More Home Improvement (Sewing Room Edition)

This should have been in the previous post, but I hadn't expected CL to get the sewing room ready so quickly. Gone is the the ugly orange carpet, the walls are now light blue, the windows were re-glazed, and they and the woodwork are freshly painted. Eventually she'll add a shade and a valance over the window.

Of course, this doesn't include the sewing room expansion space, which is somewhere between one and two rooms which are nominally spare bedrooms.

Home Improvement

One of the reasons we didn't travel much this winter was that we were working on the house, specifically the room that used to be Jesse's. I forgot to get before pictures, so they start in the middle of wallpaper removal and paint stripping and after the old, blue wall-to-wall carpet was removed.

At this point, the walls are all patched, the woodwork is sanded, and the floors covered with plastic; we're now ready for primer.

A couple views with the ceilings painted and primer on the walls.

Paint on the walls and woodwork and floor refinishing in progress. Up to this point it was a rush, since we had scheduled the floor work at a time we thought was far in the future but really wasn't. You can't see it, but the room was rewired, too.

Refinished floors and painted walls and woodwork.

And, finally, carpet on the stairs and hall and new light fixtures.

The completed office, nee Jesse's room.

Above the desk is my new cork board made from a tag sale picture frame and about 275 corks from wine we've enjoyed over the past few years.

Maggie's Birthday (part three, the finale)

Not birthday - Amanda opening her Mother's Day gift from Maggie.

Maggie's Birthday (part two)

More activities in advance of Saturday's Maggie Birthday Party

(right click on the image and select watch on YouTube to get a better view):

Maggie's First Birthday (part one)

Waving to all her adoring fans:

Receiving greetings from those who couldn't be here:

How old are you today, Maggie?
(The official celebration will be tomorrow.)

Another flower (don't ask me what it is).

Red Sox - Angels

Mike Lowell at the plate early in the game:

Okajima pitching with Abreu on first:

Early in the game, we were concerned that Dice-K was intent on breaking the current win streak (and also keeping us there for hours and hours), but he settled down, and the Sox' offense woke up in the middle innings. Here's the final score on the board on the green monster:

Street Festival

There was a street festival in Harvard Square today, and we took Maggie.

She got her first balloon ever,

and we enjoyed watching the chalk painting on the street.

This shirt was on the vendor of some delicious (and very fatty) pork barbecue.

And, finally, the obligatory flower shot.

Pretty in Pink