Friday, June 29, 2012

Do you ever worry?

From Pinterest


Do you ever worry about things a really long way off?

Like being able to properly explain adoption to your 3 year old?

Or being able to take care of your parents in comfort in their old age, without sacrificing your life, career and sanity to do so?

Or paying for a wedding that will make you, your spouse, and both your parents happy?

Or whether you want white cabinets in a future kitchen or dark cherry?

Or being able to see all the European countries you want? Or maybe just seeing Venice again before it gets completely flooded before the polar ice caps melt raising the ocean levels by 7 meters in the next 100 years at the far end.

Sigh. No. Me either.

Happy Friday! Have a worry free weekend!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Headboard Creation... Part 3

Last night was a bust.
The goal was to put the headboard on the bed.


Its possible I didn't think this through. I knew that I couldn't do what was done in the tutorial I'd been following. But I assumed that I'd be able to attach the headboard to the posts via the back of it, and it would all be fine, maybe I'd need some bracing but it would fine.

It was not fine. It tilted forward something fierce. Partially because I'd added a lot of foam and there wasn't a lot of room for the headboard behind the mattress and between the posts. So Tallman and I tried to think of a way to brace it so it wouldn't lean forward.

We didn't get very far. It was kinda late at this point and we'd had a couple glasses of wine with dinner, so we figured we would revisit the headboard during a more alert, awake time.

Hopefully this weekend we'll have come up with a solution for our tilted headboard problems. We're thinking screws might help, last night when I couldn't sleep I wondered if wood covered in fabric somewhere would help.
I'll keep you posted as the story develops!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Headboard Creation Part 2

The next part of making a headboard was quite a lot harder, because after gluing all the foam on, and around the sides--which was only tricky because my glue ran out and I had a hard time finding the same-ish glue to finish my project--the next part required sewing.

So I finished gluing down my foam. (Wrapping it around the sides.)

Then I laid out my batting over the headboard, and I was able to double it up to make it nice and thick over the foam.

Then I laid out my fabric.... and there was a problem: the bolt I'd bought wasn't long enough.

Obviously I was going to have to sew it. I chose to sew it with the seam running side to side and hoped I could put it near the bottom where it would be covered by pillows.

I apologize for not taking more pictures, especially of this realization moment. It could have been very dramatic. But it was Saturday night, late, and I was hot... very hot and tired.  And at the time I didn't think a picture illustrating me laying things down would be very interesting.

The next morning I stayed in bed an extra hour (!) to procrastinate sewing two 5 foot pieces of fabric together, by hand, while matching up the pattern so the seam would be less noticeable.

Yes, I said by hand.

I am sad to admit that I have no idea how to use a sewing machine, and in fact I am a little afraid of them. But I'm great at sewing by hand. Small even stitches, that go in a straight line.

First I cut the long bolt into a smaller piece (actually three) by laying it over the headboard, giving it enough space on either side to be stapled in the back and around the sides, and there was some left over.

Then I hemmed one side. With an iron. While watching Glee on Netflix.
Then I pinned the two fabrics together, on the ironing board so they draped nicely, matching up the pattern as I went (it helped that I managed to iron in a straight line and picked a place to hem where the pattern was easy to follow... lots of straight lines), while watching Glee.

Then I sewed the fabric together, sitting on the floor, while the fabric was draped over the ironing board, while the cats played in the draped fabric, while watching Glee.

I started this sewing mess at 10am, and I finished at 3pm. Which I think is pretty darn quick!

Then I ironed the fabric, to get out any wrinkles.

The next part required two sets of hands, so Tallman helped me get the batting on the headboard and staple it in.
First I started with one staple in the middle top. Then we pulled the fabric and did the whole top, making sure it wasn't lumpy or wrinkled anywhere. Then we basically just went around the entire headboard, pulling tight and stapling.

Then we did the same thing with the pretty patterned fabric.
There are a LOT of staples in this guy. It was hugely important to pull and make sure it lay flat.

Also, from this picture you can see that the foam underneath all that nonsense is wrapped around the sides.

