weekend: swimming

I can only check one official item off my weekend agenda.
Maybe I should not have published that list last Friday. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the
delightful spring weather. No blue wall, no touch-up paint, no new hinges installed. The days got away from us, but that's okay. I caught up on my reading while sitting in the sun on the front porch. Hubby and I tried a new restaurant on Saturday evening, and Sunday was spent at E's swim meet.

E is a first-grader and she swam her first 200 meter race on Sunday. She was nervous (so were we).
The whole team cheered her on and the crowd gave her a standing ovation. You know, sometimes a face says it all. Hers did; E was all smiles. She did it and she finished it.
We found out later she confided in an older teammate that she cried during the last 50. She doesn't know we know, and it makes me even more proud of her.

It was not on my agenda, but I learned something from my daughter this weekend.
Thanks, E. You are one amazing kid.

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plant friday: in the kitchen

Don't you think kitchen windows are the best place for plants?
We spend so much time in our kitchens. Cooking, eating, cleaning, entertaining and spending time with our family and dear friends. The kitchen is full of life and I think our plants respond to that.

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Also lovely in kitchen windows, are fresh-cut flowers. I use vases, jars (old and new) and anything else
I can find. Here are a few ideas from the old house.

- tulips in one vintage jar, the other jar held green olives -

- on the dining room built-ins, talavera pottery -

- old jars i have picked-up antiquing over the years -

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on the weekend agenda:
paint at least one wall blue in the master bedroom
organize the basement work room
touch up paint in both bathrooms and install new cabinet hinges in upstairs bath
enjoy the spring weather outside with the children

boys room: currently

I know I promised professional pictures of the boys room, but they will have to wait.

I will, however, show you the boys room in its current state. I took these pictures last night. Not the greatest lighting, I know, but the beds were made and every toy was put away. This does not happen often.

Window coverings have not been decided and the walls remain bare. We have a dresser and stuff for the walls ready, but I have decided to be okay with the room as is until Koko moves out of the crib.

The crib and changing table take up so much space and do not fit into my ultimate room plan. But, I am certain his transition to a big boy bed will not be smooth, so we will wait a little longer.

Do you remember what we started with? Two rooms, one of the rooms was only accessible through a door in the master, no closet for me (piles of clothes everywhere), layers of wallpaper (including dusty grasscloth), non-working electrical, ceiling tiles. Refresh your memory- click here, here and here.

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before the wall came down:

 

 after the wall came down:

 boys room, currently:

- Koko's big bed is all ready for him! -

- must get the vent painted! - scored the old checkers board for $10 -

in the details:

polka dot curtains, toy storage, and small bookshelf - ikea.com

chevon rug - rugsusa.com

bronze bin pulls - your local lowes store

paint colors - also from lowes, thank you valspar

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weekend: flea market

Our weekend was not restful, but it was fun and productive.
Hubby changed the sink and toilet in the main floor bathroom. We had family dinner with friends, and Sunday I went to a spring flea market. Too bad it does not actually feel like spring.
 Flea markets are always hit and miss, but I still find myself wanting to check them out whenever I can.
And I did find a few gems amongst the booths filled with items for the non-antiquer.

- small plaster orange for wall, may postcard with 1908 postmark, elsie the cow creamer -

The little house is my favorite purchase. You know I love littles, so I am sure you're not surprised.
I always flip stuff over and look for any markings. The markings tell you a lot- this little house is stamped "occupied Japan." Read here to learn more about occupied Japan figurines. Wondering what I will do with it? I saw it and wanted it for my terrarium.

I also scored this cute mirror for ten bucks. I plan to hang it in the upstairs landing.

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plant friday: begonia

 Happy plant Friday!

This picture is from a friend here in the new city. Jessica has a cute house not too far from us.
She says I inspired her to purchase the begonia sitting in the window above her kitchen sink. She says she cannot keep plants alive. I, of course, disagree. Her begonia is lovely and blooming!

