tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704028949047477512024-03-04T22:10:16.339-08:00The Principal's OfficeRusty and Dina's adventures in living in an artists' community in an old elementary school in North Seattle.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-968005955636975222011-01-24T23:04:00.000-08:002011-01-24T23:06:02.844-08:00Take a bow<p>It's probably time to take down the last of the holiday decor...</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PIHnpSLD1ZxS7aZxT3a5uSMRdGG0VaoKZSIBtYao4EfmeH8fOveLSJ3kGCKtm4xunTOWTYLUpuA3jDi-wvcvEVcObaKX7mOU9xi7HyyhDWh0LjnuQ6Jz7duCC7Aamb-D5k2MCREjag/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PIHnpSLD1ZxS7aZxT3a5uSMRdGG0VaoKZSIBtYao4EfmeH8fOveLSJ3kGCKtm4xunTOWTYLUpuA3jDi-wvcvEVcObaKX7mOU9xi7HyyhDWh0LjnuQ6Jz7duCC7Aamb-D5k2MCREjag/s320/IMG_4662.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566016137552555458" /></a>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-83660823001429450772011-01-17T18:47:00.001-08:002011-01-17T19:10:03.939-08:00Hooray for Free Table!Last year I once mentioned that we have a <a href="http://dnrstudios.blogspot.com/2009/06/communality.html">Free Table</a> in the building.<br /><br />This bears repeating and praising, again. It's just a table in hallway, in the middle of the school, where people can leave and find stuff. The rules are: Anything you leave is still yours until someone claims it. If no one claims it, it needs to be disposed of another way. (Supposedly this should happen after three days, but some things stay longer, and occasionally someone has mercy and takes the whole unwanted loot to Value Village or Goodwill.)<br /><br />The Free Table is BRILLIANT! I think every community and apartment building should have one. It's a great way to recycle and save money.<br /><br />In our 18 months (!) at the school, what have we gotten from the Free Table?<br /><ul><li>Furniture: A full-sized ottoman, and a little mushroom-shaped upholstered footstool</li><li>Appliances: A working microwave</li><li>Clothing: Rusty's full-length wool coat in immaculate condition; Dina's velvet dress and a summer jacket </li><li>Jewelry: I'm still ecstatic about the beautiful heart-shaped amber earrings I found last week!</li><li>A bread storage box</li><li>A table lamp</li><li>Candles, candle holders</li><li>Numerous cat toys!<br /></li></ul>But even better than scoring at the Free Table is donating to the Free Table. There's nothing more satisfying than leaving something that then disappears within hours (or minutes). It's also so encouraging to continually sort and purge our belongings: I have much less trouble parting with stuff if I know it will make one of my neighbors happy. Seeing <a href="http://www.meghannan.com/" target="_blank">Meg</a>'s face light up at the collection of small figurines that I collected for my shadow box when I was little made the parting that much easier! I've left clothes, books, CDs and tapes, and jewelry, as well as things we replaced. When I finally found a butter dish that did not squish the butter like the standard size does (pet peeve, anyone?), the old one was cleaned and went to the Free Table. And was gone within a day.<br /><br />Yay for recycling and saving money!<br /><br />And now for the continuing saga of the bald head and its piggy dinner:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jO6ogkqyDWF5Kuijk-TMQj4oG5VZo7RzdsGmjsiYVlWoTHa3ASlYM6RiZHUQ7Xs7k2hUWWySXLFS1AuShYQ2HoA-fJ9ClcURZwUYox2yd4kDXrL2VLlqSCVZp9BQdH2cuEfOd93mBQ/s1600/theater3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jO6ogkqyDWF5Kuijk-TMQj4oG5VZo7RzdsGmjsiYVlWoTHa3ASlYM6RiZHUQ7Xs7k2hUWWySXLFS1AuShYQ2HoA-fJ9ClcURZwUYox2yd4kDXrL2VLlqSCVZp9BQdH2cuEfOd93mBQ/s400/theater3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563356271043288018" border="0" /></a>Piggy prevailed! The white head now gets to enjoy a brussel sprout instead. With fly topping.<br /><br />Next up: Froggies and rubber duckies go hot-tubbing...Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-64590408347167536302011-01-09T22:23:00.001-08:002011-01-09T22:38:17.749-08:00Art expressions...<p>In a building where about 13 artists work and live, you can imagine that the public spaces get "decorated" very creatively.</p><p>Most noticeable is that the hallway is painted very bright colors, usually chosen by the person inhabiting their particular section. There are stripes, solids, collages, ornaments hanging from the ceiling, and of course no shortage of trinkets and pictures on top of the lockers. Stringed lights are popular too -- not just for the holidays, but year-round.</p><p>One of my favorite new pieces of "art" is the former "shrine" by the front door, now turned into a miniature theater stage. Every day a new scene appears and transforms ever so subtly. I should have started taking pictures from day 1, but I couldn't anticipate how quickly things would get updated -- so we all missed a hilarious series of various little plastic and rubber animals having a campfire with matches and sleeping in little rolled-up felt sleeping bags. Now we've moved on to Act 2: Dinner.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVvRWtyJ9FpLs0UwwnbLlWdsOkwvqf67_JZd947h4Wav3Aqo500rJ1_rDgbTgreYNY6D2RHA9n7e71sU43ZmiKLhFJ19aqR_9W2829TNW_c0_TCsLMlKE8I8_1I1bUAcbNPlme-ExsA/s1600/theater1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVvRWtyJ9FpLs0UwwnbLlWdsOkwvqf67_JZd947h4Wav3Aqo500rJ1_rDgbTgreYNY6D2RHA9n7e71sU43ZmiKLhFJ19aqR_9W2829TNW_c0_TCsLMlKE8I8_1I1bUAcbNPlme-ExsA/s400/theater1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560439512760195826" border="0" /></a></p><br />At first the pig was just worshiping the bust, but today silverware and napkins have changed the plot.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xQiDtP_YpcjgG8_5HiKRtIG44DZYZAIfOcq6DhSrl2MxBiStEDWmuFXk24iFhlCRqbBISQ65GO4vQM3W_-SWnlpou5D5BJhq5CO2M9S-JqYWKNxzwA7pOU4nSd8D0ZXVziDF_RaZvg/s1600/theater2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xQiDtP_YpcjgG8_5HiKRtIG44DZYZAIfOcq6DhSrl2MxBiStEDWmuFXk24iFhlCRqbBISQ65GO4vQM3W_-SWnlpou5D5BJhq5CO2M9S-JqYWKNxzwA7pOU4nSd8D0ZXVziDF_RaZvg/s400/theater2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560439517683510514" border="0" /></a><br />Stay tuned for how the pig escapes its fate...<br /><br />But on the other end of the spectrum, I still can't figure out the origin of or reason for this piece of "art" that showed up in the laundry room:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vOGJISjTUQJlVODyYEb0gBFF1Uz0Y79ZBMoDgDEG0qendGoNNUkREtDZvhIZXZ4ibfjFAfnwHWyL_MZWAoUUqgnkXa5FKAhJoAH9v3ddnRyZ2MoVZDF3OXM5TxigDQMYwl8LGG7klg/s1600/laundry.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vOGJISjTUQJlVODyYEb0gBFF1Uz0Y79ZBMoDgDEG0qendGoNNUkREtDZvhIZXZ4ibfjFAfnwHWyL_MZWAoUUqgnkXa5FKAhJoAH9v3ddnRyZ2MoVZDF3OXM5TxigDQMYwl8LGG7klg/s400/laundry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560439514823589682" border="0" /></a><br />She's been there for two weeks now. Why?? Why does Linda Evans care how many loads I did today, or whose laundry is waiting all week to be picked up?<br /><br />(Btw, the yellow arrow says, "Please put in dryer." That way if I'm late transferring my laundry myself, the next person can go ahead with their load. We're a helpful community -- more than once did I put in a load to wash, and found it dried and waiting for me two hours later. Thanks, neighbors!