Freya

Freya is my adorable 11 year old rescue mutt.  She means the world to me, I love her with all my heart.  She's also never been the healthiest dog.  I've regularly had to take her in for skin infections and ear infections due to her host of allergies and about 2 years ago she developed Cushings disease.  Thankfully all of that is fairly manageable with a carefully monitoring her diet and regular meds.  Very recently she's been having more problems with her kidneys and liver.  Still not exactly sure what is going on- I'm waiting on a call from the vet tomorrow when she gets the results in.  But basically I'm telling you all this because shes the reason I haven't had a chance to write lately.  We've been at the vet every day for the past week for her to get fluids and a handful of times for the weeks before that.  So instead of crafting, I've been caring for and doting on the dog.  More crafting to come soon- but for now look at how cute my dog is :)

It's kind of amazing how much her coloring has changed over the years.  The first picture is within the first month or so of when we got her (she was 4), the second picture is from a year or two later, and then the last are all within the past 3 years.  She's completely lovable and almost never makes a noise (except for her adorable chasing things dreams).  Pets make life worthwhile and my Freya definitely does that for me.  Anyone else have pet pics or stories to share?  We're a dog family but I love all furry and scaly creatures.  And sometimes feathers I suppose...

I'm Finally Settled In

Between two different moves (and the associated packing and unpacking) its been a long time since I've felt settled and at home.  Now that we're done unpacking and have hung the pictures I feel like we have a home again.  Its really the pictures that cinch the whole thing.  A new place doesn't feel like home until we put our pictures on the wall.  Of course this space still has a lot of open wall but it feels so much more homey and I can sit on my couch with my mug of cocoa and enjoy the place.

In addition to all the moving, we had a whirlwind trip to Vancouver for a weekend just a week ago and I'm here today to share some pictures with you.

Steam Clock in gastown

Inuksuk

We totally saw otters not in a zoo!!!

I really love animals dressed as mounties!

This is a really awful picture of me, but you have to see the raccoon mittens I got at the gift store!

Capilano Suspension Bridge- way way awesome and what follows is only a small sampling of the breathtaking views

The New Craft Room

The move was completed almost a week ago (exactly a week as of tomorrow) and I've finally got enough of my life back in order to sit down and post.  There was a lot of unpacking, a party to go to, and a wall to paint in between then and now.  What I have to show for it is a nearly done craft room and pictures to share with you!  

This is the area right behind the door.  You can see an over the door shoe organizer I use for various crafty things as well as my bookshelf with knitting supplies, jewelry supplies, scrapbooks, misc. craft supplies, and some stuffed animals.  You can also see the pile of random I hide behind the door :)

More stuffed animals, some pictures that need to be hung, little odds and ends in the drawers, Countess Lola (the aloe) and Spike (the cacti like plant), and a bunch of sewing and scrapbook supplies.  There's also a gorgeous jewelry box on the end that my Grandfather made that does not have a good home yet.  I need some sort of table to put it on that has a large enough surface that its not sticking off the edge. 

Snakey, my books, more scrapbooking and the edge of the second window and the desk.

This is the other side of the desk with some bags that need to go various places and the closet door.  Oh so exciting.

My Desk!  Well okay, my folding table!  With my brand new to me desk chair I just got off freecycle.  Desk is a little cluttered with things that need to find homes.  I'm working on it.  There's also a Dalek there that needs his arm fixed.   Poor little Dalek did not do so hot in the move.

So that is how my craft room sits now.  Some things I need to do:

• Get rug from Ikea.  I wanted purple to go with my blue-green wall so a rug is one of the ways I'm going to bring this in.  The other is...
• Curtains!  Need to find a fabric and make curtains.  Also need to pick up another dollar store curtain rod.
• Treadmill.  The empty place where the jewelry box is is reserved for a treadmill.  This will take me having some extra cash so it may wind up waiting until after Christmas.
• Home the random stuff on my desk
• Hang some pictures
• Get a bulletin board and cover in purple something and hang.  
• Fix poor little Dalek
• Recover desk chair.  I want it to be purple to but I'm skeptical at my ability to cover a desk chair.  Anyone have suggestions?

I'm sure there's more that I'm not thinking of at the moment, but for now that will do.  I also have a number of other projects throughout the apartment I'm thinking of so we'll see how long this all takes.  I imagine by the time I complete this list I'll have new things to add to it :)  Such is the way of things.  

Any advice for my projects?  Other ideas to get some purple into the room?