I Love My Volvo

I am a HORRIBLE driver. If you want to blame someone you can blame my parents. I was so bad they refused to practice driving with me and I essentially was taught by my high school boyfriend. I am pretty sure he still regrets that decision.
About three weeks after I met my husband I wrecked my car (this was only my second accident) with him in it. When we got married he bought me a Volvo. Since then I have always driven one because frankly they make me feel safe. I have always bought used ones because in a way I am afraid of driving a brand new car because then I would have to be extra careful all the time and they are cheaper to buy.
 My current Volvo is a low slung station wagon with super low miles. It runs like a champ, but every once in awhile my husband brings up the idea of getting me a new car. I look around, but don't see anything I like. My car is safe, gets good gas mileage and can haul a ton of stuff.
On this day for instance, I was dropping my daughter off at a birthday party for my niece on the other side of town. I was super disappointed the party was a few blocks away from the Goodwill Bins (insert sarcasm here). I slid into a compact parking spot (another benefit of my smaller car) and started searching. I got to the furniture section and angels began to sing. There was tons of pieces that were right up my alley. I began to pop some tags (thanks Mackelmore) and found myself walking out with four end/coffee tables and a French Provincial desk. I seriously debated picking up a huge buffet and two night stands, but I needed to be realistic about what I can finish before my big sale on August 31st.
I wanted to avoid calling my husband to come with the truck (I was 15 miles from home after all) so I spent half an hour configuring furniture into my car. In the end I got all but one piece in. Fortunately my brother was able to put this table in his car and I didn't have to call in reinforcements.

Here is one of the pieces I picked up all done:

There are two of these and they started out like the picture above. These tables are SOLID. I know people say this all of the time, but they don't make furniture like they used to. In fact, I have used this table as a place to sit throughout the summer. I wanted to paint these with one of my favorite colors, Watery and add cream accents, but alas I am still have another set of end tables in those colors I can't seem to sell. I decided to go with two shades of grey instead. I have them listed on Craigslist and they still haven't sold after two weeks. Mmmm. 

I know this is an outdated style, but I still think they are cute. 

Mid Century Night Stands & Trading Up

I am not a fan of mid century design. I can appreciate it, but it certainly isn't my style. I do know that mid century is hot right now in my neck of the woods.

A few years ago I picked up this chaise lounge for free in down and out neighborhood near my home.

It had a Burberry looking cover/pad that came with it. I admit the chair was comfortable. It swiveled, rocked and was a great way to relax by the pool BUT I wanted matching chaise lounges. After seven summers in our home (this will be our eighth) I am ready for some matching pool furniture. I began to search on Craigslist for loungers, but kept finding singles. Finally, I began to search Target, Sears and even Wal-Mart for new ones. HOLY COW. A cheap, decent looking one runs at least $130 without cushions. Add a cushion and you are at around $200. I asked for friends opinions on Facebook and the split was 50/50 on going with a cushionless one or trying to buy used.

In the end I found two wrought iron chaises with pristine cushions for $100 on Craigslist. After researching I found my chair had value. Ones like it went for $350 on Etsy. I sold mine for $150. The base was a little rough and the person who bought it told me they would be sandblasting it, repainting it and selling it for much more. I didn't feel like I had the time or the patience to deal with that so I was happy to pocket the $150 and buy my new chairs. I even had enough to put away for an outdoor shower (more on that later).

Speaking of mid century I picked up two night stands from a teacher friend who is moving to China with her husband (also a teacher) and three kids to teach. She is adventrous and I admire their families need for new experiences. I could never do it. Anyway, she was selling a bunch of their old furniture and I ended up buying five tables from her. These two pieces were from her Grandma's house. The varnish was bubbling and they had seen better days.

I sanded them down. This took a lot more work than I like. There is a reason I usually paint furniture.

They were solid wood and the drawers worked perfectly.

I had some issues with the stain. I beleive it is because I didn't get all of the varnish off completely. This is the top of one. It looks worse in this picture than it does in "real life". I am suprised they have't sold yet. If they don't sell soon I may go ahead and paint them black or another color. I have seen some on Etsy that go for at least $200 a pair.

 

I realized that I don't think I will be spending a lot of time sanding furniture down unless it is an amazing piece I can make a lot of money from or I plan on keeping for a long time. Stripping, sanding and restaing is a lot of work. I don't like to work very hard. Just kidding.

Temporary Workshop

The temperatures here in Portland have been in the mid-thirties during the day and even lower at night. Right now I have a lot more time to work on projects so I want to be  spending time in my garage workshop. I tried the other night and had to resort to wearing a cheap pair of stretchy gloves as I worked. I was able to work, but noticed paint, stain and varnish took forever to dry.
Here is a glimpse at the "workshop".

I finally decided I couldn't handle the cold any longer. I drug the desk I was working on in and transformed my entryway into a temporary workshop.

The negatives of my new digs are that I have to be very careful about dragging furniture around and getting paint on my hardwoods. Another issue is if anyone comes over they are welcomed by an unfinished project.
The benefits are that I can listen to my DVRed shows (poking my head around the corner occasionally) and I can stay warm.

