Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Do-nothing Days

Its 4:16 on Tuesday and I've been completely lazy yesterday and today :) I did get out yesterday and buy the much-anticipated blue paint and had a funny conversation with the Absent-Minded Hippy who works in Paint (very funny, but probably a lot to explain). I also bought groceries-- badly-needed groceries.

Note: Its a very curious phenomenon: I am the only person in our house who is imbued with the necessary mystical powers to enter a grocery store and buy food! The gods truly smiled on me when they bestowed such a rare gift ;)

Don't get me started on how nauseating I found buying pulled pork for Chris. Oh, wait, I'm already started! Much to his delight, Whole Foods installed a BBQ bar a few months ago. I try to get him a different thing each time I go, but boy howdy, does it gross me out. Everything's hot on the bar, and the smell is overpowering. Only for my sweetie would I endure such horror! (lifts hand melodramatically to brow ala Sarah Bernhardt). If none of that diatribe makes sense, maybe knowing that I'm a vegetarian helps.

But except for cooking dinner last night, that was about it. Oh, I also dropped my car off to have the tires rotated. I had fully intended to paint the fence, but the wood was still soaked. I won't complain, though, as badly as we need the rain. I can hear my buddies over in the UK groaning at the thought of RAIN! Sorry, guys, but we really do need it here in Georgia.

Today, except for installing our new Aquasana filter system , making the bed, washing some newly aquired glass insulators (thanks, Mom and Dad!), doing some laundry, and making a delicious cabbage-thingy (recipe below), I've done absolutely nothing. After all of my recent activity, it seems a little weird. I had fully intended to get the carpets out of the attic and steam-clean them, as well as paint, but somehow the whole day's gotten away from me. Ah, well, maybe tomorrow... or, if the time-warping daemon continues to plague me, maybe not even then!

Here's the recipe for the cabbage dish. Its one I modified from something I got at one of my favourite restaurants:

Ingredients
  • 1 small green cabbage
  • 1 small red cabbage
  • 1/2 small bag of baby carrots
  • a good handful of snowpeas, or sugarsnaps
  • rice wine vinegar
  • flax seed oil
  • sea salt

Directions

  • Chop the cabbages into medium-sized pieces (if you only want a little, use half of each cabbage. I say go ahead and use all of them, 'cause this will go fast and you'll just find yourself back in the kitchen chopping again!)
  • Chop the snowpeas/sugarsnaps-- not too small!
  • Shred the carrots
  • Combine the above ingredients in a good-sized bowl (you'll need room to mix everything together, so make sure the bowl isn't too small)
  • Pour rice wine vinegar over them (how much depends on how much you like rice wine vinegar. I advise starting out with a little and adding more, if you like)
  • Add a little bit of flax seed oil. You can of course use olive oil, but flax seed oil is better for ya!
  • Add a bit of sea salt
  • Stir everything and mix well

This salad can be eaten immediately or chilled and served cold. Its good both ways.

An absolutely fabulous cd to listen to while you're making this dish, or doing anything really, is "Hang on Little Tomato" by Pink Martini, a delightfully retro chic band with lots of talent. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you've had a great day!
Kimberley

Sunday, July 29, 2007

I reveal my inner 15-year old

Yes, yes, she's always lurking close to the surface, I'm afraid :) In this instance, she's over the moon-- no pun intended-- about the fact that Eclipse is only 8 days away from being in the bookstores! Eclipse is book three in the ongoing series by Stephenie Meyer, authoress extraordinaire, about Bella and Edward, mortal and vampire.

Stop. I know what you're thinking (oh, and cut out the eye-rolling while you're at it!).

These books are so much fun! Dark, yes, and a teensy bit melodramatic, but such a good read. I've always liked vampire books, but never cared for Anne Rice or that woman who writes the Anita Blake series. Well, ok, I did like the Anita Blake books at first, but eventually they devolved into endless rounds of meaningless sex and bloodbaths-- ick. The Twilight Series (named for the first book) is different, and oh, so enjoyable. You can read more about Twilight and see an interview with Stephenie Meyer about Eclipse here.

