Works in Progress

I've spent a lot of time in the basement this last week.  There were three layers of paneling on the walls.  I pulled off all of the layers in one spot (to check for any mold, water damage, etc.) and I decided to leave one of the layers up.  I patched, primed, and painted the walls over the last few days.

And on the other end of the basement, I've got to add paneling below the drywall.

And then there is the never-ending painting!

I will be happy never to see a dark cornflower blue ever again!

I've also been tying to finish up my few refinishing projects that I've been working on for a while:

...and...

Around the Homestead

I've been hard at work this last week - painting the living room, revamping some furniture, and doing some decorating around the house.

Don't mess with a girl wearing a mask!

I will also quickly profess my love for these two tools: 

First off is Frog Tape  - I've used blue painters tape, and honestly, it works alright, but this stuff works amazingly.  I usually just use it for the ceilings, and hand cut around the molding, windows, and doors by hand.  For that I use this Shortcut Angle Sash Paintbrush,

 

It is really easy to control in tight areas, and holds a surprising amount of paint.  I've used it for four rooms now, and it is still in tip top shape. 

If only I could paint over the carpet...

Don't you love the floral pattern?  Ugh, this stuff is in the living room and all of the bedrooms.  I can't wait to get it out of the house!  We are planning on installing hardwood floors in the living room, and replacing the carpet in the bedrooms.  That day cannot come soon enough!  Until then we are stuck in blue floral purgatory.  

But, in good news, my studio is coming together, and I am starting some new projects that I am excited about.

Also, I've finally started to get some furniture for the living room.  Up until a few days ago, it was just a couple chairs!  I picked up this mid-century broyhill credenza for a cool $10!  

Amazingly, I fit it in my Corolla!  I was determined, and with a little twine and some ingenuity, I succeeded. 

Kittehhhs

My cats are adorable.  

Rascal:

Bo:

He's sticking out his tongue! :)

The end.

Masonite Panel Hanging Tutorial

I spent a good part of the last few days getting some work matted, framed, and packed for a show that I'm a part of next month (more on that later).  I figured I would share with you the way that I hang my masonite panel paintings.  I wanted them to float off the wall while also being stable, and easy to hang.  I've used this method for both small and large panels, and it seems to work wonderfully.
So here is my panel:

It is about 1/8" thick, so most traditional ways of hanging panels are ruled out.

Here are the supplies you'll need (plus glue!)

*please note, the phrase 'baby saw' is referring to the size of the saw, not the intended use.

You should be able to screw the screw eyes in with your hands, no special tools needed.  Then simply glue it to the back of the panel.

When you nail the nails into the wall, you can angle them up to make sure the panels stay flush to the wall.  The second wood strip is glued to the bottom of the panel - this keeps the panel floating off the wall at a consistent depth.

I've used this method to hang both paintings on, and photographs mounted to masonite panels.  The finished image appears to float on the wall, and doesn't need any additional framing.  I think it is the perfect solution when you want a minimal way to present your work without the distraction of a frame.
If you use this method to hang a piece, let me know in the comments to this post, I'd love to see what you do!
--Cassie Marie

Slow Progress

I've been working on a lot of unexciting house stuff these last few days.  Painting, pulling up carpet, cleaning, etc, but hopefully soon I'll get to the more fun parts - like buying furniture!  But, I'm working my way through the painting and major basement overhaul first, so I can have the windows open while I work.  It is getting so cold outside -- I keep wondering where summer went!


I'm working on the porch today, I can no longer stand the bright country yellow paint.  So, it is getting painted a light grey.  We'll also be replacing the carpeting on the porch, but that may wait until the spring. right now it is forest green. Ack.  At least it will be a little better with the walls painted.

Despite the awful color scheme out on the porch, I've been loving spending time out there.  It is really nice to be able to enjoy it now that the temps have gone down a bit and it isn't like a sauna in there.
After all of our hard work the last few days, I decided to make us a wonderful dinner last night.  It is my specialty chicken zuchinni curry with flat noodles.

I was thrilled to find there were a few oriental grocery stores in Sioux Falls.  There will be many more curries to come this fall!  :)

So Happy!!

Congrats to my beautiful sister Amy, and her new husband Zach!!  I am so happy for you guys.  Isn't my sister beautiful!!

Her and my other sister Molly:

Her and I (and my June Carter hairdo!)

Amy and our Cousin Adrianna - her flower girl.

Adrianna's older sister Alexandra was Nate and I's flower girl! :) See? That was almost three years ago!

The wedding was really great, and it is was wonderful to see my sister so happy. :)

The Last Few Weeks, In Short

Recap of the last few weeks:

Pack. Pack. Pack.  Our apartment was a bit like a maze for a while.  I had to move out of my studio at the university - bring all of my stuff to our apartment, and then pack up the rest of our apartment.  I was exhausted.

When the movers came to pack the truck, we put the cats in one of the back closets.  They were seriously weirded out when they came out and our entire apartment was empty.  They ran from each room into the next meowing in confusion!  poor them!

It was a little bit nuts when we made the first trek to South Dakota - it was a 9 1/2 hour drive from Illinois, and we stopped in Wisconsin to visit the parents and Nate's brother.  

The trek across Minnesota is the most boring part of the journey though...  it is disheartening to hear the garmin say "Continue 290 miles" -- Ouch...  But, on the plus side, there is very little traffic!  

When we arrived, we stayed in Sioux Falls for the night, and got up the next morning to buy our new (to us) house!  It is a little 3 bedroom 1960's ranch with a finished basement.  We are so excited to start making it ours.  :)

The living room:

My studio:

(I've already painted it and ripped down those hotel-style curtains! )

The former owners really liked blinds...

So, it is a giant work in progress, but I can't wait to get her looking beautiful!

But don't worry, it hasn't been all unpacking/cleaning/driving/painting...  Nate and I took a break last week to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary!  We've been together for over 10 years total, and he's still on my good side -- Major accomplishment!!

To celebrate we went into Sioux Falls, had a wonderful lunch at "K" Restaurant, and did some shopping.  It was lovely!

Supercell

So as you may have noticed, I have been a bit absent.  In the last few weeks we've packed up my studio and our apartment, moved almost 600 miles (from Illinois to South Dakota), closed on a house, unpacked, drove to Wisconsin and photographed the wedding of some great friends, and occasionally slept.
Things have been a bit chaotic- but the good kind of chaotic.


Last night, we saw this supercell thunderstorm go just north of our town, and then we drove out to a hilltop and took some photos of it as it moved away from us.

I couldn't believe how much lightning there was.  We just sat outside and watched it for about a half hour before the mosquitoes drained us dry.

It was awesome.

In other news, I'm back to my regularly scheduled blogging.