I'm still alive!

At least I think I am. This is the last day of my mini vacation, in which I was supposed to be super productive, and get my shit together, and make a couple phone calls... yeah. I also really wanted one day where I could stay in my pajamas all day and not put on makeup or otherwise deal with the outside world, but the cats are out of food, so I have to go to Target at some point today. On the up side, I left the house three times to go to the Arts Festival (and one of those times I got to sing on the main stage, woo!) so that's a positive. And I did bring one of the cabinets upstairs, and it's currently sitting on a tarp waiting for me to strip and paint it. That only took a year...hopefully bringing it upstairs was the hardest part, but we all know that's not true. Yay project procrastination!! Now I'm going to watch Penny Dreadful and try to figure out a way to put off Target till tomorrow, but I already put my face on, so I'm sure I'll leave the house eventually.

Also, the Mika Pandora station is the best thing for post-TFIOS movie depression. Just in case anyone needs help with that.

This is where I'm pretending I spent my vacation. 

Wake up!

Sooo, it's been a while. I'm pretty sure winter ate my soul. It's only been two months into the year, and I've given up on it at least a half-dozen times already. Hopefully 2015 will be a better year, but it's time for me to crawl out of hibernation and try to salvage what's left of this year (I'm aware that a great big chunk of it's left, but I'm still bitter about winter, so don't push me.)

In an effort to snap myself out of this funk, I've (stupidly) decided to participate in two challenges this month. The first is at my yoga studio. We're doing 30 classes in 30 days. I know how likely I am to crap out at any time, so I'm front-loading my month... today was Day 1, and I took two classes. Go me! Providing I can move my arms and legs in the morning, I'll go to the 9:30 AM class. Did I mention I also have two concerts to sing in this weekend? I'm clearly insane. At least this time I don't have house guests. My parents usually come up for all performances (they're maddeningly supportive), but my mother has a bad cold, and we're apparently all going to be snowed in with 15 feet of snow, or some nonsense like that. So I suppose it really is working out for the best. Oooh, and I have a sinus infection, but I'm on some lovely meds for that. Yeah, I've lost my damn mind.

Challenge two: To post to my blog every day this month. Yup. It's NaBloPoMo, and the theme is Self, so you can expect full lists of every part of my body that hurt from my yoga challenge. I'm also going to get a new phone (I really am this time), and I want to be able to take professional looking photos on the go, so you'll probably get a lot of me screwing around with whatever piece of technology I decide to go to battle with (really, technology hates me. I'm pretty sure it all knows I'd rather have paper and write with a fancy quill and develop photos in a darkroom...). But this is my month. New Year's resolutions always fail miserably (when you bother to make them at all), so this is my Get Your Shit Together month. Turn inward, look outward, and wake up. Some day it will be warm enough for flip-flops.

December Things

So the Holidays came and went, the New Year did the same, and I suppose it's time I catch up on blog posts. I'm not really sure I ever got fully in the spirit this year, and I'm still not celebrating with my parents till the end of January, so I guess I'm allowed to be really off kilter about the whole thing. I did manage to fit in some fun things, and of course I took pictures!

I went to the Carnegie Museum a couple of times, and since I used to work there, it's always a little like going home. I have to stop myself from going down staff hallways and snooping where I'm not supposed to be anymore. 

Chomp!

Aww, your wittle hands!

Rock illumination.

Should have been a geologist, I love rocks...

I had been trying to get there to see the International exhibit at the Art Museum, so when I found out they were also having a ceremony for the raising of the Tlingit Totem Pole that they had commissioned from artist Tommy Joseph, I had to go. The teensy tiny part of me that's Cherokee responds very strongly to all things Native American. Some day I'll learn more about that part of myself, but till then I'll just look at this awesome carving.

Curtain down.

He's holding a seal with his teeth. 

