Thank you for the comments

I just want to leave a quick post to all the guys who leave me comments. I LOVE THEM. I know I don't respond too often to them, but I'm not good at thank you notes either. So, this is to let you know that I read each one with great enjoyment, and wonder that someone has been kind enough to take the time to write something to me.
In honor of you, I will now take the time to share with you some of my REALLY stupid actions and thoughts.

1. Cigarette smoke gives me migraines. I've started watching a new show on BBC America called The Hour that's mesmerizing. I was deep into the show when one of the main actors lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke out towards me. I held my breath so I wouldn't get a headache, and then realized he was on the TV.
2. I love honeydew melons. They taste like candy. I cut them up and eat them while I’m reading. The other day I started one that wasn’t as good as they normally are, but I didn’t give it much thought. It wasn’t until the next day while I was eating the 2^nd half that I noticed it was orange. Kind of embarrassing, since I’m a designer, not to realize what I’m eating is not green but orange! It was a cantaloupe. (I don’t like them.)
3. Have you ever tried to make a phone call with your remote control? They both have number pads, and sometimes I pick up the remote, wanting to make a call, only to be confused about what I just did.
4. I was in the library last week looking for a book by one of my favorite authors; M.C. Beaton. I couldn’t find one. Now, I know that my library has a LOT of them and I couldn’t believe they were all checked out. That night as I was lying all snug in my bed, I realized I had been looking in the M section of the stacks.

Soooo, this is just a small selection of my brilliant actions and thinking, to give you a lift at the start of your week. Tonight my family descends on my house for a home cooked meal. I'm buying take out.

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Cows everywhere

I have a collection of 21 oil paintings of cows. I originally collected them for my den in my Watertown house. When I moved into my current home, I had to find a place to hang them, so they are spread between my living room and my dining room.

This is a shot of my old den in Watertown. It was photographed by Eric Roth, a wonderful photographer that I have been working with since the beginning of time. We started our careers around the same time, and the stories I could tell!! I'll save that for another post. A behind the scenes look at what a real magazine photo shoot is like.

I bought this picture at an auction in a town in Massachusetts whose name now evades me. This was years ago before the advent of the Internet. It had been described to me over the phone, and I was driving a long way to bid on it. The directions I was given, sent me way  out of my way, and being new to MA, I didn't have a clue as to where I was going. It was dark....It was cold....It was snowing....I started to REALLY need to pee....AND THEN I GOT A FLAT TIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to pee so bad, I couldn't figure out how to change the tire. OY OY OY. A really nice man stopped and helped me. I couldn't decide what was more scary, the possibility that he was a mass murderer, preying on young girls in the dark, or that I would pee my pants. Well, I'm still alive, and dry, so it had a happy ending. I got to the auction house just before they put this picture up for bid, and I got it. At this point, I probably would have paid anything for the damn painting, just to make my ordeal worthwhile.

I was going to write more today, but my brother is visiting from Van Couvre, and he wants me to go for a walk with him. Since he is my OLDER brother, I must do what he says. So I'll finish this later. Have a nice Sunday.

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OMG! A new space!

I'm finally finished writing about my family room/kitchen. You guys probably were thinking that I lived in a house with only one space. But today we move on to the dining room.
Here are  the before shots....

This is looking into the dining room from the living room. The window looked out on a crab grass barren area, which of course I had to redo, and while I was at it, I changed the window to a door.

And this is looking into the living room from the dining room.
The corner cabinets look OK in this picture, but in real life the detailing wasn't up to my exacting, fabulous, demanding, (possibly unrealistic) expectations. So I redid the whole wall. Why spend a little bit of money, when you can spend a lot? I wanted the look of a paneled wainscoting, so I did what I have since done two more times, I faked the panels with srips of wood. My niece Miriam has done the same thing in her dining room, which we will be talking about in the near future, as it's almost time to finish that room!!!!! I also did this treatment in my little Florida bungalow, which you can go to see on my website, by clicking on the cottage picture to the right. I try to think of new ideas, but my brain is old and not working so good no more.
Here are the after shots.......

Unfortunaltely the picture is a little light, since I took it at the wrong time of the day, and I had to over correct in Picasa. I added a terrace outside the doors, I will show it to you in the spring, when the weather becomes reasonable again. I have a grill out there and a table and chairs. I also have a lot of plant material that needs pruning. I have learned, just because something needs pruning, isn't always enough to make me pick up a pair of shears.



I reworked the wall with the corner cabinets by making a deeper doorway and recessing cabinets on either side with open shelves. I reused the bottom doors in my new design. Yes I actually reused something in this condo. OY, am I frugal or what? I had reclaimed old pine put down for the flooring, and then covered up this expensive wood with a sea grass rug from Restoration Hardware. The draperies are from Restoration Hardware also, but have been redone. I used three panels for the door, cutting one in half and sewing it onto the other two, to make fuller side panels. Rather than hang the rod just above the door molding, I hung it as high as possible to make the ceiling seem taller.

