red maple studio

Marry the Night

2012-01-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

Art Studio and Play Room Remodel Part 1

2012-01-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

We have finally started our playroom/art studio makeover.

Yay!

This project has been on the back burner for so long because we had a gazillion other projects that needed to get finished.

For real.

Total replacement of deck stairs
Replaced lattice with paneling on deck
Stained deck
Moved a flower bed
Replaced & moved an old flower bed
Put in a drainage system to help with backyard flooding
Built Adirondack Chairs
Built Adirondack Table
Built kids picnic table
Built cabinet/buffet table

All those projects? They were finished by Steve. While he was working long hours at work.

Seriously, he's a champ. I only helped with painting/staining because I had to occupy the little helicopters.

(Helicopters- get it? Red maple seeds are called helicopters. My kids = helicopters.)

(I don't know, I'll see if it sticks)

So, after admitting that maybe we bit off more than we could chew, especially with having a newborn, we decided to remodel our downstairs into a playroom/art studio.

We like to live on the edge.

This room has turned into our catch all room. I'm so embarrassed to show you the before picture but I think you really need to see it to understand just how far it has come.

Junk! Storage! Treadmill! Old furniture!

After watching an episode of Hoarders, I don't feel so bad about it.

In fact, it made me have the urge to purge.

I don't know who's brilliant idea it was to panel the whole friggin room.

Seriously, why?

Do you know what a pain in the ass it is to paint paneling?

Helicopter 1 helping.

No, you don't? Well, let me tell you. Not only do you have to do trim like you would for a regular wall, but, you have to paint in between every single panel. By hand.

Wait, what is that you're saying?

They make special rollers for that? Ha! It didn't work, we tried that.

To infinity, and beyond!

I've dropped many f-bombs while painting this stupid paneling.

Many, many f-bombs.

The good news is, the helicopters haven't dropped their own f-bombs and, I LOVE how it has turned out. LOVE!

The color is called Contemplation by Behr. Doesn't it just make you want to sit down and contemplate things? It has completely changed the feel of this room.

While I've been painting and f-bomb dropping, Steve has been building a corner desk for my art studio area.

This corner desk has no plans. We've made it up by looking up pictures of different built in desks online. And Pinterest.

I love me some Pinterest.

I am so happy with how far we have come in the first week of this project and can't wait to finish it and use it!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

My Boys

I've been a little busy.....

2011-05-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

I've been horrible at updating. Again. But, seriously, I have a good reason this time.

Archer Lee
April 2nd
7lbs 13oz
20.5 inches

See, it was a good reason.

While adjusting to two kids is easier than adjusting from none to one, I've found that I have no time to do anything besides change diapers, nurse and feed my toddler.

If I'm lucky, I get to shower.

If I'm really, really lucky, I get to shave one leg too.

I'll be back soon!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Big Boy Room Update #3

2011-02-18T06:46:00.037-05:00

It's done.

Or, the bed is done.

There are some more things we want to build and add to his room..... a shelf, a shoe rack, maybe eventually a dresser. But, we will have to hold off on those for now.

(There are other projects on the list!)

I also need to dig out my printmaking stuff and make a couple prints for his room. But, 'tis a mess down there and in my current 8 month pregnant state, I just don't feel like doing it.

I love how the bed turned out. There is SO much storage!

Glorious, glorious storage!

I was going to get more fabric and locker bins but, for right now, I think we have enough.

Plus, here's a little secret, not all of them are filled!

As you can tell, we modified it some. We opted not to put doors on the lower storage hutch and I'm pretty sure Steve added some trim where there wasn't trim.

Don't worry, everything is anchored to the wall.

And, you'll be happy to know that it's already been tested to make sure it can handle a two year old boy trying to climb up it.

Yes, he tried climbing it as soon as he wasn't being supervised by parental units.

I'm hoping it takes him a long, long, long time to figure out how fun it will be to climb up the hutch and jump down onto the bed.

(He'll probably figure it the exact moment I'm elbow deep in newborn poo explosions.)

To see all the big boy room updates thus far, click here!

**Here are the numbers and direct links for plans from Ana White**

Estimated total cost- $600

Estimated total hours of labor- 30-40 hours

(keep in mind that includes toddler help time)

Finish- Minwax Polyshades in Pecan

Full Size Storage Bed

Headboard Base

We modified it for the full size bed and did not add the shelves since we wouldn't see them with the side towers.

Small Hutch with Doors

Once again, modified it to the full bed size and we opted not to add doors.

Cubby Hutch

Modified to full bed size.

Side Towers

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T10:04:00.002-05:00

"I ride!"

Valentine's Day Traditions

2011-02-14T10:10:00.002-05:00

The ADM blog hop this week is hosted by Andrea over at Are You Listening? and was suggested by Paige at Baby Dust Diaries.

(If you're the praying type, please send a prayer out for Paige and her twin boys. She's currently in the hospital at just shy of 32 weeks. You can read more about it here.)

What Valentine’s day traditions do you have, or have you started with your family?

I've never been one to celebrate Valentine's Day for two main reasons.

1. It's my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Gina!!!

2. I was a florist. I mostly despise Valentine's Day because it's a man's holiday and

let's face it, men, don't typically plan ahead. Dealing with douchebags who act like

they are doing you a favor by coming in on Valentine's Day and expecting to have

something delivered by 5pm has ruined it for me.

That being said, I think it's important to have family traditions so, I decided to get over myself and decorate and celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

I saw a felt heart wreath over at The Idea Room and just loved it. So, I actually made it and hung it on our front door. I love how the bright red pops against all of the snow we have gotten.

Heart Wreath

I also decided to decorate our entryway shelf that Steve recently built. I bought some block letters at JoAnns and painted them a distressed red. I made a topiary using the same technique at the heart felt wreath to add some more red and texture.

I have to admit that my favorite new tradition is making the hand print valentine. I got the idea from The Idea Room, again. I think it will be fun to do these each year and see the hearts grow.

Hand Print Valentine

I used acrylic paints and one of my printmaking brayers to roll the paint onto Lincoln's hands. It was an easier and faster process than painting his hand. Trust me, two year old toddlers with paint on their hands can be a disaster!