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xQiDtP_YpcjgG8_5HiKRtIG44DZYZAIfOcq6DhSrl2MxBiStEDWmuFXk24iFhlCRqbBISQ65GO4vQM3W_-SWnlpou5D5BJhq5CO2M9S-JqYWKNxzwA7pOU4nSd8D0ZXVziDF_RaZvg/s1600/theater2.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVvRWtyJ9FpLs0UwwnbLlWdsOkwvqf67_JZd947h4Wav3Aqo500rJ1_rDgbTgreYNY6D2RHA9n7e71sU43ZmiKLhFJ19aqR_9W2829TNW_c0_TCsLMlKE8I8_1I1bUAcbNPlme-ExsA/s1600/theater1.jpg"><br /></a>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-46433145424897270322011-01-01T17:13:00.000-08:002011-01-01T17:33:05.354-08:00Happy New Year from the Principal's Office!What a year it's been for us!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbUsCjW3rkeOXwt3Qa9VM4dZJt1qY7miW06J__fXvFhUyRjujYSDKKFsjN_nZSnAtJDgLbjuvV3D2hQoONyF0QXbZfhhLb1E2S2GoqZRLH1ekBHgOlI1Uc3VUyQLOkf24afqYLMKJ_A/s1600/snow.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbUsCjW3rkeOXwt3Qa9VM4dZJt1qY7miW06J__fXvFhUyRjujYSDKKFsjN_nZSnAtJDgLbjuvV3D2hQoONyF0QXbZfhhLb1E2S2GoqZRLH1ekBHgOlI1Uc3VUyQLOkf24afqYLMKJ_A/s400/snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557390785599460018" border="0" /></a>Aside from getting some snow time in Spokane over Thankgiving, here's what we were celebrating last night as 2010 clocked out:<br /><ul><li>Rusty completing his training as a cabinetmaker/woodworker through Seattle Central Community College (you can admire his finished projects <a href="http://rustyknorr.net/woodworking.html">here</a> -- they sure make the rest of our IKEA furnishings look shabby!)</li><li>Dina starting school to become a German-English translator</li><li>We both became first-time aunt & uncle as Dina's brother had his first son in December -- baby Kai John Trageser. (We'll meet him in person in March, when we travel to Germany for a visit.)</li><li>We had lovely visits to Spokane, Eugene, Newport OR, Port Townsend, and Berkeley/San Francisco to visit with family and friends or just to relax</li><li>And still, home is best. We continue to feel very lucky to live in this little community of artists, in a funky little space that feels more and more like home as we continue to tinker with it.<br /></li></ul>We don't have a fireplace, but appeased Saint Nick as follows:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2s-IGvTYWbzcicmW0alW9WS4rH6t4qRz2k9C1y7Ppr7S3G2gJNHFpljyss9vBWd-Qq77igysUTvcsVYWRE63O0IdeIWer4QKY6a734FMM2vdFeFtNr6-LaRN562Z4VryHDMV7uUU_g/s1600/stockings.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2s-IGvTYWbzcicmW0alW9WS4rH6t4qRz2k9C1y7Ppr7S3G2gJNHFpljyss9vBWd-Qq77igysUTvcsVYWRE63O0IdeIWer4QKY6a734FMM2vdFeFtNr6-LaRN562Z4VryHDMV7uUU_g/s400/stockings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557390785813347330" border="0" /></a><br />Other tinkering accomplishments:<br /><ul><li>We have a functioning toilet! It's small, but it works! (I'll spare you the photo...)<br /></li><li>Rusty figured out how to fit the entire sectional sofa into the narrow living room in one piece:</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lwYAYd9YG5LRPTBptkjvTL18oQw8DVGgsMLwE9uoYKKWKxomiz2PeqyqGYac9vJTomKaMfIBHAmv5HO6qO6LZ1RbixEb7amP076golnzlG0KJ3yP2KS8oTs5NZwtMsO53ds7adRkig/s1600/livingroom.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lwYAYd9YG5LRPTBptkjvTL18oQw8DVGgsMLwE9uoYKKWKxomiz2PeqyqGYac9vJTomKaMfIBHAmv5HO6qO6LZ1RbixEb7amP076golnzlG0KJ3yP2KS8oTs5NZwtMsO53ds7adRkig/s400/livingroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557394296298532994" border="0" /></a><br />(Hi, mom!)<br /><ul><li>More light for the dining area:</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ11fGCXdj0YuYNc_qB9o7KunPaZtKVvfB6jC9JN9PPynf8KR2bKFJ9ukrj5X3INS_RUx617jVXU9FWB4ptTwkdpNNHPTBSgdeIpLyYkLjkvtthxO21x58NQQFh_5Yfi6oQ3w4QzPAQ/s1600/moonlamp.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ11fGCXdj0YuYNc_qB9o7KunPaZtKVvfB6jC9JN9PPynf8KR2bKFJ9ukrj5X3INS_RUx617jVXU9FWB4ptTwkdpNNHPTBSgdeIpLyYkLjkvtthxO21x58NQQFh_5Yfi6oQ3w4QzPAQ/s400/moonlamp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557394297725180338" border="0" /></a><br />Note the daybed under the window -- made by the new craftsman in the house. All we need is a fitting mattress to make it functional!<br /><br />Happy New Year, one and all! May it be a year full of creative accomplishment!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-37641302876831272862010-10-19T21:50:00.000-07:002010-10-19T22:03:52.013-07:00On the road againThere are boxes piling up in the hallway. This means one of our neighbors is about to take her art on the road.<br /><br />I should have featured her much sooner: <a href="http://www.meghannan.com/" target="_blank">Meg Hannan</a>, owner and artist of Fabric Jewels. She creates beautiful jewelry from rolled-up fabric. That's a simplistic description -- the process is much more involved than that. And the results are varied and stunning:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUYIa1UBYuTkvMktwfq9q7nx-9tuPT4DCNlbs0ETlt8DSP9zdf8k-G4da0_4D1ktXGi1h5RuJjxy57XiBpjMW7jFOqrQXqsutP1icV5pB0DwErWBR-xCHvQovK4R8HChVxFAClY9AiQ/s1600/MegX7full-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUYIa1UBYuTkvMktwfq9q7nx-9tuPT4DCNlbs0ETlt8DSP9zdf8k-G4da0_4D1ktXGi1h5RuJjxy57XiBpjMW7jFOqrQXqsutP1icV5pB0DwErWBR-xCHvQovK4R8HChVxFAClY9AiQ/s400/MegX7full-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529987393431551218" border="0" /></a><br />Aside from an inspiring, inspired, and very hard-working artist, Meg is also the "good spirit" of the school. That's my unofficial assessment. Her living space and studio are in the center of the main hallway, and she frequently moves between the two (each a full-sized classroom) (check out her studio <a href="http://www.meghannan.com/enlarged_panorama.html" target="_blank">here</a>!), so she's in touch with residents from the north and south of her. (You'd laugh, since the school is not that large, but we really rarely see the people on the south end. We wave from afar, but that's mostly it.) If I don't run into Meg every other day or so, something is just missing.<br /><br />Well, I'm about to miss her a bunch, as she's taking her wares on the road for art shows in Houston and San Francisco. Bye, Meg!! Bring home lots of cash and empty bins!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-82708939727183355762010-10-05T22:08:00.000-07:002010-10-05T22:18:35.079-07:00Lights!At the risk of making our living room look like a skating rink... those golden pipes just beg to have strings of lights wrapped around them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_KwlEHNcX7n_6KGBLtWHMRZbKNcMpp6coTSmseowKChfm4yNvA0SjuU9vJdOCAlP4RojHsorPGdMLd3YahJd5oIHyLdEqbwMEKIxnHeXch25oY_zOSz1PDFbK6Q3A30elef4mtk9Vw/s1600/lights4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_KwlEHNcX7n_6KGBLtWHMRZbKNcMpp6coTSmseowKChfm4yNvA0SjuU9vJdOCAlP4RojHsorPGdMLd3YahJd5oIHyLdEqbwMEKIxnHeXch25oY_zOSz1PDFbK6Q3A30elef4mtk9Vw/s400/lights4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524796427009795970" border="0" /></a><br />The overhead lights are much too bright and make a buzzing sound. We mostly leave them off, unless we're cleaning and need a reality check on just how much cat hair is covering the couch and rugs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyPch_6-Y32S3ty6GTbqh2tvEA4wgorvTqMeEoWaR9HUEPok2ZhI9ivVgAvYu3afa8NCZz-xQHW5ofeJ3W4nMCkRpOEB8JNRtEP3wIFxsoKyrgCoOUyoTNr39_SilmceiIl0k8nuO1A/s1600/lights1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyPch_6-Y32S3ty6GTbqh2tvEA4wgorvTqMeEoWaR9HUEPok2ZhI9ivVgAvYu3afa8NCZz-xQHW5ofeJ3W4nMCkRpOEB8JNRtEP3wIFxsoKyrgCoOUyoTNr39_SilmceiIl0k8nuO1A/s400/lights1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524796417209459202" border="0" /></a><br />We've had the colored lights up for a while, but recently added our new light covers from Bella Luz. <a href="http://www.bellaluz.com/">Bella Luz</a> (a.k.a. Joline El Hai) had her studio in the school for years, but recently moved out. We scored some of her artwork, including these light covers, at her going-away sale.