More Homework

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

As you now know, our recent dive back into the academic field means that we’ve been re-acquainted with a demon from our past: homework. Even though I praised the day that we left it behind years ago, it turns out that putting a few extra hours in between classes each week hasn’t been so bad. After Kim was gracious enough to show her assignment from last week, I figured it was my turn to release my work to the fine folks of the interweb.

While not as colorful and masterfully assembled as Kim’s project, I actually really enjoyed this one. It may look simple, but this is a scan of a piece of trace paper that was laid over the 3D graph (where each square of the graph equals 1 square foot) of the same 15′ x 25′ room. The scale and perspective on this project was tricky, and we each ended up taking (many) hours to get right. I even left out the bar stools I had placed at the island and the upper cabinets in the kitchen for lack of time. Our professor promised that it gets easier every time you do it. I certainly hope so.

Are any of you whipping out the graph paper for school, too? Maybe it brings back memories, or are you such a pro that you bang them out daily for work? If so, are you going the old fashioned route of trace paper and a 3D grid, or do you give it the full on AutoCAD treatment? Pointers are welcome, but I plead the same treatment as my wife – be gentle.

Posted in Happenings

by Scott

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Do You Touch Up?

Friday, March 5, 2010

During our recent shelf rehab, not only did we find ourselves knee deep in Ikea shopping bags and spackle, but we were also whipping out paint cans and touching up the ol’ anchor remnants with a mini roller and foam brushes. And while we were at it, we rolled every last bit of our minty walls that could use the attention.

But we didn’t stop there. We also dug deep into our paint can archives and dabbed some fresh paint on our hallways, in the office, and neglected spots in the bedroom. While we were wrapping up and hammering the lids back on each can, I asked Scott if he thought other folks gave their walls a little extra attention from time to time. Between wheeling our bicycles through the house and our many furry kids, we’re touchin’ up anything the Magic Eraser can’t handle about four times a year. And I may be estimating on the low side. Hmm.

So, what gives? Do you touch up, too? Once a month, twice a year, or maybe not at all? We’re a curious team here, and we’d love to know we’re not alone. Or are we?

Posted in Happenings

by Kim

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Fun With Slides

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

With the hubs and I back in school, not only have we been giving our brains a workout, but we’ve also gotten quite used to our professor’s favorite learning tool: the slideshow. And not only does a good teacher love the simplicity and ease of these pretty displays, but as it turns out, so do we. Except we’re not going to make you learn. Nope. Instead, we hope to give you an even closer sneak peek into each corner of our casa. Go on, just push play.

To keep things within a mouse click’s reach, we’ve added the show to our complete tour-of-the-digs right up there on that menu bar. As a result, we’ve once again challenged ourselves to always keep you in the know with every change our home sees. And to really kick things up a notch, we’ve also included a handy dandy source list to give you the who’s who on what’s what. Nifty.

Not enough? No worries. You can send any questions you may have our way through the “Get In Touch” form on the menu bar, or you can always contact us here. And did I mention that we love your comments? Well, we do. A lot.

Posted in Happenings

by Kim

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Homework

Monday, March 1, 2010

Remember when we shared the news that we’re going back to school? Well, the hubs and I have been hittin’ the books ever since, so to speak. Not really the books, but maybe more like the graphing paper. Yup, we’ve been hittin’ the graphing paper. With our new architectural rulers in hand, we’ve been drawing up floor plans and bangin’ out material boards.

Last week, our homework assignment was a study in understanding space and layout. Given a 25′x15′ floor plan, we were asked to whip up ideas on furniture, textiles, and what-goes-where. Because the assignment required a focus on sizes of furniture, it was crucial to keep the floor plan to scale (note: on this particular plan, each square on the grid equaled 1′). That part was harder than I thought, since every plan I’ve drawn before was not to scale (which means the one plan I drew for Renee’s living room. I know, I know), but rather a sketch of where I wanted things to go. So with that in mind, I put together my very first mood board, using a few favorite furniture sites and keeping the scale in the forefront of my brain.

Our only restrictions were a south wall with two windows (with each window being 2′ off the ground), the parallel north wall with two doors leading to other mysterious rooms, and an east facing wall with plumbing for a kitchen. Since our own main living space is a very similar plan (coming in just a bit smaller at 20′x15′), I went with a similar idea, creating a space that was half kitchen, half den.

While Scott and I worked on our homework together, we didn’t really get to see the finished results until we began critique in the classroom. First thing I noticed was how very different our ideas were. Maybe the hubs will chime in at some point and share his own plan down the line, but I can tell you that his style was very masculine. Very clean, brooding, and classic. And while I also wanted to stay with clean lines, I liked the idea of romanticizing my seating and textile options. With my imaginary plan, I was free to get as girly as I liked.

