Old Passions

In this world of blogging I have found hidden passions being revived.I am amazed at some of the blogs that I have been fortunate to find and read .My journey started with looking at old house blogs.I have had a love of old house renovation since I was a young girl.It started when I watched "This old house" with my mother.Also,she loved to go to open houses and check out the house even though we were not in the market to buy.
It is funny how I grew to love architecture .As teenager my passion turned to fashion.I started modeling and then "knew" I wanted to become a fashion designer.All my teachers encouraged me to go to school for fashion design. I did go to design school.My life changed when I had my first son at 19 yrs old.Being a young mom and trying to buy my materials was getting to be impossible but I kept on going .I had a daughter when I turned 21 and still was in school.When my daughter was 3 I had an idea to go to cosmetology school and then I could work to buy the supplies I needed for design school.I ended up staying in the hair business because I worked at some of the top salons in Chicago.I trained at Vidal Sassoon and I met my husband there.So I know
the "switch" to hair was meant to be.Through the world of blogging I am seeing all these really talented design blogs and it is awakening my old desire to create some clothing.I hope I have time to sew again. I will start small,now I have 4 kids so time is very limited!!!!! I know one day life will slow down and I can concentrate on "me" again.

More Magic!!!!!

More pictures from the "dream house".

Practical magic house

I love this movie"Practical Magic".It has the house I envision for my family minus the spirits!!!!!! I am a very visual person and it helps for me to cut out pictures of things I want to create in my life so when I saw this movie I thought "this is it".I haven't written much about my passion for aromatherapy but I make products that are all natural.This movie also touched on aromatherapy,one of the sisters opens up her own " natural potion store".I have a dream after my children are grown to have an herbal/aromatherapy store.

Gypsy Spirit

I found some photos of inspiration.I guess my style is kind of "gypsy style".I love color and I collect a lot of 'stuff'.It drives my husband crazy.Actually I have stopped collecting due to our house only having so much space.I have a dream of buying a weekend/vacation house.Of course ,it has to be a huge Victorian house with 3 floors.We would also need some acres of land to go with it.I know it will happen.I watch the "secret" movie all the time so I am constantly creating it in my mind.It would be cool to have my own studio in a old barn or in a wagon!!!! I can dream!!!!!!

Diners , Drive-Ins and Dives

We are very fortunate to do the hair for the owners of Frank's Diner.
They were featured Monday evening on the Food Network show"Diners,Drive-Ins,and
Dives.It was so much fun to see them on TV.Here are pictures of the taping.Cool Hair!!!!

New schedule

Today my husband starts a new job at a salon where he was offered a fantastic opportunity.He is going to be their education director.I am so excited for him ,he definitely deserves this !!!! He has been an educator in the past and really enjoys it.
As the saying goes"when one door closes another one opens".We were kind of stressed out when the salon near our home closed suddenly.Trent also worked at another salon in a suburb of Milwaukee but we hadn't planned financially to just have him working .I was trying to condense my hours to be with the kids more but still we counted on my check as well.Having 4 kids just seems that no matter what you bring home you still need more. Anyway,I have to get used to our new schedule.Trent will work Wed through Fri.
at the new salon and with me on Sat. and Mon. Today I have to call people and change their appointments.i hope we still have time for our projects.We have to be more disciplined with our time!!!!!!

Craft room

I decided to take my sewing table down to the basement where it is the laundry/shampoo room.There is so much wasted space that I decided I could make it a craft room as well.I used to sew alot but the more kids I had the less time I had for my hobbies.There are big built in shelves that I need to clean out and I could use them for my supplies.I am really excited .I have read other blogs that talk about having craft rooms and I was a little jealous thinking I didn't have a big enough house for one.I had this sewing table in my bedroom and I am trying to de-clutter it and the idea popped into my head,"YOU can have a craft room if you put it in the laundry/shampoo room."

more photos

Some of these are of the basement,my new hairdryer chair,my vintage stove,also the shampoo sink in the basement.

photos

Here are a few pictures.This is the bathroom "before".The second picture is a photo of pipes and the third is the wall in the new"shampoo" room.

New "old " dryer chair

As I am writing on my laptop,I am sitting under a vintage hairdryer chair conditioning my hair and relaxing at the same time. I just got this chair from our friends Mark and Dave who are landlords at the old salon I used to work at.They decided not to rent out the space as a salon so they are selling the equipment.I jumped on it when I found out .I always wanted a hooded hairdryer for myself.It is the best way to condition your hair and you don't hear all the noise around you!!!! That is a plus in my house.It looks really "retro" so it is definitely a cool addition to my house.I really wish I could post photos.My daughter left her camera cord at my dad's house in Chicago and we need to drive there to pick it up. I have been taking some pictures while doing some of our "projects". I can n't wait to post photos.My blog is looking boring without them!!!!!!!

