Studio and Garden: Mini Updates...

Studio Update:

Okay, so the ocean is done (Yay!) and now I'm getting ready to tackle the other three walls. I used more "Oops" paint and put down a base-coat of creamy off-white for the basket-weave pattern...

So far, so good...

Then I pulled out the stencils and attempted to do a two-tone basket-weave painting scheme. With... Well, let's just say it was "Limited Success"

Hmmmm...

I've decided that I really don't like it - At All. I *could* go in with a smaller brush and try to make it look better - but that's gonna be a real P.I.T.A. So I've gone ahead and ordered some 4' x 8' bamboo cabana mats that I will staple and/or glue to the walls.

Like thus:

Much better!

Of course, now this means I'll be stapling/gluing reed fencing to the lower half of the walls as well...

And, unfortunately, this will push-back my "Go-Live" date on the Studio by at least another week. Oh, well! It's *my* space and I want it to be "Just Right" dammit!

Garden Experiment Update:

In Other News: The Straw-Bale bed is coming along. It's been in for just over two weeks now, and I've kept it lightly moist. I did add a bit more blood-meal (after the damned dogs started chowing down on the compost!). Well, as of today, it's staring to "cook!" Outdoor temps were in the low to mid 70's, but a compost thermometer shows the inside of the bales at just over 110* F. So microbial activity is happening.

Annnnd, it's relatively easy to poke a plant-sized hole into the bales. Of course, 110* is too hot for planting, but I figure in the next week or so, things should stabilize and I can start sticking veggie plants in there!

Probably too soon to be overly optimistic, but *maybe* this is one Garden Experiment that will turn out successfully???

So that's a Mini-Update :-)