deck to landing : before & after

It's always been in the back of our minds to redo the back porch/deck/jail cell one day.  So we designed, talked to friends and started to hoard materials.  A few bricks here,  some flagstone there, and what seemed like a snails pace project now is DONE!!!  Take a look see.









The old, thankfully rotting, deck.  With it's high railing and small stairway oriented not to the yard but the driveway instead.  Sure we had fun out here, and it was functional but it always seemed apart from the yard rather than an extension of it.





This is the new patio & deck ( sorry for the dappled light, it's just been so damned sunny lately)  We built a cedar landing with wide large steps, going to a brick & flagstone patio.  We wanted it to act as a space where kids & friends could come & go.  Eat, play music & shuck corn or have coffee on those steps.   Be in the yard. Here are a few more in shots of the progress















designing the shape & size the materials we had would allow.









Another reason I love my handy & patient husband, he built the stairs on the nights that I worked.  That means these two were happily helping out too.

summer treasures

Some simple shots of what's happening in our neck of the (vary mosquitto'y) world.














I have a piece in a group show that is at our local botanical gardens, we went to see it this last weekend with my mother in law.   It it a magical place every season of the year, especially this one.





















Growing, picking, eating, preserving, storing.  We asked for it and we got it.  I just heard a 'clink' from a jar of pickles sealing in the kitchen,  sigh of satisfaction.
































Treasure hunting today led me & Oscar to a crazy place we would go before we had kids ( because it is FILLED with junk.) But within that junk there were treasures. A  handmade quilt, a wooden tricycle, leather log carrier, black metal lunchbox, large tin serving platter ( seen under those green tomatoes) and ....

  this awesome awesome basket.  all for $60.  can't beat that


Heading to a dance tonight and camping after , crossing my fingers that we don't get eaten alive.  No twirly skirts for this dancing gal,  long pants and socks I'm afraid.   ta ta for now.

a quiet day

Found myself by myself today, odd.  It is amazing how alive your house can be one day and how quiet it can be the next, still, almost waiting for them to come home.  While I do miss them I have been using this time to work on some paintings for an upcoming show in October.  Here's a sneak peak. 

projects, always projects

the camera was working on vacation

We're back.  A great time had by all.  We swam, ran, ate & slept a lot, I think we call came back very aired out, which is all I ask from a family vacation.  I only brought 2 projects to work on,  one is a knitting project ( post later it's almost done!) and the other was my camera.  I finally had time, and such beautiful scenery to fiddle with it, move dials, get low down, try the same photo again and again.   I had some successes,  here are a few.   I hope to have more posts soon about all the folks we hung with wayyyy up there in the north woods.

Headed North

We're off, once again to our cabin up north.  A great time for our family to leave the tv and toys ( and computer, phone, electricity & plumbing ) behind and reconnect with each other. Here are some photos of last years trip, en epic one where our cross-continental cousins joined us. It was a wonderful week together.  This year it's just my little family, but we're meeting some friends up there & hope to have as much fun as last year.

  See you all in a week or so,  happy summer to you.

tiny wooden shoes

It's the middle of my new work schedule so no garden shots, crafts or art.  So I thought I would share the newest addition to our growing dress-up collection,  tiny wooden shoes.   My mother in law found them at our thrift shop & they fit Oscar perfectly.  He clomps in & out of the house, half dressed or to the babysitters in these. 
so enjoy the rest of your week, I hope these photo's made you smile, they sure make me.
L