLY behind the house). hehe. The business owners apparently skipped town and will not be returning. When I tried to contact the owner about cleaning up the joint, I got a very shady email...

And so this became mine. As you can see it needs a great deal of work. The wifey and I are excited about taking this thing apart and sanding the hell out of it, then putting it back together...likely just painting it as was suggested by Miss ASD.

Great piece of solid oak furniture..solid as a rock (well, except for that one area where it's falling apart)

This will take a while...suggestions on what to put as the new top? The old particle board top es no bueno...

UPDATE: picked a fabric.

We decided on Friday to take a trip to Fabric Warehouse. Walked through the entire dang store and saw NOTHING. Then as we're walking past the cutting table, we spotted a middle-aged woman carrying a cool linen fabric. We both stopped in our tracks...and I think it startled her. She asked if we were staring at the fabric she was holding and we both nodded. We walked on over and grabbed it, took pictures, and almost instantly decided on it. We got a sample and brought it home where it's been sitting on the chair ever since. It's PERFECT. And so tomorrow we will go get it! See below for a crude photoshop of what it will look like on the chair, although the actual fabric appears much brighter and more contemporary/retro in person. Can't wait for Lolly & Mom to get their sew on!

up close and personal

Before

and After! Better than a blanket wrapped around it, eh?

IP: Who knew?

Well, after last week's blog post, I sharpened my eagle eye and lookie what I found:

I know, it's not exactly what I wanted, but this thing is HUGE. 22" across to be exact. The search still continues for a vintage version, but I am forever thankful to Lara for finding this one @ Ikea for us.

Oh....and then there's THIS little one. Ain't she a beaut?

Yeah, I agree. Save for a few small flaws that a little stain & some wax won't fix, it's perfect. Lolly is now officially on board with the Mid Century style...and so the search is on for the appropriate table & chairs. I'm honestly not sure how I missed this thing on Craigslist, but dang I'm glad I found it. There's a mirror that goes with it that I may be getting from the owner as well. We'll see. Apparently this piece hails from the late 50's to early 60's..former owner is finding out for me. I'm not sure who made it, as all of the stamps are far too faded. Time to do some research I guess. Anyway...it's pretty much my favorite piece of furniture in the house right now. Dork? Yep.

We also have these chairs which I got from my uncle's garage apartment after he passed away.

They're great style and shape...the green & orange burlap fabric is covered with a white blanket so people don't vomit immediately upon entering the house and seeing them in that shape. The 2 fabrics below are just a sampling of options we have...but picking out fabrics for a set of MCM/Danish chairs is WAAAAY too tough. See anything you find fitting, be sure to pass it our way. Kthx.

"This one's too brown"

"this one's nice, but too thin"

Sound like Goldilocks or what??? Grumble.

The search continues...

Daydreaming

Alright, I'll admit that sometimes Design*Sponge has some crazy shiznit but today there were a number of kitchen ideas that I am liking a lot. Now I'm not saying I want these kitchens. Just pieces really. And here's why:

White cabinets with a black/dk grey counter top. Oh, and also the channeled glass on the cabinets in the background.

Micro-subway tile backsplash with puck lighting under cabinets. C'est magnifique, non?

Again, white cabinets, but with farm sink and cup pulls. Open shelves are nice too..though it may require the purchase of new dishes...

But we already have the exposed tongue and groove walls, so it's partially done.

...and then there's this. Now this may be the control freak in me...but this is THE DEFINITION of what I want our pantry to look like. Even better if it's a pantry/hallway with a small prep area in it. This will be fuel for our trip to Austin and The Container Store in a couple of weeks. Lolly will probably want to kill me. Also, those aren't terrible looking light fixtures either.

Sigh. I can dream, right? Papa will be back from Europe in a week and after that, we'll start taking inventory, measurements, and begin the design for the new cabinets! Words cannot express how excited I am to get this project underway again. It'll be a slow process but when it's done I'm going to want to cook and be in the kitchen even more!

gimme

I realize that lust after furniture is probably a sin, but I'm kinda feelin' that particular sin at the very moment. I saw this little find on Design Sponge and promptly fell in lust with it. I want it. Your job, as a reader, is to help me get it. K?

Isn't it great!? yeah...gotta have it.

