I'm floored

European Floors has been here all afternoon. Apparently our oak hardwoods are far harder than they're used to, and while it's taken then all afternoon to complete the first pass and fill, I'm kind of happy to know that we've got some tough wood up in here.

Here is your before. This is actually in the living room but trust me when I say it's a sea of tattered in every room.

And here we are after the first pass. I'm not sure if it's obvious or not, but the different is stunning. We've had a bit of a glitch in that Dan forgot to tell his guys that they needed a grey stain, so when they painted two brown patches and had us come look we had an awkward moment. But they've called Dan and are going to finish their sanding and treat the wood (a sealer most likely) and will come back for samples tomorrow. One day is no big deal if it means we get exactly what we've been dreaming of.

This is the most amazing part to me, the closet. There were asbestos tiles glued down in here before. I'd tried to pry some off and came up with some jagged bits, leaving horrible blobs of dried adhesive. We thought at first that they'd simply replaced the wood like they did where we removed a closet and there were voids, but no, this is what was underneath the tile.

We're going with an oil-based stain because while you have drying time to contend with, Dan said that the end result is a deeper, richer looking finish. And we're all about the deeper and richer you know. More to come this week.

Dining by Design 2010

Dining by Design originated in Kansas City 20 years ago. Its always a really nice event benefitting an important cause, and we've enjoyed ourselves every time we've gone. I did not take my camera last night because I didn't feel like keeping track of it all evening, but Brett managed to get some decent snaps with his iPhone. Here they are in no particular order, please pardon any blurryness.

Below was our table, designed by the Avila College design department. It was a font theme and very graphic. Fun.
There are always some asian inspired tables. In fact should Brett's firm ever sponsor a table and I get to design, that's the route I'd go.

This elephant was a photo op all evening long.

This year they put the tables that had more enclosed surroundings or tenting on the edges of the floor, and I thought the hall felt much more open and airy. Good call.

Retro living room here, I loved the TV trays, although everyone else thought it would be horrible for dinner conversation.

Barbara Cosgrove brought out this whirlwind of lawn chairs suspended over a long, gorgeous table featuring her lamps and accessories. That cloud of furniture was at least 10 feet wide. If there was any specific idea other than "white" I didn't get it, but I loved it anyway. She also used a pair of floor lamps that I've been drooling over online, so it was really good to get to see and touch them in person.

We sadly didn't get a shot of Mrs. Blandings' table, which was a lovely amalgamation of her favorite things, including a couple of pieces from her own dining room. Beautifully done, just as you'd expect. And because dressing up for the party is as much fun as the tables themselves I'll mention this: When a commenter on her blog asked what she planned to wear she downplayed her berry colored sheath dress. It was a great color, beautifully cut, and impeccably fitted (the ladies in alterations at Hall's are pretty good). Elegant and glamourous, again, just as you'd expect.

I bid on the signed copy of Thomas O'Brien's American Modern in the silent auction but came up empty handed due to the dude hovering nearby eyeing the bid sheet. You'll recall I didn't have to bid on the signed copy of Margaret Russell's Style and Substance as I have my own (thank you again Patricia). Reading through the event booklet at our table later on I saw that there was a donation by Kinkaid's Antiques, and I'm disappointed that I missed whatever it was as I like most everything in Cindy's shop.

All in all, a really great evening and way more fun than the paint touch up I have planned for today.

Benched!

Bill has been back, which is great. I've got the first coat on the window seat, and then he'll be back to install the lid. The man pays attention, there was a nickel and a brass piano hinge available for the lid, and he bought the nickel.

Also up is the crown moulding, and I couldn't be more pleased. You'll notice that this is not the profile I had originally chosen. It was special order from a company that KC Building Supply did not work with and was going to be more of an ordeal than it was worth. Proportion was what I was after most, and this simple, traditional profile in a 5.5 inch size works beautifully.

This picture makes it look like the walls and ceiling are the same color, but the ceiling is actually a couple shades lighter. It's Sherwin Williams' (or Shermin Williams as we call it) Fleur de Sel. I like it a lot, I'm thinking about it for the hallway walls.

