Office Chair Makeover

I've been on the search for a cushion for the office chair I scored on Kijiji for $20. So far I've bought and returned four. I think I'm going to sew one instead. I'll post pictures once I do. Until then here is a before and after on the paint job. And one with one of the silly looking little cushions.

Let there be lamps.

I picked up this lamp for free on kijiji.

I taped off the fixture and cord using some very advanced techniques and spray-painted the base.

And then added an inexpensive new linen shade. Much better.

This and That: The Random Edition

I'm starting to fall into old habits of not posting. Okay, so on second thought my last post was only Thursday and right now is Sunday night and for some reason I was thinking that that is four days. But I'm not going to make some joke about how math isn't my strong suit because it actually always was. Anyhow, the good new is that I only missed two days which isn't bad at all now is it? I've noticed in the blogging world that it is often commonplace for bloggers to write posts in advance and either save them for future use or have them post at a scheduled time. I was such a good little blogger the other weekend when I went away and  did just that; wrote a post for every day that I was going to be away and scheduled them to post automatically. Thinking about this made me consider writing posts and setting the date/time labels to the days that I missed. But that seems somehow wrong and like it would be cheating. Why is it okay for the future but not for the past? Kind of like setting a clock or watch by turning back the time? The way the days, weeks and months have been flying by, wouldn't that be nice.

Speaking of the blogging world I've recently started making use of the lovely website bloglovin.com and I have to say I enjoy it quite a bit. I've tried Google Reader but I've never been a fan so I'm really pleased with the ultra simple layout of Blog Lovin'. I actually don't have very many blogs that I check regularly but this will help me check the ones that I do faster, and not bother checking one that hasn't updated. Oh, simple pleasures.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about photography and investing time in learning more and taking better photographs. I've been interested in photography since pretty much elementary school and I don't know why I haven't taken more time and effort into really developing my skills. I'm making it a point to do so, so with any luck (and a little effort) I'll have some nice photographs to post before too long. I have a roll of 220 in my Holga that I need to remember to get processed. That has little to do with photographic skill but I'm really excited to see what little treasures await there. Here is one photograph that I took that I'm not quite sure why, but I really like it.

I've been working away as usual on house stuff and various little projects. I just need to find fabric to upholster the bamboo chairs and they are done, my office chair just needs a cushion and it's done, the mudroom just needs the trim to be finished, shelving installed and a couple of finishing touches and it will be complete. I just bought a fun new toy to help with some of the projects I've been doing. Dave is convinced I'm going to cut my finger off. Doesn't he know that I was once the poster child for a national safety campaign?

In other important news, the quest for a squeeze bottle to fill with caramel is turning out to be a challenging one. Walmart and the Dollarstore both disappointed. If I had had one I could have drizzled the top of the banana bread I baked for Dave tonight with it. I would take a picture and post it but it will be gone before I get a chance. It's pretty much his favourite thing ever.

I had a pretty amazing experience on Saturday that I'd like to write about but I think it deserves its own post. and besides, it's sleepy time.

Goodnight. :)

A Work Horse Not A Show Pony

I'm in the process of giving a couple of bamboo chairs a face lift. Want to see a before photo? I thought you might...

The chairs came from my Aunt who moved out West who got them from my sister who got them from a yard sale maybe? When I pulled off the seat from one of the chairs I saw something that I would like to think is a good omen:

If you knew me as a child you'd know that I used to write my name on everything. And yes, furniture is included in everything. So strange. It even looks like my six-year-old scrawling. There was also a sticker on one of the chairs. It said, "Do Not Move To New Building". Poor chairs. They got left at the old building.

I usually have a project or two on the go, and at least 100 plans and dreams and schemes in my head, waiting in the wings. And lately David has been complaining a lot about it and I don't understand why. I can see complaining about someone who is really lazy. Even lazy people think poorly of lazy people. But I'm working. Working really hard. And when is that a bad thing ever? Anyway. Speaking of working hard, the mudroom makeover is coming slowly but surely. Last night I got a coat of paint on the floor and tonight I did the finish coat. Looks much better than it did. After all that sweaty hard work, what better way to relax than with a blended iced coffee drink with caramel and whipped cream?

