plants: part three

I could keep going with plant posts, but this will be the last one (for a while).

Today I am showing you some of my friends' plants. My dear friend Kylie, who I mentioned in this previous post, got me started with plants. I met Kylie many years ago- our friendship is one that I think every person deserves to have. She has the cutest, old house with many features I dream of having someday.

- See the open shower behind those three plants?! -

I remember being at Kylie's house and deciding I need plants, too.

I had a lot of tropical varieties in the Northwest; they do well there with all that humidity. The photo below is a plant I left with Kylie when we moved away to AZ. That was almost 10 years ago.

- he's on the list of best air-filtering plants! - read about the Croton here -

* * * * *

My dear friend, Guinn, sent me the photo below. Darling. I love that pot!

Guinn lives in an old house in AZ, right where we hoped to live eventually. They have an amazing kitchen. You know, the kitchen you always want to be in, drinking your morning coffee and sipping your evening wine. Her house is welcoming and I miss spending time there.

* * * * *

 

 This photo is called plant with cat. The cat is Ken.
Ken lives with my dear friend Kerry and her sweet family in AZ. They too, live in a neighborhood we love. Their old house is more mid-century, I believe. Kerry has great style. I have been inspired by her many times in home and in fashion.

* * * * *
i love and miss you gals

in the details:
Do you have a pic of your lovely plants?
Comment on this post and perhaps I will post it.

plants: part two

Confession:  I have 17 houseplants.

Sometimes feel like I have to sneak them in. They get a new pot and then get tucked into a cute spot somewhere in the old house. Hubby does not always notice.

Confession:  I feel like the old house needs many more. Here is my justification why:  They are friendly and vibrant. Not only do they add color and cheer to your house, they can be used in your decor. AND, they clean the indoor air- seriously. Google it or read about it here, here and here.

We spend so much time inside. The furnace hums all winter. The AC cranks out the cold air in the summer. We are exposed to toxins and chemicals from carpet, furniture, paint, cleaning products,
even the materials that hold our houses together.
Maybe two plants per 100 square feet (hubby- these are scientific findings!) seems excessive for you. Confession:  It does not seem excessive to me. I encourage you to at least consider adopting a few plants for the spaces where you spend the most time- living/family room and kitchen.
A plant never looks out-of-place in the kitchen.

Here are a few of my newest plants-

* * * * *

And here are a few ideas I love!

First photo from BHG. Second photo from a fun blog a friend told me about. I am for sure going to do my own succulent centerpiece for the old dining room.

* * * * *

Confession:  The old house has 42 windows, 38 of which are drafty (I can seriously feel a breeze on my hands from the two windows above this desk). Perhaps our indoor air quality is a little better than others, but I am still going to meet the plants per square foot standard.

plants: part one

I recently adopted five new houseplants.

When I texted this news to my sister, she laughed.

One of the first things I purchased for the old house was a plant. We stopped by a local flower shop/nursery that a random person told me about and brought home Norman- the norfolk island pine.
The kids think it's funny that I name some of our plants. Norman had apparently been at the nursery for a long time, so I did not have to pay much for him. We had already been to the hardware store that morning, so the back of the car was full of goodies and Norman had to sit in the middle of the car.

The boys were batting branches out of their faces all the way home.

- Norman -

When we moved, I had to leave several plants behind.
I gave many of my houseplants and tons of outdoor pots to my dear friends. In AZ, those outdoor plants stay cheerful for you all year round. A few of my AZ plants made the long road-trip with us. I could not leave my Christmas cactus behind; I had never even seen him bloom.

I wasn't sure he would survive in the new city, so I read about the Christmas cactus and its need for
"cold treatments" and 12 hours of night darkness prior to its holiday blooming season. The cactus needs to be cold for a few months or he will likely not bloom. The kitchen seemed like the perfect place. It is always cold in there. So, I set him next to a new plant on one of the seven kitchen window sills (yep, seven windows in this kitchen). You know what- he bloomed. He bloomed like crazy. In fact, he is still blooming.

I feel like this is another life metaphor- perhaps.

* * * * *

catch-up

I missed a few posts last week.

As you know, I was hanging out with my Dad. Post-transplant has been better than expected. At the follow-up appointment, the doctors were pleased with the blood test results. That meant the PICC line could be removed. I cringed, but watched the very thin, 16-inch (or so) long tube slide out of his upper arm.
It must have been the best feeling ever when that PICC line was finally out.