I apologize for not taking more how to pictures. Its pretty straight forward. But I did refer to this website tutorial for how to make a headboard... though she mounted hers to the original headboard... and we don't have that... so tonight we'll be improvising something.. stay tuned!


This is what the finished product looks like! Not so bad eh!? I'm pretty dang proud of it. Now we just need to get it on the bed. :)

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Headboard Creation Part 1

This weekend I made my headboard... or most of it.

The first step happened two weeks ago, when I bought a big piece of wood and some batting.

The big piece of wood didn't fit in my car and HomeDepot employees are deeply unhelpful so I spent a stressful and sweaty half hour tying the wood to the roof of my parents car all by myself. (Though a zany cast of characters did offer their help, but I'm not going to take the help of a 80 year old woman, a fat lady with kids, or the offer of a ride from a stranger... and I got it home all by myself without ruin anyone's car or my wood.)

The only helpful person in this entire ordeal was a random Brazilian contractor. I was in the store wrestling the wood off the shelf onto my cart (8 feet by 4 feet is significantly larger than me and hard to maneuver) and no HomeDepot employees were helping. But this guy saw me struggling and came down the aisle and helped me. Which was awesome, because it meant that I didn't get splinters or completely embarrass myself. Then when I was trying to get the wood into my car and struggling with the trunk and doors and again No HomeDepot employees were helping the same guy came up and helped me try to get it into my car. We weren't successful but it was really necessary to have a second pair of hands when trying to shove it into the front passenger door! He then offered to drive it to my house, but I declined, because even though he was far and away the most helpful person I didn't want to take the chance of ending up dead, raped or robbed. Later Tallman chastised me for being so skeptical of the intentions of my fellow man, complaining that in the South people would accept the friendly help. I replied that in the South they must have a lot more dead people. He agreed that this was the case. I think I won.

But I do appreciate that guy's help. But it was also nice to get the wood on my roof, secured and home all by myself. A pain in the ass, but left me with a nice feeling of accomplishment.




So, I got it home, Tallman cut some divots in the wood for the current bed posts, and then I glued batting to it.

First I drew where he needed to cut it.

Then he cut the divots as you can see in the above picture, and I glued some foam (I used baby bumpers sold at A.C. Moore) to it and let it sit overnight.

The next step is to buy more glue, then finish gluing the foam, staple the batting and fabric in place and then screw it with supports to the bedframe. Tomorrow expect finishing of foam and beginning of the batting and fabric process. (I think I'll need more hands for the rest, and Tallman was away being a rockstar last weekend)

Monday, June 25, 2012

CSA recap.. Meat edition

Last week we got our first 10lb meat selection. We're splitting those 10lbs with my parents, which means we'll probably buy other meat during the 6 month period (especially since Thanksgiving is in there!) but if 5lbs of our meat a month is farm fresh and happily raised that is an awesome step in the right direction!

This is a picture of the meats we got, before splitting it. So far Tallman and I have eaten the steak. It was delicious, but a little too fatty, but I think that was the cut of meat not the quality of the meat. 
I can tell you that I'm pretty excited to eat the breakfast sausages and the leg of lamb. mmmmmm


 This is a picture of the veggies we got last week with the meat!
I gave my parents this week's eggs, and the tomatoes.. but I kept the squashes. They are super cute.

It was a lot of food to carry and I took a cab home so I wouldn't have to be miserable about all the delicious food.  And man is it delicious. This is the meal we ate of steak and dandelion greens (Yes that' right, Tallman ate dandelion greens!) The trick is to boil them then saute them, if you don't boil them first they are super bitter and really gross. But boiled then sauted with garlic and onions, they are fantastic!
Isn't that a gorgeous meal? yum.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Speaking of leafy greens...

I want a print-- something arty and pretty-- for my kitchen of when vegetables are in season.
This is the best option so far:
Redcruiser
But its still not quite right. I like the Eric Carle ness of the pictures, but I'm not sure I like them enough to look at every day. Also it isn't quite clear enough about what is in season when.
Buy Fresh
This is VERY CLEAR about what is in season when. But it isn't particularly pretty.... I mean its good for the fridge, but not for a framed piece of art.