I always enjoy the International... since it's only held roughly every four years I like to think of it as the Olympics of modern art, just held permanently in Pittsburgh. I'm not much of a modern art girl, I like my things old and pretty, but it's always good for conversation. My thoughts are pretty much exactly in line with this article I read in Vanity Fair about the London Frieze art festival. "Contemporary art isn’t easy. It’s not obvious. You need to be told. This stuff has to be—simply has to be!—better than it looks."  I don't get it most of the time, but it's fun to look. 

I would use this giant cage, but not for my hosiery. 

Characters.

It's like a sideways sci-fi city.

These guns make music. 

These blocks of pressed paper will fall apart through the course of the exhibit. 

Pancreas pain is a real thing.

Since I went during the Holidays, they had Sculpture Hall decorated with trees and lights. It's one of my favorite rooms on a regular day, and this made it magical.

Orange cat in the tree.

Hanging angels.

I really love these. Remind me of 'What Dreams May Come'. 

Childhood tree.

It's just a short walk up the hill to Phipps Conservatory, and how could I pass up their Winter Garden? Especially since they have evening hours to show off all the lights. I love it so much, I even renewed my membership, so expect a whole year of flower photos.

Magically creepy tree.

Cathedral in the background.

Garden room. My favorite.

Christmas cottage.

Dino chase. :)

Winter garden orbs.

Pretty lights.

Hanging presents. 

This tree is fabulous. 

It was raining out the night I went to Phipps, so we happened to have a giant umbrella. And you know I couldn't contain my giddy excitement at all the lights, so naturally it led to me playing Mary Poppins. My dad took this photo. I love it.

Winds in the east, mist coming in. / Like somethin' is brewin' and bout to begin.

I Actually Finished Something!

That's right people. After a year (and then some) I have finally finished my first furniture refinishing project!!  YAY!!!! I know, at this rate I will get my house in order just in time for me to die and have it all picked over by strangers in a best-of-the-best estate sale, but I'm excited now, so let me have this.

I bought this table for $5 at Goodwill. I wanted something to practice on before I went ahead and made a mess of the dining room furniture (which a lovely former coworker gave us... I am excessively cheap). This was before I started blogging, so I'm sorry, but there is no true before pic, but it's basically like every other crappy wood laminate table from the 70's. Use your imagination.

After some research I decided to try the Rust-Oleum Furniture Transformations Kit in Charcoal (without glaze).

Fresh paint, mmmm

This is where my imagination got me in trouble. It would have looked perfectly fine like that. But I just saw that little grove going around the edge, and it was screaming for something more. Like maybe a mirror top....

which lead to more research and a trip out to Robinson and the Hobby Lobby with my sister-in-law (I had two coupons so I needed two people...) to buy Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. There are soo many things you can do with this! I have more ideas than time (and obviously follow-through). Add them all to the "some day" pile. 

Gaaa! Streaks! 

Except for the streaks, it was everything I dreamed it would be. Also, you really shouldn't let a perfectionist paint. It takes much longer than it should, and we're never happy with it. This is how the table looked for the majority of the year. I did the top coat on the main table, and that went well, but when it came to the door the whole thing dried milky, and I had to re-strip and start over (I'm pretty sure that's when all the motivation left me). I finally got a much smaller brush, took a painstakingly long time with it in a room wearing my ventilator, and after a couple of days (over a couple of weeks) managed to get it finished.

Silver and Grey

And put back together! I'll admit, I painted the wrong side of the hinges (previously brass colored, now silver) and made my brain hurt trying to make them go on the way I thought they should, but that's a touch-up for another day. As far as I'm concerned, this bad boy is done. It has a new home in the living room with the lamp base I got at Target (70% off) and the lamp shade I picked up at a film set dressings sale for $5 (TFIOS. Can't wait to see the movie!) Here's hoping this (minor) accomplishment will motivate me to tackle the next big thing... painting the buffet table with chalk paint. Wish me luck!

Feels like Home...