Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Family Portraits

So what did I do with all of those portraits?  Well, first I made crafty mats for them.

DSCF0160

DSCF0157

With all of the things we frame around our house I am not sure why I never thought of covering plain mats with cute paper before. (I must have been channeling my inner Dana Peixotto that day.) Then I framed them all and tall Eddy was kind enough to hang them all for me.

DSCF0170

DSCF0175

Before:

DSCF0166

After:

DSCF0177

This probably constitutes the pinnacle of my life's work.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Little Pantry that Could

Yeah, so, we. are. still. working. on. our. kitchen. Eddy has pretty much taken over as contractor hiring dudes to come in and finish it (and the bathroom). So close and yet so far! But there is one space that has finally come together: the pantry.

We used to have this *tiny* pantry. When we first moved in we were amazed that it was wide enough to barely fit a (drumroll...) microwave!

8.2.2011 058

In fact, we specifically bought a kind of small microwave just for this wee pantry.  You can tell from this picture that it also contained janky homemade shelves, was crammed full of stuffs, and was rather cave-like. As part of the kitchen remodel, we had a larger pantry built.

10.23.2012 032

But since this whole kitchen job went south, we pretty much stuck a plastic shelving unit in there and piled it up with the ole microwave. Yuck.

That is, until the fateful weekend we finally wired a light in there and painted it to match the rest of the (new!) kitchen color

DSCF0097

We also visited the Container Store not once but thrice. (Well, actually five times by the time we got everything just like we (I?) wanted it in there. But we definitely went to the Container Store three times in one day. We even had to take a cocktail break in the middle there.) The result?

DSCF0101

Look! It actually fits the microwave, a wine fridge, an espresso machine *and* lots of other stuff! Most importantly it looks pretty!

DSCF0102

Most, most importantly it is finished. Complete.  Finito.  Over.  (Unlike the rest of the kitchen... Sigh.)

Friday, January 11, 2013

A Secret Now that Only Fire Can Tell

Recently, Sir Edwin of Westbrook

DSCF0013

and Lady Rebecca of Westbrook

DSCF0015

went to a Hobbit premier party. Said premier party included costumes. I decided we should go as the one ring. So I did the nerdiest thing possible and I cut out a cardboard circle (in two parts so that we could each hold one side, duh).

DSCF9985

If you have keen eyes you will also notice that I was watching LOTR while I was making my Tolkien tribute craft. That's just how I roll. Next I painted the whole thing gold. Then I got serious about things and I copied the inscription from the book

DSCF0007

using gold glitter paint.

DSCF9993

DSCF9996

DSCF0002

Then we trounced about the theatre that night showing off our one ring,

DSCF0018

playing LOTR themed games with like-minded LOTR nerds,

DSCF0022

and donning authentic Hobbit 3D glasses (which we might or might not have made off with after the show).

DSCF0026

I am Lady Rebecca of Westbrook, queen of the craft nerds.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Happy Tails To You

So, Harry Potter has happy tail. It's a common problem among pit bull breeds. Basically he wags his tail so emphatically without regard to what it might be smacking into that the tip of his tail bleeds. (Pretty charming, I know. Did I mention Harry Potter is looking for a home...) To treat the happy tail he has to wear a cone.

DSCF0068

Sometimes he makes this face about it:

DSCF0080

But more often than not he just runs through the house at top speed until that poor plastic cone shatters into a million pieces which I spend hours reassembling with packing tape. Also, we tried lining his crate with cardboard since he wags his tail real happy-like inside his crate when we come home.

DSCF0094

Said cardboard lasted approximately two days. Finally, we hit on the idea of taping a sock over his tail.

1.7.2013

We are happy to report that after a few days of Harry Potter Cotton Tail he is good as new! I am a dog genius.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Pigs Love Eddy

How could it be that we have never been to the Texas Renaissance Festival just the two of us?  The first year we went with Dave and Dana and the second year we took my folks.  This year it was just us.  We saw this dude.

DSCF9845

He did an amazing pantomime act.

DSCF9847

Oh yeah, also he juggled fire. We also saw this dude.

DSCF9852

Yep. Very Renaissance-y. Eddy threw some axes in honor of Dave.

DSCF9853

DSCF9856

I petted some goats in honor of, well, petting goats.

DSCF9867

DSCF9861

DSCF9864

What you can't tell from these pictures is that there were two pigs at the petting zoo. Eddy liked to scratch their backs. In return, they made these very loud SQUAUUUUNK noises at him. Pigs love Eddy.