Taking a break from the hand-wringing

Nobody has bought this pile, I mean scheduled a showing here at our comfortable home, in the last week and it's gotten kind of maddening. We're on the realtor tour this Tuesday, so hopefully we'll see some traffic from that. In the interim I'm perking myself up with some fantasy decorating. This time, the living room. All photos courtesy of the Baker website.

The house currently has a living and family room, divided by an interior wall that for some reason contains a large picture window, complete with it's original barkcloth drapes. We'll take that out, as well as the half walls that separate the entry from the living room, leaving one large space. There's a floor-to-ceiling panel of ribbed glass that divides the entry in half, and we'll reposition it to the left of the front door to visually separate the entry. Moving a closet in one of the front bedrooms leaves us with a perfectly rectangular entry, and to the right we'll place Baker's Chinoiserie Cabinet.
At the front of the house there's a large picture window, which should be replaced with something even larger, with oversized panes and a steel frame. In front of that we'll position a pair of Barbara Barry's reeded base sofas. Other than a shade of gray I haven't decided on fabric.

Between the sofas, Jaques Garcia's scroll cocktail table. You know how I love greek key.

And down toward the arch into the dining room, another small conversation area made up of a pair of the Architype collection tub chair. These covered in my perennial favorite, charcoal mohair velvet.

Finally, straight ahead from the entry, in the former family room, is a flat wall of stone that contains the fireplace. The perfect spot for lounge chairs. I love the shape of the Jacques Garcia Tuilleries chair. He has one called the Sorbonne chair that has an even funkier wing, but I think this would be the most comfortable for reading by the fire with schnauzers snoozing at my feet. Definitely in black leather.

Opposite the fireplace wall there's a wall of built-ins that we'll resize to fit a television and components. A small sectional should work there as we plan to open up the back wall of the house with three pairs of french doors out to the patio. I haven't found a sectional I think is perfect so I'll keep looking for that.

Your assignment for the week: think "Sell!"

One of the things I love about the man

Brett is a car guy. In the eleven years we've been together he's always leased, and there's a pattern. Something sporty and fun, in black, followed by something perfectly nice, but less exciting, in gray. The gray cars are often Acuras, and as you'll recall, while I find nothing inspiring about their design, theres nothing better for chasing a drunken 28 year-old through the streets of Kansas City.

The fun cars of late have been Infinitis. Or Infinitii. Whichever you prefer, they make some beautiful automobiles. I loved driving his G35 when he went out of town because I could gun it through Meyer Circle and it hugged the road like nobody's business. Alas, it was before they started making all-wheel drive and as anyone who lives in Kansas City will tell you, rear-wheel drive just plain sucks when we get snow.

The thing that's so sweet is that he likes cars so much that he gets excited even if the new car isn't his. He loves my LR3, and with his lease ending soon was thinking about one. But he had time to look, so there was no hurry, right?

Uh, no. When the car bug hits him it's all over, and today was the day. Rather than leasing he decided to buy a good late-model used car. Staying with the pattern, it was time for something fun, and as you can see,
something black. In this case, an 06 M35x. Sleek, black inside and out, and sexy as all hell. Congratulations baby, I love it!

When the culturally illiterate protest

A quick stop at urbandictionary.com would have been a good idea.

Listen to mama

Raina had a really great post earlier today that you should read. It's specifically about Pottery Barn, but I think it's indicative of retailing everywhere. Loss of focus, loss of identity, lackluster design and even worse execution-that's the real problem.

I feel the same way about Restoration Hardware. It used to be interesting to go, but now they have all these "lines" and everything comes in every finish and theres 50 fabrics each in 8 colors and...enough.

I don't think all is lost. As I commented on that post, I think PB does mirrors well:

And lighting too:

And while I don't have photos here, my master bath fixtures are Resto's Spritz collection, and we've bought nothing but their bath towels for years now.

So come on retailers, get with it. Yes the economy is scary, but people still have money to spend. We just don't have money to spend on crap. Put out a well-designed, well-made product that we can imagine living with for more than a season, we'll buy it. And when we're happy with that we'll come back looking for more.

David's Guide to Homekeeping and Organization

I like clothing. A lot. So my closet is chock-full at all times. One of the best things about moving to this condominium was the opportunity for a fully-fitted custom closet, which has in large part helped tame my beast of a wardrobe. What I'm good about is thinning the herd. When we decided to prepare to list this place weeks ago one of the first things I did was go through my closet to pull out things that no longer fit (because I'm thinner!) or that I no longer wear. The end result was four shopping bags of clothes, and a bag of shoes.

I often take things to a resale shop, and I've made some nice chunks of fun money in the past (and picked up an Etro shirt in perfect condition for 12 bucks!). The problem with the one I've used here locally is that you generally get a running review of your fashion choices before you get your cash. "Oh these really aren't selling" or "nobody wears these anymore..." I hate this, and I've often said something like "You don't have to justify, just pick out what you want." I hate it so much that the bags have been riding around in the back of my car for weeks, moved only when I needed to load something, or finally when I traded vehicles.

