ABOUT

Hello!

Welcome to Turtles and Tails! I'm so glad you stopped by my corner of the world.

I'm Barb and I'm addicted to DIY & crafting. Unfortunately, I'm also addicted to having a roof over my head and food on the table, so I'm stuck daydreaming about projects while I toil away as an accountant.

Someday I'd love to be able to focus on refinishing and reselling furniture full time, but until then I'll keep my day job. An accountant who's artsy/craftsy - kind of an oxymoron, isn't it?

My partner in crime is my husband, Tom. 

We work well together because he likes to wrangle the power tools while I take care of the painting and crafting. He's much better than I am at visualizing a project before we even start - I have to draw everything out and take measurements, while he just knows. He's also a mechanic in real life so he has a pretty good grasp of electrical and plumbing issues.

We round out the family with our two dogs, Chloe and Sasha.

Chloe, nicknamed "The Pants", is a Mastiff-Rottweiler cross and just about the sweetest dog you'll ever meet. Watch out for that tail - it's her happiness meter - and if she really likes you you'll feel it. We like to call her our catdog. She wants to be in the room with you, but she'll only come over and snuggle if she feels like it. And then she'll leave when she's had enough. But she loves everyone and if you're petting her head she'll melt against you and never leave. Doesn't she have the prettiest eyes? Just look at that perfect eyeliner. So jealous.

Sasha, nicknamed "Little Dog", is a full Rottweiler and our resident goofball. I don't think anyone told her she's supposed to be noble and serious. She'll try anything to get Chloe to play with her and she'll fluff the dog beds and blankets just to make you laugh. While I can take 10 pictures in a row of Chloe and they'll all look the same, I have trouble getting one picture of Sasha that isn't a blur. That girl is a whirlwind. But she's also the biggest snuggler. She is always up for a hug or a belly rub. And at nine o'clock each night her energy switch just shuts off and she collapses with her head on your lap to sleep. She's 80 pounds, but she's still a lap dog.

So why Turtles and Tails? Well, first because of the dogs of course. But also because of my love of turtles. It started when we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii (where Tom accidentally got up close and personal with one) and hasn't let up. I got a picture of this guy below when we went back in 2010. Now, when we go on vacation, we always make sure to find a carved wooden turtle to take home as a souvenir.

When I started this blog, I thought it would just be about DIY and decorating, but I often go off on a tangent and post whatever recipe I'm trying out, our vacation photos, or a story about the dogs that I just have to share. I really love showing off our projects, even the ones that don't work out. And I try to provide step-by-step instructions when I can. Hopefully there's enough here to keep everyone entertained.

If you want to connect with me in other ways, I'm also on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. Or you could drop me a line at bamarshall@hotmail.com.