Not About Wood: A Plug for My Husband's Play

I know I'm supposed to mostly talk about splinters, dowels, my disastrous hair appointments, and press stuff but I'm taking a break today to promote a play that my husband is in March 12th and 13th - 8pm.

Oonagh Delaney Gottieb is directing Scott Hathcock and Laurel Carini Smith in a very funny comedy about living next to Barbra Streisand on the day of her wedding to James Brolin. The play is written by Daniel Stern.

If you live in the LA area and want a fun night out in North Hollywood (complete with free wine before the curtain opens) then go to the Barbra's Wedding website for information and links to buy tickets. But do it quick! There are only 6 seats left for Friday night's performance and 20 for Saturday.

Fun Fun Fun Taxes Fun Fun Fun

I've been so very, very bad. All year, I knew tax prep was coming but refused to get the least bit organized. Now, finally, after a good 20 hours of intense copying and pasting from Quicken to Excel, I'm done. Not with the actual taxes...just the prep. Quickbooks would be smart but I just don't have the time to learn it. I have it because I like to spend money on things I don't use. Oh, and martinis.

I'm sending out good vibes this year for a nice refund. I'm concentrating REALLY hard on it. It's no secret if you know our family that the past few years haven't been financially all that great for us. And by "all that great," I mean really bad. I build seven days a week and I'm cool with that because I know I have a good gig...and we need the money. But tax man, can we have it a little bit better this year? Please?

Good vibes....big refund....good vibes...big refund.....

P.S. Universe, we'd love a winning 2010. We'll have you for dinner, if that helps change your mind. I'll give you a martini.

I'll be donating 10% of all Etsy sales to Friends of Maddie through the end of March

(photo courtesy of www.friendsofmaddie.org)

Some of you may be familiar with Friends of Maddie. You may have even seen the button on this blog (down the page on the left). I've been a follower of Heather Spohrs' blog, The Spohrs are Multiplying, for about a year now. It's where I learned about little Maddie Spohr, whose spirit and light touched so many, and the heart-wrenching news that her life was cut short at just 17 months of age.

Heather and Mike Spohr have made it their mission to provide support to the families of critically ill babies in an effort to help ease the transition into NICU life and to be an ally until the end of their child’s hospital stay. You can learn more about Maddie and the wonderful work of Friends of Maddie at here at http://friendsofmaddie.org/

I will be donating 10% of all sales from now until the end of March to Friends of Maddie. If you've been thinking about purchasing a toy box, contact me (or make a purchase on www.modmomfurniture.etsy.com in the next month and a half and you'll not only get a handcrafted storage piece, but your donation will help many families with babies in the NICU.

#9 on 55 Great Sites For Woodworkers

I mentioned this on Facebook but wanted to include it here. I'm honored to have my blog included in this list put out by Construction Management Schools. As I've mentioned before, when I first started in 2007, it was a bit intimidating to be in places like Rockler Woodworking, the lumber yard, and a CNC shop. Most everyone was kind but I could tell they were thinking I didn't fit the bill for the stereotypical woodworker. I still get that sometimes but overwhelmingly, I've been welcomed with open arms on sites like Lumberjocks and at the local male-dominated stores I frequent.

Being included in this means just as much to me as having my work included in magazines and design books. If you have a moment and are interested in woodworking, this list is amazing! So many great resources....

http://www.constructionmanagementschools.net/blog/2010/55-great-sites-for-woodworkers/

A Little Sunshine On A Rainy Friday

I'm sitting here looking out the window at gray skies remembering back to the sun we had just a day ago. Then my eye moved to the somewhat decaying swing set I built for Grace a couple years ago....which then made me think back to other stuff I've built plus add that to me wanting it to be summer and you know exactly how I got to this post.

In 2005, my friend Beth Jensen and I threw my husband a luau birthday party in our backyard. It was really the start endless hours in the garage... and the start of an incredible friendship with the Gottliebs, aka the other half of the Gottcocks. We ended up building a bar, a stage, apparently we built a faux sail boat that I don't remember, luau tables and a tall table made to look like a surfboard. Pretty much all from scrap wood and a bookcase. Beth and I tried to keep it a secret by storing our phenomenal craftsmanship in the garage but eventually Scott found out...and then if I remember correctly, he helped with the some of the stage building. We still argue about who gets the most credit for the wall mural. I started it and then he came in to help me. I still say me. All me. And to Beth, I owe you more than the crappy beer and pizza you're getting tonight. There is no way any of it would've happened without you. And that includes Mod Mom Furniture.

Anyhow, here's Hawaii in the backyard of a San Fernando Valley house on this dreary rainy day.

Hope you enjoy!


(Patch, Sam and Michael -- all so little and squidgy then.)


(Scott was singing to the kids. I think it was an Elvis song. From Left: Grace, Michael, Noah, Jack, Katie, Patrick, and Sam.)


(The bar. Beth had the awesome idea to build it from the base of an old bookcase. Smart one, that Beth!!)


(The set-up. I think I made that table out of scraps I found in someone's yard. Classy.)


(The actual party)


(Beth and yours truly singing Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I think we brought the house down with that one.)

* I don't have any pictures of it but Jim, Beth's husband, did some juggling with sticks of fire. And he did well considering he'd been to the bookcase bar many, many times before his performance. Jim, you're a brave man.

But...but...I had to post my doppelganger.....

....so I couldn't do taxes, pay bills, polyurethane furniture, clean my desk, take a shower.

That damn doppelganger game on Facebook. IT MADE ME DO IT. It's now 11:22pm and a nice little Noah Owl Box is sitting next to me pleading with me to slap some poly on it. I think it feels naked. Maybe I will.

Right after I make sure I posted the right doppelganger photo.

(I proudly used the word doppelganger 4 times in this post, including this one.)