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYE24rkx3Kx37gPwxctjHXRITSsxi8M8BM6744VBuyeVYQPH-1cuSjeyCTKlGIH-B9F82F6VSixn7dkpwS1dJzeDbN12f87CYLKAt5dG1p-dMXB5BDw6tR-KUr9jhR1PQCSFkLfCQ6w/s1600/lights3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYE24rkx3Kx37gPwxctjHXRITSsxi8M8BM6744VBuyeVYQPH-1cuSjeyCTKlGIH-B9F82F6VSixn7dkpwS1dJzeDbN12f87CYLKAt5dG1p-dMXB5BDw6tR-KUr9jhR1PQCSFkLfCQ6w/s400/lights3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524796424338057314" border="0" /></a><br />Each one has a different image on each side -- and there are far too many to show here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6UUYqQ4qxV456m8H2M06nwkUZ-5pQm8GF8D4vsIup0_ACm2x-dbtpbLgQNEA7N6qg9Z-sp0YfRbKfI-yCBTXOfDAQTy2iQfUyKRy-3w8jvB5yPUWQl9uIR0h-RoUGwOUzvMc3hlo3Q/s1600/lights2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6UUYqQ4qxV456m8H2M06nwkUZ-5pQm8GF8D4vsIup0_ACm2x-dbtpbLgQNEA7N6qg9Z-sp0YfRbKfI-yCBTXOfDAQTy2iQfUyKRy-3w8jvB5yPUWQl9uIR0h-RoUGwOUzvMc3hlo3Q/s400/lights2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524796420483028850" border="0" /></a><br />You'll have to check out her artwork on <a href="http://www.bellaluz.com/">Bellaluz.com</a> yourself!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-23621201591899152772010-09-20T22:52:00.000-07:002010-09-20T23:00:14.356-07:00Office organizationI recently made a big push and organized our office. You know those <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80156281">cubby shelves</a> that everyone has from Ikea? Yeah, it was getting out of hand with clutter. I finally straightened it out. Even emptied out my inbox. But you know how that goes... within minutes, the inbox was full again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXnzkrn8AhsU9N6gwav5D_5K1ljbNn4b_ygrM0apGC2NmGO6-9WbVwWQOcb5z5i4R8Eixpr4ljE48HaGK4cYiQRmGOTlxj8VDF1EVwYr_iWNs2GM2JV9Qokonrv6FH1HFwAgHf3xsww/s1600/teagan_inbox2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXnzkrn8AhsU9N6gwav5D_5K1ljbNn4b_ygrM0apGC2NmGO6-9WbVwWQOcb5z5i4R8Eixpr4ljE48HaGK4cYiQRmGOTlxj8VDF1EVwYr_iWNs2GM2JV9Qokonrv6FH1HFwAgHf3xsww/s320/teagan_inbox2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519242334468372370" border="0" /></a>But that item on top is easy. It just wants some petting, and done.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA_rL9n8HhPaBAJPJOVchBll7Cq1cR4RjN77-kvCEyqAbZdaB_1wdSQ2-11nFvL-F5jtVCzRGy1OKxr-mB23jzkBX88r8ucjOIOmPFodVJPpG5H99HRhLJE4fn5tXv_5mIwMZbVQraw/s1600/teagan_inbox.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA_rL9n8HhPaBAJPJOVchBll7Cq1cR4RjN77-kvCEyqAbZdaB_1wdSQ2-11nFvL-F5jtVCzRGy1OKxr-mB23jzkBX88r8ucjOIOmPFodVJPpG5H99HRhLJE4fn5tXv_5mIwMZbVQraw/s320/teagan_inbox.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519242340467202930" border="0" /></a>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-35738283919296155222010-08-18T13:38:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:59:40.346-07:00The Principal's OfficeConfession: I keep wanting to blog more about our space. But very little of it is in a state that I feel comfortable taking a picture of and sharing publicly.<br /><br />Oh, it's not a pigsty. It's ok. But you know, it's not *neat.* Cat toys everywhere. Laundry piles, dirty and clean. Stuff. We have stuff. Our desk is shared by a laptop and a desktop, and all the accoutrements for each -- how attractive is that?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Well, one room passes muster, without too much prep: the bedroom. That's because we recently moved the dressers and a clothing rack into our dressing room, which is now too messy to take a picture of... ha! But the bedroom (formerly the actual principal's office) is *just* a bedroom, which is great.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47i7eaZCELx1FV9BjJ0SBhamUOtmQTJ65d8DnKdKDQQvRmFOIPq37Rjg1l7EjeEEP6Jzt__Mngcp7ej-pwHnHzP26p1mpR0IQAEP5MBOfcGsFLZVHJX29lJOpg0G0JxBdB4X23dVz9A/s1600/bedroom1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47i7eaZCELx1FV9BjJ0SBhamUOtmQTJ65d8DnKdKDQQvRmFOIPq37Rjg1l7EjeEEP6Jzt__Mngcp7ej-pwHnHzP26p1mpR0IQAEP5MBOfcGsFLZVHJX29lJOpg0G0JxBdB4X23dVz9A/s320/bedroom1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506853741098263714" border="0" /></a>I painted the room "sailor's eye" blue when we moved in. The heating pipes (on the left) had been painted gold by a previous resident, which works great with the blue. Striped curtains from Ikea, with gold chains from... Home Depot? Rusty rigged up a kitty-proof screen for one of the windows, which is held in place by some intensely strong magnets.<br /><br />Perhaps someday we'll have lovely bedside cubbies made by Rusty, but now it's cheapo canvas bins. At least they match. :-)<br /><br />Through the window you can see evidence of our light challenge: We face east, and trees and shrubs allow for minimal daylight to come in directly. (These pictures were taking in the early evening of a sunny day, and I had to use flash.) But it also gives us a lot of privacy, which we love.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxloEYWGtRZAWL0CQElerUjT0vvPYYpodIIbgzO3j1TzYhuzMsEabqSy4nf71cuv4GFiPQVq_E92k8Hy7t_49LkvTb2HgwWy8053COlHgbky-im1lvVnKZx8fBqh5qs5QcYz54e7AwsA/s1600/bedroom2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxloEYWGtRZAWL0CQElerUjT0vvPYYpodIIbgzO3j1TzYhuzMsEabqSy4nf71cuv4GFiPQVq_E92k8Hy7t_49LkvTb2HgwWy8053COlHgbky-im1lvVnKZx8fBqh5qs5QcYz54e7AwsA/s320/bedroom2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506854838703104050" border="0" /></a><br />We wrapped white string lights around the gold pipes, which looks lovely at night, and the paper lamp is so much better than the school-issue overheads.<br /><br />And it seems like every bedroom has to have its requisite naked girl art, so this is the new home of my Maxfield Parrish print that I've had since college.<br /><br />Overall, a very calm bedroom, until the ceiling tiles fall down at night (I think this happened to Rusty once). Just another reminder that this is no ordinary living space.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-7951554380090497662010-07-21T16:43:00.000-07:002010-07-21T17:16:51.707-07:00Summertime!My, but summer is reluctant this year in Seattle!<br /><br />But it's here nonetheless. Suddenly we have to think about watering our little garden. Hm, and the hose is where...? Too far away. The best solution would be to attach one to the kitchen sink and hoist it through the livingroom window... or walk with a bucket back and forth and back and forth. Hm. Well, there may or may not be vegetables this year!<br /><br />Catching up on other news: We've done some rearranging. Remember my agony about not having a closet? I had a clothes rack in the bedroom, as well as two dressers, which made the bedroom kind of cramped and blocked the door into the hallway. I had two racks in the "back corner room" -- remember this room?