Doors are not up yet pending the floor refinishing, for which we got a smokin quote from European Floors. I'll be anxious to report how that goes. I can tell you now that the owner is French, and really cute. That fact wasn't figured into the choice I swear.

We've got a little electrical problem as we've lost the light over the window seat and two outlets. Chris has been out to look and has to come back as he can't figure out what's going on. They worked, and then they just stopped. Luckily if he has to go into the wall he can go throught the master bedroom so the new drywall should be safe.

One last update, the dog pee problem has cropped back up. We're heading back to the vet this weekend. If he's all better we're thinking about calling the pet psychic to see if she can ask him to stop.

A note to runners

It's wonderful that you're out getting some exercise. But when you're out for an evening run, on a rainy night, running in the street, you should wear light colors. Or even better, something reflective.

Brett took me to drop off my car for maintenance tonight, and we grabbed a sandwich and headed home. Coming down our side street a woman was running towards us. As we approached I mentioned her because I could tell Brett couldn't see her. She in turn said something (our windows were up) and waved in a "get over" motion.

This is the second time it's happened to me, and few things have pissed me off more.

The first time, years ago, I didn't do anything about it but tonight I did. I hopped on the scooter and I rode down the street until I found her. And I said "I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry we were so close to you, but you're really not visible."

Her response was to tug at her gray sweatshirt and say "really?"

We chatted for a minute and she seemed to at least be open to what I was saying, but then she said "well maybe next time I should wear an orange cone." I love passive agressive.

So I simply said "or maybe one of those reflective belts they make for runners."

And with that she turned and jogged away.

Cryptic

RCA Victor console stereo phonograph, missing it's speakers and stereo guts. I'm betting 1940's.

I've missed making things even though I've done plenty of painting on walls and ceilings lately, so I thought I'd try doing a piece of furniture for the house. You can probably guess where I'm going, and if not, it'll just be that much more of a surprise.

The City Union Mission thrift store had it for $60, way more than I would pay. I went back yesterday to look at it and all furniture was 40% off. Thankfully the floor staff agreed with me that it was furniture and not electronics, which were not discounted.

I bet it was a lovely piece in its day, hopefully I can pull off what I'm hoping to do and it will be again. It'll be a while before you get an after shot, if it works I don't want to show it until both it and it's room are done.

Nothing to show, something to say

There was a schedule conflict over the weekend that resulted in no progress on the bedroom. Slightly annoying, but overall not a big deal, so just know I'll have photos of something soon. Also, because we've been watching too much DIY Network we're thinking about taking on the bathroom next. Ourselves. I totally think we can do it, and if not it should be more than entertaining for you to follow along. My camera takes video although I've never tried it, perhaps now's the time.

Then this morning I got an email from the owner of my company letting all of us know that one of our brokers had lost his wife to a stroke or aneurysm over the weekend. They're in their late 30's. While not close, he and I have worked together for years, and I'd met his wife on multiple occasions. It's shocking as she was so young and healthy and fit, and heartbreaking to think of their four kids.

Its trite to say, but we really never do know how long anyone will be around. Take a moment tonight to let your loved ones know what they mean to you.

So close

I should have some bedroom pictures after this weekend. Electrical is done, save installing outlet covers. I cannot stress how happy the new lighting makes me. We've gone from two fixtures to six and the difference is amazing. Also nice is the fact that my switches are all faintly backlit, so they're a snap to find in the dark. The closet now has a fixture and a switch, so much nicer than the former bare bulb and pull chain.

Bill will be back Saturday morning to install the 81 feet of crown moulding I have painted on saw horses in the garage. Doors are here as well, 2 of the 3 to be installed Saturday. The door to the bathroom will wait pending some wall work in the bath itself. I'll prime and paint those once they're up.

I've got to find door hardware and Bill needs to finish the window seat. Speaking of the window seat, I found a firm, thick foam online that I can order to size and dacron-wrapped. And at Modern Fabrics I found what I believe is enough of a Donghia silk chenille (color Midnight) to do a self-welted cushion cover.

