This Old House 2 – Page 168 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

Before and After – Front Door, Hall & Stairway

Originally the house had a center hall staircase with three surrounding fireplaces, the rear being the “keeping room”. If you are facing the stairs, which are immediately inside the front door, to the right was the dining room and the left was a study. About 50 years ago the owner of This Old House ripped out the stairs and installed a micro-mini bathroom in it’s place. There was a narrow stairway up to the second floor dividing the kitchen cooking area from the rest of the keeping room. We took that out and put the kitchen island there instead. Jeff and Mike came up with a plan to restore the old staircase design in the front hall and re-open the keeping room area.

Before – I loved this door, but sadly the wood was too rotted and not salvageable.

After… I love bullseye glass and it used to be very popular , fitting the time period of the house. They are a treasured antique now, but were once considered scrap.

” Until modern techniques were developed, one way of making window glass was to spin a blob of molten glass at the end of a tool called a pontil. Centrifugal force flattened the glass into a sheet, and when the tool was pulled away it left a characteristic bull’s eye mark. The relatively flat glass on the perimeter of this glass pancake was carefully cut into pieces and sold to the high-brows who could actually afford windows. What was left, the stuff with the bull’s eyes, went into lesser locations, like barns and sheds. “

Once inside the door… before the re-do, it looked like this…

In this picture you can see the hallway to the left with the mirrored bathroom door open.

(Now the refurbished staircase)

Now that the frame has been put back up and center chimney installed, Mike, Dominic (electrician) and Jeff (old home restoration expert) discuss logistics for refurbishing original style staircase…

That’s my office to the left..notice Ben’s “baby gate”.

Upstairs hall..kid’s door entryways on either side…

looking down…

We used old hardware when possible, this on the cellar door just beneath the stairs…my favorite. How many hands gripped the handle, thumbs in the imprint there to open that door over the past 200 years..

These are my $5. fleamarket pillows, a small red and white check.

Fair Day

Our first annual Artisan Fair was a success! Beautiful weather, ( a few Hail Marys and an Amen) and beautiful crafts from about 20 artisans. For those of you who are local and came down to support us, thank you so much, the best part of the day was getting to chat it up with friends and neighbors. Our Artisan Gallery is a year and a half old now, and we’re still flying by the seat of our pants, but enjoying the process and learning as we go. Some of my blog readers are frequent customers and they always support our events. I’de like you to know how much that’s appreciated.

Below are some pictures of a great day – We plan on doubling the effort next year.

If you don’t have a Corn Bag, you really oughta get one… you throw them in the microwave for two minutes and have a great heat wrap for whatever your achy needs…. My friend Joey let us all in on this phenom..

Here she is talking to the Corn Bag makers.

Odonata Seaglass Jewelry and designs… one of our most popular artisans…

Aritsan Maryanne D. makes these beautiful glass “Izzy Beads” which are compatable with Pandora, Camilia and Troll. They are a big hit in the gallery, as is Maryanne.

She’s a wonderful person…and NOT a RedSox fan.. YAY Maryanne!!

Pink Tulips handmade purses…

We had a rock’n organic lemonade stand….

By far, the best part of the day for me was to see the very happy faces of Joey, her son, and their new adopted family member, Daisy. They had just come home from an adoption event in Canaan, CT. Daisy is a beagle-rat terrier mix from Georgia who was just days away from euthanasia.

The organization that rescued her was Companion Rescue…

http://www.companionpetrescue.com/

YAY JOEY!!!!!!

“D & D” clarification

Dunkin Donuts 🙂

Out with the Other Woman

On our third date my future husband took me for a ride on his crotch rocket and after an hour or so of speeding down the highway at ridiculous speeds, my hair going in every direction and mascara flowing with the tears down my cheeks…. without warning he pulled into my future mother-in-law’s driveway, unbeknownst to me. Thankfully she was sunning herself out in the driveway without any makeup on and I think she was more mortified than I to be caught by surprise that day. Yeah, he’s a pistol like that. Thankfully we got along just fine and she soon learned I wasn’t a regular crotch-rocket-riding-wild-haired-blackeyed freak.