The Battle of the Lovey

2011-01-23T21:06:00.001-05:00

Sara asked us to share how your child, or you, or someone you know, found and adopted his/her lovey and the importance of it in his/her life. As a bonus, feel free to add cute pictures of your little ones with their loveys.

I have yet to share the battle of the lovey with you.

Maybe battle is a little dramatic.

No. No. Come to think of it, it was a battle. There were even casualties.

The first casualty was a cute little blanket plush dog combination that my Aunt in California sent to Lincoln when he was first born. It was cute. It was soft. It could have been the ultimate lovey. But, no. My son decided at an early age he didn't want a lovey. Ok. Fine.

Around the one year mark, Lincoln decided to become attached to the ties on his bumpers in his crib. Fine. It was strange but you go with things when they work. Every night, he got a pacifier, would then be tucked in and would reach up and grab one of the bumper ties. Soon after he would fall fast asleep. No problem.

Well, the thing is, it was going to be a problem.

Around the two year mark, we knew we would be transitioning him to his new room and new bed. Moving a bumper with him wasn't really an option since we plan on using bumpers again with our second child. We gradually started moving the bumpers out and started putting an Eeyore plush in the crib with him. I thought, he's a horse (ok, donkey) and he has floppy ears that somewhat resemble the bumper ties, it will be perfect.

Perfect it was not. Second casualty.

So, I got the brilliant idea to make him a taggy blanket out of old pillowcases. I made it completely on my own, which, was a pretty large task since I really don't know how to sew.

Well, my son told me to take that taggy blanket and shove it. Ok, not literally but he did scream "AWAY!" every single time I forced it on him. Since I'm a mean mom, I would just leave it there with the idea that he would eventually get used to it.

Hahahahahahaha!!!!! He would escalate into a screaming fit that sounded very much like "This stupid taggy blanket is eating me alive!! Help! Help!!! AWAY!!! Give me my bumper back!!!!"

Third casualty.

I was bloody. I was desperate. He was moving to his new room and new bed in a week. So, I made another taggy blanket. This time I was much, much smarter. I made it out of the blanket and diaper holder that came with the nursery bedding set.

Sorry kiddo #2!!

I took the ties off the diaper holder, which resemble the bumper ties almost exactly except for color and hoped for the best.

Just Chillin

Winnner, winner chicken dinner!!! We now have a lovey or "Blank" as he calls it.

The only problem about him adopting his lovey is that it opened the lovey-lovin floodgates. He has now adopted Eeyore back, a fuzzy blankie and an Christmas Pony that my friend got me YEARS ago.

Chillin with my posse.

Ok, it's really not a problem.

(Actually, sometimes it can be a problem. Lincoln likes to be carried out to the couch after he wakes up and trying to bring all the lovies AND a 30+ pound toddler WITH a big pregnant belly AND being as short as I am, is a difficult trip to make. And, GOD FORBID you leave a man behind.)

I'm glad that I didn't give up on the battle of the lovey. I'm glad that he has adopted multiple lovies. They comfort him. He plays with them. And best of all, they made the transition to his new room and bed extremely, extremely easy.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

What do you do with an extra $50 (or less actually)?

2011-01-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

You could go out to dinner.

You could fill your tank up with gas.

You could go to the movies but I don't know if you could get popcorn, drinks and candy.

Or, you could build a new entryway shelf!

This project is a modified version of Ana White's plans for an entryway bench/shelf. I seriously can not begin to tell you how much I love her site. So many plans! For free!

The first modication we* did was opting not to build the bench. We just don't have the room by our front door since our house is a bi-level. We've talked about adding in a small bench but, with a baby on the way, I don't know how we'll have room for an infant carrier, a toddler and all of our shoes.

Oh the shoes!!!! I don't know what to do about our little (or HUGE!) shoe problem. We remove them when we come inside and since it just isn't practical to take off your shoes and then carry them upstairs to put them in a closet, we have piles of shoes.

There are shoes downstairs.

There are shoes in the downstairs closet.

There are shoes in the entryway.

Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!

(When you start typing shoes repeatedly it starts looking weird.)

It's going to be a hundred times worse once Lincoln's feet are bigger. Not to mention, the addition of more shoes with another child. Heaven help us if this child is a girl because that would mean even more shoes!

The second modification we did was to add an additional space since there will soon be four of us in the house. The overall measurements stayed the same but the sections shrunk in size. I was able to find baskets at JoAnns that fit perfectly and, as an added bonus, were on sale for $5 each. Believe it or not, they were the most expensive part of this entire project.

The last modification we made, was not putting the back on. You can kind of tell in this picture that behind the baskets is just the wall. I like this better because the entire shelf sits flush with the wall, while not eating up any cubby space and not bringing the shelf out any further.

I think I might eventually go with a darker stain or even stain the baskets dark to give it more contrast. We were saving money and just used the leftover stain from Lincoln's bed. It actually works well in this area of the house since it matches the rest of the trim but I'm still undecided if I want more of a contrast.

*We is a loosely used term. In this case, it implies that I told Steve what I would like and he built it.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T06:51:00.000-05:00

Big Boy Room Update #2

2011-01-06T14:17:00.003-05:00

The Before

I think it's important to see the before of Lincoln's room. Mind you, this isn't the actual before picture because I'm a little embarrassed by how messy it was. This room use to be my studio/office/catch-all. It. was. messy.

It also housed the old bachelor bedroom furniture that finally got replaced in 2009. I need to find a picture of it because just seeing the dresser, you think, gee, it wasn't THAT bad. It was, my friends. It was bad.

There were mirrors.

And columns.

It reminds me of the 80's or, what I imagine bachelors in the 80's had for furniture. I was still young in the 80's (like under 10) so my actual experience is pretty limited.

Except, I did have mad stirrup pants, over sized sweaters, leg warmers and headbands. I even had a perm!

It was scary.

Anyhoo. You know what gets a toddler excited???

NEW BEDDING!!!!!!!! Yippee! Yahoo!!