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5OkDLPt_vce9mSrLvuJ3-ExJ2n3L759MdH7l9Pi-iQOt-ESut7kvdBdE-sO-nSpQf4dtPUIfXqyebcPogsqUdy-KOlCnayRcBgoeOd299ChDlkCZoFY_VedmYXIm0C7JNGikpwMACA/s1600/movingboxes.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5OkDLPt_vce9mSrLvuJ3-ExJ2n3L759MdH7l9Pi-iQOt-ESut7kvdBdE-sO-nSpQf4dtPUIfXqyebcPogsqUdy-KOlCnayRcBgoeOd299ChDlkCZoFY_VedmYXIm0C7JNGikpwMACA/s320/movingboxes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511546286506018" border="0" /></a>We'd never really fully organized or designated it for anything, but since it's adjoining the music studio, we made it the office, and moved the piano in there. Of course the office is still too messy to post a real photo, but here's a snapshot taken from the desk:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD1mGEw_t2T-6OxCLCydyTEweW8kVjLM3Qjt9AKnAqHnbo2SG8-23Q67pPnw0e1VSPTDl-YRucP5DMJXpqvOfiEH0MPqngEvcc-Nn-SeN5su5P61D6mxA6SLcWXKq_v3OZJ-cCYGhNg/s1600/office1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD1mGEw_t2T-6OxCLCydyTEweW8kVjLM3Qjt9AKnAqHnbo2SG8-23Q67pPnw0e1VSPTDl-YRucP5DMJXpqvOfiEH0MPqngEvcc-Nn-SeN5su5P61D6mxA6SLcWXKq_v3OZJ-cCYGhNg/s320/office1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511550356899570" border="0" /></a>Hi, Gavin! Oh, what's that you're sitting on?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI_O9J6vbmhDf5HUX775ldE7EIOhzQ3duQ7Ic4yyQiXJIi1wwETmi8zKU7fpv4F2xPpuBs8b3WMJsJDd3n0a4BLl8GGLO3B-vtvXZaf2vTMJ9Gx5-r9e8j6bvvIufpRiCgSYSOwqVJw/s1600/filing1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI_O9J6vbmhDf5HUX775ldE7EIOhzQ3duQ7Ic4yyQiXJIi1wwETmi8zKU7fpv4F2xPpuBs8b3WMJsJDd3n0a4BLl8GGLO3B-vtvXZaf2vTMJ9Gx5-r9e8j6bvvIufpRiCgSYSOwqVJw/s320/filing1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511560477088914" border="0" /></a><br />A filing cabinet made by Rusty. Wow!<br /><br />The previous office (formerly the conference room) is now the "dressing room." Yay! Not only a closet, but a whole room just for clothes. We moved the dressers in there too, so now our bedroom is so much more spacious and relaxed -- no clutter. Just a bed. Nice.<br /><br />We've been here just over a year now! We couldn't be happier. The music studio is being put to good use with rehearsals once or twice a week, our neighbors are all terrific (and wonderful cat sitters when we're out of town), and the courtyard is so great on warm summer evenings. Happy anniversary to us!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-91430727587572373502010-05-04T21:51:00.000-07:002010-05-04T21:54:25.075-07:00SpringSpring is here, so the cellophane-panels that helped insulate our rooms are down and in storage.<br /><br />So it's nothing but single-pane windows between us and nature. And it still gets cold sometimes. Thank goodness for fleece and purring lap warmers....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5g-6YNpcGEDJ6P92AIDGmADGoPH16ikQa9WGf1_pi5UKNOVLdnO0Mag78zwnZDOK9ZxL-UCJolTcnrRV4YrI7FiW23YaYCSGaoMpLERv4iCGsphkqJBDgA-TY2STETvOOkv9OgJhG7A/s1600/fleece-cats.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5g-6YNpcGEDJ6P92AIDGmADGoPH16ikQa9WGf1_pi5UKNOVLdnO0Mag78zwnZDOK9ZxL-UCJolTcnrRV4YrI7FiW23YaYCSGaoMpLERv4iCGsphkqJBDgA-TY2STETvOOkv9OgJhG7A/s320/fleece-cats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467644750622767426" border="0" /></a>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-50460842555334489622010-04-27T19:52:00.000-07:002010-04-27T23:14:17.731-07:00Fetching kitty<p>Forgive the sideways view... This is the best video yet of evidence that Gavin loves to play fetch. Even right-side up. </p><br /><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzuv1On8jSMo67nOlsZjH3iZ1wJ8F9JvM9_ze-yT2WZ2UJ4-LCwi_NIqul2X8p1OfxD2xjPjx2zDdjOaqZd' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-24114434312253009442010-04-18T22:47:00.000-07:002010-04-18T23:07:50.242-07:00GardeningResidents at the school have the option of gardening in the grounds that are near their classroom/studio. For Rusty and me this has been on the back burner -- there are so many other projects to do, and with school and work and performing, we can barely keep up with the laundry. But one sunny weekend afternoon recently had us strolling over to the tiered garden beds behind our kitchen. We just started yanking some weeds...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz478PwOm7kIXFyeUD-AlGj8tyb-RvriUjQjrEn4U9eY35KLuf1W3cNv-AFuoaFc2Hk1CygQGdJ7O2ubaihjVhsDtm_GONWBhZEONdSYxKQW6fnUBS5KKuMjG7WnP5FxjQaFSc0N7GYg/s1600/gardening1.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQQ_M-f2rH5myqWlJeimmqnqoCsgRyBWjmkU4Sgmbgqgz7RVfDaSooQDr9dFIB29fY34tKoKZaO57VO0ZqYSw5yeU3N0O7U4lF8cKrZ6L7ISyoSYzw5_piH_XshggweiUarCV4BBnKg/s1600/gardening1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQQ_M-f2rH5myqWlJeimmqnqoCsgRyBWjmkU4Sgmbgqgz7RVfDaSooQDr9dFIB29fY34tKoKZaO57VO0ZqYSw5yeU3N0O7U4lF8cKrZ6L7ISyoSYzw5_piH_XshggweiUarCV4BBnKg/s320/gardening1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461725148744827778" border="0" /></a>... and before you know it, we'd cleared the whole bed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54L3ndwm-wscyVwFh0P0M1YGYX-9VLFyr4frVnNdh9ksrao-6m5EiR2ShQfP_1NjZt-3J20iHo0FuCg-sy9ew1m4rdsBVRNhD1pkjEjR3z3ZUN4-be0XaA6EDVTiV2P18gNJ99EaO-A/s1600/gardening2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54L3ndwm-wscyVwFh0P0M1YGYX-9VLFyr4frVnNdh9ksrao-6m5EiR2ShQfP_1NjZt-3J20iHo0FuCg-sy9ew1m4rdsBVRNhD1pkjEjR3z3ZUN4-be0XaA6EDVTiV2P18gNJ99EaO-A/s320/gardening2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461724792908374994" border="0" /></a><br />I went off to a baby shower, and when I returned, behold, there was a garden!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85mwWrqwOFAT7Y_pI25zPBngrSxFbClT9Txhn-P9dcmLVFz5uoS6dZ5XAZ3oPfbwM1fJTd3TL6SNPGol26s-zmPU_t8riq_C6-yBkY-Y-YFzTL-zgCOqUurYYa1U74Zmw8McAvjDxog/s1600/gardening3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85mwWrqwOFAT7Y_pI25zPBngrSxFbClT9Txhn-P9dcmLVFz5uoS6dZ5XAZ3oPfbwM1fJTd3TL6SNPGol26s-zmPU_t8riq_C6-yBkY-Y-YFzTL-zgCOqUurYYa1U74Zmw8McAvjDxog/s320/gardening3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461725265631094626" border="0" /></a><br />Rusty planted strawberries, various herbs, salad greens, and I think some lavender. So fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYygXqiE5woEcnx0WlQ8VAwN5Q6-tLjPkGk1xZdV9Yrh1pPAxDvr8A1EYhJng6z46tbKXEk7eSYpqRDfRPyHxAnGxbjSapn4gjowow6HEJm1K5Km4pL52MF1w4sCL8RVmdsqvGfaCfQ/s1600/gavtea.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYygXqiE5woEcnx0WlQ8VAwN5Q6-tLjPkGk1xZdV9Yrh1pPAxDvr8A1EYhJng6z46tbKXEk7eSYpqRDfRPyHxAnGxbjSapn4gjowow6HEJm1K5Km4pL52MF1w4sCL8RVmdsqvGfaCfQ/s320/gavtea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461725695118580658" border="0" /></a>In the meantime, the cats are still cute as can be. When they're not being little monsters.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-23411988577210512052010-02-15T22:29:00.001-08:002010-02-15T22:35:05.361-08:00Bread!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh249rj7pkDEtO5PlyLlMAAN2sXtxjEgew3EL0MnOjfOSPeKxS8XkNUenpQ7VPm5V4UPfNbQ5EareOAjDq_FVVZsntuK5cE1bTM7W0JtW6buDAxtUzTy7M7TzyWSAiPejj19D1BiJh16g/s1600-h/bread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh249rj7pkDEtO5PlyLlMAAN2sXtxjEgew3EL0MnOjfOSPeKxS8XkNUenpQ7VPm5V4UPfNbQ5EareOAjDq_FVVZsntuK5cE1bTM7W0JtW6buDAxtUzTy7M7TzyWSAiPejj19D1BiJh16g/s320/bread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438725838097922306" border="0" /></a>Remember that stove we paid so dearly to have put in?