Christmas is Coming....

Christmas is coming!  I am very busy this time of year.  I try to get most of my shopping done earlier to give myself enough time for the hand made gifts.  But no matter how hard I try or how efficiently I work and plan things out, I am always just putting the last coat of finish or final touches on Christmas Eve.  I am trying to avoid that this year, but it is almost a tradition in my household now.  I have some really neat things in the works right now...but I can't post any pictures yet, because those that I build for will read this post and I don't want to spoil any surprises.  I am working on some custom listings for individuals on Etsy and cabinet sales have been amazing this month!  People are excited to remodel-but we have quite a few commitments to get people their new cabinets by Christmas.  So I will try to post as much as I can, but I am stretched very thin this month.  Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and whether you're the type of person who can't wait for it to end or the type that wishes is was Christmas all the time....you have to admit it is a fun time of year.

Happy Tofurky Day Everyone!

There are lots and lots of vegetarians that look forward to their tofurky every year....and I am one of them!  It isn't hard being a vegetarian at all, and it may seem inconvinient to other people, but once you have figured out what you like to eat-it is a very healthy lifestyle.  I have been a vegetarian for about 8 or 9 years now.  Our Thanksgiving spread consists of lots and lots of side dishes to create the meal.  I am a fan of the Quorn brand of "turkey".  As long as you follow the suggested preperation instructions, you really can't even tell the difference.  Before dinner, we are going to head into the mountains with the dogs and cut down our Christmas tree.  I enjoy this time of year...anyway, just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and hope you have safe travels if you have to travel.

Carhartt for Women

So, last weekend I received all new Carhartt gear.  Just in time for the cold weather!  It was like an early Christmas when I was ripping open the box with my new clothing.  I got 3 pairs of women's pants, 2 shirts, and 1 awesome coat.

                                                                                                       

The first pair of pants on the far left is the Relaxed Fit-Straight Leg Jean.  They have the standard five pockets and the material is a medium weight.
The middle pair of pants is the Easy Fit Sandstone Carpenter Pant with Double Front.  I am very excited to see how these hold up.
The last pair on the right is the Original Fit.  These have the standard five pockets and the material is light weight and has some stretch to them.

These are the shirts that I received....sooo cute!  The one on the left is a women's Roll-Up Sleeve Button-Front Flannel Shirt in winter white.  This is such a cute shirt, very light weight fabric and form fitting.  The shirt on the right is the women's Pointelle Henley in Oatmeal Heather.  This has a great women's cut and will be very warm on Idaho's coldest days. 

 

This is the women's Sandstone Sierra Jacket Sherpa-lined.  This is the Blue Dusk color.  This coat is awesome!  It is so nice to go to the Carhartt website and have so many choices in women's clothing.  There are so many colors, so many styles!  I live in Pocatello, Idaho and most retailers are just starting to carry the women's Carhartt line....it is so great that there is a quality clothing line out there designing clothing for women who still need the heavy duty fabrics and functionality that Carhartt has to offer.  All too often, I still run into women out in the field who are wearing men's Carhartts.  Come one ladies, go and get yourself some women's Carhartts!  Still the same number of pockets, still the same fabrics, still the same price, just better cuts for our bodies, and better colors!  Log onto http://www.carhartt.com/ and click on the Women's tab.  You will be amazed with all the choices, and the customer service on line is impeccable!  I look forward to putting my new gear to the test and giving an update on how they are holding up!

Regional Bowling Action

So six weeks of practice led up to the Special Olympics regional bowling competition in Burley, Idaho.  There were about 6 teams representing each district and there were approximately 150 athletes.  It is such an inspiring thing to witness and be a part of.  Everyone from the volunteers to the athletes are excited and happy to be there.  Nancy was in a very tough group with one teammate from Pocatello and two gals from Twin Falls.  This was during the third and final game, she was trailing by only a few pins......the pressure was on!

She barely missed taking third place and got the fourth place ribbon....but it didn't matter to her what place on the podium she was standing on, she accomplished a goal and had a great time.  It is very funny to attend an event on this scale, because yes, the athletes are pumped up and have team spirit.  But as you meet and introduce yourself to a majority of the group, they usually have one common response...."Hi, my name is ....
and I am from...      .....and we get Pizza when we are done!!"  Besides getting a ribbon or medal, one of the main highlights is the free lunches.  But the Special Olympics organization is one of the greatest groups to ever be formed and I encourage everyone out there to go and volunteer at, or just attend the next event.  Just type in Special Olympics followed by your home state and it will give you information regarding any upcoming events.

