Super huge congrats to Josh and Shan who are officially in the process of moving into their new place!!

Our wedding today was short and done early so we were able to head over after R got home for the tour and delicious celebration food complete with dude on dude action. It’s true – we hit the pub in their new hood to discover there was some sort of major fighting sporting half naked dude wrestling situation happening on all the screens, and everyone in the bar was all into it. Bizarre.

Look how happy (via bad iphone pic)! And look at the fancy floors and fireplace!

We’re into the final countdown: Josh and Shan closed on their purchase today and they get their keys in about 12 hours. This signals the final days to when we get OUR keys to our place next Saturday!

I’ve already had to stop buying things, I’m only one piece of furniture over what we were going to do so we are hoping it all fits and works as it should. It will be a bit chaotic until I am back on my feet from my next surgery (still unknown date, btw, although I’m too busy right now so I’m not hounding them either just yet) – once that is all over we can finalize the last of the furniture. Until then we’ll have an extra couch borrowed from the lovely Jeanie which will double as a bed on the main floor and we have some extra stuff we’ll have to craigslist.  I have lots of little details as well that I get to dream up and incorporate, once we’re in of course.

We’ve moved a couple times since, but when we bought our first place in 2003 in Edmonton this is what Darwin looked like:

So tiny and cute!

That time, we moved all our stuff first then brought him over. We set him down on the floor, and he promptly hid behind the fridge. Where he remained for 6-8 hours. We’re clearly hoping for a smoother transition this time.

Then again, last year when we leased the place next door we cut a small cat-sized hole in the wall first before we tore the whole wall down. Luna jumped through and was super excited, Darwin was excited until he jumped through – he realized the confines of his universe had shattered, he jumped back and ran straight to the bedroom where he hid for a long time. He was scared of the other side even after we tore out the entire wall – so I suppose nothing much changes.

Anyways, on the topic of craigslist, posting jobs there can result in x-rated offers via crank call. It’s been so long since we’ve had a crank call! The recording – of course – is on R’s blog. Thanks to technology and super sleuthing we also have his email address, first name, IP, and know his cell and internet carriers in the event he chooses to be an ongoing nuisance, which we don’t at all expect.

Happy weekend all!

I was coming here to tell you I wasn’t posting here today – I posted here twice yesterday, and I posted on the biz blog like a billion times today, so I figured that covered it.

I did remember a small snippet of my day that I thought I’d share though. I hate that it is me grumping, so I will try to think of something cheerful also.

Most of my items for Got Craft are completed or well on their way, but I’d been waiting for a final delivery of typewriter keys so I could finish the bracelets I’m doing with those. I ordered 3 sets from one person a full month ago, and while everything else arrived within a week to ten days, these hadn’t shown up.

The seller hadn’t shipped them with tracking, so the only real option was to wait. Earlier today they were found – they showed up back with the shipper marked “no such address”.

As it turns out, instead of writing “#410  55 Water St. ” as I had given her, she wrote”#4   1055 Water St.” – not the same thing.

So, of course, the seller blames ME.

Yup, clearly this was my error and I should send additional shipping funds if I wanted my package. To make matters worse, I really need this item in the next week, getting it AFTER Got Craft via regular shipping is just not helpful. Meaning, I need expedited shipping, which is $30 (the item was around $100, fyi).

The seller blames me because I listed the unit and the building on the same line (which I have done for probably upwards of 100 packages since living here). I blame her because regardless of how I listed it, she transcribed it incorrectly and had she not done that I would have received it. So, rather than argue, I told her that we should split the difference and both pay half and call it a day.

Which she refused.

OK, seriously people? I know it’s been some time since the whole “the customer is always right” mentality ruled, but I wasn’t asking to be right, I was asking to split the difference because we weren’t going to agree otherwise. It’s called a compromise. It’s what you do.

Anyways, she eventually very reluctantly agreed when I suggested her feedback score would be impacted, but it was certainly an unpleasant start to my day.