<br /><br />Brief recap: Stove left by previous tenants very small; we trade for larger stove with door that doesn't close; we pay for electrical 220V line.<br /><br />Rusty figured out the door problem: magnets! So simple! And so much easier to deal with than wedging a chair under the door handle any time we're baking.<br /><br />So baking has been picking up again, and Rusty continues to turn out amazing artisan bread loaves. It's this simple recipe where he has a starter in the fridge, takes it out whenever he wants to make something, doesn't knead it, just lets it rise for an hour or so, then bake, and yummmm!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-33271332556777239202010-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:002010-01-18T20:13:38.261-08:00Fabulous Neighbors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDw1LBlu5iN65qGigmqHVprhaW9FD5Uyo0SbZ0G9gcefNBtL1oeR1pgnRQWgKGUL-awLvATvUGTax0lqvISanjMVnsJ70eIsL0vcbrhmKUrOk3LXPzN7XSEqYh29PNSWLjbK6l-2Tag/s1600-h/puabannerlc7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDw1LBlu5iN65qGigmqHVprhaW9FD5Uyo0SbZ0G9gcefNBtL1oeR1pgnRQWgKGUL-awLvATvUGTax0lqvISanjMVnsJ70eIsL0vcbrhmKUrOk3LXPzN7XSEqYh29PNSWLjbK6l-2Tag/s320/puabannerlc7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428298536044321170" border="0" /></a><br />I've been meaning to highlight some of the other residents in our little school, and here's a good reason to get started: Lance and Trixie, whose home and business is in the former Kindergarten area of the school, just got featured as one of the <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/191362.asp" target="_blank">top five coolest booths at the Seattle Wedding Show</a>. What do they do? They run a pin-up photography studio. Lance is an accomplished photographer, and Trixie is a burlesque instructor, now acting as Lance's stylist. Their home doubles as the backdrop for their photos, which are all mid-century retro style. (Very appropriate, since the school was built in the 1950s.) It's an incredible place. And the wardrobe, the wardrobe...! Trixie has an amazingly fun closet. Check out their work at <a href="http://www.oldschoolpinups.com/" target="_blank">Old School Pinups</a>.<br /><br />Congrats on the good publicity, neighbors!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-24377982060827619022009-12-31T15:15:00.000-08:002009-12-31T15:24:40.182-08:00Happy New Year!2009 is over -- what a great year! We moved in together, into the Principal's Office of an artist community/elementary school building; Rusty got to tour with <a href="http://ottmarliebert.com/index-noseo.html" target="_blank">Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra</a>, then started a <a href="http://www.seattlecentral.edu/programs/cabinetmaking/" target="_blank">cabinet building program at Seattle Central</a>; Dina released her first <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dunava" target="_blank">Dunava CD</a> and started working at <a href="http://www.expedia.com/" target="_blank">Expedia</a>. And then we adopted the cutest kittens on the planet! We have a lot to be happy about and thankful for. Tonight we'll celebrate with some friends, some cheese and chocolate fondue, and by watching "Dinner for One" -- one of those German traditions I'm determined to keep around.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1v4BYV-YvA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1v4BYV-YvA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Happy 2010, everyone!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-68955193725291719862009-12-23T19:08:00.000-08:002009-12-23T19:52:55.021-08:00Merry Cat-mas!It's been a very merry and happy month of December in the Principal's office. A couple weeks ago Rusty and I adopted two kittens! They are around six months old, had been rescued from an abandoned litter and have been living in foster care, waiting for adoption. Once we met them, it was instantly decided. We chose a brother and sister from the litter of four (two brothers are still waiting for adoption), a pair of tabbies, with plenty of spunk and affection and personality.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid885EZDRBKsAXPV4ccB75fi_mdAAxxC8yEBxwuInNYBYTxib07hzYz6BZjn_DBKdGrDmGSJabSTF40lmedrDS_zWwUE-zjPFa-7v9UbYLfLM3girFKuCl3ZN_qonLQc0-SrIOUsIEtw/s1600-h/gavin_teagan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid885EZDRBKsAXPV4ccB75fi_mdAAxxC8yEBxwuInNYBYTxib07hzYz6BZjn_DBKdGrDmGSJabSTF40lmedrDS_zWwUE-zjPFa-7v9UbYLfLM3girFKuCl3ZN_qonLQc0-SrIOUsIEtw/s200/gavin_teagan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418641530167001618" border="0" /></a>Welcome, Gavin and Teagan! (Oh, you have no idea how long I waited for them to sit still for this picture. For each nice shot there must be twenty blurry ones of tails and paws dashing around...)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BPtDHxjAX4S67XMyHUEd85u-Cv4GQwLMHrk8l-SKl32LaZz2CYgvijhV34qrAwQIlvC_kW_PyVmcY-dAqNHTpFzh8is1aJnZYnGrEP3CHS9-i57EIe-XORKE-7qM5fiWF8FGvow9kQ/s1600-h/cats_cuddle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BPtDHxjAX4S67XMyHUEd85u-Cv4GQwLMHrk8l-SKl32LaZz2CYgvijhV34qrAwQIlvC_kW_PyVmcY-dAqNHTpFzh8is1aJnZYnGrEP3CHS9-i57EIe-XORKE-7qM5fiWF8FGvow9kQ/s200/cats_cuddle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418641728274262066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Gavin is the fluffy one; Teagan has amazing markings that make her look a little like an ocelot. They like to wrestle and chase each other, play with a wide variety of toys, crawl into every corner of our apartment, nap, and cuddle with us. (Teagan has been snuggled on my lap for most of this post.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxJ1e_zuAK8p3OOhkSjVf-VqmWLcg1uWs2WKH6iDRNdiVCIhN1dfBk3qHkXwNIfg2eRfv7aFufQOn2Sedr8' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />They are certainly keeping us entertained!<br /><br />But alas, tomorrow we leave them for a few days, as we drive to Eugene to visit my family for Christmas. I'm sure we won't be able to talk about anything else but our two fuzzballs. But we know our neighbors will take good care of them.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-37922227617566809312009-11-05T19:39:00.000-08:002009-11-05T19:47:10.356-08:00Heat!There is heat!<br /><br />In the school! Yes! Actually, there has been heat for weeks... it's just the pump to *our* rooms that was broken, and since the parts in question date back to the 1950s, it took a while to find a replacement. But I guess it's been found. As of this afternoon, our heaters have been cranking out warmth.<br /><br />Ahh.<br /><br />Actually: it gets warm really fast. (I'm getting over the flu, so I don't mind a little toastiness at all!) Turning off the heat involves taking a flashlight and going through the rainy parking lot to the boiler room and fiddling with the timer contraption that seems awfully, well, manual. Dates back to the 1950s. I should really post a picture... I will, I promise.<br /><br />If all goes well, the heater should kick back on at 8 p.m. I'm very curious. That's in 15 minutes. Oh boy...!<br /><br />Next project: Putting up the window panels of saran wrap, to keep the heat from sneaking right out of our giant single-paned windows.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-80847260011530395272009-10-16T19:50:00.000-07:002009-10-16T23:52:50.048-07:00MergersIt's cold days here at the school. Outside temperatures certainly warrant the heat to be turned on, but we are waiting for a couple replacement parts for the leaky (?) boiler. So in the meantime: space heaters. Fleece. Cuddle up.