Actually, the title should probably be more like "Finally able to blog about going to a crop" since I actually went to this one on the 12th and am just now posting the pages from it. :)

Once Upon a Scrapbook holds great crops- being able to scrapbook in the store means I'm really close to an extra sheet of grey cardstock should I run out (which I did). And any time I have an excuse to eat at Firehouse Subs (about a mile from the store) I take it.

I completed 9 pages in about 6 hours (and part of that 6 hours was spent getting food and eating).

One set of pages was a random Christmas layout from last year. I put most of my Christmas photos from 2008 in a mini album (which you can see here), but there are still a few pages I want to make for my regular scrapbooks.

The rest of the pages are from Dad's birthday party last year. I haven't scrapped all my photos from that weekend yet- I'll probably be working on those at the next crop. :)

Floors and Doorknobs

My two latest obsessions. Actually, I've always been obsessed with floors- they're usually my favorite part of the room to work on.

Unfortunately, I can't always make up my mind as to what I want to do with them. Last week I wanted to paint mine white. This week I want to refinish them with a super glossy finish like these guys did on Project Rowhouse. Below are before (well, after sanding) and after photos of their old, restored flooring.



Pretty amazing looking, aren't they?!? I originally found their blog while looking for posts of IKEA cabinet installations. They used IKEA cabinets in their kitchen, and they look great!

Then there are the doorknobs. I LOVE old, vintage-y looking glass doorknobs. I don't necessarily want to use actual vintage knobs, though- the hardware can be difficult to match up on a modern door.

Anthropologie has some AMAZING doorknobs on their site, and the prices are not *too* outrageous (about $38 a set).

I think that this one- the Tea House Doorknob in Clear Antique Silver- is my absolute favorite of the bunch.

There are so many pretty ones, though! Like this Whipped Glass Doorknob...
Or the Inlaid Pearl Doorknob...
If the Elexia Flower Doorknob were available in clear glass, it would probably be my favorite.
And last but not least, the Globe Doorknob. For some reason it makes me think of all things Arthurian and Merlin-esque.

Sooooo many choices, but with such pretty things to choose from, how can you go wrong?

IKEA Expedit

Today I want to talk about the amazing, versatile IKEA Expedit. I have been looking at the one pictured below online for about a year, and I've decided that I definitely need one for the scrapbooking room. I finally got to see them in person last week during my trip to Boston, and they are very sturdy and as attractive in person as they are on the IKEA web site.
Then there's this one, which is actually meant to hold a television. I have plans to put my terrarium in it instead and place it in the living room to provide some storage for books and DVDs.
What I didn't realize until just a few weeks ago is just how many varieties of this bookcase IKEA makes. The one I want to get is 5x5, but they also have this 4x4 one...

I've seen pictures of this 2x4 version mounted on the wall...
And this one with all the different size cubbies, perfect for storing media or just as a little display area.
This cutie would actually make a nice end table...
And I could see this one in a corner somewhere, being unobtrusive.

And then there are the people who "hack" the Expedit. No, seriously, there is a whole website dedicated to people who find novel and alternate uses for IKEA products.

I totally love this idea- putting the Expedit on a metal frame to place the top of it at ceiling level. Look at all the storage space you get underneath!

And they are really quite sturdy- they have to be to hold people's vinyl record album collections, as seen here and here.


Or you can stack several of them, as shown here, and make your own customized bookcase.

This idea is probably my favorite- the Expedit used as a room divider. The storage is then easily accessible from both sides.

So, that's my rambling for the day. I think that I'm hoping that by cataloging all of my ideas here, I'll actually remember a few of them when it comes time to work on some projects around the house. :)

Code Monkey Goes to Boston

I had to go to Boston this past week for work. I hadn't traveled in about 6 months, but before that I was traveling pretty much every other week. I'd almost forgotten what the inside of the airport looked like.

I brought a friend along with me- Code Monkey.

Code Monkey was a gift from my friend and former coworker, Richard. I say former coworker because he left the company a little over a year ago. I've almost forgiven him for that.

Almost. :-P

Anyway, software development types are often referred to as "code monkeys," so Richard gave those of us on his team these little miniature sock monkeys. I decided for this trip I'd bring him (the monkey, not Richard, though I did bring Eric...you'll meet him later) along to some of the places I visited on my trip.

I didn't buy him his own ticket, so he traveled in the seat back pocket. Incidentally, why are we not allowed to put our laptops in the seat back pocket? I mean, I'm allowed to put my book there, and I've traveled with some books that weigh more than my laptop. It makes no sense.

Upon reaching Boston, I informed Eric that there was an IKEA 20 miles south of the city. Never mind that our hotel was 20 miles north. We didn't have to be at work until the next day, and he said he was game for it. Yay!

I'd never been to IKEA before. If you've never been, prepare yourself. It's huge. I mean MASSIVE. Imagine a store 3-4 times the size of Home Depot, two stories tall, and with it's own parking garage. I know, it sounds like a shopping mall, but it's just IKEA.

Insane. And very cool.

I was mostly interested in the kitchen displays since I've been thinking about using IKEA cabinets when I do the kitchen remodel.

Oh, and this is Eric. He was a good sport, letting me drag him all over Boston for two and a half days. He'd only been once and I'd been a lot, so I rented the car to drive us everywhere. He and his wife are redoing their kitchen next year, so he was actually kind of interested in going anyway.

I'm really digging these stainless steel doors.

There were maps all over the store. I told you it was a huge place!

After walking through IKEA (an hour and a half there barely scratched the surface) and driving back through Boston to the hotel, Code Money was tired and glad to get in bed!

After work the next day, Code Monkey got to go to one of my favorite grocery stores- Trader Joe's (why we can't have one of these in Huntsville, I don't know).

I always try to pick up some goodies when I'm near one of these.

Did I mention that I was still dragging poor Eric around with me? Poor Eric had to sit across the table from me at Legal Seafood when I was taking this picture of Code Monkey. Luckily for him, I returned to being (somewhat) normal right after I shot it...and then promptly demolished a pair of 1lb lobsters. Yum!

While waiting for a table at Legal Seafood (a 45 minute ordeal), I squeezed in a little shopping at JCrew- they were having a big sale!

And SQUEEEEE!!! For some reason I just love their shopping bags. I love anything in this Kraft color, really. It's also my new favorite shade of cardstock for scrapbooking (Dad says I should just scrapbook on paper shopping bags :-P).

All Code Monkey really saw on Thursday was the inside of a software lab (where no cameras are allowed). Oh, and the inside of Chipotle. :)

But on Friday it was back to the airport to head home...but with a trip to Starbucks first.