un latté avec le lait écrémé s'il vous plait

same old, same old, too busy to post. we've made major progress in the bedroom. hehe, now *that* sounds interesting. since i last posted, we've painted, built and installed the wardrobes, redid the walls and ceiling in the closet, installed the floor, new outlets and ceiling fans, etc.... phew!






i've been keeping busy with some freelance work and i'm also in the progress of redesigning my website, which is much overdue. next week i'll be up in erie while my sister recuperates from back surgery, so i should have plenty of time on my hands. i have a few knitting projects underway; i'm working on another pair of fingerless gloves, a gift item, and trying to find the right yarn for the previously mentioned vogue sweater. i picked up a few thrift store sweaters this week and will be frogging those for some new knits. possibly the central park hoodie if the yardage is right.

in other news....



we're going to paris :) we love to travel, and once we start having little murphys running around.... well, it just makes sense to go now! we're going at the end of march, so i still have a little time to brush up on my french. and it may be time for me to make the camera upgrade i've been considering.

au revoir!

not enough time

home remodeling, freelance projects, the gym, knitting.... its been a very productive start to the new year :)

we've made some major progress on the master bedroom. status: ian finished framing in the new wall and doorway to the walk-in closet, insulated the ceiling, framed in the placement of the 2 skylights (yes, you read that right... jealous? hehe), hung the drywall, installed the ceiling, etc.... yep, some major progress. too bad he goes back to work tomorrow. our next steps are finishing the drywall and painting the ceiling. hopefully the weather will clear up this weekend and we can get the skylights installed. this morning we ran around town picking out some flooring samples for the bedrooms and bathroom which we'll need to decide on soon.





did i mention ian also built and installed a fireplace over the holiday? just need to connect the gas line and we're set.



as for the bathroom, the demo is complete! now we just need to get the old tub out and take it to the scrap yard, and then pickup the new tub and get moving on it in our spare time. hehe... spare time.. whats that?? last sunday we ran out to ikea looking for some lighting fixtures, and decided to stop at lowes. we took another look at some vanities we've been debating for the bathroom. at $278 each [plus faucet], we were still debating. i turned around and .... ta da! there were a few boxes of the same exact model marked down to less than half price. we couldn't pass that up, so its now in the back of my scion :)



i've managed to start a new knitting project... but its a gift so i can't write too much about! i'm going to start on my green raglan soon... maybe this week. i also need to find a new yarn for the central park hoodie. cotton wasn't really the way to go, so i'm hoping to find a non-scratchy wool blend. i've got a list of other projects i want to start... i just picked up the new vogue knitting and love the cover sweater, but think it may work best in a lighter weight yarn for my small frame. maybe this week i will get around to photographing my current works and uploading. no promises :) i'm also going to break out the new sewing machine and start some of my sewing projects that have been on the back burner.

sunday morning we had a deliciously filling brunch at casbah, then a long day of work ... well, ian worked and i cleaned and baked muffins [i pulled a muscle in my back so i am out of commission for a few days]. afterwards, we did some grocery shopping at trader joes, picked up some fresh seafood at whole foods, then stopped at a redbox to pick up talledega nights. for $1. thats it! very convenient and well priced... i see us stopping there often.

tonight we're heading back to the gym. our goal is cardio and abs every day, and adding strength-training on T, TH, and SA, and trying out a few yoga classes on sundays. i think the rule is it takes 21 days to form a habit, so .... i'll let you know how its going in mid-february :)

so this is the new year

finally finding a minute to post. it seems like the past month has been a whirlwind, as usual. in a nutshell....

christmas: went to erie for christmas eve weekend, then came back sunday evening to celebrate our first "married" christmas together. we made a yummy breakfast, opened gifts, watched its a wonderful life, and all that fun stuff.

new years: had a really nice romantic dinner at dish, then stopped by a few parties before calling it a night.



house stuffs: the past 2 weeks we have been moving my sewing room into my office, so that we could put the contents of a master bedroom into the former sewing room/guest room to start the demo work on the master bedroom. we're quite cozy in there... queen size bed, 2 wide dressers, 1 tall dresser and 2 wardrobes. we have very little walking room, as its a tight fit. lets hope the renovations go smoothly so we aren't crammed in there for *too* long.

yesterday was our major demo day. suited up in our work clothes, respirators and eye gear, we removed the ceilings and started tearing down the wall between the 2 rooms.

before:


during:


after:


today ian is going to frame in the new wall, and then we need to finish carrying out all the garbage to the dumpster. fun! after that... a LOT of cleaning, then the actual remodeling can begin.

on to the knitting front: nothing. i don't think i've touched anything since before christmas. i haven't really had the time to sit and relax and start any new projects. i still need to block my swallowtail shawl, start on my green raglan, and post photos of the in-the-round baby sweater. i think it turned out great :)

other than that, we've been hitting the gym pretty regularly after meeting with a trainer to set up a new workout. all in all, i think its going to be a good year :)

happy new year!