Flash forward to last Tuesday's twice-a-month consignment auction. A really nice sale, there was quite a bit of white ironstone. Pitchers, wash sets, tureens and platters, nothing terribly out of the ordinary, except for this:

It ended up being the only thing I bought all evening, but I didn't care. Six inches high and just over 11 inches handle-to-handle, it's in beautiful shape with just the usual crazing and staining (Connie, it's coming to visit you), and is by maker John Edwards.

I tried to get a detail shot here but I'm awful at shooting white. What you can't really tell is that the ends of each handle have lion heads.

So what do these things have to do with one another? I paid a lot for the bowl, more than I would generally pay for something that wasn't a piece of furniture. I could sell it on eBay and still make money, but I think we all know I'm not about to part with it. So to ease my mind on what I spent I loaded up my bags of clothing and headed up north to try a new resale shop I'd heard advertised on the radio.

The shop was fine, although their mens section was pretty small. The woman working was lovely, and after selecting all my shoes and over half of my clothes to buy, mentioned that they really needed good guys stuff. What she didn't take went into the Big Brothers Big Sisters charity bin. End result: My closet is in good shape, the lingering bags are gone, and the final net on a bowl I love is 20 bucks!

Things I love - Scenic wallpapers

Brett and I have always been lucky that our tastes in interiors, if not entirely similar, are easily compatible. We both prefer firm upholstery, for example, and rooms with a mix of styles. We think walls are better with color and both firmly subscribe to the "it's just paint" school when it comes time to freshen up a room. If it's not right, you can always paint it again.

The last frontier finding us far, far apart, is wallpaper.

The panel above is part of Tropical Views from Paul Montgomery Studios, which I recently discovered online. This is my favorite from a number of really great panoramic papers that are handpainted to mimic old woodblock printing, and can be customized in size and colorway to fit your application.

Picture it in grayscale, glossy white chair rail and panel moulding below, large crown above, and a black-stained wood floor. For a dining room we'll throw in an overscaled chrome chandelier. For a library we could swap the panel moulding for low bookshelves around the room. Black linen drapes on fat chrome rods work with either.

I'll get him there eventually!

The best use of a frigid, wet, snowy day

In 1999 I leased a car. It was a 4 door Chevy Blazer 4X4, and I loved it. Pewter metallic paint, with a charcoal leather interior, it was the nicest thing I'd ever driven. Sunroof, CD player (with a cassette deck I never did put a tape into), power everything, I was in heaven.

By the time the lease was up, things had changed quite a bit, and buying the car made the most sense, so I did. Shortly following that, the engine blew at 59,000 miles. I fixed that, then the alternator, brakes, and a host of other little things, which seemed to keep coming, over the years.

The last time I had it inspected for renewing my tags, the U-joint needed work to pass and the bill was over 600 bucks. I'd also lost a hinge pin from the drivers door, and had run into a deer on the highway. (The deer I hit just enough to skew the grille but not enough to make it worth taking to a body shop).

The point of all this is that until today, I was driving a 10 year old car that had slipped well past unsightly, and squarely into unsafe. It's time to renew my tags again, and paying for another repair (which I knew there would be) seemed silly, when what I really needed was a good used car. So I did my research, and in the end, I got a smokin deal.

My silver LR3 with black interior is a 2006, with 33,000 miles on it. The sales staff at Mercedes Benz of Kansas City couldn't have been nicer, or more professional. What's more, on a rainy, snowy, generally nasty last weekend of the month, they were ready to sell a car and when I left I think we were both happy with the transaction.

Next, Brett's lease is up in June. He's got the bug, we'll see if he makes it that long!

Tradition

Over the years Brett and I have formed our own traditions, and some of our most beloved center around KU basketball. We watch games occasionally with family (alumni all of us), but most are viewed at home on the couch with the schnauzers, who raise their paws (with a bit of assistance) to help will free-throws through the hoop. We yell, we pace, when things are going badly we leave the room for a few minutes. When we win we cheer and hug, and then call our moms.

This season I made pizza on Big Mondays. In fact we call it Big Monday Pizza. It's assorted meats on a whole wheat crust with extra cheese, and it was pretty damn good even if I haven't been completely satisfied with my dough recipe.

This weekend however, as we stare down the barrel at Michigan State, pizza will not do. We need snack food. Hearty, delicious, perfect-for-stress-eating snack food. So as the tournament cranks up again tomorrow, here is my cheese dip recipe. The ingredients are surprisingly pedestrian, the result definitely is not.

-2 cans Campbells Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
-2 cans Campbells Cream of Chicken soup
-1 medium block of Velveeta
-1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro
-1 small can green chiles

In a good-sized sauce pan empty all four cans of soup and stir over medium heat. Cut up the velveeta into one-inch blocks and add to soup, stirring occasionally as they melt to combine. Add the tomatoes and chiles, both with their juice, and stir to combine.

