BaldManModPad

Birth of a logo!

2012-01-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

So, I got me a new logo for the new website!

Here are a few of the rad designs that my great/wickedly talented friend Divya came up with. I was kind of partial to this one because of the vinyl rekkid feel it had!

Think Divya has also skinny-ed me down a bit. She's nice that way.

Once we got to this woody style, I was IN. Also, we took off the "PAD" since that's a word that I save just for you and this blog, you one lucky reader!

Div threw in a bit of color, wrapped the words around my chromey pate, and WHAMMO! LOGO! Check it out in all its beauty at the site Bald Man Mod! Also, check out Divya's awesome new children's book, Little Owl's Night, or read this great interview with her on Design Sponge!

Design Sponge got to Meet Us/Plea for Friendship

2012-01-09T15:49:00.000-06:00

Here's a post about a million years late! Design Spongers came through Austin, and Julie and I got to meet Grace and Amy. We made fools of ourselves by making some horrible crafts that had to be tossed when we got home and by bumbling around with the camera like we were 90 year olds with our first digital picturetaker. After several attempts we got this picture here. Everyone in the line that was out the door totally didn't mind. Anyway, as suspected, they were nice and normal, cool people... super friendly. I think New York gets a bum rap- I have yet to meet a person from NYC I didn't like. They might be back through town during SXSW. I'll have Grace tack on "PAGE 346 IS TOTALLY MY FAVORITE!" Pretty sure she signs that in all the other books. She was probably just nervous to meet us.

In other unrelated news, I have a little Facebook page for Bald Man Mod. Currently low on the friends who like me, so do a baldman a solid, and like it. Everyone likes to be liked right? Don't send me the therapy over this. Thanks brahs and sahs.

Bald Man has Arrived! (?)

2012-01-05T15:57:00.004-06:00

I have a real life, honest to god website. Gettin more pro. At a snail's pace...

BALDMANMOD!

Babies Can't Stop Bald Hands From Making!

2011-09-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Long ago, I built a changing table for our daughter. It was in her room, and built on top of the window sill, due to the lack of space in the room (and every room). When the addition was made, the wall with said window/changing table was smashed to bits, but not before I unscrewed the guy. I added a jumbo storage drawer underneath, slapped on some legs, and now the newly configured monster lives in baby Nate's room!

The murphy bed also got some new neighbors. Two storage bros, and a reading lamp.

Bottom bro is tricked out with a slide out nightstand!

Lastly, in ye olde shoppe, it's the return of the Longboard Pendant lamp in Bamboo... My bamboo source dried up on me, so I had to find a new well. I should have a couple made soon if I can squeeze them out admist all of this pesky child rearing.

Filing Cabinet Planter... Part Last!

2011-09-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

Grace Bonney hit me up two years ago about putting this filing cabinet planter in the book she was making. After sending her a couple crummy pictures of it, and taking additional semi-better pictures, she put it in... and it came out yesterday! Page 346 of the Design Sponge at Home book.

I picked up the book, as well as our friend Divya's awesome children's book, Little Owl's Night. Book parties for both books happening on October 15th. Grace is super nice, and I'm not sure how that is, as I'm assuming dealing with so many ding dongs like myself is far from enjoyable. 400 pages of ding dongs' creations. It'll be cool to meet her, shake her hand, and pick up my gigantic check (both physically and monetarily). I'm assuming she's coming by bus, since that check ain't fittin under the seat in front of you.

Oak Park Father's Day? In August? BELIEVE.

2011-08-16T14:23:00.018-05:00

For Father's Day, Julie upped the ante with this wild idea of taking me to Oak Park (ritzy Chicago) for a Frank Lloyd Wright tour. We went on the cheap, which meant barely eeking out the last two seats on a 5:45AM flight, and going standby at that. The upside is that we made it to Wicker Park in time to eat a banana and heath bar pancake covered in warm toffeecream. Chicagoans can sometimes be on the hefty side, so it was necessary to bulk up/fit in. (no offense. I'm the one eating candy bars for breakfast, so...)

Since we had extra time in Chicago that we assumed we'd be spending in the DFW airport, we went to the Chicago Institute of Art, to explore as much as we could before heading outta downtown. We took in this massive log, which some dood saw in California, had a mold made of it, shipped said mold to Japan to have woodworkers recreate the fallen tree, had it shipped back, and now is in the museum. Who said artists were the poor and starving type?

ARTY. There's a cute wife behind. them gold balls.

One of my favorite Wright homes in Oak Park was the Arthur B. Heurtley house. There was a hundred year oldish man who lived in the place, and he ruled, and was really proud of this beauty. I'd be proud too, because I'll be residing in a pine box at his age, not this place.

The vast majority of Wright homes one has to admire from the outside, as the current residences of the homes prefer privacy to hanging out with cool people like us. However, we did get to walk around inside Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, and it was great. No pictures allowed on the inside though. Whatever.

We headed downtown to check out the inside of the Rookery building. When we go inside buildings in downtown Austin, we get a receptionist desk, a security guard, and an ATM machine.

This building was not like that. Long live the Rookery!!

The Robie house was another one that we got to walk around inside. It really made me want to live in 1910, be rich, have servants and be named Frederick C. Robie. There was this old victorian home built next door that looked a trillion years old, and it was built 5 years after this house. Wild. Again no pictures allowed inside. Apartment Therapy has a nice interior shot of the giant living room. Guess they must have a Robie on the staff.

Take that Jeff Tweedy. We took the Architecture River Crooze too, brah.

After said cruise, we stopped into this place that seemed a tad douchey to me on the outside, but turned out to be pretty nice. They did have this awesome beer flight for purchase, including the super potent Delirium Tremens. It was delicious, but to name your beer after the DTs is like naming your cigarettes the Coughing Blood Ultraslims.

Saw these lamps hanging in this Wine and Cheese shop near our motel. Don't get me all riled up again! Buy 'Merican people! LZF Lamps makes great stuff... and their model is basically three of mine put together and is wider, but they use only 2 pieces of veneer. I use 3. Would you rather live in a straw house or one of brick? I USE THREE. BRICK HOUSE!

We rounded out the trip with a drive to Plano, IL to visit the Farnsworth House. You know your house is a dope crib when it's been made into legos. We had a few setbacks getting there, and ended up 10 minutes late, much to the chagrin of all the others on the tour. They were also not chagrinning when it started pouring after we took two steps towards the house from the parking lot.

The upside was that we got to hang out in the house and sit around in the living room for a long time, listening to the tour guide... It was a great house. Thinking about putting a bid in on it. Not sure it's for sale, but they rent it out for $20,000 a night, so I'm pretty sure my offer will be heavily considered (I mean, it's on a flood plain yo!). We rounded out the Chicago trip with a delicious meal (thanks to friend Steve Roberts) and a rock and roll bar... Perfect end to a perfect trip! I have 9 months to come up with something big for Mother's Day, and is an equal alternative to some sorta musicals marathon. There MUST be an alternative!

Filing Cabinet Planter Revisited!

2011-07-20T09:11:00.002-05:00

Brothers and Sisters... I've started this blog entry no less than 4 times in the last month. Today I'll get past uploading this picture. This double baby party is no joke! ANYWAY. Many moons ago, I made this filing cabinet into a planter instead of buying one for 600 bucks at ye local plant store. A moon or two after that, I was asked to take some pictures of it for a book that Design Sponge was gonna put out. Fast forward two more years, and said book is coming out Sept 6th! It can be preordered here for half off til friday! The planter has seen some rough times in the past couple of years, mostly due to contractors adding on to the house where the planter was located, and contractors' lack of caring about physical items, especially one like this. I also have an uncanny ability to kill off cacti fairly easily... However, the planter has been moved, and given an overhaul in case our house gets mobbed after the release of this book. There's going to be a release party here in Austin on October 15th. Our friend Divya wrote this great children's book, Little Owl's Night, and she is having a reading on October 15th. All hail October 15th, Day of BookWorms!

Chomp!

2011-05-24T22:00:00.002-05:00

Time ain't always on my side. Two babies tell me what to do and when to do it. I have 6 lamps I need to make for a dood in Australia. He's being patient, and by that I mean, he didn't reply to my last email that said, "I don't know man... another 4 weeks? 5 weeks?" My mominlaw needs pegboards put up in garage. Nate needs his butt wiped and Claire needs to go to gymboree. And the two cute gymboree nannies that actually talk to me are gonna stop nannying, and leave me with the old grumps. And there are about 12 trees that need to be cut down in the backyard, and hauled out to the street in two days, for "large brush pickup day". In steps my new best friend, the alligator lopper.

My brah Lopper and I did a number on the backyard. A serious serious number. That back fence was mostly invisible, but now very visible after Lopper's chainsaw mouth did its stuff. Sadly, the lopper is not a magic lopper that would make each limb turn to fairy dust as it hit the ground, so he left it up to me to haul to the front yard. Planning on doing this on a Thursday evening, then watching loud rock music that will start at midnight. It's a bad mix, and I know this going in, but after the double nanny dis, an old man needs something to look forward to. And for this old man, it's The Damn Times.

Gittin Horizontal. Gittin Vertical.

2011-05-10T14:13:00.003-05:00

Due to our maxed out growing family, our 1300 square foot house, and heavy influx of visitors (mainly of the grandparent variety), we had to add on to our home, and make every square inch work hard. Sometimes pull some double duty. So pa and I built a murphy bed!

AND when it was done, it worked! It goes up. It goes down. It can be slept on. It can be high fived over.

Here's a shot from a post overnight stay.

When guests are away, the desk comes back to life, and the bedroom turns into an office.

Someday there will be a little storage area next to ole Murphy's bed, but only Murphy knows when that will be. He also created this law that deemed Nate shall wake up twice during the night since I'm illin'. You've got a funny way, Murph.

Gettin Bigger and Balder

2011-05-03T09:16:00.004-05:00

This was pretty cool yesterday... The kids section of Apartment Therapy, called Ohdeedoh, wrote a little thing on the kitchen I made for Claire. I've been reading that goofy ole blog for years and years, so you know. It's at least pretty cool to me! They said lots of nice things, which is music to my ears, as these days I hear a lot of baby crying and two year old yelling, which is quickly becoming white noise to my ears.

In other "Made for Claire" news, I made this table rather quickly, out of a piece of plywood and an old herman miller swivel chair base I bought at a garage sale about a year ago. I tried really hard make the swivel part not swivel (as the table ends up not level as it spins), but with two year old tyrants, that didn't last. I'm assuming Claire and her hoodlum toddler clan will be throwing this table through her new window soon.

Play Kitchen... REVEALED!

2011-04-14T15:09:00.011-05:00

Can you even believe it? I cannot. Baldy is blogging. Don't even know where to begin with the goingson since the last entry one million years ago. Here's the heavily abbreviated version. Christmas came. I made a toy box for my nephew. January came, and we had our second baby- sweet baby Nate. We made room in our house by adding a new bedroom for Claire (see above). I made her a little table, and a kitchenette which I guess is going to get some love here today. Goes like this:

My mom-in-law had these leftover white shelves and molding from an Ikea entertainment center that she gave me. Pa and I just got done building a murphy bed (did I mention I've been busy making murphy beds too?), so we had a bunch of deck screws left over. There was a bit of leftover 1/2 inch plywood from the toy box, so I threw all that into the kitchenette stew.

