long long long long time

since i posted.  sorry about that.

i made a list of everything i want to craft in august…all 21 days left of it…

new grill cover

kitchen curtain

back bedroom shades

fix unraveling scarf

finish knit black hat

finish knit brown hat

finish felted slippers

felt cowl

tailor hub’s shirts (button downs….never tailored beyond hemming…total long shot)

hem 2 pairs of pants that are really cute and too long

un-knit silk scarf as is too long

hmm…i better get going here….will share pictures i promise….

until then here is new dog Penny….

One room done!

We have one room completely done!  Our house is totally liveable, but we know the little things that aren’t done.  Things to buy, paint, install, make, paint, buy, paint, find….etc!  But the bathroom is no longer on that list!

peach, flowers, and more peach

The peach was just….peach….i did not like the peach…..

ahh, much better...

We’re off to boston this weekend and also our CSA started back up…soon I’ll be back to trying jams, chutneys, and compotes!!

how does your garden grow…

with window boxes of snap dragons and marigolds

with herbs and onions in a wheelbarrow

with flowers going up the steps

but most importantly with a little bit of miami in philly...

finally!

right after we closed on the house i saw this fabric online at ikea.  then it was never available and somehow i became obessesed with finding it?  i’m not sure why, but i did and finally they had it…and so i bought it….a lot of it….

why yes that is a screen-print of an oragami moose….

it’s going to become curtains for the office.  which is still covered in a fair amount of wallpaper, but that will go too…

this room...

has been a big day here as we finally got a grown-up sofa!  this has been long overdue…i mean 5 years of a crappy futon and then 5 days of this…

so not cozy...

but this is!

leather!

i/we feel so grown-up! but the dog is less than impressed….as he is not allowed on….

sad puppy...

our mini closet

so the house has mini closets.  there are many theories about these closets.  not many changes of clothes back in 1899?  closet tax?  or perhaps because the overall house is only 14′ wide.  who knows?

our lovely 10" closet...

so what to do?  we stacked things.  nope a pain to get to.  shelves…yes!  but we needs hanging storage…so wait for it…

mini-closet!

perfect!  so we hung 10″ wooden closet poles on the far right and left and viola!  all my dresses hanging.  hooks to come for purse storage and i’m sure i’ll paint the plaster too….maybe a fun bright orange?  yellow?

wet grays….

out the window...

this is what i see.  gray. wet. rain. cold.  now that i am fully aware of how much it costs to heat a home, even our little row, i am completely behind the “put on a sweater” school of thought.  the weekends are going by so fast here.  and this one was jam-packed.  helped someone move. went to festival for a minute…but too hungry to wait in line for funnel cake.  ikea. lowes. pier 1. grocery store. and then bam it’s sunday!  huh?  how?  i’m actually one to like the cold wet days, as long as they are out numbered by sun.  i can sit inside and not feel guilty that i am putzing around the house.  sort of my/our new obsession.  this weekend was pictures…we hung lots of pictures.  now as anyone that may know me, when i am trying to convey my “creative vision” i am not so good with full-blown descriptions…there may be some nail holes to patch…maybe

no more blinds

we are slowly ridding ourselves of all the blinds.  i/we are not fans.  i love the crisp, clean white with the gray.  our treasures from nicaragua and mexico fit perfectly on this teeny wall.  our couch is coming this week (woo hoo!) and then this room may be close to “done”?  well the trim needs to be painted and installed in some sections.  oh and we need new rugs too.  but “done.”

crafting curtains

my crafting room/closet is still a horrible pink on three sides.  i hate it.  a lot.  this week we (he) must patch the walls.  i (he) need to paint this room.  however we did manage to get curtains hung, previously we had leaned a door up against the window.  oh we should probably hang that door too…

some

i love those houses that you walk by and are all the walls are filled with photos.  every inch of wall.  covered.  i could not actually live in a house like that.  ever.  but i love the idea.  here is a start of ours.  a mix of mexico, nicaragua, family, us, miami, bahamas, art, new orleans and more.  i feel it will grow.  change.  evolve.  and yes this is where many of the trial/error nail holes are hidden.  a picture moved an inch to cover one up, but when taken down…

memories

off to frame some more.  i/we will try and be better about more updates.

New!!

out with the old.....

in with the fancy, new, hidden control dishwasher!!!

please excuse the old kitchen….will be updated in about 2 years…

Sections…..

There are bits, pieces, nooks, that are “complete….”  This is the fun part of the house.  The details that make you smile when you come home.  It’s slow-going, but it should be.  It’s the sort of thing that you mull over in the back of your mind and then finally decide on…I love this stuff…

sort of....

I like the way this is coming out.  Still in need of a photo/art for under the shelf, but know what’s going there…just need to frame.  This is sort of everything is going.  Closer to there, but still waiting for that last little pop, detail, photo, object…

a bit....

More complete.  Painted the slightest hint of gray, almost white in the sun…I love gray.  Needs still some photos, awaiting to be selected, printed, framed…sounds a bit familiar.  Bookcases will be painted…bye-bye black!  But what color?  Red?  White?  Orangey-Yellow?

I know....I know....

Yes those are wallpaper samples.  I know, I just spent many days scrapping the shit off walls, but the room needs a pop.  A pattern.  Something to cheer up this tiny wall in our sea of gray.  We have picked a pattern, but am curious to know what you would pick?

1 week

It doesn’t quite make sense that we’ve only been here a week, well I guess technically this is our 10th day? It seems longer, in the best possible way. We’re down to our last few boxes and then can start getting stuff on the walls, planting in the back “yard” and just feeling settled.  Here are some progress photos….

our room...i HEART the green on the walls....

main room...the gray is much better in person....MUCH better....

we're using the back bedroom as our office....sort of a bit of a dumping ground...

middle bedroom is total dumping ground for all the things we can't figure out what to do with...yes that means doors....

even after watching him do it, I am still lost that a 65lb dog squeezed into a 10" wide space.....total loveable nut this dog....

We have slowed down a lot on our “to-do” list and caught up with our sleep!  We had our first little bbq and the food was so so tasty.  I love that we have space, that we lose the dog and each other at times.  I love the light, the block, and that it’s all ours.  I am hoping for a bit of rain this weekend so maybe I won’t feel so guilty about having to be inside painting….up next the hall and bathroom!!!  Bu-bye peach!

5 days

In 5 days we move.  I have to do laundry, desperately.  I should probably pack the kitchen as it far more efficent to move in boxes.  The office is equally untouched.  It appears that the apartment life is filled with denial, but really it’s all lack of time.  The hours slide away as we kick it up a notch for our last push.  I know we’ll get it done and I also know our “move” will be a complete shit-show of chaos, but aren’t they all?  I also know that this will be our last move….for a long, long, LONG time!

Hard to believe it’s the same house some days.  I love it when people come by who haven’t seen it weeks and are shocked.  We’re shocked.  Shocked and amazed that in just 5 weekends, with tons of help from family and friends (and some awesome contractors), we have gotten this far.  I am looking forward to more…more of all of it, more of making it ours, more of making memories, but mostly more of sleeping….a lot more sleeping is just on the other side…..

good bye to the 70's carpet

good bye to the faux brick, faux wood and faux ceiling....

good bye to the lavendar walls....

good bye to the lace curtains

good bye to the mirrored wall

and good bye to the shower chair

hello lovely, tiled entryway...thanks dad!

hello grey walls, a perfect ceiling, and a half washed floor....

and hello green in the distance

Might be a bit before I can post again, but for those of you that love a good before and after…it’s really all about the after and the start of the after’s are just around the corner….almost….