When I do dining room lighting, I like to add recessed lighting to supplement the chandelier light. It can add a nice glow. If you can't do that, it's always nice to have one or two table lamps on  a piece of furniture in the room. Very often, just the light from a chandelier can be glaring, or not bright enough.
I like to mix chair styles around the table, I find it more visually interesting than if they all are the same. Arm chairs make for a more comfortable and relaxed meal. When my family comes for dinner, I have to chase them out of my house, because they all stay seated around the table way after when dinner is over. I am ever the gracious hostess.

I find mixing in a little scorched bamboo adds a touch of casual elegance. If you ask me to analyze why, I DON'T KNOW.
I use this piece to store my bar supplies. Alcohol doesn't agree with me anymore, so I don't remember what's in this cabinet. The flowers are fake. I LIKE FAKE!!!
They don't shed, and the water doesn't get slimy and stinky. And they don't attract bugs. Being a whack-a-doodle, I don't kill bugs, but catch them in my bug catcher cup and put them outside. So, think of all the time I've saved by having fake flowers.
O.K. that's enough for today. There's still lots to share about this room, so come on back soon.

Partying at:

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Some more decorating details!!!

To continue with my obsession with details, I will share some more with you guys! I like to group items of similar subjects, whether they be table top accessories or paintings and prints (or plates). So, in my family room I hung a series of paintings of horses and carts. I collected these from when I was in my early 20's, and didn't notice a theme until I had bought a whole bunch. My main impetuous was cheap art that appealed to me. I was too dense to notice a common thread until years later when I wanted to cover the walls of my living room in Watertown with paintings and assembled my various stuff that was stored around by house. Stuff in the attic, stuff in the basement..... you get my drift? I had stuff everywhere.

I put the cart before the horse!! (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist that.)

Although these paintings are by different artists from different times and places, in my little warped universe, I have imagined that the horse and cart in the bottom two paintings are being used in the top painting.
The world of my inner mind is a wondrous and bizarre place.

O.K., now, in these two paintings, ya see, this woman is driving her donkey and cart to market, when she comes upon her friend, and stops for a good dose of gossip. (I know, I know, I need to get a life.)

Now, this painting isn't as pretty as the other ones, and I hung it up high in the peak of my family room ceiling. My friend Kris thinks this is one of the ugliest things she's ever seen, but it fits in with my narrative. It was my Mother who pointed out to me that the donkey has turned its head around to face his mistress. He's actually standing facing the wall, with his head turned. Before she pointed this out to me, I thought the artist had gotten the anatomy wrong! My Mom is so smart. (or I am so dumb). O.K., now for my story....See, the donkey was hurt on the way back from the market, and the woman is very worried about his foot, and he loves her, which is why he's turned around to look at her, 'cuz he knows she will fix him right up.

Alright, now to redeem myself with some helpful design tips!

I wanted to create a country farm house feel to the architectural detailing on the fireplace wall in the family room, so I had the wall clad in V-groove paneling. I used wrought iron hinges and clasps for the hardware

 
 
 
 

































When I created the mantle detail, I decided I wanted an extremely simple shelf over the fire box.


I grew up in an old farm house style house in Westchester NY, and the fireplace surround had been matt black slate. I recreated that look here.
To hide the fact that it was a metal firebox and not a massonry fire box, I used an antique fender that I lucked out in finding that fit the size EXACTLY!



This is the way it looks without the fender......

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Just like make up, sometimes you need to add a little help to enhance the look of a homes features.
Now, if only I could get a fender to stick to my face....
Believe it or not, this now concludes my pontificating about my family room and kitchen.

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I Lied

I wrote that I would be done with this room, but I STILL have more to say. Amy asked me to talk about my kitchen counter tops, so since I am well trained, here's what I have to say about that! I used Carrara marble, which is one of the most classic materials one can use for a counter material in a kitchen.  I feel it has gotten a bad rep from all the granite lovers out there. When I chose this for my kitchen, the stone guy made me sign a paper, that if it stained, he would not be liable. IT HASN'T STAINED!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                           The finish is spotted and ringed in places, because I never bother to reseal it, 'cuz I'm lazy, but the marble hasn't stained. I do try to not let stuff sit on it for long periods of time, like if red wine or tomato juice spills, I try to wipe it up, but with guests, I don't always see it until latter, and the marble still hasn't stained. I had granite tiles in my kitchen in New Hampshire, and the finish developed the same types of rings and marks as this marble, so it must be something in the way I take care (or don't) of it. Anyway, I love it, I feel it is a timeless look, and won't date a kitchen the way granite has. It's been used for counters for ages in Europe, so it's not like I am a rebel. But if you put it in your house, and don't like it, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. This is a "No Whine" zone. (And I don't mean the beverage).

I wanted to share some more details in my family room (OH BOY!).

So, without any graceful segway, (I don't know how to spell that, and in order to look it up, I have to know how to spell it.) I will just dive in to the next picture.

This is the chair my dad sits in when he comes to visit. I love its shape. It's from the 30's and I got it years and years ago in an antique store. It's upholstered in tapestry fabric, but slip covered in this light green strie. It's the details that can make a slipcover interesting. Here I used contrast welting (piping), and a contrast cuff around the bottom of the skirt, but it's the bobble fringe at the top of the skirt that really sets it off. Notice how some of the bobbles are missing!!!!