From Pinterest
This is pretty fantastic. But I'm not sure how reliable it is, since it looks like it was done in a three ring school binder and I can't find an original link for it from Pinterest.

Hopefully I'll find something, nothing is better than fresh fruits and veggies :)

Monday, June 18, 2012

My CSA Started!

This year my parents purchased a CSA for us to split. They bought a 10lb meat CSA and a small family portion vegetable CSA. The vegetables started last Monday, the meat begins today.

For those of you who don't know what a CSA is: it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically you pay a local farm $X in the winter and over the summer months they give you a box of food every week. By paying them in the winter they have the resources ahead of time to plant and prepare to make you your food. But its a bit of a gamble, what if April and May have tons of rain and all the seedlings drown, you get less food, but you still paid $X. Of course, since you paid that money ahead of time the farm benefits and can survive the bad season.
The upside of this gamble for the consumer--other than supporting local farms, which is ALWAYS an upside--is that if there is good weather, or even passable weather, you get lots of vegetables, fresh and locally grown all summer long!
This is a picture of the first week's takings.
It was a big ole box of leafy greens, a half dozen eggs and a plant. (Al will not be surprised to learn that I chose Lavender, Knowledge will be surprised to learn that I have not killed it yet... but that one I bought while she was visiting is dead).
I gave half the leafys to mom and dad (the half I couldn't identify) and kept the eggs, the plant, the white radishes, and the boston and romaine lettuce.

That night I had a boston lettuce salad with radishes and a fried egg with some crumbled goat cheese. It was FANTASTIC. I ended up having that same salad with boston or romaine lettuce for the next two nights.
This is pretty impressive because normally Tallman and I NEVER eat salad.

This CSA will be worth it because Tallman and my salad intake is increasing!  (my parents have been making the greens into smoothies, and salads, and sautes.)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Headboard?

My goal for the weekend is to purchase the materials for my headboard project and begin the making of it.
I have posted some headboards for inspiration and to guide my headboard creation.
So you remember the fabric:
Fabric.com Michael Miller Botanika Mod Lattice
And I've decided to make it tall and square, so I don't have to make any fancy cuts like scalloped edges. The goal is to make it taller than the eurosham pillows, but not too tall.
From Pinterest
From Pinterest
From Pinterest
But it will be more like the first one because it won't be tufted, since the pattern of the fabric is more of a lattice pattern it will look more like this:
From Pinterest
I will try to take pictures of every step of the way, but the first step is to assemble the materials. Must get board, and foam and batting also a staple gun and a drill.
I'm excitied!

Have a GREAT Weekend!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Book Review: The Orchid House

I've gotten to a point where I'll read almost anything, including random things recommended on Amazon. (We started getting the economist this week, Thank God! I'll be able to actually stimulate my brain with this voracious reading kick!)

Amazon recommended this book, and I really did like it. I enjoy historical fiction, check; I enjoy books set in Britain or France, check check; I enjoy romance, check; I enjoy books that jump around in time and use the past to explain the present, check!

This book is about a woman in modern time in England who has suffered great personal loss, and goes to a place from her childhood which opens doors about her past and she struggles to deal with her loss and her past blah blah blah.

This is definitely not a heavy lifting book. But it was enjoyable, and interesting. I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for something light, but not the typical beach read. This has death and disappointment as its major themes, but despite that it was enjoyable and not at all depressing.

(Pathetic that those are my last words about this book, but there you have it! "Enjoyable and not at all depressing" wouldn't look that good on a book jacket as a review.)

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Book Review: The House of Velvet and Glass

I've been devouring books lately. And some were actually worth sharing with you. First I read The House of Velvet and Glass, which is by the same author as The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and really all you need to know is that The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is better.

Haha just kidding.

That isn't all you need to know, but honestly The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane IS better.

The House of Velvet and Glass is about a rich shipping family in Boston in the early 1900's and saying much more would give away plot twists that made me exclaim awkwardly while sitting by the pool in North Carolina, because they were just so shocking!