Vintage Music Wreath

I currently have a thing for using vintage music in my creations. I love music, but am not musical. I played clarinet for a year, violin for a year, and piano for two years before I finally determined I was not cut out for a career in music. I regret this decision now, but as a kid didn't think ahead. Oh well.

I recently purchased a scoring board by Martha Stewart.

I was able to use a coupon at my local craft store (SHOP LOCAL) so it was only $14.99. I am not a tool purchaser generally, but I thought I would give this one a whirl. I LOVE IT.

I began making dealymabobs with it and have kind of been addicted. I don't know what these things are actually called (sorry I didn't buy a crafting dictionary), but I love them.

I made a whole bunch out of an old music workbook. After I had a stack I decided I needed to do something with them so I created this:

Each of the dealymabob centers has a vintage button. Next, I glued them down to one of my metal wreath frames (I sold a ton of these on Etsy. I guess they are hard to find). I had this Happy Holidays glitter ornament left over from last year. I glued it across the front and I suddenly had a lovely little wreath.

I tried to sell it at the one and only bazaar I did this season. There wasn't a lot of traffic and the part of town I live in isn't into "vintage inspired decor". Go figure. I know exactly who I need to give it to. Merry Christmas to ___________!

I haven't crafted in over a week and am trying to wrap up the last school week before the break. We are also trying to cram in our traditional holiday activities like our trip to see Santa in downtown Portland.

We have pictures with the same Santa for the past 12 years. He used to be at Macy's, but they went with a "corporate Santa". After being fired, Santa Tom decided to go into business for himself. He is now located in Pioneer Courthouse Square and boy am I glad.
The visit is very intimate. After standing in line you are taken into a waiting area and then into a little room where he resides. The camera person, Santa, and your family are the only ones in the room. They allow you to take your own pictures after they are done with theirs. We took our pictures while they were discussing lists. In the second picture you can see Delia counting down her list on her fingers.
Afterwards you go into another area to pick out your pictures. When we looked at ours I realized Delia still had her coat on. I almost said it wasn't a big deal, but the worker convinced us to take them again. She even snuck us through the back door for the retakes so we didn't have to stand in line again. I unfortunately did not get any shots of this with our own camera because I was so grateful. Ahhh. How many more years will I get to enjoy this tradition? I hope for at least a few more!

Thanksgiving Decorations

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Growing up we spent Thanksgiving raking leaves at my Grandma's in Central Oregon. My parents would clean her yard, my Grandma would cook and the kids would run amok. Late in the afternoon we sat down to a delicious meal. This picture is vivid in my mind.
Drexler was born a week before Thanksgiving. Throughout my pregnancy I craved Thanksgiving dinner. After my C-section I was told to take it easy, but alas Thanksgiving dinner won out. Mr.Dickey and I headed out the door with Drexler and planned on spending the day showing him off. Major mistake.
To make a long story short I had a nursing melt down and wound up at the hospital hooked up to an industrial "milker". The next month is fuzzy, but all I can say is my stress got the best me. Stressed breast feeder +  lazy nurser = Not fun.
I eventually got things down (with lots of support from my friends and husband) and Drexler nursed for an entire year. However, the following Thanksgiving we decided we would have the  dinner at our house to avoid chaos (real smart huh?).
Over the last ten years I have come to accept I am a control freak when it comes to Thanksgiving. We open our home to anyone who wants to come. Sometimes my family pops in, but usually it is my husband's family. I have a hard time making food assignments because I want things my way. I smoke my turkey, make the potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and other dishes. Our guests bring appetizers, pies, and salads. I enjoy prepping and cooking all day with my coffee and later on, wine. A few years ago I had another meltdown. This time I was upset that my family was never all together for Thanksgiving. We started the tradition that every two years the Altig's (my maiden name) would go somewhere for Thanksgiving with just the immediate family. This includes: my parents, my three siblings and their spouses and five nieces and nephews. I love these years. Next year our plan is to head to the beach. I CAN'T WAIT.

With all of that being said I also love to decorate for Thanksgiving:

I may, or may not, get to creating a few more Thanksgiving projects. Enjoy this time of year...I will.

I'm Doing It!

I mentioned a few posts back about doing a sale of some sort. I know I hem and haw over things and they never end up getting done. Vistaprint sent me an email (one of hundreds they send) that caught my eye. Postcards at 50% off. I decided to check it out and half an hour, and $20 later,  I had ordered post cards for my trunk show. I guess now I am doing it.

This one is a little blurry and I am hoping it prints out alright.

Guess I better tell Mr.Dickey

Just Me and My Traeger

Four years ago I was drug to a fight at my sister's friend's house. That sounds bad doesn't it? By fight I mean a boxing match or UFC fight of some kind. I am not into these types of things, but my husband is and I recall it was a Saturday night and we had nothing better to do. There was food and drinks and the kids were running around the neighborhood so I was able to relax and chat with the women folk. I walked out on the deck and there was a couple of guys grilling on a weird looking contraption. I started asking questions. It was a Traeger. They had an assortment of meats they were grilling and I watched with interest. I was more interested in trying the meat.
The telling moment came when I tasted the chicken. D.Licious. I was a chicken burner. No matter what I did my chicken always came out a little burnt or at the very least with char marks. This chicken was tender, juicy and amazing. My life changed at that moment.
A week later I purchased a Traeger. They aren't cheap. I got a good deal for $500.