Some neighbors down the street were throwing out some stuff, and I snagged this corkboard off their driveway, and tacked it to the back of the kitchen. I also had this leftover radiator grill material that I used to make a table lamp, and it magically transformed into the oven door pretty well.

Besides a couple leftover handles and an old towel rack we had lying around, the hinges, spigot knobs, plumbing parts and the oven burner cover/sink all were purchased from the hardware store down the street.

My mom-in-law lives down the street from an Ikea, so I swung by there to pick up the little pots and pans, as well as 4 mouse pads/burners that I saw someone else use when they made their own play kitchen. Claire's pretty into it. Not really in the traditional way I guess, but more in the "Let's-rip-off-the-sink-and-drop-food-down-the-hole-and-retrieve-it-from-the-cabinet" sort of way. Sometimes she puts her fancy lady attire in the kitchen. I'd like she'll still be doing the same thing in about 25 years.

What, am I NOT going to put a picture of this new addition in this post? I'm NOT gonna NOT! More posts to come??? We shall see!

Same Items, Better Pictures?

2010-09-29T09:04:00.002-05:00

So I've been needing to take nicer pics of my stuff.

I've been busy. Maybe even too busy to post about this guy I made last! I needed a nightstand, so here's the dood I whupped up.

Also going to put pics in that Plywood book, so I got a new camera, a cheap chinaball light, and a white background.

Also, the Supermarket HQ peep like my stuff, but won't set me up on their site til my pictures, "look better."

Hopefully these pictures will do the trick. If not, I'll open up a photography studio in the spare bedroom.

BaldManLawSuit?

2010-09-01T23:42:00.003-05:00

I was cruising the vimeo website watching a superrad video on the guy who makes adrift mobiles, and ended up watching another video by cool Spanish Lampmakers LZF Lamps. At just past 3 minutes into this video, I saw THIS SHOT. Real fast.

Is this for real??? I felt a little bit like I was losing my mind. Those bear a striking resemblance to this guy I've been making in my garage for the past couple years...

I mean, it's just that I came up with the whole shape, and assembly on my own, and I guess it's possible that someone in Spain was doing the same thing at the same time, but... Anyway. I checked out their website to see if this those were available for purchase, but I didn't see that they were. They musta felt that international suit brewing in my gut. Their lamp craftsmanship is way outta my league, so just gimme this brahs! Gotta be too uncanny right?

What Time is It? Plytime.

2010-08-18T09:26:00.002-05:00

I've been goofin around with some plywood these days. I cut some strips of it, and made a clock. I was moving em around trying to figure out what might look good. I ended up making the "3" and "9" positions square instead of rectangular like this here.

I also ended up painting the insides of the squares green, for that extra sumpin sumpin factor.

Looks like this clock will end up in this "making stuff from plywood" book put out by Storey Publishing. Details to come on that... Til you learn the ins and outs, you could just buy one off me here in ye olde shoppe.

Get Ready Freddy

2010-07-21T10:08:00.002-05:00

Julie and I went away for our 13th weddin anniversary. Headed west to Fredericksburg. Mostly full o shops and the like, but still has lots of cool old buildings around, like this here Keidel Memorial Hospital down the street from where we stayed.

We enjoyed us a required two nite's stay at the Roadrunner Inn... It was perched atop a couple cool shops on Main Street. (above: Julie checks baby status from cellular)

Twas full of swanky mid century modern type artifacts, as well as this flat screen tv, which was in direct eyesight of the super cozy bed, and could play The Soup like nobody's business.

We ate a tasty meal at what was known as the Cotton Gin, now not-as-cool sounding Cabernet Grill. Romantic topics of discussion ranged from attic renovation, to baby schooling, to property tax protesting. Upside to the meal, other than its taste: I didn't pull a dead fly out of my mouth as I had the night prior at a different fancy restaurant, which shall remain nameless.

Trendy cool shop, Red, was directly across the street from where we stayed.

Sad how many cardboard animals are killed each season.

Austinite woodworker cool brah, Brian David Johnson, gets around! Spotted his wood vases right away. Someday, when I have more time than my daily allotted babynaptime, I'll get on the ball and make stuff, get stuff into stores, and sell the stuff. Til then, I'll blog about others that do it. BRING IT YEAR 13! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JULIE!

Bathroom Chronicles: Cabinets. Thine Last Enstallment

2010-07-15T09:02:00.010-05:00

So I had me this wild notion that if I started with some veneer and some MDF, I could make bathroom cabinets.

Boo to the Yah. I had to include some white paint and hinges, but besides that, and some basic math, it came to fruition. I went ahead and put some veneer on the edges of the cabinets as well, in case my doors didn't line up, they could act as a mistake eraser and make the cabinets a bit more pro.

Luckily, the doors worked out, and nothing came crashing down when we loaded them up with our titanium weight towels, and my wide array of hair product.

I also did some book matching with the veneer which turned out looking purty good.

After removing Julie's bathing suit from the shower walls, the green tape from around the window, and making the messy bed seen in the mirror's reflection, I took this shot. Photography is hard work, yo. Currently looking for a maid with a keen eye.

Pools, Wood Books and MORE POOLS!

2010-07-01T22:36:00.005-05:00

It's summer yo. Tons to do, but I've made a pact with Claire that we are hitting every public pool in the city of Austin this summer. That may/may not be a diseasey disaster waiting to happen, but life is to be lived, right? Yeast, be damned! I originally thought there were 19ish pools to hit throughout the city, but I just checked, and it's more like... 40ish!! Best we get started! So far we've only attended one Splash Pad near our house (which ruled), and ma'n'pa's backyard pool, which does not count. Also going to go to some fancy FOR-HOMEOWNERS-ONLY pool next week, which i ALSO don't count, but the little lady and I will happily be snuck in. It's a wet wet wet wet world out there, and we are here to get sogged.

In other news, I've been tentatively asked to participate in a book about chumps making crud out of plywood. We shall see if it comes to fruition, but it sounds good. Stay tuned for more exciting news regarding wet diapers and wood books!

Dad's day, Claire's away, No time to play

2010-06-24T23:09:00.006-05:00

It ain't easy being at the spray park with the paparazzi all up in your bidness, but our baby finds a way to cope.

She took my dad and me to eat for father's day... out of the limelight and into the burritos! Zocalo!!! My parents pulled a fast one on me, and took my child away for 5 days... Tis bittersweet. I began/yet have not finished several needed projects.

This dood's stereo that's been in our backyard for months has finally been sanded down quite a bit, and had a couple test runs with the finishing. It's gettin somewhere.

I took down some old lady blinds, painted window trim and put up some new blinds. This is the most finished project, hovering around 94 percent complete.

Julie got me this awesome book for father's day... Yeah brah, that cover is real plywood!

The book got me in the mood, so I wobbled down to the local cool wood store, and picked up this here gigantic piece of bending birch plywood. That project to come is entitled, "New Nightstands". Julie calls it, "Get That Giant Piece of Crap out of the Dining Room", yet she only calls it that in her head.

I'm whipping up some cabinets for the bathroom that are in the following condition. They've got a ways to go. This is the small top cabinet.

This here is the bottom large cabinet. If they were running a marathon, and being on the wall with towels in them was the finish line, I'd say these guys are on Biggest Loser and are walking eating cheeseburgers around mile 7. Someday though, they'll be a sweaty puking mess, but they'll be on that wall, by god!! Going to get claire tomorrow, so we'll see if anything else gets accomplished. I have yet to begin the bathroom finishing details that we paid someone else to do, however, so add that to the mix.

Where them Wares at?

2010-06-18T15:29:00.005-05:00

These days I've been screwing around with sites to upload some pics for potential customers. Customers that want something on the woody side. I checked out carbonmade a while ago, and bounced around with behance, and maybe I'm coming back to you, carbonmade. I need a pro photographer to be my friend. One who is sickgood at taking pictures of stuff/things. Anyway, here's this new thing I set up whilst a baby slept, instead of cleaning the house like a good househusband should.

"But do you have that in a dark wood???"

2010-06-09T21:07:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the dark side, y'all. I've got a couple new(ish) items up for sale. Same ole song and dance, with a new twist. The Bent Wood Test Tube Vase is now available in a super slick red gum veneer, and looks like a little bit of all right.

Also making its first appearance on the baldman stage, please welcome the Longboard Pendant Lamp in Walnut Veneer. I've had many a person ask me if I had any pictures of this lamp in walnut, but I never had anyone buy one, and a serious lack of time to just make one for show... but then someone bit the bullet and ordered one so here she is. I really like it. Maybe others will too. Others with gaping holes in the ceiling, money in their pockets, and walnut on their minds.

Food, Wood, and Neighbor

2010-05-25T13:25:00.003-05:00

Another man alone meal. A SLIGHT upgrade from chilimacandjaps, but the leftover mac and cheese and the TV tray bring me back to square one. However that ribeye was grilled to perfection .

I finished this little shelf I was working on for the bathroom. It turned out pretty well.

Took this closeup of the grain at the bottom of the shelf. I could go for a swim in that golden deliciousness.

Back outside to the humid Austin Wonderland. Funny sidenote before I go. Our neighbor Maria from a few houses down came up to my nasty ole backyard a couple days ago and says to me... "Hey, are you the Baldman?" The internet, I tell ya... it's a magical place. She let me dig through some wood they were going to get rid of, b/c she's awesome... She also couldn't find my email on this ole site, so maybe I'll figure that out someday. I can tell you it's this though... BALDMANMOD [at] GMAIL [dot] COM! UN [til] NEXT [time], bruthas [and] sistas!

Bathroom Chronicles, Part Four: Fairly done.

2010-05-20T14:19:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the new bathroom.

We no longer have to swing the door open, and squeeze by the sink to get to the toilet. Cool. (Also going to build a wall cabinet to go beside the medicine cabinet here.)

Nor must I stand sideways to take a shower.

The Hansgrohe fixtures gleam crisp and clean, whilst ebay brought down the prices lower than any ole bathroom center or lowes or what have you.

I'd say the nicest part of the bathroom would be the tile and the frameless glass shower enclosure with it's chromey hardware. I'd also say the worst is the contractor's workmanship on the details... say, when you put our toilet back in the house from being outside for months, maybe spray out the leaves in the tank first. I could go on, but I won't.

Oh, we've got some lighting up in thar.

Currently working on this little wall rack made out of sweet gum. Looking pretty alright. Still lots of work to do/issues to fix in this bathroom, but I can shower... and very occasionally shave.

mirrah mirrah...

2010-04-21T13:38:00.003-05:00

To distract my mind from being swallowed by the bathroom and our contractor woes, I bought this here mirror off craigslist for 15 bucks. It was made in 1974, and was covered in a walnutish laminate that was in pretty good condition, but not that cool overall, except for its rad shape. After a little primer and a can of red spray paint, it turned into this doooozy. We'll see if this "big mirrors make the room look bigger" talk is all a farce or not. I ain't crossed into any alternate universe on the other side of it yet, but I'd like to think I have a huge afro on that side.