At this point you can toss in anything else you like. I usually hit it with black pepper, a tiny bit of cayenne pepper, and a little cumin. More fresh cilantro (I'm a fan) would be good, as would a splash of beer. Mine is always a little bit different depending on what's around, so do what tastes good to you.

Serve hot with good chips and a well crafted margarita.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

Because I trust your taste

Alright, the set-up: You have 10 of these Johnson Brothers 'His Majesty' dinner plates, and 10 cups and saucers. You have no soup bowls, salad plates, or chargers. You want to set a Turkey Day table that is stylish and fun, the transferware serving as a nod to tradition. What do you mix with these?

My first thought was Wedgwood drabware, but I think it's too tan. I've also seen a solid ivory plate with a basketweave textured rim, but I can't remember where. Your thoughts?

Start to finish

This one goes out to Hello Gorgeous who was the first to say "you know how we like before-and-afters." I thought I'd never get there, but the secretary is done. There it is above in its original sadsack condition.

Midway through the project I'd painted the interior tan (General Finishes milk paint in Linen) and glazed it with GF's Van Dyke Brown glaze. The exterior is a pale blue Benjamin Moore from the mistint shelf at Ace Hardware.

Here's a close-up showing the blue after the brown glaze. It brought out the green tint a bit more, but it's still basically the same color, just dirtier.

Since I had the back panel off anyway, I covered it with some state maps I found at Paper Source. I also decoupaged one in the bottom of that little drawer. Cleaning up I found the northeast corner of Kansas. Fitting, so I pasted it on the inside of the lower cabinet door. I didn't pay attention so when I went to fit the panel back on, I had the maps upside down. Mostly they read as pattern, so it doesn't bug me. I really doubt anyone will notice.

And there it is painted, glazed, decoupaged, sealed and in place at the antique mall. Done!

Art Upgrade: The results show

You may recall that I was excited when Brett joined me for a special catalog sale at the auction house early this month. He doesn't attend often, which is perfectly understandable when I tell you that I left this week's Tuesday night consignment auction at 12:15 am and they weren't quite finished with the sale.

What was even more fun was that he found something he wanted. I was there for one painting, but there were a number of really great pieces, and he really liked the signed litho pictured above. He decided he wanted it, so I told him to go up and take one more look to be sure there wasn't some damage he missed, and it was fine. I loved it when the lot came up and he leaned over and said "Give me your number." And I was so proud when he let the auctioneer lower the opener before he bid.

As you can see (sort of, that's the picture from the catalog and it's a little bit dark), while it's a nice print with a vaguely arts-and-crafts era feel, the frame and matting are bad. The frame was as ugly as it appears, but what you likely can't see is how bad the mats were. The undermat looked like it was splattered with watercolor paint, and they both looked like they were cut with a steak knife. So we took it to the frame shop.

This is the print in it's new matting and frame. I picked it up after work today, and Brett and I couldn't be more pleased. The color in this picture is a bit misleading. The under mat is a brown very similar to the brown in the ground of the image. The top mat is actually an ivory that's not quite as white as it appears here, but we found that a lighter color really brightened up the print. The frame is a simple dark wood with grain that runs perpendicular to the edge. I have not used Thompson's Framing & Gallery over in KCK before, but I absolutely will again. The previous mat had burned the print a bit (the new ones are 100% rag), and they managed to mat out those marks and leave the series and signature intact.

And because it was his great choice, and his auction win, we hung it over his desk in the den. There's a second spring catalog sale coming up next month, guess who I'm inviting to be my date!

Orange budda head: It's what's for dinner

Before the paperwork on Saturday our realtor Phyllis walked through each room here to make suggestions on how to best present our space. We watch a lot of HGTV, and we've sold a few houses in our day, so she didn't have a ton of notes, but she did have a few.

We adore Phyllis. More importantly we trust her, and Brett won't make a real estate move without her. But she's not a dog person at all. I think she'd prefer we ship the boys off while we're on the market, but of course that will never happen. I've borrowed a doberman-sized cage from the boys' Uncle Mike, and they'll be hanging out in there in the laundry room during the day. They'll bark like hell, and Phyllis is right when she says that makes people not want to stay, but there's not that much to see in the laundry and after a quick look and a "God those dogs are loud" they can close the door. All this of course when Daddy Brett can't be convinced to take them to the office with him.

The other thing she wanted us to do was to clear the kitchen counters. Of everything. So my utensil crocks, knife block, salt and pepper, and the Kitchen Aid were stowed away. On the island there's usually some dish soap, hand soap, and a big ironstone basin where I toss whatever fruit or vegetables I have around to cook with, which all went under the sink. When we were done you could certainly see there's lots of counter space, but it was a little bit off-putting and stark. Still, she's been right in the past.

At lunch today Brett called and asked where I put everything. Phyllis and the photographer were at home shooting pictures, and sure enough, the kitchen was looking a bit uninhabited. I told him most everything went into the lower cabinets and figured she'd find what she wanted.

