A-Plenty on A-Plate

Been a while since you've heard from me. Not that I don't have an explanation...

We have been working diligently on our house with the goal to finish this year. (I'm sure now that I've been verbalizing this timeline to everyone, something will come up to divert us!) I'm not a pessimist, just a realist based upon past occurrences. Let me remind you that we've been working on this house for four years in the making. And from what I've heard, it never really ends.

1) We have (finally) replaced our roof with the help of some mighty hard-working roofers. Squirreling away some cash for several months helped with that one too!

Look at that beautiful dark architectural composite roof!

2) We gave the rear addition of the house a complete (much-needed) makeover:

Before - Ugly out of scale window and rotten siding. Yuck!

After - Amazing view with a giant corner window and metal siding!

3) The house used to have walls between the rooms. The previous homeowners knocked them all out. Open concept is great, but not in an old house. You walk in through the front door and viola, there's the entire house! It just never looked pulled together. Plus, laying out furniture and effectively decorating was a beyotch. We have added more wall space to separate the living room from the entryway and dining area. When we added the walls back in, we made the door openings wider than they were originally and the longer wall between the living room and dining area has two openings. This is how we determined to have the best of both worlds--separation and openness. To boot, we installed recessed lighting in the living room and master bedroom so we can stop bumping into things in the dark.

View of living room to entryway

View of living room to dining area and kitchen

4) Serendipitously, we had a friend whose father's business location was going to be demolished. We salvaged these gorgeous doors from their fate as trash and framed them into a partial wall that separated the rear addition from the rest of the house. It somewhat has shifted our house from a 2-bedroom to a 3-bedroom. The wall was built structurally "uncouth" by the previous homeowners, as I'd like to put it. Hubby spent lots of time fixing the wall and ended up beadboarding the entire wall to correct the major mishaps. We will eventually add trim around the walls and doors, which will beautifully highlight this room.

I am in love with how this separation creates a very private girl cave!

5) And--not on our list--but the house seemed to demand this one by nearly catching on fire: the task of re-wiring the other half of our house with newer wiring and safer circuiting.

Look at that scary old wiring! Bye bye!

As you see, we have a full plate. Unfortunately, most of the projects--except item #1--are not fully completed. We still have yet to finish the details on the kitchen remodeling project that I've blogged about previously. But...I'm very happy to share our progress with you and it's been quite rewarding. I hope seeing these transformations inspire you to restore and appreciate old things. There is nothing quite like it.

(All photos via Art and Facts)

Rampage

I've been on a rampage to clean everything out and simplify, amongst all of the house renovations. I suppose they go hand in hand, when say...you are trying to work on an area of the house, but can't, because there is too much stuff in your way to make it worthwhile.

The problem with having a love for all things vintage, items that were gifted to you, or items that you find unique and oh so cool...is that you are deeply attached to much of it. Yet, I know I could relocate myself to a beautiful island with hardly anything in tow and I probably won't miss it! But that won't happen, so I'm keeping it all! Why do we find it so difficult to part with our things?

(image via it-thing)

Human psychology points to many facets of the human mind. Many of us are attached to things because of sentimental value. Some of us buy to get high. Accumulating might be a form of showing off. Maybe, you are salvaging something from trash but haven't fixed it yet, or haven't found it a home. A hobby can turn into some type of collecting habit. Or...maybe the method to accumulation is just a way to feel better about ourselves and the boring lives we live. Each item that I run across probably hits home every one of these aspects. But confronting is the first step. We have made some good strides in minimizing as of recent, and it feels good!

(image via Art & Facts)

The big controversial question I have to know is: What have you done with your wedding gown, after the wedding? My wedding dress is still hanging on the hanger, never touched since the day we were married. The 'Ego' side of my brain thinks about researching for a good company who can preserve and box my gown away from dust, mites and other harms' way. The advantage to this is that I will have my amazing vintage gown for life, in the same condition it was on our magical day. It was such a sentimental day--I have to keep my wedding gown!

But then the 'Id' part of my brain says, "what's the point of keeping something sealed up in a box? You will never look at it or wear it again! Sell it to someone else who can also have a truly amazing day in it! The gown is preserved in photos and your memories!"

Ego: "But maybe my future daughter will want to wear it on her wedding day."

Id: "What if you don't have a daughter? Or, what if you have a daughter and it doesn't fit her? What if she doesn't want to wear your gown, or she thinks it's ugly? You sure are gambling on that one..."

Ego: "It was MY wedding dress and it will be MINE forever! No one else can have it! I can look at it and reminisce."

