Reupholstery project.

Phase 1. The raw materials.

And by that I mean the actual pieces of furniture that I will be recovering. I have a three piece living room set inherited from my Great Grandmother. It was recovered by my Great Aunt Evelyn. I'm betting that this took place somewhere between 1940 and 1960.... the fabric is rough and not too comfortable to sit on, and it is also pink. So there's that. Without further ado....Pink chair
Pink couchGreen chair
and a detail shot to show the woodwork....
So the questions/options are this, and I need you!
1. Paint the wood a glossy black and recover with a graphic print?
2. Keep the wood (maybe gloss it up) and pick a print with natural colors that enhance the wood?
3. Keep it neutral.
It's tricky. They are striking pieces and I don't want to take away from that, but I think that glossy black with a graphic print could be very striking.

Next post... some fabric options. Please feel free to suggest some in the comments too!

First picture

We went and got the first Ultrasound today which was great fun. Again, I couldn't stop giggling, though I had to because between me giggling and the baby wiggling, the technician couldn't take the measurements that she needed. (we're conspirators already, the baby and I...)

They did a 3D ultrasound too, but those pictures kind of freaked me out-- it looked like cro-magnon baby and I prefer this cute *familiar* look. You can tell in the picture that it's either about to suck its thumb OR if you have a very fertile imagination.... you can picture it as a fist-in-air gesture for a high note! Like the old baritone claw. :)

Tiny Dantzler!

Yesterday Drake and I went to the Dr. and got to hear the heartbeat of our new baby! It was so much fun... about 160 bpm which, if you are to believe heartrate predictions, indicates that it may be a girl. We're holding out for the Ultrasound and the end of October, but are looking forward to finding out then!

We're getting ready for a concert tomorrow with the Rochester Symphony and were going through some of the music at the office while waiting, then once we heard the heartbeat it became the official tempo everything we sang on the way home! and 160 is pretty dern fast...

I found out the day that I picked up Drake from the airport in NYC--right before we drove back to Michigan, and flew to Dallas to pick up our stuff. So perhaps that helps explain why all I've been doing lately is watching Golden Girls and napping. untrue, I've been doing LOTS of photoshoots, but there are days that I feel abominably lazy! No morning sickness thank goodness! People ask if I've had any cravings, which makes me laugh because I think you'd only have to had dined with me once to know that I have cravings ALL THE TIME. Like since birth. But no, I have had no strange cravings that are out of the ordinary. I did lie down on the ground once totally inconsolable but for the thought of garlic bread pizza. But that's not the first time that has happened...

Magic

It's funny that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser turned out to be the inspiration I needed to return to blogging.

When we moved into the new apartment in MI, there were a few scuffs on the wall, and we've been trying (unsuccessfully) to get some paint from our leasing office. Finally this morning I decided to try the Magic Eraser and after the first successful swipe I immediately looked all around for someone else to appreciate the magic. This is where you come in, blog.

MAGIC I TELL YOU!

I should've taken pictures. As it stands now, all you'd see is a lovely white wall.
As it should be.

Speaking of Magic, things have been super busy around here and I have some big news to share next week... I'll leave you to speculate until then.

Well here we are

In Michigan. all of the boxes are unpacked but all of the rooms are not put together. We hung a few things in the living room today.... pictures will follow when we're all finished, but I will tell you that I never expected to have this many taxidermied items in my living space. (Stew on THAT till the pics are up.)

So much has happened since the last post! All of the things that I listed here as a matter of fact.
Except that I didn't have a crying fit. Much as I had hoped/expected, as soon as Drake got back he took over and wrapped up the move like a pro. I was very thankful for that. Then I slept for a week.

An aside... Does the new Mercedes E-Class really drive itself? It stops the car if you don't, wakes you up when you're sleeping, and nudges you back into your lane if you wander.

OK. So you all know about the Cash for Clunkers program? Well, if you've ridden in our car you would assume (as we did) that our car would qualify handily. well it doesn't. the gas mileage is too good! curse you, Toyota, for making such a durable and fuel-efficient car!

Also I have a terrible cough. I went to the doctor, and she said that it sounded like it was only upper respiratory-- but what she didn't know was that I had just eaten a peppermint which had cleared it! Drake said that there's no way that a single peppermint could make the difference between early detection of pneumonia and upper respiratory congestion. He lacks imagination.

The dwindling summer days

Know hope, originally uploaded by Alta Marie.

What a great week it has been!
I've been taking a million photos. Packing a million boxes. Seeing friends, eating great food and getting ready for the big move.

I've been playing with a million different layouts with my new floorplan and furniture cutouts, imagining what on earth we'll do with three times as much space as we have now (hallelujah!)

Meanwhile, Drake finally has some time off in Colorado and tells me of meals out and swims in glacial lakes... summer is finally unfurling in all its glory

Feeling a bit overwhelmed...

chicago-5399, originally uploaded by Alta Marie.

In case any of you are tracking my whereabouts, wondering when I might be staying at your home or am visitable, I present to you my schedule for the next three weeks. (I also present to you this cat, Maui, who had such beautiful sea-blue eyes.)

July 13-18 NYC wrap up/pack up. I will be lunching/dinner-ing, shooting headshots, and doing a photowalk

July 19-22 Colorado visit. Seeing shows shooting fight scenes, doing headshots

July 23-24 (25?) in MA to pick up MA stuff, truck and my brothers

July 25-28th-ish Michigan!

July 30-August 2 Birthday extravaganza (not my birthday, my friends. It will rule all birthdays)

August 3-4 NYC- Drake comes home
(Michigan at some point)

August 8-? Dallas to visit/get our stuff

August 15- begin permanent(ish) residence in MI

I'm planning to have some sort of crying fit/breakdown somewhere between the 8th and 15th. Probably whilst driving the second moving truck up from Texas. Just planning ahead...