A night without water

My Mother's Day gift from my husband was to start installing a much needed bathroom.Trent and his carpenter/and now plumber brother John installed the rough piping. It was really cool to see the progress.Our basement is starting to look like a normal livable space not a dungeon. Everything was coming along great until one of our old(really old) pipes broke.It would have been an easy fix if we had not run out of material to replace it. The next issue was that it was Sunday night and all the Menard's and Home Depots were closed.Because this pipe broke we had to leave the hot water closed and the cold water would not even get to the second floor
I was mortified !!!!! We could not flush the toilet unless we carried a bucket from the first floor. On top of that I had a client coming over at 9am the next day.After stressing for about 3 hours trying to find a 24 hr Home Depot.(there is one in Chicago) I finally canceled my appointment.The guys kept insisting they could get to Home depot at 6 am and have the pipe fixed in time for me to do my client.Thank God I canceled,they did put the pipe in but it was 12 in the afternoon before they finished and our house looked like a wreck!!!!! Thankfully this first step of our bathroom is complete.We now have to put in the floor.I found a cool white and black vintage looking tile. I am hoping John will come back and help with the installation.We have done a tile floor before but it has been a while.

Serendipity

I totally believe in coincidences and things of that nature.I have wanted a vintage bike that I could attach a basket and ride around the lake with my little dog Lola .Last year I saw a pink bike that was new but in the beach cruiser style.Well it was pricey so I didn't get it.My husband thinks I would ride a bike for ten minutes and that would be the end of it.SO yesterday on the way to the store I saw a yard sale with bikes there , I asked Trent" Can we stop by on the way back home?"I think he thought I would forget about it and he said sure.On the way home I saw the yard sale again and it was the sorriest sale I have seen but there were bikes!!!!! I spotted one with a wire basket attached and it wasn't pink but a cute vintage blue.I asked the price and the lady said 10 dollars!!! I bought the bike and the funny thing about it was when we got home we noticed a black dog leash attached to the basket.Whoever had this bike rode around with their little dog in it!!My project for my bike was to make a comfy dog bed for Lola. Last night I found pink material (shabby chic style)and made her a doggy bed to put in the basket and a blanket.(It is still chilly here in Wisconsin!!) I believe this was the bike meant for Lola and me!!!!I have already been riding it longer than hubby predicted.I took my boys this morning to a small park that is a block away from our house.It was so much fun and Lola loved it too!!!!!! I was very lucky today as well my son Trent made me a #1 Mom shirt for Mother's Day and Julian made me a sweet card!!!

Long awaited bathroom

Tomorrow is Mother's day and my present is going to be getting started on our bathroom!! I am really excited ,I have a claw foot tub(the really big kind) that I got as a birthday present 2 years ago.I have been waiting for the day we would install my tub.That is still a ways away but I am one step closer..... My husband's brother is coming over and will help with the piping and we will do the rest walls,tile , etc. I am feeling happy , I was kinda bumped about the wood burning stove that slipped out of my hands by not calling the guy to purchase it fast enough.That's life!!!! I wish the budget allowed a new digital camera!!!!!! (just kidding) I am grateful for whatever I get,I am lucky to have a family that loves me!!!!

Too Slow!!!!

I lost the stove I posted about!!!! The guy emailed me saying someone bought it yesterday.I am really bummed out.I knew I should have called him right away!!! I can only tell myself that it was not meant to be and the right one for us will come along!!!!!! On the bright side I am unexpectedly running into my old clients at stores. So I gave them my number to make an appointment.This week I am getting a retro hair dryer/chair and it will look so cool!! It is just nice that I can start to pamper myself for a change.It is very relaxing to sit under the dryer ,you kind of tune everything out and really relax!!!!!!

Buying another wood stove

I want to buy another wood burning stove for our kitchen since that is the original room I wanted one for.I found one on Craigslist and the guy says he will deliver for a little extra.That has been one of our problems every time I find one-"How do we pick it up?"We do not have a truck or van.I was about to email him but I still have to talk to Trent about it.I can not wait too long to make a decision .One thing I have learned about Craigslist is that you have to act fast!!!!!!! This stove is a Franklin stove and it ls all cast iron.It weighs about 300 lbs so that is more manageable than our 700 + lb. one in our dining room!!!!! Cross your fingers for me that I get it and no one beats me to it!!!!!!