Since we're saving a ton of money by building the bed ourselves, I decided to splurge on Pottery Barn bedding. Don't worry, I didn't go crazy. I just bought a quilt and two shams.

The rest of the bedding- sheets, pillows, pillow cases and a fuzzy blanket came from Target and Kohls.

That brings us to......
The..... Middle ?

As you can see, we changed the paint from a bright yellow to a more mellow blue. It's good to think calming thoughts when toddlers are concerned.

You can also see the base of the bed is finished in this picture. I'm filling the storage cubbies with brightly colored fabric bins that I got on Amazon and some locker bins that I found at Target.

Such a ham. Melts my heart every single time. His new room really brings out his blue eyes, don't cha think?

Wordless Wednesday -or- Terrible Twos, you don't say -or- I wish I could drink already, damn it.

2011-01-05T07:53:00.003-05:00

Last Minute Market & Screw Factory Open Studio

2010-12-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

for complete details on the Last Minute Market & Screw Factory Open Studio and the Early Bird Hour to benefit the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland, please visit: http://handmadefeelsgood.com/

Sleigh Rides

2010-12-10T12:18:00.007-05:00

I'm not allowed to ride after 20 weeks of pregnancy (which I passed last month) and I miss going for snowy winter trail rides with my Fjord mare, Karen.

This is a picture of us last year, gearing up for a cold winter ride....

Can you believe she was 28 years old in this picture??? She loves the snow. My old, slow great, great, possibly even greater, grandma turns into a spunky filly when the snow hits.

As you can tell, I'm always prepared for cold days at the barn.

..... and moonlighting as a ninja.

You never know when you might need some ninja skills.

I don't think I ever mentioned that Karen is a retired carriage/sleigh horse. So, in honor of her and her old job, I created an One Horse Open Sleight treasury on Etsy.

Some important things that are required for a good, old fashioned sleigh ride. Enjoy!

Big Boy Room Update #1

2010-12-08T11:45:00.010-05:00

Have you priced furniture recently?

My goodness is it expensive.

Not wanting to spend that kind of money on furniture, we decided to build Lincoln's big boy bed instead of buying. I remembered bookmarking a site that had building plans awhile back so I looked it back up.

(And then proceeded to organize my favorites after that because, whoa! Was that ever a mess!)

If you haven't checked out Ana White's website, Ana White- putting the make in homemaker, run right over there and check it out! If you're like me, you'll be bookmarking things left and right. Then, you'll realize that in order to make (or have your husband make) all of the stuff that you want, you're going to have to move.

(Then , you'll join her Facebook page where she posts things like this and you'll shout "I NEED THAT!!!!," even though you already have a perfectly functioning coffee table.)

While I have no doubt that I would be able to do some of the plans on Ana's website, this is my husband's domain and I am more than happy to allow him to take over. He's like a kid in a candy shop thinking about all of the stuff that he is going to get to build.

Besides, I also think it's cute that Lincoln will be able to say "Daddy and I built my bed and this and this........"

We decided to build Lincoln a full-sized storage bed (plans here) since our house wasn't exactly designed with storage in mind.

These pictures are of Lincoln and Steve building the base for the bed back in the fall. Clearly, I'm not posting current pictures since our deck is covered by a foot of snow right!

Building things is extremely exciting!!!

I'm tempted to say that we've created a monster. Lincoln is obsessed with "werk" and grabs his tools, helmet and safety glasses to fix things all the time now. Last night, he was yelling at me to "werk! werk!" and we had to hammer cardboard boxes after putting his fabric drawers together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T09:00:00.006-05:00

This year I have so many things to be thankful for....

A wonderful husband.

A beautiful son.

A caring and giving family.

Amazing friends.

Health.

My husband's job that allows me to raise my son at home.

A protective guard dog that takes his job seriously.

A crazy cat.

Two loving and patient horses.

And, being blessed by a miracle......

A Mouse in My House.

2010-10-12T13:20:00.008-04:00

We have a mouse in our house.

Actually, we have mice in our house but it doesn't rhyme so I didn't say it.

I'm not a fan of mice, or small rodents, or bugs, or spiders in houses. In barns, fine. In houses, NO!

So, we have declared war on the mice. We meaning the cat, Miss Delaney Rae and my husband, Steve. I'm totally pulling the girl card on this and not doing a damn thing about it.

You know you want one to carry around in your wallet to whip out in times of need.

Sometime last week, Delaney caught a mouse and it resulted in her chasing it around and me yelling at Steve, "You have to whack it when she drops it!!!" I'm so eloquent.

Delaney - 1, Steve - 0, Mice- ?

Then, this past weekend, Steve went to Home Depot (or heaven as he calls it) and bought mouse traps. Have you ever looked at all the different mouse traps out there? There are quite a bit to choose from. Since poison was out because of the child and animals, he decided on the good ole fashioned mouse traps.

So we went to bed with traps set. In the morning when we woke, Steve caught one!

Delaney -1, Steve -1, Mice - 0

Then, we realized that we were bamboozled. The mice apparently did some Mission Impossible moves and were able to get the peanut butter without setting the traps off.

Anyone else hear the theme song?

Delaney - 1, Steve -1, Mice- 3

So, the traps were set again, and we waited and waited some more. Damn Mission Impossible mice ate peanut butter off of the traps and even set some off without getting trapped.

Delaney - 1, Steve - 1, Mice - 5

So what are you to do when your plan fails? Hello Google! Steve spent some time googling mouse traps and different ways to catch mice and finally decided on an electric mouse trap that can be reused.

(He also found out that the game Mousetrap never works like it's supposed to but anyone who has ever played that game already knows that. Ah, the power of Google!)

Once again, he set the trap and sure enough, it caught a mouse that evening. Then, it caught another one when Steve woke up, and again before he left for work. AND, the blinking light indicator is blinking right now as I type this indicating that yet another mouse has been caught.

Girl Card!!! I'm waiting until Steve gets home so he can reset it.

Delaney - 1, Steve - 5, Mice - 5

Delaney is pissed that Steve has passed her in the tally and has been camping out by the mouse trap. I'm just grossed out that we have that many mice in our house and am wondering how many more that trap is going to catch.