Now, we get a little bit of a break until January when the winter olympics begin.  Nancy agreed to do something out of her comfort zone and try downhill skiing!  This will be great....!

Nancy getting her fourth place ribbon..

This is Maggie so graciously accepting her second place ribbon.

                                                                                                                            

Window, What Window?

Some clients came in recently and were ready to rennovate a create a true master suite.  They hooked up with a local contractor and made a plan to sacrifice about 100 square feet of their double car garage to make the perfect on suite.  It included a walk in closet, a walk in shower with dual shower heads, and a vanity with double sinks.  When I arrived to field measure, there was one obstical in the way of making a functional double sink vantiy-a window.  There was only about 65" of space before the window.  Sure, you could fit a 5' vanity with two sinks......but the whole point of this rennovation was to maximize and gain storage.  So I took the measurements and let it absorb overnight, and this is what I came up with.......

First, it is very hard to photograph a vanity....

This is the upper section of the vantiy.  There is a sink centered under each mirror.  The mirror on the right is fixed.  The mirror on the left however....

slides to the right on a low profile track.  (Salice Hardware)

Eventually disappering almost completely behind the center cabinet.  It functions very well and maximizes the storage for the client.  As well as maintaining balance in the room by keeping the mirror on the right exact size and look as the one that reveals the window. 

It is projects like this that make me excited to go to work everyday.  I wonder what I will come up with next?

11/1/11

Things have been so busy lately!  I have been selling jobs and installing cabinets left and right.  I have also had to spend some time on my house getting it ready for the winter.  We bought our home two years ago in January and right after we moved in we had a wood burning stove installed upstairs and down.  There is no better heat in my opinion than a wood stove.  Sure, it takes a bit of work to keep it going and cleaning out the ashes, but I love sitting by the fire!  And it helps that I have all the access in the world  to hardwood fall off and kindling bins.  Every year I purchase cords of firewood from local sellers.  I used a guy that only cut elm and that is excellent to burn compared to pine or aspen.  Elm has a much higher BTU output and they don't burn out as quickly.  Well this year he retired from the sport, so I found a new guy that sells silver leaf maple.  It is only a couple of slots down from elm on the BTU chart-but still way better than aspen or pine, so I bought four cords to get through the winter.

Yikes-That is alot of firewood!

Well, luckily I have one of the very best helpers to stack this pile of wood-my younger sister Nancy.  She is 25 years old and has Down syndrome. She oddly looks forward to my firewood delivery every year.  She comes over and its great exercise and "bonding" time, and there is always pay involved.  It takes a couple of days to get a pile this size stacked nice and neat.....not because of how much there is, or how far we may or may not have to haul it.  Its because she loves to name, identify, and analyze every log before it is stacked!  Every couple of minutes its, "Aw, Kate-check this one out, it looks like a foot!"  And I cannot tell you how many "perfect Christmas morning logs" that I have set aside because they are perfectly round.  But seriously she is so much fun to hang out with and she has great work ethic-as long as there is a Subway kids meal at the end of it!  I will have to admit, I actually caught myself checking out quite a few of the logs too.  Hey there were some that had burl chunks on them.  I couldn't possibly burn those!  I could make something out of it one day....

Looking forward to a toasty winter!

2012 Keynote for ISU's Women and Work Conference

This is an event that has been held at Idaho State University for the past eleven years.  For the twelve annual conference, they have selected yours truly, to be the keynote speaker!  I am very honored and excited!  I didn't really expect anything out of the show, I just thought it would be a fun and exciting experience....but it has allowed the community to get excited about a local resident that did something out of the norm.  I am very happy that it made me be more in the "public eye" or stand out a bit-so opportunities like this would present themselves.  I think its awesome that Idaho State University has had such a successful conference to promote and support the women who want to pursue this type of work.  This conference is provided for women involved with or interested in nontraditional occupations. It provides an exceptional source of information through workshops, speakers, networking, and exposure to local training and education resources.  I am glad to be able to take part in helping the next generation decide if they want to become part of the STEM workforce.  (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics).  As the keynote, I have to come up with a 20 to 25 minute speech about my first hand experience of working in a trade that is still a predominately male field.  I need to entice and excite them for what they are about to encounter for the day.  After my "pep talk" the audience gets 15 minute question and answer.  I have until March to make myself sound good.  I am also going to be working on putting together a booth for the hands on workshop....this will take some thought of how I can make it interactive and not make all the other vendors angry if I have saws or sanders going off the whole time! 

