junk drawer

this is what happens

to your house when you do trading spaces...good thing I know it will be pretty damn near perfect when I get back.

 

sorry for the crappy photo...we have to run and start redecorating!!!

Trading Spaces

Here are the befores of my room:

And in two days I'll have some afters.  That's because I'm TRADING SPACES. Yes...in my house!!! with my crew!! With Genevieve. For the old television set.

I know what you're thinking:

"But MB, aren't you a producer?!  How can that be? Don't you make the show?  Aren't you a director or something?"

Well...we were kinda in a pinch and well you know...next thing you know they're redecorating my sewing/dressing/guestroom. God I'm a sucker.  But it should be fun.

The crew was here at 7:30 ready to rock and my sister is down appearing on the show with me.  we're trading with another producer named Todd who lives around the corner.  Should be interesting.

I will be posting tommorrow morning too.  Be sure to tune in on July 15th on TLC.  That's in 2 weeks!  Holy cow.

blame it on the rain

I don't know if it's because the constant drizzle or what but I have got the urge to whip up something...which is a good thing cause I got several things in the works.

I have decided to knit myself a pair of socks. I wondered over to Loop yesterday and picked up some delicious koigu which I can't wait to knit with. It should be a lot of fun, hopefully. 

**sorry for the blurry photo.  My camera seems to be on the fritz.  Anyone have a good digital camera to recomend.  If you do give me a shout.  I think I'm on the market for one.****

Then my Amy Butler Gracious Lotus fabric arrived for my newly upholstered sofa. 

So fun.  I certainly will be busy.

up north

I knew I was going to the Virgin Islands this weekend...but I didn't really put much thought into where I was going.  Joe was getting married in Tortola, on an island, in the Caribbean.  And that is about as much thought I put  toward the place.  The trip was much more about the event: Joe and Krista's wedding.

But man oh man, the event and the locale were just fabulous.

Otis and I had great travel conditions for the most part...first class upgrades both ways and our own Cessna 402 on the ride to the island.

This is the view from my seat...notice the landing strip out beyond the windshield?

yes that is the pilot, no there was no co-pilot (scary) and on the way back to San Juan a passenger actually rode shotgun.

The beach was beautiful.  We stayed on the East end of the island on Lambert Beach. 

The rehearsal dinner was on Cane Garden Bay.

But the wedding was just lovely and it was great to see everyone and hang out.  I think a trip in the winter to the islands is already in the works.  Plus, Joe married a great gal. 

yay!

goin down south....

I'll be taking a little bit of a blogging break for the rest of the week...I'm headed down to the Virgin Islands for my buddy Joe's wedding.  I'll drink some rum for all of ya.

till Monday-

wanted...dead or alive

There are some very sick members of our household.  And to be honest it's not looking good.

I noticed them this morning....I might have neglected to water them yesterday and apparently the short rain storm on Monday wasn't enough to keep 'em truckin along.  Sad to say Otis and I were on the back porch Monday night looking at the flowers in amazement admiring how healthy they looked.  whoops.

But check out the big brothers out in front of the house.

These puppies have never looked or smelled better and they are the same exact flower!!  (the wave petunia which I thought was indestructible. guess not.)

Send some happy thoughts their way....please. 

Is it ok to have motherly guilt over this?!

freakin' finally

After much putting down and picking up again I finished these snazzy golf club covers for my beloved.
Oh la la.

For whatever reason I was pushed to finish them QUICKLY, knitting one cover over the course of 2 days.  Funny that it took me nearly 15 months to finish the first  2 covers.

Otis is rather tickled by the lovely METS blue and orange.  Not what I would have picked.  I had dreams of tartan, and intricate intarsia patterns and detailed cables.  Nope.  Simple stripey was all he wanted with different colored pom poms for quick access and identification. how practical.

But, I must say they look great.

It would seem that Otis likes 'em crafty as these replace 3 other crocheted covers made by his ex-lady friend.  One would think that I would be more motivated to finish them quicker so I could have replaced the old ones quicker.  Guess not.  But thank goodness they are done.

I am having visions of embroidery dancing in my head lately.  We'll see what hits me next.

Monday and I reunite

Here I am at my logger again....watching tape after tape after tape.  Narrowing down 25 hours of footage to 44 minutes and 30 seconds.  Always a fun challenge.

At least I had a FABULOUS weekend.  I didn't spend it with my dad (we're going away together next weekend) but we headed up to NY to see Otis' clan which is always fun.

Alice (who is 5) and I had a fun photo shoot on Otis' Dad's property before dinner. 

"MB, MB!!  Take a picture of me walking down the path, running in the grass, laying on the lawn, smelling the roses...."

No problem.

Here are some of my favorite pics.

What a poser....

Sweet.

I also got a ton of knitting done.  I think I will be able to finish those golf covers tonight! Hey...it only took me a year and two months to get to this point.  Pathetic really.

week of color: red

Yesterday I was cooking and I noticed that there is a lot of red in my little kitchen.

It was my grandmother's birthday and I woke up early and made her my Crumble Berry Cake and drafted a copy of the recipe for her.  Then I met up with her and my mother for lunch.  Nothing like dining with three generations of blondes. 

I'm so sad the week of color is over.  how fun.
Have a great weekend.

week of color: blue

Below the clouds  I sat with good friends, delicious food and buttery wine. Peels of our laughter drifted up toward the puffs above as we sat and reminisced about our travels together anticipating the new ones to come.  The clouds obsorbed our laughter and hung lovingly above us, looking down on the warm moment below.  -MB Anderson

I just love this photo of the sky, it's one I snapped when I was in Florida on business. 
The clouds the evening I snapped this were the cliche cotton balls lined with silver. I was eating dinner at the Delano with my Trading Spaces friends after spending our day off on miami beach. 

I also finished upholstering the sofa.

I'm kinda proud of myself. Actually I'm really proud of myself.  I did it without an intsruction book and I think it came out great.  I never thought I could ever do something like this and shhhh don't tell anyone....it's really easy to do!

I'm planning on covering the cushions with Amy Butler's Gracious Lotus fabric from her Sunbloom line.  It's so damn expensive, but considering I've only spent $12 so far on EVERYTHING I might just treat myself. I was so inspired by photos on her website here.

we'll see.