Results tagged "Home and Garden"

I wish I could take credit for all of the lovely blooms and gardens that I seem to find myself bragging about… I mean, they are in my yard… And I admire them everyday — sometimes even talking to them, waiting for a response.. waiting, waiting, waiting…

But I really can’t take credit for the gardens. Aside from my admiration and the occasional watering, I have a family of gardeners and landscape gurus to thank. As I attempt to photograph, share — clip for bouquets and then in some cases — eat, the results of transplanting and growing from seed — the numerous and different plants. Most of the time, I don’t really know what the name of the plants are — or if they require shade to sun or the reverse. But as I watch, with growing interest, I am trying to learn so that someday I can say that I grew these gardens myself.

Earlier this week I went to Target. As many of you can imagine, I have very little patience for stores that liken themselves to the size and variety of the Atlantic Ocean, but my shopping list included such a range of items that it seemed silly to not go for the convenience factor. Because, obviously, it isn’t the conformity that makes me uncomfortable… no, it’s merely the options and amount of STUFF available for consumption… that and the logo, but who am I to critique the masses?

And so, as we wound are way around shoes and into sporting goods, pausing for a sec to wonder in awe at the new Apple counter, we suddenly found ourselves amid a tizzy of frantic patio and garden enthusiasts… Intrigued, we wandered a little closer to find the seasonal garden department in shambles… hoses all over the place, terracotta pots strewn among the plastics, watering cans and muck boots mingling amongst each other, and the worst — little bags of plant seeds, completely uncategorized… just laying all over the place like no one CARED TO NOTICE…. CUCUMBERS ARE NOT PERENNIALS!!  My head was going to explode. Backing out of this maze of discontent was my only option for escape… And as the hives slowly began to surface on the back of my neck… I suddenly caught sight of a relatively organized seed console. Bags of mixed wild flower seeds at a $1 each. Needless to say, my reaction was gluttonous. Who says anything in excess is bad?

As custom for the first weekend of Spring, this weather is playing tricks on us…

Our yard is not ready….

But we can still look back at last year… waiting, waiting, waiting…

I once knew a man that, upon my saying that I liked sunflowers, replied with “That’s it. I’m gonna build you a field of em’… riteovahdare….For you, my dear — anyting.”

And, although I was completely aware of the fact that the field of sunflowers really wasn’t for me… That he had planned it way before my acquaintance AND had done so simply in order to appease the neighbors that were complaining about the million dollar homes he was building next door. But the idea that the field was ‘for me’ sat so sweet in my mind that I let it stay… even though the field was entirely ‘for him’… until letting it go a long time ago… And when I see sunflowers, I think about him saying that to me for a brief millionth of a second… laughing to myself about how I knew, but didn’t care about the fact that he was lying to me.

Because who has time to deal with people that are lying to you about sunflowers?

(I know, I hear you… DEEP, right? Just where do I come up with these nuggets of eloquence and enlightenment? Well — despite being completely confused all week for really no reason at all, yesterday was in fact Thursday — even though I thought it was Monday…. Like what did I think was going on with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday? I feel like a weeble wabble. A few projects landed on my desk, which I’ve been diligent on — along with the other assorted things… brooches, spatulas… Will starts school this coming Monday, so I spent a great deal of my days this week dealing with Montessori Parental Intimidation, which I believe is the new high school musical… Add on top of that getting the proper gear lined up for munchkin soccer starting tomorrow… while thinking about what defines the soccer mom and how to avoid any and all recognition there-of… And, of course, even deeper than that is my concern over my hair and how to handle THAT situation… at least I have my priorities in check.)

The consensus that I’m getting is that everyone is a little stressed out. Here is a fine example… and another… I’m feeling it too – as you know.. I wrote about it here, here and here. So, what can we do about it? “The Holidays” are supposed to be fulfilling… fun, cheer, love, presents, bodily warmth that can’t be explained (or is that just me?)… but alas – we all seem to have let LIFE into the scene and that makes for no fun. So.. what are we going to do? All muck about and complain? Well – apparently yes… unless we cancel the holidays… kicking Ol’ Saint Nick off the wagon into an unbridaled downward spiral… breaking things and scaring Rudolf. Poor, poor reindeer. And so, dear friends, I am afraid that there isn’t an answer to solve this holiday thing. It simply is not curable… unless you’re hanging out with me, of course (insert really scary laugh)… There is just nothing that can be done–so keep on keeping on, swearing and spitting on your own floors… just keep in mind that once Jan 2nd arrives, it isn’t over… The Holidays are merciless, and will return with a vengeance next year… if only to ensure vindication.. and the year after that.. and the year…

So… this all being said. Let’s all take a big swig of that bloody Bloody Mary and talk about something really really ground breaking… I HAVE A NEW BATHROOM…

Yep… whirling again.