The event will be held in March on the campus of Idaho State University in the Pond Student Union Building.  It will be $20 for general public and $10 for ISU students.  I was even told that there is a traditional "fashion show" at the end of the day......might have to go shopping for some new Carharrts!

Step into my office....

Welcome to my office.....this is where I get to design and layout new and remodeled kitchens and baths for our customers.  We have an awesome showroom that displays our three different cabinet build styles.  Did you know there are three main types of cabinet build styles?  There is: face frame, european, and flush inset face frame.  My favorite to design and sell is the flush inset face frame...it just turns out so beautiful and it takes some serious craftsmanship to make it look perfect.  I use AutoCad a lot and a cabinet vision program that allows me to show the homeowner their new space in 3d and from all different views.  Very fun program, I can put in appliances, windows, lamps, wallpaper, commodes, and there is even a graphic for a dog and a cat!  There are eight guys that work in the shop, the owner, and the office manager.  We are a very tight knit group and we work well together and have a lot of fun!

The pictures on the wall are 8 x10's of shots that are taken by me and I enter them in fairs to see how I stack up against others.  Ok, so I am a little bit of a competative person....I can't even take some pictures without seeing what color of ribbon this or that one may get.  It is fun though, and I really enjoy photography.

I have never been to a cabinet shop that you won't see a bone yard of sample doors and color samples!  But that is a good sign-it is a necessary process in order to get the customer exactly what they are after.  It is a very fun and rewarding challenge when clients come in who have been dreaming of a new kitchen for sometimes years, and you have to extract their vision and help them execute what style and color they want. 

Of course I had to frame and display my individual shots with Mike and Scott.  A little bittersweet though because this is right after I was eliminated on the three obsticle course day.  But, it is fun to share the experience with clients and vendors when they step into my office.....

Dorian....I will miss you...

This is Dorian.  We lost him on Saturday October 1st at our home in our loving arms.

Dorian lived a wonderful long life.  He was only 12 years old when he left us.  He had battled and beaten 3 cancer surgeries and was my strong boy.  I love him so much.  At the end, when his liver was failing him, I was able to take Dorian to work with me every single day.  He loved going to work.  He would get so ancy on Saturday and Sunday and look at me like "why aren't we going to work today mom?"  He would go around town with me and measure jobs and hang out in my office-happy as could be.  He is preceeded in death by his brother Rillie.  He is survived by his two sisters Millie and Carlie (pommeranians).  They miss him dearly and want to have their big strong brother around to protect them.


If anyone has lost a pet recently I am sorry for your loss.  Please click on the following link to read the Rainbow Bridge Poem.   http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm

I also found this one that was almost too heart wrenching to get through.   http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html 

I love and miss you Dorian.  Thank you for being a big part of my life.  Until we meet again.....

The Flower Pot

So, shortly after I returned from my adventures in New York City....I joined up and partnered in a local business--The Flower Pot.  It is a drive through coffee, flower, and balloon shop.  Our motto is- "Big Convenience in a little shop"  Heidi (my partner), her sister Kellie, and their mom have always wanted to start this business and the opportunity presented itself a few months ago.  Well due to recent events and some scheduling conflicts, I am now a barrista on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm.  I am getting my legs under me still, but I make a mean frap!  So come downtown and support The Flower Pot and I can make you a smoothie, carmel machiato, Italian soda, half dozen wrapped roses, or a balloon bouquet.....all in a drive through!  We are located at 203 South Arthur and our hours are M-F 7 to 4 and Saturdays 9 to 11.

