by Amy | Apr 16, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects
Today’s adventure? Snow removal and stuffing replacement.
When I came home last night {about 9:30 pm} the snow was falling hard as ever. And it kept falling all night. And all morning. When it had finally let up I made a move to go out and shovel…only to find that we had received nearly a foot. 10 inches to be exact. But where snow drifts are concerned, nothing is exact.
I have one word for all of that: Woof.
This was the absolute hardest shoveling I’ve done all season. So heavy, so deep. I only cleared what I needed to get my car out and a single shovel width path down the sidewalk. I know, that’s the cheap move. It took nearly an hour and my sweatshirt was drenched in sweat by the time I came in. I think I may have hurt my back a bit too. It was seizing up all afternoon. Yuck.
Since Derek left I have really been fine, but I did miss him fiercely today. Not in the sense that I only want him around to do the heavy work…that’s not it at all. Instead, because I really felt his absence today. Our routine was unable to go on. If he was home, he’d have shoveled last night, then again early this morning. He doesn’t do it because I nag him to. Just because he enjoys taking care of me. And it’s a way to allow him to care for me.
Bummer.
So I came is sweaty and gross and bummed. Then 15 minutes later I heard a snow blower unusually close. I looked out and found my sweet neighbor Henry clearing my driveway. Even the stack of snow I’d piled on the unused part of the drive.
I needed to leave so I went out and thanked him. He assured me it was no big deal and that the work wasn’t too much for his heart. {He had a heart attack in the fall…but is the time that refuses to quit working for even a minute.} Your prayers are being felt my friends. This isn’t the first time divine intervention has stepped in right when I needed it most. Your prayers are getting me through this time.
As for my second adventure: AKA the first project of spring…well, take a look.
I spent the rest of my down time today replacing the stuffing. In fact, I’ll be completing that task as soon as I finish writing you tonight. {I should really get back on a schedule for writing…but that’s an adventure for another day.}
Tomorrow I’ll show you how to repad a naked chair. Until then I’ll be cleaning up the mess I’ve made.
Amy
by Amy | Apr 14, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
I don’t think I need to say much. There were rumors {at least I had hoped they were rumors} about snow coming our way…but this is ridiculous. In case you didn’t know the date, it is April 14th.
Today I went to the Minot High School spring play. The key word is spring. Newsflash, this doesn’t look like spring. When I went in to the play it was barely snowing. When I came out I could barely see.
I’ve been home for a few hours now. The snow has yet to lighten up. Locals say this is atypical. And I really hope so. Welcome to my first Practically Canadian “spring.”
by Amy | Apr 12, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
You know how sometimes I decide to start something on a whim?
Well, today I dove into a project that’s been on my mind for a long time. Years even. I’ve been ready, but always put it off because it wasn’t a top priority. I had other more pressing issues…like broken water heaters, ugly bathrooms or hideous built ins to address first.
Well today after editing so many photos I was sure my eyes would start bleeding, I tackled that put-off project. Or…at least I started to tackle.
Here is the victim:
Age: About 55
Weight: Heavy enough that I have to grunt to pick it up
Status: Single, not part of a set…acquired from Derek’s grandmother’s estate.
I fell in love with this chair the first moment I saw it. The lines, those brads. It’s a classic piece. The fact that it is heavy and solid is a testament to its quality. The downside is that the upholstery is falling apart. The back is ripped, the seams are coming unnailed, stuffing is beginning to fall out of the loose seams. It’s gotten a little worse for the ware over the last few years and four moves. So, my friends, it is time.
I’m reupholstering!
I’ve only dabbled in the art until now. This is my first “real” piece of furniture. Up to this point I’ve only done seat covers and an ottoman.
Step one is to remove the old upholstery…being careful to keep it in full pieces in order to make a pattern later. This part proved more difficult than I had imagined. Proof of that is in the fact that I didn’t get it all removed in the two hours I ripped away this afternoon. And let me tell you, getting the upholstery off of this gem is gross work.
As I freed the fabric from the arm rests and seat a shower of decades old debris rained down on the floor. Seriously gross. Retro bobby pins, dried up rubber bands, change, candy wrappers, pocket lint, and dirt poured on to my floor. This is what I swept up after I finished for the day.
Upon examining the mess, I decided maybe this wasn’t the best project to do in the living room. I mean, I have a basement, why not make use?
