Cabin Project

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Bryce and I went up to my aunt's cabin to survey it's condition and start cleaning it up. We've made it our summer project to try and get that place into a state of being pleasant to visit and a desirable place to relax for the weekend...we'll see how that goes...since it's quite a piece of work...

We went up friday evening and arrived around 8pm. Bryce immediately got to cutting wood so we would have a fire. We didn't really need the fire for heat since it was a very nice temperature even at night. We needed it more for protection from bugs. The misquitos were vicious and annoying and woke us up at 5:30 in the morning...not pleasant.
We didn't actually stay up there very long, just friday night and then we left around 3pm saturday afternoon. We got plenty of work done though. we were just sick of sleeping on the floor. I have a feeling that we'll just spend one night up there until we can actually feel okay about leaving a mattress there. Anyway, I have lots of before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure. I'll update this blog as we get more work done. good times.























So yeah, all that stuff in the "Before" Pictures was shoved into either the storage area or the shed in the back. Most of it actually isn't ours so I have to wait and get the go ahead before we can throw it all in the dumpster like I want to...

Lots of work to go but I love it up there so much!

Summer is blowing in

Did we skip spring and just jump right in to summer? Jesus it's at least 90 out! I missed spring almost entirely...Today at work, the power went out because the wind took out a power tower, which in turn took out two poles with it. Excel decided to shut down the entire 1/2 mile radius even though just one building was actually connected to it...*sigh* oh well.

came home, played with the dog outside and got him drenched with the hose. He loved that quite a bit.

Not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself today... I could go outside and read more of Cradle to Cradle but too hot and windy...I could clean...but I'm too hot for that...I should either work on my dress or draw more...not sure. at some point I'm going over to my dad's to check out what he's doing with his new house. that should be exciting.

Oh! I got my grades back from Spring Semester...you ready for this???
Cultural Anthropology: A
Media Analysis: A
Reading for Ideas: A
Experience Frameworks: A-
Visualizing Physics: A-

life is good...

Anyway, time to go do stuff...

Time for a Break?

haha! no...hardly. Summer Vacation means working full time to recover some funds, cleaning the house, getting rid of collected junk, getting ready to move, work on my art more, doing all the things I couldn't do while school was going on, like hang out with lovely people, working out and getting into shape (more on that later) and making dresses!

I'm really excited for this summer. Like the last blog said I have a lot planned for it, plenty to keep me busy and entertained! Just got my hair cut last night and it looks super spiffy. I'd take some pictures and post them but I just went for a run with Buddy so it's not so awesome right now. Quite a bit shorter than I'm used to but I'm glad I took the leap because it's wonderful! I found my favorite hair stylist and she has a new client...hehe woot!

All in all, finals went really well. I can't wait until grades come in because I think they'll be worth celebrating. I'll post them here when I get them.

It's a guard weekend so Bryce is up at Camp Ripley playing army. Good times. That means I get the place to myself and will be getting some work done in my studio. Now that we know we're moving I'm going to be minimizing my stuff and sorting out what I need with me, what I can store and what I'd like to store at Deb's (you know, just in case). I may also start/finish the dress I have cut out and waiting for my attentions...we'll see...

Tonight I'm going to cook up some Tilapia and asparagus, have a glass of wine and perhaps get the ball rolling on something. Not sure yet.

Oh, like I said above, I'm going to be working on losing some weight and getting into shape. I want to lose 15-20 pounds by mid summer. I miss a lot of my old clothes and think it's ridiculous that I can't fit into most of them. I banished the sweatpants that I've been wearing every freaking day and am forcing myself to wear the one pair of jeans that just barely fits me. Those sweatpants let me get away with too much...now I've got to work my bum off...literally. I'm going to be taking up bellydancing again when summer session rolls around, in the mean time I dug out my bellydance DVDs to start conditioning my muscles to work the way their supposed to. Plus I'm trying to go out running every evening when I get home from work. So far so good...well, being Day 1 and all... Also incorporating some bicycle crunches as per Bryce's suggestion. The hard part is going to be the running...I hate running and my knees hate me for trying to run. But I can't keep bending to their will. They'll only get worse if I keep babying them like I have been. I certainly can't do much now...like tonight I just ran/walked Buddy around a couple of blocks and came right back...but it's something, and better than nothing. I just have to keep adding a little bit more to it every time. I think tomorrow I'll go for a bike ride too...depends on the weather.

Speaking of the weather, it smelled like Lilacs and Rain while I was outside...a fragrance company really needs to market that smell because it is amazing!!! Good stuff.

Anyway, I think it's time to make some dinner. Toodles all!

End of Finals (just about)

well kids, I'm just about done with my Junior year here at the MCAD. it's a little surreal thinking that next year I'll be graduating and entering yet another chapter in my life. It feels like it was just yesterday that I graduated High School and started going to Normandale...and here I am at MCAD doing what I always knew I wanted to be doing.

The walls at MCAD are loaded with the Senior Projects, it's really exciting to see all the work and their business cards. It all looks and feel so professional and high quality. Thrilling and frightening that I'll be scrambling next year just like they were. I'm not quite sure what Senior year is like for BS kids but it will be no joke for sure.

I'm starting to ponder what I want to do over the summer. I certainly don't want to slack off and think that it's a break or anything. Summer is just like any time of the year really, just more sun, warmer temps and no homework. I still have a job to work, an internship to complete as well as an externship to set up. I talked to one of my instructors today about jumping on a project that he's organizing for USBank that sounds super super exciting. It's totally volunteer based and no internship credit can be given so that kinda sucks...but it's a low time commitment portfolio and networking potential that sounds like a ton of fun! There's also working on my website that I completed last semester for Portfolio.net that I never purchased the url or server space...that's at least $100 I don't have at the moment... I almost want to totally revamp it because I don't think it portrays enough of my current work and ability. so I get to review coding again and I think that's pretty exciting! Ideally I'll pick up the drawing a day thing again because I totally lost track of that...

I have some projects for other people to do as well. Including the tattoo for Logan that I said I'd design over thanksgiving break, and the Cat illustration for debbie's quilt that I also promised would be done months ago... This summer is going to be loaded with work...loaded!

But the good news is that classes are just about done. I'm finishing my Visualizing Physics class that was fun except for the group project which turned out to be a nightmare... (but it's done! book is bounded and we're turning it in today!) I just have two classes next week, one that I can't even go to because I've been called into court as a witness from a Loss Prevention case over a year ago...fun times...luckily my teacher is letting me come in on sunday to take it early. The other is tuesday morning. I'm not terribly worried about either of the tests...I'm actually quite confident that this semester went even better than last...which is awesome!

oh and there's also Bellydancing which I'll be picking up again over the summer. I seriously need to start working out more or just being more active and eating healthy in general. I need to undo what college has done to me!!! I miss my old clothes...

*shrugs* other than that...I don't know what else to say. just putting a lot out there...I know there's more going on in my head but it kinda scares me to think about everything I want to get done and the idea of not being able to is sad...lots of craziness coming up!

oh and one more thing! Alice in Wonderland: Mad Hatter Tea Party is still happening! just not last week...obviously...go finals! sometime mid or late summer it shall be glorious and fun! I'll keep this updated with how that's going once I can start it again...whee!