Bathroom Chronicles, Part Three: Shower Tiling Complete

2010-03-26T13:39:00.004-05:00

Yo's, sorry for the delay... you see, tiling takes years sometimes. See that hole? 2.5 hours of drilling to get that. No lie. That's 30 minutes of straight drilling, til the drill battery dies, then repeat another 4 times. INSANE.

Luckily, Pa is a master measurer, and the hole lined up with the shower head pipe perfectly. If it didn't, I was going to sell the house As Is, and move as far away from that Tile Hole as possible. Who needs a shower handle and shower head on the same wall? Not this tiler.

Done grouted, caulked and ready for the EFFIN CONTRACTOR TO SHOW BACK UP TO FINISH HIS PART OF THE DEAL! Seen the bro for 2 hours the past three weeks. Said he'd send his son over this morning to do some work. It's almost 2pm, so he must have been in a bad car accident, I'm guessing. I'm currently boxing up a horse's head, and having it hand delivered to a certain good-for-nothin wasterofmytime.

30 dollar tile saws bought off craigslist do the trick... Especially if the trick is to go from clean to covered head to toe in tile dust within 5 minutes.

The upside to the contractor downside is South By Southwest rolled through town. We saw some rock. Julie and I ended it with Thee Oh Sees, who played within 12 inches of our barstool at beerland. Luckily, we kept all arm movements to a minimum, so we don't have broken hands from wailing drumsticks- I guess stages ain't their bag. This was shot a few days before the show we were at. It was similar, except this show has people dancing on the ceiling.

Razor Blades- Revealed/Concealed

2010-03-01T11:06:00.002-06:00

I saw Lisa's comment on the last post, and thought I'd share what I got to see down inside my wall... My razor blade dreams have all come true! Now for the house of slots! As a side note, all razors found inside the wall behind our old medicine cabinet were preserved in the exact place they were found. Drywall has been cut and pasted over the hole where the cabinet used to be, so come another 60 years I can only hope that someone knows what the hay is going on when they run across this dangerously sharp time capsule.

In related razor blade news, there's this awesome etsy shop run by a lady here in Austin called Fetosoap. Check out these soaps. I should have donated our wall treasures to her!

Bathroom Chronicles, Part Two : Floor Tiling

2010-02-23T16:10:00.005-06:00

Oh bathroom... how I love and hate you. Sometimes you let in the cold, and contractors neglect you, but someday, you'll be a star. New walls are up, and the shower pan poured.

Two baldies at work. Pa came down to Austin to help lay some of this wickedly large 12x24 inch tile. You'd think a kind son would be down on his knees instead of letting the old man oldman do it, but...

look at the thinset that guy lays! Julie said, "textbook." She would know... Mine always looked really gloopy and bad. In a few years, when tiles start cracking, we'll know which few I had a hand in.

We rented a tile saw, and went to town. This tile was our Piece de Resistance.

Like a friggin glove.

This tile is NOT the daltile Fabrique, but it's a knock off brand called Strands. Can't find anything about Strands on the internet, but the old Tile Guy is always in the know... Made by the same company and cost 1/4 as much per tile. With saw skills peaking, it's like this tile just grew up and over the shower curb. Baldy's getting a little toot tooty up in har.

Still have the walls of the shower to do... and some grouting, but it's looking pretty sexy.

Oh, and BOOOOOOOOOOOOYAHHHH!

Bathroom Chronicles, Part One

2010-02-15T10:46:00.004-06:00

Observe the master bath. It's this here 5ish by 5ish square foot zone. It's hard to take pictures of because there ain't no room. I take a shower in that tiny area behind that door there. Picture that, ladies.

Welcome.

Please enjoy your dank cavern shower.

It's easier to take pictures of the area when big boys knock out a wall. Unfortunately, the toilet was the newest feature of the bathroom, and it took a sledge to the face.

This area is about 5 feet from where we sleep at night. Julie's freaked out about what is going to crawl into the house and cozy up beside her.

I feel like the morning light is going to look a little nicer when it shines in the bathroom window in a few weeks from now. To be continued...

It's gittin grilly in here..

2010-02-08T16:29:00.002-06:00

I've been toolin around with this here lamp the past couple o days. Well, it started last week, which began with me divin willie nillie into electricity city without doing my homework, and sparks and smoke arose from my outlets. After some proper learning, I built this lamp! I could have kept it like this here, but I had these curved up bamboo pieces that I wanted to incorporate.

I slapped em on.

First I thought I'd use some rice paper for the innards, but that seemed more blando than this stuff up at Breed and Co. It's a radiator grill cover piece, though I wonder how many homes in Austin have old radiators that need covering.

Luckily, I had a lamp that could use some covering, and this stuff worked out well. It also casts cool shadows that can soothe a wailing baby, when singing Yankee Doodle just doesn't cut it any more.

Maybe I'll sell this gem. It has it's prototype qualities, which could be smooved out, but if someone has their wits about them, they'll pay top dollar for the prototype that changed the face of lighting... or if they are sick of being in the dark when the sun sets.

Thangs of Wood that Normally Ain't

2010-01-21T11:54:00.003-06:00

During the blustery cold nastiness, the pendant lamp workshop moved into the living room momentarily. If someone needs them a lamp, they ain't caring if it's wicked cold outside and the garage hasn't any heat.

Also got to take the new vacuum press for a trial run, and it bends some veneer like a champ, and all I have to do is sit back and watch.

Also, I got this supercool ashwood record player for my bday in spirit from my friend deanna. I got it in spirit, b/c the 1300 dollar price tag is something I'm definitely not worth in real life. In Spirit Life, I own rare wooden records to play on this bad boy. Back in real life I got the mono box set of the beatles from my awesome wife for my birthday. Though I'm deeper into decrepity, it's good to know that the fab four will always be older.. and more decrepity.

Schoolhouse RAWK

2010-01-15T11:13:00.003-06:00

My friend John mentioned this here school is for sale out in Smithville Texas. Maybe we'll move in!

It was built in 1905, and takes up an entire city block... My only fear is that come 3am, all the ghostly schoolchildren would come out to play. I have no doubt about nightly kid laughter/fingernails on the chalkboards/paddling/wailing, etc.

Not only does the place come with an apartment ready for livin in, it also comes with a stage to rock. That would make Julie's annual lip sync party a superrad hit... nicer to watch John and his sister on an auditorium stage than in our backyard, like below...

What Am I Doing?

2010-01-12T10:56:00.003-06:00

This friend o mine wants me to refinish this stereo cabinet for him. I says to the man, I says, "Lookit man, I've made this and that, but I've never done me any type of refinishing before. You sure you want me to do this?" He tells me it can't look much worse, but also follows it up with, "my grandfather gave it to me when he passed away, and it has a lot of sentimental value." Awesome.

So I take my sander to this heirloom piece and see what happens. Startin to get somewhere. Gonna whip out the dremel and harness me some new skills in them hard to get to spots. Did I mention this stereo is sitting under my leaky party cover with a tarp on it, and there's a hardcore chance of rain this week? No worries, brah.

In other I-Don't-Know-What-I'm-Doing news, I purchased a vacuum press kit thinge r, with a motor and many brass fitting type parts. After a couple, "How do i do this??" emails and a trip to Breed and Co, I got my gearhead on, and now it's wired up and runnin fine. I'm in the big leagues now, and gonna be vacuum pressing veneers into bendy wood objects like nobody's bidness. Let's let Little Eva take it out with her appropo hit Bend it!

- - Little Eva - Bend It

Found at abmp3 search engine

Clock In!

2010-01-08T11:11:00.004-06:00

The other day I was reading Mid Century Modernist, and they had them a thing on George Nelson table top clocks.

There are several being auctioned off at the Wright Auction House for tons of money. They are all wildly different and super cool.

Momma tells me (that's my ma, not my baby momma) clocks are where it's at if I want to sell goods on Etsy. I sold one wall clock, but these mini table sized versions provide some great inspiration, and easier for the baldmanmod packaging and shipping department. Someday Nelson, you shall meet your match with clocks at a slightly lower price point. R&D department is already on it, and the buzz around the warehouse is growing everyday. Almost deafening this buzz.

Bathroom Stage One: Plan it, yo.

2010-01-05T11:27:00.003-06:00

Trying to come up with some bafroom ideas now that the holidays are behind us... Found this great looking room on Design Sponge, and really want to know where they got this tile! I think we could use it on the walls of the shower, and would go along nicely with this here tile below.

Julie's loved this fabrique tile from daltile for a long time. Then our friends got it put in one of their bathrooms, so now we are copycats. I'm okay with that. We've copycatted those cats before...

Also just ran down to the Salado Sawmill and picked up some super awesome Sweet Gum wood. Guess ole Bob is retiring, and he told me that we must be the only two people who like sweet gum, since he can't seem to get rid of it... I say if it's good enough for the rad German company Miele Die Kuche, it should be good enough to go in our tiny master bathroom.

Hot New Couple

2009-12-29T16:26:00.003-06:00

Here's something wicked sweet for local yokel types... The friggin Bohn house, which is down our street, and I've blathered about before, is going to get a remodel job by friggin Dick Clark Architecture!

Dick Clark, not the old sad brah you'll see on TV this week, but the local architecture firm, do some of the badassedest stuff in town. I could blather on and on about the lofts, n homes, n remodels these cats have done, or you could just go to the website and see for yerselfs... or check out their flickr page. That house is going to be a dooooooooooooooooooooooooozy! Invite some friendly neighbors over for cocktails lucky new homeowners! Did I mention I got a used laptop for xmas, as to not intrude on sleepin baby claire and blog blather on the computer in her room? Now you know. And will be kept mo up to date on the world according to bald.

Place for Coffee... Coins

2009-12-27T16:04:00.004-06:00

Yer baldness made him his first commissioned thangs. Got to make a coffee table and side table for this super cool lady I met in the rock and roll circle. Sadly, these pics are from inside our house, instead of her house next to the trillion records and old jukebox.

I did some inlay style stuff with walnut and maple veneer, and slapped it on some purty baltic birch plywood.

The coffee table is actually 4 separate pieces with a slight gap in between each. Attempt one caused the table to implode on itself. I'm no physics genius, but after attempt two, proper supports were in place, and the table stood up proud.

In addition to tablemania, I whipped up this coin collecting type wall hanging doodad. My sister needed her one for a group of fancy coins she's been accumulating. It does require a small balancing act, as too many coins on one side yields a crashing coin conundrum. Anyhoo, anyone who needs a gappy table, or place to put thine olde coin collection lemme know. I'll bang it out with bald hands.

House O Slots

2009-12-27T15:40:00.003-06:00

This ole brah of mine that I worked with at Crestview Doors saw the post about the slots for old razor blades, and told me that if he ever went into architecture again, he'd make a house full of slots.. a slot for old shoe laces, pens outta ink, yer skinny jeans... sounds awesome. help out the environment with less waste to the land fills, and insulate your home at the same time! Long as it ain't banana peels and expired hamster slots, your walls with be filled with old treasures for years to come.

Bathroom lookin Sharp!

2009-12-02T08:56:00.003-06:00

Been watchin quite a few DIY shows these days, pertaining to bathroom renovating and the like. Just saw this one where they ripped out an old medicine cabinet, and found about 700 used razor blades behind it.

