Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Extreme Makeover - Hays Home Edition
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Our princess in Swan Lake
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
New Business...









Tuesday, January 13, 2009
January
Due largely to our stinkin' (and that is a NICE word for them) insurance company, we STILL are living in only about half of our house - it has come to the point where it is making me absolutely NUTS! I am ready to hang sheetrock myself - if we could just get the funds released to do that! First they sent a check to us for a part of the repairs (only part, mind you...) but put the mortgage company on it too. But that mortgage company was paid off over six years ago - we no longer have an account with them! I won't go into all the grim details, but I am just right disgusted with the whole deal! Anyone want a damaged house for real cheap?
Work is keeping me hopping. We typically like to have a doctor in the room when a baby is born, but sometimes that doesn't happen. When a baby is born without a doctor's hands on it, it is referred to as a precipitous delivery - I got my first one on New Year's Day and it was the first baby born in Katy! It was truly a rush and everything went well (to my great relief). I am happy to report Mom and Baby are both doing well!
Melissa is now enrolled in ballet and will be dancing in Swan Lake in March and a recital in May. She is so excited! She still remembers a lot of what she learned last year when she took two semesters from Dance Fun. This is a much more structured school and I am hoping for a more "classical" training style for her. She is so young, but just loves it and really wants to do it. I guess we will keep it up as long as she likes it - and when she doesn't like it anymore, we will look for alternatives.
I have been sewing some on my days off since Mom was here for Christmas. I don't know what it is about being around her that puts me in the mood to sew, but I have made two jumpers and a pants/top outfit for Melissa. I found a great website with good children's patterns from Europe and that makes me happy... I have found the mainstream pattern companies are largely disappointing these days in the children's clothing department. When I was young we sewed because it was cheaper - that is no longer true! I sew because I enjoy it and because I prefer the unique over the common. As soon as I can get my laptop to cooperate with me, I will post pictures of Missa's new wardrobe.
I have been writing this between checking on a very sick patient so I need to go check on her again. What are ya'll up to these days?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Master Bedroom
Before Ike was even a blip on the radar, we had ordered new bedroom furniture. This was a promise I made to myself when I started nursing school: "Self," I said, "when you finish this long haul, you are gonna treat yourself to some new furniture in your bedroom!" What we had was a lighted, mirrored wall-unit that was nearing 20 years old!
We had to wait almost two months for our furniture to come, but it finally got here this week and here it is! I had been watching for sale and clearance decorative elements to go with our new look for the two months so I got to redo the walls and everything... (You should be able to click on the pictures to get a closer look.)
This is the head of the bed. The long sign says "Dream" and the oval says is a scripture I love. The wrought iron scrolls are a bargain from Hobby Lobby. All of this was 50% off - gotta love it!
This is the entrance (door on the left) and door to the master bath). The gentleman's chest sports a lamp with a flicker bulb that I have had for several years but it had not really found a great home yet -it is setting up housekeeping now! The fan is a venetian bronze replica of a vintage fan that is my best friend when I am sleeping in the daytime after working a 12 hour shift all night!
The dresser with jewelry case on top. The TV will be going, but for now that is my one item that I am not so fond of...
I have struggled with these windows for the entire six years we have lived in this house. The eyebrow arch windows are a bear to cover! We installed the 2" wooden blinds when we moved in but I have never known what to do other than that - and I am almost never at a loss on window treatments! These are iron elements I found on sale at Hobby Lobby - got them for $10 each - I think they are meant to just hang on the wall, but I am using them to distract the eye from those empty arches. The fabric is a Wal-Mart $1 per yard find yesterday. I have allowed a little to puddle on the floor on the bottom of each. The swags still need some tweaking, but I think I am going to like it when I get them just so. I stuck a grape spray in the middle one- thinking about adding them on all three... what is your vote?
A closer view of the gentleman's chest. The ends open up to tie/jewelry hooks and trays. This furniture is really well-built and has lots of bells and whistles. So far I just love it!
I think I am going to head to the kitchen next. I am thinking a cayenne color, tuscan feel, using a paint and joint compound to texture the walls. I'm feeling some accents of chocolate, gold, and aqua. Sounds gross huh? In my mind it is fabulous! Stay tuned for more of the Hays House Makeover!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Photo jewelry
These adorable little people are my twin sister Dori's children; Elizabeth, Garrett, and Elena. I am so proud of these! I have long wanted to learn how to colorize photos with just one area in color and the rest in black and white! I finally figured it out! Yes, it is a bit time-consuming, but these look really pretty in person! Aren't those beautiful children?
These show some different shapes and ideas. The middle one is Melissa on the Galveston beach - when it was still there! The one of the castle is a painting of Cinderella's Castle at Disney World. This is Melissa's favorite place on the planet so I wanted to make a pendant of it for her.
The first one is a shot of Randy and I on the same Galveston Beach. In the middle is another attempt at the colorization process, this time on a picture of Melissa. The on the end is of baby hands and a chin and mouth. It looks way cool in person, but may be a bit hard to decipher here...just more experimentation of styles.
This is of all of us on the beach. I have already drilled the holes on either side of this piece - I am going to make it into a bracelet.
I LOVE this piece! Another colorization one. I just love how it turned out...
Another family shot on the beach. Heart-shaped sterling chain attached to either side.
Playing around with a silhouette piece...

This is anothe one of the beach shots. You will notice the kind of mottled look to the background of this one. This was the first batch I did and the resin absorbed into the photo paper somewhat. I found a waterproof paper and it worked fabulously on the next crop.
As you can see, I am having a blast playing with my new "sport". Let me know what YOU think!










