If, after reading about the comforts that our new interior storm windows brought, you’re interested in making your own magnetic interior storm windows, then here’s some information for you:

Materials to Buy:

• Magnetic frames for storm windows – We chose to go with Climate Seal because they used a bellows system, which allows the storm window to flex in and out with changing temperatures. These were available in a few colors (and I believe they now offer a woodgrain look), but we went with white since our windows were all painted white to begin with.
• Permanent steel framing pieces – These give the magnets something to stick to, and have a couple of options: (1) steel angle, which is screwed into the window jamb, or (2) flat steel which adheres to the window stop. We chose mostly steel angle because we prefer mechanical attachment to adhesives, but we did get the flat steel for a couple of our windows that weren’t as roomy. In retrospect, we would prefer a flat steel which screwed into the window stop (we just don’t dig on adhesives… I think we’re traumatized by sticky residue). Whether you go with steel angle or flat strips of steel, this metal will be visible whenever you remove the storm windows. We chose a white finish, to match our trim, and they blend in nicely in the summertime when we take the windows down. (The salesman at Climate Seal spent a lot of time after-hours on the phone helping Aaron determine the best type of steel for each window. Talk to these people. They can make the waters a little less murky.)
• Foam tape – This will go between the steel angle pieces and your window jamb. It makes the storm windows air-tight. Not necessary if you go with the flat steel.
• Window surface (glass, plastic, etc.) – We had considered using glass, but at 3′ wide by 6′ tall the windows would have been too heavy to lift easily.  Plus, we frequently have airborne dog toys flying around the house, and glass is a little too fragile for comfort. We started considering our options with plastics. Among the plastics, polycarbonate (Lexan) and acrylic (Plexiglas) are the most common. Plastics offer decent optical clarity (comparable to glass) are less fragile than glass, and much more lightweight than glass. Unfortunately, plastic will yellow a bit with age, and it scratches easily. Polycarbonate (Lexan) is more shatter-resistant and scratch-resistant than acrylic (Plexiglas), but it is also more expensive. We ended up choosing acrylic because the cost savings was significant.
• Non-abrasive window cleaner – Especially important for avoiding scratches if you’ve chosen a plastic window surface, as the window will be covered in clinging particles of sawdust thanks to static by the time you’re finished. Make sure to buy a cleaner specifically formulated for plastics.

Other Materials You Might Need:

• Workbench – the 4′x8′ pallet they ship the acrylic on converts nicely into a workbench that is the perfect size for assembling the windows
• Circular saw and straight edge
• New blade for your circular saw. Depending on your chosen material, you’ll need a saw blade with a certain number of teeth per inch. Aaron found that having slightly fewer teeth than suggested worked well (of the two standard wood-cutting circular saw blades you can buy, use the finer-toothed one). Too many teeth per inch will melt your plastic, rather than cut it, and you’ll have a wavy melted edge instead of a nice straight cut edge. Too few teeth and your plastic will shatter.
• Miter saw or miter box
• Rubber mallet
• Tape measure
• Autoglass/windshield suction cups – handy for picking up the windows

Procedure:

1. Measure your windows in 6 dimensions (left and right vertical, top and bottom horizontal, both diagonals), and use these measurements to order your plastic.
2. Painstakingly mark an acrylic sheet for cutting to slightly out-of-square dimensions. Get out the geometry book for this one, kids. (Note: rather than use the diagonals, which were difficult to measure accurately, we held our plastic sheets, which we assumed to be square, up to the windows and measured the gaps. A 3/8″ gap on the bottom right meant the bottom left side needed to come up 3/8″. This gets confusing; remember the old adage measure twice, cut once. Better yet, measure 3 or 4 times and draw a picture before you cut.
   A Note on Cutting: Adjust your saw blade to the correct height beforehand. You want your saw blade height to be just a tiny bit more than the thickness of the plastic. If the blade height is too large, it can cause the plastic to shatter.
3. Once your window is cut, sand all newly cut edges, and sand them well. This will make step 5 easier.
4. Remeasure the sides of your cut plastic and add 3/16″ to each dimension. These will be the outer dimensions of your magnetic frames. Cut your magnetic frames to the appropriate length for each side (length of plastic side + 3/16″), and then cut in at 45 degrees so the inner dimension is smaller than the outer dimension.
5. Press the frame onto the plastic starting at one end. The outer edge of the frame should extend approximately 3/32″ past the plastic. Use a rubber mallet to firmly press the rest of the frame into place. This is the tricky part because the frames don’t slide once they’re on the window surface. If you get to the other end and find that the frame is not centered on the plastic (or worse, is too long and needs to be cut shorter), you’ll have to pry the whole side off and start again. This will probably take several tries the first time you do it, but by the time you get to your seventh window, you’ll have a better eye for lining up the frames from the start.
6. Once all four frames sides are in place, you have a completed window! Cut your steel frames to the dimensions of your windows, apply the foam tape and screw them in (or adhere them), and you can fit your magnetic interior storm windows into your actual windows. Before long, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of heat retention and noise reduction! Good luck!

NEWS

Senior sources: Democrats set to exclude GOP from final health care deliberations
January 5, 2010 1:41 p.m. EST

Washington (CNN) — Top Democrats are prepared to short-circuit the traditional legislative process and exclude their Republican counterparts during final congressional health care deliberations, senior Democratic sources have told CNN.

Democrats are trying to prevent the Republicans from using Senate rules to slow the push for final passage of a comprehensive reform bill, the sources added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to discuss the politically contentious health care issue when she huddles in her office with other House Democratic leaders Tuesday afternoon. The House Democratic leadership is also likely to meet with President Obama, and plans to hold a conference call with their entire caucus.

The full House of Representatives is not scheduled to return from vacation until January 12; the Senate meets January 19. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, however, have already discussed the issue over the phone, aides said.

Congressional leaders are working to merge an $871 billion Senate bill and $1 trillion House bill that differ on several critical details.

Democratic leaders hope to get a bill to Obama’s desk by early February, near the time of the president’s State of the Union address, several Democratic sources have said. Pelosi admitted last month, however, that this deadline could slip.

Should the measure that emerges from House-Senate negotiations become law, it would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago.

Formal House-Senate negotiations, under the ordinary legislative process, would likely have started shortly after both houses of Congress reconvene. Democratic concerns over the GOP’s ability to slow the process, however, may result in the traditional process being replaced with informal, high-level talks, sources stated.

In order to hold a formal conference, conferees — members of the House and Senate — must be formally appointed by both bodies, with resolutions passed by both the Senate and the House. One Democratic leadership aide said getting those resolutions passed in the Senate could delay and even derail Democratic efforts, because Republicans would be allowed to offer amendments and hold lengthy debates on the resolutions to appoint conferees.

Many observers believe the more liberal House measure will be largely forced to conform to the Senate bill. The traditionally fractious 60-member Senate Democratic caucus struggled to unify behind a single measure, and needs to remain united in order to overcome solid Republican opposition.

The different approach to financing in the House and Senate bills is one of the many differences that must now be reconciled.

The House measure is paid for through a combination of a tax surcharge on wealthy Americans and new Medicare spending reductions. Individuals with annual incomes over $500,000 — as well as families earning more than $1 million — would face a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge.

The Senate bill also cuts Medicare by roughly $500 billion. But instead of an income tax surcharge on the wealthy, it would impose a 40-percent tax on insurance companies that provide what are called “Cadillac” health plans valued at more than $8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families.

CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser looks at how Congress will try merging two different bills into one.