We got home from work, and she had found the big utensil crock. Apparently that was all though, so she hunted through the laundry room storage shelves and the cabinet in the entry, and at the other end of the counter was a blue art glass pitcher and my orange Crate & Barrel budda head.

I'm dying to see the pictures. I can't imagine anyone looking won't think "what the hell?"

Nothing gets you moving around the house...

...like a pending MLS listing!

Our realtor came by yesterday and we listed our condo. No clue if it'll sell, she's not confident about the market in general or condominiums in particular, but we're giving it a shot. I firmly believe we all end up right where we're supposed to be, if that's somewhere else, great, and if it's here that's fine too.

The bulk of the weekend was spent on little projects and getting some extra stuff out of the house. Remember my den? Everything was pretty much done, but there was nothing on the walls. I had a set of three classical prints from an auction, so I did a quick frame job on them and hung them over the credenza. A stacked arrangement like this really emphasizes the ceiling height and I'm happy with it. We also took out the shaggy area rug to show off the dark-stained floors. Cross your fingers!

Time for my mid-life crisis

The Auto Show is here! Tonight after work Brett and I walked and fed the schnauzers and headed downtown to take a look at new rides. Mostly for Brett as his lease is up soon, I'm driving the beater until it won't go any further. Which could be any minute. Here are some favorites.

My best bud drives a Lexus GX 470. I've driven the car a number of times and I love it in every way. Wonderful handling, great lines outside, comfortable and beautifully appointed inside. This is the car I look for deals on just in case a bucket of money drops from the sky. Lexus makes gorgeous vehicles, but I will say that they put the tan leather interior in too many cars. The model on the floor tonight was black, which I liked, with a tan interior that I didn't. I've had tan leather and carpet and it's impossible to keep clean. Silver with a black interior would be my pick. Speaking of colors, while I don't remember the particular companies, a couple makers are painting cars brown again. Deep, dark, metallic browns that look nearly black. It's been a while and I like that it's coming around again.

Available in May of this year in the US, Nissan is introducing the Cube, which has been sold in Europe and Japan for years. The base model starts around 14K, and the top of the line Krom version starts at 19K. I wanted to hate this car. It's tiny and funky, but more than anything it reminded me of the odd little cars you see all over Europe. Like Scion, it comes with lots of available accessories that do nothing more than funkify the look. Cargo bungees, colored floor lighting effects, color plates that fit over door handles and knobs and the like.

This car was up on a platform so we weren't able to sit in it, but the spokesmodel (wearing a cool patterned pencil skirt and tight black leather motocross jacket) pointed out the interior headliner, which is sculpted into a concentric ring pattern like ripples from a drop of water. She said the interior was designed by an interior, rather than automotive designer, and the motif is repeated discreetly both inside and out. It's a 4-cylinder engine which isn't great, but it's just so different I can't help but dig it.

In the actual realm of possibility, I really like the Toyota 4Runner. The model I sat in was white, and was the UrbanRunner model. I'm not sure what all that package involves, but it was a comfortable SUV, roomy enough to use, but not freakishly large, and nicely appointed. Not a ton to say, it's a handsome, solid ride that I would absolutely consider.

While we're on the topic of SUVs, some thoughts: I know many people blame them for a host of issues, but I really do use mine. I move large things on a nearly weekly basis, so I need the room. GM, I love the new Suburban, I really do. It's huge and roomy and useful and I'd love to have one. I totally believe you can build solid, reliable cars...but you don't. After all the trouble I've been through with this Blazer, there's no way I would cough up 62 grand for the Suburban, even if I had it. I'd buy a Range Rover Sport for 60, and with their legendary un-reliability, that's saying something.

And finally, the surprise: The 2009 Dodge Challenger

This car is SO not me. As an adult I've had 2 Blazers, and before that a sensible Honda. I'm not a muscle car driver. I need enough speed to get on the highway or out of the way of other cars, past that I'll never use the extra power. But this car is just plain sexy. In a long-haired, tight jeans, 70's kind of way that I cannot resist. Up on the platform was one in orange with black accents. The one I sat in was white with a black interior. I'd seen the orange before and thought it was the best choice. It's good, but for me the white was perfect. I don't need the Hemi engine, and I certainly don't need the insurance rate that comes with it, but it comes with more sensible engines, and I couldn't love this thing more.

Putt-putt pub crawl

It's cold and overcast now, but yesterday could not have been more perfect for the Aidswalk Open, the annual putt-putt pub crawl benefitting Aids Walk KC. How rare is that I'd be in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt here in March?!

Brett and I joined our friends Cindy and Mike at our starting bar, 303, at 10am. Chocolate martinis were the special, and not entirely unlike chocolate milk, and went down surprisingly well with the coffee I got on the way. There was a bus to shuttle players from bar to bar, but with such great weather, we walked it and enjoyed the weather and got some sun on our faces.

