What's Up

**Warning**

This post is ALL OVER THE PLACE, so just go with it. 

Man, I am still recovering from Blissdom!  That trip was awesome, but it really kicked my butt.  I've been struggling to get back into my routine and this is not a good week to struggle.  The Old Lucketts Store is having their famous Ground Hogs Day sale this coming weekend and I need to have several pieces in the wings to fill the holes left by furniture that (hopefully) sells. 

My Union Jack Dresser was going to be the centerpiece of our space for the sale, but it sold already!  I'm really glad about it, but now I am scrambling. 

I let my husband know that trips around the area to pick up Craigs List furniture is going to be a part of this week. 

This evening I spotted a Tweet mentioning how cute I looked on a poster.  Really?  I clicked on the picture and saw this...

(Thanks to Kami Bigler for Tweeting this picture!)

Cool!  DecoArt had asked my opinion on their paints and for permission to use my image, but I had no idea I was going to be on a huge display!  Fun stuff.  I wish I could have my picture taken next to it.  I'm a dork like that. 

Once the house was quiet, I forced myself to the basement to work on some furniture.  I scored this piece when I bought a collection of antique doors at a yard sale last spring.  It was missing a drawer, but it had pretty legs and was sturdy, so I took it.  Well, I paid for it first, then I took it. 

I stripped the paint off the top...

...and revealed this beautiful wood grain underneath. 

My husband built a new drawer, so the piece can be functional. 

Tomorrow I'll work on painting and refinishing the piece.  I also have a French provincial buffet in the works, but nothing is finished, yet. 

You'll have to wait a few days for the full reveals. 

Review of 10" Jet Jointer-Planer Combination Machine

I’ve had my Jet 10” Jointer-Planer combo machine for several weeks now, so I’m ready to give a rundown of my experience with buying it online from CPO, setting it up and using it. While this is not a heavy duty jointer-planer by any means, it does fulfill its promises and works well.

Shipping

I had heard some horror stories about machines arriving with missing parts, broken parts or warped parts but had the opposite experience myself. The unit arrived encased in a Styrofoam sarcophagus with everything included and nothing damaged. The one exception is the fence, but it wasn’t damaged in shipping. It started out that way (see more about that below). The other problem, which was quickly resolved, was that one of the knives seemed to have a nick in it. I contacted CPO, and they ordered replacement knives from Jet and I received them shortly after. Overall, I was very pleased with CPO’s service and the shipping process was very smooth. (It is a bit of challenge not to refer to them as C3PO.)

Set-up

Despite the fact that I had to visit the ER to get four stitches from a run-in with a slippery wrench, the set up was easy. The hardware was straightforward and the instructions were actually quite good and helpful. Identifying which bolt or washer went where was a bit of a challenge but not a big deal. The blades were aligned right out of the box. Now, I didn’t use a dial indicator to check it down to the thousandth, but for my purposes they were right on the money. After struggling a bit with installing the fence, I eventually gave up when I realized the fence is fairly useless. I’m off to the drawing board to come up with a better solution, which might be as simple as clamping a thick, jointed board to the front table and calling it a day.

Operation

In jointer mode, the unit exceeded my expectations, producing a smooth, flat surface on several kinds of wood from butternut, walnut and cherry to maple and ash. I haven’t tried oak on it yet. In planer mode, it produces the same results. After all, it uses the same motor and the same blades. The adjustment is a little loosey-goosey for my taste, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. In terms of power, you definitely know that you aren’t working on a huge stationary machine with an enormous motor. It takes a bit of force to push a board across the knives. You have to take very shallow passes, especially on wider boards, but that’s how I use jointers anyway. Overall the machine is plenty powerful for my modest needs. You get what you pay for, they say, and that holds true with this machine. Someday I’ll probably graduate to something bigger, but for now this is perfectly adequate for a low-volume woodworker like me.