Proponents of the tax on high-end plans argue it’s one of the most effective ways to curb medical inflation. However, House Democrats oppose taxing such policies because it would hurt union members who traded higher salaries for more generous health benefits.

Back in December, Obama predicted the final bill will probably end up with a variation of both the income tax surcharge and the tax on high-end plans.

“Cadillac plans … don’t make people healthier, but just take more money out of their pockets,” he argued in an interview with National Public Radio.

The Senate bill also would hike Medicare payroll taxes on families making over $250,000; the House bill does not.

Another key sticking point is the dispute over a public option. The House plan includes a public option; the more conservative Senate package would instead create nonprofit private plans overseen by the federal government.

Given the reality of the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, however, there hasn’t been much serious discussion among House leaders about pushing hard to keep the public option.

One of the top House liberal leaders — South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn — recently said he could vote for a bill without the government insurance plan.

“We want a public option to do basically three things: create more choice for insurers, create more competition for insurance companies, and to contain costs,” Clyburn said on the CBS program “Face the Nation. “So if we can come up with a process by which these three things can be done, then I’m all for it. Whether or not we label it a public option or not is of no consequence.”

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said at the end of December on the show “Fox News Sunday” that the public option is “not dead, but we also recognize that the Senate was able to just muster the 60 votes.”

Individuals under both plans would be required to purchase coverage, but the House bill includes more stringent penalties for most of those who fail to comply. The House bill would impose a fine of up to 2.5 percent of an individual’s income. The Senate plan would require individuals to purchase health insurance coverage or face a fine of up to $750 or 2 percent of his or her income, whichever is greater.

Both versions include a hardship exemption for poorer Americans.

Employers face a much stricter mandate under the House legislation, which would require companies with a payroll of more than $500,000 to provide insurance or pay a penalty of up to 8 percent of their payroll.

The Senate bill would require companies with more than 50 employees to pay a fee of up to $750 per worker if any of its employees rely on government subsidies to purchase coverage.

Abortion also has been a sticking point for both chambers. A compromise with Catholic and other conservatives in the House led to the adoption of an amendment banning most abortion coverage from the public option. It also would prohibit abortion coverage in private policies available in the exchange to people receiving federal subsidies.

Senate provisions, made more conservative than initially drafted in order to satisfy Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, would allow states to choose whether to ban abortion coverage in plans offered in the exchanges. Individuals purchasing plans through the exchanges would have to pay for abortion coverage out of their own funds.

Nelson recently warned on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he would withdraw his support if the final bill gets changed too much from the Senate version.

Despite their differences, however, the House and Senate have already reached agreement on a broad range of topics.

Both chambers have agreed to subsidize insurance for a family of four making up to roughly $88,000 annually, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

They also have agreed to create health insurance exchanges designed to make it easier for small businesses, the self-employed and the unemployed to pool resources and purchase less-expensive coverage. Both the House plan and the Senate bill would eventually limit total out-of-pocket expenses and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Insurers would be barred from charging higher premiums based on a person’s gender or medical history. However, both bills allow insurance companies to charge higher premiums for older customers.

Medicaid would be significantly expanded under both proposals. The House bill would extend coverage to individuals earning up to 150 percent of the poverty level, or roughly $33,000 for a family of four. The Senate plan ensures coverage to those earning up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or just over $29,000 for a family of four.

Both the House and Senate bills would permit the creation of nonprofit private insurance cooperatives to increase competition.

CNN’s Dana Bash, Lisa Desjardins, Alan Silverleib, and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Democratic sources say Republicans could use Senate rules to slow final passage
* Congressional leaders have to merge an $871 billion Senate bill and $1 trillion House bill
* Many observers believe final version will look more like conservative Senate bill
* Financing, public option are key sticking points between House, Senate versions

© 2009 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

You might be renovating if:

If you find an infestation of stink bugs behind your cabinets.

If the old wallpaper plus four layers of paint fall off your ceiling after one good tug.

oops

If the entire contents of your kitchen is now in your dinning room.

If you have been using paper plates and plastic utensils for every meal.

If your shop vac has become a permanent kitchen appliance.

If you have as many lead paint tests as napkins.

If you find insulation in your morning coffee. (so much for coffee)

If you have a sudden realization that, “This is going to take a lot longer than we planned…”

We were driving to Mass on Sunday and noticed that there were men working.  At 11:30 am it was 24 degrees without the windchill factor.  My Dad told my brother to get a good education so that he would not spend his life numb in the cold framing houses.  Here is what was built late yesterday afternoon . . .

Now that is progress!!!!

The porch was started but you can only see the end of it.  I will probably go over there today and get more pictures . . .

We cannot decide on the color of the hosue. . . My Mom thinks that the Tyvek look is cool but my Dad disagrees!   Leave a comment and let us know what your vote is . . .  Here is a link to a post on what the house is going to look like, it might be helpful.

]]> http://jimandrachel.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/the-move/ Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:26:08 +0000 Rachel http://jimandrachel.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/the-move/

We’re out of the apartment, and it took a small army of friends and a UHaul truck but we got everything moved. The motorcycle was in limbo for a little bit, because we couldn’t get it started — the clutch was literally frozen in place. Two days after I turned in our apartment keys, the bike was still sitting in the apartment building’s parking lot, but finally the weather got above freezing and we could pop the battery back in and get the bike out to the house. It is currently wrapped in its new heavy-duty cover and tucked behind the fence outside the laundry room window.

A week after we closed on the house I, in all my klutzy glory, tripped going down the stairs, slipped down a few steps, and ripped back the nail on the big toe of my left foot. There was just a little bit of blood but I was very close to passing out. Jim got me to my doctor’s office right as they opened and a nurse practitioner undid the multiple layers of gauze and tape he had applied, gave us a supply of bandaids and bacitracin, and gave me a referral to the podiatrist. We limped back out to the podiatrist later the same day, and his professional opinion was that he could remove it, or let nature take its course. I started feeling lightheaded again so after they got me a cool damp cloth and a sip of water, we decided to let Mother Nature do what Mother Nature does best. If I were going to lose the nail, I’d lose it in a week or so. This Wednesday will be a month since I tripped, and the nail is stubbornly staying on. It looks like I won’t lose it after all. But it hurts like you-all-know-what. And it will probably hurt this badly until it is completely grown out, so, like, 6 months. Gaah.

So now the stairs come with a dual warning: If you are taller than me, watch your head on the way up and down. If you are klutzy like me, be very careful and watch your step on the way down.

We’re still unpacking. I am being very slow and deliberate about it, but it is coming along nicely. It seems like with every box I unpack the house seems larger, which I don’t understand. Jim says it’s because we’re clearing boxes out, but the contents of all those boxes are being redistributed throughout the house. So I’m not sure what’s going on. We probably won’t have an official housewarming until the spring, when every box is unpacked and all pictures hung where I want them.

We’re also recovering from a battle of wills with our heater, which is probably older than me. The pilot light went out on the coldest night of the year and wouldn’t relight, so we bundled in cold-weather camping gear to keep from freezing in our sleep. It took two more visits from the furnace company before the furnace actually behaved itself, and it hasn’t given us any trouble since New Year’s Eve. Here’s hoping, because I don’t want to replace it right now.

The winter progresses and we’re settling in.

Last week I gave the final rundown on the 2009 house resolutions, which means it’s time for (da-da-daaaa!) the 2010 list.

This year’s projects are mostly short and sweet, because we’re tackling one HUGE project and also getting married in June, so there will be more than enough things to occupy us. Still, there are some projects here I’m super excited about!