Word has it, that back in the olden days, medicine cabinets were made with a slot in the back where jolly fellows tossed ye olde blades after their shave and moustache waxing. Our medicine cabinet is from said days. What is lurking behind that cabinet? Probably an army of old razor blades will be the least of our problems.

Merry Christmas. Have a toilet.

2009-11-18T09:41:00.003-06:00

Julie and I are giving each other a new bathroom for Christmas. The master bathroom is a disaster. Well, it's so small, it's hard to qualify as a disaster. We've been looking for some inspiration, and I always remembered this bathroom from some Apartment Therapy Color Contest way back when. Small, rad and woody. Right up my alley. Now to find super fancy, high end stuff for super cheap. Already sold my locks of hair, so the cash is gonna have to come from somewhere else. Stay tuned. Get ready for dumpy bathroom pics in the near future.

The Good, The Bad and the Bloody

2009-11-11T09:30:00.003-06:00

It's been a weird time in Baldland. Luckily for me, some lovers of woody stuff bought items from me, which I was glad to make. My fingers that were lopped off by my X-acto knife were not as glad.

A couple days earlier, some drunken coed smashed into my Mini. I followed her trail of car guts to her smashed piece of crud a few blocks away. Bad guys lose.

I screwed up one of my vase numbers, so I sliced it down into these little dainty pieces o wood that I stare and and wonder about... what to do with these?

On a positive note, I got to take in some Tuesday evening rock with Cheap Time at Beerland. Got to see rockers that still are doing that every nite of the week, whilst I go to bed early/get up early. But I have a sweet baby that makes it all better. And sucks up all my bloggy time.

Fo Sho Case!

2009-10-26T08:54:00.002-05:00

Having me an Etsy Type Job today. Signed up for a showcase to do some showcasin. Maybe it'll help sell people some super cool stuff for the holidays. MAYBE. They do need it. YOU NEED IT! Why buy boring crap as presents when you could buy my cool crap?

Bent Wood Clock and THEN SOME.

2009-10-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

Got another thing cranked out here at the baldmanmodpadgarage. It's a bent wood clock!

Basically, I've used the same mold I use to make the lampshades, but with a twist. By "twist" I mean clock hands. I also used thicker veneer to take a harder beating, and since light doesn't need to shine through it, it works out great.

I used a couple pieces of maple veneer, then a piece of walnut, and finished it off with maple again. I cut some slots in the sucka to let the walnut show through. Came out pretty okay! Have it up for sale HERE.

Speaking of my wood veneer lampshade, here's one hanging in the Angela's house! Looks good with all her rad furnishings... Thanks for sending me the pics!!

60s Appreciation Day

2009-10-06T10:06:00.005-05:00

The other day, Claire and I went to check out some garage sales around the neighborhood. We spied this uber cool 1960s Tripod Floor Lamp, and snagged it from this old hippie dood, who told us it still has a "grow bulb" in it. To grow what, hippie man?

Claire was all, "let's get it anyway, we can snazz it up!" So we did. We put a nice coat of paint on the lamp, and switched out the grow bulb for something a tad more pleasing. It's currently residing in our living room and looks good, but I also put it up for sale in ye olde shoppe, just in case someone likes cool stuff.

Speaking of 60s appreciation, The Mullens rule that school... one of my favorite bands, and Claire and I listen to their song Esmerelda literally 5 times a day. I would have my hair cut just like these chumps, making Julie happy that my follicles hate my guts.

Toy Box/Record Cabinet II

2009-10-01T09:13:00.004-05:00

Onward through the fog... Welcome back for part two of this beast. Here we have the toybox done glued and screwed, ready for some finish and maybe another piece of wood on the top? Thank God Julie's been working out b/c there ain't no way even a bulked up man such as myself can move that monster into the living room alone.

Here's a closeup of the old door chunks turned toy box siding. Looking pretty good door chunks!

Here's the combo living in its permanent new spot between the living room and the dining area.

I had some help with the installation. Still have to put the kid friendly hinges up on thar though, which Claire pointed out. It has yet to pass her final inspection.

Got the bamboo lamp up and ready for records and toys galore! Might have to move the Jenn Ski print up a tad.

Success! Finished! Onto the next thing... Bentwood clock.

Toy Box/Record Cabinet Take One

2009-09-30T16:47:00.004-05:00

I finally wrapped up this toy box/record cabinet number, and have some pics to share. Basically, it's two pieces, but they'll be right next to each other and I wanted em to have some similar features. This is an old TV stand thing we got at Target many moons ago that was hiding my records. I started taking it apart here. I reused the majority of this guy, but changed it to fit in with the mostly birch plywood toy box I whipped up.

I didn't use the same top for the record cabinet, but I did reuse the hardware to make things easier on my own self... (though there had to be some wicked precise placement of these little buggers).

I covered the side panel of the cabinet with a thin plywood to match my toy box, and also did me some painting of the open space so basically none of the dark wood shows (except fer in with my records, where no one will go but me... and I don't like me enough to make that area pretty).

Here's the actual toy box getting some real low brow clamping action. When the baby starts crying in the monitor, it's time to throw heavy concrete blocks on the thing instead of gittin everything just so... babies don't care about pretty clamping, just about eating mac and cheese and cheerios or whatever. Anyhoo, here's a little insight about the front of this toy box... well, let us jump down below, shall we?

When I worked at Crestview Doors, we'd have tons and tons of wooden rectangular window cut outs, since the CNC machine cut through the solid wood doors to put windows wherever. The inside of the doors where butcher block style wicked heavy doors. I always thought the butcher block innards looked kinda cool, so I grabbed some of the cut outs, ran them through my table saw so they were all the same thickness, and glued em together. Table Saw and I became pretty good friends, but I had to leave certain pieces a little thicker than the average b/c even though we were getting tight, Table Saw was still all, "I swear to God, I'll eat that hand bro," so the thick cut guys gotta stain, and the others got a clear coat. I made up some doors to go on the record cabinet piece to match the toy box, which can be seen here. Part Two is coming... right now it's time to take a shower, and...

Intro 2/ Kick Out The Jams - MC5

Bookin It, Baldy Style

2009-09-29T08:24:00.006-05:00

You're not gonna believe this one, since I'm still not really believing it myself. So Design*Sponge is going to put out a book next year. I got an email asking if I would like to put my filing cabinet planter in it. Crazy! Sure! New pictures are being taken, and your favorite new read of the 2010 Holiday Season will be put out by Artisan Books. If this guy is going to be 400+ pages, I can only assume the planter will have a minimum of 100 pages of coverage... that is if Artisan wants to sell a quazillion copies. As if you hadn't seen enough of this yellow attention hog, here's a new shot with some new plants, as others decided they'd prefer death to living in a filing cabinet.

Bookin It

2009-09-23T14:55:00.002-05:00

These days are gloomy and dreary, but Claire, Chester and I still get out for a walk here and there. We try walking between the raindrops, but it only works so well...

I've also been checking out a buncha library books, because doing so is free. Most books are about making the most outta small houses, in case Claire ever gets a sibling/it starts raining money. I was flipping through this book, Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House, and I says to myself I says, "Self- Claire, Chester and I walk by this house ALL THE TIME!" They bumped out their attic space with a couple cool dormers. Today we double checked that it's the same joint.

And it is!!! Maybe we can become friends, and they can fix up our attic for us. I've also been reading Making It Lovely, and checking out the bitchin job they did on their attic nursery. I'm hoping, when we do make over our attic, that the door into the new space is magical... Like crossing into a Narnia-sized world that holds an office, new bedroom, new bathroom, new winterwonderland filled with mystical creatures, etc.

Big Foot Lamps

2009-09-21T13:09:00.003-05:00

Doods, I can't even tell you about my current life of baby chasing. It's bogged down the bloggin hardcore. On the off chance that I get one spare minute, I've been building this toybox/record cabinet contraption, so anyhoo... Here's a post all the same! By this rad company called Kozo Lamp.

These characters has gone bonkers in the plumbing supply aisle, and created these super cool lamps. They almost look like little robot aliens designed to help you study/read/clip yer toenails in the dark. I just put up a support on our drain pipe curtain rods. Also, Apartment Therapy just rambled about the cool stuff smacked together with such piping. The baby calleth. Stay tuned for this wild first attempt at toybox making. For seriously cool/funny commentary on such a world, go read Mod Mom. That Edward Cullen post kills me every time I read it.

Bent Wood Test Tube Vase

2009-08-25T09:49:00.005-05:00

Here's the outcome of my latest vacuum-pressed wood over a mold type situation.

I can actually make two at a time, which is nice for me, since I can only make half of a lamp at a time.

The holes across the top of the arc are drilled diagonally, not that you can really tell by the way these flowers are zig-zaggin. Maybe someday I'll learn to take pics that are a good representation of these items. Til then, check out my lamp cords in the background, and buy buy buy em up HERE!

Mold in the Bag

2009-08-22T15:16:00.005-05:00

Bald Breath been trying to make something new in wood world, but babies, bugs and plumbing disasters been holding him back. But finally, lucky me got to get out in the 103 degree heat today to bang out something new. I created a new little mold and routed out 12 pieces of MDF to glue together.

I'm becoming a total router pro these days, and did em pretty fast.

Here's the mold all glued up and sanded down. I'm prepped to bend some new thick veneer over the top of this, and slip it in my vacuum bag. I knew widthwise this little devil would fit in the bag, but upon trying to do so, the height became an issue, and twas too tight. I had to hack off a couple of beautifully routed pieces which broke my cold heart.

Here's my wood sitting pretty over the mold and in the bag. Thinking about sawing it up, drilling some holes, dropping some test toobs in, and making a little froo froo multi bud vase type number. If that sounds hazy it's because it is. Deets to come. Looking to sell something on ye olde etsy site that doesn't break the bank to make and ship. Anyhoo, back outside to clean up my mess... Sure it's gone up a degree or two by now.

Ebay and the Gems Therein

2009-08-19T08:41:00.007-05:00

My bro EBay and I used to be real tight. Back in the house renovation/dual income/no baby days. Since none of those conditions are static, all one can do is reminisce. Remember when we bought a couple Z chairs from some sucka in South Dakota for cheep, but they tagged us back with that hardcore ciggie stench when we opened the box? Well played, South Dakota.

What about those two wickt West Elm lights we got? One to put above the couch to assist in reading West Elm catalogs, and the other in the nursery to assist in reading Frankie Stein to Claire.

Then there was the vessel sink that the contractor thought was some sort of lamp shade. This was also the dood who just told us about going crazy with his sledgehammer and accidentally whacking the tar out of his last customers' stainless steel fridge. Needless to say, he didn't help in the sink installation.

I'm not much of a "Gotta have the Eames This and the Knoll That", but Julie and I really like the Nelson Bubble Lamp, so we got a SUPER STANKY YELLOW NASTY one on EBay, and with help from one Magic Eraser, it turned lovely white at less than half the price new.. and with a cool old Herman Miller tag on it to boot.

We were very envious of our friend's cool stationary rocking chair that he got from his grandma, and we found one on the 'Bay. It rules, rocks, is high backed, and this girl can do laps around it now... hence her blurriness. I could go on and on, but then you'd never come back to read again, so I stop. For now.