The second window quote was worse than the first so that search continues, and we've got to get a floor refinisher out to see if we can save the hardwood. Then Bill can install the base moulding. After that all that remains is to order the closet system (design your own at Easy Closets and they'll build and ship in something crazy like two days) and we can move in.

Update for HBD! The website where I found the foam is www.thefoamfactory.com. I'm going with the 5 inch Lux foam found under the Cushions section.

Alex update

He has a bladder infection, thus the peeing in the house. Easily fixed with a couple weeks of Clavamox. But he also has some crystals, which isn't good. That could mean kidney stones, which would then mean surgery. Dr. Brown couldn't feel any, but said that it's much like trying to feel a marble inside a water balloon. Al was very good for the exam, standing there looking at me like "what the hell?" as the doc pressed and prodded all over his undercarriage.

Dr. B asked what we feed (California Natural lamb and rice) and didn't seem to have any issues with it, but we need to lay off the treats. That of course would cause pandemonium as the boys get Three Dog Bakery's Itty Bitty Bones for everything they do. The suggested substitute is a baby carrot, which they seem to be happy with so far.

I've got to pick up vitamin C today for him. His urine is on the base end of the ph spectrum, so increasing the acidity should help curb the crystal formation. Recheck in two weeks, so keep a good thought for my boy.

Where else but here do you get remodeling photos and schnauzer urinalisis results. You're welcome.

Marking our territory

Sorry for the lack of posting, it's been a busy week, but there's much to report. It's finally starting to look like we're (slowly) making this place our own.

As you can see above, the magnolia has bloomed. Spectacular as it is, its far too big and overgrown, so I'm not in love. Brett however adores all trees, and has had a tree guy out to go over the yard. Dude wants to reduce the magnolia by about a third, and I'm willing to withhold final judgment until that happens.

As of yesterday Chez Malaise has 200 amp electrical service and breakers instead of fuses! Everything seems to have gone well even if there was a sizeable mess left. They'll be back tomorrow for the city inspection, and have promised to take away all the crap they left here Wednesday.

In other electrical news the rewire electrician will be back (I'll be pinning him down on this tomorrow) to reconnect the power to the bedroom and install the switches. The solitary ceiling light in the hallway was replaced with three recessed lights (with dimmers) and the difference is stunning. Not that anyone ever hangs out in the hall, but being able to see around you walking through has been a revelation.

During the break in the bedroom reno Brett and I got down to painting. The walls are the Sherwin Williams Front Porch (gray) from the last post. The ceiling is Sherwin Williams Fleur de Sel, an even paler gray that I'm dying to see with the crown moulding installed. Speaking of, the crown and new doors should begin going up on Monday. I've got to test some white paint and have about a million chips on the dining room table. So far I'm liking Sherwin Williams Snowbound best.

Saturday morning someone is coming to measure and quote windows (hopefully with a less ridiculous result), and I'm trying to see if I can get someone out to look at refinishing the floor at the same time.

Bill should finish up the window bench next week as well, and Saturday I'll fill him in on what I want him to do with moulding on the front.

So there's been lots of goodness going on. I'm dismayed to report that Alex schnauzer has also felt the need to begin marking territory as well. We're unsure what has caused the pissfest as he never peed in the condo, and until this week hasn't done it here. I'm not sure if it's all the workmen and noise, or being confined to a bedroom, or what. All I know is that free reign is over until we get this figured out.

Primed and ready

Phantom Drywaller, whos name is actually Steve, returned today and finished up while we ran out for breakfast and painting supplies. Once home I put some samples on the wall. The two in the center are Ben Moore's Revere Pewter (top) and Feather Gray (bottom).

Feather Gray, as hopefully your monitor shows, turned out to be really blue. Revere Pewter, a color I like a lot, is almost too taupe when I think that our floors will likely be stained a charcoal gray. So we ran to Sherwin Williams to look at their colors. I think their Cashmere paint is terrific by the way, we used it at the condo and the house before. The small strip on top and the big strip at the very bottom is SW's Front Porch.

