by Amy | Aug 2, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
You remember Lauren and Ricky {oh, and Samson of course}?! Well their beautiful baby has made her debut and I had the grand pleasure of taking sweet baby Evolet’s first set of portraits. Just like her parents, she is great in front of the camera. So photogenic, so laid back. She doesn’t even know what it means to pose, but she’s pretty darn good at it.
Recently I added these super adorable vintage nursery scales for my prop collection. Don’t you love it?
Shooting Evolet’s session was so super fun. And I do mean SUPER. Lauren and Ricky are a fun, quirky couple and I’m all over that. So when Lauren pulled out a pair of daddy-daughter super hero capes that she gave Ricky for Father’s Day {how sweet, right?} I was more than excited to shoot a few {okay, a few dozen} frames of the two disguised as their alter egos.
Tomorrow I’ll be putting together a birth announcement for this exciting addition. Be sure to look for Evolet’s full session on the Facebook page next week!
Amy
by Amy | Aug 1, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
Okay folks. Today is the day I show you how I made my outdoor room dreams come true. I’ll tell you what I did, what I bought and where I got it. Heck, I’ll even tell you things that I got wrong so you can get them right. Now, I know you’ve seen this photo a million times…but here’s the shed. This is what I started with.
The first challenge was getting rid of that thing. Originally I had thought the toughest part of getting that out of the yard would be convincing Derek that it was a good idea. But, well, then he had to leave for a bit. And there is very little he can do to stop me via Skype. So I made sure all our stuff had a home in the garage or the garbage can and listed this bad boy online.
A nice gentleman and his wife wanted it. They came, dissembled it and hauled it all away. Then I was left with this…Which, according to the neighbors, was already an improvement.
There are a couple things you can note from these images. First of all…I used the packed dirt where the shed had been to do a little spray painting. That’s from a frame I repainted for my gallery wall. Next you can lay your eyes on all the other junk trash usable materials without the shed to distract you. At the time I didn’t know if or what for I could use all that weathered wood, but I decided to keep it on hand…just in case. It was all pressure treated, so despite it’s color it was actually pretty good quality.
In the end, keeping it proved to be a good choice. Now I have a table and benches to match.
Next came the most challenging part of this whole process: making the ground level. This was hard for a few reasons. One being that there were two stumps and a chunk of rail road lumber in the dirt where the patio would be. I had decided on a 10×15′ patio space, so I needed to level the ground where the shed had stood as well as the surrounding area.
I looked at renting tools to remove stumps. {I’m too cheap.} And tutorials on burning them out. {Too impatient…I was itching like a kid with poison ivy to start laying bricks.} Eventually though, I decided to just dig. If I couldn’t get them out…well…then I’d have to resort to different measures. So I dug down around each stump. It was pretty easy going because the stumps were a big rotten underneath. When I hit a root that my shovel couldn’t cut, I took an axe to it. This took a bit of time…and boy were they heavy to pull out, but out they came.
To get the rest of the area leveled, I began shoveling the elevated dirt from the shed’s foundation to lower areas. In places where grass would be covered I dug it up and transferred it to that dead dirt patch you saw in the previous image. There is no secret to this. Just one shovel at a time. I packed the dirt down with a home-rigged tamp and checked for level until it was pretty much even.
Now I had to make a big trip to Menard’s. I picked up edgers to contain the patio floor {that’s those long gray stones around…well…the edge}, play sand {the cheap kind you’d use in a sand box}, and a steel fire ring {nothing too fancy since it would be covered by brick anyway.}
First set your edge blocks. This is a bit hard and time consuming. They need to be set in the dirt a few inches to be firmly held in place. And they need to be level.
Now…let me take a moment to talk about level on a patio. You do not want things to be exactly level. Yep, you read that right. To allow water to run off, set your stones on a slight {very slight} slope.