My inner 15-year old is now through speaking :)

In other news, I came back home today after a fun few days with my parents. I was very glad to see Chris and the menagerie, as you might well imagine. To celebrate the rain (and, ok, because there was very little food in the house!), I made a pot of my friend Cindy's lentil soup. Here's the recipe, modified a bit to suit my mood and the lack of certain ingredients:

Ingredients
  • 2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups lentils (I used 1 cup yellow, and 1 cup orange, but whatever)
  • 2 palm-sized potatoes, cooked
  • 1 large carrot, or half a bag baby carrots, grated
  • several fresh basil leaves-- if you don't like basil, leave it out; if you love it, use a lot ;)
  • 4 medium, fresh tomatoes (I substituted these for 2 cups of tomato juice)
  • salt to taste

Directions

  • Fill a good-sized cooking pot 3/4 of the way full, and add the lentils. Cook for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until they're done
  • Chop your potatoes into cubes, and set them to boiling. Reduce heat to low/medium and cook until done, but not mushy
  • Grate the carrots and set aside
  • Chop the tomatoes and set aside
  • Chop and saute the onions in olive oil until they're translucent, and set aside
  • When the lentils are done, add the tomatoes and carrots and let them cook for a bit
  • Add the potatoes, onions, and basil and bring the soup to boiling. Let it boil for about 3 minutes, and reduce heat to low.
  • Dish up the soup, and add grated cheese (I used shaved parmesan)
  • Enjoy!

I also hung the cord cover on the dining room chandelier and it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself ;) Chris really likes it, too, and confessed that he's never liked that naked cord, lol. At first I thought that I had overestimated and only needed one of the covers, but it turns out that there was plenty of room for both and that having two instead of one made it extra ruffledy. Huzzah, so nice when a plan comes together! I'm also feeling quite smug that it looks nicer (in my humble opinion) than the ones I found selling on the Internet for $39.99.

Tomorrow I'm off to Home Depot for "Provence blue" paint for the fence project. I had an idea for the gate opposite it, and it involves using different shades of yellow that I already have so at least I'm saving some money there. Hopefully I'll get the fence done, and the newly painted plant holders hung there.

My time at home is rapidly running out :( Soon I'll be back at work, and while I really enjoy it, having time to let my domestic diva rule is soooo much fun!

What's your domestic diva up to?
Kimberley

Friday, July 27, 2007

A successful day of junking

Yep, I said "junking". Its my mom's term for what other people call "antiquing", but she says that's WAY too fancy for what we do ;) After spending the morning playing with our dogs (her Pug and my Pekingese), we headed out to make the rounds of what our UK friends call the charity shops. And, boy howdy, did I have good luck today!

  • I found several pieces of iron, including a star like the ones that are on the ends of some old buildings. These stars supported iron rods that ran through the buildings for structural support. I've always wanted one, but the prices are always outrageously expensive, so I've never bought one. I got this one today, though, for $1.00!
  • I got two smallish cog-looking things that I think would make nice, rustic flower frogs for outside (each also $1.00), and a large round piece with a ray design around the edge ($2.00).
  • I found a couple of nice pieces in the plates section: a lovely little china sugar bowl, white, in perfect condition ($1.00), and a white, ceramic, lotus shaped container that I want for a tealight holder ($1.00).
  • I also found some brand-new napkins (two sets of eight, each for $2.00)
  • My mom found THE PERFECT tablecloth for my outdoor table-- pink and ruffledy, which is perfect for the "Farewell to Summer" party I'm planning-- for only .50. Yes, applaud her awesome bargain hunting skills!
  • I also found a large sheer curtain out of which I plan to take the seams in order to create a tent for the aforementioned party ($3.00).

As usual, I'd love to share pictures, but, also as usual, the camera/no drivers/blah, blah, blah. One of these days, though, you'll be deluged with piccies ;)

Sweet dreams!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

One more project off the list!