We both liked it a lot, so I painted some on the wall over by the window to see what it does with more light. It feels like just a nice, clean gray that doesn't read overly warm or cold.

Alex says that it reminds him of the salt in his salt-and-pepper colored fur, so he likes it. (Jack napped throughout this process so he gets no input.)

You've probably noticed the floor. That's after the shop vac, upright vac, and damp mop. Ugh.

We've got half the room primed and I'm heading out for a new roller, we hope to have everything done by sundown.

The Phantom

Bill called in a friend for the tape and mud portion of the bedroom reno. I've yet to meet him, or even see him, but each day this week I've come home to visible progress on the drywall. He's apparently not working tomorrow per Bill's voicemail, but will be here and finish up on Friday.

If everything is dry and ready to go I have two gallons of drywall primer waiting for Saturday. The new doors will not be ready until sometime during the second week of April (they build the jambs and put on the casing we chose) so Bill will have a little break before coming back for door and trim installation. I'm planning to get the walls painted during the hiatus.

So far the entrants into my paint tournament are all from Benjamin Moore and are: Feather Gray, Revere Pewter (the current favorite), and after I get a sample, Stonington Gray. The early pre-painting lead in the trim division is Decorators White, but I expect one or maybe two last minute additions.

Windows are still up in the air and we'll probably spend some time this weekend looking at the big box stores to see if theres anything available that we like. I have a pair of silver Resto rods and finials still in the box that we never used at the condo, so I'm pleased to finally have a place to use them once the windows are resolved.

(Sheet) Rock on!

Ah, the smell of construction. Too-tiny closet gone, too narrow door widened to normal human size. All new electrical placed and wired, Lutron switches with integral dimmers ready for installation when the drywall is finished.

And here's the new and improved bay, minus the old desk, plus the beginnings of the new window seat. Also gone is one oddly placed outlet and the 1952 4-prong phone jack. New recessed light here as well, switch around the corner in the bay for uncluttered sightlines from the door.

Tape and mud start tomorrow morning!

Vanity Fair

We're not even close to done with Bedroom #1 and in my head I'm already thinking about the bathroom. My tile picks remain the same: China Black marble for the floor, probably a 12x12, laid on the diagonal. White carrera subway for the walls, all the way to the ceiling. I'm relatively open on size, although 4x8 would be ideal.

I've found the floor tile locally but I'm having a problem with the subway. Everyone has carrera tile, but nobody has the size or shape we need. Theres a seller on eBay with a great price on 3x6 which I'd probably be happy with, but shipping from Canada won't be cheap.

I spent part of today looking at vanity cabinets. We'd originally planned on a pair of pedestal sinks but have changed our minds. In the end this will be the guest bath, and one sink will be fine. One sink also fits into the space better.

The leading candidate is the Clermont by Kohler.
I've been happy with every Kohler product I've ever purchased, and I can pick this up for about $650 at HomeClick.com. Not dirt cheap, but certainly at the reasonable end of the spectrum. I like the simple styling and I think a wood piece will warm up all the black and white marble nicely.

What I have not been able to find a reasonable price on is this:

This faucet is from the For Town collection by Michael S. Smith for Kallista. Picture it (widespread) on a carrera slab with a white undermount sink atop that cabinet. Its crisp, its classic, its perfect. It's also ridiculously expensive at $1,495 so its likely not coming here to live. Luckily there are a couple Kohler faucets (Purist, Pinstripe) I can work with, and there are some seriously good prices to be found online.

The guys were here working on the bedroom on Saturday so I should have some progress pics to share tomorrow.

Derby Girls & Tallboys

In the mood for something different? I've got two words: Roller Derby. Yes, really.

We had a family outing last night to the KC Roller Warriors Coll-Ides of March matches, pitting the Dreadnaught Dorothys against the Knockouts, and the Black Eyed Susans (pictured above) against the Victory Vixens.