Almost seven months have passed since my Dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma-
the same number of months since we left AZ.
He found out the day they were supposed to leave for our annual, summer lake vacation. We were already moved into our cabins- my brother, sister, their families, and my family. My aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, too. The news was sad, but only briefly. What a blessing that we were all together.

My Dad and Mom have been informed, open and positive from day one. The tests, appointments and treatment moved along quickly. You do what you have to do and then it is seven months later. Amazing how medicine and the human body can work together. Amazing what a person can do.

- endeavor to persevere - Dad says that -

* * * * * 

untitled

It snowed all day.

I got a how to use the snowblower lesson from my Dad, similar to the how to use the lawn mower lesson
I got as a kid. Dad is not allowed to do this task, but I think I did okay pushing it around.

There are so many restrictions after a bone marrow transplant.

The immune system is stripped down to nothing. All childhood vaccinations have to be repeated.

No crowds, no being around children, heavy dietary restrictions, if you have to be out in public you must wear
a mask. No dusting, mowing, washing cars, cooking, driving, exercising (except walking).

It is a forced break from your life. Maybe not your life, but your routine.

This is a break from my routine, too.

It has been nice to just sit- nice to just sit with my Dad. We rarely have this opportunity.
Usually when I am here, it is a holiday and the house is busy and loud.

My age was six the last time I was the only child in the house.

Things happen in life. People change and grow, but I still feel like a kid when I come home.

- this desert rat had on a few layers -

weekend drive

Do you ever get to your destination and you cannot remember getting there?
I had that moment for the first time in our new city. I guess that means I am becoming more familiar with our new routine. Or I am tired and preoccupied. Perhaps it's both.

Do you ever look at the car next to you and wonder where they are going?

They are probably in the midst of their routine, too,
but maybe they are going somewhere different today. Maybe that person in the car next to you is going to the doctor to get the results of the tests they had last week. Maybe they are on their way to the airport and
will spend the next week in Disneyland.
Maybe they are going to a job they hate. Maybe they will have a baby today.

Maybe they don't know where they are going.

My destination on Sunday was my parents' house.

My Dad is in the hospital; he had a bone marrow transplant last week. Today I had another drive-
96 miles over to the hospital. I will be spending the night on one of those pull-out chair beds that hubby had to sleep on each time I went into the hospital to have one of our children.
Tomorrow I will turn around and drive the 96 miles back to my parents' house, with my Dad.

- view from the hospital room just before discharge -

hearty

I do not love February 14.
I do, however, love making my kids happy. Last night before I went to bed, I set everything out
to make coffee cake- Grandma S's recipe of course. I did not sleep well, which is not unusual for me lately, so I did not make it out of bed by 6:45. I walked straight from bed, down the steps, through the kitchen, opened the coffee jar and took a big sniff of Vienna beans. It worked, and I had enough time for baking.
It was a good morning and the coffee cake was yummy.

I spent the afternoon helping with E's friendship party at school. I like the new friendship title.

In the evening, I met a friend for coffee at my fave local coffee shop. It was nice to chat and I am thankful for her friendship. Lloyd and I did not celebrate, but he did give me a small gift with a card that said,

"happy i love my wife day."

- our hearty cake -

I never thought to decorate for February 14 until we had kids. Kids get so excited on this day.

We kept it simple with vintage cards, homemade hearty, felt garland and a little love.

in the details:

LOVE decal - found it on etsy

hearty felt garland - red felt and fine red glitter from any fabric store, twine

vestibule shoe closet

Have you always wanted a shoe closet?
We did this little project a few months ago, and I finally painted it last weekend.
I wish it was a walk-in, but it's walk-up. It is super spacious though- a whole 22 by 11 inches (technically, it is 11 inches on one side and 10 inches on the other). This made it extra fun for hubby and my brother-in-law
when they were making the shelves.

You see, the old house has a vestibule.
Sounds fancy, but it just means we have a passage between our front door and interior of the house.
I tried to make vestibule a common word in our house, but the kids just laughed at me when I said it.
"Go hang up your coat in the vestibule. Wait for me in the vestibule. Your shoes don't belong on the floor of the vestibule." So now we call it the entryway.

