Now with mulch

Our new landscaper guy (who's name is David, no wonder he's good) was back on Saturday with truckloads of mulch.  The difference is amazing.


Brett and I have made repeated trips to multiple nurseries for more boxwoods, holly, and some variegated euonymus for the west end of the house.  We also planned to snag an Atlas blue cedar at Sutherland's 50% off plant sale this morning but literally missed it by a few minutes.  I resisted giving the side eye to the man and woman who had it on their cart.



Its hotter than hell today but we're heading out now to continue searching for some big pots for the porch.  As we've been concentrating on trees and shrubs we're both feeling the need for some potted flowers.  Resto REALLY needs to mark those zinc planters down hard at the end of the summer.

Boxwood blast

So you'll remember last summer after we had all the yews pulled out we built some beds.  One mild winter later and our borders were broken and coming up and just generally a mess.  So we called in some pros.

Following the line of our boxwoods (which did beautifully!) they installed a heavy duty liner.  They also roto-tilled everything, brought in dirt and graded, and buried all the downspouts.  So over the weekend and while the dirt was all fluffy and light we got to planting.

Here are some new boxwoods we added in the front.  Also note that the caved-in sidewalk and carpeted front porch are now all new.


There were no boxwoods on the east side of the house, but here's Brett finishing up the last of the 20 we installed.  You can't see them behind him but there are also five new hostas in the shady corner around that bay window.


And here at the northwest corner of the house is our new eastern white pine.  I love pines, especially funky ones with some empty spots on the trunk.  At maturity it should only be about six feet wide so it should fill up that part of the bed nicely.

There's also one little society garlic plant there, two more were added after I took this phone shot.


The guys will be back Thursday or Friday to mulch, and shopping for a Japanese lantern is on my Saturday to-do list.


Its finally starting to not look like an old lady house.

A chambray shirt

If you're a guy you probably have a chambray shirt hanging in your closet.  If you're like me, it's always there but you rarely wear it.  It seems to be one of those things I love on the hanger, but am underwhelmed with once I put it on.   My closet currently contains a Polo chambray work shirt with chest pockets (one button-through and one flapped).  It fits me well, the sleeves are the perfect length, and every time I put it on I end up taking it off.

What it doesn't really have much of is details.  And details, of almost any kind, are what draw me to certain pieces of clothing.

Checking out the new arrivals at Unionmade tonight I ran across this:


Distressed and repaired by hand in Japan, its the Remade Chambray Shirt by Anachronorm.  And its $658.00.  Yes, the price is ridiculous, but the shirt itself is kind of interesting.


You have to like this sort of thing, but I do.  My favorite pair of jeans are a destroyed and repaired pair of Adriano Goldschmied boot cuts that get raves every time I wear them (and not just because they make my ass look amazing).


Now I'm thinking about that chambray shirt in my closet, and what I might be able to do with a power sander, some fabric scraps and my sewing machine.  I wish I'd seen this earlier.  We had torrential rains yesterday and this would have been a perfect project.



Auction results. From all over.


I went to an art auction last Sunday out at Dirk Soulis' gallery in Lone Jack.  It was chock full of really nice paintings, works on paper and mid-century ceramics.  I was prepared to spend a little money, especially on one oil on board of a seated figure.


It was lot 36 or so, so I had time to just relax and watch.  Around lot 4 or 5 a Birger Sandzen 1930s watercolor came up and sold for 13 grand.  I should have realized this was a sign and headed out to salvage my day.


But there I sat, and even tried to bid on a few things.  They all went high.  Not unreasonably high for what they were (I looked up some prices later), but higher than I could go.  So I left with nothing other than the enjoyment of seeing some great art.


Edvard Munch's The Scream (the pastel) hit the block tonight at Sotheby's, and broke the record for any artwork ever sold at auction.  Hammer price with buyer's premium?  119,922,500.00


Sunday's sale seems like chump change now.