Friday, June 28, 2013

Head Over Heels DIY Friday: One Room, Three Ways

For this week's DIY, I was inspired by Layla's One Room, Three Ways post over at The Lettered Cottage and thought the Dining Room would be fun to use for the challenge!  Afterall, we've revamped the space in stages, so it's fun to see the different looks as it evolved and who knows how long it'll be until I start itching for a fresh look.  Gotta keep dreaming right?!?

So, here's the room in three different looks- two actual looks and one faux photoshopped look of a whole new scheme I had been pondering about...
I have to say, it was pretty fun to compare the three looks side-by-side and for fun I guess I could say it's One Room, Four Ways if you count the very, very "before" look of the space when we moved in...
From there, we added fresh paint (Behr's Sequoia Grove), a sideboard from Ikea, new pendant light fixture, and my DIY Numbered Chair Covers (click here for the tutorial to make your own!).
About two years later, we grew tired of the look and thought it was missing something.  It needed some depth/dimension and character, so Alex added in wainscoting to freshen up the space. 
Ahhh!  It did look fresher, brighter, and it certainly added some character that it lacked with the plain flat painted walls.  From there, I've only changed up the table and sideboard decor but that is how the space has remained for the most part. 

I guess the only question I have about the newest look was "where did the chair covers go?" and I still have them but I don't always keep them on since the leather is much easier to care for when it comes to the day-to-day.  But I do admit that when I look back at the photos, they do look nice and maybe I should keep them on the chairs more often?  They do brighten up the look of our dining room and give it a unique look...

So for my dreamed-up third dining room version I started there, then wondered how a lighter paint color would look, and a new light fixture.  Wowzers!  It had a whole different vibe and I kinda love it!
When I look at all the looks side-by-side, I really do love the idea of completely revamping the space (again) but I still love the warmth of the red-ish paint tone in our dining space.  Perhaps it's because in the summer I want things lighter and brighter but I don't think I'm ready to commit to a new color just yet. 
I will say, this photoshopped image makes me want a new light fixture and right now.  I loved that pendant light when we bought four and a half years ago but I'm not loving it as much now.  Who knew it'd look so blah after just 4.5 years, or maybe I just love the look of that drum shade pendant light a whole lot more right now?  I know we don't need it, so if you have recommendations for a place to buy a drum shade light fixture at a reasonable price please let me know! 
Which Dining Room look are you Head Over Heels for?
Where can I find a nice drum shade light fixture at a good price?

Hope everyone has a great weekend, I know we will with my sister, brother-in-law, and (almost) 1 year old niece here for a visit!!!  I'm sure I'll have lots of cute pics to share with you later!  Now, time to link this post up over at The Lettered Cottage "One Room, Three Ways" Linky Party!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

I'd Like 2 Garden Beds, 1 Paver Path, 2 Painted Chairs on the Side, and Hold the Firepit

Can someone take the order I just placed?  Oh wait, that's what we do around here :) so there's a lot going on in our backyard! 

It's one of those strange times when it feels like we're doing nothing important but really we are tackling a bunch of little stuff that just feels less important, ya know what I mean?  That or it just feels like that way because we don't feel like doing it right now LOL!  The truth is that we have family coming for a visit this Friday so we are trying to check off a few little projects we have been dragging our feet on, most of which needed to happen in the backyard.  Here's a rundown on all the action...

It's been a long awaited project- completing the paver path that was destroyed when we removed "Mega Stump" following the 2011 tornado (click here to familiarize with "Mega Stump"!). Might sound crazy that we haven't done this yet, but we had to get concrete by the garage, a new fence, and we worked on getting grass planted (currently a lot of weeds, ugh!).  
(In Progress)
Thankfully after the above photo was taken, Alex finished up this little five foot paver path section that connects the path from our house to the garage entry just before the sun went down last night!  I am pumped that my heels won't sink in the dirt at any point during a walk to the garage, woot! (sad but true, little things = big things with all the things to fix here!)