Mobile base

The mobile base was thrown in for free when I bought it, so that was a big plus. It works well and seems sturdy enough, though it is a bit high for my taste (and my vertical stature). I haven't jointed particularly long boards yet, but I will be extra careful for fear that the stand makes the unit a bit tippy. I may end up making a shorter base with a little storage below.

Changing modes

Changing modes isn’t rocket science on this machine but it isn’t automatic either. Mercifully, the learning curve isn’t very steep. Once you try it a few times, you get the hang of it. Is it annoying to change from one mode to the other? A little. But this is the tradeoff for having two machines in the space of one for the price of one.

Fence

The fence, I’m sorry to say, is useless. It isn’t anywhere near flat and the mounting hardware is so flimsy that even if you can get it clamped down, it moves with the lightest pressure. I’m not sure why a company would skimp so much on something so important. It is a battle for price point, I’m sure. I’ve got a thick piece of ash jointed perfectly at a right angle, so I’m going to clamp it to the front table and use that as my fence until I can come up with something better.

Bottom line

The bottom line is that I would recommend the Jet 10” Jointer-Planer combo machine to others in my shoes. The jointer creates a smooth, flat surface with minimal tearout and the planer creates a parallel surface with the same quality. If you’ve got the space and money for a larger machine, that would be preferable. But if you don’t, this machine delivers enough on its modest promises at its modest price to earn its place in my shop.

What I learned at Blissdom...

I learned a lot.  So much that I am exhausted and I am still trying to piece my head back together after it exploded from all of the excitement and information.  There is a ton of practical information that I came away with and I plan to share that in posts dedicated to each subject, so I can spread the love a little, but today I am going to share something much more valuable...what I learned about people. 

(Clockwise from top left: Melissa, Allison, Gussy, Nester, Lorie, Laurie, Lindsey and me.)

I learned that

...Melissa is soft spoken, encouraging and hates to paint...

...Allison is totally crazy and doesn't mind if a semi-celebrity male grabs her leg to pose for a picture...

...I not only envy Gussy's bags, but her super cute hair...

...the Nester loves bacon and wants a window seat when flying...

...Lorie encourages people to act normal, but doesn't follow her own advice, which I love.. 

...Laurie is one of the best movers and shakers I've ever met.  I swear that girl never stops...

...Lindsey lifts up those around her, even her competitors, AND her mom is in my fan club (maybe the president?)...

(me and Sarah)

...Sarah is tall, has a radio-worthy speaking voice and shares my cleaning tool of choice for the kitchen table and floor - a putty knife. (We both have four year old boys.)...

(Becky, Kate and Laurie)

...Becky is a scary combination of savvy and creative.   She's also a riot...

...Kate has a vision and heart that makes me think hard about how I can better myself...

(Gina and Tracy)

...Gina is a hard worker, true entrepreneur and has a great southern accent...

...Traci is one of the nicest people I've ever met and she loves to dance...

 (Disclaimer: This was a pajama party, which explains the pants. No alchohol was consumed before or during the making of this film.  Tracy's just cool like that.) 

..."mama" Rhoda is the person you want to plan where a large group of women will eat.  She has the kindest eyes and truly lives up to the name of her blog...

...Layla loves it when Kevin slips into his Alabama accent and I swear she and I must use the same box of hair color...

She's also a goof.  So's Traci.  And I love them both.

(You can blame Layla for this over-exposed strangely cropped picture of Shaunna and I, but I actually think it's kind of artsy.  In truth, I handed her my camera and it wasn't set right and she was testing it out.)

...Shaunna is me, but from Alabama and she's married to a different guy.  We're both in youth ministry, furniture refinishers and had so much in common we just started laughing at the similarities.  The one difference is that her true passion is writing... 

(Allison, Shaunna, Kristen, Brittany, and Sandra)

...if you need a good conditioner, ask Kristen.  She has the prettiest, softest hair....

...Brittany is one of the most thoughtful and generous people I've met.  She made a whole goody bag just for me that included latex gloves, a brush, and sand paper.  Come on!...