Well, shocking and obvious. That's the problem with this book, its trying to be surprising with its plot twists, but with a little knowledge of the time period and global history its pretty clear from almost the beginning what they are. Its a good story and has a classic beginning middle and end while the main character figures things out about herself and her family, they climax, and are then resolved.

Its just that, the other book I've read by this author was better.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My Weekend in North Carolina

on a completely different note from yesterday's post....

I had a FANTASTIC time in North Carolina! We had beautiful hot weather down there while Boston suffered through a cold rainy spell. I got along great with Tallman's parents, and had some quality time with Tallman's mother that made me really happy.
I went shopping, went swimming, went to a beautiful garden wedding that was idyllic and sweet and a rocking good time, went hiking, and relaxed in ease and comfort.

I brought Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies as a gift and they were a hit! Tallman's mom said she didn't want a dress because it was too long and it was a Jcrew dress from 2008 that my parents gave to me for my birthday in a different color and when I went back to get another they'd sold out, SCORE! I ate half a watermelon and drank delicious wine.

All in all it was an excellent time, and congratulations to Tallman and my good friends Mattanda on getting married, you had a beautiful wedding and I hope you have a beautiful life together.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Who is the recession over for?

Lets take a wee break from our usually scheduled program of things I want to buy and goats and other nonsense and look at the economy.

Yes. I'm serious.

This article from Above the Law citing an NALP study about the jobs rate for 2011 law school graduates was deeply saddening. If you're in the legal field, or have a friend in the legal field, go read it... I'll wait. READ IT.

ok. So the overall employment rate is 85%. That's in any job. So the friend of mine who is working at a gas station is not part of the unemployed 15%, he counts as a law school graduate who is employed! That is insane. Completely insane.

I also loved and really appreciated that this article points out that really the class of 2011 didn't know better. People assume that since the economy tanked in 2008 I should've known better, but the economy tanked for the legal sector in the FALL of 2008, after I'd started law school. The writing may have been on the wall in the beginning of 2008, but I'd already spent a summer studying for the LSAT, applied to Law School in 2007 and been accepted by February 2008. It felt a little too late to turn back.

I feel incredibly lucky/blessed to have a job, to be part of the employed 85% of law school graduates from 2011. Incredibly blessed to not feel the stress of having no job, and even better I work at a private firm (something only 49% of graduates have achieved).

Though, I am in the group of about 20% of 2011 law school grads who have a job, but it does not require bar passage. ie, not a real attorney.
 When I went into law school I hoped to leave law school with an attorney job that paid over $100K a year... as law school went on I realized that $75K was a more reasonable goal... as law school ended, I just wanted a job, any job, and hopefully they would pay me. I suppose scaling back your expectations is a part of life and growing up, but when national reviews of my chosen profession show that it isn't just MY dreams that have been diminished, that it is thousands of attorneys who graduated in 2011 who are unemployed or employed in non-attorney jobs, it makes me wonder who the recession is over for. Because it isn't me. And it isn't for those I graduated with last May.

The name of this blog is La Vie of me, and the lack of job prospects for attorneys right now is a large part of my la vie, and tomorrow we'll go back to our regularly scheduled program, but I just wanted to let you know about this part of my life. 

HAPPY MONDAY!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Unlikely Friendships

Sometimes we find friends in unlikely places... or friends that are very dissimilar to ourselves...
Buzzfeed
Buzz Feed

Monday, June 4, 2012

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Weekend in NC

This evening we're flying to North Carolina. Saturday we're attending a wedding at Duke. Hopefully it won't rain.
Duke
I have prepared some delicious short bread for Tallman's parents as a hostess gift (I like giving people food, because then they feel less awkward about hating your gift and tossing it).

I have decided what to wear to the wedding, and packed clothes.
Jcrew where else?
I have gotten a mani pedi to match the dress that I decided weeks ago not to wear but forgot to think of a different nail color :p
From Pinterest
And I packed a swim suit, because I hear tell there will be swimming, at a pool.. with a water slide.
From pinterest
Ok, maybe not that waterslide hehehe.... Wish me luck this weekend! I'm probably not going to blog this weekend, so I'm planning something special for you next week.. get excited.