Gooooooood Times

2009-08-10T20:10:00.004-05:00

I should have known this was the beginning of the end. So Friday, I planned a fancy dinner for Julie when she got home from work. Actually, her favorite meal. Grilled fish with a fancy Mediterranean sauce that involves quite a lot of prep. Then she was going to be late... I downgraded, and took out some meat to grill. Then she was going to be wicked late. I gave Claire a bath, put her to bed, and had this meal all alone... Chili Mac N Japs on a chipped plate.

Then I saw this bro on my clock... I says to myself I says, "Dood, that's a termite." Self looks it up on the internet (after seeing a dozen more in the house), and self confirms. The bug people are coming out in two days... the bug people already come out once a quarter and we pay them. Termites say, "they do a bang up job."

Did I mention we had a leak out at the street? Tons of water pouring out in front of our yard during drought season? Yeah... Plumber says (in an Australian accent that my wife deemed as "dreamy") that there's nothing up to code under our yard that can be fixed legally. Give him 3 large, and everything will be taken care of... goodbye rockstar plant... I could have bought 200 of you for this price, so who would complain that you're gone?

After these aholes are done, I get to put the dirt/rocks back in the ground and replace the grass outta my pocket, b/c 3000 bucks doesn't go as far as it used to. You'd think for that money, a dreamy voiced plumber would bring all his dreamy voiced naked girlfriends over to fix this problem... I asked, and turns out to not be the case.

The upside is we aren't lugging a baby, formula, clothes, makeup, selves up to the mother in law's (though I packed everything) for the evening b/c the plumbers pulled some strings, and dadgumit... they got our water back on! Thanks plumbers! Ready for plumbing class!!

Sheds in my Head

2009-08-10T09:36:00.007-05:00

Though I'm currently unemployed (take it back- my employer is a 9 month old, but the pay is lousy) I can't stop thinking about how awesome it'd be to have a boatload o cash dropped off at the front door so we could add on to our house... or at least replace a falling apart garage with a cool shed for storing stuff/office/place for peep to stay (maybe I need 3 sheds). I'm obsessed with looking at em these days. The MD100 above I read about in Readymade magazine, and seems like not TOO much work to put together, and looks great done. I read somewhere the cost would be about 1500- 2000 smakkas.

The Modern Shed I've read about for a long time, and might have first gotten me on the kick. Quite a bit mo pricey, and still get shipped flat, so I'll order my extra back muscles at the same time.

The Craftsman Shed is run by a local Austin dood, so putting it together happens by him as I sip a martini and complain about the heat. It only takes him a week or two to put up, and I like that he has a real good breakdown of pricing options/add ons.

I saw this shed by Joseph Sandy whilst boppin around Door Sixteen's flickr account. It's made of recycled redwood fencing, and sounds like he's gonna start selling em sometime later this month. Could I make something like that? Prolly... not. Maybe in some years from now? Who is offering a "Learn to Make Yer Own Kewl Shed" class? I need to graduate with a Master's minimum.

Still Mod After All These Years

2009-08-05T09:21:00.003-05:00

Been meaning to blather about a sweet anniversary weekend that I had with my wife a few weeks back. By sweet I mean "sweet" and "sweet". We kept our activities on the mod tip as it turned out.

We stayed one nite at the Kimber Modern, tucked away behind the Continental Club, and basically across the street from the San Jose. The place was great- filled with custom made this and that mixed with fancy designer chairs, lights, and decor. We sat in egg chairs whilst not being able to do the NY Times crossword, and drinking complimentary wine.

Then we headed off to check out the Kirk Gallery for the first time. It RULES. The woman working there was wicked friendly, and they carried this great line of furniture made in Mexico City all outta plywood. The company is Pirwi. Check it if you like rad.

They also carried a variety of goodies I've only seen on the 'net, and not in real life... like this here planter I done talked about a year and a half ago. This stuff KILLS me. So awesome.

We topped off the evening with a late night dinner at Olivia, nestled next to the porno shop and taxidermist. After stuffing grandma and picking up a Jugs mag, we popped in for some delightful fare of Texas grown delights. Not a bad way to celebrate 12 years of wedded bliss.

Lake Trippin

2009-08-03T07:53:00.007-05:00

Sorry for the serious lack of posts here yous, but you see the family and I just got back from the crystal clear waters of Higgins Lake Meeeeeeeeechigan!

Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to become uber famous with a filing cabinet, then leave all my new lovers in the lurch, but when you have the chance to go to Higgins Lake, you take it!

Word has it that National Geographic Magazine ranked Higgins Lake as the "6th Most Beautiful Lake in the World." My family has been going there since the Big Bang, so this it the only lake I knew growing up. We moved to Texas when I was a youngster, and lakes here... well, I don't think they cracked the top ten on that list of pretty lakes. Or the top million probably. Lucky for us though, my grandparents have a place right on the lake. With a boat. We live the good life for a week once a year with em.

My grandpa was like, "I don't get it. Why'd you take a picture of the logs?" You might ask yourself the same...

The other part about Michigan is the state is slathered with cool mid century items and houses. I mean Herman Miller Headquarters is in Zeeland, Michigan you know? And scattered throughout my grandparents' house are cool numbers like this lamp... I'm hoping it'll be left to me along with the homemade strawberry jelly down in the basement freezer.

It was Claire's first time to the lake... It won't be her last.

Design Sponge Lowers Standards & Allows THIS In!

2009-07-24T08:34:00.003-05:00

I knew the day would come when the filing cabinet planter would be more popular than I... actually, it ain't no stretch- the dog is also way more popular to our 8 month old than I. ANYWAY, back to the more popular inanimate object, the filing cabinet planter was on Design Sponge for chrissakes! And everyone has been so nice with their comments... I know some in the designy world can be a little on the cold side, but Grace at Design Sponge is all aces! Anyhoo, go check it out and get your snark on if need be.

This slab o wood could be yours!

2009-07-23T13:24:00.001-05:00

Ye olde Mesquite Treat is up for grabs on my esty site. Who is it going to? MAYBE YOU? Callers are standing by...

Filing Planter Returns!

2009-07-22T10:32:00.003-05:00

I ended up leveling out the beds to the filing cabinet planter... and threw in this "Before" shot for posterity.

I think this jazz looks better now as one cohesive unit, instead of different little beds stuck in their filing drawers. More pics below, then I promise to not go overboard on this filing planter banter no mo.

Mesquitey Treat in the Texas Heat

2009-07-20T14:15:00.005-05:00

A while back, Claire and I went on a wood hunt via some Craigslist post. After the two of us discussed, we picked up this slab o mesquite with the cool sapwood rings, wormholes and roughness on the edges.

After some quality time scraping and sanding to a fine smoove surface, I slapped on some Watco Danish oil (since it seems like the Danes have a good thing going, and I had this in the garage) and let it marinate.

I attached some hairpin legs and voila! Mesquitey table/bench thang! It ain't exactly done, for I'm gonna poly the beast, but it does hold quite a heavy load, as seen in pic below...

I'm gonna put this thing on my etsy site when it's all finished (Crocs not included with purchase).

File that under DONE.

2009-07-17T10:23:00.004-05:00

Honestly, I don't know how it happened, but I finished some golldang projects up in har. I painted those supports, (and the screen door- might post a pic if I'm bold enough to go back outside ever agane)- but check it out. Filing cabinet turned planter is DONE. I built some quicky planter boxes and put em inside each drawer slot, then spray painted it yellow...

Then I blew my entire Big Red Sun gift certificate (thanks Amber) on these succulents, and WHAMMO! BIG YELLA PLANTER!

Luckily I timed my excursion to the place after they had just picked up some new plants from their growers. Unluckily, I also showed up on said day they decided to go to the growers/close the store.

Need to get me some mo potting soil to raise these beds a touch. This succulent is pretty radical.

To keep on the painting tip I MAY git a wild hair to paint those poles that hold up our party cover (read weird old carport in the backyard) that are all rusted and seen in the background here. I also might wait til Texas is moved to Canada before starting that project.

The Battle is Over...

2009-07-08T14:59:00.004-05:00

The Before:

The After:

Finally these supports are done! Geez doods. Never in a million years did I know the pain of paint scraping in 100 + heat. I gotta hand it to those roofers... they are nutzo.

The real lame part is that there are still chunks o old paint that I just couldn't scrape. I tried, mind you, but could NOT get it all... and after several attempts, stubborn 70 year old paint and heat induced delirium win the battle.

Think I'm going to paint the screen door this navy-ish color too. Then get on those concrete planters to put in that empty zone on either side of that sidewalk. I'll be sure to get on all that soon as it's January. For now, it's icy beverages in the AC, and dreaming about that cool Michigan lake that we'll be diving in come this time 3 weeks from now.

Artwork & the Hottest Coolest Time in TX

2009-07-02T08:05:00.005-05:00

Well, one small task was actually completed, which is a rarity these days. Julie got me this conglomerate of Jenn Ski Letter Art to spell Claire's name in ye olde nursery... not only that, but said artwork actually made it up on the walls. Such completion can not be said of the file cabinet planter, unfinished porch supports, or detailed Mini Cooper that needs to be sold stat... which just reminded me that I had a dream this morning that an old coworker came over and washed my car. Maybe I'll leave a bucket in the driveway, and send that guy some serious power of suggestion.

Screw unfinished projects and baby raising. We're going to Schlitterbahn y'all. Claire can maybe go next year, but this year it's just the "adults" gittin tubular.

Cuttin, Coolin, and Sweatin

2009-06-26T15:51:00.006-05:00

This is a wicked mish mash of a post... Soundtrack as I type is the constant growling of a 7 month old who would rather sound possessed than take a snooze. Anyhoo, here's a pic of cutting board in action, so it worked at least once.

This weekend is the Cool House Tour here in A-Town. We'll be attending. We're hoping two things. Thing One: Get some wicked rad ideas on how to best add on to our house. Ideas that are energy efficient, look cool, and add room to the joint in case there's another growler in the future. Thing Two: Several thousand free dollars end up in our savings account to complete said pie in the sky. I've been reading the "My Remodel" section over at Inspired Austin, and it's well... inspiring.

Also going to a rock show this weekend. Thank God. Long stints without rock shows make a bald man lame and blahhhhed out. Sweatbox Studio is turning 16, and is having a couple good shows. The vast majority of Licorice Tree Records stuff was recorded there, and Mike Vasquez is a wickedly nice guy. Anyone who is ready to rock, lettuce go to Emo's! I'm going to the Sat nite show, so if you don't want to see me, go on Friday nite.

Belated Board

2009-06-17T10:08:00.003-05:00

So I have a variety of projects goin on, and finally one is finished. Finished WAY late, but finished. I made Ma a Mother's Day present cutting board... however Mother's Day was last month.

This is maybe the most manly item I've made... or at least the old-manliest, as I feel like this may be the kind of item those 90 year old woodworker types might be into.

However, I actually got the idea from ReadyMade Magazine (where'd that gift subscription go anyway?) and only youngsters read that right? Here's the thing... you gotta have mad straight cutting skills to make this dood. I'm good at cutting stuff that doesn't have to be wicked straight, so this was a challenge, and why mom got her present on Father's Day instead.

I also made her a cutting board in Junior High (read- Middle School to the little ones keeping up) which was two pieces of wood glued together. She only had half a cutting board in due time, and I believe said halfboard is still in use. So this is the updated version eons later.