2 Beautiful Treasuries

2010-09-29T11:11:00.003-04:00

Click on the treasury picture to see it!

2010-09-26T19:36:00.004-04:00

I've been MIA lately and it's due to a combination of nice weather, a kid that LOVES to play outside and something special that I'm just not ready to share with you yet.

I promise, it will be soon and now that the weather has cooled down here (finally!) I'll be updating more often and working on some more prints.

I'm currently working on a series of construction prints to frame and put into my son's big boy room.

Holy crap, he's going into a big boy room! Yikes!

Somebody hold me.

I did an interview over on Printsy: Printmakers of Etsy and you can check it out here.

I also finally updated my Flickr account and you can check that out here.

May Etsy Featured Blogger

2010-05-23T20:15:00.004-04:00

This month's featured Etsy Blogger Team member is HandmadeBySandi!

Apple Green Coffee Cozy with Flower

Sandi has a variety of items in her shop including but not limited to coffee cozies, water bottle sleeves, crocheted hats and Boo Boo Bunnies.

Sandi's birthday is also in May so she is currently having a big ole birthday bash where everything in her shop is 50% off until May 31, 2010!

HandmadeBySandi's Etsy Shop

Sandi's Stash

Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival- Gardening Round 2

2010-05-21T20:40:00.003-04:00

Gardening Round 2 or time to plant!

Remember back in March when I told you about our raised beds we were going to build? Well, if not, you can read it here.

Well, we finally got it built, along with the privacy wall.* And, drum roll please..... I've already gotten most of my stuff planted. I know, I know, I'm a risk taker planting so soon, especially in Ohio.

Most of my seedlings that I started from seed are doing fairly well. I only have to replace my eggplant and a couple of herbs because Lincoln decided to help me out and him and I have conflicting views of what "helping" actually means.

I also planted eleven, that's right, eleven broccoli plants. I just couldn't bare to sacrifice any of them when they grew so well for me from seed. Plus, we eat a lot of broccoli.

Now that my veggies are in, the next plan is to put in a shade garden along the privacy wall that we built. I'm planting astilbe, hostas, lily of the valley, wisteria, morning glories, sweet woodruff and bleeding hearts.

*The neighbor's dog still barks at us. He just goes out further in the yard so he can still see us to bark at us. Grrrr.**

**For the record, I don't hate the dog. I just feel that it's irresponsible as a dog owner to NOT teach the dog to NOT bark at your neighbors. And, I think that it's completely inappropriate to blame your neighbors that are outside all the time for the reason why your dog can't go outside.

Why it's Important to Remember Certain Dates.

2010-05-13T12:29:00.006-04:00

It's really important to remember certain dates like birthdays and holidays because people tend to get highly annoyed when you forget their special day.

It's also important to remember dates like doctors appointments and such because you can really piss off the receptionist at your son's doctor office by showing up late and then they roll their eyes at you and say stuff like "Well, I'll see if she can fit you in" all snotty.

(For the record, I did NOT forget my son's doctor's appointment. I did however, show up an hour late because it was rescheduled over.the.phone and apparently *I* wrote down 9am instead of 8am but whatever. Oh, and they didn't do their customary call the day before to remind you of the appointment. Come to think of it, I never get reminder phone calls anymore.)

(Seriously, what's up with no reminder phone calls anymore?!)

(Hmmm..... maybe they're trying to tell me something.)

It's also really, really important to remember dates like when the vet is going to show up at the barn and drug your horses so she can float their teeth. Because if you don't remember and you walk into this...................

....... it tends to freak you out. Especially, when you're all frazzled because your son tried to kill himself that day.

Poor Karen. I thought she was dying since she's 29 and her tongue was hanging out!

Then, when you look into your other horse's stall and see this.........

........ your normally energetic, fidgety horse sleeping in her feed dish, you tend to stop and try to process what the hell is really going on.

(I will say, that Kohana is a smarty pants though! Using her feed dish to hold her head up, brilliant!)

And then, it clicks! I did see the vet out in the drive! Haha!

Side note.... I took those pics with my crappy camera phone. The new barn that I'm at has skylights all over the place. I've turned the lights on once since I've been there. ONCE! And that was at 8pm one night. It's always so bright in there. I love it!

Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival- Memorable Birthday

2010-04-23T20:05:00.003-04:00

The Etsy Blog Carnival this month is to tell about a memorable birthday that you, or somebody else had. I'm kind of going to cheat on this one and re-post my 30th birthday post from my other blog.......

My husband rocks this week because he made my birthday absolutely wonderful! As I said last week, he had a surprise planned. Well let me tell you, it was fabulous!

I started off with spa package that included a facial, massage, haircut, pedicure and manicure. The pedicure and manicure I'm actually getting done next week due to the time limitations but that's besides the point.

I felt so refreshed! And I got bangs! I'm so hip! Ok, maybe not but the hairdresser talked me into them and I have the attitude of "it's hair, it'll grow back!".

Then, I came home to a vase of roses and balloons. Always a nice gesture

Steve arranged for my mom and sister to come up and babysit Lincoln. Then, we went out to dinner. It was so nice to go out by ourselves and enjoy each other's company again. We went to our favorite coffee shop after dinner and walked around town. It was an added bonus that it was warm enough to walk around outside.

When we came home, I walked up the stairs to a lit birthday cake, another surprise that I wasn't expecting.

Yep. My husband rocks! It was a great birthday!

April Etsy Featured Blogger

2010-04-22T12:37:00.006-04:00

This month's Etsy Featured Blogger is Magdalene Jewels and Magdalene Knits!

Palace Green Opal Swarovski Necklace

Don't you just love this neckalace? It features green opal and light pink opal Swarovski Crystals, sterling silver Heishi flower spacers and a polymer clay pendant by Zuday Gay.

Knitted & Crocheted Black Scarf

I also love this black scarf from Magdalene Knits. The ruffled edge is crocheted along with the flower accent. It's also long- 5.5'! I love long scarves.

To check out Magdalene Jewels or Magdalene Knits, click on the links below.