But before the paver path, Alex finished building the other two raised garden beds on Sunday to complete the stretch along the border of our yard.  We haven't added the other plants though because we're planning on moving some of the fruits and veggies from the first box based on what we learned from experience and comments since building it.  A few people commented that the tomatoes wouldn't have enough space to grow- true!  We also learned that we needed more soil- seems to be true especially for the plants that are growing like crazy!  But the biggest learning...
... from our commenters (and biggest reason for all the plant moving) is that treated wood is full of chemicals that can leach out toxins into the soil when wet... Yep, that is an important issue so I am very thankful for the comment!  I also must admit that any kind of mistake makes us feel silly but we're DIY-ers, not experts and we're not afraid to talk about them!  So, to correct the issue (since we already purchased and cut all the wood) we found that we can line the raised bed with an impermeable layer to prevent any moisture from the wood getting into the soil.  The easiest to use is the thick plastic pond liner that you can find at most garden stores.  We still have to line and move plants, stay tuned :)

You might be wondering what I was doing during all of this.  I'd love to say I was pulling a Peg Bundy and sat inside wearing stretch pants, teasing my hair, and eating bon-bons but I was working too! 
Althought not "man" labor intensive, my to-do's included a lot of cleaning, laundry, and I finally painted the set of chairs I've been wanting to redo!  So if you have been following along on the chairs, I decided not to use the vintage fabric I picked out.  I still love it but I worry it will start looking more like a Hawaiian shirt than the cute pattern if upholstered- and I know my flip-flopping on this chair is annoying (heck I am annoyed) but I loved this spray paint color that I found at Menards- Rustoleum's Night Tide.
PS- I usually hate Menards because of it's strange moving walkway and selection of Larry the Cable Guy snacks, but they do have the best spray paint selection. I love the color of the chairs now and I just want to find the perfect color or pattern to compliment it perfectly!  I am open to suggestions of course, and include links if you have them!

The last backyard topic to touch on is our potential Firepit Project (click here to see our idea).  We're still learning all the details about the type of bricks you can use which could effect the cost of the project.  So, I just thought I'd give you a very mini update in case you wondered.  As you can see from the projects above, Alex didn't need to be "Antsy in the Pantsy" for very long, LOL! 

*** Phew!  There's all the action from us so I'd love some action from you too!***
-Do you have a link to a cute fabric pattern to match the color of the chairs?
-Any advice or tips for a DIY brick firepit ring?
-Do you think Menards is kinda or a whole-lotta strange too sometimes?

Friday, June 21, 2013

Head Over Heels DIY Friday: A "Winey" Juice Box Delight!

Get ready, this DIY is totally silly but I know you're going to love it!  Who couldn't love this "Winey Juice" adult juice box creation?  What way to enjoy some boxed chardonnay right?!?!
Before I explain how I made it I guess I have to tell you why I did, here's the story...
Remember the talented gal named Kayd that gave Hammers and High Heels a makeover last year?  Well, I've been wanting to get her something and it was LONG overdue!  Not just for the amazing blog design but she has helped me out here and there with all of my blog or social media questions.  The girl's got mad skills I tell ya!  I thought wine would be a nice thank you gift so I asked her what kind she liked and she said something like "whatever, I am not too particular", so I jokingly said "well okay, I'll just get you a box of the Franz (Franzia), so you can enjoy an adult juice box!" 

We both got a laugh, but then I thought- hmmm, that would be pretty hilarious to turn a box of Franzia into an oversized looking juice box.  I HAD to do it!  But don't get me wrong I still got her a nice bottle of Malbec as a real thank you which I must admit felt pretty odd to purchase along with a box of Fanzia.  I swear people judge you if you're buying that stuff, I felt like I had to explain to the clerk that I was making a giant juice box out of it... but figured that everyone would assume I was drunk and/or crazy with that explanation.  Anyways, that's how this project came about.  Now to how I made it!

To make it funny it had to really look like a juice box so I thought about all the juice boxes out there- Hi-C, Capri Sun, Juicy Juice, etc.  Capri Sun wouldn't work unless I just covered the Franzia bag in tin foil, but that'd be a mess.  Hi-C didn't have much of a title to work with so I chose Juicy Juice as my design inspiration and I got help from my friend Kellie on the title- Winey Juice.  It was simple and the letters "Winey" fit nicely in place of "Juicy", perfect!
I put the design together using a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator.  I found a Juicy Juice label image online and started tweaking it in Photoshop.  I removed the Nestle logo, added Franzia in it's place, and instead of "100% All Natural Juice" I thought of nothing better and called it like it is "Cheap Chardonnay".  Which is not meant to sound mean or snotty but it is true, five liters of wine for like $12.99 is in fact cheap.

