Page 104

NY, NA, ND

Published on January 2, 2013January 2, 2013 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Could I be referring to New York, not applicable, and North Dakota? Nope, I’m talking about a new year, new art, and a new deal. To kick off 2013, I’ve added two new cut out options to the shop. First up, a completely custom map cut out, focusing on an address of your choice.

At 12 inches square, this cut out is detailed, but still easy to frame. Pop it in an Ikea Ribba frame and you’re done. All roads are cut from white, then mounted to the background color of your choice.

Next up, a series of astrological constellation cut outs. Map out your (or anyone’s) zodiac sign. As a fun way to show who sleeps on which side of the bed, get one for your self and another for your spouse to hang on either side.

Each cut out is maps the constellation as well as the name; cut from either blue or black card stock, then mounted to a white sheet.

And now for a new deal. From now until January 10, every item in our shop is 50% off using the code RINGIN2013. Cut outs, prints, pillows, all 50% off.

Surrounded

Published on December 31, 2012March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode28 Comments

Well, it’s the last day of 2012. I seriously can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. We’ve got a nearly complete year and nearly complete fireplace. Though we did deviate from our original plan. Ben added the border trim and we decided to k.i.s.s.; keep it simple, silly.

Down the road, if we feel the need to add more trim, we can. I spent a few days sanding, priming, and painting the beast.

The front, mantel, hearth, and both sides have simple 1/4 inch thick by 2 1/2 inch wide trim around the edges.

Once the paint cures, I can start decorating. Eek, I’m so excited. We’re still not sure exactly what large item we want above. Maybe a mirror, but I’m leaning toward a long, lean art piece.

And then I can add accessories to the mantel. For now though, we’re just happy to have a more functional, brighter, cleaner (and easier to clean!) fireplace. Black hole, no longer.

Next up, sealing the slate, then grout. And then we can cross this make over off our list.

How did 2012 treat you? Any big life changes for you? Moving to the mountain house was our biggest change. And one we didn’t expect a year ago. Heck, this time last year we were mid kitchen remodel.

Squirrel in the House!

Published on December 28, 2012March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Luckily, not a real squirrel. Just squirrel colored paint. On the doors. Two down, six more to go!

Handy Sammy is home visiting his family, so I took this opportunity to paint the main bathroom door. When only the boys are using it and they don’t care about privacy.

I used Behr’s Squirrel, color matched to Glidden’s Duo paint. Two coats of paint on each side with drying time between and here we are.

This is the only room we’ve installed new trim, and I love the contrast of the dark gray door with white.

This color changes depending on the lighting. Sometimes it has a green tint, others slightly brown. But here’s the most accurate shot of the color.

And now the brass handles don’t look terrible. Still not my favorite, but better. Perhaps I can use a very fine sandpaper to take the polished brass down to a satin brass? Ben is completely against spray painted handles, so that’s out. I’ve also tried Blue Magic and steel wool without any change.

Do you like dark painted doors? Have you used a fine sandpaper to tone down the brightness of brass?

Peace and Joy

Published on December 26, 2012December 26, 2012 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

I hope everyone had a happy holiday! And, happy Monday, I mean Wednesday! I could get used to four-day weekends. It was so nice to have time to work on the house and still get a few days to relax. I’m going to take a few minutes to write out thank you cards to our families out-of-state. Of course I could use a plain card, but holiday colors and faux glitter are more fun, right? For this reason, I made two sets of Christmas cards. If you’ve got a thank you or two to write, here are the designs. Wish Peace on Earth:

Download the .pdf print sheet for the Peace on Earth set.

Or sing a little song with Repeat the Sounding Joy:

And Repeat the Sounding Joy set.

All cards are flat, measuring 5 1/4 inches by 4 inches, sized to fit in standard A2 envelopes. Or, the perfect size to mail as a postcard. Just write on the back your message on the back, include the address, and a postage stamp and you’re done.

On Christmas Eve

Published on December 24, 2012December 24, 2012 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

We’re in full Christmas celebration mode here. Over the weekend, we did plenty of baking including spritz cookies, pizzelles, and gingerbread dough. Oh, and lefse. Ben practiced his tossing skills on the lefse, and now he’s itching to make home made pizzas.