Magdalene Jewels Etsy Store

Magdalene Knits Etsy Store

Magdalene Jewels Blog

Magdalene Knits Blog

Home Ownership Suckage and the Scariest Mom Moment I have had yet so far.

2010-04-13T20:08:00.009-04:00

I've always told my husband if anything ever happened to him I'm selling the house and moving into an apartment, or a townhouse. Really, anywhere that I don't have to be responsible for the upkeep of the property. It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I really don't have that many skills when it comes to fixing things. Plus, I have a husband that believes that certain jobs are the man's responsibility and who am I to argue that?!

And, mowing with a push mower?? No.thank.you.very.much.

A couple days ago, I was doing laundry and I swore I caught a whiff of gas. I smelled all around our brand-new-in-October-furnace and BAM! Gas smell coming out of a pipe. What. The. Fuck.

We called the Furnace People and they came out and tested for gas leaks. For the record, I hate the noise their alarm makes for the gas leaks. It scares me. It makes me want to run out of the house and yell "Run for your lives!! It's gonna blow!!"

Oh, I think I forgot to mention that the whole reason why we got our furnace replaced in October was because of gas leaks in our old (27yr old!) furnace. Ugh. I hate gas leaks. I, however, LOVE the furnace company that we use. They're always so nice and friendly when they come over. Though, I hope I never see them again.

So, fast forward to this past weekend- I was out in the back yard with Lincoln picking up sticks. My wonderful husband saw this and went downstairs, out to the garage to get a garbage can to help me pick up the sticks where he got distracted by water leaking out in our garage. While looking for the source of the water, he took out every single thing out of our storage closet because, wouldn't you know, of course water was leaking there.

(Main water line in the storage closet is not the most brilliant idea.)

Steve thinks that we have a blockage in our main drain line. Or tree roots. Either way, we have to wait until the weekend so we can rent a tool to clear out the line.

(Notice the use of "we" in that last paragraph. HAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, I really don't know what I'm talking about and if it were up to me, I'd call a plumber and have them do it. See, I suck at the home project handiness but am awesome at using a phone.)

Then, to top off all of the home suckiness that we've had, Lincoln tried to kill himself yesterday by swallowing a plastic Easter egg. Can I just say that this is by far the scariest moment I have ever had in Mommy-hood thus far.

I was at the back door seeing what our dog was barking at when I heard Lincoln coughing. I turned and saw him choking on half of a plastic egg that was stuck in his mouth. Panic set in and I flew across the room. At the precise moment that I dug out the plastic egg, Lincoln vomited all.over.the.place.

So, I picked up my vomit-covered, crying baby and ran into the bathroom where I stripped him down to his diaper, and then started crying hysterically myself, clutching mah baybee to me. It was a big sobby, vomity mess of a breakdown. I couldn't help but think how bad it could have been.

But then, the absolute sweetest thing happened. Lincoln got over the whole ordeal much faster than I did, stood up, cocked his head and looked at me all cute and gave me a kiss. Almost as if to say, "It's ok Mom. Really, I'm ok."

Needless to say I have thrown out all of the plastic eggs in our house.

Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival- Gardening

2010-03-26T22:07:00.004-04:00

This monthly Etsy's Blog Carnival is about Gardening. My garden has gotten larger and larger each year that I plant it. This year, we're (er, mainly my dear husband) expanding it. We're also building a raised flower bed with a 18 foot wall* (ok, maybe not that high) to hide my neighbors** trash and hopefully stop their dogs from barking at us when we're in our kitchen or dining area. Oh the joys of living in the city!

This year I actually started some seeds and had good intentions of bringing my plants to life. Yet, I was foiled by Ohio weather. See, mother nature got all sneaky and threw in some 60 degree days last week. Then, BAM! Without much warning, she dropped her temperatures down to freezing.

And, I happened to leave my seeds outside. (I don't have a grow light and decided to put them outside, in the sun so they could thrive)

And, most of them died.

The End.

Actually, some of the seeds survived. Not many, just some.

Then, last week when we had all of that nice 60 degree weather, I got the brilliant idea to plant peas, spinach and some early lettuce. I even made my pea trellis out of bamboo so I didn't have to do it after the peas begun to sprout.

Did I mention that it snowed? Well, it did. About 2 inches. And I didn't cover my newly planted seeds with anything besides some dirt. Now, I know that peas and spinach love the cooler weather but I'm not sure if they love the snow.

Let's just say that I'm happy that seed packets have so many seeds in them. 'Cause at the rate I'm going, I'm going to be using every single last seed in them.

Believe it or not, I actually do pretty well with gardening once the plants are up. It's getting them to sprout that is the hard part for me. That's why I tend to stick with buying seedlings. But this year, I got the brilliant idea to save money by buying seeds.

My plants do Ah-mazing once they come up. I blame it on my compost pile. My secret is bringing home my horses' manure and composting it.

I am planning to plant our usual tomatoes, cucumbers, different peppers, broccoli, peas and different lettuces and am also adding carrots, onions, cauliflower, radishes and blueberries. I also always plant basil, oregano, sage, thyme, chamomile, lemon balm, chives, dill and mint.

*Both my husband and I would prefer a moat. With alligators. With lasers.

**Ah, my neighbors. I hope that they read this blog and stop letting their dogs bark all.the.fricking.time. for extended periods of time. Especially, in the middle of the night. It's called a bark collar people! Buy one!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T13:01:00.002-04:00

Does your family have any weird traditions that you follow? You know, the ones that other people look at you and say "You do what?!?!"
For as long as I can remember, my mom always served us green eggs and milk for breakfast on Saint Patrick's Day. I have no idea when this started, I just know it's one of those things that has just always been.

Steve thinks that green milk is all kinds of nasty. He had a horrible chocolate milk incident though, so I can't really blame him for not getting past the green color.

I think it's important to hand down family traditions. It reminds you of where you come from.

Sometimes, they remind you of where you want to go. Granted, I don't really know how green eggs can remind you of where you want to go but that's not really the point.

