Project: The Master Bedroom

(Vintage dresser, Past Perfect; White vases, J. Mendocino; vintage Yugoslavian alarm clock from trip to Bosnia; Jewelry box from Morocco; Duvet cover and pillow cases, DwellStudio; Elephant cushion, childhood craft project)

Before...

What we actually did:
Removed painted-over and torn wallpaper.
Fixed and patched plaster walls.
Re-aligned tilted chair rail.
Added missing sections of picture rail.
New paint on ceiling, walls, bead board, trim, doors, everything!
Removed paint from all hinges and rosettes.
Window enlarged and moved 10 inches to the left.
New double-hung, double-paned window built from scratch. Except for the glass, of course. (Click here for story)
Exterior wall insulated and water-proofed.
Ceiling chandelier added.
Curtain rod and curtains.
Lined closets with cedar and added new rods and shelves. (Click here for story)
Made headboard for bed.

All the serious carpentry done by T (he can fix ANYTHING!) Dad helped with the chandelier, and best friend J helped early on with the wallpaper removal. All the plaster work, paint removal, and new painting (of everything) by yours truly.

Total time: one year to complete.

After...

(Felt rug, The Gardener; Wool/Rayon curtains, Bed Bath and Beyond; Art Deco bedside lamp, X21)

Project: Hawaiian Quilt

Sometime during the year 2001, I decided to make a Queen sized quilt in the Hawaiian tradition. (For a step-by-step introduction to the beautiful art of Hawaiian quilting, check out this site and click on the individual pictures.) I only made it as far as purchasing the top fabric and cutting the large central applique before I put it away back in 2001. I've finally decided to resurrect this project (it's a now or never kind of thing) and since it'll likely take me years to finish, I'm writing about it now, way in advance of project completion. Right now, I'm sewing the large applique piece and only have about 1/4 done. It sure seems like it'll take forever... Does anybody like to sew?

Project: Boxwood Control

OK, so this was an easy and not particularly glamorous project, but one that I was rather afraid of. Our boxwood was so overgrown it took over half the sidewalk. It required pretty severe pruning, about 18 inches off the front. What if it didn't grow back? You can see the different color of the concrete to get an idea of how far out the bush extended. This is what the bush looked like after the first attack with the pruners. To my relief, the boxwood managed to do quite well. Here it is again a year and a half later... It still has some filling to do, but it's almost fully recovered!