- i believe this is a red tuberous begonia -

Why I like begonias:  They are low maintenance, forgiving and beautiful indoors and out.
Inside care:  They like humidity, so if your house is dry, you may want to set the pot in a tray with pebbles and water. To avoid root rot, let the soil dry out some before watering.
Place your begonia in a place that gets much indirect sun. While begonias do not require removal of
dead flowers, I think it's important to remove them along with any dead leaves. You can fertilize- just follow the package directions+. And, they respond well to replanting if and when needed.
Outdoor care:  Plant your begonias after risk of spring freeze. They do well in partial to mostly shaded areas. Keep the outdoor soil moist. Follow inside care for fertilizing and dead foliage removal.

There are many varieties of begonias, and they are widely available at local hardware stores and nurseries. Now is the perfect time to think about planting them in your garden or in that empty pot on the porch!

+ a note about fertilizing- i am bad at it. there are fertilizers you can add to your watering can at every
water or you can mix up a weak batch and fertilize once a week. i would say i only fertilize once every two to three months, but i do more during any plants growing season.

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p.s.  jessica recently crafted the mason jar pendant (shown above). it's on my project list, too. i even have the materials, so i will let you know how it goes. if you want to make one before me, follow the steps on
this gal's fabulous blog.

 in the details:

want your plant featured on plant friday, send me a pic!

weekend: SoMo

Nobody wanted Geepa (says Koko) to go.
Luckily, we had our own road trip planned for the weekend. We met Geepa and Geema in SoMo,
where they plan to retire this year. Last time we were there, Mom and Dad were just staking out their new house. The structure is now evolving into a cute, craftsman style home.

Mom and Dad have lived in MI for many years; they moved there after I started college.
My much younger than me brother and sister moved with them. When I visited for holidays, it never felt like I was going home, if that makes any sense. Even so, MI was familiar. I thought it would feel strange to walk through the new, framed house. It is completed enough to see the rooms and imagine how furniture,
fixtures and people will fit into the spaces.

 But it didn't seem strange. In a way, we have been a part of their move and new house. My family calls this beautiful land of rolling hills, forests and streams the hollar, and when I'm there, it feels like I came home.

  

- hubby even helped dad and my uncles drywall the garage ceiling, a task for which he has experience -

 

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last week

My dear readers, thank you for being patient with my unplanned days off last week.

On Tuesday, I got a text from my Dad- on my way to your place. I knew he was on a road trip to check on their new house, but this was unexpected. I panicked at first, thinking the old house was not clean enough for him. Maybe you remember he had a bone marrow transplant a few months ago, and with a transplant comes many restrictions regarding germs, kids, dust, pets. The old house has all of that.

Dad is not as concerned about germs as I am. Perhaps, I am too worried about it, but I used the
few hours I had to tidy up the place. Dad is doing great nine weeks post-transplant. I feel like I need to pinch myself just to make sure he's really okay. He made cookies and played Legos with the boys. He watched E's swim practice and stayed with Koko when I took the kids to school. He even warmed up the car and
walked Truman on another one of our frustratingly cold mornings.

- after school cookies and E's homemade volcano -

Sometimes, one day with family, one day of help, even with the little things,
is enough to recharge for weeks.

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in the details:

do you want more information about multiple myeloma - click here, here, here

plant friday: succulent

 Have I mentioned I do not love grocery shopping?

Koko and I shop most Friday mornings, so our hours are not spent on this task over the weekend. Trader Joe's is always our first stop. When I walk in, I feel like I am in one of our favorite small, city markets. For the moments inside, I pretend I am. We called Seattle home before we lived in AZ, and there are days I ache for our northwest city life as much as I do for the desert.

And so, walking into TJ's, welcomed by the wall of fresh-cut flowers and lovely plants and herbs, is comforting. Next time you are in your local TJ's or other favorite market, treat yourself to a cute succulent or a bouquet of tulips or daises. Either (or both!) will fit right in on your kitchen counter, and I believe

they will make your day happier.

 

- echeveria glauca, also known as hen and chickens -

- tj's tulips, vintage jar, new butcher block counter top -

 

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in the details:

succulents tend to prefer a sandy soil mix

they like lots of indirect sun and make sure the soil drys out a bit before watering

 instead of a vase, try your fresh-cut flowers in a jar or pitcher

fickle weather

I went for a run in shorts and a t-shirt two nights ago, but today's weather requires layers.
I feel like I am to blame. You see, last week I think I got too comfortable with the warm days. Confident that winter was officially over, I hauled all of our winter gear into the basement until next season.

