Picture of the Day: Flying Over Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji, Japan
7.26.2012 

Picture of the Day: Performer in the Royal Ballet

Luang Prabang, Laos
8.15.2011 

Chihuly at The Dallas Arboretum

I'm currently in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for a few days to watch Michigan play Alabama in the Cowboy Classic.  Upon arriving at the airport I saw an ad for a Chihuly art installation at the Dallas Arboretum so on Thursday morning Frank and I headed over to see it.

The first time I had seen any of Chihuly's art was the glass ceiling in the lobby of the Belaggio in Las Vegas back when I was in grad school. I thought the beautiful flowers of brightly colored glass were amazing and I kept walking underneath it staring at the ceiling.

I was really excited to see the Chihuly glass sculptures at the arboretum and they really didn't disappoint. They were beautifully set in the gardens and the fluid shapes seemed like a natural extension of the surroundings.

At the beginning I saw the Blue Marlins and Turquoise Reeds installation along a little creek. Right as I started to walk along the small creekside path the misters started watering the plants. It made a cool foggy effect low to the ground and made the glass sculptures even more enchanting.

A little farther on some large glass spheres called Niijima Floats were nestled in a flower bed. Beyond that Yellow and Scarlet Asymmetrical Towers marked the entrance to the Woman's Garden.

Entering into the Woman's Garden a fountain was decorated with an installation of Neodymium Reeds and Hornet's Nest. I loved the contrast of the straight purple glass soaring to the sky with the curving, twisting shapes of the green seeming to float on the water's surface.

At the end of the Woman's Garden a reflection pool held the Float Boat and Carnival Boat sculptures which were filled with glass. I liked the way the pond in the garden overlooked White Rock Lake for a lovely view and the reflections were spectacular.

Fogelson Fountain was decorated with an installation of Red Reeds. The red reflections among the lily pads in the fountain were quite striking.

Another little pond was filled with an installation called Persian Pond. I loved how the delicate white and clear glass pieces were tinged with black on the edges and mimicked the shapes of the lily pads in the pond. It was also set apart from the main walking paths so I was able to enjoy this piece without throngs of other people nearby.

Throughout the arboretum there were many more lovely sculptures making every turn a discovery of something new. I really enjoyed seeing the installation and if it wasn't for the oppressive heat (Texas in August = hot!) I would have loved to spend a little more time there. If you find yourself in the area before the exhibition closes in November I would highly recommend seeing it.

Do you like Chihuly's sculptures? What have you been doing as summer is winding down?

Picture of the Day: Cauliflower For Sale in Palermo Market

Palermo, Sicily, Italy
3.23.2012 

Resolution Recap: August 2012

During August I continued work on tackling my two 2012 New Year's resolutions of purging and organizing my home and finishing up some of the many projects I have going on around the house.

Despite being really ill at the beginning of this past month I managed to get a lot of things done. My purging wasn't so great but I made up for it in spades by finishing up a lot of items around the house. I think that all in all it balanced out in the end.

I'm especially excited about what I got done on my back entry during the end of this past month and hope to wrap that up project in September. I'm having a great time in Dallas (I'm here for the Michigan vs. Alabama game) right now but I also can't wait to get home and get cracking on building the bench for my back entry. 

Resolution 1: Purge & Organize
I did not come anywhere near close to my goal of having a volume of at least one trash cart (between my recycling and regular trash) out on the curb on garbage pick-up morning every Monday in August. Hopefully I am a little better in September. Here's my breakdown:

- August 6: 1/4 full trash + 1/4 full recycle = 1/2 total
- August 13: 1/2 full trash + 1/2 full recycle = 1 total
- August 20: 3/4 full trash + 1/2 full recycle = 1-1/4 total
- August 27: 1/4 full trash + 0 recycle = 1/4 total

On the organizing front I came up with a laundry sorting solution from baskets that I hung up on the back of my closet door.

Resolution 2: Finish Up Projects
I was super productive on the projects front this month despite being really sick at the beginning of August. For my kitchen I found a vintage table to replace the island that wasn't working for me and finally hung blinds in my dining room.

In my bathroom some simple upgrades made a big difference for me. I customized a pillow for my guest room and also came up with a floating basket solution for the night stands. 

My biggest progress was in my back entry where I taped and mudded the drywall, primed, painted and hung beadboard and then built a storage shelf.

How are you coming along on your New Years Resolutions? Did you work on any home projects in August? 

Picture of the Day: Statue in the Delphi Archaeological Museum

Delphi, Greece
11.17.2009 

Picture of the Day: Silk Lanterns in Shanghai

Shanghai, China
8.08.2011 

Building A Storage Shelf For My Back Entry

With my beadboard installed and the trim board for my hooks in place I was ready to get building. I decided to tackle the shelf first since that would be easier to install without the bench in the way.

For my shelf design I planned it together with my bench so that I could cut everything but the bench top and face framing pieces from a single piece of plywood. Also, the width of my space is a little strange and the shelf couldn't be too deep because of my window location. If you were going to make this yourself, you would need to adjust your measurements according to your space, but here was the cut list that I used.