Id: "Sure, go ahead and spend $200 to preserve and box it up. Then, shove it in your closet with the rest of your items that you forget about..."

Okay, I think you get the drift of my mind's daily struggles...I suppose the question is, whether I can really let it go. (Revisit paragraph 3.)

With the help of online resources, many brides are letting go of their dresses by selling to other brides to be. Some brides are even trashing their gowns. I find that completely wasteful, but whatever floats your boat. (Again, maybe I need to revisit paragraph 3.)

So tell me, is it kosher to sell or donate your wedding dress? If you have parted ways with your gown, have you regretted it? If you have preserved your gown, do you find it a burden to store it? Please share!

Anniversary #1 - Paper

We must be having fun. Our first year of marriage flew by in an instant. What better way to celebrate your first year? Fly a kite!

Hubby surprised me with a 5-foot "paper" airplane kite. Pretty good twist on the traditional paper gift for the first year. That's why I married the guy!

How have you skewed the fine lines of the traditional or expected anniversary gift-giving? Below is the "guide" from anniversarygift.org.

Anniversary	Traditional Gift Ideas	Modern Gift Ideas
First	Paper – a personalized love poem or invitation, scrapbook of mementos from your first year, or a bouquet of paper flowers	Clocks- there are many clocks and watches to fit any budget
Second	Cotton/Straw – Bed linens, placemats, terrycloth bath robes, crazy tee shirts or my favorite a hammock are good cotton gift choices; straw hats or placemats or how about a hayride for straw gift options	China – a set of China dinnerware, china serving dishes or china figurines would make a wonderful gift
Third	Leather – depending on your budget consider a gift of a leather bag or leather luggage, leather jackets, skirts,  pants, or a leather hat or belt	Crystal/Glass – crystal glasses or vases, stemware or if you are feeling really creative how about a stained glass window
Fourth	Books/Fruit/Flowers – if your significant other is a book lover this is a great category and flowers are a romantic gift for any occasion. Fruit sounds a bit mundane but a bowl of colorful Mexican made paper mache fruit would make an unusual and attractive gift	Linen/Silk – these are two of the finest fabrics made so finding a silk scarf, lingerie, blouse, suit, pillow cases or an arrangement of silk flowers should be an easy assignment. A linen suit for a man or woman is an elegant gift. And if you don’t want clothing try linen placements or table linens
Fifth	Wood – study and strong wood is a great symbol for a fifth anniversary. You could choose from as diverse gift choices as planting a tree, giving a cord of wood, or objects made of wood, for example a salad bowl, candlesticks, jewelry, furniture or how about a totem pole	Silverware – there is the obvious table settings of silverware or you could go with something more exotic like a bracelet made from an old silver fork or sticking with a silver theme maybe a silver dollar or silver picture frame
Sixth	Sugar/Iron – How about a box of candy or sugar cookies. More creative you could take a vacation to Hawaii or Puerto Rico to visit the sugar cane fields or if the season is right head up to maple syrup country. Iron offers a lot of variety for example wrought iron furniture, BBQ tools, a iron wine rack, tools or how about going with a pumping iron theme and getting him or her a membership to the local gym or a set of bar bells	Wood – study and strong wood is a great symbol for a fifth anniversary. You could choose from as diverse gift choices as planting a tree, giving a cord of wood, or objects made of wood, for example a salad bowl, candlesticks, jewelry, furniture or how about a totem pole
Seventh	Wool/Copper – for wool you can go with a sweater, hat or gloves or the yarn to make any of the above, a wool suit or jacket would make a special gift for him or her.	Desk Sets – For a professional a leather, wooden or brass desk set would be an appreciated gift your spouse would use everyday
Eighth	Bronze/Pottery – Bronze sculptures, plaques and bells or wind chimes are good ideas as are pottery bowls, pitchers, clay figures, hand painted clay tiles and for the personal gift you could always go to a pottery studio and throw your own bowl for your special gift	Linens/Lace – A linen suit for a man or woman is an elegant gift. And if you don’t want clothing try linen placements or table linens. Or a lace pillow case, table cloth or a lace camisole or slip all would make a good gift choice
Ninth	Pottery/Willow – pottery bowls, pitchers, clay figures, hand painted clay tiles and for the personal gift you could always go to a pottery studio and throw your own bowl for your special gift. Willow offers the option of willow furniture, wreaths, baskets and distinctive willow frames	Leather – depending on your budget consider a gift of a leather bag or leather luggage, leather jackets, skirts,  pants, or a leather hat or belt
Tenth	Aluminum – Aluminum cans are made into some great jewelry, or there are artists who specialize in large aluminum sculptures, aluminum watches and sunglasses you can even find aluminum sundials	Diamond Jewelry- diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift
