Now this is fun

Who knew it'd snow this much three times within a year in Virginia?

Dual purpose

As luck would have it, the office doubles nicely as a personal yoga studio. The space is quickly becoming an alternate hang out, and as it adjoins the living room with the wood stove it is cozy and quiet, serene and inspirational.

Today's theme has been one of taking care, slowing down, opening up, undoing and breathing in, all at the very same time. It feels so good to be getting back to normal, an even better normal than ever before.

The project

Each time I sit down to write, in particular about our addition on to the house and I want to talk about how we're nearing the end, I stop myself realizing that though we may be near the end of this current undertaking, there will surely be another. And another. And another. Maybe that's the case for every homeowner, that there is always something else to be done, or maybe it's because that's our way. We never seem to be without a project, be it big or small, many occurring simultaneously.

A new little scarf project (for myself) above would be the small project variety and I'm loving the pattern, not to mention the malabrigo from my favorite LYS.

Now on to the big project, yet unfinished, but oh so much closer as you'll see. My office is first, with things moving onto the shelves and the beginnings of some organization. The desk top will be covered with cork next week and then a glass top. Simple, easy, neutral with some texture.

A little closet, covered simply with linen (that I still need to wash an iron, oh well). Please take special note of the fishing poles that are slowly creeping their way in.

The window seat, soon to have a lovely cushion and pillows if I'd ever get around to giving my friend the measurements. Sorry, Suz! They're on their way. And check the storage below. I love it.

This becomes the perfect space for Kevin's great grandmother's sewing machine which still works (!) and has all the original manuals and interchangeable parts, along with patterns from long ago. I so admire how people used to hang onto things and take such good care of them. Yesterday's purchase sits atop the machine, soon to find it's way to a wall in here.

It's a vintage hat stand that I enjoy mainly for it's sculpural qualities, but I find it so appropriate for the office of one who makes so many hats.

Moving on, we have the new foyer. We (I) still need to paint the door and we now think the piano is moving to the dining room. It has lived in many rooms since moving here, maybe this will be the last time. About 5 moves ago Kevin said he was going to burn it if he had to move it anymore. He still threatens. I still put my foot down and tell him where it's supposed to go.

Ahhhh, the new master bedroom.

Again.

Our new closet. Thanks to the closet master (Kevin). Don't mind the toilet, it'll be moving soon.

The bathroom sinks.

Shower. Door to be installed next week.

Linen closet.

Gotta love the view out the bathroom window.

And the view from the bedroom.

Sunlight up the old stairs.

And last but not least I'd like to mention the visitors. I have a steady stream of them in and out of the office. Allie has taken up residence behind the linen curtain on the floor of the closet and has secret parties and writes stories and little notes. I find cuttings, glue, fabric, dishes and all sorts of little things she leaves behind. So much for mine, it's all very much ours.

Almost there

I'd love to show everyone finished pictures of the addition but you'll have to wait just a bit longer. We're so close now that I'm holding out till the end when I can show things more like how they'll really be. We can hardly wait ourselves.

The painting is complete. The electrical work is complete. The floor finishing process will begin mid-week and the sink top, shower door and my office desk top will be here this time next week and I'd say in 2 weeks we'll be moving our bedroom downstairs and splitting the girls into two bedrooms.

Then there will be more work, more painting, but this time more fun, more doable, and on a smaller scale. So for now, all I have are a couple of shots of the light. The wonderful, amazing light that comes streaming in my office and makes me want to live in there, or at least curl up in the sunlight and daydream the day away.

Make my day

I usually take away from work more than I expect to receive. Such was the case the other day when after just meeting a man and starting to work together I knew it would be a special hour. The man happens to be blind.

patient: "How many children do you have?"

me: "How do you know I have kids?"

patient: "I can tell you're a mother. I knew it right away."

me: "I take that as a compliment, you know."

patient: "I meant it as one."

me: "Thank you. *gush* Well, I have three, there's......


So, I send yet another happy birthday wish to the man without whom we wouldn't have our amazing, perfect three.

17

Seventeen degrees means different things for different people. For the dog it means bringing me her Kong trying to get me to play fetch. For my husband it means leaving before dawn to go fishing (yikes!). For me it means trying out the new office for indoor photo shoots like the picture above. Oh yes, this is going to be the perfect spot.

But for the kids and the cat it means they'll hole up by the fire for some electronics and I can't say I blame them.

In the meantime, I'll try knitting another of those little hats above, this time as a gift. I'm using a borrowed pattern from the women over at the purl bee. If you aren't a regular to their blog, I highly recommend becoming one, after all, this is the perfect knitting day.

Starting it off right

You might remember we've been adding on the house. That's right, through work, school, play, wellness, sickness, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, the house has been in a state of construction. Above, you see where we (not really me, more like Kevin) tore off the front porch to make way for more space. A gentle reminder of where we started.

And contrary to many households on this first day of the new year, we are not watching football, eating chips and dip, wings and finger foods, we're working on the house. Even if we weren't under a state of construction we probably wouldn't be watching football, eating chips and dip, wings and finger foods, no, this is much more like us.

Kevin in knee deep in sawdust, the kids are with grandparents and I'm covered in paint. By the end of today the new office will be ready for caulk and my paintbrush.





That's alot of trim to be painted folks and I'm the resident trim painter. I may be working on it till Spring!

Trim carpentry wouldn't be complete without the little bench below, a must save item after the passing of our dear friend, Buck, who used it for more years than we probably are old. I feel like he's in the house with us, giving Kevin a little extra support.

Our master bedroom currently looks like this:

The onlookers survey,

watch how it's done,

and give their input.

From the outside, a big change, not yet finished but almost there. If you didn't know better, you'd probably even think it'd been there all along.