So, with the bathroom ceiling project finished (again, huzzah!), I've moved on to some smaller, but, in their own way, no less important things that I've had on my list for a while now. I'm visiting my parents this week-- wanna talk amazing DIY-ers?? Meet my parents!-- and my mom is an amazing seamstress, so I've shanghaied her into helping me.

Note about my mom's skillzz: When I was a little girl, I thought that store-bought clothes were some sort of punishment and would cry if my mom tried to buy me them! Yes, I had a princess's wardrobe of lovely, full-skirted dresses in a rainbow of colours all made by my mom. Spoiled me, yes, I know (now that I'm "all grown up" and basically wear nothing but black, my mom wants to know what happened ;) )

So, on the project list for about a year now has been making a cover for my dining room chandelier cord. I really detest naked cords, not sure why, but I do. I found some incredibly soft black velvet at one of the fabric places in the warehouse district and got enough to make it for only $5.00! One of the ladies who worked there told me that that particular fabric went for $70/yard originally! Knowing that I wasn't going to want to go through taking down the chandelier to put the cover on, I decided to use velcro. I couldn't find the thin stuff, so I ended up buying regular size and then cutting each piece in half. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I brought the velvet up with me yesterday and we sewed it today. The remnant wasn't long enough for the cover (knowing that it has to be twice the length of the cord), so we just made two separate covers and I'll put one up top and one below. We had to trim the fabric, hem it, and then sew up the sides. They really are nice looking and I can't wait to put them on when I get home.

I'd also brought up this fabric that I found on the same day of the velvet, and with which I'm completely in love: butterflies in various shades of sea-greens, on a cream background *swoon* I already measured off enough to reupholster my dressing table's bench in it, and the rest will be pillows for the bed. Well, being in a hurry to get on the road (SOMEONE didn't do her packing the night before!), I walked out with our existing pillows, duh. I'd planned to bring them and then just make the butterfly fabric into covers-- I mean, really, have you SEEN how much they charged for pillow forms?? And I don't want to just stuff these with batting. So, we'll have to leave this project for another time.

Currently, my mom is in there making me a tea cozy out of a Laura Ashley quilted pillow sham she's had for ages (still in the package). I had no idea how to even begin, but my mom just waded in with the shears and started cutting seemingly random pieces of fabric and stitched away. This project was brought on by my incessant whining about how I'm tried of wrapping my teapots up in tea towels to keep them warm, and how tea cozies are just too bloomin' expensive. Anyhoo, I just went in there to see it and its great: blue and white gingham, and she somehow managed to get the blue cording all the way around it. Mom, thank you. I stand in awe of your awesomeness :)

I'm still waiting for a third posting for my Pay It Forward giveaway *hint, hint* If you're interested, see the preceding post and leave me a comment.

Have a great week!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Pay It Forward Gift Swap

I'm just tickled pink that I was one of the winners of Beverly's Pay It Forward Gift Swap! I happened to find her lovely blog, Tea Time & Roses, and left the third comment. It'll be such a nice surprise to receive a little handmade treasure from this talented lady-- I feel certain that it'll show up on a day when I need my spirits lifted :)

So, according to the rules and spirit of the PIF, I'm announcing my own! Here's the original text of the challenge, as copied from Beverly's blog:

"Now here is how it works! I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! and it will be something yummy!!The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog..."

To the first three people who leave a comment: I can't wait to see who you are, and I look forward to planning what I'll send you ;)

Project o' the day

Well, I got all of the shelves and towel hooks put back up yesterday in the bathroom (read all about the bathroom project saga here and here ), put the knicknacks back in place, lit a green tea/lemon verbena soy candle and stepped back to admire :) I truly am pleased with how the ceiling and painting went-- so glad I did it and so glad that its OVER!
I'm getting started today on a project that I've had in mind for a while now, a sort of tie in to the courtyard project. At the very edge of the courtyard, forming a sort of mini wall, is the edge of the fenced-in enclosure that houses our trashcans. I'm eventually going to paint the side that faces the courtyard the colour of the shutters below, a colour that I call "Provence blue":




(This is a beautiful painting by Ron Kawzcynski, called "cottage door- provence"-- his page is here).

