new beginnings

We chase the golden weather of the weekend with a cold, overcast Monday. It seems that my orchid has grown exponentially overnight. We'll close out January with a little green, and promises of new beginnings.

hot fun in the winter time

Seth broke out the shorts, I dug out my Chacos, and we dusted off the bikes for a beautiful afternoon ride. Gromit gets an A- for straying a few times to mark his territory but overall, a great afternoon in the sunshine!

let freedom ring

Enjoying the beautiful weather at Freedom Park.

shooting the bird

You wouldn't know by looking this scene that it was the most beautiful day outside, filled with bright blue skies and sunshine. It is not a black and white photograph, but somehow it came out that way. I enjoy the juxtaposition of light and dark, of life and death. The tree itself is decaying, but teeming with life. There was another bird and a squirrel on surrounding limbs when I took this shot.

trickle down economics

A walk around the park this afternoon revealed a random faucet pouring its heart out. I tried (in vain) to stop the leak, both out of respect for the environment, and in the interest of my own wallet. China Grove has some of the most expensive water I have ever had the displeasure of tasting. My neighbor thinks it's poisoned, but I think it must be laced with gold.

warm and cozy

Every night before we go to bed, Seth swaddles Gromit and lays him in his bed. Okay, he really tells him to get in his bed and covers him with a blanket, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use swaddle in everyday conversation.

what's in a name {tag} ?

Today, I received my first piece of interoffice mail, which happened to be my name tag. I have been elevated from the nameless library helper to April Everett: CPCC Library Services. Personalized office supplies get me jazzed.

eye eighty-five

Since much time was spent traversing the same stretch of I-85 today, I decided to risk life and limb on the second journey to take this image of a fleeting sunset around exit 55.

finn

Although it was still a bit chilly this afternoon, we met up with some friends at the Reedy Creek dog park. Finn and Gromit had a marvelous time running, jumping, and slobbering. Fortunately, there was no rolling in the mud today.

e-cubed

Spray paint + wooden block + decorative knob + decorative metal letter = e-cubed. This project was inspired by an awesome book I got for Christmas, Junk Beautiful. I look forward to continually adding to my growing collection of alphabetic artwork!

le peintre

All of the trim in our house (including miles of crown molding, shoe molding, baseboards, and chair railing) required painting. After a week of hard labor, I must pay homage to the man behind the brush. A BIG thank you to my father-in-law for helping us get further than I ever thought we could.

mighty [expressive] mouse

The community park gets an A+ for creepy play equipment. I suppose there is something endearing about his ostensible expressions of joy. I know that no matter how bad my day has been, this inanimate Disney conterfeit will always be smiling at me.

sports and recreation

Decidedly, 2011 is the year of organization. After more than a year of stumbling over boxes, we finally got serious and organized our closet, which houses books, holiday decorations, computer equipment, and (much) more. The picture above is of a shelf that features hiking books and trail maps, appropriately located in the "Sports and Recreation" section of the closet. And yes, that is a dymo label. And yes, there are plenty more where that came from.

carbfest 2011

My father-in-law has graciously agreed to stay a week and help us finish painting trim. I thought it would be nice to pay him in cheddar biscuits. I made three pans!

surly bird personal gallery

Not only is my oldest and dearest friend the graphic design genius behind Surly Bird Studio, she is also amazingly generous. I have the absolute pleasure of displaying four original pieces of artwork in my home (three of which are featured here). Check out her blog, O is for Orange, to enjoy more of her fabric designs, photography, and general craftiness.

tongue-tied

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

more wintery reflections

Although the morning started out a bit disappointing with Reedy Creek Park being closed, we were still able to sneak in a walk on the Mallard Creek Greenway. Nothing really caught my eye along the walk, but I did enjoy this reflection in a puddle on our way back to the parking lot.

wallace goes postal

Wallace is very excited about being featured on the Royal Post holiday stamps. I am very excited that the Royal Post accidentally sent me two sets of these cracking stamps and generously allowed me to keep the extras free of charge. It's like Christmas all over again!

textbook surrogate

This might not be the most exciting photo, but it's sight for sore eyes--my textbook finally arrived! I wanted to take a picture of the downtown Charlotte skyline in the morning light, but in the big city, there is no place to pull over long enough to enjoy the view. Guess a photo of my textbook will have to do...

sparkle without the glitter

Today is the first day I've seen the sun in a few days. I enjoyed the way the sunlight shown through the glass menagerie of trees on my walk with Gromit.

long and unwinding road

The long and unwinding road of ice. It doesn't look like we will be going anywhere anytime soon.

snow dance

The boys are enjoying a quick romp on our snow day. Well, Gromit doesn't actually like the snow, and by Seth's expression, you would think he doesn't like it either.

e-squared

Today is brought to you by the letter "e". I am elated, excited, and enthusiastic that you are reading this right now.

one in the oven

This is my beautiful and talented friend, CaShaun. I had a wonderful day following her around and taking some maternity photos. Baby Garrette is making a cameo appearance in the bottom right corner.

the domino effect

The last bit of craftiness before school and work begin. I made this necklace out of a wooden domino, which came from a set I purchased at the thrift store. This is the ultimate repurposed, reused, recycled piece of jewelry.

just hanging out

For years, I tried eagerly to catch up to vehicles in which I saw co-navigating hounds. I am proud to say that I have now become the car that I once hurried to drive alongside.

organizational bliss

I'm trying to get organized in 2011, starting with my extravagant stash of stationary. I have organized cards and envelopes by color, size, and occasion. Although you can't see it, I have created tiny labels above each cubby to curb the temptation to clutter.

wallace & gromit

The neighboring house is up for sale. I've been waiting for an excuse to take this picture for some time now. Won't you be my neighbor?

isn't it ironic

This is by far the best bookmark ever left in a library book. It absolutely made my day.

wintery reflections

Dodging the raindrops to take Gromit for a walk, I caught this reflection of Seth in a puddle.

one-thousand seventy-nine pages and {count}ing

My New Year's resolution is to finish this [incredible but long] book.