Sunday, March 27, 2011

Art in the Darndest Places

We took a tour over the weekend, and found some incredible art in the process. My camera was clickity-clacking, and I was inspired. That means I have to share them with you!

This stool really caught my eye. The modern design, the apple green color - it just POPPED!


























I loved these silver wire balls. I think a smaller version would look GREAT in our bedroom. Maybe hanging over the bay window area/seat.


















These light fixtures are so cool - looks like a cotton ball, right??



















I loved this mirror and the tile behind it!


























And this classic chandelier (love the juxtaposition between the concrete and the crystal!)
























And this super mod chandelier

























And I love this piece - "Win!" by Mel Boucher


























And these helmets



















And this lighting installation that looks like laces on a football




















What? what's that you say my super astute readers? You sense a theme here? Vaguely sports related?

Can't get nothing by you!!! smarty pants.

Yes, this is a tour of the (still new) Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. They are very proud of their art installations, and for good reasons. Check out the rest of it on their website: Cowboys Stadium Art

Now, I cannot and will not ever claim to be a Cowgirls fan. Or a Jerry Jones fan. But I'm a huge fan of the stadium. It's an incredible venue!!

Here are a few more pics:

Star in Miller Lite Club (where the Cowgirls take the field)



















On the field


















The ginormous end zone doors - these slide open for nice weather days



























And the roof - the lighter part is what opens



















and you *might* have heard about their video screen. the one that stretches from 20 yard line to 20 yard line? yeah. that one.


















Yeah! DCC (Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders) in the house!!! They were hosting a big cheer competition. I was excited to see them. Yes, I like DCC.

Ready to try out??


















Here's a great shot of the Ballpark in Arlington (where the Texas Rangers play)


















I'll leave you with my favorite shot of the day - the Tom Landry statue

























If you are in the DFW area, take the tour of the stadium. It's about an hour and a half walk, and you get to see a LOT of the stadium, including both the Cowgirls and the DCC locker room (we didn't get to see the DCC locker room this time, b/c they were there), field level suites, luxury suites, and so much more.

Enjoy your new day!!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Craft Space Before & After

My craft space is - was - in one corner of my living room. All was well. I could craft and watch TV. Craft and talk to the BF. Craft and keep the pugs company.

I had some great cubes from Ikea that provided awesome storage,  a cute little craft desk (little being the key word!), smaller cubes that housed my stamps, paper containers, and little containers to hold all the miscellaneous stuff.

But eventually, this happened:


















My collection quickly outgrew the allotted space and organizational tools.

Even worse, the view from my couch looked like this:


















(Please excuse the awful loveseat. It belongs to the pugs. There's no saving it. The best I can do is the red slipcover.)

The clutter was making me absolutely TWITCH. Something had to change. Had.To.Change.

After the floors were put in the bedrooms, (laminate instead of carpet - YAY), my office looked like this:


















The closet was empty too.


A total clean slate.

One of my friends suggested I combine my craft space with my home office. WHOA! What a crazy idea!!!

It took a lot of work. Sorting, tossing, donating. But I did it. 

And so, today, my office/craft room looks like this:



















I moved a second Ikea cube into the closet, and am using every inch of space! The double doors on the closet allow me to hide it away while I'm working, and open it up when I'm crafting.


























My tools, loose stamps, and card-creating materials are on the left side of the credenza


























And my stamp tower is on the right (next to the pug's daytime bed)

























My buttons, flower jar and ribbon jar have new homes in the cube


















And my kits and paper packs
























But best of all, the view from my couch now looks like this:


















And the view into the corner

























No more twitching!!! Sweeeeeet serenity.

(side note - the little cedar box on the table? those are my Angel's ashes. I brush the box with my fingers when I walk by, to let her know I will never forget her).

So what do you think? What would you have done differently? Any questions?

Enjoy your new day!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

7 Random Things

1. February 2011, as a month, sucked. I'm glad that's over.
2. When you tour Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, you get to visit the DCC locker room. I was way more excited about their locker room vs. the players. I know, I'm a dork. (sorry for the crappy cell phone pic!)



















3. My sweet Angel went to the bridge last week. Just one reason that February sucked so royally. I miss her - every day. Photo courtesy of Lotus Blossom Photography (taken in 2009).


















4. She didn't look that happy or full of life in her last days, which is one of the reasons I chose to let her go.

5. Yes, I still cry at random times, missing her.

6. No, I didn't intend for this blog post to be sad. Sorry friends!

7. I need to get my crafty butt in gear and get a guest post going for The Scrap Shoppe! motivate....create...come on Allie!

Embrace your new day!