When the design was ready, I measured the size of my Franzia box and made my own little packaging template in Illustrator.  Then, all I had to do was print it, cut out the box shape from the template print out, cut out a hole for a straw, and tape the print out/faux juice box cover to my Franzia box using double sided tape.
For the straw, I found a large red and white stripe pattern, printed it, and rolled it diagonally until it looked like an oversized straw.  I also put some thicker rolled up card stock inside the printed paper straw so it had some more structure to it. 

The final step was adding the straw to the hole at the top, and in case you aren't familiar with boxed wine- the straw just goes where the handle cut out is, not actually in a place where you can access the wine from the plastic bag.  But I hope most of you have seen how boxed wine works?  (I know my first encounter was in college, Slap the Bag anyone?) 
I couldn't stop laughing at my Winey Juice Box creation once it was complete, I thought it was hilarious!  Before presenting it to Kayd (along with the real wine) I proudly showed a few friends and it made everyone smile that saw it :)  haha!
I know it is totally silly, but I think it's one of my favorite DIY's ever!  It's just so stinkin' silly, super Head Over Heels for this one!  How about you?!? Do you want to make your own Winey Juice Box too?

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated in any way with Juicy Juice or Franzia brands/products, I also hope no one is offended by this post as it was written with a light heart and humorous spirit :)

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Hammers and High Heels is Getting Social!

Hammers and High Heels is now on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!  You might already know that we've had a Facebook page, but I'm excited that we're getting on board with more social media sites!

I know you might be thinking, "well duh, it's about time!," but I'm an old fart when it comes to social media stuff, it makes me feel overwhelmed!  I worried for a while that adding all the other sites/places to connect with people would be too much for me to figure out and manage, I still struggle to keep up with emails for poops-sake!  But, as I jumped onto Pinterest and Instagram I found that they are fun, easy to use or link up automatically, and pretty darn addicting (in a good way).  Twitter is still TBD because I kind of still don't get it, need to research more info on that... remember it's my old fart attitude :)
At least now I don't have to hear my friends say, "What?!  You're not on Pinterest, that's crazy you'd love it!" and ya'll were right, I totally do!  Same with Instagram, I love taking photos and I think it might be a fun way to show project progress in real time!

So if you'd like to follow Hammers and High Heels on social media, here are the links to our Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook pages (also in our right sidebar).  I'm also working on adding share buttons/ Pin It buttons for post photos too, stay tuned!

I think I'm MOST excited to share my Pinterest boards with you and hopefully get some ideas from your boards too!  Also know that I am still getting the hang of Instagram- so if you have tips let me know (or really I'd just love any tips on simplifying things in the social media universe)!  Goodness knows I don't want to get overwhelmed with all this techie stuff :)

I'll see you tomorrow for a JUICY Head Over Heels Friday, weeeeee!

***UPDATE: Issues with Instagram and Facebook linking, I will fix ASAP!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Vintage Clothing & Textile Sale and a Lucky Fabric Find for my Chairs!

How was everyone's weekend?  I have to say, ours felt pretty fantastic!  We attended a neighborhood party, got out to sit by the lake in the sunshine, and I went with some friends to an awesome vintage clothing, jewelry, and textile sale held at the State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.  I was surprised the sale wasn't busier because (I'll say it again) it was AWESOME!  The sale had over 45 booths showcasing 100+ years of clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories, and textiles. 

None of us left empty handed and we all spent more than we thought we would- and I mean that in a good way!  I brought home this vintage accent rug for $20, the antique rosary for $10, and 4 yards of vintage printed fabric for $20....
I know the red bead rosary might seem a bit random but it reminded me of one I had when I was little, perhaps given to me by my grandma and it just made me think of her when I saw it :)

I was so stoked when I found that vintage rug, you can NEVER pass up a vintage rug in good condition. They are timeless and you can count on keeping around for a while!  I knew the perfect spot for it would be front and center at our front entry at the bottom of the stairs...
Isn't the color and pattern amazing?!?!?  It was hard to get the color to show consistently in the photos I took, I know it looks a bit different in each photo but it is just gorgeous!