He quickly got out of his crotch-rocket phase and there’s been a harley in the garage ever since. I go back and forth with the whole motorcycle thing… I surely don’t want my son or daughter on one, so hypocritical, yes I know… and riding my horse could be considered just as hazardous as the bike, I’m reminded of this on occasion too.

You gotta LIVE while you’re here, I guess it comes down to that…and whatever makes you feel alive is what you’re going to be drawn to.

Today’s humidity was hideous, the air so thick you could almost slice it. One of Mike’s houses needed locking up after a showing today, and a cool spin in the night air felt good.

Hey KW… come for a ride…

Are there any towns left in America that don’t have a D & D?

our little shop is on the left here…

home.

There you go, KW… with the wind in it.

Hazmat Training Required

I bought shirts for my son this morning because he’ll be going to a high school where he is required to dress every day in dress shirt, dress pants and tie. That means a lot of IRONING among other things, and since we all live in jeans and t-shirts around here, it’s a new thing on my list and I’m not feeling the love.

Is it me, or is the packaging of those shirts UTTERLY AND COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS?! I mean.. it’s starts out innocently enough…

And then you get the thing home.

Right out of the gate you have to unbutton the ribbon-wrap-around. Not sure what it’s purpose is other than to advertise the fact that it’s NON-IRON.

You’ve got the price tag that needs to be cut off with a scissor. You can’t pull it off with your bare hands because the nylon that string is made out of will slice your finger deeper than the famous crevices of Venezuela if you’re not careful. Don’t ask.

Then there’s the plastic button protector on the top button…

yeah, THAT thing…

and the square tab at the back of the neck that announces the size…

(Umm.. the inside tag just inches away does the same thing….kinda redundant, just sayin)

Let us not forget to remove the cardboard collar AROUND the collar…

or those little tabs that keep the points pointy.. (are you kidding me?) …

There’s a cardboard “back” along with tissue paper for extra ..what?… protection? Cushion? For WHO? The SHIRT?? And that little recycle symbol should be a Hazmat sign…

…for the next obstacles you come across…

…are the @$#!% PINS

Lots of them, and not always the same amount.
It changes from shirt to shirt!

So how do you KNOW if you GOT THEM ALL???

Here’s the carnage from just one shirt.

And the irony in all this packaging for protection
of the fine no-iron garment…

Is that they still need ironing.
Now there’s irony for ya.

You know… my wedding dress didn’t get all the fanfare of this one $49. dress shirt.

No… my wedding dress was handed to me on a hanger with a plastic drape over it,
no dis-assembly required.

*sigh*

It’s a man’s world after all.

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport has a rich history beginning in the 1600’s when the first English settlers arrived on Aquidneck Island following a woman named Anne Hutchinson, who had been driven out of Boston for her religious beliefs. Anne and her supporters followed Roger Williams when he, too, was banished from Massachusetts for religious reasons. The group purchased Aquidneck Island (now Rhode Island) from the native Americans. Because the state was founded on religious tolerance, it welcomed many people from various religious backgrounds. In the mid 1600s, a group of Jews fleeing Spain and Portugal settled there and soon founded what became the second oldest Jewish congregation in the United States.

In the 1700s Newport became one of the five leading ports in North America, along with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. With the economic boom came much development, including hundreds of houses and internationally important landmarks that still exist today, such as Trinity Church, the Colony House, the Redwood Library, and the Brick Market (now home to the Museum of Newport History). One of the things I love about this town is that the rich history is so evident in the architecture and most of it has been preserved and is still in use.

The Gilded Age and it’s mansion, ofcourse, are what most people associate with Newport today. During the mid 19th century it became a hub of activity once again with new settlement and activity. Wealthy businessmen from north and south discovered the prosperous port and built their massive “cottages”on the shores, creating a summer haven for the wealthy. The Vanderbilts and the Astors are among those families.

