Whoop!

I might finally finish a project tonight to share with you. I sure hope so. I am starting to get really frustrated with not finishing anything.
In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a cool new site I just learned about. It is called Whoopdwhoop and it is a "currency free creative market place".

You list your creations and when someone "buys" it you earn "whoop"s which you can then use to purchase others creations. You can also earn whoops other ways like adding a creation to the community, leaving feedback on a successful swap, and getting friends to join. I think it is a really great way to get to create for more than yourself without the pressure of an Etsy shop or other retail place.

There are all sorts of creations listed too. There is jewelry, hair bows, baby clothes, photography prints (even some really great ones that are really large), lots of crocheted goodies, and lots more.

I totally recommend you going and exploring the site. And if you decide to join, use my link so I get credit for sending you there. Thanks!
P.S. And you know the Aggie in me is lovin all the "Whoop"ing going on at this site.(If you don't understand that, go here to learn about my beloved alma mater)

My New Office: Take 1

You may remember I got the opportunity to pick out new furniture for my office. I posted about my excitement here.
Well. it has arrived and I got to move in this week. I am still working to decorate. I am making custom office supplies and want to have pretty magazine files and coordinating bits on the book shelves. But for some reason I can not seem to finish projects right now so those are not ready yet.

Let's take a look. I apologize for the iphone pictures. I promise to bring in my camera and take good pictures when I am done decorating.

This is the before. It was full of someone else's junk (and a little bit of mine) The chair is covering most of it up but the wall were smudge from years of greasy boots  and hands bumping up against it. Ick.
I painted the walls using paint we had leftover from painting our current place and the color looks better there than it does here. Something about the florescent lights brings out a pink and orange tone that isn't great. Oh, well. It only cost me a Saturday and it looks SO much better and brighter.

Huh? Whats that? You wouldn't know because I am rambling instead of showing pictures? oh sorry. Here you go.

They delivered the wrong chairs and I had to be persistent to get the right ones ordered in the first place but I really like my desk chair and the guest chairs. I need to move my desk forward so the chairs aren't so awkwardly in a large gap and to cover some outlets and wires but I am too embarrassed to go ask some guys who aren't busy making steel to move furniture around for me. oh well.. I am going to have to bite the bullet soon. It is driving me crazy.

Also, you might have noticed a cardboard box on one of the shelves. It is holding the solid wood doors that came off the hutch when they put the glass ones on. I asked the installers if I could keep them and they let me (I just had to put up with a few strange looks)

I am going to make some sort of art to put above the guest chairs. I want to mount different pieces of found industrial bits.
Like this tag off of a bundle of rebar. I keep it at my desk to remind me that there is beauty already even in steel mill.You just have to look for it.

or this bit of dross that was the first bit removed by the first piece of equipment I designed.

I've got 4 doors so I need some more bits. The difficulty is that most bits of metal around here go back to the shredder and get re-melted so picking up metal off the ground is like picking up a dollar someone dropped. And I don't want to steal from the company to do my art.

Glitter, Glam, and Stargazer Lilies

A very sweet friend of mine is getting married on May 15th and I get to play florist! I am so excited! Here is Krista and her finance Leslie. Aren't they cute? (I stole this pic off Facebook . hehe)

Her wedding style will be simple bold statements using her favorite flower, the stargazer lily.

The colors she is using are the dark pink in the center of the petal with black and ivory accents. It is going to be so pretty.
Last weekend, I had her over to discuss details and set up a few prototypes of reception table centerpieces to choose from. Here I am all set up and ready for my client.

And here are options for the tables. They were created using silk flowers and small tea lights. They will be replaced with real flowers and glass votive holders and votive candles.

Option 1 uses a Dollar Tree vase, small bowl and candle with a single lily on top of a mirror with candles and sparkles. It will cost about $7 for each table.

Option 2 uses a bubble bowl vase, grapevine (that I am going to spray paint black), and a single lily on top of a mirror with candles and sparkles. It will cost between $5 and $9 depending on whether we can borrow the vases.

Option 3 uses one of my thrifted hurricanes with a pillar candle on top of a mirror with candles and sparkles. It will cost about $6 for each table.

This option has several options to it also. Vines swirled inside? Some sort of filler? Ribbon?

My bride decided she liked option 2 the best and then option 1. We are going to do a mix between the two with a higher concentration of option 2. The hurricanes are going to have ribbon swirled around the outside and be used other places such as the food serving table.

We made so many decisions that day from boutonnieres to pew adornments to bouquets to you name it.

 One thing I am excited about is a branch decoration I am going to make for guest to tie prayers, verses, and good wishes for the happy couple in the style of Japanese prayer trees.

It is going to be so fun working on all these projects and I am sure I will take you only the ride with me.

Y'ALL!!! It is snowing!

 I added that y'all in there to emphasis the fact that it is snowing in Texas and that it is extraordinary. Extraordinarily awesome!

I have a confession to make. I haven't finished taking down my Christmas decorations. But doesn't that make for lovely snow pictures. We are gonna go with, "I planned that."

See this picture this next picture? It hides a terrible tragedy. I had left a pair of flats out on the patio a few days ago. Before the ice hit and before the snow. Somewhere under there is one of  my pairs of go to shoes. I hope shoes don't get hypothermia. :(

 

I am thoroughly enjoying my third ice/snow day at home. I have been trying to work on projects but I am at the spray-painting/sanding/sawing phase of several and this is not spray-painting/sanding/sawing weather.

But it sure is lovely. Going back to snuggle up with my honey and watch Fringe. The flacks are coming down thick now. Let is snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!