My New Workplace

Okay, I have not posted in ages, thought I'd lost the mini-moxie. I quit a job, had to look for a new one; minis fell by the wayside. Got to talking about it with my husband and son and well...here we are. And, as you can see by the time posted, I couldn't sleep.

I have a wonderful new job and had the idea to well...sort of recreate my setting. Of course, I don't have the right colors of anything, but you will get the jist of it.

I work for a biopharmaceutical company so there are my glasses to wear in the lab (not a scientist...just walking through). I have a monitor connected to my laptop...big spreadsheet to work on. There is my lunchbox always under the desk.

PURPLE!! WITH BENDY LIGHT

PURPLE...my favorite.

The Coffeeteria

The Coffeeteria is a favorite hangout.  It has great coffee and...no cellphones or laptops allowed!

To give credit where credit is due; my son made the carved head dude and drew the very sexy, devilish woman.  And...it was his idea to use the checkerboard for the floor.

Scrappy

Too much work; too little time. But I have these gorgeous scraps and I just wanted a little diversion.

So, here is a tiny scene to highlight them. These are wallpaper and upholstery scraps I found at The Scrap Box. Pretty colors. I got a bunch and am itching to use them but NO TIME.

Waiting

Colossus and Nyota are waiting for baby. They made a little room for him in a tent as they wanted him to feel the wind in his hair, hear the birds sing, and enjoy the night noises. There's even a fake tree!

 

Mama is resting as she know she won't get much after he arrives. Notice that it is night and the clock says 12:01. Guess they are in a hurry or else trying to get ready for those long nights.

Friends have brought a trunkful of toys. Lots of new things to be put away.

They found the coolest lamp..it's called Mr. Bendy Man Lamp. It has a little night light and a built-in clock so you can tell how long you've been up. There's a camera ready and a handy Handy (German for cellphone). A bottle is all ready, too.

Diaper table ready for duty.

Hard to believe the crib will have a little one in it soon. 

Oh, here go the credits again. Room is an Ikea stuffed animal carrier. Crib and chest were found at the weekly Kiwanis sale in Ann Arbor and painted...they had really dumb looking designs on them. The diaper table is from my friend, Monika, and is German. The cradle is from my sister's childhood..also painted. Toy chest is from Michaels; I added the leather straps and painted it, too. Chair is Reac. Stool not too visible is Playmobil. I made the pillows, diaper table pad, and crib mattress and covers. Lanterns, plant, Handy, and teddy bear in the crib are from Monika. Fire engine, purple ball, and tree belonged to the children of my friend, Maria. Camera, tissues and unguents on the diaper table are Barbie. Garbage can is an eraser. Uh oh, I think the baby bottle is from Neomi. Other toys are erasers, Fisher Price key chain (popper handle), and a dinosaur from my son's childhood.

The lamp is, I believe, some kind of Conran knob which Oese sent me. I put it on  an eraser (one of those that fit into a holder so that it looks like a pen) so it bends around in a goofy way. Then I stuck it in a Lego base. Makes a kind of cool little table.

Maison Edwards Roombox

We went to see our friend, Chuck, at his smoke shop, Maison Edwards.  It is an Ann Arbor institution in Nickels Arcade, one of my favorite places in the city.  There are always regulars at Chuck's sharing philosophies and jokes under his welcoming proprietorship. His colleague gave me this cigar box and I had to make a scene in it in Chuck's honor.

Roombox is a Nicaraguan cigar box. Chair is Reac. Table is spool and wood block.  Ashtray is shell, cigarette is rolled paper dipped in coffee for the burnt end. Matches are re-ment. Ashtray is a shell. Coffee cup is from Oese. Buddha is from a local Tibetan shop. Lamp is AG Minis. I made the pillow.

Kaleidoscope Purchases Made "Scenic"

I got my Kaleidoscope furniture from fab.com this week.  Then I went to my local source for "stuff," the Scrap Box, and here's what I came up with.  Not sure I like the dining room part..a little austere.  Maybe I will redo it.

Sofa, coffee table, dining table and chairs are Kaleidoscope House furniture. Shelf is dollar store find I spray painted. The black chest of drawers is from my sister's childhood, also spray painted. Eames chair is reac. Items from The Scrap Box are wallpaper samples used as floor and wall coverings, an upholstery sample used as the picture above sofa, and the flowers in the vase. Mirror and china are from our local Treasure Mart. Wall art is from Michaels and The Scrap Box. Frame on shelf is a Romare Bearden print in a spray painted Barbie frame. Blue vase is a bead. Heart on shelf is a buckle from a Brighton key fob that fell apart. Fire hydrant is from my son's toys. Rock is a Petoskey stone, the state stone of Michigan. On the chest is coral and Barbie candles on a black dish from my sibling's childhood. Buddha is from a local Tibet store.  Apples are erasers on a vintage German tray from my childhood.

Going Into the Anomaly ala "Primeval"

Nick Cutter and Stephen Hart get ready to go back in time through an anomaly. They figure it would be a good idea to take along strongman, Colossus. They gather their gear and food and plan their foray into the unknown.