Rosecliffe

Kingscote- one of the smaller “cottages”

The Breakers – the largest of the mansions. In this picture you can see the cliff walk which is open to the public, running along the waterfront of the estates… a great way to get some exercise and breath

the sea air in.

Inside The Breakers

It’s an easy day trip for us and we visit a few times a year. I’m amazed again and again at the magnitude of the lifestyle these families led… oppulent is putting it mildly. A tour of the mansions is like looking into another world entirely, and in all honesty I would never choose to live so “above the frey”. Besides the beautiful architecture and works of art, in such large and extravagent quarters there is also a sense of loneliness, separated from the real world and a formal lifestyle that would be very constricting. But that’s just me.

There are many books on the subject, and scandal as well. After touring Doris Duke’s mansion located at the end of Bellevue Avenue (home to most of the Mansions and if ever there were a street truly paved in Gold, this is it) I wanted to know more about her life. She was a modern day occupant of Newport until her death. The tour guide was vague and kind to Doris, but it was clear that there was much behind the facade. I found the book “Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke”, and there I found the answers. Great read for those of you who are interested.

We spent yesterday enjoying the other Newport….a busy town with a wide variety of good food, shops galore, a large boating community, art galleries, museums and great beaches. There is a vibrance to the young crowd…. if I were young and single, this is where I’de want to work. I know my husband would agree *ahem*

My favorite restaurant…

Angus burger with Roquefort and Bacon on Sourdough bun…

view from my seat.. restaurant sits out on the docks, always a sea breeze…

Tennis, anyone?

I could live here.

This stretch of rocks and water is found along Ocean Drive, just past Bellevue Avenue and the Mansions. The water is so clear and effervescent and the rock formations are beautiful. My favorite activity here in Newport is exploring those rocks and wading through the water. There is no sugar sand here, just stone smoothed over by centuries of seasalt and waves.

We came home from this trip as the proud new owners of a fine piece of Newport waterfront property….

The best use for that Keeping Room

…is keeping family together.

Now that my kids are growing up, (my BABY is FOURTEEN!?!) the moments I cherish are when we’re all together and they’re actually enjoying time spent in our presence.

Scene from a typical day:

You’re such a jerk!
MOM, do you SEE what he’s DOING to me??
You ALWAYS take her side.
heavy sigh, big eye roll, stomp and slamming of door…
OMG I can’t WAIT till you move out of the house
Where’s my phone, YOU took it!!.. WHERE DID YOU PUT IT??
You’re such a jerk!

Last night with grandmothers over for dinner, good food and gameboards, there was harmony in the house and laughter filled the air.

For about five minutes, but I’ll take it.

Before and After – Keeping Room

According to wisegeek.com- ” A keeping room is an area just off the kitchen of a home. Keeping rooms date back to Colonial times when families would sleep in that area when the rest of the house was cold. Since the area could be heated by the kitchen stove, it often provided the only heated place in the house. Today, a keeping room is called by many different names, depending on one’s geographical location, such as a family room, a great room and a hearth room. The whole idea of a keeping room is to have a family gathering place that is near the kitchen.”

Our “keeping room” is the kitchen cooking and eating area, the dining room, a hearth sitting area with wingbacks…basically a family hub. This part of the house takes up the entire back first floor of the original homestead. the two front rooms, which were once a study and a dining room, are used as our offices.

We took that center of the kitchen wall out in the new design (it housed a very narrow staircase) and the kitchen island now takes it’s place…

We reinstalled the original hearth… (before)…

( after…)

We went back and forth about painting over the original finish..

but we had the feeling the room needed lightening up and this shade of beige did the trick.

In this photo you can see the placement of the two front rooms, his office on left, mine on right.

Original view – the window centered in room is now the hallway to the masterbedroom.

This was a great feature in the original house… french doors that swung out onto a patio.

We put the dining table in that area and the doors would not accomodate the placement, so they were exchanged for a large window.

