Please do not duplicate this at home.

Four years ago, we moved into this house.  At the time, I saw the lack of fire alarms and bought and installed several.  I also bought a fire extinguisher.

It sat on a shelf in our laundry room for four years.

Tonight, I finally hung it on the wall.  Now, unless you’re a woman, you probably don’t get this (and you’re probably not reading my blog).  But a project this small that takes four years to finish is A BIG DEAL.  The good intentions, the years of accumulated guilt every time I did my laundry – all finally GONE.

I wanted to celebrate (quietly – the girls are asleep – another cause for celebration), so I took a picture.  (It’s not crooked – the camera was – half second exposure, people!  Cut me some slack.)

Isn’t it the most beautiful fire extinguisher ever? 

And it’s on the wall – on my wall.  Oh, bliss!  Oh, heavy cloud of unfinished business no longer hanging over me!

I think I’ll hang the first aid kit next!

I about died laughing.  They put this together in 9 hours, people.  NINE HOURS.  I love it.  Can I go back to the HBLL now, please?  I love that library.  It was my work and the center of my univers(ity).  It felt like home.  It’s true – you can do anything at the library.

I love, LOVE the flying laptop.  OH yeah!

There’s a little place called Groupon that just about has everything I want right now.  Let’s revise that.  Everything I need, for I am in serious need of non-holey, non-stained, non-maternity dresses!

And Shabby Apple is just my sensibility.  Unique, modern, and oh-so-retro.  I love the VP right now.  And a little giraffe-print number is calling my name.

Hop on over today only and snag yourself a coupon.  What I wouldn’t give to get a few of these in the mail…

I’m all tuckered out.  Every day. 

But it’s a good kind of worn out.  (Usually.)

I’m in the middle of the certification process for photography.  Yes, that means when I pass I will be a CPP – a Certified Professional Photographer!

It’s long, it’s expensive, and it’s difficult.  It wouldn’t be much fun (or much of a certification) if it weren’t all those things!  And I’m LOVING it. 

I’m also in the middle of Princess Academy – teaching my girls all the arts and science of caring for themselves and a home.  It’s a little more complicated than that.  Someday I’d like to describe it here and give you a real taste of what we’re doing.  When you have the vision, it’s thrilling.  There’s nothing like a bit of magic to make growing up exciting.

And I’m taking several classes.  Some are online photography classes, preparing me for certification.  Some are practical textbook courses: upholstery, cooking, woodworking, sewing, cake decorating.  And some are what I take the liberty of calling “classes” when they’re really just intense research areas that I’m interested in.  (For example – suspended animation.  SO, SO COOL.)

I’ll have pictures soon.  I can’t live without pictures.  But I think the focus of this blog will change.  I can’t give you all crafts.  I don’t want to share my family life with everyone (although most of you are great).  And I’m not a professional blogger.

I’m a photographer.  It’s a good thing.

I found this book at my local library and picked it up because of its cover.  Vibrant colors, bamboo needles – this looked like my kind of book!

And oh, it was.  When you open it up, there are color photographs of stitch patterns, with clear descriptions and charts.  I had never seen anything like it (although I am a beginning knitter – take it easy on me).

I suddenly realized that knowing the name of a pattern, as well as how to execute it, could free me from many of the mistakes I find myself making.  I dig into a new pattern for a dishcloth or item and it’s completely foreign to me.  Looking at these photos, I easily identified several patterns I’ve used for washcloths and most of them were either that exact stitch or a simple variant on it.  These are the building blocks of knitting.  I’d been doing it the hard way!!!

No longer would I have to knit through a written pattern several times before figuring out that there was an editing error and k1 *p2* should really be s1 *p2*- I would just look at it and say, “Oh, that’s a wicker stitch with a slip.  Got it.”  (That’s probably not possible – again, sorry to all you real knitters out there.)

I took this book and built the baby blanket of my dreams for Christina – a little lace, a little stockinette openwork, a little tiling in the middle.  (Yes, I’m a year late).  All it needs is a decorative edge. 

I’m on the hunt for more stitch dictionaries.  That one should do nicely, don’t you think?

Have you ever gotten into a new hobby or trade and had a similar revelation – the moment when you realized what all the pros already knew that made your job so much easier?