Eleventh	Steel – durable and strong steel is symbolic of a relationship that has lasted eleven years-you could go with stainless steel pans or kitchen accessories or steel knives, there are also stainless steel jewelers and sculptors who make great gifts	Fashion Jewelry – is a fun and inexpensive gift you can find at any department store or online
Twelfth	Linen/Silk – these are two of the finest fabrics made so finding a silk scarf, lingerie, blouse, suit, pillow cases or an arrangement of silk flowers should be an easy assignment. A linen suit for a man or woman is an elegant gift. And if you don’t want clothing try linen placements or table linens.	Pearls – Natural or cultured pearl jewelry or for a unique gift a mother of pearl inlaid jewelry box
Thirteenth	Lace – a lace pillow case, table cloth or a lace camisole or slip all would make a good gift choice	Textiles/Faux fur – There are thousand of faux fur gifts including pillows, throws, jackets and coats or cute little furry animals. If you are looking for textiles you can find rugs, tablecloths, scarves, aprons or fabric art and quilts
Fourteenth	Ivory – this is tricky because of the ban on selling ivory to protect the elephants. There are alternatives to animal ivory such as “vegetable” (also called tagua nut) ivory and “mandarin” ivory from which many beautiful carvings and ornaments and even a watch are made	Gold Jewelry – you can find beautiful manufactured gold chains, rings, bracelets and pins or you can go the handcrafted gold jewelry route and choose an original jewelry piece from an artist
Fifteenth	Crystal – crystal glasses or vases, stemware will be an appreciated and treasured gift	Watches – this is a great category for any spouse you can get sports watches, dress or casual watches. How about a classic Disney watch or a gadget watch that does everything and tells time too
Twentieth	China – a set of China dinnerware, china serving dishes or china figurines would make a wonderful gift	Platinum – there are wonderful platinum jewelry choices, platinum dipped roses, or you could get your significant other a platinum CD set
Twenty-five	Silver – silver jewelry is a natural choice or a silver picture frame…picture provided by you, silver candle sticks, serving bowls, pitchers or trays also make great gifts	Silver – silver jewelry is a natural choice or a silver picture frame…picture provided by you, silver candle sticks, serving bowls, pitchers or trays also make great gifts
Thirty	Pearl – Natural or cultured pearl jewelry or for a unique gift a mother of pearl inlaid jewelry box	Diamond – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift
Thirty-five	Coral – this is a tough category if you are concerned about the destruction of the coral reefs coral jewelry is probably not an option, consider as an alternative a trip to a coral reef for some great snorkeling or choosing a gift that is coral in color	Jade – jade jewelry or sculptures are a beautiful choice or you could go for a jade plant if you are buying for a plant lover
Forty	Ruby – ruby jewelry is the most common choice but you could also go for the Ruby Ulander pattern of Wedgwood China or a Ruby Bone China Tea Set, or some of the beautiful ruby colored glasses or stemware	Ruby – ruby jewelry is the most common choice but you could also go for the Ruby Ulander pattern of Wedgwood China or a Ruby Bone China Tea Set, or some of the beautiful ruby colored glasses or stemware
Forty-five	Sapphire – sapphire jewelry is stunning, if you want a non-jewelry gift there are some wonderful clothing and scarf gifts you can find in the distinctive sapphire blue color	Sapphire – sapphire jewelry is stunning, if you want a non-jewelry gift there are some wonderful clothing and scarf gifts you can find in the distinctive sapphire blue color
Fifty	Gold – gold jewelry, gold plated roses or seashells, a gold handbag	Gold
Fifty-five	Emerald – silver jewelry is a natural choice or a silver picture frame…picture provided by you, silver candle sticks, serving bowls, pitchers or trays also make great gifts	Emerald – silver jewelry is a natural choice or a silver picture frame…picture provided by you, silver candle sticks, serving bowls, pitchers or trays also make great gifts.
Sixty	Diamond – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift	Diamond – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift
Sixty-five	Blue Sapphires – sapphire jewelry is stunning, if you want a non-jewelry gift there are some wonderful clothing and scarf gifts you can find in the distinctive sapphire blue color	Blue Sapphires – sapphire jewelry is stunning, if you want a non-jewelry gift there are some wonderful clothing and scarf gifts you can find in the distinctive sapphire blue color
Seventy	Diamond/Platinum – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift. Platinum jewelry or platinum picture frames that you add the photographs to are a special gift	Platinum –platinum jewelry or platinum picture frames that you add the photographs to are a special gift
Seventy-five	Diamond – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift	Diamond – diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants are a good choice, check out eternity bands for a special gift

Another Featured "Inspirationalist"

During a short burst of down time, my hubby and I were watching the Antiques Roadshow, in which we discovered a fascinating surreal artist, but better known as an illustrator of decades past. We were drawn into Edward Gorey not only due to his amazing skills, but his unique humor and likeness to Pierno Fornasetti.