We drank lightly, putted well, and had a great time. By 2pm however we needed food. The two holes at the Beaumont Club were horribly backed up, and the Dark Horse wasn't much better, so we headed to McCoys. Their hole was a short down-and-dirty shot through the clown's mouth so we hit our putts and decided lunch was a better idea than finishing.

McCoy's expanded into the space next door formerly occupied by The Foundry, a sort of new-agey jewelry place, and so now it's The Foundry at McCoy's and has a great outdoor deck. They also have great nachos that come with an amazing sweet-smoky salsa. We'll be returning to have those again. Often.

I believe Cindy said there were 200 teams, and at 100 bucks a team it they should do well on the money raised.

Art Upgrade

Last year my favorite auction house here in town began having a quarterly sale of better art and antiques, and the spring 2009 fine art and antiques auction was last night. I can find something to get excited about at most any sale, but these quarterly sales have been especially interesting. When the catalog came out I found a painting I thought looked promising, which sparked a discussion with Brett about our art.

When we merged households years ago most of the framed art we had was his and over the years much of it has gone away because of changes in decor and our tastes. A lot of what he's kept, mostly prints and watercolors, isn't currently being used. What little is hanging on our walls, and I'm looking at some vintage french wine posters (don't groan, they were very fun in our old dining room), well, their time is up.

The point of all this being that Brett joined me at the auction last night (which is rare) and we were buying not for me to resell, but for us. The painting I liked from the catalog, I loved in person. And here it is, an abstract landscape signed "Hassager 1973."

It's not big, about 16 by 20 inches framed, but I love the image. I know we're in a recession so I'm pleased to report I got it for less than half of what I was prepared to spend. The liner and frame could use a little refreshing, but they're perfectly fine as they are, so I have no immediate plans to change them. I hung it tonight during halftime of the KU/Texas Tech game (which will NOT be discussed) and I couldn't be happier.

I previewed the sale in the early afternoon while I was out running errands yesterday. Brett came straight from work and arrived just after the auction began. There were a number of really great things, and I was happy when Brett mentioned liking the lithograph above. Also a landscape, it's 12 of 300 (top half of the run!) and signed Jennifer Brannigan. The catalog described it as an "arts and crafts" landscape. I certainly can understand that, but more than anything it's just a really nice print. He couldn't have picked something I would like more, so I was thrilled when it came up and he said "give me your number." The frame is ugly and the matting is poorly cut and in bad shape, so some reframing has to be done before it goes up. Once that's done, we'll have a beautiful piece I can't wait to see on the wall. Our art upgrade has begun!

Almost there

We've been doing some major spring cleaning, or prepping the house to sell, depending on the day you ask us. I haven't been to the workshop in a week, which isn't good. Of course our den is painted and our laundry room has been cleaned and cleared and re-organized from head to toe, and that's a good thing whether we stay or move.

I do have some progress to show on the secretary. After finishing the linen colored basecoat I began to paint the outside with the deep, dark federal blue color I used on that maple chest. Much to my surprise, it looked awful. Still in the mood for blue I decided to try a pale robins egg blue I had sitting around. This is a gallon of Benjamin Moore I picked up off the mis-tint shelf at Ace Hardware in Overland Park. I like it so much I painted the frame of a big mirror I had to match. (I also think it's almost the perfect color to paint a ceiling, and will be keeping a sample for that future purpose)

Before I started the blue topcoat I took my burnt umber glaze and dirtied up the interior of the desk and lower cabinet, as well as the interior of the drawer. When the second topcoat is complete I'll dirty up the outside as well.

So we're getting close. After all the paint is done everything will get a protective clear coat and I can start putting it back together. I've replaced the desk hinges as the original ones were starting to bend. I've found some chain that I'm hoping will work, but if not I'll have to get that replaced. A small knob for the little interior drawer (the original one had half broken off) and we'll be good to go.

What's on your watch list?

Today after my Jayhawks spanked Missouri at the field house I made a run to the grocery store, and as it often is, it was Gay Day at the market. I ran into Bryce, who's off to Las Vegas next week, which sounds wonderful. Then again, he's going with his mom for a work function, so I'm only marginally jealous. Unrelated note: Bryce still lives with his ex Jeff, who never speaks to me, and today was no different. Perhaps he can read minds and knows I thought his tweed driving cap looked ridiculous.


I also saw Andy and Chris. Andy and I were at KU at the same time, and while we didn't have common classes, I was in Textiles and he was in Graphic Design so we were nearby. We also frequented some of the same coffee shops. Before we parted ways in Produce he said "Are you on Facebook?" I said "No, I'm anti social networking." He said "Of course you are" and off they went.


Working down my shopping list I was thinking about how I see no purpose or reason for Facebook and the like, and it hit me: When eBay started I thought it was awful too. Why would you want to bid against people you couldn't see? And how could you sell something online, what if they didn't pay? My, how far I've come.