I did me lots of table sawing this round, which is my most feared machine. I know it can (and strongly desires to) cut my flesh way easier than it can cut this maple... Also spent days scraping and scraping with my cabinet scraper, as seen in pic one... small piece of metal that works way faster than some measley piece of sandpaper. Put some feet on, poured a ton of mineral oil over the top and bottom of this bad boy, and cutting board COMPLETE! Ma also gave me a present in return... both parents went to Memphis and swung by Goner Records (which ma deemed a "dumpy little hole in the wall") just for me, and brought me back a shirt. That's love. She deserves a cutting board.

Paint Paint Go Away

2009-06-15T09:15:00.003-05:00

For the past few weekends, and a few days in between, I've been out scraping these metal supports on our front porch.

I would say short of having a kidney stone lodged in my ureter, this is one of the worst times I've gone through. Putting on a mask, hat, goggles and gloves, whilst glopping crazy bad chemicals on top of cancer inducing lead paint in 100 degree weather does not a happy man make. The worst part is the amount of paint I get off per scrape. I want all the effort to yield massive amounts of paint/paint stripper sludge, but taking off the white paint, then the brown paint, then the white paint underneath is taking waaaay too long.

Our next door neighbors busted me in the late afternoon when I'd hit some sort of sun induced delirium, and had a burst of dance funk singing-out-loud energy listening to King Khan & The Shrines do their hit Welfare Bread. I'm hoping some Lead Paint fairy comes in the middle of the night to finish this job, as it seems like it won't end any time soon.

Outie on Scoutie

2009-06-05T09:02:00.003-05:00

Big ups to Jan and the Scoutie Girl site for tossing my table into their mix of rad Mid Century type finds on Etsy. I'm hoping to drop that price here shortly, and let the table flood begin.

My, what lovely legs you have

2009-06-04T10:03:00.009-05:00

Since the new found love/hate for my table has resurfaced, I thought I really need to work on bringing down the cost for this mutha. Honestly, the vast majority of the cost that goes into the table is the wrought iron hairpin legs. They are hard to come by, and pricey when you find some (check the ebay selection). Either they are original 50s gems, in a variety of states, or brand new legs made by a select few joints. Both options come with a hefty tag.

So during a boparound ebay session looking for something that can reign in my unkempt hoses that are dumped in a pile in my yard, I find this couple that makes iron hose holders... and weathervanes, and the like. I says to myself I says, "if they can bend iron for a hose holder, could they not make me some hairpin legs?" I then e-says it to the couple, who cranked one out that day, and mailed it off to me. Now I have 12 more coming at a much better rate than I used to get these guys. The internet is a marvelous device. I'd better start with the making! And hopefully others will start with the buying. Ain't they heard the market's turnin' around? Soon all those new home buyers will be clamoring for TABLES! TABLES! TABLES!

Baldy has Arrived!

2009-05-31T09:58:00.004-05:00

So when I started making stuff, I thought I'd try to get some people to notice my goods, and maybe sell some. I read lots of goofy design blogs, and some I lightly bug, and some find me, and kindly write about my wares... but not til now do I feel like I've really made it. I've been snarked! Enough of the kind words and niceities... I've been wanting the non-critiquey, just flat out "I'm-gonna-take-a-dump-on-your-stupid-furniture" that only a snarky anonymous d-bag can really whip up, and I hit the jackpot. Thanks to Grassroots Modern for writing about my table, but thanks more to JJ's snark. I'm finally someone.

Industrial Designin & Porch Sittin

2009-05-20T09:52:00.003-05:00

I got me a sweet email from Oscar over at the Behance Network saying that my pendant lamp is on their Industrial Design Served site they developed, "to further showcase the best projects in the Behance Network, within specific industries." Hi there. Chad Kelly- Industrial Designer. Anyway, my lamp is easin' its way down the list as fellow industrial designers git recognized.

In some much needed nonlamp news, Julie and I picked up these swank new chairs for our bare front porch.

We went to Ikea to get some sweet solar lights for the new landscaping but they are sold out and don't show signs of getting any in, SOOOOOOO... in order to not lose my mind for driving way out there on mother's day for not, we hit the "As Is" section, and saw these Ostero Chairs that appeared too good lookin to be there. We asked, "what the hay with these chairs?" and were told they were floor models and are marked down 30%.

Nowadays, I get to sit out on the front porch after a nice morning walk with Claire and Chester, and wave at the cute college girls as they go by, who are smiling in my general direction... I'm assuming it's because of my ripped body glistening in the sunlight, and not the cute baby in my lap or the sweet dog at my feet.

Lip Sync from Days of Yore

2009-05-14T08:02:00.001-05:00

Baldy's been busy with the post Lamp Party blues by doing mad mad rehearsing for Julie's 9th Annual Lip Sync/Karaoke B Day party. More difficult with a baby to rehearse, but it's still gittin done. This sync Julie and I did in our old house. Nows a days, we have to do it outside... 30% chance of rain on sat nite. Ergh. The sound and video on this thing USED to be outta sync, but I guess You Tube got their act together, and did us a solid.

Bald Man Modscape

2009-05-06T17:50:00.010-05:00

Bald Man Mod Pad and landscaping during le renovation:

Le Pad now:

Been trying to fix this landscaping nightmare before the neighbors call the Yard Patrol on my ass. We don't have a legit Yard Patrol, but I could be shamed to death with neighborly dagger stares. Tossing around the idea of making two concrete planter boxes to go on either side of that sidewalk in the front there. MAY be too large of an undertaking? We'll see.

Here's one side of the front landscaping. The only thing left standing from the days of yore is the agave plant, and a smattering of rogue weeds. Did you check out that solar panel? If not, do so now... it powers the fountain inside that pot. This should look better once the boys start growing.

Here's the other side of the landscaping dreamland. Whilst planting, I had a stranger pull over in front of the Mod Pad to ask me about the kind of mulch I use. I like to think that someone is asking me for some landscaping tips. Never happened during the house's pink fuzzy stage above... I only remember the cute girl and her, "Oh my gaaaaaaaaawd" comment as she walked by.

Here's the fountain in sun-powered action!

The rockstar of the right side of our house is this here purple cordyline. Guess it doesn't do well in the winter time so we'll see what happens, but for now it's totally rocking those little groupie plants, and is all, "ladies ladies ladies... give cordy a little room!"

Mo Bettah Recap

2009-05-06T11:22:00.007-05:00

Annie over at My Ranchburger (who put this sweet collage of pics together) came in from Space City to cover last weekends design mayhem, and does a way better job than I. Check it out if you ain't sick of me blathering about it (or maybe if you'd like a better perspective). Now that lamp makin is outta the way, I can concentrate on perfecting my annual lip sync performance for my wife's wicked birfday party.

M+D+F 2009 Recap

2009-05-04T09:53:00.007-05:00

The big day in the sun has come and gone. Here's a slight recap of a baldman, his lamp, and the M+D+F Exhibition at Design Within Reach.

My pa, my daughter, my lamp, and my first admirer are in this shot. Dad came to help me hang this guy the day before the exhibit, and it seemed a little dwarfed next to the giganto Shade Pendant DWR sells. The upside is it gets to stay there all week long, and maybe it can be seen through the window if you are walking by on all fours and angling your head just so.

I must admit that I didn't talk to many people who made stuff because I ended talking to all my awesome friends who came to support my woody creation... so names of designers or whatevs I slacked on... I do know that the woman who made these crazy lamps was named Gian and she won best in show. I won honorable mention like all the others who didn't get some propa props/chest bumps. I'm down with that.

I was also into the double duty of these end tables. One is End Table/Guitar Amp and the other is End Table/Grill. Rad.

The dood who made this beast I did talk to- Eric. He made this giant light out of styrofoam packing that can be found inside Apple Laptop shipping boxes. Looks cool. He won the best sustainable award. Really creative.

That's all I got. There were other entries too, but they deserve better than to end up on my goofy blog anyway. If you find yourself on 2nd Street, and aren't late for your massage or whatever, feel free to stop by Design Within Reach and feast your peepers on that lamp... should be there all this week, unless it gets in a scuffle with that beefy guy next to it. My lamp would lose the battle.

Music to build by...

2009-04-22T09:34:00.006-05:00

So I've been out back makin lamps these days. Weirdly, I've also listened strictly to one album during the entire process of each lamp. During lamp one, I listened to Mudhoney's Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge album, and it's SO good. Saw them a few months back and they are just as good now as they were in 1991, if not better. I MAY have over rocked that lamp, as when it arrived at the house of its new owner, it had an eight inch crack along one side. I had to remake er... which I did by listening to the same album at a lower decimel... should get there fine this time.

As if going back to 1991 wasn't digging into the archives deep enough, for lamp two I backed it up another 20 years and listened to Pink Floyd's Meddle over and over. Sometimes I got creeped out in the middle of the 23 minute long song Echoes, which is what they were going for I'm assuming. I love that San Tropez song though... So sue me. I didn't hear back from the person who bought this lamp... MIGHT be because it snuck up on her and attacked her whilst she slept.

I'm more than halfway done with the bamboo veneer lamp I'm entering into that M+D+F exhibition, and I brought it back to current day with that two man band I blathered about seeing/loving to slobbery bits during SXSW- The Black Diamond Heavies, and their first album, Every Damn Time. The only time I couldn't hit "play agane" was when Claire was sleeping, and I had the baby monitor on, so I got to listen to her flop around and wah sometimes. I'm assuming this will result with exhibit goers rocking their pants off, pulling them back up and pooping in them.

Deck o Cards

2009-04-15T17:18:00.003-05:00

I feel like one of those types that will get married in two weeks, still doesn't have the place picked out, but has the fancy napkins ready to go. Though I haven't finished making the actual lamp for this M+D+F thing, I have hand cut several chunks of scrap veneer into exact bidness card measurements, and stamped em with this quick design I whipped up (thanks to deanna who found the perfect branch). Maybe no one will pick a card up at the exhibit and I can veneer my walls with these doodads.

Baldy's Wild Ride

2009-04-14T11:02:00.005-05:00

Why would I pick this filing cabinet up downtown for 10 bucks, squeeze it into the back seat of the Honda Civic (with side door open), dodge the cops by taking back roads and alleyways til I got it back to home base?

So it could look like this here someday. Saw this gem at Big Red Sun, and thought, "maybe I could do that.... eventually." I'd like to think eventually soon, but... Anyhoo, 10 bucks beats the 600 smakkas I'd pay at Big Red Sun, and maybe we'll paint ours yellow. Some. Day.

This Just In...

2009-04-07T13:34:00.005-05:00

Says Vickie from Design Within Reach regarding my lamp submission in their M+D+F Exhibition:

Hi Chad,
Thank you for your recent submission. Our jurors have selected your entry to be on display during our event on 05/03/09. We will be setting up for the event on Saturday 05/02, 6-7pm. Please let me know if you will be able to participate.

Kind regards, Vickie

Looks like I suckered em in... Gonna have to look pro... like get some business cards and hair plugs or something? Something. I should at least make the lamp I guess. RSVP to see me win Best in Show on May 3rd! I asked Julie to be my handler. Least there will probably be some drinks or something.