Mmmmm, breakfast of champions..... and leprechauns. Ok, not really. I don't even know what leprechauns eat. Probably small disobedient children. Or, at least, that's what I'm going to tell small disobedient children. Watch out, or leprechauns will eat your toes!

Obviously, Lincoln is going to grow up well rounded and highly misinformed. I'm just giving him tons of material for that book he's going to write. Or, years of therapy.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

My 1st Treasury!

2010-03-15T13:49:00.006-04:00

My first ever Treasury! Inspired by riding off into the sunset and becoming a cowboy (or girl)!

Everyone said that once you get a Treasury, it becomes quite addictive. I have to admit, I'm already watching the clock and coming up with other ideas. What a fun way to showcase other artist's work!

Click on the picture above to see the Treasury and be sure to stop by and leave a comment it if you love it! It expires early Tuesday morning so hurry!

Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival- Best Vacation You Ever Had!

2010-02-26T22:07:00.005-05:00

First off, I'm thinking of combining both of my blogs. I was trying to keep them separate but because of a couple blog carnivals/hops that I participate/will be participating in, certain posts might not make sense so it is probably easier to have it all in one spot.

Anyways, I'm choosing to tell you about the best vacation I ever had! Ever, ever, ev-ah!

Ok, so really, this isn't the best vacation I ever had but it definitely is one of my most memorable. During the summer of 2008 we (my family, extended family & friends which amounted to about 20 some people throughout the week) went to Topsail Island to honor a super fabulous lady that I was honored to call "one of my moms".*

Judy had passed away on February 12, 2007** and one of her wishes was for family and friends to spread her ashes at Topsail Island.

Yes, I know this is probably illegal but this happened in 2008, it's now 2010. How the hell do you prove that we spread ashes down there?!

You know, I've been watching Bones a lot lately. I'm sure Booth and Bones could prove it. Aw crap!

Phalanges!!!***

Anyway, the week was filled with the usual stuff you do at Topsail Island- eat, go to the beach, eat, swim in the ocean, eat, shop, eat, sleep.

My moms always, always put the emphasis on eating. Because, well..... you're on vacation!

I was also pregnant this summer, after a long time of trying to conceive. My pregnancy was NOT fun but this week was a rare week that I didn't vomit as often as usual which was a blessing. My ankles on the other hand, suffered greatly and I even lost them at the beach.

We honored a truly great friend/mother that week. And though I miss her terribly, especially around this time of year, I know my life was blessed because she was in it.

*I have 3 mothers and only one of them is my real mother. You should see people when you introduce them as your mothers. The third one always throws the stranger off. It's great!

**The year Judy passed away we got hit with a nasty snowstorm and the year after, and the year after, and the year after. SERIOUSLY JUDY! ENOUGH WITH THE SNOW ALREADY! WE GET IT!

***That's for you Lindsey!

Feb- Featured Esty Blogger

2010-02-22T14:46:00.011-05:00

I've been slacking this month. I blame it on the fact that there are only 28 days in this month instead of the regular 30 (or 31!).

You know, because those 2 days (or 3!) make a huge difference.

They do! They really do people. Let me live in my fantasy.

Anyhoo, you know how the universe can work in mysterious ways? That certain things happen for a reason? Well, THAT my dear friends is why I have waited to do the February Featured Etsy Blogger.

The featured blogger this month is TiLT Creations and guess what?! She's having a BOGO sale, buy 1 get 1 1/2 off THIS WEEK ONLY! So hurry up and buy one and get another one half off! Score!

Painted Tree Tan Mini Duffel

If I went to the gym, I would totally use this Mini Duffel. It's so pretty and zen like.

Mollie Clutch

This just makes me want to throw a couple of elbows and scream "Back off! This clutch is mine! All mine!" and then run away with it. I'm not crazy, honest. I just love the colors and the pattern.

You can check out TiLT Creations Etsy shops: TiLT Creations which features clutches, purses & wristlets

Or, check out TiLT Too which features destash fabrics and patterns.

Crow, crow, crow

2010-02-06T20:38:00.008-05:00

I think I've mentioned my love of crows before, but I really do love them. I find their presence calm, not creepy. I also find them very intelligent and observant. Lately, I've been obsessing over them and came up with these couple of designs.....

Crow Love

Two crows are often a symbol of joy so, what better way to tell your valentine that they bring joy and love to your heart? I actually veered from my normal path of transferring my images onto the blocks and carving and free-handed this one quite a bit. I know, I was being adventurous! Caw-razy!*

Celtic Crow

I've actually had this image in my mind for sometime now but couldn't find the time to get it down on paper. I'm obviously obsessed with hand-painting my images now also. I'm not too sure about the green card stock but feel that it is appropriate for St. Patrick's Day.

This was a fun image to carve but I had an extremely hard time printing it. After about 6 frustrating prints, I decided to try Ingrid Schemelter's (Kastle Kaos Drawbridge) foot-stomping press method to print it. I must say, she is onto something there.

(However, when your husband walks in on you when you're using this method, he is bound to give you weird looks and ask you if it's a professional way of printing.)**

Crow Welcome Sign

This weekend I also found time to paint this crow welcome sign. I've wanted one to hang on my front door but could never find one that I actually liked so decided to do it myself. I am extremely happy with how it turned out and can't wait to get the hardware to hang it on my door. Even though this one is not for sale, I had so much fun painting it, that I'm tempted to do another one to sell. I guess time will tell!

You can find the crow cards for sale here.

*I crack myself up!

**Also note, that I was barefoot with my jeans rolled up while I was doing this so it probably looked extremely hill-billy-ish. I probably deserved the questioning looks.

Valentine Giveaway over at Sweet Tidings!

2010-01-25T09:04:00.007-05:00

Sweet Tidings is having a Sweet Valentine Giveaway featuring The Poison Apple Apothecary. You have a chance to win a custom 5 vial sampler set where you get to chose your poison! You can find The Poison Apple Apothecary's master perfume oil list here.
Be sure to follow the directions and leave your comment on Sweet Tidings of which perfume oil you would like to try! Enter this giveaway by clicking here.

Project 365- Week 1

2010-01-13T14:14:00.003-05:00

Christmas Present Review!