1. A DISHWASHER. Well, a whole new kitchen, actually. This a carryover from last year’s list. It’s our one huge gigantic project for this year after a year off from contractors—we did the electrical and seismic work back in 2008—and since we’re trying to do at least some of it ourselves, I’m expecting it to consume a lot of time.

2. HONEYBEES. Thanks to a little bit of a kick in the pants from my sister in the form of a gift certificate to Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper in San Francisco (thanks B!!), this jumped up our list a bit, and I can’t wait to get started on it! But first, I need to learn a little bit more about what I’m doing here—so look for more in the months to come.

3. MEDICINE CABINET. I’ve been procrastinating on getting a recessed medicine cabinet for the bathroom for a while, but I’m hoping to actually get moving on that this year, and also repaint the bathroom while I’m at it. This project is a bit daunting because it involves knocking holes in plaster, and I’m still not quite sure what we’ll find in there. (You can still see the shadows of the framing of the original cabinet, but I have no idea how or when it was filled in, or whether the framing is still intact.) We’ll see…

4. LAWN LANDSCAPING. We successfully killed all of our grass* this past year, but we haven’t done much with the space yet. Now it’s time to have some fun with the landscaping, and figure out what interesting natives we can put in. (*Note that by “grass” I do not mean oxalis, which is having a field day with our bare lawn…ack!)

5. HEAT REGISTERS. I started replacing these with functional reproductions this year, but got sidetracked when I discovered the moulding around the registers needed to be replaced. Hopefully I can check this one off the list pretty early this year…

6. GARAGE SHELVES AND BIKE RACKS. We’ve needed these forever, but it’s just never a very high priority project…maybe putting it on the resolutions list will make it one!

7. CHICKENS. Finally, though this may be a long shot, I’m hoping by the year’s end we’ll be involved in a chicken project either at our house or at our neighbor’s house (since they had the great idea of setting up a block chicken coop to share the responsibility and, more importantly, to house the hens somewhere where there is no big black dog!)

The last demo of the house! Bathroom wall is knocked out, floor torn out, walls prepped for plumbing and electrical.

I love Christmas. That’s not news to anyone who knows me, but it bears repeating each year. This year though I’ve been musing on just how much I love the two different bits of Christmas.

I’m not sure whether this is true for the rest of you, but for us Christmas falls into two distinct parts.

Firstly there’s the choreographed bit. It usually covers the time-period between Christmas Eve and the day after Boxing Day, and it’s the bit of the season which is most delicately and strategically planned. We know who will be around (more or less ), we know what we will do, what we will eat, how we will fit everything in. It’s not quite a military operation … it’s just well-thought-through and carefully organised to make the most of everything Christmas should consist of.

This year, the choreographed bit was particularly lovely. We had two lots of parents visiting (beloved and most beloved fellow house-dwellers’), not to mention a goodly supply of truly wonderful friends in the mix.

On Christmas Eve we headed out to Canterbury’s Community Carol-singing event (which features the Salvation Army band and the Archbishop). We sang endless reams of carols, including the truly clunky Christmas song about Canterbury, to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells’. Scan it does not! But we redeemed our poetic sensibilities by watching the Muppets’ Christmas Carol, which is sublime, and a key part of just about any Christmas, in my view.

Christmas day was a happy and hectic whirl of food, church, presents, TV and chatter. We had 12 to lunch, with more arriving later on. The company was delightful, and so was the food … and what more can you wish for, I say!

Boxing Day was quieter, what with walking the dogs, eating turkey curry and catching up on some of the not-very-plentiful good Christmas TV we’d missed from the day before.

And after all that, we move on to the unchoreographed bit of the festive season. It’s just as good, yet completely different. It’s the bit where you have no idea what each day will hold, and what you will do with the hours stretching ahead. It’s the time when you don’t know when you’ll get up, or what you’ll eat, or where you’ll go. A day can begin with nothing, and end up full of all sorts of delights, or it can begin with a spectacular array of good intentions, and end up being wiled away on the sofa in front of the TV.

For most-beloved fellow house-dweller and I, the unchoreographed part of Christmas has largely been about doing jobs around the house … those little things which aren’t priority enough to get done while normal busyness ensues. I, for instance, have sorted, washed and folded all of our linen (towels, bedding etc), much of which I haven’t laid hands on since before we moved nearly 3 years ago. What with our newly-completed box room, we now have enough storage to put it all in one place, rather than leaving the bedding wrapped around the pictures we packed up all those years ago when we moved!

I have also tidied the attic, labelled CDs and DVDs in braille, cleared out the glory-hole which is our utility room, and generally laboured to bring order out of chaos … that being my favourite activity in the world.

Most beloved fellow house-dweller, on the other hand, has painted, sawed, nailed, drilled, sanded and grouted … all in the interests of making the big house less of a work in progress and more of a work completed

Oh, there has been family visiting too – swapping presents and sitting for long hours on sofas eating mince pies. That’s all part of the glory of it, isn’t it!

Today is New Year’s Day, and traditionally it is the last part of the wonderfully unchoreographed bit. This year it involved the glories of the Wallace and Grommet board game, a crazy, brain-frying word game, the final throes of David Tenant’s life as the Doctor, and a good deal of laughter, tea and mince pies. It was largely unplanned and wholly unpredictable, but it was the most fun Ive had in ages!

And that’s why I love unchoreographed Christmas.

Would I have it all that way? No, not for a minute! The ‘freeform’ part is indeed one of my most restful times of the year, and I love it for that, but the intricately planned choreography of the first few days, whilst it requires more energy, is also ply rewarding. People get stressed about the pressure of ‘making Christmas nice’. For me, that’s not a stress, it’s a joy. The season signifies something truly special – that reminder of hope breaking into the world – and if I can spend some effort and energy helping other people enjoy the season, then I’m well up for that.

So, drawn from both the choreography and the freestyle, here are my 10 favourite things about this Christmas:
1. Having beloved fellow house-dweller here for the whole of the choreographed bit.
2. Having two sets of parents present … both of which are endlessly patient with the relative chaos of the big house.
3. Crying with laughter at the church New Year party (the ambiguity is intentional ).
4. Eating the nicest Christmas pudding I’ve had in a long time.
5. Reorganising my possessions whilst listening to vast quantities of Archers episodes.
6. Chatting over spicy potato soup at Eat on a chilly afternoon.
7. Putting finishing touches to our newly-decorated spare room (believe me, finishing touches are a rarity in this house!).
8. Welcoming my grandmother to our big house for the first time.
9. Playing the X Factor game with my 8 and 5 year old nephews
10. Winning the Wallace and Grommet sheep-rustling game by 1 point!

Aaaaaah …. can’t wait to do it all again this year!

I’ve always believed that love unlocks a place in your soul that separation or death can’t close.  Even if we eventually forget why we loved someone, that moment when we first realized we did is etched permanently on our soul and forms a connection that time can’t erase.  It’s how we find each other; recognize each other.  It’s how we meet, remember, and love again.  For some of us, it’s how we remember the details of a former loved one so that we can incorporate them into a voodoo doll but I like to keep things positive.  

It’s possible that, because of this belief, I’ve always felt that love and protection surrounded me if I would just be open to them.  Then again, it’s possible that, because I’ve always been surrounded by love and protection in some measure, that I’ve formed this belief.  Either way, it’s worked for me.   I’ve been told I give off positive energy (and someone once told me I “oozed” which I’m hoping was a good thing!).  When I was finishing my bachelor’s degree and student teaching, I had to get my driver’s license renewed.  I was speaking with the girl at the counter and a woman in the office behind her kept staring at me.  When our transaction was almost complete the woman came out of her office and with the utmost sincerity, said, “I hope you don’t think I’m crazy, but you have the most beautiful aura I’ve ever seen.”  Thinking back, this should have seemed strange but it wasn’t.  Knowing how truly happy I was at that time in my life I guess I believed her.  I replied, “Thank you.  I’m teaching kindergarten students right now and I’d hate to scare them!”  The woman laughed, shook her head yes with a most satisfied look, and went back to her office.  My big regret is that I didn’t ask her to share a cup of coffee. 