Colossus checks the weapon box. Professor Cutter does some research.

The little creature watching is one they brought back from the past without realizing it and now is a beloved pet.

Stephen shows Nick things he brought back from other trips back in time.

Note the figure of his favorite movie character, Indiana Jones.

Nick checks out the artifacts.

Professor Nick takes a pic of Colossus with his favorite weapon, a shovel. Colossus got the idea from The Shoveler in the movie, "Mystery Men."

So, what do the men take along for food? Stephen asks Nick if they should take his favorite, sardines.

They end up with the sardines and lots of cheese. The beer is just for the planning meeting.

All packed up.

Stephen checks the anomaly detector one last time to make sure they know when it will be opening up.

I owe this post to three things/people. 1. One of my favorite British TV shows, "Primeval." 2. My son. It is his toys I found when cleaning out the shed that inspired this. 3. My darling husband, who suggested I use his shop light and even got it for me from the garage. Thanks, my boyfriend of 25 years!
Nick and Stephen are action figures from "Primeval." Colossus is one of the X-Men. Furniture: black shelf is a dollar store find I spray painted black; chair is reac; cabinet is re-ment; I made the bed cover hardly visible at right; table is Plan Toys. Floor covering is a banana leaf. Mirror is from Treasure Mart, a local consignment store.
Things from my son, Will:  Playmobil chest; backpacks, one of which I know is GI Joe; GI Joe shovel; various weapons; Indiana Jones figure; Colossus figure; ice pick; and the thing with the antenna that I am calling an anomaly detector.
Artifacts on the shelf are nature items Will or I have collected. The lantern is from my siblings' childhood. Moss pots are bottle tops; moss is from dollar store. Food is re-ment; the reason they are taking a lot of cheese is because I don't have much more food.  Spiral notebook is AG Minis. Buddha figure is from a local shop specializing in Tibetan items. Little creature is a turquoise bead. Camera is Barbie.

Peaceful Reading Nook

Nick Cutter has a wonderful new reading nook. It's sunny in the daytime and light pours in during the early evening. Nice place for a book and a little coffee. Serenity.

Chair is Reac. Side table is re-ment. Shelf is Bodo Hennig. Flooring is a banana leaf which was under my wonderful meal at Frita Batidos. Accessories are Barbie, AG Minis, craft store finds, shells, ebay finds, and things I got at The Scrap Box.  Buddha is gift from my family. Dr. Nick Cutter is from the BBC series "Primeval."

Sulu's Place

Sulu has a thing for Legos, too. Here's his groovy bedroom. And...that is not a squirrel bedspread. Sulu is a PETA supporter and only uses faux squirrel in his home.

Vintage record player, pillows, bed, and yellow Barbie mirror. Pizza box lifter used as a white table. Art is a Matisse cut from a magazine and a postage stamp design. Flooring is a placemat. Wallpaper is scrapbook paper. Chair is reac. Teddy is an Iwako eraser. Magazine is made by me. I think the hairbrush may have come from some toy of my son's when he was little. Sulu is a Star Trek action figure from my son.

More History - Uhura Arrives

When Uhura arrived, Colossus showed her the kitchen he had renovated and the adjoining office he had prepared for her. He fed her...always good for mail order brides. She fell for his sushi, his kindness...and his physique.  He just fell.

They washed dishes together. Sweet, huh?

Then Uhura had a little work to do.

Later, they went to Sulu's house for dessert.

A love story. To be continued.


See earlier posts for info on kitchen.  Desk items, wallet, planner, and orange drawers are re-ment. Clipboard and communicator are StarTrek action figure accessories. Office chair is a reac copy of vintage Charles and Ray Eames chair. See earlier posts for info on Sulu's house. Cake is an Iwako eraser.

Lonely Colossus

This is a little of the back story on our friend Colossus.  He had a groovy bachelor pad, but it was lonely. He had only his teddy bear, some magazines, and a spelling book for company.

The sushi was good, but a lot to eat alone. Well...he did not have too much trouble. After all, he is colossal.

Sometimes he worked hard, but still something was missing....as you can see by his face.

He even redecorated the living room and spent a lot of time playing with his Capuchin monkey, Minkey.

Sofa, china cabinet, sofa pillow, wooden serving tray, and flowers in vase are vintage German from my childhood. "Speller" is handmade by one of my siblings when they were little. Jazz poster is a picture of a US stamp. I made the magazines. Sushi dishes, apples, teddy, and chopsticks are all Iwako erasers. Colossus' office is Lego and Playmobil stuff from my son, Will. Japanese sign is re-ment.  Coffeepot belonged to one of my siblings. Shelves in remodeled living room are Bodo Hennig. Chair is reac. Side table base is napkin ring; top is Petoskey Stone, state stone of Michigan. Rug is untersetzer (coaster) from my friend, Marsha. Flooring is a placemat. Dog is ??Paymobil.