So put your edgers in one at a time. Check for level after each one. Use a square on your corners to make sure they are 90 degrees. This friends, I did not do. And boy was it a mistake. If you come to my house you’ll notice a weird side of my patio. That’s because it’s not perfectly square. Bummer. So check for level and square. It’s worth it.
Once your perimeter is in place rip open those bags of sand. The area of my patio is about 150 ft sq. I used 30 bags of sand at 50 lbs each. You need a bed of sand at least an inch deep. So pour it in. Then level that out. I used a little contraption my dad showed me how to make. You can see it in the first image above.
Take a long level length of wood. {I used a 4×4 post I dug out.} Lay that across your patio space, resting on the edgers. Attach a second, skinnier piece to its side. Attach it so that it hangs down to the point you want the bottom of your pavers or bricks to rest. In my case, I used 2.5″ bricks, so my board {the green one above} hung 2.5″ down from the edgers. With your long post resting on the edgers, drag it across your area {best if you invite a friend to help}. No you have level sand. Make sense? I hope so.
Once the sand has been leveled out, you can start laying your stone. Again, always check for level.
I used a quick set mortar to hold the bricks in place around the fire.
After all your bricks are in place get a few more bags of sand. {I used 2.5 50 lb bags.} Dump some sand out and start sweeping it into the cracks. Do this over several days as the sand settles.
Then furnish your new space. As I told you in previous posts…the pair of chairs was a Salvation Army find for $30 total. I recovered them. The bench was pulled from a local variety shop in town. The cushions were a summer clearance item from Target.
It looked good…but I craved more. It needed light! I have no trees around the patio to hang them from…so I came up with this alternative.
Back to Menard’s. This time for new 2×4’s. I bought 4 12′ posts and 2 10′ posts. At each corner of the patio I dug down three feet. Yes, that’s deep. Then I cemented the four tall posts in with Quickrete. Check for level!!
Grab a friend for this next part. Once the concrete has dried completely, you can hang the upper lintel. I did it alone…but I really don’t know how I manages it. Screw them in place with deck screws.
I used 5 strands of 20′ patio lights from Target to create a canopy of light above the patio. I ran each strand between the posts around nails that I put in the top of each lintel. After wrapping the cord around I hammered the nail head down slightly to hold the cord in place.
Then I moved all the furniture back in and boom…patio, roasted.
Other things on my shopping list:
A grate to cover the fire pit…that’s code here in PraCan.
An adorable ottoman…super sale from Target for only $12.00
Plants for planters recovered from the yard
A white extension cord to power those precious lights {Target}
Two mercury glass lanterns from Menards
Two citronella candles to ward off the state bird of North Dakota {mosquitoes}
Did I miss anything? If you have questions that I didn’t cover…let me know! I’d love to hear from you. And yes, I did this. Me. A girl. With no husband in sight. I’m terrible at math. And only moderately strong. If I can, you can.
Amy
by Amy | Jul 30, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
I wish I took more self portraits. That way I could show you just how ridiculous the things going on at my house really look. But alas…I’m much too busy with my projects and hurting myself…and doing things in weird, awkward, one-man-show type ways to stop and pose for a selfie. Maybe I’ll work on that in the future.
So, you’ll never believe this, but…the patio is done! Yep. Done. As in finished. As in I’m hosting my very first big party on the patio on Saturday. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see some photos though. I put the finishing touches on it this past weekend. While doing so, I got to thinking about what the neighbors must think.
You see, Derek and I moved into our house just about a year ago, but up until recently–while he’s been gone– we didn’t know any of the neighbors. My sole interaction with one of them was just long enough for Henry {yes, that’s his real name and he is married to a Betty–adorable, I know!!} to tell me not to shovel my snow over the property line. So I didn’t. And I minded my own business. And I went about my business. Then something happened. I think I sort of morphed into that “crazy person” down the street. I started unleashing fury on my project list and in turn, created a bit of a spectacle.