Since this idea of love etching our souls for all eternity appeals to me, it’s not a far reach to believe that those who have left this life before me stop in to visit and use their love to polish my aura to beautiful perfection. 

While I was ruining the turkey stuffing this year, I had our tiny kitchen television tuned to a ghosthunting program.  One of my nephews couldn’t contain his enthusiasm and began to make fun of all the ghost hunters.  “What’s that?!”  “Did you hear that?!”  My mom started talking about hearing footsteps and my husband chimed in and said, “Don’t laugh, there’s a ghost in this house.”  While I can’t argue that a few unexplained things do happen here, I’ve never felt his ghost so am reserving judgement.  Then later in the day we opened gifts and my son and husband used my gorgeous new camera (I love you my favorite middle son!) to take some pictures.  Here’s one of the 47 they took: 

Hey, I didn't say they were GOOD pictures. That's me making fun of my son.

 As I’m looking through the pictures, I notice there’s a shadow of a bubble near my nephew’s hip then I notice there’s another tiny one near the end of my thumb.  Odd.  Almost looks like those orbs of ghosts on the ghosthunter shows.  Pictured nephew shouldn’t be so quick to tease the ghosties!  So I scroll to the next picture taken less than one minute later.  

Can you find the orbs?

Let me help you out.

Yep, within one minute I was surrounded by orbs.  I really like the two that are marked with a star on top of the arrow.  One overlaps the other.  I imagine they are spirit orbs that are so strongly connected they can’t be without each other in eternal roundness.  There are large ones and small ones.  Some are closer and some are further.  They’re so cool!  And these are the only two pictures that have them.  It can’t be something on the lens because the following pictures do not have them and others taken from the same position towards the same subjects don’t have them.  I choose to believe that our loved ones were with us and noticed my aura had some ruined turkey stuffing on it so they were polishing me right on up.  Can’t have turkey stuffing negativity on my beautiful aura!

And for those of you looking at the non-orb contents of the photograph, the camera adds 30 lbs and lots of debris.  I’m really ravishing and my house is really spotless. 

www.braindebris.wordpress.com

Your choice of flowers is like your choice of stationery – a fingerprint, a signature; it should remind people immediately of you before they open the card. Likewise, the flowers you use in entertaining in your own home should also be given careful attention. I’ve outlined all these in categories below:

• Developing a Relationship with Your Florist
• Down to Business: The Actual Flowers
  • Special Occasions: Weddings
  • Special Occasions: Funerals
    • Flowers to the Funeral
    • Flowers to the Home
    • Some notes on faiths and religions
  • Special Occasions: Thank You!, Congratulations!, etc.
• Entertaining: Flowers in Your Home

Ditch Slchmlowers.com: Developing Your Relationship With Your Florist

This should be your number one priority – sending flowers from hither, thither, and yon, one florist, then another – essentially whoever’s name comes up first on Google – is no way to create a lasting image in people’s minds. And for god’s sake, don’t rely on the massive-sized “deliver anywhere the next day!” sites. There’s no personality there, like there is when you know you can walk into a shop and speak to the owner directly. I’ll reserve my own experiences from these online megaflorists, and say only that I have ceased entirely to use them since my naivety of youth has worn off.

I have two excellent florists in town that I rely on considerably; they are both completely different in style and taste. For the purpose of this article, we will call them Cleo and Gigi.

Cleo did the flowers for my wedding, and does all my particularly large, difficult, or demanding arrangements – things for funerals, apologies, and notes of sincerest congratulations. Anything where the situation is potentially socially sticky, and things need to be Just Right. She understands what I want by phrases – “elegant and sleek,” “commanding and imposing,” “simple yet stunning.” This is the key to our working relationship, for a florist not only grapples with the type of flowers and the color, but the height, the arrangement, the container – the list goes on and on. That I can use a single turn of phrase, or better, simply give her the backstory and explanation, and she can see in her mind the same visual picture I have in mind is invaluable. But we’ve worked at it; there has been a lot of back-and-forth over the years she’s been my formal florist. I talked to her, and she wasn’t afraid to listen, and that’s my number one piece of advice for your relationship with your florist: if she does not listen to you, or if she makes your uncomfortable, walk out the door. There’s always another florist to be had, and if there’s not, you might as well buy a book and create your own as opposed to wasting money on someone who won’t get your sentiment right.

How did I meet her and come to use her? Simple – I asked around a lot.

Sure, in this day and age, you can Google until your heart’s content – your can browse people’s online portfolios, sitting in your bathrobe in your living room. You can pick out exact arrangements, and have them delivered anywhere in the world, without ever having to pick up the phone. And for those of you who do – for those of you to whom flowers are just not that important – god speed and good luck to you.

But for those of you who, like me, want to be remembered for your sentiments as well as your floral arrangements, start asking around. Everytime you see a gorgeous arrangement in someone’s home, politely ask. A simple “those centerpieces are stunning – do you mind if I ask who does your flowers?” will suffice nicely. Most of the time, people will be all-too-glad to tell you.

Why is this better than browsing through hundreds of portfolios online? Because you get to see the arrangements at work. Just like anything else online, you have little to no real guarantee that, one, that beautiful centerpiece will still look like that outside of professional lighting and photography and in someone’s actual home; or two, that whomever did that stunning bouquet will be the actual person doing your own flowers. When you take recommendations from real people, who have real interactions with their florists, and who’s work you have seen work beautifully time-and-again in real situations, you know you can rely on their work.

My second florist, Gigi, I use for very festive occasions – birthdays, sweet little thank-yous, meetings, entertaining casually outside my own home. I discovered her when her darling, innovative (and small) arrangement were popping up everywhere – at my salon, my coffee shop, the little store where I buy my soap and towels. I loved her work over and over again – it was always small, and bright, in the most unusual tiny vases or containers. Perfect for little sentiments. I grabbed her business card, tested her out at the first opportunity – a casual ladies brunch in a venue outside my home – and voila. Then I started using her for life’s little speedbumps – for sending inexpensive, unique, and small arrangements to delight and surprise people. She’s worked out beautifully, and all because I liked her work and picked up her business card.

A sidenote on collecting those business cards:

I carry a slim little red leather volume in my purse, a book meant solely for holding business cards of vendors I like or people I meet. Is this necessary in the days of blackberrys and iPhones? I think it is – as long as people are still using printed business cards, I will still collect them, which allows me to discreetly and safely tuck them away in my purse without having to stand there, half-listening to conversation, as I tap away on an electronic device. When I get home, I flip them out again and write on the back – “Florist, via Diana Mulhauser’s recommend” or “Caterer, John & Sue’s New Years brunch.” This book is also invaluable reference for thank you notes to be written that evening or the next morning.

Down to Business: The Actual Flowers

Special Occasions: Weddings

Let’s tackle this first and foremost, and get it out of the way. In my personal experience, I was married in March. I chose tulips of purple, faded pink, and cream, as well as a little green hypericum, for all my floral arrangements. I did this largely because I love tulips, and my florist had, as she put it, “An excellent Holland connection.” She wasn’t kidding – they were jaw-dropping, simple, and elegant all at the same time.