The last thing I do on Sunday night is my weekly eBay search. There are a number of things I look for. Some the same each week, and other new searches depending on what I need or have going on. So for fun, here's a sampling of what I'm currently watching:


Among the same weekly search, yellowware bowls and pitchers. You've seen the collection, a few of which were eBay buys. Currently I've been looking for a small pitcher to use for spoons in the kitchen. Yes, I know there are spooners for that, but something like the little banded pitcher above is more my style.

This is an Austin sculpture taken from a cast of the original at the Victoria and Albert museum in London. Yes, Austin makes a number of things I'd never have in my home, but also a surprising number of things I would. I have an abstract bull sculpture by Austin on the credenza in the den and I love it. I'm not sure where the figure above could go, but I've got some ideas. It's big and would be gorgeous in the right spot. Incidentally, I saw the original when we were at the V&A and it's really wonderful. If you go to London DO NOT MISS the V&A.

Mrs. Blandings occasionally runs across good pieces of Wedgwood in her hunting and gathering. Either she or Stefan at ArchitectDesign recently mentioned the egyptianware. I was looking around eBay when I found the piece above. Much like antique dealers not pricing things at shows, here's a selling strategy I couldn't hate more. This seller's auctions all have a $1000.00 Buy It Now or Best Offer. Their text says "Of course we know this item isn't worth $1000.00, it's just our gimmick to get you to make us a fair offer." Besides annoying me, I think they're hurting themselves. The auction ended when they accepted someone's offer of $36.00. That's less than I would have thought they'd take, so if I ever run across something I like in one of their auctions you can bet I'll low-ball my offer.

I pick up lots of little prints and engravings, and invariably they need new mats and frames. This seller is offering 52 feet of moulding in 4 different styles, all for 55 bucks. You can't pick what you get, but if you see one you really hate he'll pull it out. This would be perfect for reselling art. WHY did I sell my miter saw?



And finally, this seller is offering a pair of these small Barbara Cosgrove urn lamps in either the black or white base, for $112.00. I adore the black, and as soon as I figure out where I can use them I'm buying. Who am I kidding, I could buy and store just as easily.

So what about you, what are you watching on eBay?

Shocker

Think back to the election...Tina Fey...Maverick...yay, we won! Remember Joe the Plumber? Didn't it turn out that he wasn't really a plumber? Anyway, he got a book deal, with a ghostwriter I'm sure. Here he is shown above at a reading of his new book. The post I read said he sold a whopping five copies.

THIS is what is wrong with America. We don't (often) reward knowledge or experience, or even eloquence. We reward whatever idiot happens to be standing in the right place at the right time. Joe the (not really a) Plumber gets a book deal for...what exactly? Whipping up the conservatives to breath some fire into a dying campaign? I suppose I should just be grateful no one has put him on TV. (If someone has I do NOT want to know.)

What seems most tragic to me is that the man agreed to it. I'm sure it was good pay for minimal work, but my God, there's not enough money in the world to make me go out and read words I didn't write about ideas I never had in front of people I don't know. I know times are tough but just how much is the going rate for ones dignity?

What happened to critical thinking, and when did so many of us abandon it for whatever message gets shouted loudest? Shouldn't our collective experience strive to be something more?

Rooms We Don't Have: Second in the series

We still don't know if we're going to try to sell our place or not, but never one to let firm plans get in my way, I've been thinking about bathrooms and looking at fixtures.

First up, the Powder Room: What is it about the guest bath that tempts people to go crazy? Paint colors that don't appear anywhere else in the house, overly-ambitious art installations, inadequate lighting, tiny mirrors, you've seen one if not all of the above. They're the rooms decor magazines describe as "a jewel box."

Don't get me wrong, I'm always for a bit of style, and I don't even mind a little drama, but not at the expense of function. And the function of your half bath is for folks to relieve themselves, wash up, and check their look so they can return to the party. For mine I want simple, clean, and modern.

What could be more simple or more modern than the Kohler Purist hatbox toilet? Simple and stylish, and in white it works with anything.

Also from the Purist suite, the towel holder above is clean and simple. I'd use a lav faucet from the same collection, they make one in any configuration you need. All in polished chrome.

Turning to the master bath, this is where I think more is more. It's where you start every day, so why not make it a show-stopper. In our next bedroom I'm hoping to cover the walls with a finely scaled grasscloth in a pale silvery gray, so I want to stay with whites and grays, polished chrome and black.

How much do I love this 1X2 carrera mosaic in a herringbone pattern for the floor? Actually, I'd line the walls with a six inch border of black marble for definition, then fill in with this. Stunning, and $9.45 a square foot on eBay. Eric Negrete, a designer here in town once said to me "it's never about money, it's always about style." Plus there's always somewhere else to spend more.

The same seller offers a matching carrera 3X6 subway tile for $7.45 a foot. That's a deal, so lets take it all the way to the ceiling in the shower, around the tub, behind the sinks, and leave ourselves one accent wall that we'll paint a beautiful flat black. Polished chrome hardware again, thick white towels, graphic and timeless.

