Pretty pleased with myself

I've been busy getting those spongy corks out of the house (they had stock piled... ah) and, with about 70 to a wreath, I made three more after the last post. They don't have bows yet, I might enlist a friend to help me make them pretty. Look at all those regular corks, forlorn in the foreground.

I also made four lamps last week for my mentors. A pretty blue Dellitori (sp?) bottle, a Little Black Dress bottle (which was lovely and had a lovely cork as well), Jim Jim (for a man named Jim, imagine), and a stout Dos Lomos bottle for one that lived in Argentina.
I reuse bags when I can, and the Anthropologie bag was lovely for those of you who shop there.

Finally finished!

How long did this take? Too long, but mainly because I was picky about having too many of the same corks close together. I have about fifty Ecco Domani, Kendall Jackson and Robert Mondavi corks, but I wanted this wreath to have a lot of variety. I think my next wreath will merely have three or four brands repeated and I can finish it a lot quicker. Working at Olive Garden part-time really helps me acquire more corks than humanly possible (if I were drinking my way to a final product) so I end up with a lot of the same ones.

Speaking of, I need to be at the OG in 40 minutes, so I better get moving soon...

All you need are some eyelet screws, heavy hanging wire and time... just drink as many different brands of wine as you dare to acquire multicolored and interestingly designed sponge corks.

Doesn't the bow just look excited? I left enough wire on either end so that I could easily twist them around one another with a pair of small pliers and they naturally made a hook. Here's another image so that you can kind of see the wire twisted at the top. I'm not a great bow maker, however; any suggestions?

:)

It's beginning to be Fall outside

These days I'm writing about Norway, and have been using the slides I purchased last year around this time to help. They're incredible: vacation photos from a couple in the 60's and 70's. They had three magazines from Norway alone, and their images are just lovely. I feel lucky to have found them. I am the type to really care about the unclaimed slides of strangers with gorgeous photos of themselves, in love and traveling.

What are the legal stipulations to publishing these prints? Does anyone know?

AND - I need good holiday gift ideas. Things that are inexpensive but nice, typically homemade or repurposed. Here are a few sites I think are a good start:

I love the napkin rings here -
http://www.curbly.com/ModHomeEcTeacher/posts/5587-sixteen-recycled-handmade-gift-ideas

For those of you who can sew, or like to cook, or know a chef -
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/42826/apron-made-from-repurposed-jeans-skirt-back

Or you can get your own ideas from looking through - http://hottiehomedecor.com/index.html - they repurpose sweaters for the home. Talk about "nesting."

http://myrepurposedlife.blogspot.com/ - She does this one thing with a bowling ball - wow - and a few great sewing machine projects. :)

Let me know what you do when it's time to budget crunch.
Hope you're doing well.

Some Blurbs About Where I Live

It's amazing how much work new pillows can do. I also got a new rug and throw blanket, however, the other Lauren has already spilled various foods on the rug so I won't brag about it too much. The blanket's the softest thing ever invented.This table is a personal favorite. It's completely beat up but lovely and unique. Built from shipping crates and painted black, I think I could figure it out if I spent the time to really try. It pulls apart, so the odd drawers go left and the evens right. See the pull on the left there? Imagine pulling it to the right and two drawers staying on the left column and two moving to the right. Maybe I should have taken more photos?
I'd like to add wheels to the legs so that pulling it apart is easier. Right now it's on carpeting and in such a tiny space I never get in there, but some day (hopefully when I move in May) I'll have more space to utilize it and not just admire. That's when the wheels would be most appreciated.

Everything is cluttered and depressing in this apartment. My wishlist for a future apartment? Hardwood floors, built-in bookshelves, kitchen flooring that's not peeling up, maintenance people that actually fix the ceiling when a pipe in the apt above me bursts, or don't make it difficult for my cable man when he comes out here to rewire their 30 year old cable. The countdown begins. Seven months to finish my thesis, get some publications, find a job, a new place, move.

Framing your board

Back in action! I've been slacking on the blog, but in my defense I am having a VERY busy year. I am currently teaching, waiting tables and attempting to put together a thesis that's worth something.

