House Guest?

If she is a guest.......

she certainly feels right at home.

This is Alice.

She was supposed to just stay with us one week. It has been four.

She has generated curiosity,

and quiet disdain.

She has "helped" with such things as summer math packets....

and has won all of our hearts.

We are hoping to find her a home, but have had no luck yet.

She is a sweet girl who had a litter of kittens when she herself was less than 6 months old. She is now 7 months old, spayed, has all her shots, and her formerly emaciated frame is happily filling out due ample amounts of Kitten Chow.   My sister-in-law found her in a barn at a local park where she works, and since the county was going to do a sweep and euthanize all strays in the park, something had to happen...so she moved in with us.

We love her very much. How could you not?? Please keep your fingers crossed that we can find her a wonderful home.

My Morning Ritual

I was preparing my cup of coffee the other morning, just as I do every day,  and I realized why this daily ritual makes me so happy.

First,  l love coffee.

Second, everything I need to get my cup of joe ready is all within an arms reach of my coffeepot. So satisfying.

This got me thinking about all the tasks we do on a daily or weekly basis, and how they can either be annoying and time-consuming, or satisfying and efficient.  Which side of things they come down on has everything to do with the way we set the whole thing up--this is the very heart of good design.

It sounds almost silly to say that you should store items where you use them, but the truth is often we don't.  The tools and items we need for daily life can be scattered about and we make getting throught he day so much harder as a  result.

With a little planning, these day to day things can be almost effortless.  Here are some ideas that you may already have put in place, but if you haven't , they can save you hours of aggravation each week:

• A "landing strip" for your arrivals and departures--car keys, purse, jacket, briefcase all stored together, as well as other daily incidentals--preferably right by the door you exit and enter the house.
• A homework bin kept near the kitchen table containing sharpened pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and glue sticks. (I did this last September just using the left overs from the previous school year.  That bin came in so handy each afternoon, and easily went back in the cabinet when the work was done.)
• A single place for all the tools you need to pay your bills each month--perhaps a drawer near your  computer with stamps, calculator, pens, any bills that come in by mail, along with a list of your bills and when they are due.
• For the pup--leash, waste bags, walking shoes, umbrella, biscuits all together at the ready for the daily walk.

A good test to see if a task area is set up efficiently is to see how little you need to move your feet to gather the things you need to complete it.

If you can stand in one place and get your hands on all the components, you win!

Mid Century Marvelous

 

BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!

I have been busier than a one-armed paperhanger! And this beauty here is one of the main reasons why. I had mentioned a few weeks back that I was starting a new project, and in the midst of picking out tile, among other things...and then I never came back to show you any more. How stingy!

This elevation above is the side of the house you see when you drive up, however it was always considered the back by the architect who originally owned, designed, and lived in this house for nearly 50 years.

This elevation is the one that shows off the true era of the house and its beautiful, modern design.

It has changed hands within the family, and is now undergoing a major renovation. I am so pleased to be a part of its rebirth. There are many neat details around the exterior of the house, and since it was owned by one family for its entire existence, it has held on to much of its original charm.

The gardens are amazing--just couldn't resist this little table of succulents.

There is much to do in the house. The main focus right now is the kitchen renovation, which I will show you next week. For now I will show you some pictures of the Living/Dining room with its fabulous built-ins and fireplace:

Many things are being moved around, cleaned up, and cleaned out. It may look a bit unsettled now, but it is going to be a wonderful & exciting project with marvelous results.

Getting The Results You Want

It is so exciting!! You have decided to embark on a major renovation--maybe a new master bath, a complete kitchen overhaul, a finished basement.  So many things to consider, so many decisions, so many things to buy. It's gonna be sparkly, spectacular, and a dream come true, right?

Well, it could be.

Or it could be a big ol' mess.

Sadly, it seems that lately I have had more conversations with people who have had the latter experience.

Because this is a process that I help people through on a daily basis, I would like to offer these suggestions so that your renovation can be a productive, satisfying  journey, and not an anxiety-producing snafu resembling bad reality tv:

1. Hire a Contractor Carefully: This person is going to be an intimate part of your life for a few days, a few weeks, or perhaps even a few months, and the effects that they can have on your life can be far-reaching, long after the project is wrapped up.  Check their references, ask to see pictures of their previous work, make sure that they are insured, and ideally they should be good communicators. You will have a lot of questions to which they should willingly  and promptly give you straightforward answers.
2. Get It In Writing: Before a hammer can be swung, the scope of the whole project and its costs should be clearly outlined in a proposal/contract written by your contractor. Sure, there still can be things that are added or changed as the project goes forward, but you should have it in black and white what they said they would do for you, and at what price.
3. Do This For Yourself, Not for Aunt Sally Who is Visiting Next Month: While an upcoming event is often the impetus to start a project around the house, it is important to take the long view on whatever changes you are going to make. Don't be hasty and pick materials just because they are on hand, or because it will enable you to fit nicely into a contractor's schedule.  The ones you really want may take four weeks to arrive, and you should wait for them.  Your goal here is a space that you will love for years or decades to come. Don't settle for an outcome that you will feel so-so about, just to meet a self-imposed deadline or to have it finished a couple of weeks sooner.
4. Examine Your Expectations: Even if your contractor promises you that the whole thing will be easily completed inside of two weeks, are you okay with it if it isn't?  Even the most reputable tradesmen come up against things that are unexpected, outside of their control, and that delay progress. If your schedule doesn't allow for that, wait to start the project.  Also, make your best effort to get your head around the fact that your house will be very different for a while. Even with the work area sealed off, there will be clouds of dust settling into a fine film on flat surfaces, hours of loud compressors humming, and groups of men coming through the door early in the morning.

When done carefully, intentionally, and when executed by skilled hands, your new space is sure to be wonderful and very worth all the hard work and expense!

Porch Planters!

At this time in the summer, with it being so brutally hot, there aren't many things that are blooming in my yard. I have thought many times about planting things that will bloom late in the season....hard to find ones that my resident groundhog family doesn't enjoy the taste of before I can enjoy its beauty....Also, as I plan to go buy plants, I usually melt as I walk to my car, turn on my heels and mutter something about "maybe in the fall..." as I duck back inside.

But I thought I would just share some of the plants that I am enjoying right now on my porch. I am so fascinated by their textures and interesting colors of deep green, sea foam, burgundy, chartreuse.

The contrast between the darks and lights, smooths and pricklies is beautiful, I think.

And they are happy to grow and thrive in the heat while the groundhogs don't seem to even notice they exist. Victory!