Good bye summer...

Ah Irish Fest, my favorite time of year. It's 30th anniversary did not disappoint. I'm not sure how to explain Irish Fest to those that have never had the pleasure. Music, drinking and lots of laughing is the simplest way. It's just so much fun.

Irish Fest also means another thing for me: the end of summer. There seems to be a moment during the Scattering (an event where all the musical acts cram onto one stage to be joined by a chorus of thousands singing traditional Irish songs) where I think to myself, "Alright, this is it". The Monday after Irish fest has a particular sting. A new tradition has emerged to combat the post-Irish fest slump: up north!!! I leave now for five days of recuperation in Northern Wisconsin.

Irish fest has also gotten me a bit more inspired. I want to do more with my last series I shot in Ireland this spring. Maybe the North woods will help me to work this out...

MQ: Design Star?

After watching HGTV's Design star last night, I thought I'd share some of my own handy work.This is what I have been doing ever since we left Chicago. I did all the work over at the auto body shop, so I got to use all sorts of power tools and feel like a big man...

The first pic is of our night stand I

decided I wanted to re-do. I also did a file cabinet to look like something from CB2. Just before we left Chicago, I bought an

antique pallet and turned it into a coffee table.

The biggest project by far was the green hutch. It needed so much love. The veneer was peeling off everywhere, one side had a part chopped off and the curved glass had been painted. This one was also by far the most fun. Using paint guns in a booth built to

paint cars was sweet. Sorry for the crappy iphone pics...

No Promises...

Alright, here I am. I'm on the band wagon.

I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of all this will be, but that is why I did it. Typically, when I am working on something, I think about it too much; I over think it. Then the idea/project dies in its tracks.

This will be a place where I will put some of my ideas, things I'm interested in, etc. I am hoping this will be a place that will keep those ideas alive rather than allowing all the self-doubt and insecurity to creep in and kill them. I have to say though, I can't make any promises...