In other news, the whole thing made me appreciate my customers more, so I’ve got Reka working on the project of all projects so I can send each of our 2009 wedding clients some Blue Olive holiday love in a few weeks, just because.

Applicants are starting to roll in for our January graphic design internship here in the studio, so that’s fun. I’m not seeing as many applicants as for our summer opening but I suppose that’s to be expected, but the plan is to hopefully hire our intern part time as a real true employee when the internship is over if all goes well, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for lots of interest. Yay for more employees!

I don’t yet have the couch, but there is nothing stopping me from getting the cushions and afghan that will go on it, right?

Awhile back I saw this image for an afghan pattern:

And, like any sane person, I fell madly in love.

I don’t however have any time at all to make such a piece, just thinking about changing colours so often makes me nauseous! So I set out to find someone to do it for me.

I’ve searched a couple times in the past few months and came up empty handed. Well, lucky for me, my search is over!

The lovely Cherie at her etsy shop Forever Design uses a similar pattern, and I’ve ordered my coveted afghan!

I have a specific colour scheme in mind, so here are the swatches I’ve picked out:

Can’t wait to see the final piece!

Seeing as I can’t really purchase any more furniture until we move in, I’ve moved onto smaller things. Today – pillows!

I need a large variety of awesome throw pillows. Fancy pants ones for downstairs which I will make, and fun ones for upstairs for two different areas. Today, I focused on upstairs.

I found coucou salut on etsy – located in Montreal, this gal makes beautiful silkscreened pillows with repurposed fabrics. I found three must-haves today, and I look forward to watching her shop for new items to add to my collection.

Here’s a peak at one of my new pillow covers!

Late night, little sleep, up early, tiring day. I’m exhausted and going to bed early. Goodnight!

- Client area couch purchased. Woo! We’ll have it early December.

- MOST FABULOUS PIECE OF FURNITURE WE’VE EVER OWNED purchased, also for delivery early December. But this one is a secret. You will love it, as will everyone who comes to visit. It goes upstairs. It will be fought over. You will want to touch it.

- We were hoping to purchase some of the cupboards in our new place off of the current owners, but they aren’t selling the ones we want (only the ugly, mismatched, useless ones). This is OK, but it means we’ll have to do a large Ikea trip when we move in. Assembly party, anyone?

Furniture shopping list:

• 8 mis-matched wooden dining room chairs with character, to match the fancy new table. We’ll see how this goes.
• Upstairs couch (sectional) or couches (couch + loveseat). This needs to wait until we move in and have our other pieces so we can fine-tune layout and confirm available space
• Upstairs and downstairs coffee tables, once everything else is in place
• Client area wall/cupboard/display unit thing. Need a row of short cupboards for storage ie: 1 1/2 feet high, then open so we can put albums etc. on top of that, wall space above that for canvas/display prints, and a final set of cupboards above with lights pointing down and glass doors with internal lights to display more stuff. At least, this is my current working theory. Hello Ikea!
• Multiple Ikea Pax cupboards. 3 door unit for the entry, mirrored, as the previous owners had. This one is for shoes and garage type stuff – tools, camping gear, etc. Two more are needed upstairs one each for our closets. Then we need to take stock and figure out what we need to do my integrated craft area with the wall of cupboards upstairs and what the downstairs office organization stuff looks like. All of which needs to happen once we’re in and can see it in addition to measure it.
• So many colorful pillows! At least 2 or 3 turquoise roll pillows for the client area downstairs and a pile of pillows upstairs – bright colours, a couple patterns, both for the yet-undecided couch and the SECRET.
• Depending on layout I think I might also recover our wooden stools and put them along the railing upstairs looking over into the kitchen. This seems like fun, and a good place for them.
• I keep flipping between thinking we probably have more space than we think we do and thinking that we probably have less space than we think we do. Until we get our stuff moved in we don’t know, even though we have measurements and such it’s not quite the same. I can’t wait!

(yesterday: purple; today: black and white. two more to go them I move onto the clocks.)

