Tag: House

Light the Night

 Last night was a little test for This Old House.  500 feet of  old fashioned christmas lights were strung on the pine tree we planted for this very purpose earlier in the year. We even installed an outdoor power switch for the task at hand.     When daylight waned I could barely contain my excitement. I ran outside and flicked the switch.  Alas, the tree was a vision of colored light beauty, just as I had hoped.

 And then it wasn’t. 
And then it was…..
and wasn’t.   

  Our neighbor across the street, a lovely young woman of 80-something years,  has the same love for christmas lights as I, so I told her we’de be lighting it up, keep an eye out,  beware the glare.   After the fourth or fifth black out,  I’m sure she thought we were nutz.  Turns out those old fashioned bulbs can only be strung four strands to a power cord, or the whole thing burns out.  You also need a power cord that can deal with all that wattage.

 It was remedied today, and I’m happy to report a constant glow in that general vicinity as of 5pm.

Forever in Blue Jeans

  My standard attire, my basic wardrobe,  the outfit I’de pick if I had to wear just one thing for the rest of my life would be without a doubt… blue jeans and a t-shirt.

  Did you know… 

  • Blue jeans were invented in 1873 by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss.
  • Although denim pants had been around as work wear for many years, historically dating back to England in the 1600s with a fabric there called denim, it was the first use of rivets that created what we now call jeans.
  • One of Levi’s many customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis. Originally from Latvia, Jacob lived in Reno, Nevada, and regularly purchased bolts of cloth from the wholesale house of Levi Strauss & Co. Among Jacob’s customers was a difficult man who kept ripping the pockets of the pants that Jacob made for him. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen the man’s trousers, and one day hit upon the idea of putting metal rivets at the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners and at the base of the button fly.
    These riveted pants were an instant hit with Jacob’s customers and he worried that someone might steal this great idea. He decided he should apply for a patent on the process, but didn’t have the $68 that was required to file the papers. He needed a business partner and he immediately thought of Levi Strauss.
    In 1872 Jacob wrote a letter to Levi to suggest that the two men hold the patent together. Levi, who was an astute businessman, saw the potential for this new product and agreed to Jacob’s proposal. On May 20, 1873, the two men received patent no.139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That day is now considered to be the official “birthday” of blue jeans.
 Hilary over at Crazy As A Loom has done something awesome with recycled jeans.  Look what arrived on my doorstep last night …

 The upstairs hallway is very narrow and sits between the kids’ bedrooms.  When the shop closed recently I brought home this awesome blue dresser that we used for displays, but I had no idea where I’de put it. I found it at Homegoods two years ago in the sale department and fell in love.  I don’t decorate with blue though, so it wasn’t looking good anywhere I put it.  Then it dawned on me that there were no competing colors up there and I could go blue-crazy in that one spot.  So I did.

  Look at this finish and the old fashioned handle. 
My father would say  “now THAT needs a paint job, you paid MONEY for it? “.

Turquoise urns..
A simple bee valance in ivory.  
Thank you, Hilary.  My new “jeans” fit perfect.

An Evening Stroll with Bailey and the Rebel

…my camera,  that is. Although some would say that’s me.  *sigh* ….there’s always a critic, isn’t there.

   New England can be a dreary place come January and February, when all the snowbirds have scattered down South.  I’ll admit I have dreams of a little seaside condo with sugar white sand and gulf waters where I can flee those bitter grey days.

However, THIS time of year…. is glorious. 

   

The Nature of Color

 Krippled Warrior wrote a good post today that pondered the “nature” of color and its great gift to us.  I’ve often thanked my lucky stars that I am only hearing impaired and not sight impaired. I am constantly aware of the beauty in things we so often take for granted…. things that don’t cost a cent to enjoy. 

 

  I captured yesterday’s swirling blue sky against the changing leaves…

    And this… epic fail.  *sigh*
Houston, we have a problem.

For the Love of Old

 This little farm is a stone’s throw from here.  Its family of many years has grown up, grown older and grown away.  Holding on to the place is no longer a reasonable option for the next generation.  I asked permission to take photos a while back and today I spent an hour walking the land. It’s easy to imagine a simpler time when carriages rode up and down the long drive, livestock occupied the barnyard and the blacksmith was an occasional visitor.  It’s clear the place was loved.  My hope is that someone will love it again, just as it was before.

Before and After – Side Door Entry

The side entrance was part of  a 1940’s dogleg addition. That slatted area was a woodshed and the side door and mudroom/hall to kitchen was located in the A-frame roof section to the left. There was also a very narrow staircase to the second floor.   The greenhouse, which was dismantled and sold to a neighbor, contained a narrow concrete pool.   I initially loved the pool/greenhouse and had visions of growing stuff organically, but the pool itself was tiny, no laps or jumping, kinda creepy and in need of much work. Ultimately it was in the way of moving the house back where we wanted it.
This is the same profile today.
 Hallway before the re-do… actually it had alot of rustic charm. We did not reincorporate the staircase, instead putting one in the family room going up to the loft/pool table/bar area.  (at the end of this hallway the mancave and family room are on the right – kitchen and main house on the left.) 
After
A  bathroom was installed to the left here, before you walk down the hall.  That’s  one of my 100 year old Cast Iron plants, which I just brought in from the front porch. It’s been very happy there all summer.  The old barn wood that we have on the family room and mancave walls also wraps around to the hallway here.
Mudroom door…

 

Bench picked up in an anitque shop whos  owner is very generous with his prices.  Looks to me like an old pew, maybe?  I want to call it a Deacon’s bench, but  I don’t truly know what that is, as I am new to paying attention to these things..