But with Christmas fast approaching I know I need to get back in touch with my more hands-on creative side, especially since I lack the funds necessary to purchase gifts worth gifting. Previously I've offered suggestions for ways to frame your corkboards, but I don't think I mentioned the cheap and easy way to provide a really "polished" product. That, my friend, is buying an empty frame. Duh. Accessory and home stores often will sell frames for more than half off if the glass from them has been cracked while on display. This is perfect, since you don't want frames with glass. Also, some craft stores will sell empty frames and you can create your own backing pretty cheaply with a lightweight board. I found this beauty at Michael's and I think it's going to be lovely when I find the time to cut the corks to fill it.
Also, if you have a marrow space, or want one that's more dynamic in your space (I always imagine them in kitchens, although mine is on my office desk) create one that's long and skinny. This one's only 2 corks wide and it's 19 long. It'd look really smart above a sink or on an awkward partition wall. AND - it doesn't have a frame, for those of you who want to make the easiest version possible.
Hope you're well and more productive than I am these days.

June 11th, update

Back from the U.K. and Ireland, and back to reality. I've just come home from Micheal's after a day waiting tables and I realize I've neglected to blog. Before the trip it was all packing and getting my life in order, and after it's just been unpacking and work, so there hasn't been much worth reporting. I'm babysitting two little girls a few days a weeks now too, so they've given me reasons to get back to being crafty. I bought a birdhouse, some smaller terracotta pots, some more boards for corkboards and a little tray with birds carved into the sides. Sounds like fun, no? This is all not to mention I want to scrapbook my vacation. I've got much too much planned for summer. :) Sounds just perfect to me.

Hope you're doing well.
<3 -L

Finally done

Since the semester has finally come to an end I can finish all the little things I had started that just stayed lying around the house. It feels good.

Ta da:This board has been mailed to my brother and his wife as a sort of happy birthday/belated housewarming gift.

I got the lattice border from Micheal's (it was easy to cut with a thin knife) and painted it to (sort of) match the ribbon. i drilled two holes, 4 and 6 inches in from the border for symmetry and hung it with a sweet little messy bow. i love this one and might make another for myself. They just take SO long to get a decent variety of corks for. Never throw your corks away!

To commence shortly: a quilt, another corkboard, the organization of my life. But first, a trip. Nine days until I leave for London. Hurray. :)

April was full of showers - Hello May

A month has come and gone since my last post and I'd be lying if I said I feel genuinely sad or sorry about it. What I do feel sad about is the fact that I haven't blogged because I haven't had time. My life is pretty non-stop. All of my creative projects have come to a halt; maybe summer will be more fruitful? I'm grading today, and next week is the most downtime I've had all semester since my students will be compiling their work for a final portfolio. Then it will be back to grading around this time next weekend. I am just shocked exam week is so near. Where did this semester even go? Working two jobs is exhausting, but you never realize how quickly that time seems to fly.

Current non-work related news: I am finally reading the Harry Potter series. I can't believe the first book is twelve years old, or that there are still three movies to be released. I really missed out when I was younger. I would have been eleven or twelve when this whole thing started, but I guess I thought I was too cool if I ever heard them mentioned before the movies. I saw the first movie my freshman year of college. I lived with 4 or 5 really "cool" dudes (at least they considered themselves to be) and they loved this DVD. It was weird (for lack of articulation today - I'm tired, be kind). I was sucked in too, but couldn't really put my finger on why. The movie was already three years old and I was just an old enough that I wasn't really the intended audience.

Something about getting to start over, to having a secret world to be incredible in, even if you aren't incredible day-to-day with your family or school, must be the huge appeal here.

Speaking of incredible: 3 and 1/2 weeks until I leave for the U.K. I must give the due amount of praise to my travel guru (the other Lauren) for teaching me about TripAdvisor.com. If you've yet to use it I am recommending it to you now, so there's no excuse for not knowing. It consists of forums to ask trip related questions, and hotel/hostel reviews from people who've stayed there. These reviews are anywhere from 1-5 stars, with descriptions of the good, bad or ugly, and members upload photos from their stays at the place, sometimes of the gorgeous views, lobbies or beds, and sometimes of the dirty bathroom, broken windows and... well, the ugly I mentioned before. I think the real testament to this site is that you can see over time if a place has become rundown, or if they've made a change in the last few months since the comments are listed chronologically. This one place we booked in Piccadilly Circus has been having an issue really recently with people leaving with rashes or bug bites - needless to say, we canceled our reservations and found a new/better/slightly more expensive place. It's good to have that sort of reassurance. I'll pay more to avoid bedbugs and I'm glad people took the time to make those comments. You'd think a site like this would only be hotel bashing (as if only the disgruntled leave comment cards) but people are quick to praise too, if they believe it's worth it. I think when I get back I'll leave comments on all of the places we stay. It's only fair considering how much the site has helped me.