Etsy and the Woody Stuff Therein

2009-04-07T08:39:00.005-05:00

I've been dorkin about these days on etsy, and looking at what other people, with better skills, do with wood. I often run around town picking up other peeps wood scraps, and think, "What can I do with these tiny pieces of real nice wood?" The couple over at Amischievousmarriage make these cool little fruit pedestals. Fun!

I once followed this thread on Apartment Therapy called "Story of a Table" which documented a custom made table built from reclaimed wood by the Lorimer Workshop. These days, they also have an etsy shop, and I saw this cool bench which seems so simple/radical it's blowin my mindhole.

I'd seen the focuslineart etsy site a long time ago, but for some reason, didn't realize they also do their tree ring art thang on hunks o tree! This is another thing I've done... collect little logs that I plan to cut up and do something cool with. I went down that road once, and forgot to read the name of the road when I turned on it... Thisiscrap Rd. Focuslineart obviously didn't live in the neighborhood.

The Black Elm Woodworking dood is perhaps my current fave. This SEWARD Coffee table is boss. Makes me go, "Oh, this is what professionals do with wood." I always read about people who grew up with their carpenter dads making furniture and that sorta thing. I grew up with my dad fixing up a 68 Camaro with 20,000 original miles, and still don't change my own oil... however, if he built our house or something, maybe I'd be at this level now... I'm just behind the curve, that's all. This is no dad slam. Please see how he built my patio.

This and That

2009-04-02T17:33:00.006-05:00

Probably one of the swankiest craigslist postings I've seen in a long time. It's a Vintage Mid Century Telefunken Delmonico Korting Stereo. Half of the cabinet is mirrored, padded bar, and the other side is stereo and record player. Rad rad rad.

In lamp news, I've sent one out and have another one in the works. Here is a pic of the two different veneers for the two different lamps after being all vacuum pressed and all. They look pretty good. Also just sent in my application for that M+D+F exhibition the day before it's due. I'm heavy on the slack these days which I chalk up to dealing with a baby who is hungry/needs entertainment/is crabby and needs a nap/is puking on me/has a wet diap/you name it. She did go to the UPS Store with me though, and mail off Lamp One. She also flirted with the cute lady in line behind me. Babies are pretty cool.

What I did for Spring Break...

2009-03-31T08:05:00.004-05:00

As a design departure, let's take a trip around Baldy's SXSW day show acts taken in... well, at least the ones he took a couple pictures of, that is.

For the most part, I'm a rock dood. I like rock and roll and bands with doods performing it. Might sound like a sexist? Maybe, but then there's Palomar. They are the cutest girls bringing the best pop ever, IMHO (Nicki had to tell me what that meant.) The pop is hard and fast and good. Downside was the lead singer had laryngitis, so there sets were a wee bit short/not EXACTLY up to snuff, but the first time I saw them this year, I had a free giant burrito and free dos xx's, so I'm not one to complain. Divya got to hang out with them, and gave insider's scoop to me about them. I could go on and on, but lettuce continue.

This girl is cute, and couldn't stop hitting on me whilst watching Palomar, so I took her to the next show.

We headed over to Breakaway Records to watch the Cynics play in the parking lot. The guitar player for the Cynics also owns Get Hip Records, and distributes some of my record label stuff, so I did ultra light shmoozing there... actually Julie did most of it for me. They were great, and have been doing it for who knows... 20 years? Probably longer... anyway, they had it down.

My fave act of the year was the Black Diamond Heavies. Two guys- one on the organ and one on drums. They are the best/loudest/gravel-iest rockandrollingist two guys I see play. I saw em twice actually- once at a bike shop (more free beer), and once again at Breakaway Records. Julie got to see them for the first time and recognized their badassness first hand. Everytime I see them, there's a line of people looking to buy stuff from them afterwards. I didn't take this pic, but the singer/organist was shirtless like this... and greasy. No- greezy...

Also got to see Jack O and the Tearjerkers play... FINALLY. Been trying to get to see them for a while now... especially since Jack O is Jack Oblivian of the Oblivians, AND plays in South Filthy on one Licorice Tree Records (toot toot). Anyway, Walter Daniels (also in South Filthy) is a local dood seen here playing harmonica (harp, if you rock) and is an all around super nice guy with way wicked skills, as seen in a short clip I shot below.

Anyhoo, another great time at South by Southwest... and ALL FREE. Day shows are the way to go. Back to designland soon.

Patio (Paddy-O) Kelly

2009-03-23T11:25:00.009-05:00

So it was spring break, and since I don't go to work no mo, I had it off. Ma and Pa decided to come down to Austin to visit their only grandchild, but I put Pa to work making a new decomposed granite patio under our weird carport/party cover. Imagine my chagrin coming out of the shower and seeing my dad already working. I decided to take pictures instead of picking up a rake. Bald guys are kind of a-holes.

After a couple more cups of coffee, I went out to help dad, and we had the party patio prepped, Patty! It WAS St. Patty's day, and it ain't cool to make guys with the last name of Kelly work on said day, but..

A big ole dump trunk dumped this pile of decomposed granite in our driveway/neighbor's yard. Thought mom was watching the baby! It's cool, we had shovels, so we dug her out pretty quickly.

Behold! Party patio!

Dad even washed off the tables and chairs fer us.

At the end of the day, he did get about 15 minutes of quality time with the leprechaun before we told them it was time for them to go home. They are allowed back when we landscape the front yard.

Weeds Man... weeeeeeeeeeeeeds.

2009-03-09T13:04:00.005-05:00

Brahs n sahs, we need some landscaping like nobody's bidness. We have new siding that looks great, and a new front door, and giant weeds that have bloomed up past the windows. I shant even take a picture...

So I've been perusing different pics to figure out what the hay. We need some serious xeriscaping since you know... they need little upkeep. I'm assuming dandelions could be considered xeriscaping... anyhoo, I have a solar powered fountain that needed a cool pot, and I saw these old guys whilst looking at Jenn Ski's Modern Landscaping flickr group. That same day, we went to the Birth of the Cool exhibit, and on display was that rad planter with the legs shooting through the middle!

I did get me a couple cool giftcards recently to Gardens and Big Red Sun. Those joints can burn up a giftcard by the time you park the car in the lot unfortunately... It's cool though- can't wait to use em. Also, pa is coming down to help me get some decomposed granite at the Natural Gardener to slosh around the backyard under the party cover (read: carport in the yard). We'll be on our way... been watching too much DIY Network, and need this chump to hit me up and fix up our yards for free. Til then, it's me, the giftcards, and these bitchin weeds.

WTF, DWR MDF! LOL...

2009-03-03T20:10:00.006-06:00

So there's this little joint 27 blocks due south of our haus called Design Within Reach. Heard of it? Anyhoo, they are having this thing called M+D+F. They say it's a little something like this here: "M+D+F 2009 is a juried exhibition of innovative furniture by emerging designers in the Austin area. Organized by the DWR Austin Studio and juried by local creative professionals in the design, architecture, art and fashion worlds, M+D+F provides an opportunity for peer, public and professional recognition for up-and-coming designers and firms."

Not that I'd call myself an up and coming designer, but I'm thinking about entering this gaywad lampshade in its pendant form, AND doing it outta bamboo veneer to make the hippies happy to boot. See, you can grow bamboo better than your beer gut, so it's environmentally friendly. Anyhoo, back to the wailing child and her milk concerns. I'll let you know when I get the rejection letter in the mail. Don't worry, Claire has her mother's disposition.

Museums Are Cool

2009-03-02T10:25:00.004-06:00

Baldman, wife, Jenn and baby claire all went to the museum yesterday. One of us for the first time. Finally Birth of the Cool is here that I talked about one zillion years ago. Though our docent was so so, the goods they had there were really great. I'm considering going back on some random Thursdays (free day) to see how those Eames cats made such cool stuff, and take some notes. Jenn also broke down this pic above by Karl Benjamin... broke it down as in, "how does one paint that?" She's in the artworld see, so that's her kinda breakdown. The Austinist had some other pretty good pics, including a superad birdhouse they had on display. They didn't let bald guys take pictures however. It's a cruel cruel world out there for baldies. We left as Claire was getting her fuss on, and went outside to catch some skin cancer on top of the pate. I prefer that to cold rain, however.

Lamps and Lamp Ladies

2009-02-16T12:56:00.009-06:00

Man, there has been some sweet sweetness rolling through this joint. Jaime over at Design Milk done blogged that pendant lamp, and Ted, the dang owner of Thin Air Press vacuum contraption, talked about the lampshade too, after giving me some helpful advice. Radical. Thangs is just coming up roses, ain't they?

Also, you guys seen this Hannah Nunn lady, and her rad lamps on etsy? I read an article about this woman, and how she walks a few steps from her home to her store in England, and turns on all her cool lamps, and makes her own stuff by the warm light when she's not selling funky lamps like hotcakes. Remind me to do the same in my next lampladyinleedslife.

Big Lights and Little Ladies

2009-02-08T20:24:00.006-06:00

So I went ahead and put this ole bendy piece of wood up on the etsy site, and had me some interest already, so that's cool.

Know what else is cool? This little lady... Julie is about to head back to work, so it'll be just baldy and the baby making wood lamps and dirty diapers. No snide comments on who is doing what, peanut gallery...

wood veener pendant lamp- ALIVE!

2009-02-06T20:36:00.008-06:00

So, I'm silently typing, as we've, possibly dumbly, put the crib in the same room as the computer. It definitely cuts back on me watching Cramps videos on you tube (R.I.P. Lux Interior). Anyway, on wit the show.

So I figured out a way to hang this lampshade pendant style, which really makes the most sense personally.

This week was my first time to Callahan's General Store, where I found me some parts that were never made to be attached to a mod pendant lamp, but that I purchased anyway.. and the old guys reminded me of my bros at Breed & Co.

I'm hoping this guy will sell on Etsy. We'll see.

This shot is kind of funny b/c I've taken down the old fam reunion frame that spans across that wall, put up my fave jennski pic in a really weird (some would deem creative) spot up against the door trim, and you can see my extra wire on one side and me actual ikea light on the other. Here's to not cropping!!! CLINK! Get your baldwoodencreation soon!

Wood Lampshade? Believe!

2009-01-23T17:31:00.006-06:00

So I made that mold to bend some wood for this wooden lampshade idea I've had for a long time now. Peep didn't understand really... why a wooden lampshade? How's that gonna work? I don't get that mold. Whatever, Baldy. I pressed on. Here I've wrapped my mold in a plastic garbage bag, laid 3 pieces of veneer over the top, glued em up, and put em in my vacuum bag. After this piece was done, I repeated said process, and made the other side of the shade.

Today, I stand before ye with the finished product. It's the longboard of lampshades.

Still gotta work out some kinks here and there. Figuring how to attach the two sides (which cracked the veneer as you see) and then attach the shade to the lamp is a wee tricky.

Think this dood would work well as a hanging pendant type lamp as well... especially since it's kind of a monster in length.

Thinking about working this up as another Etsy item. Baldmen watching babies at home sometimes need a break, and have a mom in law come over during napping bebe time whilst they go out and make rad wooden things for others. Need you one? Might I remind you I lost two jobs in 3.5 months? Take pity kind sirs and madames!

