Posts in Category: Personal
Pixels on Paper Studio construction update
You might think that just because you have not heard an update on the studio construction in a while, that we MUST be finished right? Wrong…unfortunately.
It has been a busy fall for Pixels On Paper with lots of outdoor photo shoots, mountain weddings and plenty of travel across both NC and VA. We are extremely thankful for the busy times, it just means we have to put on hold some construction at the studio. And now with the cold weather heading our way to settle in for a few months, what better time to have the shooting space ramped up and ready with the heat for some fabulous shoots!
Yes, we have had some shoots in the space already and have sets waiting on our awesome clients to swing in and help us break it in some more! Misty has done an amazing job finding the perfect pieces to put together to make sets that show our style perfectly. The sets are not your normal sets, they have a glam factor that we feel people will love with lots of sparkle and texture. They are prefect for young children, seniors, maternity and family shoots. We still love the freedom for the outdoor shoot opportunities, but if the weather decides to not cooperate, we have options now that we never had before.
What we still need to get finished on the studio side is the lobby, changing room and the consult space, all which are getting close, but not quite there with the finishing touches. We want the whole experience to be amazing from the time you walk through the front doors, to the photo shoot and even afterwards during the viewing/ordering session. We consider our clients as friends and friends deserve the best experience, and we will do that with this space more so than we could before.
These photos show the progress of our construction from June 2012 until today, November 1, 2012.
We haven’t outsourced much of the work in the grand scheme of things. But there were major components where we relied heavily on outside expertise and brought in the pros. Jeff and Josh, a team of two electricians from MECI worked for 3 solid weeks in the house bringing everything up to code and most importantly installing all the new speaker wire, computer cables and recessed lighting (which is enough that Misty’s Dad likes to say “can light up all of Wilkesboro”. Drilling and fishing wire through walls, floors and ceilings that are comprised of 1″ tongue and groove pine wood and drilling holes in original rough sawn 3″ x 7″ pine beams was no easy task.
Steve Garlock was on hand four weeks initially taking care of all the drywall repairs in the walls and ceilings where popcorn texture was removed. After Misty realized how long it would take to paint every square inch of the interior of the house by herself she had Steve stay on and they both tackled the painting together. Without Steve we would still be painting. In the time it took Steve to trim an entire room Misty had done a closet. He is crazy good and fast.
Chris and Red of Blanton Tree Works were outside for 3 days trimming and trying to bring about healthy growth to our huge 150+ year old Ash trees. Not one limb even touched the house or caused damage despite the precarious positions they were hanging in. And the best news is that the trees are still doing well and dropping much fewer limbs.
We decided when we bought the house that the existing upstairs carpet was nasty and had to come out and we would love hardwoods to go in its place. After searching we found a great deal on some walnut hardwoods (Thanks Ronnie at Munday Hardwoods!!) that has amazing color and character, exactly what we were looking for! What we did after we found it, was think that we could install it ourselves. And we did… and in the process, both of us found a whole new respect for people who install flooring for a living. It took us over a week (8 loooong days) of torture to get the flooring in all 1,100 square feet of it. Not that I was counting, but thats 8,371 staples 2″ long fired to hold the flooring down. Neither of us could have imgined the pain we would have at the end of the day; backs ached, hands pounded with pain, and knees refused to work like they should. Aleve and ibuprofen and tylenol all worked to help us make it the next morning to go through it again. It took our bodies a solid 2 weeks after the work just to recover.
Which brings us to Kenny and Craig Mathis of Mathis Hardwoods. Apparently in this part of the state there is no one better at hardwood flooring. The previous owners of the house informed us about Kenny and Craig having had worked on the floors in the early 90s. We decided to bring them back since obviously they knew what they were doing the last time. The floor downstairs in the original rooms are partly quarter sawn oak probably from the 1910s. In the dining room, added in the 20s, were Heart Pine floors and in the kitchen, added who knows when, were 6 different layers of flooring about 5 inches thick with the last being linoleum. We wanted to keep the integrity of the oldest hardwoods downstairs, get rid of their yellowed coloring and sun-bleached spots, loose the weird transitions between rooms, and have the floors match throughout the entire downstairs. Simple right? That’s why we called in the Mathis brothers. 3 weeks of sanding, installing more oak, sanding, staining, coating, and more sanding. Oh yea the bonus, they are hilarious, love to pick and joke and they are great singers. Each taking turns singing gospel hymns over the noise of the sander or nailer. In the end they were indeed the best. The only problem is that they made the job look easy. Bear in mind the downstairs floors were actually finished before we tackled installing the upstairs hardwoods ourselves. We really do have a new found appreciation for the work they did.
As for the portions of the house that we will live in, we are closer to moving in than ever. The kitchen is all but done, with some lighting, a little tile work and then stocking the cabinets, and what an exciting feeling that is! We have done all of the cabinet building (Thanks IKEA!!) and appliance installation ourselves. Thanks to all of the completely square walls and floors that are flat, it was all a breeze… OK, not really (someone REALLY needs to come up with a sarcasm font…) In a house that is over 150 years old, you expect some things to have settled a bit, which makes carpentry finishes a bit of a challenge. It adds to the slow going, but in the end it is looking amazing if I say so myself. And besides, those sloped floors that we decided not to level out will make easy entertainment for Chelsea and her favorite tennis ball.