6th Place All American Handywoman

Well, 6th place.  I am happy with 6th place.  How could you not be proud of an accomplishment like this?  Of course there are things that I wish I had done differently.  It was very close on this episode.  This was literally the coldest day yet....we got there and our challenge was all set up outside.  The wind was blowing so hard and a rain storm was fast approaching.  We got there and barely had any time to get settled and we had to hurry out to get in place to beat the storm.  The hardwood floors were actually cut up and recycled from our team challenge.  I really have no excuse for the hardwood replacement task.  I am a woodworker for hell sakes and I knew not to put pin nails in the face of hardwood floors!  I was being a lemming and following what everyone else around me was doing.  Shame on me.  That is one of the things that I wonder had I not done that-would I have been safe?  I appologize to all the sparkys out there that I let down on this challenge.  I am sure that this task can be done in 9 minutes flat by a proffesional.  I work with electricians on a daily.....only I just direct them on where to place outlets or switches for the under cabinet lighting.  Not too much on hands installation of any electrical.  And it didn't help that to my right was Andy, who was making his look so easy and perfect.  Then to my left is Jared the machine who had his up lightning fast and had time to spare.  Like I said in my interview, I was looking over my shoulder too much worrying about everyone else.  I needed to tune everyone out and focus on what I needed to do.  The weather was insane at this point.  We would have to turn and sheild our eyes from the huge gusts of dust blowing in our faces.  I hope that the audience got as much of a laugh out of the brick challenge as I did.  That was absolutely hystarical!  I mean you would think that as a group we would have a one-in-six chance of having someone who had a clue.  I bet there were hundreds of masonry folk out there just laughing their asses off at our pitiful attempt.  And the editing was great. As soon as we got to this station, it started to barely sprinkle.  We were only given a five gallon bucket with about 2.5 gallons of water in it.  I was being super conservative because I didn't want to make it too soupy.  Shame on me.....that would have been the ticket.  Because we were only down to 6 people at this point, one camera guy was assigned to only two competitores.  We go to know them pretty well, and my camera guy that day, Jamie, let me know that during the brick challenge my nose was dripping like a faucet.  That was an insane challenge though.  We got to go and have lunch and then we all retreated to the van.  We could see the judges going through our projects-it was pouring rain.  I was nervous for the elimination, especially since I had been on the chopping block the day before.  Being that was my first time on the bottom ever on the patio challenge, I really thought I was going to move on to the next round.   I was sad to leave.  I really wanted to move on and continue competing.  If anyone from HGTV production ever reads these things......then I want to say that if you ever do an all-star season, I will be waiting by the phone for a second chance!

The Veritas Tenon Cutter Review

 This is probably my favorite and most often used tool in my studio.  This is the Veritas Tenon Cutter.  I purchased the 1 1/4" cutter about 4 years ago and it has built my chairs and stools.  I use it for both rustic furniture with Aspen, and I also have a line of Alder pieces that I use square stock that this tenon cutter has no issues with handling.

  

Just place your material in a 4" bench vise.  I actually wrap the vise in an old T-shirt to protect the material.

Now, you are ready to create your tenon.  This cutter does require a corded drill....nothing fancy, but a battery powered drill won't cut very many tenons.  This tool is so user friendly.  It can be used by anyone...men, women, or children.  The aluminum body cutter never vibrates or jumps no matter what material I am using.  I love the level vial feature to ensure your in-line cutting is as accurate as possible.  If you start out and cut your tenon and manuveor the drill in the slightest, it will create ripples in your tenon.Nothing that will dramatically affect your build, but just keep that bubble level and you will be very happy. 

Here is the end result.  A perfect radius shoulder tenon every time.  The blade is even adjustable to cut the exact tenon size you need.  I suggest this as a must have for anyone interested in cutting tenons for furniture making! 

And as an added bonus, I have discovered that with using this tool so often.....it creates the perfect wood shavings that make excellent fire starter for your wood stove or campfire!

Welcome to my new Blog!!

Welcome to my very new, brand new blog!  I have posted my previous blogs for all the newcomers to be able to get up to speed with what I have to say.  Don't get me wrong, the blog provided by Fat Cow webhosting is fine, but this site is much more appealing.  Give me some feedback and let me know what you think?  I joined facebook a couple of days ago...I am very behind the times.  But I am trying to catch up.  I want to thank everyone for all their support.  It is fun to walk through the grocery store and have people say they are cheering for me.  Or just last night, I was at our softball game and our team was losing (pretty badly) and a woman came up and said, "You don't know me, but we have been watching you every week and are really enjoying the program."  That just made my night!  Then she told me that my dad built her kitchen a couple of years ago.  It is great to hear from the community.  So keep checking in and don't forget to vote!  Keep in touch for my reviews of my favorite tools and products!