A Traeger is a wood pellet smoker/grill. You put pellets into the hopper (at the left), plug in your machine (it takes electricity), switch it to high and hit on. The temperature can get up to 450 (maybe a bit higher) and down to about 150. This allows you to slowly smoke your meat or to grill it. Since there is no direct flame meat never gets burnt.

I have smoked/grilled the most amazing turkeys on this baby. Ribs, pulled pork, carne asada, Fillet Mignon, whole chickens, salmon and any other meat you can think of. All of them come out perfect. They make me look like I am an amazing griller. When we first bought the Traeger I kept my gas grill because I thought I might use it. It sat an entire summer untouched. I gave it away that fall and never looked back.

One of my favorite things to grill on my Traeger is bacon. The grease rolls into the waste bucket and my house doesn't smell like a breakfast joint. The bacon turns out crispy and delicious. I like to grill up a big batch and save it in the fridge for sandwiches, burgers and salads.

(Google Images)

I also like to make "wood fired" pizza. All you need is a Papa Murphy's Pizza and you can make it swanky on the Traeger.

(Google Images)

I also have a cast iron pot I grill my veggies, especially onions, in. Another favorite is potatoes. Lets put it this way you can't go wrong with this a Traeger. A friend of mine even smokes cheese and chocolate. I have yet to try this, but I will someday.

Maintenance on the Traeger is much like any other grill. You keep the grate clean and empty the grease bucket occasionally. Every eight hours or so you have to vacuum out the ashes. This takes about ten minutes and isn't a big deal. It is important to do because if you don't do it your machine will stop firing the pellets and your won't have any heat. This happened to me once in the middle of the night while I was smoking pulled pork for a big party. Ugh. I also will do a major cleaning job about every six months. This is a little more daunting, but is no different than a regular BBQ. I have had mine for four years (it could be five) and it is still going strong with no issues.

I use my Traeger year round. It came with a nice cover, but to be honest I rarely put it on. Father's Day is coming up and I know a lot of Dads who grill and smoke (meat that is). I am not getting paid to say this, but if it is in your budget you might think about it. I mean it might be his "toy", but you will enjoy it too.

Last night I grilled prime rib for my Mom's birthday. Wow. It rivaled our favorite steak house. My friends and family will tell you I like to pick apart my meals and am too critical. I honestly can say I would not have done anything different to last night's meal.  I am only sad there were no leftovers.

The Striking House

No crafting, creating or blogging has been done for the past two weeks. Last week was one of the longest of my life. It was awful and now it is over.
My husband and I both teach. I teach middle school two blocks away from home. My kids go to the elementary school behind my building. Our campus also houses an alternative high school and the district office. Over the past year we have been working without a contract. Without going into a lot of details we voted to strike beginning last Monday.
The weeks leading up to the strike were gut wrenching. I hated the uncertainty for my family, my students and the community. Last Sunday we had a slice of hope as the school board, and our union, met in a last ditch effort. We had a vigil at a nearby park. I went to bed with negotiations still going on. I woke up at 5:45 to a text that read, "We are striking".
Since teachers weren't allowed on campus I knew there would be a need for restrooms. I decided to open our house as the potty house. A stream of people started coming in at seven fifteen. I made coffee, put out some food and got the house ready. All day long it rained. My daughter became the "coat dryer". She would ask people for their coats as they came in and would run them down to the dyer. People came, sat down for a few minutes and left. The weather was awful and people were tired that first day. The second day came and it was the same. Late in the afternoon we were told the school board would not negotiate again until the following Tuesday. Hearts sank and people were weary. The days blended together and hours ticked by slowly. Wednesday and Thursday all schools in our district were divided between "my campus" and the high school campus. More people learned about the potty house. I can't even count how many people came to use our facilities. My table was covered with food for the stikers. There were times when there was a line four deep for BOTH of the bathrooms we opened.
My emotions were everywhere. On one hand I was thankful I could open our home to everyone, but on the other hand I felt guilty for not "walking the line" with my co-workers. I was always dry and warm. They were wet and miserable.
My children were stellar. They were up early and used their manners, for the most part, with the teachers walking in and out of their house.
While it was hard there were some wonderful things that happened this week as well. My daughter's teacher woke her up one morning. She was so happy! "No one else in my class can say Mrs.Nguyen woke them up." I was able to talk to so many people from around our school district. Tough times bring out the best in people and we were able to bond. My son's teacher posed for a picture "napping" on his bed. My daughter's Kindergarten teacher posed under her crown. There was a lot of laughter and camaraderie. My neighbors were wonderful and patient with the stikers. They brought food for them and allowed them to park on the street. It made me even more grateful for our little street.
I have grand intentions of writing a book called, "The Striking House". I have so many snapshots in my mind.
 I am thankful our home became home to many last week. Friday the school board met informally with the union (we had been asking for this all year) without mediators and lawyers. In the wee hours of Saturday morning they came to an agreement. The strike was over.