Espresso counter and pantry

 Somebody was imitating papa last week.

 This area is almost done. Oh, there's still to do backsplash, trim, a couple knobs ... but way more done than it was this morning.

Progress on Kitchen

They work on the espresso counter

My hard working husband and DRAWERS!

Hood

This is Kim and Ryans kitchen in basement

Teitur Lassen‏

On Wednesday night, I went to the Triple Door with friends and saw one of my favorite singers,

Teitur Lassen‏

He was awesome, I loved every minute of it.

Asher Really Likes The Chalkboard Wall

Things are cookin' now!

 the sink is about where it will be, there will be eating bar on this side, refrig will go in far right corner

 lightbulbs, all he thinks about is lightbulbs

from hallway leading out to deck, little bath will be to right

Basement apartment progress pics

Kim and Ryans apartment, showing standing in kitchen, looking toward laundry room, you can see their acid etched floor a bit, it's pretty.

 standing in kitchen, looking into living room, there will be a peninsula where

that drill is.

 bedroom

 living room

Progress

 first sheet of drywall up in kitchen

 kitchen window

 new little bath off kitchen

How we are living

 

As if it were not difficult enough to live without a kitchen, I made it much harder by deciding to go Vegan after watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives. Dave took the week off, and there is a lot of work going on but they are both hungry all the time. I've made black bean tacos twice, a veg soup, a veg chili, tofu "sour cream" also a lentil salad that was a bust and baked apples, in 3 days! With no sink and only one burner. I have to do the dishes camping style. But it will all be worth it when I am cooking in my new kitchen, right?

Petrified Rat, the kitchen torn out

Petrified rat found in the wall and the kitchen totally getting torn out. There was a check from 1928 in his nest for $3.85 written to the City of Tacoma.

Basement floor poured yesterday

I have been woefully inadequate in posting progress photos of the remodel, but yesterday a milestone, the basement floor got poured for Kim and Ryan's apartment. Also a sidewalk (required by building code) from their apt to the street.
The floors will be all heated and will have an acid etch. My kitchen is coming along too, still in demo mode.

Paintings hanging at Gig Harbor Starbucks

Please excuse the bad pictures, I forgot my camera, so Dave took these with his phone. There was only room for 4 paintings. I worked a lot harder than I had to. The large painting I was working on last night didn't make it, I ran out of time, but I think it might be awesome.

I'm insane, surely, work in progress

I have a show to hang tomorrow, I have almost all the work done and for some reason started painting the biggest painting I have ever done. It's 48x60. I have issues, people.
I hope I can get it done though, and hope it's not too little kiddish or not Gig Harborish.
I can always hang it in our bedroom.
:)

Asher "helping" me paint

It's absolutely horrible, I know, but I didn't let him use any paint, just water, because I am trying to get this painting done for a show. But he did that right alongside me all weekend.
He still calls me mom. I say grandma, but he has other ideas. How do you like that bed head? We were home alone all Saturday so we stayed comfy in our bed heads and jammies.

a song that perfectly fits my mood

The Language of Peace among Dogs

My mom sent me these articles by Turid Rugaas about dog behavior and their calming signals and they are so interesting. They send signals to calm US down! Almost makes me want to get a puppy and start over. But I won't. The picture is of our Greyhound, Flight, who does not live with us anymore. I'm missing her today.

http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1

http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=2

http://www.canis.no/rugaas/questions.php

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who has purchased something from the sale. There are still quite a few pieces left, so shop away. My little studio is so tiny and selling it all (or most) will move me in the direction of painting some more.Not sure how long I will leave it up.I have a show in November in Gig Harbor, so I need to get cracking on some new paintings.

 I've been packing up my kitchen for the last few days, finally finished tonight, whew! We have a little kitchen with the refrig and hotplate set up in the dining room. It will be soup, crockpot or take out for a few weeks. Ryan spent all day with a jackhammer on the basement floor and will probably be doing the same tomorrow.
I hope to get everything purchased so far shipped on thursday.

Studio Sale

I'm having a studio sale, to celebrate moving back into my tiny studio! I will be listing things on etsy all day.If you mention my blog when you check out, I will send you a free print.Oh, what the heck, I'll send a free print anyway.
This picture is in our newly renovated bedroom. I painted our dresser and nightstands black and bought them some new knobs. They look pretty good....Also, I made roman shades for our bedroom windows. They still need some adjusting. We are heavily into the second phase of the remodel, basement just about demolished and the kitchen is next, so everything is still pretty much a mess, except for the sweet haven you see in the picture above. It is so nice.I gotta take some pictures of the finished bathroom, except there is still trim paint to do and masking tape everywhere. But I swear, that shower makes me a nicer person.

***update: I've listed some original paintings for only $10! Check it out!

Hey, you guys! Look!

Stripping

No, I am not trying to earn money to pay for the remodel.
It's THIS kind of stripping:

 This is my studio, drywall up and taped, getting textured tomorrow

 And this is my sweet drywaller, Rex. He is awesome. We have known each other for probably 40 years. It was fun to catch up and watch him work. I made him lots of lattes.

So I have spent most of the last two weeks in what I now refer to as the stripitorium. It's in the carport behind the fifth wheel, and I am using a heat gun and various scrapers to take off most of 107 years of paint off our windows, doors and trim. It's awful and tedious, but I am getting pretty good at it. I have to wear a mask to save me from lead paint dust and vapors, and apparently singing along to Mumford and Sons with my ipod and inside the mask was quite audible to family. They told me I need to beware of my singing scaring little children.


PS, Michelle, Guthrie is a furry grandchild that we puppysit sometimes.

Some recent pictures

 Guthrie

 My favorite thing Kim makes, fresh spring rolls, yum

At the Port Townsend Brewery. We are old.

Micah helped us build a garden shed

 At Sweet Laurette's