On this painted section of the fence, I'm going to hang various planters, with shade loving plants. I think that it will really add a nice spot of colour, and also help me feel that the rest of the courtyard will eventually take shape :)

So, my project for today is to paint some of the hangers that I have in the appropriate colours and distress them. Some will be white and some a soft yellow, and the distressing will be done with a sander.

Tomorrow I'm going to visit my parents for the rest of the week. I already warned my mom that I'm bringing some fabulous butterfly fabric and that I want us to make pillows with it. The pillows will be for Chris and mine's bedroom, which I plan to re-do next spring.

Good luck with whatever your project of the day is :)

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bathroom ceiling project finished!

Huzzah, hooray, three cheers, etc :)

The end result is clean and lovely, which is exactly what I wanted. It makes the past few days of standing on the ladder whilst muddy plaster rained down on me, of holding the Mr. Toad-like sander-- think his Wild Ride-- above my head for hours, being covered to the eyelashes in plaster dust, and the seemingly endless round of patching, sanding and painting (I ended up doing two coats of primer and two coats of paint) completely worth it.

Also worth it are the various injuries I sustained, confirming my theory that Tallulah House occasionally demands blood sacrifices... or that I'm a klutz :) All that remains is to re-hang the shelves and towel hooks, which I'll do today. I plan to go back and do some re-caulking, as well, but prefer to think of that as a separate project, so that I can say I'm done with this one!

In other news, I've finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Never fear, I won't give anything away: I'll just say that it was really good and is a satisfying ending to the series. Chris and I went to a Grand Hallows Ball event at our local Borders bookstore on Friday night, and it was fun. Chris kept asking all week if I was going to dress up, and I kept saying, "no", but then changed my mind at the last minute ;) We ran into one of my colleagues there and she took some photos, which I'll post for your amusement when she e-mails them.

My plans for the book (namely, staying up all night reading it) were all thrown off-kilter by the fact that I didn't get the bathroom finished Friday afternoon. Things just kept getting delayed: the spackle didn't dry as quickly as I thought it would, the two coats of primer took longer to dry, I had to do some sanding, and then! just when I started to get the first coat of paint on, I opened the can to discover that it had separated. I called the hardware store up the street to ask if they had a paint shaker and they did, so I called Chris and asked him to stop by the house after work and take it up there to have it shaken. I would have done it myself, but the prospect of stopping to get cleaned up was too much for me :) Anyhoo, I finished the first top coat around 7:30 and stopped to get cleaned up to go out. Chris fully expected me to be unable to resist temptation and dive right into the book, but I knew that there was no way I could enjoy it if all of that mess was still waiting for me. So, I went to bed around 2am, got up the next morning and got the last coat of paint on, and then proceeded to scrub the tile, bathtub, and floor, and clean up all of the mess. I took a bath, went and got us a pizza from Fellini's, came home, started reading and didn't re-surface until I was done (well, I did stop to iron the bathroom curtains and get those re-hung). Good times!

So today I'm bound for the grocery store and Target to pick up everything we've run out of over the last week. When I'm involved in a project, civilisation can just go hang, obviously ;)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Ohhhh, the pain!

Welcome to the continuing adventures of the bathroom ceiling. By working hard all day yesterday (and also because the bathroom is hobbitt-sized), I managed to not only get all of the popcorn stuff off, but also to get it sanded.