I've been looking for a while for one, but can't seem to find one that 1. fits in my budget, 2. the wifey doesn't absolutely hate. How's about this one hun?

Also, today, while driving around by BR High, I noticed demolition has started on the campus. They removed windows in the old cafeteria to reveal another item I've been looking for but can't seem to find: an old huge school house clock for the wall in the kitchen. Here's to hoping I can make it mine!

ex: see what I'm sayin? this thing just oozes cool!

Again, still looking, so keep your eyes pealed! (as if that saying really makes any sense)

One foot in front of the other.

"I breathe in, I breathe out. Put one foot in front of the other"

They're just song lyrics, right? Well, they're pretty much my motto at present. I've got a beautiful wife & daughter, a great house, and steady income. What's not to like? Well, a lot apparently b/c we are just turning into perpetual whiners over on Arlington.

Lolly is not exactly in love with her job and is looking, although the couple of leads she thought she had seem to not be the best leads, but one is still a very good option. That's where we're leaning until we hear otherwise. Meanwhile, back at my job....well, let's just say it's still the same job, for pretty much the same pay, for more work. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to make a bajillion $$$ or anything, I'd just kill to be comfortable and happy. To be able to pay the bills and have enough extra to take a DECENT vacation once a year, do a few projects around the house, and have a nice dinner out here and there. Sure, we do little things, but I feel like Mr. Frugle and I'm pretty sure most of our friends see me that way. No, we can't do this, we dont have the money. NO, we can't buy that, its extra and not a necessity and we can't afford it. I feel like Bebe in that every other word out of my mouth some days is NO. I'm sure it's frustrating to hear, just as much as it is for me to say it. There's nothing more I'd love than to be able to say YES when asked if we can afford extra makeup, a fun gadget, or even just to buy new tires for the car this month. Ain't happening anytime soon. The funny thing is, the only frivolous bill we have at present is the cable/internet bill. And maybe the security system. But these are pretty much necessary these days anyway. Other than that, all we have are the necessary utilities, mortgate, car note, daycare, groceries, and various types of insurance and retirement accounts. Bleeding. Us. Dry. Dave Ramsey, where are you???? I think I need to just re-read his book and take Chris Cagle's advice.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Put one foot in front of the other. Jeez I hope I can will myself enough discipline to do this until we can figure out what to do to make a change!

(sorry to be such a Debbie Downer)

Rainy Day Babble

Boy, the rain outside is madness. Madness I tell ya! I didn't quite expect this kind of deluge today, but it's welcome with the deficit we have had thus for in 2010. I know my garden is going to go crazy! Speaking of crazy...our 3 chickens are now down to only 2. Evelyn/Whitey died suddenly yesterday and we're not sure why.... Bird flu? Maybe from just being so damn mean? God, who knows. Eh, we'll have eggs from the other 2 girls Betsy & Milley in just over a month, so that'll be cool!

My absence lately is due, in large part, to the fact that work has been crazy busy and home life has been just the same. Our weekends have been booked like an artist on tour for the last few months. Now that summer has arrived, our weekends are noticeably more open. This is great news to my ears. Open weekends make impromptu hikes and small outings much more doable, and often are the most relaxing times. This weekend's agenda: N O T H I N G. Doesn't that sound great?

Since we're talking about filling up time with things, we've decided to put a little more on our plate. Instead of renovating the existing laundry room to squeeze in a 1/2 bath, we've decided to add 6' onto the back of the entire house to make room for a full bathroom (stand-up shower) and have a stackable washer/dryer combo. This little renovation hinges on us finding a stackable set and a tankless water heater (to be mounted on the outside of the house) at a decent, affordable price. It can be done! What else do we get out of this? A 6' deep by 15' long back porch the length of the rest of the house. This will encourage us to finally close in the remnant of the old back porch and make that into our 'mud room' with plenty of extra storage! I've gotta sit down with a friend of mine who does house plans to figure out what this little ditty will likely cost us, then work out a plan for phasing the project in. More than likely, the porch and foundation for the additional room will be done first, and the rest will be phased in. This will require additional plumbing, ventilation, drainage, electrical, and more roof. Big project, tiny budget. Again: It can be done!