3/4" plywood ripped to 7-7/8" wide
- 2 @ 60-1/2" (top, bottom)
- 3 @ 12" (sides, middle support)

Pine 1x2
- 1 @ 60-1/2" (bottom face frame)
- 3 @ 11-1/4" (vertical face framing)
- 2 @ 28-3/4 (shelf supports)

Pine 1x4
- 1 @ 60-1/2" (top face frame)

Pine decorative trim
- 1 @ 60-1/2" (top face frame accent) 

I started by making the box of my shelf out of the plywood. I countersunk screws into the top and bottom to attach the middle support. I offset the sides by 3/8" from the end so that the amount of face framing extending past the support would match the middle piece. I attached the sides using pocket holes on the outside since that wouldn't be seen.

On the back I attached 1x2 supports which help to keep the shelf square since there is no back. They also provide me with a way to attach my shelf to the wall studs.

With the box built it was time to hang the shelf. Before I had installed the beadboard I wrote down the measurements of my stud locations based on where the drywall screws were located. I used a countersink bit to predrill holes in the supports in the correct locations. I just lined up the shelf along the top of the 1x6 trim piece that was already level and used 2" screws to attach the shelf to the studs.

I double checked the shelf was level and then set about framing the face. I attached the bottom first then the vertical pieces and added the 1x4 along the top last. For some added interest I also attached some trim along the top that I also plan to use for my bench.

I think the shelf turned out cute and I can't wait to prime and paint it and add the coat hooks. I plan to do the finishing work at the same time as the bench so I need to build my bench first though.

Here is where I now stand with my back entry to-do list:

- Mud, tape, and sand the seams and screw holes on the unfinished drywall
- Prime and paint walls
- Back the wall with beadboard and add hooks
- Build a storage shelf and install
- Build shoe bench and install 
- Paint the bench, beadboard and shelves white
- Replace light fixture
- Repair ceiling and paint
- Replace the window trim
- Add baseboards
- Sew a cushion for the bench
- Sew curtains for the window 

There is lots left to do but it feels good to be crossing some items off the list. Have you been building anything for your home lately? Did it turn out like you expected?

Picture of the Day: Panama City Skyline at Dusk

Panama City, Panama
6.08.2012 

Week in Pictures: 8.27.2012

I'm two days late in posting my pictures from last week, but better late than never, right? The week was spent at home and was all about eating good food whether it was at a fancy place or from a food cart. Actually, a good portion of my life in general is devoted to eating tasty things.

Collage One, First Row
- On Tuesday night Frank and I grabbed a quick dinner at Seoul Street, which is a tiny laid back Korean restaurant in town. I am addicted to their kimchi fries. This time we got them topped with bacon.
- During lunch on Wednesday I stopped by Lowe's for a little blinds shopping for my dining room. I always laugh when people stare at me dressed up in my office clothes while I am at a home improvement store.
- Thursday night Frank and I headed to Logan for one of their wine dinners. They are an amazing local restaurant and about every two months they pick a wine region and prepare a set five course menu around wines from the region. The dinners are a huge splurge (like my whole grocery budget for a month back when I was in grad school huge) but so worth it to go a few times a year. Thursday night's theme was California wines and the first course was calamari stuffed with shrimp mousseline in a Szechuan sauce. Amazing!

Collage One, Second Row
- Possibly my favorite course of the wine dinner at Logan was the lamb kefta over a fennel pollen scented funnel cake with pickled blueberries. It was so inventive and delicious.
- Friday evening we went in the opposite direction and headed to Mark's Carts (our local food truck area) to grab dinner with some friends. I tried the banh mi sandwich from San Street and while it wasn't as tasty as the banh mi I got from street vendors in Vietnam last summer (what? no liver pâté?!?) it was still pretty good. I really liked the crisp that the daikon leant the sandwich.
- The big surprise on Friday night was that while we were hanging out at the picnic tables eating at Mark's Carts a woman sat down at the table next to me with a huge stack of hand drawn maps of Michigan. She caught me looking at them and gave me and the other girl at my table one for free. Awesome, don't you think? She said that she adapted the map from a children's book from the 1930s, updating some of the items associated with each part of the state. I can't wait to figure out a way to incorporate it into my house.

Collage Two, First Row
- Saturday night was the last Saturday in August which means only one thing in Ann Arbor: it's the last German Park of the summer. German Park is located on the outskirts of Ann Arbor and is a rec area out in the woods with a large pavilion, a bunch of picnic tables and some other small buildings. Three times a year (the last Saturday of June, July and August) they host a public picnic. Attendance is usually about 2500 people and there is always a long line to get in.
- The best thing about German Park is the food and beer. I got a bratwurst, German potato salad, spätzle and of course a pretzel. Several German beers are also on tap and sold in buckets to share with your table.
- People usually stake out their spot among the picnic tables by laying out a tablecloth. Since German Park starts at 4 pm it isn't uncommon for people to bring cards or games while hanging out. 

Collage Two, Second Row
- Another fun aspect of German Park is the dancing. There is a polka band that plays the whole time. Some choreographed dances are also performed by dancers is lederhosen and dirndl which is fun to watch, too. 
- On Sunday night Frank and I went to dinner at Frita Batidos for an eve Commemorative Dinner. Frita Batidos is a Cuban inspired restaurant run by Eve Aronoff. She also used to run a lovely restaurant in town called eve which closed a little while back. For the evening the regular fare at Frita Batidos was replaced with a seven course meal inspired by the menu from eve. I loved eating at eve so it was really fun and tasty. The first course was a duo of delicious cold soups. I especially liked the ceviche topping the avocado soup.
- My favorite course from the dinner was a seafood lasagna. It was amazing and a nice cap to a wonderful week of awesome food.  

What were you up to this past week? Do you have any fun summer festivals in your home town?