What I've Been Up To

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? My ten-page to-do list probably consolidates down to only about three pages now. I have time to pursue so many different ideas, chasing them like Alice chasing the White Rabbit. Hopefully, I'll have a colorful array of completed projects in my pocket before the fairy tale ends. So, here are a few of the characters in this summertime story:

Our Hallway

My wonderful mother-in-law, Kathleen, and I are experimenting with Pompeii-inspired murals in our hallway. It is coming together nicely. It will be so different, but I love this style, the colors, and a vision of what it will look like is slowly revealing itself. Which brings me to...

Louisville Faux website
Do you love the look of Venetian plaster? Do you have a ceiling or accent wall that you want to stand out? Look no further than Louisville Faux for samples and ideas for your next redecorating project. :) (We're only a day old, so check back often for updates!)

Louisville Love

With all the love for Louisville I've seen, I want to exploit it as much as possible. :) I do love this city, especially living downtown. I want to my fondness with other "lovers" through the pictures I've taken. Here's a mock-up of what I have in mind. I'm experimenting with details, like whether or not to "seal" the bottom, to write "Louisville" on it, etc. Another idea, for notecards:

The seals are made from hot glue gun glue. I tried many, many ideas that incorporated reusing stuff I had (crayons, candle wax, etc.), but this seems to be the most consistent.

Organization

I don't know about you, but I hate looking for things. I want to be able to have the super power of knowing where any one thing is at any one time. It helps to have purged so much stuff over the years. I finally feel like I have just the right amount of things; enough to make me able to do certain projects, but not too much to be unusable or unmanageable. I've organized all the closets, the pantry, and now my art/craft supplies.

I've managed to also spend some time in the garden and trying out a few other crafty projects, not to mention catching up on reading, visiting with friends and family, being outside, painting portraits, and researching all sorts of ideas.

Next up:
> figure out Etsy and CafePress
> delve into more portraits and painting
> test the vast waters of sewing and upholstery (!)
> try more new recipes
> make more areas of our life more sustainable - rain barrels, anyone?
> ride bikes further and more frequently to prep for a long anniversary trip in late August (any thoughts on destinations within about 30-45 miles of downtown Louisville?)

What have you been up to this summer, or what future plans are you anticipating?