2010-01-12T12:57:00.008-05:00

I tried to buy as many gifts for Christmas off of Etsy as possible this year. And, I have to say, I've gotten nothing but compliments for these purchases. My Aunt even said I get the best Christmas gift-giver of the year award! Score!

Atomic Symbol for Silver Pendant

by: nicholasandfelice

This was one of the first things that I saw on Etsy and quickly filed it away for a future gift. I bought this pendant for my chemistry teacher sister in law. She is a self-described geek so this gift was perfect for her. She absolutely loved it and said that she will be the coolest teacher ever!

Gardner's Oak Paper Potter by: FuturePrimGarden

I bought this paper potter for my Aunt who has become an avid gardener in her retirement. She said she woke up the next morning and quickly started making paper pots. I can't wait to hear about all of the plants that she plants in her paper pots!

Queen Bess spoon bracelet by: villageboutique

I came across this seller completely by accident and I'm so glad that I did! My mom LOVES this bracelet. She said it fits her perfectly and lays flat while she writes so she can wear it to work.

Each of these buyers were pleasant to work with and shipped extremely fast! I really can't say enough great things about them.

A Big Thank You!

2010-01-06T12:54:00.008-05:00

A BIG THANK YOU! to Laura Trevey over at Bright, Bold and Beautiful for featuring my turquoise "penguin family" note cards in her "Beautiful Things" section of her blog.

If you haven't seen Laura's blog, you should really take a look at it. It's like a great big candy bowl for your eyes! I love the Pottery Barn table lamps that she featured in her "Bright Ideas: A New Look" post. She also has a watercolor blog that features her watercolor paintings. This month, she is doing a painting a day challenge and if you join her, you could win a painting from her shop!

Project 365

2010-01-04T06:36:00.001-05:00

It's the beginning of the new year and a lot of people commit to doing daily projects.

I'm going to be doing Project 365 where you take a picture every single day. It can be of something important or mundane but the point is you have to take a picture every single day.

Why would I want to commit to something like this? Well, I bought this super fancy camera and I really do not know how to use it. The whole reason why I bought this camera was because I could not stand (HATE!) the delay on all the digital cameras that we had.

(I mean seriously, what is up with the delay? It makes me want to drop-kick the camera out the window then get in my Jeep and run it over and THEN put it in reverse and run over it again. That's how much I can.not.stand.de.lays.)

So, now that I've revealed my anger management issues......... What I'm going to do is take pictures daily and then upload them weekly then do a little reflection.

You can learn more about Project 365 here.

Best Wishes in 2010!!

2010-01-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

"To leave the old with a burst of song,
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the thing that blinds you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that's past."

- Robert B. Beattie, A Way to a Happy New Year

Thank you!

2009-12-30T12:35:00.009-05:00

It's after the holidays and time for writing thank-yous. I fully admit that I am horrible at writing thank yous. I always have good intentions and then get preoccupied with something else and next thing I know, it's a month or two later! Ooops! This year, not only did I send out handmade Christmas cards, I'm also sending out handmade thank you cards. I know what you're thinking... "You have a hard enough time WRITING thank yous, and now you're going to make your thank you cards too?" Have no fear! I already have them made!

I love the simplistic nature of these cards. Just enough and perfect for thank yous! I posted the fern leaves on my Etsy store here and will probably list the red maple leaf soon. I figured it was only appropriate to have a red maple leaf note card since my shop name is red maple studio.

Happy Kwanzaa!

2009-12-26T07:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Kwanzaa to all that celebrate!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate!

Winter Solstice!

2009-12-21T12:41:00.002-05:00

"On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
waiting all its life, snow says, "Let me cover you."
- Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter

Hopping on the ACEO and ATC band wagon

2009-12-16T07:15:00.006-05:00

Don't know what those letters mean? Don't you worry, I'll explain.

ACEOs (Artist Card Editions & Originals) and ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) are miniature pieces of artwork coming in at 2.5" x 3.5". ACEOs are offered for sale while ATCs are offered for trade.

I think I'm in love with this little pieces of artwork because it's not a huge commitment to make. And, with an almost 14 month old son that doesn't exactly nap consistently, they are much easier to finish in a timely manner.

Happy Hanukkah!

2009-12-11T17:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Hanukkah to all that celebrate!

Yay for Printsy!

2009-12-04T06:32:00.004-05:00

I'm printsy again this week!

Check out some other super fab printmakers at the Printsy blog.

What is Printsy? It's an Etsy team of printmakers. If you want to check out some other team members, click here.

Are you on Facebook?

2009-11-30T07:49:00.003-05:00

Become a fan of Red Maple Studio on Facebook!

Red Maple Studio on Facebook

I'm Printsy this Week!!

2009-10-16T09:01:00.010-04:00

Click here to see who else is Printsy this week!

I love horses and for the most part, I love everything having to do with horses. I've always wanted to purchase an old carousel horse and put it in my house. Alas, right now, I do not have the room in my house for that nor a carousel horse so that dream will have to wait.

I've always thought that carousels are romantic and magical. There is something about the motion and the music, lights and animals that always draws me in. I could sit for hours watching a carousel in motion.

2009-10-12T15:32:00.004-04:00

The wind will blow their own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop away from you,
like the leaves of Autumn.

- John Muir

Snowy Kiss

2009-10-11T16:28:00.012-04:00

You know how quiet it gets in the winter time? There is a sort of stillness that settles around the ground, almost as if the entire world has gone into hibernation.

I've been delighted for hours, or for as long as I can tolerate the cold, to lay in the snow, just listening to the snowflakes fall. This is trully one of the most peaceful and calming experiences out there.

If you have the pleasure of being around horses, you know that those babies always seem to choose the most inappropriate times to come into this world, snowstorms, thunderstorms, and especially around the middle of the night.

I created this lino-cut, "Snowy Kiss" imagining that quietness that wraps around you like a big comfy sweater. A tender kiss between a mother and son or daughter, in the chilly calm of winter.

