Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter! Glad Påsk!


The Easter lilies are on time!


The Star magnolia was the first to pop though!

We get all kinds of birds at our feeder.




This guy was roaming our yard all day today. At first I thought it was Florence's rooster doing the walk of shame back home. He looks pretty busted. There's a lot of hens to peck in our neighborhood y'know what I'm saying. But then we realized he was just lost. But how do you catch a rooster in order to bring him back home?

It's been a long week. James in Long Island on a TV show and me in the city on a little movie that is shooting mostly nights. Got done at 6am this morning soaking wet in stinky Chinatown. I was definitely the happiest traveler on that 7am bus to new Paltz. I am going to be a vampire for the next 3 weeks and then I go to Sweden to shoot our short film. It's all good stuff but unfortunately the house suffers a little. But things happen in our absence too. This week for instance, Michael finished our wood floors, upstairs and downstairs.


We started with 12" yellow pine boards. They were all in longer lengths so we wouldn't have to have seems in the floor. 



We solved the issue downstairs by adding a little flush threshold in the arch. The finish was a bit of a headache to decide upon. We don't like a stained look but the yellow pine without a finish looks like a ski cabin. Eeks. So with Michael and Donald we decided on a whitewash and on top acrylic urethane in a satin finish. It looks gorgeous.



Kevin tiled the bathroom a couple of weeks ago. Scott hooked up the shower, toilet and sink and there are only a few small finishing touches to be done and then we are taking whirlpool baths and we will have his and hers toilet.


The tile is 3x6 subway tile from Lowes and the fixtures are Kohler.


I actually just premiered the jets and we worked out some kinks but only after the whole bathroom was soaked. They call that trial by fire.


We are still painting this wall dark gray but we had to get a little ahead of ourselves and hang the beautiful mirror that has been standing by since the summer I think.


Today was cuckoo for birds. 


The gold finches are back!



Definitely a first. Two red bellied woodpeckers on the cottage roof.

A wonderful house just came up for sale on North Ohioville Road. 








It's always been my favorite over there and when I saw the sign I had to pull in to the driveway. It's got a cute stone house out back.


Here is the listing!



Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Spring Thing


This guy just did a Maverick type fly by and scared all the sparrows off the feeder. I can't help but think they are so cool. I'm falling for the bad guy all over again. 


The bath tub alcove is built and ready for tile. It's been a long time coming but I think we may be able to take our first shower in here in about 2 weeks. Holy moly that's exciting stuff!!!


In an attempt to shape up our ratty old kitchen we had the boys build this island. We may have misjudged the measurements a little because right now we call it "the giraffe". It's a LITTLE too tall, but that's an easy fix. 



The top is butcher block from IKEA, and so are the chairs. The painting is by Rosemary and the bowl is by Kajsa.



Rosemary visited last weekend and brought goodies as usual. She finished seeeeeewing the yellow Roman shades for the bedroom! Very nice! We chatted about lots of house stuff of course and searched together for a coffee table for the living room. I hadn't seen one yet that I thought would fit, but Rosemary suggested Ballard Designs and the answer was not 1 table - but 2! We are always re arranging the living room to watch movies and be comfy and with 2 little tables we can do anything we want! Plus these are good looking and fit the space. The living room is really very done except for some art on the walls and a musical instrument OR big fish above the fire place.



Rosemary and I found an interior decorator blog that finally explained what IKAT is. It's so good I have to share it. Here again is the fabric we settled on for the pastry shop windows.


It's a print AND and a weave. And it's gorgeous.

The boys are laying the floor upstairs. 


We still haven't settled on a finish for the floor, all our testing struck out miserably so we are just going to leave it up to our floor guy, Michael.

I've posted these houses for sale before but I found the listings and thought I would share them again. The prices are TOOOOO GOOOOD. This one is on 44/55 in Clintondale.


This house is on Maple Ave.



This is my favorite sign of spring!


Which means the focus is about to shift drastically around here from INSIDE to OUTSIDE. I'm ready to get dirty !


Happy spring!