Before + After: Back of House

It is a slow process, this current renovation. If I’m being honest with myself I will admit that we’ll never actually be “done” and that’s fine. What would we do with ourselves if we finished? Start over somewhere else, I guess. And I’m not remotely interested in moving again so I plan to draw out this renovation for our eternity. Today happens to be a gorgeous one so I thought it was high time to show a before + after of what we’ve done to the back of the manse.

Way back in the olden days:

Step one was to remove the crazy arborvitae that was glomming onto the house.

Step two: blow a big hole in the back of the house.

Step Three: Have Bradley and Bradley Jr from Decks Decks Decks come out and work their magic.

Step Four: make a margarita and then another and then another.

And just like that (2.5 years later) we have a great space to live in and hang out and watch the hens doing their thing in the yard below.

Happy Spring!

Spring has sprung

and I like it. No, I love it. Every year I wonder, do I love Spring or Fall better? I think the winner is Fall but I am in love with Spring right now. Everything is a riot of life. Life finds a way, no matter what. The frozen ground still begets tiny, bright green shoots that will eventually be amazing, strong things that take over our yard. Unreal.

I’m feeling excited to make some new pieces and I have stacks of bare boxes and piles of scraps and bits of things to make make make. I am currently working on a series of alphabet cards for a new product for L2 – stay tuned for more details on that. We’re heading to NYC in May for the National Stationery Show so now begins the flurry of pre-show activity for us.

Here are some pics in honor of Spring and honeybees and hopefulness.

yellow beehive

 

stack of birds and bees pieces

 

 

 

wall of ideas and inspiration

Illustration Friday (or Tuesday) “Breezy”

It’s mighty cold where I am but I am beginning to feel the itch for Spring. I’d love a day at the beach with a warm breeze.