Bathroom door.. and this sink is the smartest idea  I contributed to the design of the rebuilt house.  It’s the DOG SINK.  All of my dog supplies are under there, and this sink is where I give them baths when they are filthy from the yard, make their meals and clean up their dishes, leashes, collars, etc.

 I used curtains and tension rods to cover the mess underneath.

This is another piece of eco-friendly furniture by my friend Art.  If you’ve read this blog in earlier days, you may remember he makes furniture out of old material from dismantled houses and barns.. like windows, doors, barn siding, etc.  There are usually atleast three different paint colors involved too….

My awesome really-cheap mirror find….

 And since it’s a miserable rainy morning made for lazyness and I’m walking around with the camera doing nothing productive anyway, here’s what we’re doing outside too…

This weekend we bought some plants for around the front walk lantern…

A few evergreen shrubs, some vibernum (favorites of mine) and coral bells.. (also favorites)

I had no idea coral bells came in so many varieties…
At the side door I have begun a perennial garden with lavendar, purple and coral coneflower, catmint…small boxwoods and packasandra (yes I know that’s spelled wrong) 

Remember my newly acquired Newport Real estate?
This is it.
The commute is zero and the taxes are virtually nothing!  🙂
 

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Buzz Off

 Should I be reading more into this?  I’m getting visions of Amityville Horror here, I’m not kidding. For those of you who might have also  been horror show obsessed back in the day, remember the flies? 

We’ve got them. In the hundreds.  All over the house.  But they especially like to taunt you when you’re eating, typing on the computer or trying to brush your teeth!!!…. We have been windex zapping them, vacuum sucking them, fly-stripping them, but..they… are… everywhere. 

 Wouldn’t have anything to do with soneone’s brilliant idea of a  few tons of Chicken Sh*t sitting in the back field under a tarp waiting to fertilize hay fields, now, would it? ……  Actually, I sure hope so… because the Amityville horror thing?  Ain’t happen’n here. 

Maybe I should summon a priest out to bless the house just to see if he has any fainting spells, profuse sweating or sudden violent illness upon entering.   *sigh*

Before and After – The office of the Boss

 This room, located in the front right corner of the house if you’re facing it from the street.. was originally a dining room. Since we use that big keeping room (kitchen) as a dining room, sitting room, hanging out at the island room… Mike made this his office.   Jeff did all the cabinetry work in his shop, and the fireplace and beams are original, even the stones are back in place.  Mike took photos before the dismantle and the stones were marked so that they would go back together properly.

Jeff and crew …..
I know there should probably be a photo of some prestigious politician or religious leader or prominent family member  up over the mantle there… but this rhinoceros photo speaks to Mike in some mystical way,  (POWER,  MIGHT,  BRICK SH*T HOUSE, I’m guessing).  

Before and After – Upstairs bedroom No. 1

 We started with this… both the upstairs front bedrooms originally had fireplaces. Two kids – not happen’n.
and this bathroom used to be where the front hallway is now restored.
So this….
is now this.
Old wallpaper.. it was actually quite pretty at one time..
Yellow is her favorite color…
She actually keeps her room this organized, always.  When I was her age, well…no need to go there.
She makes me proud.
 

                                                                  Ben is not impressed.

  Totally unrelated, if you’re looking for a great and easy summer recipe to use up those excess tomatoes from the garden, my friend Joey just posted two easy and delicious recipes… see for yourself at
Catch Joy As It Flies By.     I’m drooling over here!…..

Enter Mancave at your own risk

Because it’s sacred ground….  apparently.  Worshipped here are the Gods of the Cowboys, Patriots and the Yankees.  Women and small children generally not allowed, no unnecessary roughness, nail polish or idle chatter.  Exceptions are made for those serving beverages and pigs-in-a- blanket.  Oddly… pole dancing is not prohibited.

 The Mancave is located under the pool table/bar in the loft, and behind the family room fireplace, with a fireplace of it’s own.  As you walk in the side entrance to the house, there is a hallway that leads from the mudroom and downstairs bath to the kitchen on left, mancave and family room on right.  The built-in bookcases are along the wall behind the mancave and running into the family room.

Once upon a time, we went to Disney!  And we fell in love with  rhino and elephant carvings ($800.!??!) at Animal Kingdom.  We had them shipped home, because they were too large to take on the plane.  When they arrived, they were SPLIT… right down the centers of their bodies.  To Disney’s credit they reimbursed us once we shipped them back.  I found this guy months later for $25.  Thankfully sometimes you do get a do-over.
These bookcases line the back wall of the mancave, which is really the hallway into the family room.
My favorite Ikea pillows..they take a beating and wash well.
This chair was in the Staten Island apartment of an ecentric Aunt.  In  her eighties she dressed to the nines, usually played nine holes of golf on weekends, and traveled to the city in heels and furs! ..but no one had been in her apartment since her husband passed away.  She never cooked, NEVER CLEANED.. but kept a neat apartment. She didn’t use a vacuum cleaner for fear of sucking up what was left of the carpet. There was literally a trail from the door past the kitchen into the bedrooms..a trail where traffic blew the dust and shredding carpet to the side. The ceiling in the kitchen had water damage from the apartment above, and buckled to within inches of the top of the refrigerator. 
When she passed away, family entered the apartment and were aghast at the findings.  There were, however, beautiful antiques. This chair was among them. She embroidered the seat herself. 
The CHAIR.
 And that’s all I’m gonna say about THAT.