As for the vintage fabric (and those of you that saw my Friday post you might have already guessed) it is going to be used on my latest chair project.  As I mentioned Friday, the fabric I ordered didn't look quite right for the chairs and it was unanimous in the comments that you all agreed :) the scale of the pattern just looked wrong with the cane pattern, and I know some of you might think I am crazy but I'm going with the navy and coral fabric I found at the sale!

Yep, it's a bold choice but I love the color, pattern, and I think the chairs will turn out fabulous!  I have the seat cushions ready to add fabric too and I am picking up paint tonight!  I'm hoping to find a color similar to the dark navy ground in the print, I think it will look luscious!   

What do you think? 
Is my fabric choice crazy or are you loving the unique vintage look of it too?

Before I go, here's a few photos from the Vintage Clothing and Textile sale.  I highly recommend going to the next one!  I know I will be going for sure!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Head Over Heels DIY(?) Friday: Chair Project Help

Well, not much DIY-ing going as planned (wa-wa).  In it's place is a lot of "ugh, what should I do?" since I got the fabric I order in the mail for my latest chair redo project.  Sure, the fabric is exactly what I picked out but now that I am seeing the texture and scale of the pattern with the chair I'm second guessing my choice :(

So, I am wondering if I can get some help from you out there?  Please take a look at the pictures I took of the chair with the fabric- and keep in mind I need to paint the chairs still (they are a bit roughed up from sanding). 
What would you do? 
Do you think the fabric looks nice?
If you keep the fabric, what color would you paint the chairs?

Now if you feel kind of ehh about it or flat out hate it, I have a second thought option (I also need your opinion here).  I admit, I like watching the Fashion Police on E! and given my current predicament, I couldn't help but wonder if I should update these chairs with a similar look to the ones on their set?  Basically, the wood would be white with dark gray slubby fabric and nailhead trim.  They just look so cute and classic when I see them on the show.  Hmmm...
Fashion Police set via E! Online  |  Louis Chair via Jonathan Adler


What do you think? What kind of look would make you Head Over Heels for these chairs?
I think I might be in a DIY rut :(  Please help me out if you have a moment to post a comment, I'd really appreciate it!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Adventures in Antiquing: A "Make-a-day-of-it" Trip to Hopkins and 50th & Xerxes

Just a heads up- this post might be geared a bit more toward local folks, but still fun if you appreciate a good day of antiquing or might head to the Twin Cities for some shopping- End disclaimer.

Did anyone catch last month's issue of Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine?  I don't typically read each issue but this one was hard to miss since it had a big ol' feature article titled "Where the Experts Shop: Insiders Guide to Antiques, Vintage, & Midcentury" on the cover.  I was so intrigued!
Now I consider myself pretty familiar with great spots for thrifting, antiquing, and vintage shopping around here, but this guide introduced me to some fantastic new options!  So, it was time to set out on a new antiquing adventure and thankfully I had a few fun coworkers that were game too! 

Now, since it would be insane impossible to try and hit all 65 stores mentioned in the guide we took a look at the "Make a Day of it: Shop by Neighborhood" section and decided on visiting the town of Hopkins and the 50th & Xerxes neighborhood of Minneapolis.  Here's a glimpse of our day including store photos and what I took home!

We started off bright and early in Hopkins, which is about 10-15 minutes from Minneapolis.  I was most excited about shopping here since I've heard about great antique stores but haven't had a chance to visit yet- and I wasn't disappointed!  Our first stop was Antiques on Mainstreet since it opened earlier than some other stores. (see entire list of antique stores in Hopkins here). 

Some of my favorites included those marble bookends, oodles of vintage gloves, and that display case FULL of dog figurines... I may start a collection of Shih Tzus and German Shorthairs someday.... oh yes, I'm going to be that kind of old lady... someday :) hehe!  But for the time being I'm going to forego that bold purchase.  Onto the next!

We popped over to Auntie M's Antiques located right next door.  I have to say, I thought this shop was quite delightful!  They had a lot of great antiques as well as some really oddball goofy items...

