Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Good morning.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Vulture, a young pullet, hatched last fall, formerly known as Sweet Baby Jesus.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Little Orphan Miss T, I'm playing with my zoom lens from my bedroom window.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Do you need help with the flashlight?  I'm fixing the dishwasher, but Puck keeps guard waiting for the flashlight to come on.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

One of my goals is to take better plane spotting photos of the military planes flying low over my house.  Note to self, do not bother trying when it is snowing out. 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Shoulder to shoulder hit, clearly NOT a penalty shot.  It didn't matter in the end.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Snow starts.  Still playing around with ISO, I discover that I need it at 3200 or 6400.  But why does it say ISO 100 on the photo details?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Unnamed 16 year old boy takes the puck off of the other team.
Wow, I really need to work on my arena photography!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Big brother and little brother footsteps in the snow

Kitchen design by Pinterest

I didn't exactly get Pinterest at first.  But then it grew on me, now I can't get enough of it.  I don't think it is addictive for most people, but I think that it is addictive for people who are visual thinkers.  Especially if we are looking for inspiration.

Aside from being a huge time-waster, good things come from Pinterest addictions.  For example, I have become inspired to decorate our kitchen.  Images of chalkboard paint, concrete countertops, and organization ideas literally fill my dreams.  We started to fix up our small and tired kitchen when we first moved in 4 years ago, but then we realized just how inefficient and small it was and decided to focus on other areas of the house. Then 2 years ago, as a result of the great flood, we had to replace the vinyl flooring, and chose a natural stone tile, installed it, started to look at changing the hardware, didn't find a handle we liked and then did nothing more to the kitchen.  We gave up on it in hopes that someday soon we will be able to afford "the addition" of a great room that will entail turning our current lower level family room into a kitchen.  There wasn't really much of a point in spending money on a kitchen that could possibly be torn out in a year or two.  Well realistically, "the addition" is not happening this year, or likely next, and in the meantime, redecorating and reorganizing in our kitchen could greatly enhance it's function.  So here is what we are starting with:
Fridge, pantry, dog and entryway to front hall.


Cabinet doors that do not close properly.

Poor kitchen design, dishwashers should not be next to ovens!  And ovens should not be next to dining rooms.  

I  would like to have the tops of the cabinets clear, or at least have streamlined decorative items only, but  I need every bit of shelf space I can get.
We lost a kitchen table for this old school trophy case, but it adds cabinetry, and I just love it.


Something else I love, Grandbert's artwork.

So here's my to-do list: 
  • Finish stripping wallpaper - cost 0 dollars
  • Remove ugly backsplash tiles - cost 0 dollars
  • Plaster and sand the walls - cost 0 dollars (because I already have the supplies)
  • Paint walls and trim - cost $19.97 plus tax 
  • Paint backsplash with chalkboard paint - cost $21.49 (add another $23.67 if I decide to go with magnetic primer, all other supplies we already have.)
  • Install pot lights in ceiling - cost 0 dollars (since we already bought the lights.)
  • Sweet talk my husband into making me a polished concrete countertop - cost of materials unknown to me but keep in mind that this is one of the things he does in his job so he will only need materials, not rental of tools required.
  • Change cabinet hardware (hinges and handles) - cost I don't know, but I am shopping for deals or do it yourself ideas!
  • Declutter and reorganize - cost 0 dollars
  • Consider installing a spice shelf - cost 0-$16.99 
  • Considering sanding and staining the cabinets to match the other furniture.
I'll be sure to post the after photos, here and of course on Pinterest.