• Adventures with Suzette,  Apartmentlandia

    Suzette the Bicycle

    June 29, 2015 / 6 Comments

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    So a girl walks into a bike shop…

    I was just looking for an affordable bike that would be comfortable so that I could keep up with Bug on her new bike. The town we live in is riddled with bike trails and I’ve been day-dreaming of the day we could ride bikes together since the day we moved in. I never expected I would find the new love of my life!

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    Her name is Suzette and she is the best bicycle EVER. Really. I can’t even believe how much I love this bike. It was meant to be. If she ever gets stolen I will cry real tears.

    Why is she so wonderful? Because she is the fastest, most comfortable bike I have ever ridden. It’s a breeze to ride. I whip past everyone without even breaking a sweat.  In fact, that is probably the only complaint (and not from me): that I go too fast and everyone else can’t keep up!

    When I walked into the bike shop an older man (who just happened to be Mr. Marconi the race car driver himself) asked me what I was looking for and I said, I just want to be comfortable and be able to keep up with my kids. I do want to get in shape but I don’t want to hate bike riding and I am not naturally athletic.

    I tried several bikes. Mr. Marconi had me take each one out into the parking lot and ride it around in circles. It was a little awkward at first. I did have a dress on after all. But right away I could see the differences from bike to bike. Some were stiff, some were awkward and some were super duper smooooooooth!  I really wanted to pick the super cute Italian brand but when I got on this bike by Specialized, I couldn’t go back. It was just a natural fit. So easy to get on, so easy to get off, so easy to torque up to top speeds in seconds without even thinking…it’s just amazing. And I’m not even getting paid to say that. If you have the funds to go buy a bike, I cannot recommend this brand enough.

    So yeah, it was pricey but I feel really good about my purchase. I’ve had cheap bikes before and I never rode them. I left a bike rusting in Toby’s garage that I never rode. This bike I can’t stop riding. I’m keeping it in Payam’s garage until we move because I don’t have room on my balcony and everyday I miss it. I just keep thinking, if my bike was here I could ride up to the store with it, or maybe to the farm across the way or maybe up the highway a bit to that trail I always see out my window and I wonder where it goes. Suzette is calling me and she wants to go on adventures!

    suzette-the-bicycle-3Today Bug and I rode up to the park and fed the ducks and of course I had to take pictures of Suzette because she’s so pretty. Now I just need to get myself some cute pedal pushers and maybe a helmet that doesn’t make me sweat. If only I could take her to Paris with me. Can’t you just see me riding down the cobble stoned streets with baguettes in my basket?

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  • 15 minute posts,  Apartmentlandia,  artsy fartsy,  domesticity,  house stuff!,  how-to's

    Giant Picture Frame Headboard

    February 2, 2015 / 3 Comments

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    I wasn’t going to blog this because who’s going to go out and buy a three-and-a-half by five-foot picture frame and then spray paint it pink so they can make it into a cool headboard? That’s more of a I-just-found-this-is-the-alley-behind-my-house kinda DIY thing. But who knows, it got so much love on Instagram, I decided to take photos of it and post them here. Because why not?! Surely someone is googling “How to make a cheap headboard.” I know, I have. I have no idea how much frames like this cost though (somebody is probably cursing me for ruining a perfectly good frame with spray paint) but if you have one, it’s pretty easy and looks kinda cool.

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    I have no advice on where to buy a frame cheap. My friend Deb’s husband found this by their trash and they immediately thought of me. I’m not sure what that says about me and my standards regarding things in the trash but I’ll go with it. I love spray painting things and using them as something else. At first I was just going to use it as a background in a Valentine’s photoshoot but then I needed a place to stash it in my tiny one-bedroom apartment and behind the bed seemed like the best place.

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    And guess what?! It kinda looks like a headboard! It’s not functional as one. We still hit our head on the wall when we want to sit up in bed but it looks cool. And most importantly it shows off our new flea market rainbow blanket nicely. Another find I picked up because I thought it would look cool in a photo shoot. Basically my house is a living prop house.

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    If you want steps on how to do this, here is what you do:

    1. get a big ol’ frame

    2. remove the artwork from inside it (or not)

    3. lay it out somewhere that you can spray paint (preferably outside in a well-ventilated area with a giant piece of cardboard behind it to catch all the overspray)

    4. spray the heck out of it using the usual spray painting methods

    5. let it dry

    6. heft it up stairs and shove it behind your mattress.

    Vwah Lah! Done.

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