Yep, flying pigs, Hair Goes Latin 4 (anyone know what the heck that is?), old urine specimen bottles, and my personal favorite- this poofy wig of red hair.  I know some of you might think I'm nuts but I couldn't resist putting it on and once it was on my head I started talking with a Long Island/Jersey kind of accent and called myself Gloria.  Perhaps "Gloria" also collects dog figurines???
Before leaving Auntie M's, I found this gold wall shelf made by the same company that made my gold wall scones I found while thrifting and couldn't pass it up for just $7.00!
After making my purchase we went across the street to the Hopkin's Antique Mall.  They had a lot of great items but I think their assortment of antique lighting and jewelry was fantastic!
My other favorites were the vintage Barbie collectibles and of course I couldn't resist an old map from my home state Michigan.  I think I remember playing with some of those Barbie items at my grandma's, the green Barbie house for sure which came with colorful cardboard furniture.  Brought back memories (sigh).
That wraps up our Hopkins visit, I wish we could have visited more stores but we spent about three hours in those three stores alone, isn't that crazy?!?  In order to hit the other stores and stay on track with our timing we had to get moving to the 50th & Xerxes neighborhood.  But, I have to say that I really loved vintage shopping in Hopkins, so many great items and fair prices that gave it that good treasure hunt kind of feel. I will have to have another Hopkins antiquing adventure sometime this summer so I can hit more stores on the list!

Onto the 50th & Xerxes neighborhood!
We headed in to Hunt & Gather Antiques and Loft Antiques.  I've been to both before and they are always worth a stop to check out the new merchandise.  Plus, you can always count on Hunt & Gather to be beautifully curated!  The upper level had a classic/formal kind of vibe going on...
... and the lower level had a bright, outdoor-sy, summer feel.  I loved the rack of vintage ladies swimwear!
Over at Loft Antiques, we spotted lots of lovely higher-end vintage furniture surrounded by unique ceramics, figurines, lighting fixtures, plenty of vintage books, magazines, and other printed items- like that Paris Michelin guide book from the summer of 1959.  I picked up that guide book and started thumbing through it.
I loved all the old maps, images, handwritten notes, and a car rental ticket from September 23rd, 1959.  It even smelled old, like that good old-old book from a library kind of smell.  Yep, had to buy it for $5.00 and I hope to use some of the maps for a project... someday :) it's in the pile, ugh I know I have to stop adding!
I know that part of our day sounded quick, but that is where our shopping ended for the day.  By that time we were pretty hungry and wanted to pick a cute place to sit for lunch so we headed to Tilia in the Linden Hills neighborhood.  The food was amazing, so-so-so delicious, and since I had never been before I had to take a few pics to share!  I also got a group pic with my shopping buddies (slightly blurry, sorry!).
All in all, it was a perfect way to spend the day!  I highly recommend our little one day antique shopping itinerary to anyone else looking to do some shopping with friends.  It was just enough without being too tiring and Tilia is a great finale for an antiquing adventure :)

Any other locals check out stores from the MSP Magazine list too?  Where did you go?
What do you think of my antique finds? 

Friday, June 7, 2013

Head Over Heels DIY Friday: Printed Cloth from India Mounted on Canvas

Remember that hand printed cloth I got at the Delhi Haat Market during my India trip?  Well, I finally figured out how to display it as wall art!  Geeze, that only took me five months to figure out, sheesh!  But here's a look at this week's DIY creation...

When I purchased it I knew I loved it, but didn't quite know what I was going to do with it.  I knew I didn't want to just frame it behind a glass, but what about a canvas?  Paintings done on canvas get wrapped onto a wood frame and they look beautiful and authentic.  I thought it'd be the perfect way to display the printed cloth! 

So, I popped over to JoAnne's and picked up a canvas to mount the fabric on.  I wanted to make my own wood frame, but sadly didn't have enough time (or energy really) to build one.  Once I got it home, I centered the cloth on the canvas and got ready to attach it to the frame.
I decided to use flat thumbtacks instead of a staple gun to attach the cloth.  I'm not sure if staple guns are used for attaching most canvas cloths to wood frames but that is the way I've always seen them.  I thought the thumbtacks would be less likely to ruin the cloth or if for any reason I want to take the cloth down I will still be able to.  I ensured that the cloth stayed evenly placed as I added the tacks about 3"- 4" apart around the frame.
Once it was finished I mounted it to the wall in our stairwell which is full of other wall art and photos from our travels.  I love that you can still see the authentic print and texture in the fabric since it isn't behind glass.  Certainly a unique piece in our stairwell now!