Since then, they have become my signature flower for close friends. Anytime a simple arrangement of tulips purple, pink, and cream tulips arrives, the recipient knows who its from and, I hope, remembers our wedding fondly, among other things. I do this because they serve me well; they have always worked out for me.

Does this mean they have to be your signature flower? Or that your signature flower become whatever was at your own wedding? Of course not – this article is about nothing if not developing your own sense of style. Find what works best for you, and stick with it.

If, however, you are looking for an all-out-guide to help you choose your wedding flowers, this is not it. Wedding flowers are as diverse and creative as geography, as the seasons, and as your budget. My only piece of advice is this: your may have had dreams since you were a little girl of rare orchid centerpieces, but if you live in an area where orchids are not native and must be shipped in from out of state or out of country, you’re better off going with the best that is readily available in your part of the world at the time. Like fish, the further it has to be trucked from its origin diminishes exponentially the health and freshness of the catch.

Once you choose the type of flowers, the arrangement styles are up to you – they require looking at the format of your wedding (sit down dinner? cocktail reception only? wedding on a beach? no bridesmaids or ten bridesmaids? size of the tables available?), as well as your budget. If symbolic meaning is important to you and you’re afraid of being scandalized if Aunt Lynnette starts screeching about the red carnations at her table, the Knot has a detailed guide here, which includes flowers to avoid as well as flowers to consider. Don’t really care about Aunt Lynnette’s screeching, and just want to see flowers by color? Start here.

Special Occasions: Funerals

Oh, lord, lord, have mercy, did I screw up some funeral flowers early on in my life. There are several particular moments when I am reminded when Dominick Dunne’s character, Ann Grenville, asks what flowers were placed on her husbands casket and her friend Babette replies, “Oh, horrible, red and yellow, like something you would put on a horse after a race.”

Alas, there’s just not a ton of guidance on the subject – no one writes a “Funeral Flowers for Dummies” book like they do for weddings.

Consider, first and foremost, what the family has requested: if they’ve made it known, through the newspaper or relatives, that they would rather you donate to the American Cancer Society or a local AIDS charity, respect their wishes. The only thing worse than sending the “wrong” flowers is being the only one to send flowers at all.

And yet, convention beckons. Why send flowers at all, quite frankly?

Well, there are many schools of thought on this. For one, a funeral is not for the dead – its a celebration of a life lived, for the people still here. Second, it provides a gentle diversion – both visually and in conversation. There’s only so much you can speak solemnly of the deceased before someone longs to scream something as simple and meaningless as “AREN’T THE FLOWERS BEAUTIFUL?”

If there is no real instruction one way or the other, then answer this question next: Are you going to be sending flowers to the actual service, or will you be sending flowers to people’s homes? Sympathy flowers are never required to go to the service; in fact, the last thing most people want to do at the end of a funeral is answer the question of what in the hell to do with all those huge, formal fan-shaped arrangements that obviously will be out of place in their homes. Yet, maybe it bothers you that you will be attending the funeral and flowers from you will not be there – or that you won’t be attending the funeral, and that something should at least be there to represent your condolences.

Flowers to the funeral: So, you’ve decided to send flowers to the funeral. Where do go from there? If you knew the deceased well, that’s a good place to start. What flowers did he or she enjoy particularly in life? Barring that, what activities did he or she enjoy? Was he a sophisticated and elegant man, or was she the outdoorsy type? Sometimes it’s as simple as talking about the deceased, and your relationship, with your florist.

If you didn’t know the person that well, or really, are just too aggrieved to go over old times, start with white. White is the universal symbol for peace, and is never out of place at a funeral. If you’re utterly panicked, branch out to pastels for a feminine nature, or autumnal colors for a masculine one. In Western weddings (meaning the hemisphere, not the coast), roses and carnations are heavily relied upon. Lilies are also appropriate, as are irises.

There are also some terms to know about funeral flowers when speaking with your florist:

• Wreath – a circular floral presentation used to symbolize life. Depending on the funeral location or service, wreaths may be hung from stands and, like sprays, often come with tacky satin ribbons. I tend to avoid these.
• Spray – Flowers designed for viewing from one side only – yep, think of those victory arrangements for horse racing. Sprays are usually accompanied by an easel stand, and always look to me out-of-place anywhere except, well, a funeral. I avoid these as well.
• Floral Arrangement – An assortment of fresh flowers in a vase, basket or other container. I use these almost exclusively, because they can be rearranged easily (I have been at more than one funeral where we’ve hastily taken apart a beautiful arrangement to give the ushers flowers for their lapels, or used a particularly full arrangement to fill out a too-sparse arrangement). They can also be placed almost anywhere, as opposed to more cumbersome sprays and wreaths, and can be taken home with the family or donated easily to the local nursing home or children’s ward without reminding everyone of, well, death.
• Casket Spray – If there is a casket, these will be the flowers on top of it. These are ordered by the family, and you don’t have to worry about it unless, well, you are the family. If you are “the family,” seek a combination of help from your florist and funeral director.
• Inside Piece – A general term to describe small floral designs placed inside the casket such as satin hearts, nosegays or small sprays. Once again, I tend to steer clear of these puppies, as should you, unless you know the deceased intimately.

Sympathy flowers to the home: On the other hand, maybe you didn’t know the deceased particularly well, but instead knew only their family. Perhaps they held a quick and private service, or perhaps you weren’t informed about it until after it happened. It is always appropriate to send flowers to the home of those you know are in mourning. These arrangements will be different from the very specific, very shaped arrangements you see at funerals.

When sending flowers to a home, always make sure to specify a floral arrangement, in its own container, with water. You don’t want the family, in grief and receiving visitors, to have to rush around looking for a vase. You want your flowers to be remembered fondly, but also as un-intrusive as possible. If you are unsure, err on the side of simplicity.

Some notes on faiths and religions: many flower shops will be able to tell you what is appropriate for specific services, but maybe you also want to go into the situation with your own knowledge beforehand. If you feel unsure, see if you can feel out friends of the family, members of the church, believers of the same faith, or even the funeral home themselves.

FuneralWise has a pretty easy-to-reference index here, including flowers, food, dress codes, typical length of services, etc.

If you’re looking for something more detailed on what type of practices you may encounter at a specific religious funeral, Wikipedia has a pretty extensive article here.

Special Occasions: Thank You!, Congratulations, etc.

I prefer to send small arrangements as thank yous, and always with my own, hand-written note that, yes, I have trekked down to the florist’s shop myself. Flowers are always appropriate for a thank you, but you don’t want to run the risk of over-spending on a particularly overpowering arrangement, and then the recipient feeling awkward.

If you know singers, actors, artists, directors, or even stage technicians, flowers are a welcome gesture on opening night. I think it’s awkward to cart a bouquet around after a performance and then try to hand it off to the recipient, when she’s trying to be gracious while her corset is suffocating her, her hair is plastered to her face, or she’s anxious to get somewhere else – like the after party. Instead, I send flowers through my florist to be placed in the recipients dressing room or the green room, with specific, direct instructions about the location of the stage door and/or security desk in the venue, who often does the placing of the flowers. If you don’t know this information, call the venue and ask for the House Manager.

Recently, I sent flowers to the dressing room of an older, female friend who had been playing the same role in an annual show for years. After the performance, she sought me out and began crying. “In all the years I’ve done this,” she said, “No one has ever sent me flowers on opening night – not even my husband!”

A little thought can go a long way. Roses are always appropriate for an opening night; I prefer smaller, shorter arrangements (think round bowls of cut flowers or a squat, square vase) as opposed to larger arrangements that your favorite starlet will have to cart awkwardly to the car later in the evening.