<br /><br />We had another idea for warming up the place: have a housewarming party! Lots of people showed up, and for a while the place did get really warm. (It didn't hurt that we had been baking and cooking all morning long to prepare.) Unfortunately, amidst the mingling and snacking and giving hourly tours of the school, neither one of us remembered to take any photos. Just imagine a crowded room! That's how it looked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P2sUOzImfsh1XGA3qVJ7_SGZp-fTlNDOlBi-YMf_1zRkhCOcD_D2d6Rtkkag4Dd01F8M6MO1otLMtUHDAXR9eFs4q7l8Nuq-r_5CQ-Tgz8WvfcZp09SNu7v1gqzvFuFNiDXLDAuaFQ/s1600-h/cds1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P2sUOzImfsh1XGA3qVJ7_SGZp-fTlNDOlBi-YMf_1zRkhCOcD_D2d6Rtkkag4Dd01F8M6MO1otLMtUHDAXR9eFs4q7l8Nuq-r_5CQ-Tgz8WvfcZp09SNu7v1gqzvFuFNiDXLDAuaFQ/s200/cds1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393398968535991218" border="0" /></a>But I do have other photos. :-) I maybe never mentioned that this is the first place that Rusty and I moved into together. (Awww!) (And yes, this is his first official land residence after spending 4+ years living on a sail boat!) So there are lots of firsts for us. Our laundry all goes in the same hamper now. Our towels are all stacked up together. But the biggest merger must have been the merging of the CDs.<br /><br />Mine were in many midsized CD racks. His were mostly in boxes! But we found a big gynormous CD shelf on sale, so presto: let the sorting fun begin!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdz0pMZt-X47vcuaExP1Zs7R5IwWKTQQ7kHqHj1u9j10IDDE5aNEZS54Zcy638tRxkvqc5SU3GUHayrQYdajluLMqEZ4aLsmdAFz_h7JxvXvnWEIOBZD2ZR_UF9W4NEwIS2WnS4K5OA/s1600-h/cds2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdz0pMZt-X47vcuaExP1Zs7R5IwWKTQQ7kHqHj1u9j10IDDE5aNEZS54Zcy638tRxkvqc5SU3GUHayrQYdajluLMqEZ4aLsmdAFz_h7JxvXvnWEIOBZD2ZR_UF9W4NEwIS2WnS4K5OA/s200/cds2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393399125511908946" border="0" /></a>Alphabetized by group or artist/composer's last name. This is leading to some interesting neighbors (could I say "bed-fellows" here? I think not): Vaughn-Williams next to Vandenplas. Kitka next to Kiss. And what do we have a lot of? Sting! Steve Ray Vaugn. And Bulgarian Women's Choirs. I think between the two of us, we have ALL of those. But the true sign of commitment is getting rid of the duplicates. Oh boy. This is it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ7kQ42gpZXlTEkpLl3X_kCwlIv3xdRulAtzVCBlJmTV5bdI1b9-7jiwg8LbMYWU8K3wBZ88piZgqkGg6Q5KnnXjRhTOGvCBovRgspq_1p_3x9ppqhzyn9ZOGVWnUsgYqtsQLk07bnQ/s1600-h/guitarhero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ7kQ42gpZXlTEkpLl3X_kCwlIv3xdRulAtzVCBlJmTV5bdI1b9-7jiwg8LbMYWU8K3wBZ88piZgqkGg6Q5KnnXjRhTOGvCBovRgspq_1p_3x9ppqhzyn9ZOGVWnUsgYqtsQLk07bnQ/s200/guitarhero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393399301632611874" border="0" /></a>The same day we got that shelf, we also finally decided to get ourselves the house-warming present we've been planning on all along. Yup, and we've been playing it. It's one way to keep the fingers warm...<br /><br />(Oh, P.S.: Does anyone want a couple mid-sized CD racks? They're still out on the free table...)Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-63801783264358845072009-09-18T22:55:00.000-07:002009-09-18T23:21:13.856-07:00Noise pollutionA recent school-wide e-mail from Rusty caused some stir and discussion:<br /><br />"I wanted to ask everyone's understanding of something that has become something of an issue for Dina and me (and we haven't been sure of how to handle it) so I am making a plea. The bathrooms on the north end of the building, while being much quieter since Anne made improvements, are a source of distasteful nightly distraction. Imagine every night (and I do mean EVERY night) lying down in your nice, comfortable bed and enjoying the sounds of exuberant defecation gently rocking you to sleep, or cuddling up to the one you love to the discordant symphony #2 (the <span class="il">bowel</span> movement is my favorite), or trying to enjoy a late night snack while someone enjoys a late night dump. Assuming that people are coming down to this bathroom at night for privacy (and why else would you walk all the way down to these toilets when the other ones are way closer for most people), let me assure you that we can hear you scratch your nose (and EVERY other sound that you make) reverberating into our quiet, night-time home. I would like to ask for a very gentle and completely voluntary 10pm curfew on the north bathrooms ..."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSzd8ZdE5WSKi6wtxQ-vUnPyYibHrCB_X3qpf1PlYT3Ipln1NTG3-BTHTcan5VfMzW3p6nh1WVvSz2iA6b6GQuYgesKm9CM22jf1WwWt-eHXhbexHxMGTuqPzRy4T8qc7YtOKl5TClg/s1600-h/IMG_3698.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSzd8ZdE5WSKi6wtxQ-vUnPyYibHrCB_X3qpf1PlYT3Ipln1NTG3-BTHTcan5VfMzW3p6nh1WVvSz2iA6b6GQuYgesKm9CM22jf1WwWt-eHXhbexHxMGTuqPzRy4T8qc7YtOKl5TClg/s200/IMG_3698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383059090913917026" border="0" /></a>Ah, community living. We are spoiled by having those two bathrooms right outside of our front door, whereas everyone else has to walk the halls to either these or the central bathrooms. The community came up with a better option than the poo-curfew: a door! A door with soundproofing that will separate our space from the public bathrooms, thereby affording everyone more privacy. (And giving us a hallway, so we don't constantly have to lock and unlock every room we are in as we move around.)<br /><br />So that's what's happening: a door is being built. Right now. It's very very cool. Love quick and efficient decision-making!Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-62240559659658397212009-08-08T19:41:00.000-07:002009-08-08T19:55:27.881-07:00SummertimeHi! I know... is this thing on? Is anyone still posting?<br /><br />Well, Seattle survived a record heat wave last week, with temperatures creeping over 100 throughout the area. (Rusty is on the road again and was spared, but not really -- he got to visit balmy places like Nevada, Utah, Colorado and now Texas!) I discovered, happily, that the school stays relatively cool -- not air conditioned, but not sweltering like some people's houses. So I hosted my first Dunava rehearsal in our music studio (should have taken a picture!). Temps were tolerable, and in between running to the kitchen for ice water and popsicles, we sang, and it sounded pretty good!<br /><br />Then I got a job, and have not been doing much "around the place." Until today. Ah, today! One of my dreams came true today...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjA7megXLhkIDdDVQOOPUA2KS9MaPHEO8J9LClRbdJiYjT-yigCGjK48LSa0Ro09jmWz2WXHoQAOJ-KdL__3EL01xGG2KZ4epwPVq5ZIrPkkCUB7fBG3DYiaq8xt61IsGBs0KeTlnUMQ/s1600-h/IMG_3673.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjA7megXLhkIDdDVQOOPUA2KS9MaPHEO8J9LClRbdJiYjT-yigCGjK48LSa0Ro09jmWz2WXHoQAOJ-KdL__3EL01xGG2KZ4epwPVq5ZIrPkkCUB7fBG3DYiaq8xt61IsGBs0KeTlnUMQ/s200/IMG_3673.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367791212676078946" border="0" /></a>... I got a piano! It's exactly what I've been dreaming of. A friend of mine sold it to me, so I know where it came from. And let me tell you: it's worth hiring piano movers. They know what they're doing! They're fast! They take care of your baby! They were worth every penny. (J & J Piano Movers from Seattle; they don't have a Web site, but I do recommend them!)