I am looking out the window now, and I guess you would call it a wintry mix falling from the low, gray clouds. It didn't take long for the old house to feel cold again. After nine years in the desert, I forgot how fickle the weather can be. I hope my yet to bloom daffodils and tulips survive.

- the vestibule - still looking for an old mirror for this wall space -

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master bedroom: update

Remember back in February when I said the master bedroom was our next project?
Well, I finally put some blue paint on the wall.

I was originally thinking we would have just one blue wall, but I do not want it to be an accent wall.
I am not a fan of those. The blue wall would be our headboard wall. We like the bed under the windows, so for now, we will not have a real headboard. With white bedding, a mostly white area rug and white woodwork, perhaps our room could handle all blue. Hubby is not sold on the idea... Whatever happens, this will be our small project happening concurrently with the big project (I will reveal more later).

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weekend outdoors

No major projects this weekend.

It was nice to spend our days outside. The kids wore themselves (and us) out.
The garage is cleaned out and the those last leaves that fell last November have been raked out of the flower beds. Hubby seeded the lawn and I helped the kids plant pansies. We chatted with all the neighbors, who are also out of hibernation, and shared a beer on the front porch. Spring.

- the dead-looking shrub, like all of the trees, is covered with buds -

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plant friday: Christmas cactus

Have you adopted a new plant yet?

No new purchases for me (since last weekend... but outdoor plants don't count).

Several of you have been emailing me photos. Thank you! I am happy to share them. My sister-in-law
sent me a photo of her blooming Christmas cactus. Stunning. This girl has a green thumb.

- did a little googling - i think this is the thor alice or peach parfait variety -

p.s.  you can refer to my previous post about how to care for your Christmas cactus

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untitled

E was home sick today. She rarely is sick, so when she is, it's usually bad.

I spent the day disinfecting and airing out the old house. The outside air was warm enough for wide open windows and short sleeves. Koko kept pulling on his short sleeves saying uh-oh.

I guess he doesn't remember life with bare arms. I do.

I have a friend who is moving away from the new city. I saw her a few weeks ago and we chatted.

They moved here a couple years ago, and I think they were just feeling settled. She shared this quote with me. I can't tell you how many times I have recited it to myself.

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in the details:

thanks for the frame idea, Guinn

vintage wireware

My friend, Kylie, emailed me some photos last night.

She decided to put her dishtowels on display, too. I love the basket. Apparently, she also had a terrarium day last week. I think it was the same day as mine. I love it when stuff like that happens.

Here are her photos-

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You all know I love antiquing.
I am working on a post that will show you how I incorporate my finds into my decor and everyday use in the old house. Vintage wireware is something I am always looking out for, and usually I cannot resist if I find something cute, or reasonably priced, or unique...

Most wireware can be used practically. I think this is because most pieces are baskets. Baskets are useful and versatile, and they can be incorporated into any design style. Everyone can use another basket.

Here are a few ways I use vintage wireware in the old house-

- a friend gave me this tiered office basket - we use it for mail -

- i purchased this vintage grocery basket a long time ago - pictured here -

- vintage egg gathering basket -

- not sure what these two were originally intended for -

- my recent purchase - i was going to use it for a plant, but it's cute with a jar -

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in the details:

let me know if you have questions about anything you see in the photos

check out this website for terrarium ideas and inspiration

license plates

I have been struggling to get something written today.

I am feeling overwhelmed. I am procrastinating, I guess. We are getting ready to start a big construction project and it requires lots of decisions.

My mind is racing with ideas for this project, as well as other house projects.

Does this ever happen to you-  you have all this stuff that needs to get done and all kinds of stuff you want to do, but you find yourself at a standstill? That was me yesterday. This is me today.

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Sitting here writing though, I think I figured something out.

I had to give up my AZ license plates last week, and I am sad. Those plates made me feel like we were on an extended vacation and could go back anytime. They kept me from blending in. I want to be involved and make great friendships here, and you know, these things are thankfully already happening.
I want to fit in in the new city, but I don't want to blend in.
 

 

p.s.  in the old house, i often listen to The Avett Brothers station on pandora. this fact may seem unrelated,
but it is entirely related.

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