Why yes, I have been using my Copco Eco-First Sierra Tumbler. Thanks for asking.

This and That: The Headache Edition.

So when I posted about those roofers earlier, it was annoying, but mostly laughable. But then they were there ALL DAY and they got noisier and more annoying throughout and then around noontime the honking of a truck horn started, and continued for the next hour and a half. And then I called the cops. Okay, no I didn't. But I was tempted and am considering this their get out of jail free card. I'm calling next time. End. Of. Story. Thankfully, I had to go into the office late in the afternoon and I noticed as I did how tense I was in the neck and shoulders. I guess being irked for most of the day by the neighbours caused me to tense up without realizing it. Before I left I thought to check in on the case of the missing phone bill and behold more tension and annoyance (I won't get into the details as Aliant's incompetencies deserve their own post entirely).

I headed over town and went to work and ran a few errands. Home for about two seconds before I headed to meet my Mom and Dad and Aunt for a going away dinner for my Aunt that is moving to Manitoba to live nearer her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. So while sending her off shouldn't necessarily be a happy occasion, it shouldn't be an entirely awkward one either. I will just say that my parents insisting on paying for her meal for some reason got her in a huff and she ended up getting mad and ended up taking off for the car before anyone else and she was all angry or something and then when I went to say bye to her she was being all snarky and sarcastic with me. It was rather upsetting really. I am going to chalk it up to stress and nerve medication. But the very very naughty side of me is also thinking that she managed to turn a farewell meal into a good riddance dinner. Apparently she gave my parents the silent treatment the rest of the way home. Dad said, "18 more hours". At this point I would also like to add that my parents are the only relatives she has in this city that she speaks to and they take her to get groceries, they bring her to their house for all holiday and birthday celebrations, they have recently put their kitchen renovation on hold to haul car load after car load of her belongings around, and for the last few days she has been staying with them so she could have her apartment emptied and ready to go. Anyway, not the nicest note to end on but what can you do.

After that debacle, I headed over to pick up an antique (or old at least) oak wooden office chair that I bought from some lady on the cheap. I'm going to sand and paint it and make or buy a cushion for it. See, I told you I'm already working on my office makeover. I popped in the house long enough to turn around and walk back out and headed out to pick up a couple new sets of blinds for the bedroom. I would like to gather up all of the cheap roller blinds in the world and torch them. Anxiety. The ones in our bedroom are crap and will never go down when you want them to and will never go up when you want them to. And when they finally give in, they give in with such gusto that they fly wildly out of their brackets and through the air. Next time they fly it will be into a dark corner of the basement.

I ended my day trying to figure out how to adjust my new old chair and ended up with black stuff all over my hands and the kitchen floor. It's okay, it needs a mopping anyway. Anyhow, just when I thought it was stuck 6 inches off of the ground, I unstuck it. Happy Ending. It's a good thing though that all the screws appear to be tight on it because I took out some screwdrivers and none of the tips seemed to fit which makes me think that maybe they weren't a standarized size, at least by today's standards. Most of the heads were those star ones (no, not phillips but the uncommon 6-pointed star (star of David) ones). And, embarrassed that I completed two of four carpentry blocks and don't know the name of them, I've looked it up and it appears they are called Torx. I feel better actually because I've never heard that in my life so I didn't just forget. And I've learned something new. And maybe so have you.

Tomorrow I will be doing ground work with the two younger horses in the morning. And then I'll be coming home to sand and put the last coat of poly on the headboard I built. If all goes as planned that sucker should be bolted to the bed frame on Sunday. I also want to work on the bedroom curtains I'm sewing, put up the new blinds I just bought, prime the office chair and maybe even accomplish some gardening. I'd like to also take some photographs of flowers in our yard for a little project I want to do.

This post was rather random but it has served its purpose: decompress, de-stress and then go to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.