The upstairs will be our living space with bedroom, den and a home office. There are lots of things that will make the place feel more like home, but those can happen while we live there. Our personal bathroom is currently pink… yes, pink, and light pink at that. It HAS to be updated at some point to suit our style, but for now, we will live with it.
Looking back, it has been a journey that we are both not only proud of, but both completely in love with. We love the fact that so many people have helped (and are still helping) to get us to our goal, and are so thankful and feel blessed. Looking forward, we see what we are doing as an opportunity to meet more friends and to share the talents we have been given with others. Here are only a few of our friends that have driven the distance and gone out of their way to pay us a visit and see the progress.
We will keep posting updates as things progress and would love the opportunity to show the space off to anyone who has time, and even better would be to schedule a shoot of your own to see it first hand.
pixels on paper studio under construction
You may have noticed a bit of an absence from the blog for a couple weeks. It was not for lack of things going on that we have not posted, but for the exact opposite reason, tons going on. If you follow us on Twitter or FaceBook, you may have noticed that there have been loads of posts about our new studio space and the renovations under way.
So far we have done a lot of repair work to the exterior of the space, including washing from top to bottom, repairing some rotten wood and painting, lots and lots and lots of painting. It was a family effort as it took four of us to install a new 14′ support beam under the house that will soon bear the load of our new kitchen.
Now most of the work outside is on hold and we have turned our focus to the interior spaces. We have grand plans for the studio side that we cannot wait to show. The electricians are almost finished with the task of running all the new wiring we need and surround sound throughout the house. We have removed 100% of the popcorn ceiling texture so far and tore out the old kitchen to make way for an updated and more suited to us space. We still need to get the floors refinished, the walls repaired and painted and the studio and office set up, which is no small task, and will take some time with a lot of thought and effort on our part. In the mean time we wanted to give all our fans a peek at what has happened on the outside.
Ryan got to have fun in a bucket truck while using it to replace gutters on the upper roof and paint the trim on the 3rd story dormer windows.
Removed and replaced a rotten beam under one side of the porch that was also supporting the front corner of the house.
The old tongue and groove porch was in dire need of a few coats of paint before it began to rot. It will need to be painted again after construction is complete.
Our repurposed store displays hung to give the wisteria a place to grow.
One of two rotten window sills that Ryan replaced.
Water damage at the side door ended up going all the way through the sub floor. Once again Ryan’s carpentry skills were put to the test and he passed with flying colors.
The landscaping outside was in dire need of help and family have taken over that task since Misty continues to get poison ivy whenever working in it.
We continue to be amazed at all the people who are stopping in to check on us and offer encouragement. Our clients continue to be our life, and for that we are thankful. We have gained so many friends through the years, and we hope that by what we are working towards will make that number grow for years to come.
We are also thankful to our families who have put in their fair share of the work. Without their love, support and back breaking work, none of this would have been possible. Blessed beyond measure does not begin to describe how we feel. This has been God’s plan for us all along, and we are excited that we are finally able to start to see what He has prepared us for through our journey so far.
If you are able to, and are in the area on the weekends when we are there the most, give us a shout and come on by to see the journey unfolding. And thank you in advance for our patience in dealing with us as we throw ourselves into the renovation because at times we may be slow to respond due to the work going on.
Stay tuned for more progress going on in the inside.
pixels on paper to open portrait studio in wilkesboro nc
Well, the day finally arrived that we have dreamed about for several years, agonized over paper work for months and spent sleepless nights imagining. We have taken the next HUGE step for Pixels On Paper and purchased our studio space.
The idea that we wanted a large space of our own was a thought for years and we were not sure how it would happen. We spent a lot of time looking at different location options, and finally landed on Wilkesboro, NC. It was a bit of a struggle because we wanted the small town feel and atmosphere without alienating our clients in Charlotte where we got our start. We feel that being a short driving distance, only a little over an hour from Charlotte, we get the best of both worlds.
We began our search looking at Main Street options with a cool studio street level and our private residence above. After many scenarios and different options on layouts, we quickly realized that either expense or limited availability would not allow that to happen. Finding a way to avoid passing additional expenses along to our clients was a high priority.
It was after a disappointing tour of a property that we were seriously considering that led to a drive on Curtis Bridge Road past a place we had written off earlier, still sitting empty. We pulled in, walked around the outside, peered through the windows and both began to get a certain feeling and just looked at each other and knew…THIS IS IT! It was completely opposite of the ideal space we originally had in mind but yet so much more than we could have imagined. We very quickly began the purchase process on the historic farmhouse house that was built in 1854. The process consumed us, taking lots of work, causing a few tears when the process wasn’t going as expected and four months later led to to the excitement of finally receiving the keys.
Although in great shape for being 158 years old, we will be working on the space longer than originally anticipated now that weekends are consumed by wedding season. The timing is not ideal but we realize that our timing is not what God had in mind for us. There are reasons that we will see later for why we have had to struggle to achieve our dream.