I'm so happy that the printed cloth is now proudly displayed instead of folded up in my project pile.  Head Over Heels for my new piece of wall art from India!

What do you think of my display idea for the cloth/tapestry?
What other ways would you have displayed it?

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Yard Sale Scouring Leads to Another Chair Pair Score!

Surprise!  Time for another chair pair redo (sarcasm font).  I only say that because it feels like deja vu that I found these chairs while yard sale scouring on Saturday since they look a bit like the set I found at Bauer Brothers a while back.  Well that, and Alex gave me specific instructions before heading to the garage sales- "Now remember, don't bring anything home that you think will fit in the living room after painting or refinishing it.  Our basement is full of those type of things."  WHOOPSIE!!! 
The other chair pair set I refurbished shown in the smaller photo
 But seriously- how could I resist?  This type of chair is so easy to refurbish and with the right touch they can have a classic elegant look!  Not to mention I was able to haggle the price down to just $25 for the set!

I'm so pumped to get started I already popped the seat cushions off so I can get moving! 

With that, I also ordered new fabric for the seats from a great online fabric store my friend Alex recommended (not to be confused with my hubby Alex, this Alex is a gal with a great eye for style and deals!).  The site is FabricGuru.com and they offer fabulous, high quality fabric in a wide variety of stylish prints/patterns, and the prices are amazing!  I had about five fabric options selected but finally narrowed my purchase to Robert Allen's Ikat Fret Upholstery Fabric in Charcoal priced at $16.46 per yard. 
I loved the idea of adding an Ikat pattern of some sort and think this will be a nice livable choice!  Now I just have to wait 3-5 business days for it to arrive... boo. I'm too impatient for online shopping sometimes. 
Okay, I covered my fabric selections for the seat so you might be wondering about the wood right?  I decided that even though the wood is okay as is, I just can't keep it that way- and not just because we don't have a single thing in the house with the same wood finish & color but I also can't help but envision the chair pair looking so much fresher if painted a chic color- which means I am not painting them white either!  Yep, living dangerously here :) and besides, we already have a white chair pair look covered in our house

So I'm thinking a bit on the darker side of decor because I love the look of these antique chairs featured in the May issue of House Beautiful's Color Code article.  Simple, classic, and very eye catching in the photo...
It appears in the photo that they aren't dark black or brown but maybe a very dark navy or gray? I think I might have to stick to a dark gray but I'll know for sure once I get the fabric but I'd love to know if someone out there can help with a paint recommendation that has a dark look with a subtle hit of color?

So if you can, please help a gal out!
What color should I use to get that dark look on the wood but still has a hit of color when light hits? 
Or, would you choose something totally different to go with the fabric I chose?

Note: just in case anyone wondered, no one from FabricGuru contacted me or compensated me for sharing their info, their fabric selection is just awesome!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Swim-Bike-Run "Brah"- Post Updated!

Today is a big day for Alex! He has spent the last few months training for his first triathlon and its finally here! I snapped a photo of him before the race and as he headed out for the first part of the race which is a swim in the lake (and boy is it cold!).

So I'll be spending today cheering him on in good ol' Buffalo, Minnesota. He just headed out for the bike portion of the race then he'll be running through the finish line. Hoping Alex and all the other triathletes have fun and stay safe today!

Any other local folks at the same race or at another race today?

***** UPDATE*****

Alex finished the race and beat his overall goal time!  I had a lot of fun chasing him around to get pictures between each transition. 
I give him and all the other racers a lot of credit for taking on this kind of race, it's pretty hardcore!  I don't think I'd ever be up for the challenge- that's for sure! 

Speaking of other racers, I took a group photo of Alex with his buddies or rather "brahs" is the term they use- it's like "Bros" but with an annoying emphasis on the "ahh" part of the word, so "Hey BRAAAAH" is what I hear A LOTUgh...  Anyway I also got one with my happy hubby after he finishes the race but the one on the right is Alex with "brahs" Mike and Brendan.

 I hope they think it's brah-riffic!  Ha!

Next race is at the end of the month so Alex will be keeping up on his training.  Hopefully we'll still fit in a couple smaller projects this summer, but it sure is whizzing by fast!  Anyone else feel that way too?