At first I only noticed some looks from folks driving by. Then walkers turned into gawkers. Then the neighbors started asking questions. I get pretty shy and awkward when approached sometimes. I don’t mean to, but it happens. For as many projects as I’ve done, I still get kind of self-conscious about my abilities. Especially while Derek is away. When people see me working and stop to chat about it, I always figure they know more than me {which they probably do} and think I’m a fool because I’m going about things the wrong way {which may or may not be correct.} So when the neighbors started coming around to ask what I was up to I got nervous. We own the corner lot, so everyone can judge see my antics.
Overall, to my relief the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Now I not only know my neighbors, but consider them friends. Even Henry and Betty…who have proven to be gems. I’ve even met some people who live in the surrounding blocks. They’ve stopped by the fence to say “hi” and ask where I get all my nonstop energy.
At the very least I think I’ve been a pretty good and cheap source of entertainment. Especially since several of my undertakings have really been two person jobs that I’ve jimmie-rigged to be solo acts.
Tonight I thought I’d take a brief moment to look back some of this summer’s finest moments that could have been seen through the windows of the houses next door.
1. Before the weather really turned I was busy working on the bedroom. That meant many, many days a mysterious neighbor girl hauling roll after roll of carpet out of the house. And several garbage days that looked like this:
2. First of all, the process of moving everything from our ugly, rusty shed to the garage. Then a stranger coming and dissembling the shed to take it away. {Oh, and let’s not forget the spray painting projects that were done in the yard. You can see remnants in the photo below.}
3. I spent an afternoon putting all of my body weight and energy into wiggling 4×4’s loose and pulling them up out of the ground from the area around the shed. Yeah, that stuff down there.
4. I have only had one vehicle parked in the garage all summer because the other half has constantly been devoted to project space. When the garage has been opened passerbys have been able to see chairs being rehabbed, pallet benches in the making, fence posts turning into window boxes, planters being filled and crap wood being turned into a table.
5. While we are talking about the garage…there’s a good chance a few people have spotted me using my car as a ladder to reach high items in there. Someone saw my hand and feet prints in the saw dust that had accumulated on it and asked if someone had been standing on my car. Yes, weird…it was me.
6. Several may have heard me udder some form of gibberish profanity when I dropped a patio edger on my thumb. It feels better, but looks a bit worse.
7. And let’s not forget load after load of bricks for the patio.
8. Speaking of the patio…I’m sure watching me dig and level the ground was a treat. I dug up three 5-gallon buckets worth of landscape rock from where the shed used to stand. Let me tell you this. Hauling those away was not a graceful looking task. I’m strong, but not that strong.
9. One day I didn’t have time to leave the house to do my personal training at the gym, so I had my client come to my house. We got some weird looks for doing lunges, weird kicks and sprints across my yard.
10. Maybe the most awkward, entertaining thing I’ve done all summer has been finishing the patio {let’s be honest, it’s an outdoor room} project. I wanted to hang a canopy of lights so I built a post and lintil structure on either end of the patio. Simple enough…but getting the lintil up alone was quite a challenge. Let’s just say there was a ladder, a prop, a second ladder, some words not fit for children and a lot of luck involved.
11. Yesterday I spent an hour sledge hammering a bunch of concrete I found after the shed came down. I felt like Thor.
12. Summer is coming to a close up here in PraCan…and so is my outdoor project list. But I’ve got one more big one up my sleeve. What is it? Who knows? I’ve had a lot of questions and I’ve explained it to many. My response is the same for all my undertakings: if something goes terribly, horribly wrong, I’ll just rip it out…sledge hammer it…or chain saw it down and pretend it never happened. So…any guesses?
Amy
by Amy | Jul 6, 2013 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Projects
I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised recently when I attended Minot’s second annual Vintage Fair. When I heard it advertised I was excited, but I never expected it to be such a wonderful and inspiring event. When I drove up to the rustic family farm on which it was held I felt like I stepped out of my Chevy Equinox and into an issue of Country Living Magazine. Seriously, all, it was that wonderful.