Well, that's all the babble I have for now. Time to get back to work.

You stay classy

In Progress

Lately at the Lem household, there have been lots of little projects finally getting off the ground. I'll admit, some drag on longer than they should. Sorry kitchen...but finally the beadboard is caulked. <---saying that one out loud can seem vulgar, especially if you actually tell people what you've been doing. hehe. Maybe it's just b/c I have the mind of a 12-year old boy. Such is the cross I must bear.

Anyway, dad has decided he's ready to build us our new cabinets. Needless to say we are ECSTATIC. He's having surgery on his hands this summer, then this fall once he's fully healed he'll start work on our new upper cabinets and our new built-in pantry. Guess it's time to get to work on finishing the design. Oh wait, my computer croaked. Right before I finished a landscape plan for a friend of a relative. Neat. I'm trying to take it in stride, but I won't like and say it doesn't make my blood boil...b/c it DOES. To top it off, we're rather strapped for cash these days and trying to do 29384732987423 different things with our money.

Stress much? This week is not the week that I even have a penny to spend on lunch, much less buying a new computer. Or even to pay someone to extract the info onto an external hard drive that i do not own. In stride I tell ya. That's how I'm taking it. I think working in the yard and doing a little exercise has helped me relieve the tension that things not going my way has caused to boil just below the surface. Again... All. In. Stride.

However, something did manage to go right! My uncle's kids finally decided they were ready to part with the great chair you see below. He has a twin and they now reside in our livingroom and diningroom respectively. Now, they look a little sketch at the moment, but with a new coat of stain and a great new cushion, they will be greatness. Woot! Now if I could just find a place to PUT THEM in our ever-shrinking 1200sf home. Details, details, details. They're great chairs and I will not hear any other opinion.

Wow, sorry for the rambling, incoherent body of text. One of those days I guess...plus you should come to expect these things if you're reading this blog. Look up to the top of the page at the title and tagline.

See. I told you.

Spring

Spring is without a doubt my favorite part of the year. The time of year when life renews itself. The world around bursts out of the barren, colorless grips of winter. Don't get me wrong, I love some cold weather and a good camp fire. But at the end of the dead season, it's high time to see some life in this world! Here are a couple of pictures of the mass of irises in my front yard that i see when I walk out my front door to leave and greet me when I get home from a long day. Enjoy your spring people.

j

Patience is....a learning curve?

For as long as I have lived, patience has been somewhat of an intangible thing for me. The ever-changing technological age probably doesn't help anything; but its something more than that. I think I was born with some sort of insatiable need for everything I want, when I want it. How I want it. Now. Its and odd feeling and almost unbearable at times to be waiting for something you have no control over.

These last dozen or so months I've begun to actually understand what patience really is. I'm learning that, despite my most fervent wantings, I do not have control over everything. It's a little unsettling when that stark reality hits you...like a linebacker.
At the same time, it's also very soothing to finally figure out just how to let go. It's a way of recognizing that there are others out there whose needs and actions are more important than my own. That's a big one for me folks. BIG one. You'd think being in a relationship for 8 years with someone you love, admire, and respect would teach you selflessness...and it did...a little. Bringing another life into this world who won't understand the basic principles of patience for a number of years and raising her as parents has finally shown me the light. I've learned patience for my spouse, my daughter (who is oddly enough my teacher), my family, and complete strangers. That last one there is something I think we could all use a little more of.

This patience is spilling over into my professional quest for fulfillment. This is a quest that I've learned is not overnight. Searching for change in one's career is a daunting task not to be taken lightly. So I'm taking my time, looking around, trying to figure out what may suit me best. I guess when it all comes down to it though, fulfillment may have to take a backseat to providing for my family. Well, at least for a little while, right?

Thank you...

for showing me how to love.

These past 13...almost 14 months have been just amazing. It truly is astounding how one tiny little smile can melt your heart into a puddle in milliseconds. Bebe, you're talking, getting pretty close to walking, and becoming your own person. I love watching your little personality develop. The good and the bad, the fun and the not, I'm seeing more and more that you are just like your parents. Stubborn when you want to be, continuously curious, and sweet and loving as any parent can hope for. So thank you for being all that I could've imagined in a child.

I love you,

Daddy