I researched further into this fascinating being. How could I not have known of him? This whole living under a rock situation has to come to an end!

(Image via The Hub Review)

His work was mainly popular with children, although Gorey defined his work as literary nonsense, not particularly directed to anyone. Most of his work was mainly compiled of illustrations without words. Other works utilized anagrams and pseudonyms. He quoted in the Boston Globe as saying, "Ideally, if anything [was] any good, it would be indescribable." Enough said.

(Image via Brain Pickings)

When something strikes you in a way that is indescribable, and you find yourself consumed to learn more. It resonates. 

(Image via goreybooks.com)

Through my research of Gorey, I stumbled upon a blog that featured a couple hailing from Portland, who had terrific style. They also possessed a love for Gorey (and all things vintage)--the inspiration for their special day. Words cannot describe how much I fell in love with their wedding.

(See more for yourself at Jessica Hill Photography)

Reviving the Beast

Now that the wedding's been over for quite some time, the job front has settled down, and money has been saved, the hubby and I are back on with the home renovations. My earlier posts have featured a slight peek to the kitchen demolition and re-build. Outside of the ongoing kitchen building, the remainder of the work on our lovely abode varies.

To set the record straight, hubby and I are not 'updating' our home as they do on home improvement networks. We are bettering the home, but we are diligently trying to restore it back to original beauty, with a small budget nonetheless. Other projects have reared their ugly heads, mainly through a combination of necessity and series of events...

1) Hubby and I made a trip to the hardware store with the clear intent to purchase a tile backsplash for our kitchen. No more waiting, we are going to finally get this done. We had our eye on this marbled hexagonal tile, which looked very much like our original bathroom tile. It was a great price.

Before final commitment, we sat on the hardware store floor with calculator in hand, adding up the number of tile sheets needed, number of total boxes, cost of grout, supplies, cutting tools, etc. It started to add up like nobody's business. We were quickly defeated. We walked through each aisle kicking the dust on floor, hands in pockets, pouting. We then ran across a wonderful item--beadboard! Although beadboard is not original to our house, we found it to be acceptable given that it was a commonly used building material before and around the time our 1920s home was built. We quickly loaded up the cart and smiled as we saved approximately 50% on our backsplash choice. Here it is mocked up in our kitchen, and will really stand out once painted white along with the lower cabinetry.

2) From this point onward, the beadboard had fueled a few new projects. The hallway ceiling had been popcorn textured by the previous owner, which had to go. To boot, a friend of ours had fixed our A/C unit in the attic and accidentally stepped on the wrong part of the flooring in the attic. This resulted in his foot tearing a new hole into our horrible popcorn ceiling. Two wrongs don't make a right! Or does it? We felt that hopping on the beadboard wagon was a great opportunity to repair the hallway ceiling. The best aspect of the beadboard is that it blends the attic drop-door into the ceiling, as opposed to the previous cheap plywood door against the popcorn textured ceiling.

3) There was one last area of the house where we decided to carry out the beadboard so that it looks like an original design to the house, not just an afterthought. Hubby added beadboard to the lower half of the dining area walls and trimmed it out as wainscoting. Of course, when one begins a simple project on an old house, the process usually reveals multiple scenarios. There was one wall we've noticed had a bulge and would be an issue. Beadboard does not install over bulges. Hubby took out the sheetrock to see what possible situation would cause such a phenomenon. Time capsule? Corpse? Who knows. As the sheetrock was removed, it looked to be what my hubby dreamt up as a scenario of craftsmen finishing up that particular wall late on a Friday afternoon. Multiple boards were piled horizontally until the necessary height was obtained for the windows to inlay. Crazy shortcut, but the nutty aspect of it was that the boards were not planed down to any type of evenness. They just covered it up with sheetrock. Oops, slight bulge, but no one will notice--wink, wink. Well, hubby spent hours planing down the boards until sheetrock could lay flat against that wall again, then the wainscoting. Perfect example of projects lasting longer than originally thought. The beadboard looks terrific, by the way.