<br /><br />Putting the piano in the office (mom says it has to be by an inside wall, and well, that's the only inside wall I have right now) meant I had to move the last two sections of my red couch out of here. My five-piece sectional didn't fit in the living room, so ... what to do?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QDPvwEgo7X4L8yFXCjEY25p0zollH-H6_gYeViVbR3hOJpFP_3vnJHS8YHJQNFVBb2H4LiU5mTVXdFRxK988TOwe5caBWepiAoQplDuQ3V2Mde5HNbRwLUqyk1Bz6xETiZVPuZvJ5Q/s1600-h/IMG_3672.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 0px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QDPvwEgo7X4L8yFXCjEY25p0zollH-H6_gYeViVbR3hOJpFP_3vnJHS8YHJQNFVBb2H4LiU5mTVXdFRxK988TOwe5caBWepiAoQplDuQ3V2Mde5HNbRwLUqyk1Bz6xETiZVPuZvJ5Q/s200/IMG_3672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367791521027701250" border="0" /></a></div>Reading nook by the window. Nice! (Do you think I should turn that corner piece the other way? It's a little odd... but hey...)Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-21268741605094725662009-07-12T13:02:00.000-07:002009-09-18T23:22:49.021-07:00Music Studio!I'm back... sorry for the delay. I had a wonderful time at Balkan Camp, and promptly got a nasty head cold when I came home. I do that almost every year. It must be psychological by now; no one else I know who was there got sick.<br /><br />But first of all: kudos to Rusty! He made so many changes, little and not-so-little, that it was a joy to come home to the school. (And very comfortable to be sick and not do anything for a few days.) He rebuilt the bed, even fixed the breaking frame (cheap Ikea construction, what can I say), so no more sleeping on the floor. He completely cleared out the music studio space and confined all boxes to the dark room and the east end of the studio, next to the office. Plants are everywhere. It's starting to be really cozy!<br /><br />So now he's off again on another tour with Ottmar Liebert, and it's up to me to tinker along and "make progress." Hm. I'd love to unpack some of those boxes, but with every other one I look at, it becomes really clear that <span style="font-style: italic;">we need a closet</span>. We have bookshelves galore, but there is no storage for clothes, linens, towels, and bathroom items. So, more trips to Ikea in the future. (Unless someone has a better suggestion? Please? I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm for pressboard furniture...)<br /><br />But one thing I have done is start to use that studio for what it's ultimately meant for: making music. Behold my music studio set-up:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9NHtqSz4pFKbXpjiNSwZ7Kx5nOZGFqnEKdCV4M11LaaUbNgle6ZIzz-Ot_n1mXrjrudUVzPzrBi8ly2tFwbH0yNHDpnTjll4Wyq3uEJRO_x2jVcJvrBpMFGJYma7SxAVWE7o7XJx6g/s1600-h/studio1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9NHtqSz4pFKbXpjiNSwZ7Kx5nOZGFqnEKdCV4M11LaaUbNgle6ZIzz-Ot_n1mXrjrudUVzPzrBi8ly2tFwbH0yNHDpnTjll4Wyq3uEJRO_x2jVcJvrBpMFGJYma7SxAVWE7o7XJx6g/s200/studio1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357669182728467602" border="0" /></a><br />I'm very shy about playing. I've been practicing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadulka">gudulka</a> and violin, and I'm a beginner at both, so it's not pretty. (And the room is wonderfully resonant, so I'm sure sounds are leaking into the hallway!) So, to all my neighbors: please forgive me...!<br /><br />-- What does a gudulka sound like, you ask? Well, here you go:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/euAtF3wgPok&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/euAtF3wgPok&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-47071080329534902532009-07-03T03:22:00.000-07:002009-07-03T03:44:12.887-07:00If it ain't broke, rip it off the wall.Well, with Dina gone I have been remiss in updating the blog but here we go! I have been really busy with not that much to show for it but progress IS being made. I have started working on the music room and with every step forward there are two steps back. First there were these large pin board panels on the wall and I wanted them off so I could paint and put up acoustic sound dampening foam so I began pulling the first one down and what did I find? They were glued on to...plaster. *sigh*<div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5-BgUuTBoumsn7pFtqgnwQ6qB-g-yUWSVw9DxaxE-dq7Y_3sNa7g4s6eUQf8-H90rJ5gec2DGgxEHOErV8yXMifMuPyxd1TGOgjkOy_K33Lh5ipLlIy-TrDj1_aq4hzoJntVDPnrlQ/s1600-h/0629090132.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5-BgUuTBoumsn7pFtqgnwQ6qB-g-yUWSVw9DxaxE-dq7Y_3sNa7g4s6eUQf8-H90rJ5gec2DGgxEHOErV8yXMifMuPyxd1TGOgjkOy_K33Lh5ipLlIy-TrDj1_aq4hzoJntVDPnrlQ/s200/0629090132.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354178586002422898" /></a><div>Two hours later I had finally pulled the first panel down as well as what seemed like most of the wall. The second one on the back wall was NOT glued but only screwed to the wall and came off easily. Another 2 or 3 hours later and the room was cleaned and ready to paint. The next step will be to paint the room a warm red and glue (!) acoustic sound dampening foam panels to the wall where the plaster used to be. Well, at least we now have a stove to cook with and lights!</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWV5JGnnpDPQXA70JDkeE4s96B0-uzUl7Yx2yaDvYq8d06aWVhuPj-53Hgqoa-9qmAMdCUDYlSL_UwfqVfEa_Ex9sLzh8PSohrI8Fc9OFEquj_15I3kl3yZ0DSc26U4dmZeQc4pKQbg/s1600-h/0703090308.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWV5JGnnpDPQXA70JDkeE4s96B0-uzUl7Yx2yaDvYq8d06aWVhuPj-53Hgqoa-9qmAMdCUDYlSL_UwfqVfEa_Ex9sLzh8PSohrI8Fc9OFEquj_15I3kl3yZ0DSc26U4dmZeQc4pKQbg/s200/0703090308.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354179587588359042" /></a></div><div>Actually, I was really bummed when I pulled the wall apart but after cleaning everything up I am starting to get excited again. Unfortunately, I will be leaving July 6th to do another tour with OL so I won't be able to make any more progress until I return in August. I can hardly wait to be able to play drums at home!!!</div>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-87387901604021248212009-06-25T20:47:00.000-07:002009-06-25T21:31:29.547-07:00Light! Food! Cactus!I like to keep my blog updates short, because I figure all y'all's attention span is like mine -- what was I saying? Oh yeah.... well, a lot has been happening, so this could be long. (Also, in commemorating one of my teenage idols who just passed away, I'm downloading a boatload of Michael Jackson songs as I type, so I have lots of time to write until that's done...!)<br /><br />Earlier this week the electricians took over the place. And now several wonderful things have occurred:<ul><li>We have overhead lights in the living room! (And yes, I still like the color that I painted it when fully illuminated -- phew!)</li><li>We have overhead lights in the kitchen!<br /></li><li>The living room light switch no longer power the outlets in the kitchen... yes, I know. It was funky wiring.</li></ul>And best of all (drumroll),<br /><ul><li>We have a stove! And it works!