house stuffs

so that never-ending bathroom renovation? almost finished. here are some photos! you'll notice all thats left to do is for me to switch out the old light switches with some new ones, along with cover plates. we ran into quite a few problems with this one... about a month ago [?] i finally finished tiling the walls and the floor, and finished painting the walls. ian grouted. we installed the toilet and started hooking up all the plumbing fixtures. thats odd... the toilet is all warm and steamy. [could be nice on a cold winter night; not so much in the basement in the summer]. but the shower was right. turns out, the plumber hooked the toilet up wrong, and we'd have to bust all the new work to see what he did wrong. grrr.... so ian switches the pipes on the outside going into the toilet and sink. well, the plumber had tied everything in together, so now the shower is backwards. we can live with it :) so, we've got a few photos of the overall bathroom, a nice shot of the tile, and some great recessed wall boxes and some found art. i'm loving it.










with all the house painting that went on last summer, we've realized we weren't happy with the green that we chose, and decided to go blue. its a nice smokey blue grey, and it looks great. its hard to tell from the pics because its been so dreary out lately, but heres an overall shot, plus a closeup showing the old green as well. we still need to paint the front trim and railings and tile the porch, but we are on our way.






the new project that will now be taking up alot of my time is my new office. my current one just isn't working out, so i am moving into a larger room in the house, and turning current office into a guest room. the new office is on the bottom floor, and will look out on the back yard, which will be a pleasant change. first, here are some shots of the room when i bought the house:








a little blah, right? well, first thing to go was the paneling. which revealed crumbling plasterwork, and then the brick wall on the exterior facing walls. we've decided to go with it and have an exposed brick wall. i need to finish up removing the plaster in a few areas, then we'll be cleaning and sealing the brick. next steps would be patching drywall and fixing the other walls, installing new windows and getting the nasty carpet out of there and laying a laminate floor. we're still figuring out the ceiling + lighting, but we've got a good start on the room. here's how its looking now:










looking good, right? i'm hoping to get back on that project later in the week, but with all the freelance work and wedding plans/dress making, it may be on hold for another week. but now its time for a lunch break, then back on a freelance project. busy busy aimee!

sp8

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
hmm.... i do not really like wool. its itchy and makes my skin blotchy :( i wonder if its certain types or all types, but i don't want to invest the money to find out! [i do use it for felting tho]. i'm currently loving some cotton/rayon/microfibre-y blends from my SP7.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
i have an interchangeable needle set that came with a case; i store other needles in a mason jar for easy access.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
15+ years; intermediate bordering on advanced

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
amazon, not entirely knitting-related, which i will be updating + posting soon. will be making a knitpicks wishlist soon.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
raspberry, vanilla, coffee

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
i *love* chocolate... dark especially. oh, and french martinis.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
i'm trying everything. currently remodeling/renovating my house that was a foreclosure; also an accomplished seamstress: hoping to get that website up and running soon; i'm a designer by day, that must be where all the DIY-ing comes from :) i'm also in the process of DIY-ing more or less my whole wedding..... dresses, flowers, invitations, etc...

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
ipod, computer + car stereo play mp3s. usually on rotation... dashboard confessional, r.e.m., death cab, alkaline trio, shins, postal service, mates of state, cake. currently enjoying say hi to your mom, arcade fire, rogue wave, hot hot heat, inxs, nada surf, etc...

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
i love blues, greys, black, olive/basil-y greens, burgundys; i really do not like yellow, red, purple, bright primaries...

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
currently living with fiance ian with wedding planned for oct '06, with our deaf dog sydney, our 2 cats black & tan, and a handful of fish.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
yes on scarves + mittens/gloves, occasionally hats. i kind of like ponchos but they do not like me. they overwhelm my small frame and i just look silly :P

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
currently summer tops, tank tops, etc.

13. What are you knitting right now?
tank top :)

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
only if they're super cool and unique :) hehe.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
aluminum over plastic. i use circular alot for knitting in round, or fronts + backs at same time, but use straight for smaller projects.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
yarn winder, best knitting invention ever.

17. How did you learn to knit?
self-taught via book

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
so old i don't even remember what it is. i do have a pair of arm warmers with an inch left to finish laying around somewhere.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
i don't really have a favorite holiday...they're all important for one reason or another. i *love* fall tho.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
hmm... not really...

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
i love alot of the new phildar patterns, but haven't found in the states. i like more simple, fitted, modern looks... phildar, rowan, debbie bliss, etc. no knitting magazine subscriptions yet.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
can't think of any right now.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
knit a pair last fall but it took so long.. a little tedious for me knitting on #2/3 needles. maybe i'll do a bulky pair next. i'm a size 6.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
06/01

where in the world is aimee

i realize that i've been MIA for the past month or more, so its time for an update. i'll post in fun categories with a recap of all the house projects and wedding planning going on, plus all the other fun stuff.

other than house and wedding stuff, we've still managed to get out and have some fun. last monday we made it down to heinz hall for the inxs show. we skipped the opening band [like most of the crowd] and enjoyed the nice weather while sipping our $9 beers outside. we had great seats for the show, close enough to see jd fortune grabbing himself and gyrating all over the stage. oh, and for the googl-er who made it to the site searching for "does jd fortune have underarm hair", i'd have to say no. i'd also have to say he must be shaving other areas of his body, cuz those pants were damn low. but thats a whole other story ;) the show was great... they did alot of the new album, but i was happy to hear some old favorites like don't change and never tear us apart. good show :)

as usual, on tuesday we hit the infamous burger night with joe, while ex-rippler/current-neighbors diane and ed made their first showing. good times were had by all, i just wish it hadn't been raining as i love outdoor seating this time of year. the rest of the week i kept busy with lots of freelance work. same as the this week... i've been really busy, but thats always good. it's making the macbook pro a more realistic purchase :) after a tasty dinner + drink at shady grove, its time for a little relaxing watching some quality must see tv tonight. more posting soon :)