I also have a new fondness for travel books and guides. This mysterious system of recommendation and ranking is very readable and interesting, but how do they claim such-and-such is THE thing worth seeing, when there always seems to be so much? I'll just have to see when I get each place if I think Frommer's or those "Unofficial Guides" were right.

Wish me luck surviving these weeks until.

Day Trip to Pittsburgh 2

3-20
Tanger Outlet Mall (new this year)
-worried other Lauren-Giving me bunny ears isn't cool.Indulging ourselves at the milkshake and chocolate store in Southside.A late Saint Patrick's Day. One lonely Guinness at Fat Heads.
And THIS guy, who had the largest gauges I've ever seen (that weren't hollow). It's like he had hockey pucks in his ears.Overall, we were stoked to be there. I bought rain boots, a bag and two new pairs of pants at the Gap. Best of all, we ended the day at Ikea where I picked up some seriously exciting stuff: new rugs, some baskets, votives, and a hanger thing for belts (that of course I have always needed, I just didn't know). <3
-L

Day Trip to Pittsburgh

Problem worth complaining about: having money makes me feel more comfortable spending money. After two days in Pittsburgh this Spring Break, I'm aware I need to go back to feeling poor.

3-14-09
Enrico Biscotti Company
If you lived above Enrico's, your apartment would smell delicious all day long.Fun truck some Rasta man was selling his woven goods out of.
Some memorable seafood place:
Where do they think they're going?Of course I loved this wine store. They were full of all sorts of accessories too. BUT, they had one "cork"board and they didn't cut the corks in half. Several had come unglued and were missing. This is tacky, don't do this; they are too heavy that way.Spices, mmmmm.Next we went to the famous Roxanne's Dried Flowers. It smelt incredible and I wanted one of everything. There were so many visually stimulating fabrics, bags, jars and crafty tabletop cluttering thing-a-ma-jigs. I mainly took photos of the labels so I could remember the lovely words, but this is what's worth sharing:
Mural. Train.
And last, but certainly not least, why not a photo of Big Mama's House of Soul? (next to the, apparently not defunk, Club 1601. Oh yes, people party there...)
<3
- L

In the little free time I have...

Working two jobs is a drag - but the good news is I have access to more corks then I would have if I simply saved my own. I am inspired to work on new cork projects.

This first is a wreath. I'm only using those corks that aren't really made of cork - you know the ones, they're like spongy plastic - and I am screwing eyelet screws into each of them and using the same wire I use for the wine bottle lamps to string them circularly (since I know that will definately hold its shape). That was probably not worded as well as it should have been , let's hope pictures ARE worth a thousand words. I'll add more soon. The problem with this project is simple though: it takes forever! Even getting ten or so corks a week it is becoming such a slow process. The wreath is tiny with fifty or so already strung, and my apartment is so small it just sits there on my desk, mocking me.

The second project is a new corkboard. This one is going to be a little different than the last one I showed you though. The board is the same rectangular shape (because I REALLY like it), but the border or "framing" will be done differently. Instead of just staining something decorative, I've chosen a lace-like pattern, one with large carvings, and I will paint the board green behind the stained border, in order to give it a little more contrast. Since this border is wider than the first, I'll just use it on the shorter sides and have the corks go to the edge on the long ends. I'm not saying length-wise and width-wise because I'm hoping this will look great both ways.

This one is a house-warming present for my brother and his wife. They're moving and I felt that merited the time and effort that go in to making another one of these. It's time-consuming too.

K, I'm done talking about THIS now. <3 Take care.

Corkboard Update

FYI: I had to use rubber cement to make the corkboard stronger; it was becoming a little rickety. And I think it's because hot glue guns suck (as I'm finding out). The glue comes out in lines that cool too quickly, while rubber cement fills the cracks better. If I make another one I'll probably try rubber cement first.