Gettin Moldy

2009-01-15T11:33:00.004-06:00

Something I've been wanting to do for a long time was bend some wood. No time like the present (read: laid off without a job in sight) to do something about it. I created this mold here out of 7 pieces of 3/4 inch MDF that i glued together and sanded down. I'm planning on sticking it in my Thin Air Press bag, along with a few strips of veneer, and vacuuming out the air to create one side of a wood lamp shade. Repeat for the other side...

Obviously, when it's on the lamp, the shade will have more of this sort of shape. Dig? Deets on fitting the two sides together and attaching them to the lamp are still in the depths of my shallow mind.

Sexiest Side Job Ever

2009-01-10T21:47:00.003-06:00

My fantastic friend Jenn done got me a job before I could get me a job. Well, at least a part time, week long job with some wicked upsides. I helped a couple doods build some display case/table jobs for an upcoming show at Arthouse downtown. Not only did I get to work with Jenn and see her every day, I also got to work in this old movie theater, which turned into Lerner's, which turned into Arthouse at the Jones Center. On top of that, I suppose they had some swanky hoedown up on the top floor, because these were the lights we used to saw, sand, and build by.

By far the most lovemakingest place I've ever worked. Stop by the Matt Stokes show coming up, and check out my handiwork. I'll meet you upstairs afterwards...

George W vs Bald M

2008-12-19T22:22:00.003-06:00

The prez and I have been going some rounds lately. I used to tell Julie that there's no way I'm gonna make it through two terms of George W Bush without him doing me actual physical harm, and most likely death. Well, I never got drafted but I did lose my job due to a struggling economy back in August, and once I found the best job I'd ever had, the economy hit them too, and Baldy has found himself jobless once more. I REALLY liked that job, George. Really. And I just had a baby. And it's the holidays, George. You've won you a couple rounds. Luckily today is 12/21, and if I can hold out for just one more month without being killed, hopefully Mr. Obama will help me out in one way or another... preferably by buying something off my etsy site. Honestly, my table got it this little round of buzz here at Industrial Design Served, here on Kelly Vanhook's site, and on an Etsy Treasury site (which has expired)... assuming it all has to do with Etsy choosing it as part of their Modern Design Gift Guide. I'm down with free advertising. And now I have nothing to do with the time on my hands, except make a table for you, a lamp for you, a wooden skirt for you over there, and anything your heart desires, Mr. President Elect. Anyone who wants to hire a baldman with a couple tools in his garage is welcome to contact this one.

DIY Eames Desk Side Table

2008-12-13T12:24:00.007-06:00

So just before all this big baby hubbub hit, I thought we'd need to have a little side table for the rocking chair in the nursery, and had to come up with one stat.

Several months ago, I went to an estate sale and picked up a bunch of these desktops that were originally attached to Eames chairs that ended up going overseas. The overseas buyer didn't wanna pay the extra shipping to get the desks too, so this guy is ready to unload em on the first baldman he sees.

I hit my fave Breed and Co to get some dowel rods, and used some old wrought iron hairpin legs I had in the garage, and whipped up this double decker Eames desktop side table in a couple hours. It seems to be doing the trick, as it's now covered in burp cloths, blankets, water glasses, breast pumps, boppies and an assortment of other items that were never in our house pre November 24th. Anyway, if I get some more hairpin legs, I might attempt to sell this table on Etsy?

Baldd is Hott

2008-12-07T21:13:00.003-06:00

Not to toot a baldhorn, but if you are looking for one of the "Hottest Designers on Etsy" in the realm of Modern Design, you've come to the right place. The Etsy Gift Guide picked this little gem of a table to tack on to the list. Now if someone would actually listen to said guide, we'd be honkin instead of tootin.

Baldmanmoddad

2008-12-04T14:25:00.005-06:00

Baldy's been busy... raisin him the next generation. New and improved... with tons of hair!

Please forgive my lack of action. I have another sumpin in the works that'll be up here shortly, but til then, there's this 1.5 min vid of my door thang.

OLD/NEW Door Part Two

2008-11-10T20:57:00.008-06:00

So this vulture flew directly at me then landed on our house the morning I decided to take off the front door, and put some fresh windows in it. My superstition made me quiver at first, but by the end of the day, my rad door and I were eating his dead carcass instead of the other way around.

This is the interior side of our door. Check out that wicked 3D waviness... Almost tempting one to dive into its pool of swirling gold. Also a reason I didn't really want to get a brand new door.

In Door School 101, you learn that the exterior side of the door is actually smaller than the interior side... helps with that smooth swinging action. (I've resisted making a dumb "swinger" joke here).

ANYHOO! After our supernice hippie professor neighbor helped me lug this monster to the backyard, I went to town. David Erwin over at Crestview Doors wrote these great instructions on how to cut big holes in your door without freaking out... they also include perfectly drawn out, scientifically formulated window placement options that are based on the type of window shape you get. I chose the Ledgestone layout, which seems to go best with our mail slotted door that we can't really remove.

Basically, after tracing the trim onto the door, you whip out a drill with a fat bit, drill a couple holes, then stick a jig saw down into said holes, and cut out the rectangle. Again, there's this diagram on the instructions that lists a cut sequence to make a pretty fine rectangular hole.

After gittin jiggy, I did have to do a little fine tuning to get each of the kit pieces in... better that problem than realizing I've cut me some oversized holes that vultures can easily fly through to eat the corpse my preggo wife turned me into when she found out I've ruined our front door. Catastrophe diverted!

It got dark upon my bald head, and I wasn't done- dadgum Central Standard Time. Final steps are like this here. Put the trim on the exterior side of the holes, then flip your big boy door over... squeeze a bit of silicone in the trim, and put the glass in it. Grab the other side of the trim, and screw it into its exterior counterpart. I found that putting a flat surface under the door provided some needed pressure so that ole screw won't just push the trim out on the other side of the door. The predrilled screw holes are counterbored, so once they are screwed together, you can cut off a piece of dowel rod, stick it in the bored hole, and sand er down so you don't have to look at that ugly screw head.

Julie and I found this stain that matches our door color pretty well. We purchased 13 ketchup packet samples of the stuff and that was plenty. Then our good friends the Taylors came over to help us rehang the big sucka. SO NOW...

BRAND NEW/OLD DOOR! It's Miller Time!

OLD/NEW Door, Part One

2008-11-09T22:19:00.010-06:00

Bruthas and Sistahs! Baldman is back, and in full force.

Over the weekend, I slid back into the Crestview Doors wacky workshop to bust out my own set of door lite kits.

If'n you are in the market for a wicked new door, but feel like, you know... you HAVE a pretty good door, and just need to jazz it up a bit, THIS might be your answer. It's a fun filled day of DIYness that, honestly, those boss neighbors of yours were doing in the 50s probably every weekend. Just get some windows, cut some holes in your door, and put em in!

If you are lucky... and if you beg and plead... the baldman can make yours for you personally. Maybe I'll work up some sort of bald stamp to put on it... maybe my face across your window.

The stuff looks pretty sweet. By "stuff" I mean my face. Check back for the finished product. Check back say... tomorrow.

Manly Wednesday: Mocktoberfest

2008-10-22T22:24:00.006-05:00

Man, here's the thing of it... first of all, who does Scarlett Johansson think she is getting married at 23?!? I mean, I know I'm older than Woody Allen practically (and married), but... I love beaches, balls, cherries, looking at the sun... c'mon Scarlett!!!!! You've broken my bald heart.

Tonight is Oct 22nd... not only is it my good friend Allen's b-day, but it's also one day LESS than a month from our bebe's due date. Come Nov 21st, Bald Man Mod Dad takes full effect. Tonight I had this sad solo Octoberfest meal involving grilled chili cheese dogs, bbq chips, and a hearty Fat Tire beer. I says to myself I says, "Self, maybe next year, you'll be in Berlin for Oktoberfest!", and self says to me back he says, "Fat chance, fat tire fat sucka... have a double dose of those chips and call it a year... on second thought... I think you've had enough chips."

So I drag my fat, bald, Scarlettless body into the soon-to-be nursery, and put some final touches on this chest o drawers I've been workin on... It used to be mine growing up, and before that was my uncle's growing up in the 50s. Actually his daughter just had a baby on Friday. She's 6 years younger than I. I'm not sure what all this means, but I'm off to buy a Trans Am with T tops tomorrow.

Movie Watchin/Band Rockin

2008-10-15T22:56:00.002-05:00

Yous know there's a rad documentary playing at the Austin Film Festival tomorrow nite called Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman? The fantastic geezer who photographed all the modern homes since the beginning of modern homes- such as this here Case Study House 22 pic he took. DOUBLE CHECK THIS OUT! Julius Shulman is gonna be there in person at the ripe old age of 98, and baldman's friend's dad, Bill Merriman (space city architect) is gonna do a Q & A! Check that link above fer show times/locations and the like... but the Q & A is going to be on 10/16 at the Rollins Theater... 7pm- see you there!

And for those about to rock... The Bloody Tears are playing a show at the Scoot Inn on friday with another great band called Ripe. Get a double dose of bald if you're nasty.

Baldman the III update...

2008-10-13T17:29:00.001-05:00

This lady be making me do stuff... bebe stuff. I be doin it bald man mod style tho, so I'm keepin it rell.

On this semi unexpected 3 day weekend, I got a lot of stuff done. Finished up th built-in veneering, completed the changing table, and today I put together the crib. Holla.

You catch you a glimpse of that Frank Lloyd Wright stencil near the ceiling? Got that for Christmas...

Amy Coe brings you her crib. It beat me senseless. Almost literally. The sides crashed down on my bald pate, and scraped my new changing table in the process...

What? New changing table? Right brah... First time using paints and finishes for the green minded/newly born. Low VOC style, and mineral oils. Actually, the velvit oil is my new fave finish... easy to apply and sand, and only needs one coat. and you can eat off it. Anyone need a wooden microwave? I'm yer baldman.

A Siding Tale

2008-10-03T23:08:00.005-05:00

So back in May, we had us a litte hail storm. It made our house look like this.

After State Farm screwed us out of several thousand dollars, we decided to just bite the siding bullet, and yank down (read "have skilled pros yank down") our old crummy vinyl siding that was put up lord knows when... 70s some think? Who knows. Anyway, since the siding was nailed directly into the original 1937 wood siding, and it had quite a few spots of rot, we are going hardie plank style on the sucka.

Upside to having an old house is the abundance of solid wood used. One could pick any spot on any wall of our house, and hang a Caddy Escalade by a thumbtack without fear of it falling to the ground.

The other day, this cute young girl was going by the house, and I saw her look straight at our house and say OUT LOUD to herself, "OH MY GOD." Guess the pad ain't really raking in the chicks.

Other upside is we now have insulation up in da crib. Our next door neighbor told me he was thinking about getting this similar look for his house, but I told the brah... we already have the pink fuzzy thing, and everyone will know who the original PF was. Bring it university professor. Real men live in cotton candy abodes.

Collectin Dust

2008-09-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

On day two of my new job, I put together a dust collector. A few days later, we put together an entire dust collection system. At the house, I've been making a changing table sorta contraption. Luckily, I have this awesome dust collection system installed as well. It's my sweaty bald head.