Okay now, be nice. I’ve already been critiqued in the classroom, but I always love reading your thoughts, so feel free to chime in. Our next assignment takes this exisiting plan and requires us to draw the space in 3D and use color. And having gone through art school once (and drawing models, figures, and a still life or two – or fifty) doesn’t make this any easier. I may share, I may not (hey, I actually can be shy). You’ll just have to stay tuned (and a little encouragement wouldn’t hurt!).

Posted in Happenings

by Kim

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DIY: Mount Up

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The TV in the master bedroom is a widely debated topic. Some seem to think that the tube will rob your bedroom of all serenity, while some think of it as a must have to wind down at the end of the day. Or maybe you’re like my lady, who likes to get her daily dose of news as she gets ready in the morning. We seem to have found ourselves somewhere in the middle. We liked the idea of the occasional lazy movie in bed, and Kim is hooked on the Today Show as she preps for a long day at the office (I personally think she has a thing for Matt Lauer). At the same time, we wanted a clean subdued look that wouldn’t call any unnecessary attention to the shiny, pretty toy.

A year or so ago, we framed two prints from our wedding with the idea of eventually using them to flank a small TV with a built in DVD player. We decided to hang them on the wall at the foot of the bed, where a TV would end up if we eventually pulled the trigger. And then we proceeded to hem and haw over the decision for the next twelve months.

Christmas came along this year and we found ourselves with a nice little pile of Best Buy gift cards, so we finally picked up a baby 19″ Insignia LCD TV with a built-in DVD player. After all that time, all it took was a little prodding from Santa and a generous gift from the folks (thanks Mom and Dad!). Along with our tiny TV, we picked up a low-profile wall mount to keep the little guy as out of the way as possible. A right angle Cable adapter (the gold do-dad in the right image) and a longer dual right-angle power cord help to keep the cables flush and free from kinks.

Running the cables behind the wall is really quite easy if you have the right tools. After using a stud-finder to ensure my path was clear behind the drywall, I used a hole saw attached to my power drill (like how it matches the paint? I planned that…) to cut perfect 1.5″ holes into the drywall at the top and bottom of my cable routing path. I used a weight tied to a piece of string to line up the holes, then fed the string from the top hole through the bottom. You can then proceed to tape your cables to the end of the string, which will make feeding everything through from top to bottom much, much easier.

After everything was fed through the proper holes, I used a generic switch-plate cover to tidy up the hole a bit.

This whole project, start to finish took about an hour and could probably be handled by just about anyone who is comfortable with power tools. The finished product turned out exactly as we planned, and we couldn’t be happier with how closely the size of the TV matches the size of the photo frames. And as always, we couldn’t have done it without Jack’s help. Thanks, little fella.

But now that we’ve confessed that we’re TV-in-the-bedroom kind of folk, we’d like to hear where you stand. Is it a no-no? Or is it a “who cares” kind of deal? Having friends that openly shun any between-the-sheets television behavior, we’re itching to read your thoughts. And if you are a tube watchin’ crew as you hit the sack, we want to know that too.

Posted in DIY+ Decor+ Tool Box

by Scott

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Lucky Winner: Haha Press

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Boy, oh boy are we happy we asked for a good joke during last week’s giveaway, sponsored by Haha Press. And we’re especially happy to say that you did not hold back. Every day was spent chuckling over your entries, and I may have snorted my soup down the wrong pipe at some points. It was worth the momentary broth-y pain to bring smiles to our faces throughout the week, so for that, we owe you a big high five.

And while random.org is not biased towards one joke or another, we definitely had our favorites. If you missed out on the fun, don’t fret. You can catch up right here and peruse the comments for a laugh. But all jokes aside, who was the lucky dog winner to snag a one-of-a-kind tee from Haha Press, in their choice of Riding Horses, Diamond Dove, or the Haha Monkey? (And their choice of size for a boy or a gal. Oh, the choices.)

We’re happy to announce that a snazzy new tee goes to Shannon, who brought us this zinger (courtesy of her 4-year-old son): Q. What kind of pet does the sun have? A. A hot dog!

Congrats, Shannon! Whether you’re out on the town or cuddled up on the couch, you’re sure to look smokin’ in your new tee. And of course a big fatty thank you to Haha Press for being the team behind the scene.

All images courtesy of Haha Press.

Posted in Giveaway

by Kim

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Flowers, For Me?

Monday, February 22, 2010

This past Friday afternoon, I came home from work exhausted, tired, and I’ll be the first to admit that I was downright cranky. I was in one heck of a mood (obviously not a good one), so imagine my surprise when I opened our front door and found this waiting for me:

flowers

The super sweet hubs set out a fresh crop of tulips to make me smile and remind me that the weekend was officially here. I can’t get over how pretty the pink pops against the grassy green. Love it. And it’s not even Valentine’s Day anymore. How ’bout that?

Posted in Happenings

by Kim

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