I would say most of the old houses I have been in here have vestibules. Most have a closet and
beautiful, period doors that close off the entryway. When we looked at the old house we saw evidence of vestibule doors, and with further investigation, we found them in the basement! They are amazing!

This is one of the reasons why I love old houses.

When houses were built in the 20's, the vestibule had a purpose. It created a layer of insulation, which helped with heating efficiency (ha!). It provided a place for coats, hats, umbrellas, wet shoes and offered privacy.
New houses do not offer these charming, functional spaces. Perhaps they have become too efficient. For us, we have enjoyed making the life of a "modern" family fit into the style and quirks of the old house.

   

The vestibule closet is the perfect space for our shoes. We love it.

* * * * *
Are you wondering if we will restore the doors? Re-tile the floor? Paint the walls? Restore the vintage, push-button switches? Yes, yes, yes and yes. We committed to the master bedroom project next,
but I think we can handle the vestibule makeover, too.

untitled

I just told my hubby I don't have a blog post in me today.

I have several posts started, but I am tired and my brain is fuzzy. It is too fuzzy to reflect and edit.

He told me not to worry about it. He told me it's okay and I can post tomorrow.

I  needed that. Thanks, hubby.

weekend usual

I thought the kids were going to lose it on Saturday morning.

We told them that after they finished their donut, we would be headed to Lowe's. We thought the donuts would help and maybe they did a little. No one cried. Ha!

There are a couple of local and rather tasty bakeries in the new city, by the way.

When we stepped inside Lowe's, coffee and shopping list in hand, it sounded like all the employees

decided to get together and practice hammering nails. Then our kids noticed other kids walking around with kid-size aprons on, just like the employees wear. We followed the clack, clack, clack sound and discovered a kids' project happening in the back of the store.

They were so excited! I shopped with Koko while Daddy helped with their project.

They got to keep the safety goggles and apron and they get an iron-on patch for every project they complete. Our kids spent the rest of the weekend playing "Lowe's." They made aisles with the dining room chairs, colored sale signs and gathered up all kinds of stuff to sell. I love it when they are inspired.

You can check out the Lowe's Build & Grow website to find out when the next project is happening in

your area.  Maybe my kids and yours won't mind trips to Lowe's as much anymore. Maybe.

Does this sound like a commercial; it's not.

I am just thankful my kids can have fun at the hardware store, too.

* * * * *

We made more headway in the boys' room this weekend.

We really just have painting left, but in that room it is a major task. The kids' energy kept us moving.
While outside with Dad, they discovered that a fellow first-grader lives down the street. I usually listen to Pandora when I paint, but it was nice to just hear them laugh and play.
It took a few hours, but I finished the corner built-in bookcase.

- remember the before? - click here -

other weekend notables:

at the preschool family fun night, we got to see and touch snakes for the first time since we left AZ

we brought home sample tiles for the kitchen backsplash

we finished the entryway shoe closet!

we made and devoured another batch of Chex mix - so delicious

and always the best part of my week - family movie/pizza/popcorn by the fire night

master bedroom: currently

Our next project is the master bedroom- our bedroom.

We take on every other room in a house and leave ours. We say we will get to it, but never do.

Our bedroom in AZ was a source of stress for me. It was a big room with tall, bare walls. We used whatever furniture we had left from other room makeovers. The room was clean and uncluttered - empty.

We have found ourselves in the same situation in the old house.

All of my clothes that were piled up on the floor, along the wall, have been put away in my new closet.
The grays and yellows I thought I wanted two years ago followed us, and we have another empty room.

I want a room that is inviting, romantic for us, but also cozy. I want a place I can snuggle up and read my book and read books with the kids. I want to want to spend time in our room.

- our bedroom, currently -

* * * * *
 Why do I hesitate to start the master bedroom project? (besides the obvious need to finish up
the boys' room renovation first, oh- and the entryway shoe closet)
With other rooms, I go for it. I paint the walls, hang and rehang pictures and accessorize with my antique fair finds (love those littles!). Everything comes together. I know my style, right?
When I scroll through all of the lovely blogs, pinterest, and my numerous catalogs,
I am drawn to rooms like this-

- pic from here -

- pic from here -

- pic from here -

- pic from here -

- pic from here -

I think I have always been drawn to rooms like this.
I call it urban chic and eclectic with, perhaps, a bit of bohemian flare. I have tried to steer myself away
from color, but I like color. I like an odd mix of furniture styles, colors and textures.
This style was not easily achieved in our stucco slab home in the dessert. Maybe that is why our bedroom remained empty and functional.
No excuses now. I have the 92-year-old house with wood floors and charm.
It's time to jump in and create a room we love.