Flowers as congratulations are nice – a new job, an engagement, a graduation or upon receipt of a prestigious award. Save the flowers for people you know professionally or socially – if they’re just an acquaintance that you don’t really know (but would like to know better!), a hand-written note of congratulations is the best path. For these purposes, I read the local newspaper and business courier daily; where there are partnerships, awards, or promotions that happen, they are usually announced here. Masculine men may prefer plants or “vegetative arrangements,” or autumnal colors (think sunflowers). Many women love feminine flowers – pastel colors of tulips, roses, or daisies. But often, both genders like bright colors as well – gerbera daisies, irises, asters, pansies, etc. If your recipient is the head of a children’s organization, bright colors will probably go well in her office. If they’re a high-powered, corporate type, err on the side of elegance and simplicity – avoid those garish birds of paradise.

As a sidenote, I avoid lilies altogether with the exception of funerals. To me, they will always be a funeral flower, but more importantly, their stamen sheds and stains as they wilt. I had an ex-boyfriend who used to send me scores and scores of lilies, and they constantly left a orange, powdery dust all over the tables they were set upon.

Entertaining: Flowers in Your Home

I am very particular about flowers in my own home. For casual gatherings, I pick up fresh flowers at the local market (whatever is fresh), and break them into arrangements of varying height. I keep a stock of vases in the pantry, made of up vases from arrangements I’ve received and vases I collect.

Looking to start your own vase collection? If you travel, start visiting small galleries and shops. We collect art from everywhere we go, and it’s not expensive! We have everything from beautifully carved wooden bowls from Sydney to horsehair fired pottery from Santa Fe. But if you want to start building your collection immediately, J. Mendicino does beautiful, hip work. Etsy is also an infinite supply of wonderfully weird and creative things – just be sure to check on whether the vases are decorative or will hold water. Crate and Barrel has relatively affordable vases, as does Target.

Now, down to the choice and arranging. One of the best looking things I’ve ever seen was at the home of an incredibly wealthy widow – let’s call her Millicent – where I was assisting with an afternoon tea. Beforehand, Millie started bringing out bowls and bowls of fresh-cut roses – just roses, in one color per bowl – in lavender, apricot, russet, linen. They were smartly arranged, and I offered to help her.

“Oh, no, darling,” she said. “Each arrangement has a specific place it sits upon in the house.” At that moment, the florist, who’d been arranging in the laundry room, entered to place an arrangement near the grand piano. They were so simple, and yet there were probably two-dozen in all, scattered throughout the house, looking as if she’d cut them fresh from her own garden that morning. I watched her move an arrangement two inches to the left on an oriental tray placed on an oversized ottoman; then I watched her survey it, and move it one inch back to the right.

The guests arrived, and there was much laughing and talking, with our hostess gaily leading the way – she shoved over furniture, moved flowers, arranged pillows, all the while making space for each and every woman there, saying things like, “oh, let’s get this old thing out of the way” and “Alice, I’m going to toss this arrangement into the kitchen so you can set you tea down – aahh, isn’t that better?,” even though she’d just spent the last hour arranging it to the nth degree.

And brilliantly, I realized, she was drawing attention to these things while at the same time making it seem like she felt them inconsequential – a “oh, all the furniture in my house is meant to be used, girl, just make yourself at home!” type of gal. In return, all those women felt like she valued them and their comfort high above her (many) priceless objects. And yet, they certainly didn’t fail to notice those many priceless objects that Millie was falling over to make them comfortable, without Millie ever having to brag one word. It was genius.

I may not have priceless objects, but I do love flowers, and have taken this philosophy to my home. I prefer simple arrangements that can take side-roles instead of loud, big centerpieces that stand out and shout, “LOOK AT ME, CLASSLESS WENCHES THAT YOU ARE!”

No, no, no – class is making someone feel welcome in your home, even if you do want to brag a bit. You never want to make an expensive-looking, overpowering arrangement make people think, “Gee, maybe I should have worn a nicer blouse…”  Millie’s dozens of glass globes of roses not only made people feel comfortable, but they also bragged without her ever having to say a word. (How do those flowers get arranged so nicely in a bowl, anyway? Ahhh – clear cellophane tape.)

Here are some of my favorite, simple arrangements:

Delish’s idea of using a serving tray for potentially awkward plants, like scores of lilac. Apartment Therapy also has a delightful article on arranging summer flowers in a low vase. Looking for even more ideas? Make a tidy little investment in one of Jane Packer’s books. (Dying to have Jane’s flowers delivered? Shop here.)

HouseMartin links to Swedish designer Minna’s adorable mini-bouquets, as well as some other unique centerpieces. JL Designs (“Couture Floral & Event Styling”) out of California also has, as always, gorgeous ideas to pluck for your own private parties.

To wrap up 2009, here’s the status of this year’s resolutions. Look for the 2010 list next week!

Here’s the original list: My New Year’s House Resolutions

…and here’s where we are in the waning days of 2009:

1. BETTER WINDOW INSULATION.
Mostly done. In the end, I ordered 1 3/8″ spring bronze weatherstripping  from Kilian’s Hardware, since the stuff I got from our local Ace was too narrow. They shipped promptly and have everything under the sun on the old weatherstripping front. With instructions from Working Windows, a phenomenal guide, I’ll hopefully finish up the last of the weatherstripping soon. Pictures coming once I remember to take some. (I’m doing a modified version of it without removing the sashes—not the recommended way, but so far it seems to be working decently, and significantly reduces the likelihood that I’ll screw it up and need to call in the pros. But it also means I would be much happier with a staple gun, which the Tool Library has—except that they’re closed till after the new year with all the budget cuts…augh.) And the bedroom window issues will be resolved by early 2010—yay!

2. DROUGHT-TOLERANT LANDSCAPING.
Mostly done. We successfully killed the grass, but then went to war with the oxalis. This isn’t done yet, but it’s mostly because I’ve been lazy and preoccupied with other things. I think I can safely say it’s a weekend (and a few hundred dollars’ worth of DG, stones, mulch, and plants) away from being complete.

3. PRODUCTIVE VEGETABLE BED.
Done! The garden did quite respectably this year, though it’s definitely still a work in progress. I continue to be in awe of the huge yields from some friends’ gardens, so I’ll keep at it. I put cover crops in this winter, so hopefully that will help, too.

Lettuce bed

4. NEW POWER STRIPS.
Done! Pictures are not exciting here, so you don’t get any…

5. CLOTHES LINE.
Done! But no photos till we get the landscaping done, since right now the yard looks pretty icky.

6. NO MORE LEAKY TUB.
Umm, done? We got stuck on this one, so I’m not even sure it counts as done. Technically, it doesn’t leak anymore. But in the process of trying to fix it, we broke it more, had to hire a plumber to fix that, and then discovered that it had been fixed incorrectly. Fixing the new problem turned out to be an even bigger project that will entail retiling the bathroom, so for now we’re living with a slightly imperfect faucet setup. Moral of the story: hire people who know what they’re doing, especially when you don’t!

7. RAIN BARREL.
Mostly done. After trekking all over town looking for the specific parts D. had in mind for this, we finally found them at Grainger in West Berkeley. He’s off this week, so with luck this might be finished before the new year. Pictures and maybe an instructable to follow once it’s all installed and caulked in, but Gene over at DIY Insanity has some great photos up of the barrels pre-holes on the new platform he helped us build last month (and by “helped” I mean walked us through pretty much step-by-step—thanks again!!)

Gene's photo of the barrels on their brand new platform!