Plus, the hot glue was the culprit for the falling photo, so I haven't had the best year with it.

Everything I do in a week (- like a giant to-do life of life)

My list - in a week I:

Wake up 7 times
Go to sleep 7 times
(Those are both lies of course, because I love to nap - in my not so distance past, before I added a second job, I totally napped all the time. Now I only get to when I'm sick)

Read about 4 books on average for classes
Grade about 40 papers
Plan for three classes
Write at least one paper
Write one decent poem and twenty terrible ones
Start at least one project I don't finish
I'm waiting tables now, so, five long shifts doing that
(You're right, I don't have time to do all these things I say I am doing; understand my life now?)

Feed the piggies - at least 14 times
Change their paper - once
Sit with them at random to groom and love on them

Trim my nails
Paint them occasionally
Other grooming acts at random

Take my recycling up to the hill
Check my mail - six times
Go to the post office - once
Look at things on-line I can't afford - eight times
Grab some groceries - once or twice
Take out the trash - twice
Laundry x's three (at least)
Organize books and desktop clutter - four times

Procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastinate.
Daydream about my trip in May - like 36 times

Drink - maybe once
Eat six bowls of cereal
Eat four bowls of pasta
Drink 21 bottles of water (I refill them, although I hear there are negative to this, too)
Eat ice cream - three times
Shower - ten times
Dry hair - four or five times

Rant about my vacuum cleaner not working -three times
Fret about bills - quite a few times more than I'd like
Dust - once
Think about dust - substantially more times than that

Sing out loud something I don't know the words to - 18 times
Wonder why I even bother texting - like twenty times
Watch a movie on TV I later wish I had not gotten wrapped in to - three times
Try to blog - once or twice
Consider deleting MySpace
Consider deleting Facebook
End up wasting time on Facebook and forgetting I wanted to delete it earlier that day
Hope it doesn't snow - three times
Check my bank account every five minutes to watch it dwindle away...

Hope you're all doing well. I am in the middle of so much right now I can't really blog, but I doubt anyone minds it.

-L

The snow's all gone and I feel great.

I received my new drawer pulls (yay) and sold the old ones on eBay (yay again).

I haven't written much in the way of updates because there hasn't been much to say. I am busy reading books and worrying over them; also, I'll start a second job any day now, so I wish to complete all of my later assignments as soon as possible. While this would be nice, I already have the one job that requires me to bring home work from the office: papers to grade, their reading homework to review, and lessons to plan (no yays follow this).

However, I really love the readings for a young adult literature class I'm taking. I feel like I am getting that second chance to read all the good books I missed out on while watching the Wizard of Oz on repeat. And of course my poetry class is perfectly delightful. I'm going to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, so I'm trying to wrap up any loose ends in the way of work this Sunday and can't say much else without taking up precious daylight hours.

I'll want to get good sleep tonight:

The weather is lovely though, no complaints there. AND, only 14 weeks (and 2 days) until the semester is over and we leave for our trip. 100 days and counting. :-D

Finished refinishing!

Well, minus drawer pulls. But I've varnished (several coats) and the decoupaging turned out wonderfully. If I didn't have a job this would have been an easy weekend project. I love the maps and I think they tie together a lot of my art from my travels that don't necessarily go together. You'll see that I didn't create holes for the drawer pulls (but I did for the locks) and that's because pressing the maps against the drawers doesn't give me a good indication of where they would align. A few times the paper even stretched out just enough so that it became too large and I had to use an exacto knife to take an edge off. All in all, it was a rewarding project and I hope it extends the life of my desk.(My carpet is hideous, I'm aware : )

4. Try wallpaper paste (it dries more successfully than a craft product like Mod Podge). I used a roller to apply it to both sides of the paper and overlapped. I'm pretty much a color-inside-the-lines girl, but I forced myself to attempt an organic feeling by having an image come over the green border on each piece.

5. After the paste and PLENTY of time to dry, I started applying the varnish. There was a paint "expert" at Lowe's and he told me the type of varnish I purchased is pretty much the only type that is safe to use over paint. I applied a few coats since a lot of my maps were thin paper and the desk gets a lot of daily use.

Desk:

Printer stand:I'm pleased, and probably more excied about having my apartment back in order.

Have a happy weekend!