4) The other weekend, it was rainy and cold. Not ideal conditions to cut wood and finish out any type of cabinetry in the kitchen. I came up with the idea of a small (interpretation: large) project of removing the ugly fake brass renaissance-styled fan the previous owners installed. A year ago, we had purchased a gorgeous deco-styled fan to go in its place. The living room also was tainted with popcorn-textured ceiling. Hubby had to scrape some of it away around the wire connection to allow the new fan to mount flush against the sheetrock. As he started to scrape, I exclaimed how much better it looked, and transformed the feel of the room. He scraped some more. I got more excited. And then the entire Sunday was history. Below is a photo of mid-day progress, sans ugly fan.

5)We have another project on our list that is literally is hanging over our heads. The roof. It was severely abused by a hailstorm years ago. Insurance would not cover replacement since the previous owner had "re-roofed" only the backside of the house on top of the original shingles. We we have been trying to procrastinate on re-roofing, given the number of tasks at hand with the interior of our home. It's not a cheap endeavor, which I'm sure you would agree if you've ever gone through the same. Last spring, we endured a strong rainstorm that had furthermore damaged the roof--presenting a couple of new leaks inside the house. We have since patched the leaks, but the roof has to be replaced soon.  Below is a photo of the current roof.

We prefer to utilize standing seam metal roofing, but that far exceeds our budget. The next best option is architectural composite shingles, in a dark mocha color to match the exterior trim. We either need to have an incredible stroke of luck that throws money in our laps to hire someone, or have really good connections to give us the the help we need to do this ourselves. Task pending.

Stay tuned.

(photos via Art & Facts)

Waking up to Gray

Ah, wintertime. It's gray out there. It's quiet. It's serene. It's quite a nice change.

(photo via Art & Facts)

Since the weather was fairly miserable one weekend, I began a "spring" cleaning of my closet. Suddenly it dawned on me as to how many clothing items I've acquired that are gray. I then developed a complex. Have I become that boring? Am I playing it safe with fashion? I've made a pact with myself to constantly live an exciting life--both in terms of actions and fashion!

For juicy rationalization, gray is a terrific neutral color. Simply put, gray would be the brainchild of mixing together any pairing of complimentary colors. It's simply a backdrop, or blank canvas for the layering about to take place.

Now let's play. I scoured the internet for affordable, eye-popping inspiration for both men and women.

 +  

  +  

Add a touch of Ben Silver accessories at the neck (or similar color/design motif on the cheap)

+  

Add some funk to that stiff suit with colored tights and a retro pair of shoes

  +  

Men, catch that gal's eyes with a sock surprise

  +  

Ladies, add some color at that waist to sass up your blessed hourglass figure

+

 (or) 

There are so many fun men's buckle out there. Take advantage of the handmade artistry and go get yourself one!

In short, accessories matter. In general, they don't cost much and can really transform that "safe" outfit to a "hot" outfit. Don't let gray get you down ever again. Happy winter!

Happy New...Last Year?

(image via Bizarro Comics)

Happy New Year! We are finally living out the infamous year of 2012. Approximately 342 days left on earth. Then that's it. We're all toast.

Now that I have your attention, (let's admit, we are attracted to the dramatic and outrageous) I'm going to list out my 2012 predictions.

We live out our lives in a half-sleep state. We value our comfort zone. We like to play everything safe. Vote for the old familiar. Predict our outcomes and live accordingly. Yes, I'm including myself in these assumptions. For those of you who do not fall under this category, stop reading. You rock.

But everything is breaking down all around us. Bookstores and record stores are closing due to modern electronic conveniences. Our personal information is monitored and sold to greedy corporations all the time. Jobs and homes are lost daily due to corporate greed. Politicians are paid off by greedy corporations. Wars and societal unrest wage on due to corrupt politicians. Everything is bottle-necking. This is not the end of the world as we know it. This is the end of an era. 

The 2012 revelation is up for interpretation. What is a revelation? One definition is bringing to light the knowledge, either positive or negative, which has generally been hidden from most of humanity. In other words, revelation means "to reveal."[1] 

This year will be very revealing. Some things might be within our control and steerable to something more advantageous, and some things might be out of our control and end up disastrous. Either way, we need to open our eyes.

I began writing this post as a new year resolution for myself. But as I look around and listen carefully, I wish this for all of society. Return to the roots. Simplify the over-complicated life. Fight power and its toxic affects. Stay sharp by reading more often. Elect to learn something new each day. Strengthen creativity, as creativity is the best coping mechanism available to humanity. Most importantly, love and live life to the fullest. Love and positivity are systemic--which is much needed amidst the entropy.