Finally coming up for air!

Whew. All I can say about the last 6 or so months is WHIRL.WIND.

Last October, we got news we'd be moving to the Houston area for my husband's new job. I spent most of November getting our house in Austin ready to put on the market, we sold it in three days, found a dream house in Seabrook and moved down on New Years Eve. Since then, we've been working on a renovation of the house and finally got moved in a couple of weeks ago. As I type this, I'm in my new studio, surrounded by boxes and a gorgeous view of the backyard and pool. Not too shabby. Too say I've been up to my eyeballs, though, is a dramatic understatement. I'm just now finally getting to the place where I can breathe a little bit and - more importantly for you at least - blog about the renovation process and new crafty stuff! Whew!

Some highlights before I dive in to pictures from the renovation (because I honestly haven't even been able to get proper pictures taken and/or downloaded yet)


A new cat!
When we announced to our kids that we were moving, they both flipped out. Like ugly, screaming, crying, kicking F-L-I-P-P-E-D-O-U-T. So, in a moment of weak parenting, I blurted out to my daughter, "YOU CAN GET A CAT WHEN WE MOVE IN TO THE NEW HOUSE!" She's been begging for a cat for ages, mostly because of her obsession with the Warriors books, but we've never been cat people.

Folks: if I'd known having a cat could be this awesome, I would have cut out the "I'm not a cat person" snark years ago and gotten one earlier.

Little Bit came to us through our new vet's office. She'd been an owner-surrender pet, sent to be euthanized because she'd been peeing on a bath mat. Yeah. Poor thing. Fortunately, the vet refused to put her down and instead fostered her. She's been beyond awesome - so loving and sweet and cool. With the exception of some freakouts over her reflections in all the windows around here, she has settled in perfectly. We adore her. I've turned in to one of those crazy ladies who snaps pictures of her cat all.the.time. Fair warning.

Garage/Estate Sale Finds!
One thing about the area in which we live now is that there are several older neighborhoods (60s-70s) and not nearly as many hipsters as there were in Austin. This works out to mean lots of opportunity for excellent garage and estate sale finds. My friend, Misty, visited over spring break, and we literally stumbled on a few estate/garage sales and hit the motherlode.

Everything in the picture above was scored for about $12 - for everything. I love those yellow tea cups and that aqua flower platter. Together, they were ONE DOLLAR. You guys. One dollar!? Come on!

And perhaps the best deal of that day was the set of awesome furniture I scored at the same garage sale. I scored this 8-ft mid century couch and three chairs for a ridiculously low price. They are in excellent condition and could just use some updates in the fabric. Until we can afford to have them professionally reupholstered, they are living in my studio and are a perfect place for the kids to crash while I finish up work or for the cat to perch on and get a full view of the back and side yards through the giant windows.

And then there is this magnificent beauty that my friend, Mica, scored for me at a neighbor's house. She was visiting and saw it in their "send to Goodwill" pile. She immediately snapped a picture and texted me, asking if I wanted it for my daughter's room. Uh ... no ... I didn't want it for my daughter's room ... I wanted it for MY studio (bad mom? eh - maybe...) ! It's fabulous and giant - maybe 2ft X 3ft or so - and is vintage crewel work done by the neighbor's mother. I traded a few book boxes for it - how awesome is that!?


So while I get settled in the house and start to prepare to show off the renovations, I've got some other things to share with you. Tomorrow, I'll have a blog book tour stop for Susan Beal's World of Geekcraft (One of my favorite craft books ever - and not just 'cause I have a project in there) and some fun stuff to share about Kim Werker's For the Animals project. And, of course, in just a few weeks I'll be heading out to California for Maker Faire Bay Area - one of my happiest trips of the year.


Thanks for hanging in there with me as life took me on a wild ride! It's nice to be slowing down a bit!