8. RETAINING WALL & FENCE.
Done!

Another view

9. DISHWASHER.
Not done. But…WE ARE GETTING OUR FIRST BIDS ON THE STRUCTURAL WORK IN THE KITCHEN! This is my most exciting news. It won’t make the 2009 list, but it’s within reach at long last. (And it better make the 2010 list…)

In fact, it might be fortuitous that it took so long—if Obama’s Cash for Caulkers program really gets rolling, we’re all set to buy both our dishwasher and new refrigerator under it! And we may apply to be guinea pigs in Oakland’s version of CaliforniaFIRST, which spreads the cost of energy efficiency improvements over a number of years by rolling the cost into property taxes. When we take out our furnace chimney, we’ll have to re-vent our furnace and water heater, and it might be the ideal time to replace both. (They still have a few years left in them, but both are aging, neither is high-efficiency, and D. is itching for a solar water heater.)

So we’re 8 for 9 for 2009—not too bad, actually!

At some point during our first winter in the house ice started forming on the inside of our windows.  Kristin and I are both very good at ignoring problems and we had done a very good job of ignoring the cold temperatures for at least a month, but at this point we decided that something needed to be done about our centuries old single pane windows.

Our immediate solution was to put up plastic. For those that have not had the pleasure, I’ll warn you this can be a frustrating experience. Start with the cost. Each kit is relatively cheap, but our front windows are three feet by six feet which is too large for the standard window kit. We needed to use the larger size intended for patio doors which is a little bit more money and unfortunately is still just a little too short to cover two windows. Needing to buy a single kit for every window and with nine windows to cover, we’re suddenly looking at about $100. Uhhg. We instead decided to cover the four windows in our living space upstairs and let the downstairs just get cold.

Next is the installation. Imagine putting a bumper sticker on your car, and struggling to get it perfectly straight.  Then imagine it’s a 3 foot by 6 foot bumper sticker.  Then imagine it’s made of plastic food wrap. Then imagine the adhesive won’t stick in the corners because the 60 year old paint starts flaking off underneath. Etc. Eventually, you’ll get the plastic on, and if you’re experienced and patient you can probably get the finished product to be nearly invisible after spending some time shrinking it up with a hair dryer. Most likely there will be small wrinkles in each corner and one large wrinkle across the middle.

Having windows covered in Saran wrap seemed fine in college, but now, in a house that I own, I really couldn’t stand the plastic sealed windows.  They’re wrinkly, they’re hard to see out of, they puff in and out continuously making an irritating crinkly sound, and when you remove them in the spring, the tape either leaves a sticky residue on your window trim or pulls the paint off. I’m not sure that Kristin actually cared nearly as much as I did, but for these reasons we decided to investigate more permanent solutions.

We had a few options:

• Exterior storm windows
• Interior storm windows
• Replace our existing windows with new, more modern windows
• Refurbish our existing windows

We eliminated replacement windows immediately due to the excessive cost of getting new custom wooden windows with double pane glass and a curved upper sash. The historic board would have us do nothing less. The local historic board (which does have the legal authority to restrict exterior alterations) officially prefers exterior storm windows. In fact I believe they encourage exterior storm windows in order to help protect the original windows. Kristin and I both find this position absurd. What is the point of having beautifully styled historic wooden windows if they are covered on the outside by an ugly aluminum frame and a dirty piece of glass? Why bother protecting windows that no one will ever see clearly? For this reason, we decided to look for interior storm windows and plan in the future to also refurbish our existing windows. (Be on the lookout for a post on how to refurbish your old wooden windows sometime within the next 2-3 years )

check out that sexy magnetic interior storm window

Initially, color seemed like one of those fun details that we could save till the end of the kitchen renovation process and have a little fun with. As it turns out, it’s a decision we need to make fairly early on in the process, since the color of the cabinets will drive a lot of design and cost decisions. (Specifically, we need to decide whether we’re doing painted cabinets or natural wood, since that in turn affects flooring choices and both affect the bottom line.) So I dug up several art pieces I’d been saving for a while and had them matted and framed over at Kuhl Frames + Art in Uptown. (Miraculously, I also got through the whole framing process without having to buy D. the Devo poster he’s been eyeing that’s part of the Lil Tuffy poster exhibit the shop is hosting right now! Yes, that would be the only poster in the whole show that costs more than all of our new appliances put together will…)

The first two pieces are old fruit labels that my aunt and uncle gave me years ago; I’ve been toting them around ever since (note the nice crease down the snow owl one!) I think they’ve been in no fewer than seven different apartments in five cities over the last decade—augh! So it’s long time they were framed. It’s hard to see, but the frames are actually a very deep brown with a light cream mat.

Fruit labels

The third piece is by Olympia-based artist Nikki McClure, who does crazy beautiful paper cuts. (I got this one at Issues off of Piedmont Avenue, where they usually have a nice assortment of her work.) Seriously, I’d wallpaper our house with these if D. didn’t have a say in it! (But he does, so we also have some old school Shepard Fairey from back when he was still counterculture. And also, cute photos of elephants with little children.)

Nikki McClure print

So obviously our kitchen is not going to be striped in red and black, but I do want a color scheme that this art can accent. We’re leaning strongly towards painted cabinets right now, and D. is adamant about not wanting a white kitchen, which is the more traditional “look” for an Arts and Crafts house. So instead, we’re exploring lighter creams, grays, or greens—plus a few natural woods—for the Shaker-style cabinets, probably with a wood floor and dark countertops. That actually gives me a nice palette to work with, since we can potentially keep the walls in the sage family, which makes the red and cream a perfect complementary color. Or we can use some yellows, which could look really nice with gray cabinets and red accents. I like the look of the green cabinets too (D.’s favorite is a color called “silver sage”) but it just seems like the kind of thing that we could get tired of in the years to come, and then we’re pretty locked into the color. Bleh.

Anyway, for now, I’m stalking Sunset, Apartment Therapy, Design Pad, and the many house blogs out there for some inspiration and ideas. Know anyone with good green, gray, or cream kitchen cabinets to look at?

]]> http://bedbyday.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/come-to-visit/ Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:46:44 +0000 Valerie Nebbia http://bedbyday.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/come-to-visit/

We love visitors…but especially Josh…but especially you if you’d like to come visit.

Uncle Josh and lil' C

You can’t tell from this picture but Clare actually really likes Uncle Josh. Every time he comes into the room she looks up at him and smiles.

In other parts of my world: Shortest post EVER.  Renovations start soon.  Have to keep packing.

clos·et  (klzt, klôzt)
n.
A cabinet or enclosed recess for linens, household supplies, or clothing.

First thing’s first: without your clothes, your closet loses its purpose. The clothes always come before the apparatus, and the best and easiest way to take care of your clothes is two fold:
First, determining what needs to hang and what needs to lay flat.
Second, by executing the best method for both these requirements.

Jack and I live in an old Victorian house, where closet space is tight. His clothes take up the single small closet in the bedroom; mine require a wardrobe, the closet in the study, guest room, and one of the hall linen closets. (Jack constantly jokes that I have more clothes then we have house, but the reality is that I prefer not to store my seasonal clothes in the basement, and so I don’t.)

Many women, though, do not have the option to simply take over three or four of the closets in the house – perhaps you live in an old house, like us, that’s short on closet space, or you live in an apartment where you’re forced to store your clothes (and everything else) in those six meager feet of storage allotted in the basement of the complex. If this is the case, do not despair! There are steps you can take that will help minimize damage to your clothes in less-than-hospitable environments.