...Sandra can go into teenage sleepover mode at the drop of a hat.  This girl is fun...

...Jen looks like a model.  Beauty and craftiness...ow!...

(Jen, Ashley, Kristi, Layla, Me, Shaunna)

Savvy Becky used us shamelessly as billboards, but we got free t-shirts out of it, so that's OK. 

...Ashley is the kind of girl you want to tuck in your pocket and take home.  She was sweet and, boy, can this girl put together a room.  I love her.  She was the first person I met and she waved at me like Mr. Collins waves at Elizabeth Bennett in the 1995 TV version of Pride and Prejudice.  I couldn't find a clip, but if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about...

...Kristi is a very cool mom and got Crystal Bowersox's autograph for her kid.  She lives just around the corner from my in-laws, so I'll see her again...

(Layla and Lindsey)

(Clockwise from top left - Jen, Layla, Ashley, Myra, Shaunna, Kristi, me, Beckie and Lindsey)

...Myra and I were often in the same room, same group and we never got to sit down together to talk.  I can tell you that she is beautiful and had an amazing custom bag that I was always looking at.  Next time, Myra!...

(Chris, me and Becky)

Chris is not just a girl.  She is an amazing girl, well, woman.  She's also an English teacher, so watch your grammar.  (Forgive my comma splices!)

(Ashley and Erin)

...Erin is stylish and sweet.  I loved meeting her and look forward to getting to know her more as her blog grows...

(Beth and Layla.  I stole this picture from Beth's Blog)

...Beth is so open and honest.  I don't like fluffy talk and she really gets to the heart of things.  AND she lives only about a hour away from me, so we're going to get together for a play date/mommy break.

To sum up a really long post - I liked all of these ladies before I met them.  They all have fantastic blogs and seemed nice.  I can honestly say that I love them, now.  This is an awesome bunch. 

As the cherry on top of my trip, I sat next to a very nice lady on the flight to Charlotte...

...the Nester!  I had her all to myself for a couple of hours.  We agreed to hug if the plane was going down.  We also laughed at each other's sluggishness in texting on our iPhones.  It is painful.  You would laugh, too.

Back in PA, I was greeted by giant candy bars.  It was a little strange, so I had to get a picture.

By the way, I wore my grey Chucks the entire time.  In the end, I wanted to look cute, but I really didn't care what I was wearing.

Today is a day of recovery for me, but it's back to projects and decorating posts tomorrow.  I'm also finishing up my post for the Copy Me Challenge with Donna, so get those projects ready!!

Ah!  I just realized I totally missed Melissa from 320 Sycamore!  I had a wonderful dinner with her and her sister, Kristen, who has a great idea for a new blog.  I also forgot Richella from Imparting Grace.  She is lovely. 

I met a bunch of people and came home with a fistful of business cards, so I know I failed to mention a lot of delightul girls I met!   Everyone was amazing and their absense from this post was not intentional!

The Goodies

I have never been to a blog conference before and I had no idea I would get so many goodies. 

We received this Blissdom Charm designed by the lovely Lisa Leonard in our welcome bags.  I've hosted a giveaway for her before, so it was such a delight to meet her face-to-face.  She is the real deal. 

In addition to all of the goodies from the sponsors and vendors (like free ice cream from Blue Bunny, free undies from Jockey, a tote from Lands End, and on and on), bloggers are handing out treats.  I hit the mother load when I sat at a crafty-girls table for lunch. 

I even bought a camera strap slipcover by Ruthanne from Eclectic Whatnot, just because I sat by her at lunch and her work is so beautiful. 

I might ask for a necklace from Allora Handmade for my birthday and I'm definitely ordering some of her hair pins to reign in my doo.  Jessica does amazing work.

They served PB and J bread pudding for dessert, which...well...let's just say it wasn't chocolate...

... or cheesecake.

But that's OK, because Edie from Life in Grace made some delicious fudge and that satisfied my sweet tooth quite well.   