Episode #4: Terrible Two's

The team challenge...this is the one I was looking forward to the most.  I thought the pairs were good, I was very happy to get Jared...he did an awesome job!  I loved that they played his defense of our putting in the insulation after the vapor barrier, because we wouldn't technically be installing any of this without a roof.  Nice job Jared-that was awesome!  Three hours to do this challenge actually felt like an hour....time went by so fast.  But in the end, I thought our living room looked great and we worked together very well.  Wouldn't have wanted anyone else!  It was pretty warm that day and we went through lots and lots of water.  That was some pretty good t.v. when they made Lawrence and Neil face off in a crown duel!  We were all pretty shocked.  When Mike said to take off early and go have a beer....we went back and all pretty much went to bed!  We defineatly lost our humorous one when Lawrence left.  The day of the patio challenge was very cold.....but we all started shedding layers within a couple of wheelbarrows.  I did not understand what was going on with me...I was completely out of gas!  I was so panicked at the end I was litterally throwing the pavers out so I could just define my pattern.  I had no idea I was putting them in upside down!  I was so scared during elimination....I was sure I was going home because Neil had done his weed block in the correct order.  Bad mistake, but I was safe.  Sad to see Neil go-he was great.  I went to bed late that night after interviews and knew I needed to wake up and forget about that mistake and do a 180.  When I went to bed I realized that because of the crazy routine in the mornings of getting ready in front of the cameras.....I had forgotten to take my Synthroid for 3 days!!!!  If anyone out there has to take thyroid medicine to stay balanced mentally and physically knows that 3 full days without your medicine is a very stupid thing to do.  Something that I have done everyday for 6 years of my life and I forget right now?  I just hoped that I could be ready for the next days task.....

New episode airs on Sunday!

Be sure to tune in on Sunday for the fourth episode of All American Handyman!  This is the kinda stuff I wish they would show more of.  We all became quite close during this experience and still keep in contact with one another.  Between waiting in the cold warehouse, or waiting in the cold outdoors, or waiting in the passenger van (which was warm most of the time).....well we waited alot.  So we had time to bond.  And hey, check it out....I am acutally smiliing!  Yes, I do smile.

New Product! Check out new hand hewn Alder stools

Go to my store to purchase my new hand hewn rustic alder stools that I have been working on this week.  I use a variety of hand planes and draw knives to achieve the hand hewn look.  I relieve/distress the seat to simulate years and years of wear.  If you aren't into the rustic style I can create one for you that is clean and precise out of any wood type that you prefer.  I literally have one for every room in my house!  They are perfect for sitting next to your fireplace, kitchens to reach the top shelf, bathrooms for kids who can't reach the sink, closets so you can sit down to put your socks and shoes on, and make great extra seating when you need it.  I also whipped out a few Aspen log stools since I was already going.  I harvest the aspen from the surrounding mountains of Pocatello.  You wouldn't believe all the dead aspen lying on the forest floor waiting to be made into something beautiful for someone's home.

Keep Voting for Fan Favorite!

Hey Everyone!  There is less than a month now until the polls close for season 2 All American Handyman Fan Favorite.....Keep voting!  Thanks for all the votes and encouraging emails!  Click this link to vote for me ten times a day....
http://www.hgtv.com/all-american-handyman/show/index.html 