Two for Joy & Moon Wishes

2009-10-09T12:10:00.009-04:00

A Gathering of Crows

One crow for sorrow
Two crows for joy,
Three crows for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five crows for silver,
Six crows for gold,
Seven crows for a secret, never to be told.

Staying with my love of crows, I decided to do this lino-cut keeping "A Gathering of Crows" in mind. Ideally, I will eventually do seven lino-cuts inspired by this poem. Right now, I am only offering them as note cards but as soon as I get all of the lino-cuts done, I will be offering it as a print.

You've probably heard of wishing upon a star but, have you ever wished upon the moon?

"Moon Wishes" is just that, the wishes that we cast upon a full moon. I imagine laying in a field of dandelions, daydreaming while my wishes are carried to the moon on the tiny florets swirling around me.

A Vagabond Song

2009-10-01T05:26:00.002-04:00

There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood-
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

~Bliss Carman

Delaney Rae Moon

2009-09-24T15:48:00.009-04:00

Delaney Rae is my new kitten that I adopted. She is extremely sweet and personable. She actually follows me around my house like a little puppy. I even put her on a leash and she comes outside with me while I garden. My husband thinks I'm crazy.

She's still at that awkward stage where she still needs to grow into her tail and ears. She also has these out of control eyebrows that are super long and curly.

I made this lino-cut inspired by Delaney Rae and her extremely long tail and put her in front of a full moon. Perfect for Halloween!

Autumn Equinox

2009-09-22T17:18:00.002-04:00

"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed be, Blessed be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes,
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed be, Blessed be
The transformation of energy!"

- Night An'Fey

I've also joined Printsy!

2009-09-10T11:17:00.003-04:00

Printsy is a group of printmaking artists on Etsy. A big THANK YOU to Amie for asking me to join this group! I'm sure I'll be asking a lot of questions and looking for more inspiration.

To check out other printmaking artists on Printsy take a look at the Printsy Blog. Each week they feature a different printmaking artist. Also, you can see a list of who has added to their Etsy store.

I'm on Etsy!

2009-09-08T10:35:00.005-04:00

Red Maple Studio

Crow by the Moon

2009-09-01T10:52:00.010-04:00

I love crows. A lot of people don't care for them and see them as an omen of death and judgement. I don't really believe that. I see them as more of an intelligent animal.

I think my love for them came with staying with a friend and her family. They kindly took me in at a time in my life when I needed some rescuing. Her mother, Marmee, loves crows.

I've named this lino-block, "crow by the moon". I love how it is simple and showcases the elegant shape of a crow. What better way to showcase that signature silhouette then by a full moon?

Ugh.

2009-04-06T08:20:00.007-04:00

That's how I feel lately.

My morning pages have gotten sparse, my artist dates are non-existent and I stalled out about two week ago with my progress.

What happened? Life.

It's been hard sticking to a routine when Lincoln doesn't have a schedule. It's also hard when your entire house is up in shambles because ordering furniture seemed like a good idea until you realize that you have to live out of several rooms and they mess up your order. Plus, the barn where your horses are gets sold thus, leaving you a month to find a new place.

I shall get back at it soon. I just have to get my house put back together.

Day 3 and already slacking

2009-03-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

My morning pages turned into my lunch pages today.

Part of the Artist's Way is writing by hand, three pages each morning. It's supposed to happen first thing in the morning and be a stream of the consciousness.

My morning went, baby crying, coffee, pee, change diaper, bottle, playtime, shower and the next thing I knew, it was lunchtime. Later is definitely better than not at all.

I decided to write in cursive today. I saw on the news that schools are starting to question whether they should still teach cursive to kids. The idea is that everything is starting to be typed out so there is no need to have the knowledge to write in cursive.

I can't remember the last time I wrote something in cursive. It's been that long. Writing today was extremely hard for me to do. I completely forgot how to write certain letters in cursive! Not to mention, it took me so much longer to write out my three pages because I had to write so much slower. I'm going to write my morning pages in cursive at least once a week from here on out.

New Project

2009-03-02T14:39:00.000-05:00

These are some paintings that I plan on putting in our foyer area. I'm working on doing blocks of color. In each block, I'm planning on layering different colors.

I really like the look of
layering lots of colors onto
the canvas. It creates nice
texture and depth. I also
like layering complimentary
colors together to give
a nice contrast.

I plan on doing a silhouette image on top of the color blocks. I have yet to decide what the silhouette will be but it will probably be something from nature. Maybe a flower or leaf will work.

New Beginning

2009-03-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

I'm going on an artistic journey. Care to join me?

If you haven't read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, read it. It's a great tool to get you out of an artistic rut.

I've actually started this book too many times to count. Then, it never fails, life gets in the way and it gets pushed to the side. I only make it about 2-3 weeks in the 12 week program.

I have a love hate relationship with this program. I hate, hate, hate the morning pages and the artist dates. The morning pages are so hard for me to start out but once I do them for about a week or two, I end up enjoying them. The artist dates are a personal issue. I have a hard time going places by myself. Especially places that I'm not comfortable with. Ugh. I hate them. Due to circumstances though, I'll probably have to cheat on these and take Lincoln with me. At least I'll be doing them!

This time around, I'm going to stick with it. I enjoy the journey and now, I hope, I have more time to dedicate to the journey.

Why Red Maple Studio?

2009-02-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Well, there is a red maple in my backyard.

I love this tree. Steve planted it a couple years ago and it thrives. Each year, it seems to grow so much bigger than the last.

I took this photo this past November during one of our snowstorms that came pretty early this winter. I just love the image of the bright red fall leaves against the snow white background.

I can see this tree from my "studio" which right now is my dining room table. Hence, Red Maple Studio came about. I might set up a small studio in our spare bedroom that we're in the middle of remodeling, or rather, waiting to remodel would be more accurate.

Now, since I live in the city limits and we can literally spit on our neighbors, I cropped and blurred and adjusted to make the header for my blog. I just used Picasa 3 and I'm quite happy with the results. Maybe one of these days, when I feel the need to get more creative, I'll breakdown and buy photoshop. Until then, Picasa suits me just fine.

• shop •

2009-01-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

Create personalized gifts at Zazzle.