Breakfast: Deacon’s

Weather: Monsoon (both wind & rain warnings in effect by environment canada)

Snack: Trader Joe’s chocolate covered pretzels

Purchase: OMG I shouldn’t be allowed to look at furniture because we end up buying things. The two chairs for our client viewing area have been ordered and they are GORGEOUS. One red, one light blue/aqua, both leather but in different styles. Loveseat for the client area is also picked out but is a US order/delivery only, so I will need to find someone who loves me with a garage in Seattle or area who can take delivery and we’ll come pick it up when it arrives.

Other decor updates:

- After turning our noses up at available dining room chair options we are going under a working theory of finding old mismatched wooden dining room chairs to go with our table. Of course, any time you set out to find something specific from flea markets/antique stores/etc. you can never find what you’re looking for, so this plan may change. It also means that we won’t yet have chairs for our parties (yes, plural, we are having two very large parties 4 days after we move in), but that’s OK.

- We are both closer and further away to/from finding the perfect couch. Upstairs is very mid century modern with my new sideboard, the orange TV, the new pink chair, the turquoise chair, and related accessories. The couch, however, is a challenge. I want to have space for at least two or three people to lay down at the same time, which means either two separate couches or a large sectional. I am also cheap, so options are limited. I like upholstery and this is easier to pair with the theme, but Reilly wants leather. We can do leather but then it needs to be fairly sleek, not overstuffed at all, and ideally button tufted to best fit in. We will see. There are all sorts of gorgeous repro couches that would fit, but most are either crazy expensive or not available in Canada which means we can order to someone’s place but sight unseen, which isn’t ideal.

- kayaks are decor, right?

Well, crap.

I was doing fairly well with the whole daily blogging thing, and here we are on the 14th and I have nothing to say.

Breakfast with our houseguest this am, then hung out on the couch doing nothing until our wedding. Picked up Shari and headed to our 4 hour reception with Rob & Andrea – we’d never shot a wedding they’d worked before – so that was fun.

Cupcake by cococake, now home and waiting for Private Practice to download. It is flipping between 8 minutes and 52 minutes remaining, it can’t decide which. There is a crazy person in the alley below us singing apparently, or at least I think it’s supposed to be a song. This is keeping me entertained for the moment.

Tomorrow: relax. Well, final inspection and upload of a couple of albums, then relax. Reilly is planning to go snowboarding with Josh and Shan on what will be the 3rd open day of the season, and I will alternate lounging with cram crafting. Well, alternate or just simultaneously craft and lounge at the same time, depending on what I’m working on.

6 minutes it claims now for the download, and the singing has died down. Kind of like waiting for a kettle to boil.

Cheerio!

- Button necklaces have been moved to production! I have already removed multiple steps from the process to create them, making them faster to make with each new necklace. I currently have 6 in the works, and might add a couple more. I still don’t want to sell any of them.

- I have no idea how to package these necklaces. They are made on a necklace wire which is pre-formed, so they take up about 6″ round, like a dessert plate. Must get creative. They are fairly durable but can’t be crammed into a small space, either.

- VanCityAllie had her birthday today, and along with it a huge party with tasty bites and much liquor. Reilly is friends with her on the internets, which works for me as I got to go too. We met a number of great new people who have been facebooked and such, and will be on the list for our housewarming. Yay for new people!

- And, on the topic of new people, I walked into the party only to be greeted by a friendly albeit almost forgotten face of an old coworker and friend from Edmonton, I had no idea he was even in the city. I love it when the world is smaller than it seems.

- Our hippie hostel is in full force and John is spending the night. I am distraught that I don’t have any extra toothbrushes, but otherwise this is a good thing. Yay for random houseguests!

- Breakfast in the morning. Mmmmm, breakfast.

- HOLY CRAP WE MOVE IN TWO WEEKS!

- Wedding reception tomorrow night with Rob & Andrea, which will be fun as we haven’t done a wedding with them. AND, Kathy just booked one of our clients so we get another wedding with them early next year. Good times.

No bad iphone photos today, that’s all folks!