And just so there is a true appreciation of all the work that will transform this beauty located at 1198 Curtis Bridge Road in Wilkesboro here are a few of the “before” photos.
For all the wonderful clients who we consider friends, family and new people we are meeting through this process, thank you! We are so blessed to be able to do a job we love and be surrounded with such supportive and loving people.
As we move forward with the space, we will try our best to keep everyone updated on the progress through our blog, Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to check back and follow our journey, or if you would like to help, we will post when we will be there working, bring a fun attitude and be a part of it all.
Again, thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your lives and for all that you do for us, it does not go unnoticed.
With much love and gratitude,
Misty and Ryan
amy
At the moment I’m writing this tears are streaming down my face. In the middle of editing this very wedding I completely loose all control when I get to this image. With a little bit of composure I feel that I need to share. You may be thinking what’s so special about this photo? For me it represents incredible strength, it means dreams, hopes, and complete joy all coming true. For those who know Amy I hope you see it too.
You see, shortly after getting engaged a year ago Amy was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. When we met her and Rex for their first consult she was trying to plan a wedding while also preparing herself for the treatments that were to begin only a week later. I barely knew her but I knew lots fighting the battle and I was scared for her and Rex. I was scared for what they might loose and for what they might not get to enjoy. If I had known Amy then like I do now those fears may not have been so prominent. She is the most positive and encouraging person I’ve met. She had cancer beat before it even started, at least mentally that is.
This image is the very moment during their ceremony she and Rex turned to face their guests and were pronounced husband and wife. When I first saw this image on my screen I saw both of their smiles, big and larger than life. I saw happiness bursting at the seams. And then I followed her outstretched arm and saw the tattoo on her wrist and I thought to myself VICTORY.
Amy, you have and you will overcome. You are amazing. You are beautiful. Thank you for being a part of my life.
–Misty
august 2011 | the move
When we put our first home up for sale in December of 2010 I thought we had it all figured out. We had our sights on moving to Wilkesboro, NC and renovating an awesome live/work space where we could have an awesome studio and modern flat. Despite the horrible housing market we knew how much we wanted for our house, when was the ideal time for it to sale, how much we would have in our pockets to put down on the new place, etc, etc. Of course being a total Type A personality I had a plan A,B,C in place. My biggest and only fear was of the house selling in June, the absolute busiest wedding month of the year, when I simply could not squeeze another hour into the day for packing on top of shooting and editing. What I could not and did not plan was how utterly emotional the whole process would become or how much it would open my eyes to the work God was doing all along the way.
Ryan and I bought our first house together on August 22, 2004. It was cute and needed work but even then the deal I thought was to good to possibly be true. I remember being a leader on a youth mission trip one late night in Pittsburgh asking the youth pastor (who happened to be the same man who married us a year earlier) if we were making a mistake. Could this possibly be what God wanted for us, did we deserve it? After he laughed at me, he reassuringly put my mind at ease. We worked alongside family and friends for months renovating and improving and making our own mark on it. The major work continued room by room through December 2009. 7 years later there wasn’t a room or a wall that we hadn’t changed in one way or another.
What I learned is that Ryan and I made a great team. That we weren’t always going to agree on the process of getting from point A to point B. That major arguments would happen when were utterly exhausted. That laughter in the rooms we made sounded more beautiful. That I had the vision for the finished product and Ryan had the talent of a great handy-man and carpenter and could make my visions a reality. (I still think he can have a show on HGTV.) What I also learned is that all the labor and memories we made in that house made it harder to say goodbye.
Here are just a few of the major renovation before and after shots. Keep in mind we did all the work ourselves with some help from friends and family.
When the offer came through in late July with the closing date set for three short weeks later on August 19th (within 2 days of being exactly 7 years from the date we bought it) I suddenly went into a state of shock. All those well-thought plans seemed more like hazy dreams. The troops around me, mainly Ryan and my Mom, rallied to keep me on track. Once again looking back on it the deal seemed to good to be true. Now I know I was never really in control of the situation. What I had thought would be best for us wasn’t at all. What God had planned for us was so much greater. For example, there is no other time in the entire year that we have 3 consecutive weeks with no photo jobs on the schedule! If you had an hour of free time I could bore you with the long list of items that shouldn’t have happened or worked in our favor but they did.
The following shot was taken after a long hot day of packing on the very last day in the house. The trailer and cars were fully loaded and all that was left was for us and the animals to load up and hit the road for the 104 mile trip to the new place we would call home.
I cried and I still cry which even seems silly to me when the outcome is exactly what we wanted. I miss the place we called home and where we made so many of our first memories. We don’t yet have a location in Wilkesboro and Ryan is still working in Charlotte. We don’t have as much time together but I know all this is only temporary. Our dreams are being fulfilled without us even knowing. Seeing it happen and now fully trusting that God has it all planned out for us makes it much easier to relax and enjoy the ride.
Now that things are somewhat settled we are taking on the Fall photography schedule and looking forward to sharing the art that we create and the passion that drives it. Sorry for the extended break.