Furniture, antiques and vintage inspired artisan goods littered the open air market. Booths of venders lined up with goods repurposed from nostalgic wares. I’ll call it a junker’s/upcycler’s/collecter’s/thrifter’s paradise. Cast aside cupboards, doors and windows waited anxiously to be snatched up by an inspired fair goer. Things forgotten were seen in a new light under lots and lots of creative eyes.
Minot’s very own Darling Stewardess brought everything-but-the-kitchen-sink from their downtown shop and set up in this adorably rustic church. Lots of venders were local to Minot, but a good number flocked in from all over the state. The only requirement is that you sell vintage or vintage inspired items. Seriously, can you imagine a better place to spend and afternoon? One of my favorite venders sold North Dakota inspired greeting cards with sayings like, “Uffda,” “Oh you betcha,” and “Oh for cute.” They really say those things up here.
I walked away with just a few items…but a lot of inspiration. My new goal is to participate next year with my very own booth. I walked away from Minot’s Vintage fair knowing, just knowing that I’ve got to get in with this crowd. If you didn’t go this year, you’ve gotta check it out next year. And if you aren’t lucky enough to spent your summers in Practically Canada…at least find a flea market or swap meet to hit up this season.
Amy
by Amy | Jul 2, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
I’m so glad I was invited to capture a homecoming. Photographing this magical event was my honor and privilege.
There is really no way to describe what it’s like to see husbands and wives; kids and parents reunited after months of separation.
So happy Fourth everybody. I truly pray that God continues to bless America.
by Amy | Jun 28, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
The first time I met Lauren and Ricky I knew we’d get along. They are avid DIY-ers who love a good yard sale, auction or thrifting expedition. We chatted at length about their knack for picking {yep, like “American Pickers”} and all the treasured they have rehabbed. These are my kind of people. They are expecting their first child and I cannot wait to see photos of their adorable DIY nursery. From what I’ve heard, it’s just exploding with cuteness!
Just over a week ago this fun, photogenic couple invited me to capture the excitement of the upcoming arrival with a maternity session in the open air of Minot, ND. Did I mention that this is a super fun couple?
by Amy | Jun 26, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Let’s all say hello to a doubly adorable session! Ava and Aiden are twins that I recently had the pleasure of photographing. I’ve never shot two babies at once, so this was quite a treat. It was adorable how the crying stopped when they were moved closer together so they were touching. Probably because they spent nine cozy months together already. Just amazing.
As you can see, Miss Ava was wide eyed through most of the session…while her brother was sound asleep! Love those curious eyes.
I was lucky enough to also have the opportunity to capture Ava and Aiden’s first family photos. Both of their grandmothers were in town, so of course we got a few with babies and grammy. What a precious, growing family! Look for their full session on the facebook page next week.
Amy
by Amy | Jun 18, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
I cannot explain in words what a fun working weekend I had. I’ll have sneak peeks of everything up next week…but in the mean time I just couldn’t wait another minute to show you what I’ve been up to. I have a hard time picking a favorite, but here is one of my most loved from each session.
I shot a new born session for my friend Kim’s adorable twins! You remember that “Go Bananas” baby shower I threw in May? That was for these little ones. They are here…they are cute and they are tiny! Two little people in a suitcase. Eek! It’s just so precious!
A couple hours later I headed back out to capture some beautiful maternity images. Lauren and Ricky were a blast to work with. And to top it all off, they knew exactly what to do with their faces. You know what I mean? They are seriously beautiful people. No joke, no lie. Oh, and their pup isn’t too shabby either.
Sunday I had a day of rest, then this morning I was invited to capture my first ever homecoming! I’m going to write a whole post on it later, but for now I’ll just tell you that there is nothing like it. Seeing folks reunited after a deployment is pure magic.
More from these next week…and a DIY gallery wall tomorrow.