I didn't go to any of the sessions, yet, today.  I had to escape to my room to process everything.  The generosity and friendship and advice and fun have all been a little overwhelming in the best possible way.  It must be how a three year old feels at Christmas when his parents buy him too many presents because they're so excited for him.  (Not that we've ever done that.)  I wish I could spread all of this throughout the year instead of getting it in one huge dose that is so amazing I am about to burst. 

Tomorrow is back to reality.  I fly home to have a nice dinner with my husband and then get right back into mommy mode and getting-ready-for-the-ground-hog-day-sale-at-Lucketts mode and I-just-learned-I-have-a-toilet-and-sink-and-beadboard-sitting-in-my-living-room-that-needs-to-be-installed-in-my-bathroom mode and when-does-Miss-Mustard-Seed-ever-sleep mode.  Yeah.  That mode. 

For now, I'm going to enjoy my fudge, my goodies and my new friends. 

Speaking of Martha...

I noticed that Martha Stewart featured Lie-Nielsen Tool Works on her show a couple years ago. You can see the video clip here.

You can see Fine Woodworking’s blog post about it here and Popular Woodworking’s post here.

Unless Martha comes up with a crazy-good chocolate chip cookie recipe, this concludes my foray into the world of Martha Stewart.

Real People

Yes.  They are ALL REAL! 

Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick.

Chris from Just a Girl and Becky from Infarrently Creative (Oh, I've got the goods on her.  Just wait!)

Nester and Melissa from The Inspired Room.

I snuggled up to Layla for a picture...

...and she was just the goofball she is on her blog.  And she's just as awesome and sweet and genuine as well. 

They are all real and I like them even better in person, if that was possible.  I have more pictures to share, stories to tell, people to link to...all of that.  I had intentions to post more tonight, but it's almost midnight and I have to be able to function tomorrow. 

(Sorry about the quality of these pictures.  The lighting has been a challege here!)

Home plan and elevation - 2300 Sq. Ft

Total Area-2300Sq.ft
Ground Floor-1150 Sq. Ft
First Floor-1150 Sq. Ft




Designer: T.L.M Ismail
094 0778466644 / 094 0714418216
azeetha7@yahoo.com

Seriously?

I woke up  this morning to a snow storm.  Seriously?  Really?  Today of all days?  We left for the airport at the crack of dawn and drove along snow-covered roads to the airport. 

I am a dork and took a picture of my plane in the snow.  Thankfully, it was on time.  We boarded the plane and went through the de-icing process. 

Just as we were ready to leave, I heard the words that are only spoken on movies or on someone elses' flight, "Is there a doctor on board?" People rushed to the back of the plane with tanks and tubes and the rest of us waited. The plane had to go back to the gate to let the paramedics on board to assist the person in distress. The process took so long that the plane had to go through the de-icing process again.  (The gentleman was ok.)  Our plane was really late and I started to worry about my connecting flight. 

We landed at 10:45 and my next flight departed at 10:47.  Needless to say, I ran through the airport.  Yeah.  I was one of those people.  It was dramatic.  I made it just before they closed the door.  "Do you think my bag will make it?", I asked an airline employee.  She looked at me blankly, " I doubt it."  Visions of being at Blissdom and having to buy clothes and underwear and toiletries and how would I straighten my afro and how would I see without my glasses all came flooding to my mind. 

When the uneventful flight landed, I made my way to the baggage claim, certain I would be waiting for several hours to get my suitcase.  Then, a miracle.  A ratty, red suitcase with a yellow ribbon comes into view.  Yes!!

The rest of the day was a whirl.  Registration...

...freebies...

...my caffeine of choice, some Motrin...

...ooo, and the best part...I was hanging out with some girls I have known for over a year through their blog.  I squealed and laughed and chatted and fawned and shared and learned.  It was hard to get back to my room.  I will share more as my trip unfolds. 

For now...it's after midnight and it's time for bed.