That's from when I cat sat for my brother's family's cat, Pilo. He thought the balls were his own personal play thing. My philosophy is: the animal is more important than the decorating. Now, many years after he has gone, I look at those missing balls, and think......

#$%& that damn cat!!!! NO! NO!, that's not what I meant to write..... I actually smile when I look at them, and think of how I miss him.

I love to needlepoint. I design my own canvases. I made this pillow out of left over yarn. If you want to try designing your own, look at a needlepoint pillow you have and like, and copy the flower, or whatever element that appeals to you, by repeating the pattern by counting stitches. That's how I did this rose, then I just faked the leaves.

I do a lot of words, those I can figure out by trial and error.

This is my monogram.

These letters stand for Rest and Relaxation

OK, it's Saturday, I have better things to be doing with my time (like sewing the draperies for Miriam's dining room. Yes, we are still working on that, with lots of pictures to come!!) Soooooo.....till my next post....have a great weekend.

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Family Room Continued (won't this ever end?)

I can't believe I have so much to say about just one room. My family (friends, and anyone who has ever met me) thinks I talk too much, but since this is MY blog, NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!! bwa ha ha, (cue creepy music) (that last bit was in honor of Halloween, which got canceled in my town due to the nor'easter that creamed New England.) (I seem to like parentheses, too). Anywho, to continue about my kitchen and family room, today I want to talk about the refrigerator area and anything else that catches my attention.

I chose the look of a built in frig, that is only 24"deep, to save on room to allow space for the kitchen island. I wanted the whole wall to have the look of a built in hutch, so the sides of the wall cabinets were extended down to the counter tops,

 and the toe kicks were hidden with shaped legs.

The problem with a built in refrigerator is that if you have any problems in the future, you are married to this particular brand and model. Oh the stories I could tell you..... This has nothing to do with GE, they have been great, but problems with my electrician.

To the right of the frig is the area that I use for mail, messages, and other crap that accumulates around me. I cleaned it up for this picture, but there are usually towering piles here.

I use the small yellow dog planter, which is a vintage piece of 1930's pottery, for a pencil cup.

I like to have small lamps in kitchens as a type of under cabinet lighting that is softer than the typical recessed mounted under cabinet lights. They add visual interest and you don't need to worry about a recessed bottom in the wall cabinet, or extra wiring for the under cabinet lights.

I admit it....I collect dog stuff. OK, now you know.

To continue on my dog theme, I will now show you some more of my dog accessories!!!!! You are soo lucky.

I used dogs as accent details when setting up the bookshelves on either side of my family room fireplace. The reason I chose dogs for the added visual interest is because I ALREADY OWNED THIS STUFF AND HAD NO OTHER PLACE TO PUT IT!!!!!

I grouped lots of different breeds together in this book self, although sometimes I do collections of only one breed. If you keep reading my blog (please get your friends to follow me, I'm not too proud to beg), I will post pictures of all my different collections. I have bulldogs, and terriers in particular.

I like to make small groupings on shelves. There is absolutely no purpose for this, it just makes me happy.

Since book selves are for books, I use them as platforms for more of my stuff. I am old, and have been collecting dogs for a very long time.

I love this guy, he's a bottle opener!!

Although this might seem rude, here's his bottom.

I used all terriers on my fireplace mantle. I love this old clock, but I don't wind it up 'cuz it's too noisy. I need to convert it to a battery operated one. Does anyone know how to do that? Even though it isn't running, I still have it on my mantle. It's just as useless as all my other accessories.

And to finish off today's installment of Betsy's home, one more item, which has absolutely no purpose, sitting on her kitchen counter top. (Actually, it's a door stop, but I don't need no stinkin' door stop.)

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Instant (sort of) gratification

OH BOY!!!!! I got my light put up today with the help of Nigel, my trusty contractor. He stopped by to do a small job for my parents who now live next door to me, and while he was here.......I used him, I mean, he was kind enough to help me out. I have rotator cuff issues (all those years of moving furniture when I was too impatient to wait for help), so it can be hard to hold my arms over my head for any length of time, and when I do a simple do it your self job that should take 5 minutes, it can take me a lot longer than that.
Here's the way my kitchen looked with the old light......

This shows it with the light on.

This shows it with the light off


































So let me show you my new Ebay purchase. I must complement the seller!!! He shipped it so fast I felt like I had barely turned off my computer when UPS rang my doorbell to sign for the package.
This is his Ebay info.
Member id: richardshorse ( Feedback Score Of 653)
New England Ligthouse Inc.

And here's my new light turned on............

And here's my new light turned off, it's easier to see this way...........

And now for the close up Mr. Deville.......

It's pretty obvious how in love I am with this new light, as I have as many pictures of it as if I were a new parent!

So I lied yesterday when I wrote that I would only have one more post about my kitchen/family room. 'Cuz, I still have one more to go before I move on to other spaces.

Adios!! (I'm multilingual!)



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