</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESAryyY-zrVnKoIV9Acsg05MVQ7lAkLAQ1c3k5ySypy5YfuO_viphhgsBXzBYF1-95kXsrrGNwNFX_g4FLu_XSQ6dVZEiRTnmTLsVN7jb4t01SQRciL-NPEBAiVOGhTrYR74IKjebeg/s1600-h/IMG_3424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESAryyY-zrVnKoIV9Acsg05MVQ7lAkLAQ1c3k5ySypy5YfuO_viphhgsBXzBYF1-95kXsrrGNwNFX_g4FLu_XSQ6dVZEiRTnmTLsVN7jb4t01SQRciL-NPEBAiVOGhTrYR74IKjebeg/s200/IMG_3424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351481552511560690" border="0" /></a>Background story: we bought a stove from the previous renters. It was wired somehow through the school clock system, which probably wasn't quite legal, so we wanted to install a 220 line and do it right. The stove was small, so we traded it with another resident who moved in recently and who'd somehow gotten a stove bigger than she needed. We are cookers. Well, Rusty is, mainly. But a bigger stove is definitely better for us. Last night I made a trial batch of <a href="http://www.nopudge.com/">No Pudge Brownies</a> -- yum! Just the smell through the apartment alone is worth the effort!<br /><br />What else has happened?<br /><br /><ul><li>The office is "done." But it's a big mess, so no photo yet. But it's yellow and lovely and a happy space to be.</li><li>Rusty planted a cactus outside our bedroom window. Photo:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbDZWxiSbSYbK2-claQPeyeKigfhCVlZszQbfEGYbOoQfv_jT6jinEsFZ5iKkDGjK7C_4cRzrjFaGjCNHktaHJb0BFL2QJYuJ-sW_baMyjDfONsVnbMje82GS9xBGDFnjVctkASBn3Q/s1600-h/IMG_3422.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbDZWxiSbSYbK2-claQPeyeKigfhCVlZszQbfEGYbOoQfv_jT6jinEsFZ5iKkDGjK7C_4cRzrjFaGjCNHktaHJb0BFL2QJYuJ-sW_baMyjDfONsVnbMje82GS9xBGDFnjVctkASBn3Q/s200/IMG_3422.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351485862695140162" border="0" /></a></li><li>I don't have a closet, so most of my clothes are still in boxes, but I'm learning to make do: I got a small clothes rack for the bedroom. And I finally got super-anal about my dresser. You all don't mind seeing a photo of my underwear drawer, do you? I'm so proud of myself, and it makes me happy every time I open it!</li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNl2d09lztEBbZoBcgsjbNWugwPuKaOEeD57PriES4N1ScSz1tRh30B0vtbzWwT-3wRw2YOKOuvtjevgFHqQXgvFckmu21Jm1wU8fQ2alQpVAnAyMR98SUR25ErYEVHyQT5aTx-Qegg/s1600-h/undies.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNl2d09lztEBbZoBcgsjbNWugwPuKaOEeD57PriES4N1ScSz1tRh30B0vtbzWwT-3wRw2YOKOuvtjevgFHqQXgvFckmu21Jm1wU8fQ2alQpVAnAyMR98SUR25ErYEVHyQT5aTx-Qegg/s200/undies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351488127131842258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJYaS6fglxxFkbKhp_gpD1aYYk-Lf84zQT2FLWi23DZSMIKie5XTUe53BNinq_0O8WwulEYKQU1YeHnR3c2n-rNfcpYqLAtxq5PcWuNoevY_BqqO8z7tmQI8O3NFIXwCYhiUg0I57dg/s1600-h/IMG_3425.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJYaS6fglxxFkbKhp_gpD1aYYk-Lf84zQT2FLWi23DZSMIKie5XTUe53BNinq_0O8WwulEYKQU1YeHnR3c2n-rNfcpYqLAtxq5PcWuNoevY_BqqO8z7tmQI8O3NFIXwCYhiUg0I57dg/s200/IMG_3425.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351488691602143634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>That's it for now, I think...! Tomorrow morning I leave for <a href="http://www.eefc.org/site/index.php?Workshops">Balkan Music & Dance Camp</a> in the Woodlands by Mendocino, so no blogging for me -- but hopefully Rusty will post something.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-17896530469929904342009-06-21T11:31:00.000-07:002009-06-22T11:18:44.840-07:00Bike storage!Lest anyone thinks Dina is doing all the work around here... oh no no no. (Just all the blogging -- so far!)<br /><br />Last night Rusty converted our little storage area (yes, with all this space we still get storage!) into bike storage. Just a few hooks into some plywood and presto! Room for all the wheels. Even room to work on the wheels. (The storage room, btw, is the former Boy's bathroom. All fixtures have been removed, and residents divide it up fairly, with areas being demarcated by duct tape on the floor.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL_wBcjK1OK3x_jwWxVFpR3NtM2YW6ebgtzbr6WdrBXMmhoYNUE_7YdzcOTKEp1vdCbeLgttvG5U0iizqNSj0gJ3dokKGU6qoYYuQokq2EiPjbUbUM_Jwk98y1uBP_JhO5kJoey092Q/s1600-h/IMG_3415.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL_wBcjK1OK3x_jwWxVFpR3NtM2YW6ebgtzbr6WdrBXMmhoYNUE_7YdzcOTKEp1vdCbeLgttvG5U0iizqNSj0gJ3dokKGU6qoYYuQokq2EiPjbUbUM_Jwk98y1uBP_JhO5kJoey092Q/s320/IMG_3415.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349852476980212018" border="0" /></a><br />This made me so happy. And I think it's the first time Rusty has had all his bikes in one location in many many years. (Only one of those bikes is mine, although my favorite bike geek says I need another one...!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4eH_0YkpMa11io9JJpdLzF-omYeTRwSz59Mux9iTRGTiSJaohkKS_KdyGWI6oL2IAC3n_Iq1E4GP3EcIMyeInbL_Eh-H0plPB_1NY82yBuKpbZECoSpvucX5CXWF4cKu_M26FNnsUQ/s1600-h/IMG_3418.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4eH_0YkpMa11io9JJpdLzF-omYeTRwSz59Mux9iTRGTiSJaohkKS_KdyGWI6oL2IAC3n_Iq1E4GP3EcIMyeInbL_Eh-H0plPB_1NY82yBuKpbZECoSpvucX5CXWF4cKu_M26FNnsUQ/s320/IMG_3418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349852485737301586" border="0" /></a>Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70402894904747751.post-24423864898243591302009-06-19T21:57:00.000-07:002009-06-19T22:07:40.554-07:00Yellow Dreams...Ok, back to painting.<br /><br />I've moved on to the Conference Room, which is to become our home office. Originally we thought this would be *my* office, so I got to choose the color, but lately we realize (as the kitchen table gets more and more cluttered) that we'll probably both use it equally.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OW7uC4leVwhMvoFQozMZJ8xtsfZH7TXtPgfe1oZfJQqv2aptKmQ5vnC6cCLgktLPs55pEske1EiojsnFTEItzUe0sm6fKODV3owbGMjchHaLQQCg6bBL9begiFF6WuqcOiia8TNupw/s1600-h/IMG_3411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OW7uC4leVwhMvoFQozMZJ8xtsfZH7TXtPgfe1oZfJQqv2aptKmQ5vnC6cCLgktLPs55pEske1EiojsnFTEItzUe0sm6fKODV3owbGMjchHaLQQCg6bBL9begiFF6WuqcOiia8TNupw/s200/IMG_3411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349270917679929250" border="0" /></a>Before: White-ish walls with a hint of green, and a bright green heater and window sill. The heating pipes are white, but I couldn't tell until I painted the heater and they stopped reflecting the green. This time I tried to "prep" the area and chip off some of the green paint from the window sill -- it peeled of frighteningly easy. I think I got down to elementary-school-original beige. With some sanding, I hope the new paint sticks better...!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSVhPgR0Wzze4G8rvNb80I9B_MemiFFes48QrqrcLiXUQdOeDqCZZIxqlddvlPEqQPaqbTWJQqiy59IgepXAHpBEyLpKmzhE4g-YBNqwX89nZXZz2kJ5XT8AH3IHzN1quHU4ez4NMUA/s1600-h/IMG_3413.JPG"><img style="margin: 10pt 10px 0px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSVhPgR0Wzze4G8rvNb80I9B_MemiFFes48QrqrcLiXUQdOeDqCZZIxqlddvlPEqQPaqbTWJQqiy59IgepXAHpBEyLpKmzhE4g-YBNqwX89nZXZz2kJ5XT8AH3IHzN1quHU4ez4NMUA/s200/IMG_3413.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349270921374626578" border="0" /></a>After: Yellow! I love yellow. My happiest living space was a room I got to paint yellow. So I thought I'd try to recreate that. What do you think? I'll leave the heater, window sill and door frames white... and the pipes too, of course.Dina and Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737566679644695152noreply@blogger.com0