Big as a Whale's Tail

our backyard pussy will is starting to bloom and I couldn't help but play around with our new camera...also cut some for a vase

This post might be fast as I have been having some trouble logging onto blog in the last two days.  Well, earlier today I logged on, wrote a whole post, thought it was all saved and then went to publish and poof! it was gone.
Gist of the story is that we have a lot of work ahead of us before Thursday.  The craftsman who built our dining/living room built-ins e-mailed looking for some projects and we were able to agree on a great price provided that we supplied the furniture grade ply we have left from my dad building the basement cabinets earlier this month, I was home to help with install, we provided hardware (already purchased from Restoration hardware when they had a sale last month)
and we did the painting.  DONE!

the design I drew up and initially e-mailed to our craftsman

I would have loved to build it myself in woodworking class but there will just be no time with our plans for a kitchen remodel AND we would love to have my dad build it but he won't be up to Portland again until next year (more on that in a later post).
Anyways, after meeting up with Alan for about an hour yesterday morning after many e-mails back and forth, we had a great design all talked out and (of course) a list of projects we needed to get done (but weren't planning on doing for quite awhile) before he comes over Thursday afternoon for install.  Of course I am ecstatic at the thought of getting closer to having a finished bathroom and having a place INSIDE the bathroom (As opposed to an old ikea cabinet in our already narrow hallway) to hold our toiletries, some towels, t.p., etc.

Projects to get done:

1. finish outlet wiring for hallway outlet that will go in baseboard-Steve is accessing wires/drilling where the built-in will go.  We didn't install in the wall portion because reinforcing the plaster would have been quite the chore and we are short on time.

2. patch in wallboard where it is missing in the nook where the built-in will go
3. Plaster it-yikes!  we have never plastered a large area before-any tips?
4. patch small ceiling area where built-in will not be but butt up to
5. grind down tile that is uneven-built-in will butt up to this area.

Other happenings:

on the ferry to Bainbridge Island-we visited our friends the Burke's last weekend and decided to go out to the Island for the day-Ben loved the ride

 but loved his little friend Evan even more...they were cracking each other up all weekend

our friend Aaron turned 30 (it seems to be the year of the big 3-0s) last night

made gifts for our friend's baby that will come in June...she is doing the room a sort of nautical theme so I thought the whales would be cute

my first try at needle felting a couple weeks back-my sis-in-law Amber showed my how and I thought I would hate it but it is strangely satisfying to poke about 10 needles at a pile of felt for a few hours and have a whale come out of it.

there is no stitching or glue, simply piling the wool with a tool and forming the shape...also for our friend's soon to be born boy