Yes, the sanding *sigh*

I started out using a Black and Decker Mega Mouse sander (my husband's), but quickly realised that that wasn't going to work, mainly because the dang thing is so heavy and hard for me to control. So I searched out my Mouse sander (muuuuuch smaller)-- would have preferred my orbital, but couldn't find it due to the wretched state of the attic (our mutually agreed-upon project for this winter)-- and that was much better. Of course, keep in mind that I was standing on a ladder the whole time with the sander over my head. I am incredibly sore today and actually had to get up in the middle of the night to take some Aleve: Kimberley = wimp :)

Today I got out the spackle and took care of some cracks in the ceiling-- nothing major, just cracks due to settling, thank goodness! I was actually pleased by the condition of the whole ceiling. You know how it is when you begin a house project: you THINK everything will be fine, but there's a little, Gollum-like voice whispering that you'll discover something horrible! ..... Um, maybe Gollum just talks to me, then? In any event, the ceiling was in great shape, and I got the cracks taken care of. Around 7pm today (yes, I started out waiting for the spackle to dry, then had to go pick up my veggies, then started talking to one of my awesome neighbors...), I started priming the walls and ceiling. There was some drippage that I'll need to sand off once it dries, but on Friday I'll apply the first (and hopefully only) coat of paint.

I'm taking tomorrow off from the bathroom project, as I've been invited to lunch at a friend's house and have convinced myself that there's no way I could get any work done and still get cleaned up in time for lunch :) I had meant to come diligently home right after and get to work, but another friend called me up and asked me to go shopping with her for her house. Now, what kind of friend would I be if I said no???

I'll leave you with this quote, which I like very much. I believe that its original context had to do with wikis, but I feel its just a good general rule of thumb: "All of us know more than one of us".

Hope your rest of the week is great!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Bathroom Ceiling project, cont'd.

So after I got back from Home Depot (oh, and Whole Foods, 'cause there wasn't much of anything to eat in Tallulah House), I made us some lunch and got started with the ceiling. Here's the recipe for the yummy sandwiches we had:

  1. Take one freshly baked (err, bought, but still) baguette and slice off two pieces, however long you want your sandwiches to be; ours are usually about 6 inches.
  2. Slice your pieces in half, and then scoop out the bottom slices. This is a good way to "anchor" your sandwich fixings, and also eliminates some unnecessary calories that you'll never miss anyway.
  3. Spread some chevre on your "bread canoe"-- I like Sweetgrass Dairy's because it is oh, so delicious, and they're a Georgia (and therefore more local) company.
  4. Spoon out sun dried tomatoes (use the finely chopped kind, so that you don't accidently pull out an entire tomato and spill olive oil down your chin-- so embarrassing... not that that's ever happened to me) onto the bread.
  5. Add finely chopped, fresh basil (again, whole leaves will lead to the sort of incident described above; plus, chopping the basil releases more of the taste and fragrance)
  6. If you're not a vegetarian, add some organic turkey or chicken. I don't recommend beef because it would overwhelm the mild flavors of the other ingredients. I don't recommend pork at all, ever, because its bad for the environment.
  7. Enjoy your delicious sandwich!

So, on to the scraping.

I took down the shelves and doodads, the fancy towel, etc, to get them out of the dust. I then moved my ladder in and started scraping... it went slowly. Finally I remembered reading that you can lightly wet the popcorn stuff to make it easier. Whew, what a difference that made! (I know now that there was a reason I never got around to mixing up my garlic mosquito repellant in the sprayer thingie :) )

In spite of wetting it, it was still slow going and MESSY! It was also disgusting to see mildew underneath the popcorn, ugh. Though I am hippy-crunchy girl and use environmentally-friendly products whenever possible, I will confess that it gave me enormous satisfaction to purchase primer and paint with mildewcides in them! Never again will I be forced to watch the inexorable march of mold and mildew across the bathroom ceiling, never again!!

I am going to wear goggles and a respirator today, just in case I'm messing with lead-based paint, which in a house of Tallulah's age means I most likely am.

I couldn't help but think yesterday, as my arm was aching from scraping and I was thinking unkind thoughts about whomever had put in the popcorn ceiling, what some future owner of Tallulah House might be cursing me for one day-- you know, Chris and I do some project that we think is just FABULOUS and one day someone's going, "Why in the world did they do THAT?"

:)

Monday, July 16, 2007

Three cheers for the new banner!