Spend your first $15: PREP YOUR SPACE

Moisture
Start with a desiccant. A desiccant is a substance that helps keep its surroundings dry. (Those little sillica gel packets your sometimes get with products? Those are desiccants.) As a sidenote, desiccants are also used to prevent rust when storing firearms, and many entertaining articles full of bad grammar exist extolling the virtue of desiccants in burying your weapons in undisclosed locations for when The Black Man In Power Comes For Your Guns. For the purpose of this article, however, we’re going to assume you want a small amount for typical clothing storage.

If you have no children or pets in the house, you can pick up a desiccant at your local hardware store or even craft store. (It’s also used to preserve flowers.) Alas, Jack and I have three spoiled dogs who can not be trusted, and so we opt for more organic methods of aridness. Martha Stewart has some great advice for this; in her Homekeeping Handbook, she suggests fastening a rubber band around a dozen pieces of chalk and then covering it with ribbon, allowing some extra to loop over a hook or hanger away from clothes. This will help keep your closet mildew and moisture free, as will a box of baking soda replaced twice a year. (I do all my “twice-a-year” stuff, like turning the mattresses, in January and June in one fell swoop.)

And also, don’t store your clothes in those plastic dry-cleaning bags. It’s tempting to just  hang them up and forget about them until you’re ready for them, but don’t do it – they trap moisture, increasing the likelihood of mildew. Instead, leave them uncovered or invest in garment bags for seldom-worn articles, like formal dresses or coats. Save those dry-cleaning bags on a high shelf (out of the reach of children) for folding clothes when you travel. This will decrease the wrinkles brought on by your suitcase.

Light
Can you see everything in your closet? If you can’t see it, you certainly won’t wear it. If your closet isn’t well lit, consider installing an overhead lighting fixture, or one of those battery-operated push-on/push-off lights for about $5 at Amazon.com or your local hardware store.

So far, you’re up to:
Chalk: $3.80
Baking Soda: $1.09
Ribbon: $2.00
Push Light: $5.00
=
$11.89

Not a bad start.

Spend your next $35: FEEL LIKE A WOMAN

Now, y’all, I’m a feminist, and I’ve got the women’s studies degree to prove it. We can talk about post-structural vs cultural feminism all day long, but when it comes down to it, I’m just girly. I like things to smell like lavender, and I like to bake things, and I like things arranged certain ways.

So of course, my first recommendation to you – the easiest way, if you’re like me, to add a little more class, as it were, to your closet space is to invest in drawer liners or sachets, and good padded hangers.

But for those of you who are recoiling at the image of your Strong, Professional Clothes held up by dainty, pink, silk-padded hangers with bows, hark unto me: there are perfectly legitimate reasons for the “No More Wire Hangers!” scene in Mommy Dearest. Padded hangers help your garments keep their shape – haven’t you ever pulled a blouse off a wire hanger and realized that the shoulders were a little wonky, or worse, had two little horns peeking up that you couldn’t smooth down no matter how hard you tried? A padded hanger will prevent that.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond has a pack of 8 satin padded hangers for $10, Container Store has a 4 pack of pastel damask ones for $10, and Amazon is carrying a set of 10 ivory satin ones for $12.79. Scented ones are a little more scarce, and will cost you more.

This being said, do you need an entire closet full of rosewater scented silk-padded hangers? Nay, good friend. I keep a half-dozen on hand for my most delicate garments, and another half-dozen to add some luxury to the guest room closet. The rest of the closet is filled with wooden hangers (cedar is great if you can afford them, as it helps deter moths) for mid-range-to-nice clothing and plastic hangers for lower end items. Wooden hangers will run you anywhere from $16 for a 24-pack on Amazon to $5-10 bucks a piece at The Container Store. Target also has a 30 pack in various finishes for $20.

(“But what,” you wail, “Am I supposed to do with all these wire hangers, anyway?” Never fear! Wire hangers are always useful around the house. Stretch them out and use them with a bubble solution to delight kids with big bubbles; pass them between your skirt and pantyhose to get ride of static cling; unclog your plumbing, although don’t tell the plumber I told you that.)

8 satin hangers: $10
30 wooden hangers: $20
= a running total of $41.89

What is what: A quick note on hanging vs. folding
Hard and fast rules are: hang any wrinkle-prone material, like linen or 100% cotton; hang delicate things that can be crushed easily, like silk, velvet, or chiffon; hang pressed shirts, suits, dresses, jackets, and pants (jeans optional).

Fold: things that will stretch out of shape, like knits; t-shirts, jeans, scarves, underwear, and those work-out clothes.

Also,  install a hook on the back of your bedroom door for your bathrobe. An over-the-door hook can be had for $2, or one of those Command™ Adhesive hooks for $3-5.

This leaves us with about $6.00 to play with – grab some cedar mothballs for $4 over at the Container Store. You can stop here and pocket your glorious leftover two dollars, or you can splurge a little over budget and grab some Crabtree & Evelyn scented drawer liners in rosewater or lavender for $18, or some delicious Basil Blue Sage dryer sheets from Caldrea for $11.

Bring it up to $100: STORAGE MAGIC

If you have an additional $50 to play with, start investing in some smart storage solutions. Live in Detroit? You’ve probably got a lot of sweaters and not enough drawer space – pick up a hanging sweater bag at The Container Store ($15-20 for canvas, $25 for bamboo). Grab a couple of underbed storage bags for when the weather turns warm: $20 at Target, $15 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and $8-20 at The Container Store.

This keeps your more slender drawers of a bureau or wardrobe free for delicates, like lingerie, undies, and camisoles.

Hanging sweater bag: $20
2 underbed storage bags: $30
=
running total of approximately $94.89

Spend $250: YOU ARE SERIOUSLY NOT FUCKING AROUND

Shoes lurking around every corner? Go with an over-the-door shoe bag ($20 at Container Store) or even one of those fancy free-standing shoe cabinets at Ikea ($90-$100).

I prefer a combination, and have invested in drop-front shoe boxes, which open in the front instead of on top, ensuring you don’t have to unstack anything. Container Store has plastic for $5 a pop or tweed (love love love) for $18 a pop.

Love hats? I do, but those suckers eat up space like nobody’s business. Hat boxes are the best way to go about storing hats, as they keep away dust and ensure that they never become misshapen or crushed. Gently stuff the hat with tissue and store in a good-sized hat box. If you’re concerned about appearances, Container Store has some beautiful, study boxes ($40 for set of 3), as well as Land of Nod (a Crate&Barrel affiliate) who has some for $25.

Have expensive purses? They’re much the same as hats – they need special care. Like hats, you’ll want to gentle stuff with tissue paper when not in use to maintain their shape. (Ignore this for flat or envelope-shaped clutches.) It’s also important that this tissue be undyed – the best thing to do is to keep the paper that came in the purse, or crib some extra off the ladies at Crate&Barrel or Michael’s the next time you’re in. Forget that green sparkly tissue from Christmas, and never, ever use newspaper, as it may discolor your purse lining. Did that gorgeous new Coach bag come with a storage bag? Use it, or make your own drawstring sack with flannel. (Amy over at Happy Things has a brilliant, simple drawstring bag tutorial.)

Spring for the Park-a-Purse, over at Organize.com, for $29.

Still got cash? Grab some drawer compartments over at Organize.com to round things out; these are useful for keeping your sock, panties, and bras separate.

Over-the-door shoe bag: $20
8 plastic drop-front shoe boxes: $50
Set of 3 hat boxes: $40
Park-a-Purse: $30
3 yards of flannel for drawstring bags: $19.50
= running total of $244.39

Mission Accomplished.