For sinks all I want is a roomy white undermount, although I'm not sure what I want for the vanity. The toilet above is from the For Loft collection by Michael S. Smith for Kallista, and I'm choosing it because I'm totally digging the base. The problem is there's no matching (or coordinating) bidet. I know, bidets are an anomaly in America. When we were in Sitges there was one in our hotel room so I thought "what the hell." Frankly I don't know why they're not more popular here, I think they're fab. Brett still talks about his high school trip to Europe when he and his classmates deduced that it must be a bathtub for babies.

So there we go, bathroom basics for more rooms in my head. Next up, I'll plan the new kitchen. Or we'll decide to stay put, in which case we'll be freshing the decor here at Chez Malaise. I've already measured and that Ethan Allen lantern will totally fit in my entry. Decorina, I had a friend who worked at EA too, and you're absolutely right about how they treat their designers. If I go with it I'll be sure to order one in-store.

Hostage!

Something's up. I can post, and I can edit posts, but I can't view my own blog at home. I can at work, but my personal laptop just brings up an aol search page every time I try. And I'm not even using AOL, just plain old Internet Explorer.

Have you ever had a similar issue?

Got the light, all I need is the dining room

Our realtor showed us a house last week, so I'm shopping again for the rooms in my head. The dining room in this particular 1952 ranch has great mouldings and a coved ceiling. This polished nickel lantern is 14 inches in diameter by 24 inches long. Imagine a pair of them hanging over my dining room table. Sorry the picture is so tiny, the website would only let me crib the thumbnail.

***Update*** I totally forgot to give credit. The lantern is from Ethan Allen, believe it or not. $619 each. Not inexpensive, but you could certainly spend a lot more, it doesn't seem out of line to me. If you want to see a bigger picture, they've redone their website, and I like the new look and functionality. It also appears that you can buy most non-custom items online now, which was looooong overdue. There are plenty of us who don't want to go in and work with their design consultants, but would be happy to order something online.

I have to learn to upholster

Alright, that chair I want to recover has turned into those chairs I want to recover. I'm trying not to fill the workshop to the ceiling, but when it's a solid old Drexel lounge chair with klismos-like lines, and you can pick it up for five bucks, I really can't pass that up.

Halfway there

What have I been up to? Painting the secretary, and not much else. The undercoat, or more correctly undercoats, were finished today. A small roller has been my friend, used for all the flat surfaces, especially the cubbies inside the cabinet. A fully loaded brush painted the corners and spots where the roller couldn't reach.

Should you ever decide to take on a similar project, you'll no doubt remove any drawers and take off the doors. Here's my tip, take off the back panel as well. Access from both sides makes painting MUCH easier and faster. Sorry that second photo is oriented wrong, Blogger's being a jerk again.

Topcoating and aging begin tomorrow, so I should have a complete before-and-after to show very soon!

I'm horrible

There was just a story on the news about some poor girl who was working at a car wash when her scarf became wrapped around one of the rotating brushes. (scarf? way to go glamour puss) It strangled her and caused her to pass out as it sucked her closer and closer to the rotating bristles. A customer managed to free her, and other than multiple cuts and facial bruises, she's resting comfortably.

The reporter described the girl's memory of the incident as....spotty.

Coming attractions

Alright, it's time for some before shots! The platter above I picked up at the auction last week. As you can see, it's covered with darkened scratches ("utensil marks" as they say on eBay, because it sounds less like a flaw) and a bit of brown staining. The back, which I did not take time to shoot, is almost entirely covered with brown stains. Connie, always my buddy, has learned from Laveigh how to make that all go away. She took it home to work her magic, and when I have an after shot to go with, we'll revisit.

Sales continue to be good at my mall so I'm trying to get some things ready to go should they call to tell me I've got an empty spot. I've had this little secretary sitting around since late last summer, and just wasn't sure what I wanted to do. That blue chest of drawers was apparently a big hit, so you won't be surprised that I'm doing something with that color again.

I got started this weekend first by filling the split in the drop front, and then scrubbing the whole thing down with a cleaner and deglosser. Those cubbies were going to be impossible to sand properly even after I removed the back panel, so I've tried a new paint additive called Extra Bond. It's made to mix into milk paint for use on previously finished surfaces.

When I went back to the workshop this morning, before even taking off my jacket, I ran over and scraped a fingernail over a painted corner. And my basecoat stuck! I'm really excited because not only will this save me major time on things that I can't easily sand, but it increases my confidence in the longevity of the finish.

I've always said that I don't expect people to keep my furniture forever (bully for me if they do), but that doesn't mean I don't care about the quality of the job. This isn't fine furniture and I price it accordingly, but I'd like to be sure when people stop using something they bought from me it's because their taste has changed and not because it hasn't held up

I hope to spend a bit of time working on the piece this week, so when it's all done I'll take a few more shots and walk you through my process.

What is this?