Hooray! Chris finished Tallulah House's new banner (see above) :) I adore dragonflies and like how he used that one for the "T". Nice job, sweetie!

Well, today is the first day of my vacation and I had every good intention of beginning the bathroom ceiling project this morning... Unfortunately, I was much too lazy to get out to Home Depot yesterday for my supplies so I've got to go today. S'okay, though, I've got some time.

And, boy, do those sound like famous last words! I just don't want it to turn into one of those things where you're able to procrastinate because you have a chunk of time and then suddenly you're headed back to work and nothing's been done! A show of hands, please, if anyone's able to relate to that :)

Ok, I'm properly frightened now, so I'm heading off to get all of the stuff. Perhaps I can still get the ceiling scraped today!

Happy Monday!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

My vacation is almost here!

Yippee, tomorrow is my last day at work for a few weeks! People keep asking me if I'm going on a trip and I just keep thinking if they only knew what my house projects list looks like that they wouldn't bother, lol. Come on, all you old-house people know what I'm talking about!

So, here's what that list looks like:
  • scrape the bathroom ceiling (it has that stomp stuff on it that mildews and that you CANNOT clean, no matter how hard you try or what you use), and then paint it with anti-mildew paint
  • patch and paint the bathroom walls
  • refinish the armoire in the dining room to match the dining room table
  • paint the kitchen ceiling
  • paint the bathroom and computer room doors
  • paint the moulding around the front door that was *supposed* to have been done before last year's Halloween party
  • buy more plants for the raised beds
  • make a cover for the chandelier's cord

I'm just a little too depressed to go on, so I'll stop there ;) Actually, I like doing these projects, especially when I have vacation time and don't have to get up at 5:30am in order to get into Atlanta traffic. I just seize the opportunity to morph into DIY girl/domestic goddess, complete with ratty overalls and head kerchief! I actually got into a routine last summer that I enjoyed: I'd roll out of bed fairly early and head straight out do some gardening. Around 9:30, I'd stop and take a shower, get Happy the espresso maker to make me a rich, black cup of coffee (which, oddly, is the perfect accompaniment to the egg salad sandwich I'd scarf down-- who knew?) and watch "Country Style" on HGTV. Sometimes that would lead to a nap-- shamelessly encouraged by the dogs-- and then I'd do house chores. Is it pathetic that I REALLY liked that? lol Its just such a different routine from the rest of the year and its nice to revel in it.

Speaking of reveling, I'm looking forward to the Scott Antiques Market in August! I'll report in on whether or not I found some treasures :)

Sunday, July 8, 2007

We're back from Albany, GA! Congratulations to Stacy and Andrew on their marriage :)

Well, the house hob DID in fact help me find the cd with the camera drivers on it, but for some reason they're not working *frown*. So.... yet another boring, picture-less entry from me, I'm afraid. I do, however, want to share a tip. Fred over at fredsworld had asked about removing stains from linens without removing colour. I tried to leave a comment for him, but apparently all things technological are misbehaving at Tallulah House because it just wouldn't work! So, for Fred and anyone else who may be wondering: one of the most effective methods for cleaning linens without removing colours that I've found is to make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and let sit on the stain. You can also add a bit of lemon juice, but not too much. The hydrogen peroxide and baking soda combo is also good for adding to your washing machine if you're washing them there on the gentle cycle. Its also a good idea to turn your washer OFF once its agitated for a bit, and just let your linens soak for a bit.

In front yard project-related news, Lowe's finally delivered our last 60 pieces of stone for the rest of the retaining wall, huzzah! This means that we can get that finished, and then turn our focus to getting the cobblestone path finished next month. We're hoping to have everything looking amazing for our annual Halloween party!