Stars, stairs, and.....pressure

Wow, this was the most feared challenge yet.  Every morning when we would be on our way to set we wondered if this was the day we were going to do the shape challenge.  Other contestants weren't as indimidated by the Mike one on one as we were with what Scott was going to have in store for us.  He didn't disappoint!  I felt good that I was one of only five to get both shapes cut out.  For future reference if anyone is planning on signing up for season 3.....and you make it to this challenge.....listen to Scott!  He was dropping so many hints it was ridiculous!  You just get so tuned out and you think he is trying to distract you and throw you off, but he is doing the exact opposite.  I went in and had a tunnel vision mindset. I didn't figure out the short cut....and if I had cut on the OUTSIDE of my lines, it would have fit.  The other contestants who had already done the shape cut-out would have to come and sit back down with the group.  Everyone would not even make eye contact when they sat back down.  Then, when two contestants that had completed the challenge sat down, they would sneek off to talk about how they did.  I was about the 7th person to go, so waiting just made it that much more hyped up.  That was the funnest night though....Lawrence and Jared had us laughing so hard at one point we had to be "sushed" by production because we were too loud.  I actually started crying I was laughing so hard.  That is when the "Handy Vigilante" was formed!

The stairs were fun.  We actually didn't even start the challenge until about 1 am.  The carpenters that were on set, worked their asses off to build that platform and they did it in about an hour.  I had never even attempted a set of stringers.  I was glad that they stopped everyone and calmed us down and set us on the right path.  I was very pleased with my stairs.  And even more pleased with the elimination round.  Sad to see Pete and Natalie go.....now there was only 8.  I need to stay focused and keep my head straight! 

Check out interview on News Channel 8

Click on this link http://www.localnews8.com/news/29224070/detail.html to see my interview that I did today for the local news channel 8.  I woke up this morning and built a couple of rustic log stools to show off.  Keep the orders coming in!

Episode 2.....Toolbox Drawer

The second episode aired last night.....I still can't believe that I was there and that I actually did that!  The first challenge was very difficult, I was in the folding table group.  Out of all the projects available, of course I would get the damn folding table!  It actually did function at one point.  Not 100% like it was supposed to, so that is when I decided to anchor the legs and make it a fixed table.  After it was all said and done and I was able to walk around and see the other competitors projects I felt about 50% satisfied.  I knew that I certainly was not at the top and also knew that I was most likely not in the very bottom.  We headed next door to our "green room" which was a warehouse where they stored SNL sets and props.  It was freezing!  The bay door had to be open so the catoring service could get back and forth with the food, so we all drank a lot of coffee and tea to keep warm.  Watching the judges go through and inspect/beat the crap out of our projects, while we waited in the cold warehouse next door was hilarious!  After we walked in and saw the debris from the judges I had a moment of panic, but was pleased to see my table still standing.  They gave me compliments for gluing and laminating my table top together.  I did say during the elimination when I was explaining myself, that if I had a little more time I could have figured that folding mechanism out, and when I get home that was going to be the first thing I did was to build a bad-ass folding table.  (which is in the works still.....keep an eye out in my gallery for photos!)  The toolbox challenge was fun.  I liked having plans and instructions to follow.  It had a clear and concise cutlist and I was able to mark the dimensions on my plywood so I could go to the tablesaw station to make all my cuts, and then go to the chopsaw station and make all my cuts.  I was so happy that they gave us an extra 30 minutes.  When Mike was telling us about the time extension, I thought I saw myself in the background actually clap.  Okay so the drawer.  All I have to say is that Scott dropped it from about 4 feet in the air and it didn't break!  It was a fixed wooden handle and I didn't have time to anchor another screw in, Molly called "Time....Tools down" and so the handle pivoted.  I guess the judges had quite the laugh and dropped it numerous times.  So that drawer, even though it wouldn't lock in correctly was built very very well.  Now it is serious, I am in the top ten baby!

Premiere of First Show!

Well, the show premiered last night......it was so wierd to watch it.  I don't think I really focused that well on it, because I was so nervous.  It is insane how much they edit out.  The challenges took so long and then we had to wait for the judging, and then the deliberations.  It is insane that one day that took us 12 hours, gets edited to 30 minutes!  It was fun to hear what the judges had to say about our projects.

Very First Blog

Okay, this is my first blog.  The show starts tomorrow!  I can't wait, it seems like it was going to take forever to get to September 4th.....and now it is here.  I hope everyone enjoys the show-it is going to look awesome!  The Brooklyn Navy Yard was an amazing setting.  Somedays were very very cold-but I will never forget the experience. 
So Heidi and I ran a marathon today.  It was my very first one!  I hit a wall at mile 18, and another one at 23-but luckily Heidi helped pull me through.  I am very sore and going up and down a flight of stairs right now is a major accomplishment.