Unlike most things in my life, I didn’t have the inspiring..”I’ll BLOG about this” thought in my head when we started the REDO – so I don’t have an actual picture of the bizarreness that was our “common” off the TV room bathroom… after a while we just used it as a drying rack. But here is my 2 minute rendering…

I know, but the ART is not for sale.

So.. we never used the shower because we have other showers in our house where the door doesn’t get all caught up in the cabinet doors.. and we rarely touched the toilet because we like to keep our feet on the floor rather than up against the shower glass when doing so. The people that lived in our house before us were of normal size – we’ve heard… so we will never understand how they managed to navigate this room comfortably… but hey, maybe they were into “it”.

Entering the room, this is the first thing that you see… We removed the shower and the tile floor and brought in hard wood to match the rest of the house.. Then we added molding and wainscotting (please note that I use the term “we” loosely.. thank you, Mr. Sal). The paint we had left over from another REDiD, which was great because it seemed silly to buy it for such a small space..

Notice the lovely off-centeredness of myself, the light fixture, mirror and sink.. I’d like to say that we did this intentionally in a tribute metaphor of the likeness of being… but that would be a total lie. I’m not totally sold on this mirror, by the way… I just couldn’t pass up the $49.99 @ Pier One Imports. Light fixture – Pottery Barn Outlet via Riverhead…cheap.

This BEAUT was also purchased at the PBO via Riverhead… a little on the pricey side, but it’s a super heavy piece of furniture, which for some reason – made it attractive. It’s currently being used as a changing table… although the boy is somewhat equal in length, so not for much longer. It is part of the Pottery Barn’s attempt to break into teenager home furnishings… You know, because teens are so into decor.

The TUB (insert angels singing)

If you live in the North East and have not heard of or been to United House Wrecking (UHW) in Stamford, CT… Stop reading this and get in your car and go there right now. My Mom and I found this 4′ bathtub last winter for the bargain price of $600. It was born in 1916 — imagine all the naked bodies that have bathed in its glory. Mr. Sal – who carried it home to Southampton on his back, swindled it for $500. It has feet, so one would assume that it can walk… which is good because it is coming with us everywhere we go for the rest of our lives.

Toilet. Because we had to.

This is a water color print of Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we once reigned supreme. We loved it there… Except for in winter.. when my face would freeze in the most unusual expressions. 

These lovely prints are by L. Young Studio… 

And, of course, the budding family artist… what would a room be without him?

That’s it! New bathroom, homespun greatness – just the perfect imperfections to be called our own… So, come on over if for no other reason than to USE OUR BATHROOM!

Guest Bird #7  – Sylvia

If you’re not familiar with Palm Springs weather, check out last month’s warm temperatures!
 
Water has always been an important theme in the Palm Springs area, for the beauty as well as the cooling effect.  At last count, there were said to be over 30,000 swimming pools in the Coachella Valley.  I have chosen the most interesting residential pools to share with you…

Bob Hope’s pool and 17,531 sq. ft. house!  (1)

Elrod House pool  (2)

When viewing the photos below, please hover your mouse over the word “Notes” on the lower right side, so that you’ll be able to see the descriptions!

(1)  1979 Bob Hope House (John Lautner) photograph by Julius Shulman & Jurgen Nogai, 2007
 
(2)  1968 Elrod House (John Lautner) photograph by Julius Shulman & Jurgen Nogai, 2007
 
(3)  Palm Springs Modern p. 40

The arrival of the Great Silver Trunk (GST) has made me make a few evaluations and decisions this week. First off, I have decided to keep everything in the trunk.. I took it all out — discarded gross things like old smokes and voodoo candles (wonder if they worked) — took note of what was there and then put it all back in. Someday — someday I will open it again and review… It’s like a time capsule.. perhaps disturbed a decade (or four) too early. I did, however, take out the JC Penney shopping bag with it’s precious contents… Now that it has been exposed to year 2009 air quality– I think some archival portfolioing is in store — the plastic shopping bag is weary. Let’s let it rest.

I have moved the GST up into my home office–which then required a bit of mandatory organizing via a reorganization. This has inspired me to tackle the rest of the house… The picture cabinet – the dining room (aka storage facility) – finish the “powder room”… take charge of the mud room. It isn’t that we live in disorganized chaos – I just still have paper work on my dresser from Will’s birth…. almost TWO YEARS AGO…The time has come, my little friends, to talk of
other things…Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and
kings…And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wigs–Calloo, Callay, come run away…With the cabbages and kings.

In other news… For the Birds has it’s own DOMAIN!!! YAY!! WAAHOOO!!!  http://forthebirdsblog.com — You can still use the old stinky one… but this one is shiny and new. Please note that we are still stalking the evil birders at forthebirds.com — oh yes, we are.