I probably should have asked this question before I listed it on eBay, but do any of you have any idea what this is? I picked it up at an auction (surprise) and someone said it was a honey pot. That makes sense I guess from the shape of it, if you had some honey still in the comb you would want some room under the lid. It's yellowware, of indeterminate age, but not new.

Drop me a note if you have an idea. Or a good guess.

Viewer Mail

Part of what I love about blogging is that at times it becomes an extended conversation. What I don't love is that I'm bad about catching comments more than a couple posts back. Luckily, Brett reads my posts and the comments faithfully, so if he mentions something unfamiliar I know to backtrack. With that in mind, Decorina, you should be able to buy the paint at Woodcraft. Their website shows the Denver location is:

6770 S. Peoria St.
Centennial, CO 80112

Call them first in case they don't have it, the number listed is (303) 290-0007

Jamie Meares, does being a wholesaler for AA mean you can get me a better deal on the deep vee summer tee shirt three pack? I'm the kind of boy who's more comfortable wearing an undershirt most of the time. I'm also the kind of boy that likes to undo one more button on occasion, and these are great because they're deep and don't show. (Why are regular undershirt v-necks so shallow?!) Anyway Jamie, my email is buzzcut67@aol.com, let me know whats up. Please include Rowdy pics and as much Rowdy news as you feel like typing.

HG: I was done painting a chair today when I realized I had not taken a Before shot. I'm starting on the secretary tomorrow and WILL shoot it before I get going. Promise.

Soodie: I don't know what's going on with the apparent buying spree. Those candlesticks a few posts below ended up selling for $61.00. They were a nice quality certainly, and fun in a retro way, but I was shocked when the auction was over. Maybe everyone's just had enough of the gloom and doom and has decided to treat themselves, I don't know. Whatever it is, I hope it continues.

Junk in my trunk

There are fewer auctions in the winter months, so it follows that the crowds get bigger. Tonight was the regular Tuesday night consignment auction at Kansas City Auction Company and it seemed more crowded than ever. Jason, the auctioneer and owner, thinks last auction's crowd was bigger but I'm not convinced.

There were a few good things, but nothing I was dying to buy, either for the mall or myself, but my friends Connie and Linda were there with Connie's friend Laveigh, so I stayed. Winning bids were higher with the larger crowd, so it was a full couple of hours before I even bought anything.

Laveigh is teaching Connie to repair porcelain and pottery and she's interesting to talk to. She showed me pictures of a recent project that were truly amazing. It was a clock in a hand painted Dresden porcelain mount that had literally been smashed and put back together with elmers glue and tape. She had shots of each stage in the process and after she was done there wasn't so much as a chip or a paint flake. Connie keeps me posted on what she's learning so I knew that Laveigh was good, but seeing the progression in pictures gives me a whole new respect.

The girls had pretty much bought what they wanted and headed out early, as did much of the crowd. The prices dropped a bit, and I managed to pick up a few pieces that will be good to paint. I paid probably twice what I would have with less competition, but there's still plenty of room for profit. I did get a killer deal on a wall-mount plate rack and some vintage luggage, as well as one lone wood chair that I'll paint for us to use in our office/den here at home. A couple framed classical prints and some unmatted Audubons rounded out my haul.

I've taken the next couple days off from the day job to spend at the workshop, in hopes I can keep furniture moving at the mall. I've set my camera out where I'll remember it, so I should have project shots to share very soon.

Economic recovery

Are you feeling better about the economy since the inauguration?

Some folks apparently are, the blue chest in the post below hit the floor Thursday, and they called me early this afternoon to let me know it sold, leaving a big hole in my space. It was a fun piece and I'm not really surprised that it sold, I am surprised that it sold so quickly. Brett thinks I price too cheaply. I say I'm there to sell, not to exhibit.

When I went to rearrange today another dealer was working in her space near mine. I asked if her sales were up or if she had any idea why my furniture seems to be flying out of there. She thinks that people get their trees and holiday decoration down and end up with some empty spots. I mentioned it to a friend tonight and he thinks that people still want to do things around the house, they're just spending less and getting creative in where they shop. Both sound plausible to me.

I did notice one thing, and for some reason it bugs me. Another dealer bought the cool industrial table, and is using it in their space. They've tagged it not for sale at this time, and I've made my money on it, but it still bothers me. I've seen a couple of my things in other antique malls, and while I don't understand dealers paying retail, I guess it's their call. On the other hand, buying something and just moving it downstairs seems somehow wrong.

Net result, I'm behind the curve on painting yet again. I've got a few small pieces in various beginning stages, and a huge china cabinet that's going to take a while to finish because of what I'm planning to do. I guess the next piece to work on is this sad, small secretary I've had sitting around waiting for inspiration. (HG, I'll try to remember to take some before shots, sometimes the transformation really is amazing.)

So back to the original question. How are you feeling about things? The news still seems pretty grim to me. But not so grim that I couldn't treat myself to a new pair of Mark Nason boots. (yay Bluefly!)