list of things/pieces desired for our room:

area rug with a southwestern flare- Google kilim area rug and you'll get an idea

new ceiling fan (yes, ceiling fans can be cool)- there is an amazing one I have my heart set on

mirrored nightstand - perhaps this is more traditional or contemporary, but I want one

white bedding

white, built-in bookcase(s)

a space for my necklaces, earrings and lipgloss

* * * * *

blue sky and built-in beds

I woke up today to a brilliantly blue sky.

Hubby stayed home this morning, so we had coffee and I got to go for a mid-morning run.
It was a refreshing 50-degree day.
When I sat down with the laptop, I read through my last few posts. Even though I am still overwhelmingly sad living in our new city, I am trying to spend time doing what I love. Quality time with the kids and hubby, making yummy meals and treats, running, reading and working on the old house.

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen. It's therapy sometimes. I made chocolate chip cookies for the guys working upstairs. My shy four-year-old tip-toed up the steps and set the plate on the floor of his bedroom doorway.
I made my Grandma S's pork chops for dinner and lemon bars for dessert. Everything was delicious,
and my kitchen time and the blue sky was equally satisfying and delightful.

- made with my AZ lemons -

* * * * *

We took a break from house projects last week.

It was nice and needed, but I wish a couple of our projects were done already! Good news though-

today, the woodwork repair in the boys' room was completed. It looks awesome.

Originally, I had planned to keep the stained wood, which meant staining the new wood to match the old, but I think now I will paint. Seeing the unfinished pine helped me visualize how white (or maybe a lighter color) paint would look on the built-in beds, as well as brighten the room.

- before -

- after - time to paint! -

in the details:

lemon bar recipe from none other than- America's Test Kitchen

box of lemons

Our house in AZ is watched over by an old, lisbon lemon tree.
The tree is beautiful and faithfully produces. In 2011 we had several harsh, winter freezes- not something we are used to in the desert. The red, flashing winter storm warning scrolled the bottom of the tv screen.
Desert meteorologists make a big deal about WINTER STORM WARNING 2009, 2010, etc.
When you live in the desert, but grew up in the midwest, this is hilarious. We panicked though. We bundled up, affixed our headlamps and spent the next hour in the dark, rescuing lemons.
I sobbed over our dear and lovely lemon tree that March.

- march 2011 -

- april 2011 -

Less than two months later, the lemon tree had survived. He almost seemed happier and healthier
than before. I miss our tree. I miss spending a full afternoon juicing all the lemons that were left after months of using this fruit in my daily cooking. I miss making people smile when I would bring them bags of lemons.
I miss having fresh lemons in my green bowl on the kitchen table. I miss the blossoms' potent smell in the spring and the hum of bees attending to the tree.
I haven't experienced all seasons in the new city. I don't know yet what I would miss in our new surroundings.
I just know that even in winter, the lemon tree was green and vibrant.

* * * * *

On Friday, a few minutes before we left to visit my Grandpa, our mail lady, Paula, delivered a package
from AZ. I brought it in the old house and set it on the kitchen counter. I could smell what was inside.
I opened it; it was a box of lemons.

- july 2012 - the month we moved -

 

weekend trip

We left on Friday afternoon to visit my Grandpa who is almost 90 years old.

We spent time looking at pictures of the old house and talking about about our work thus far and our
renovating dreams. The old house was built only a few years before he was born.

My Grandpa lives in the cape cod house he built in 1954. This is the house my Mom grew up in.

I have not been to the house for many years, and it is mostly unchanged. I walked up the stairs holding onto the chipped, bright green railing, running my other hand along the velvet-flocked, damask wallpaper- the same as I did every time I skipped up and down those stairs as a kid.

I sat next to my Grandpa in the living room yesterday. He listened to the chatter and so did I.

When I closed my eyes, I could hear my Grandma's footsteps on the old floor. She was coming from the kitchen to sit in the chair and read her book. She always fell asleep.
My Grandma died many years ago; she was there the last time I was in the house.

Most of the time, I don't think we realize how much one person will affect our life. I don't think we

realize how much they will mold us.

- koko and bubpa -