Oh, oh, oooooooooooohhh! Raise your hands if you remember Victoria Magazine!! *memememememeeee* My mom and I LOVED this magazine to the point that its monthly arrival at our house inititated The Ritual. The Ritual involved fixing a tea tray and then sitting down together to oooh and ahhh over the beautiful pages and articles. Hearst stopped publishing "Victoria" in 2003, but legions of loyal followers never stopped hounding it, and now Hearst has sold it to the company who publishes Southern Living, who is bringing it back! The first issue will arrive in October. You may sign up for your subscription at www.victoriamag.com
As soon as I found out I went to the site and ordered a subscription for me and one for my mom. I was going to let it just show up in her mailbox in October, but I am ROTTEN at keeping surprises from people so I called her and told her :) She was just as excited as I.

Other magazines that I love and have used to fill the empty space that was left when "Victoria" ceased publication:

* Country Living
* Mary Englebreight's Home Companion
* Cottage Living
* Romantic Homes

Hope that everyone enjoys the rest of their Sunday evening :)

Friday, July 6, 2007

Grrrrrrr!!

So yes, we spent the 4th working on the raised beds and they're coming along nicely, huzzah! Unfortunately, I can't find the cd with the drivers for the digital camera and therefore am unable to share pictures :( (Attempts to download them from the Canon site have proven fruitless-- oh the frustration!) However, I am hopeful that the house hob will locate it for me and that I'll be able to share them soon!

In other news, I'm back to dreaming about the courtyard... or as He Who Shall Not Be Named (in this instance, Chris, and not Voldemort) refers to it, "the driveway on the side of the house". The space in question is about 20x10, currently asphalted, with the house on one side and an ivy-covered chainlink fence on the other. Its my dream to tear up the asphalt and lay cobblestone, refinish my grandparents' 1940's lawn furniture in crisp yellow and white, install a potting area, some plants, and a fountain in that lovely colour that I think of as Provence blue-- voila courtyard! However, with the raised beds and path in the front yard demanding our time and money, that's a dream deferred.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

The story of Tallulah House

Once upon a time, a very nice young couple (that'd be Chris and Kimberley) were looking for a house. Rent was so very, very high in the big city of Atlanta that a mortgage was actually less expensive. And so this intrepid young couple went looking for something affordable inside the Perimeter, a seemingly impossible task. However, after only a couple of weeks, their realtor brought them to her own neighborhood and showed them a Cape Cod. Kimberley fell in love with its circular floor plan at once. Chris was less enthusiastic about the one bathroom aspect of things, but even he could see the charm of this little old lady.

Besides which, Kimberley felt that the house needed her to love it and that, as we all know, is that.

And so they paid a sum for her that caused Kimberley's parents to gasp for breath, and in the fullness of time, the nice young couple moved in and named this house Tallulah.

After four years of taking care of YEARS worth of deferred maintenance and several other, larger, projects (to be discussed in later posts), Tallulah House is turning into the cottage home that they always wanted.

And, they hope, loves them, too :)

Monday, July 2, 2007

Happy Monday!

After a fun weekend in Chattanooga, TN, with Peggy, Antoine, and Lucien, Chris and I arrived back to the warm embrace of Tallulah House early yesterday evening. The dogs were glad to be home-- I think that we wore them out at Rock City, but hey! Now they can tell everyone that they've visited an attraction!

We also visited the aquarium while we were there (although, oddly enough, the dogs weren't allowed to go ;) ), and I especially enjoyed the otters, as per usual. We also drove through Chicka mauga military park before we left. Chris wants us to go back in the fall so that he can have more time to look around. I plan to do a little research to find out if there are any good antique shops there, so that I can indulge MY interest while he indulges HIS ;)

As many of you know we've been building stone raised beds in the front yard, and today after work we went to Hasting's to get our foundation plants. We couldn't find what we needed at Home Depot or Lowe's and the shipping costs from online nurseries were going to be ridiculous, so Hasting's it was! We got some dwarf camelias, plum yews, and various groundcovers-- all evergreen so that the yard doesn't look completely hideous in the winter. After we get all those planted, I'll fill in with annuals. Yes, people, we will be spending our 4th of July gardening!

I can't wait to get some pictures of the beds as they are now and of them when we get through with this whole project. It'll be neat to compare them with photos of the house when we first bought it. We've come a long way, baby :)

Happy Monday!