Let’s just say that story didn’t end well. After grunting like Serena Williams in a heated tennis match I got the chair to the basement door, only to find that it doesn’t fit. By the time I reached that conclusion I had lifted, pushed, hoisted above the dishwasher, twisted and jiggled. To no avail.
All that to say, this project will take place in the living room. At least this way I’ll have to see it every day and be encouraged to finish it quick.
Can’t wait to keep you posted. This could be great…or a total fail. We’ll have to wait and see.
Amy
by Amy | Apr 12, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
I often have wondered what life would be like if my schedule allowed me to pursue the use of all my God-given gifts. While I can be decisive when it comes to picking a restaurant, travel plans, or say…a new cake stand, my life’s work is up in the air. Maybe that’s not the best way to phrase that. What I mean is, I wasn’t very good at choosing a career. I thought I would be, but there are just so many, many interesting things in the world…how is a girl supposed to choose a favorite?
My days are filled with adventure. Some things stay the same…a few things are stable {I do like stability} but my lifestyle allows for lots of flexibility. I like that.
I work as a fitness instructor at a local gym. It’s perfect work for me because I never have to do the same thing twice. I also work as a photographer. Which is also perfect because no two images are alike, no two sessions are the same. Outside of those two things I really let my mind and heart roam free. I wonder a lot, which is odd, since Google kind of took away the need for wonder. I wonder about random things, people things, adventurous things, future things, past things. Wondering is fun.
Anyway, back to my original wonder. What would life be like if I could pursue the use of all my God-given gifts?
I’m finding out.
This month I have “yessed” my way along. When I’ve heard someone mention the need for help with something that I can do I’ve said “yes.” These weeks have been busy…but the promise of an adventure filled season is on the horizon. And the craziest part is that somehow as I offer up my skills in service to others it’s all fit in. I am feeling a little tinsy bit stressed, but it’s good. I wanted to fill up my lonely evenings and boy have I.
This is a season of pursuit. A season of adventure. I can feel it.
So my question to you is this: How can you use your gifts? What are you wondering? Sometimes we think…”There aren’t enough hours in the day.” I think there are just enough. Twenty-four seems to be just the right amount, any more and we’d all be more burnt out than we already are. Any less and our schedules would feel even tighter. I think Goldie Locks said it best when she tried out momma bear’s bed, “It’s juuusst right.”
There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you are insanely talented and gifted beyond measure. Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to share your awesome. He will. It won’t cost you anything…except maybe an episode or two of your favorite prime time shows.
Think about the wonderful things He has caused you to wonder about…put feelers out and find out something new. Over the past few years I’ve learned that the thing that holds us back strongest is usually ourselves. Take yourself off the leash and be amazed at just how much you can experience/accomplish/do. As I tell my fitness classes…”Try it. If you hate it, you can always stop and modify.”
Amy
by Amy | Apr 10, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Design
This is going to be a summer of letter writing. Writing more letters was on my list of to-do’s for 2013…I just wasn’t expecting this kind of push to get me to act on it. But alas…here we are. Yes, we do live in a world of Skype, Face Time, email, and Facebook. Yet, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get giddy when a real life letter shows up in the mail box. Am I right?
There is something so special about a letter. It’s a piece of the person who sent it. Their handwriting. Their pen. It’s a piece of someone you love that shows up in a tiny box outside your house. For the low, low cost of $0.46. It’s really so very special.
And writing only becomes more fun when you have fun stationary to write on. So…without further ado…I give you
The Great Stationary Giveaway of 2013!
What does that mean? Well, put simply, I’m encouraging all of us to write more letters this summer by giving away custom stationary to all of you lovelies!
The top two examples are obviously fit for anyone. The bottom examples are specially crafted for my Minot spouses also flying solo for a while. {The icons in the lower left corners are Minot area landmarks…}
So what do you need to do to snag some swag? Easy peasy. The Minot Special is free to download. You can get the file here…Minot Stationary and Minot Stationary Horse. These measure 8.5×11 inches. Once you have the file saved insert it as a “picture from file” to a Word document. Resize it to fit and print it out.
The initial stationary is a little trickier since not all of us have names that start with “A.” To get your hands on some custom stationary you must do the following. I promise it’s easy.