An old rocker that I bought for a song, thinking I was picking up something authentic. I love rocking horses…

This turned out to be a knock-off, there’s actually a whole website or two dedicated to this very subject.

I still love him, even gave him a new tail.

My son brought these in from the field today… Queen Anne’s Lace and Butterfly weed..

These are awesome dishtowels made by Hilary of Crazy as a Loom… beautifully made, soft, absorbent..

and you should see her jeans rugs, among MANY other things….

I do have four island stools for the kitchen… but they’re currently needed elsewhere…

I was born in the sign of water

..and it’s there that I feel my best. The albatross and the whale, they are my brothers..

Actually that’s not much of a stretch and it’s one of my favorite songs. If you were here right now you’de have the distinct torture of hearing me belt it out as I type this post. Anyone know the next line? No googling, now….

I have always loved the water, always lived NEAR the water ( ON it is way too expensive around here) and I can’t imagine not being able to GET to it fairly quickly. Nothing better at the end of a hectic day than sitting by water’s edge and breathing the salt air in. I swear it heals the soul.

My dad used to dock his boat at this marina. He was a live-aboard until he fell on the docks and broke his hip. Now he lives in a home a few miles from there, and his answering machine says “You’ve reached Louie’s Lighthouse”.

We spent many childhood summer days either crawling around his sailboat while it sat in the yard for repair, or out in the harbor having a dinner cooked on the little hibachi attached to the side. Sometimes we’de jump off the back and swim with the little green flourescent jellyfish (they don’t sting). Sometimes we went out for a ride, but I can’t say that my sister and I were always thrilled at the prospect. On a sailboat there’s quite a bit of R_o-L-L-i-N-g, you see…. and on those days, dramamine was our dearest friend.

One fine day the seas were a bit rough and the boat ran into a sandbar. I thought we were stranded for good, marooned, destined to die on that sandbar…and I said so… over and over. It meant nothing to me that we could have walked to the jetty… just waist high water from us to the rocks. Yeah, I still hear about that one.

We went back to the Harbor today where a friend now keeps his fishing boat.. just a few slips from my dads old “home”. What used to be an old boat shed is now the “Yacht Club”.

… I love what they did with the place.

This is my dream boat…. great seating in the rear, a little table, dual engines, a small but sufficient cabin (bathroom!) …

And alittle bowspace to sit and catch the breeze while reading a good book…

A girl can always dream….

Master Bedroom

This bedroom is the new kid on the block, not part of an old structure, but we incorporated post and beam construction and those large beams you see in the ceiling are from an old Pennsylvania barn. They are beautiful, one of my favorite features of the house. They’re also infested with bugs! Actually, ALL the beams in the house have microscopic bugs. I had no idea. Apparently it comes with the territory, centuries old beams & bugs.

We have beam bugs, people.

Start to finish…

bedroom addition to the left…

This is the Paula Deen Savannah bed I found online.. assembly required… yeah that was fun. It comes in either an off-white or tobacco finish. I love this shade, very warm and I wanted to bring in some contrast.

I’m trying to figure out what would look good on either side of the photo above the headboard. It’s a matted picture I photoshopped into a watercolor of one of our old cats lying under a barrel filled with geraniums.

This area needs help.

An old chair from my office in the previous house.. very comfortable and worn in.

But this area needs something too.

One thing I always splurge on is good quality sheets. My mother would probably iron these after each washing because the trim would look so much better. The apple rolled way down the hill from that tree…..

Pillows-Pier One Imports, duvet below – Pottery Barn…

Not sure where to hang this Robin… an art quilt by artist Vivika Denegre (see blog roll, beautiful work)

The white kitten is a ceramic figure I made for my grandmother 35 years ago. She always kept it on the floor of her bedroom, using it as a doorstop. When she moved to Florida it took up the same space at her condo. When Nana passed away I brought the kitten home and it sits on my dresser so it doesn’t get trampled by the zoo.