1. Give the “Amy Allender” page a like on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment on the wall or drop me a private message with your what initial you’d like and an email where I can send it. Also let me know which design you choose. {Arrows or confetti}
If you are already a follower just write a comment on the wall or a message. I’ll give you the hook up.
Just an FYI…the initial stationary is sized 5.5×8.5″…so you can fit two on a page. Enjoy! Start liking! But act quick, the Great Stationary Giveaway ends on April 24th, 2013.
Amy
This post is linked up at Home Stories and these great parties.
by Amy | Apr 8, 2013 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Projects
It occurred to me yesterday that Derek has been gone a whole week and I hadn’t done a single project. I know, me–alone–unsupervised. That’s a combination that has project written all over it. But alas, I didn’t get into a single bit of trouble last week.
So I decided to change all that. I sat down last night and did a quick makeover I’ve had on my mind for months now. It took about 10 minutes to complete and I love the way it looks. And if I ever decide I don’t like it…I can always revert to the original. Check it out.
Right before Derek and I got married we had each lost grandparents. This sad event turned into a blessing for us young newlyweds. We had two estates to look through and “shop” for things for our home together. The greatest part is that now our home is filled with things that constantly remind us of our grandparents.
One of the things lifted from Derek’s grandmother’s home was a pair of floral lamps. In our current house we don’t have room to have both lamps out at once. So the one lamp has lived lonely on a side table at the foot of our stairs since last July. For a few months now the lamp has been staring at me, just asking for an update.
It took a bit to come up with a way to modify it without permanently changing it. Finally I decided on summering it up a little with a rope-wrap and a new shade.
I bought a package of Manila rope from Menard’s and simply wrapped it around the lamp. I used hot glue to secure it to the lamp. If we want to revert back I’ll just remove the rope and peel off the glue.
What can you wrap in rope? My answer…anything. Anything solid or with a glossy finish can be wrapped and removed. Just put a little hot glue on it and see if it peels up clean. Rope says nautical. Nautical says summer!
Amy
PS…see you tomorrow for another adventure.
This post is linked up at Home Stories and these great parties.
by Amy | Apr 3, 2013 | Blog
I think it’s happening. Finally…
The snow is melting! Before Derek left we spent our last weekend completing a task that we’d set before us at the start of winder {back in October.} We wanted to build a giant snow man. The problem was that after the snow falls here it just stays so very cold that it never is melty enough to make snowballs or snowmen.
A few weeks back it was deep and icy enough that we cut a tunnel through a big drift in the yard.
But just a few days ago, one day before Easter to be exact, temps had been above freezing {about 35} so the snow was prime for building. So we suited up and got started.
Now, when I say we wanted to build a big snowman I wasn’t kidding. Not big like large. I mean big, like…feat of strength big.
You may be thinking, “Isn’t that snow heavy?” Yes, very. Each piece was very, very big and very heavy. We tried team lifting. Grabbing each others hands to make a cradle then lifting from a super deep squat. Yeah, that one didn’t work too well. {Guess who the weak link was there…}
So we supplemented our brute strength with science. We got our bags board out of the garage and made a ramp. It took a lot of pushing and put a lot of snow down the front of my jacket and into my sweatshirt {yikes}…but we got it up there.
The head was a little easier. It’s a bit smaller, even though it doesn’t look like it in the photo. Once it was up the ramp we could lift it up.
After that it was a simple task of shaving the surface smooth and sculpting it’s features. I’ll admit, this snowman is a masterpiece.
But if you think that’s impressive…check out this regal Easter bunny we also made. It’s totally okay and understandable if you are jealous.
Amy
by Amy | Mar 21, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
You guys know Zoe, right? She’s one of my favorite subjects to shoot. You can see one of her sessions here. I first photographed her the day after she was born, when she was still in the hospital. So it only seems appropriate that I had the great privilege to capture her first birthday with a sweet-as-pink-icing cake smash.
When she was done smashing and nibbling on her first taste of birthday cake we called in the clean up crew.
Hop on over to the Facebook page to see more from this session. Interested in your own session? Drop me a line! Your session comes with a custom cake for your little one.
And…if you are more of a DIY-er here is the set up we used. I took equipment and shot this session at Zoe’s house. {We set up while she was taking her morning nap.} These are crepe paper streamers hung from the kitchen bar. It was nice to have this mess on the kitchen floor so it could easily be wiped up. Happy shooting!