The matches had been mentioned on the local NPR weekend calendar segment so it was a record breaking crowd of about 3600 down at Municipal Auditorium. With the exception of excruciatingly long beer lines it was a ton of fun. (When was the last time you were at an event where beer was sold in tallboys?! I was tempted to go the PBR route but went with Bud Heavy just to be safe.)

It's roller derby just like you're thinking, but on a flat, rather than banked track. The refs gave a quick primer beforehand so you'd have an idea what was going on. The longer we watched the more we understood and enjoyed the games. I was bummed that the one skater I'd heard of, Estee Slaughter, wasn't playing, but we did enjoy watching Dominant Jean, Billie Club, Ruth Canal, Annie Maul, and the rest of the ladies checking, blocking, fouling and scoring.

Each match up plays their first half and then it's half time. The KC School of Rock band, the rockingest 12 to 14 year-old band you've ever seen played the half time show. Then each match plays its second half and it's all over.

We sat in the balcony and enjoyed ourselves, but next time I want to get their earlier as its all general admission and I think it would be even more fun to sit on the floor. The crowd was a big cross-section of people, those you might expect to see, and those you might not. If you're reading from somewhere other than KC, check around for leagues in your area. I think this was the first time I'd paid money to see a women's sporting event, but it certainly won't be the last.

Renovation rip tide

It was deceptively sunny today, but still cool with a brisk breeze, a perfect metaphor for my mood. I'm thrilled that we've started doing something to this place, but today the process wore me down.


We're partially wired and there is new insulation, and sheetrocking begins tomorrow. There is also a three foot wide path of mud and dust and plaster bits that runs the length of the hall, through the entry and living room, swings around through the corner of the dining room and completely across the kitchen to the garage.


Every surface here is covered with a fine, gritty dust, including the bathroom we're using, which is now completely devoid of any counter space. Our toothbrushes are in their holder... on the closet shelf in the bedroom. There is nowhere to hang a towel since I'd always used the door, which must now be closed so that the neighbors can't see my ass when I exit the shower.


The electrician had things come up, and while I know things happen, he had planned to be done today, but must now come back tomorrow. And beat the sheetrocker. The carpenter, in an effort to be helpful, had his Pella guy come bid the three bedroom windows. Two grand for three windows is not in the budget.


So I'd been battling a mild crankiness when I headed off to the bowling alley. Just as we started, Brett called. Mrs. Blandings had stopped by and brought this:


When Patricia posted that she'd been invited to sit on the Elle Decor panel at West Week I was thrilled for her. If you read Mrs. Blandings you know that Style and Substance, the title of Margaret Russell's new book, is an apt discription of Patricia as well. Because I'm often prone to making a joke, after offering my congratulations I also offered twenty bucks if she could boost Margaret's lipstick. Even better than pilfered cosmetics, is an inscription:

Thank you so much Patricia. That was incredibly thoughtful of you, and came on a day when I really needed a nice surprise.

The pros take over

Bill and his powertools arrived today to finish the demo because frankly it wore us out. While tear out is certainly something you can do yourself, the fact that the walls came down in bigger pieces for him, rather than the crumbly bits we got says that there is more knowledge involved than you'd think.
Tomorrow he'll take out the bathroom door and vanity and start framing for the new, larger door. Also up tomorrow is Chris the electrician. I'm so excited about the darkness-banishing recessed lights I could squeal. Who am I kidding, the whole thing makes me want to squeal.

I've also taken the opportunity to remove some other doors around the house (salvaging the very cool hardware!) that are going away and shuttled them off to the dumpster. We've got some old wrought iron I was going to trash too but Bill saves scrap metal and offered to take it all off my hands.

So the tear down is nearly done. Hopefully by the weekend I'll have some pictures of the rebuilt to show.

Here we go

Order your dumpster before you start your demo, or you end up with so much debris bagged up and stacked in the middle of the room that you have to stop. Our dumpster is being delivered tomorrow, so we can finish clearing out the room tomorrow and Wednesday night.
Tonight we met with the electrician, and his bid was very good. So good in fact that the number had barely left his mouth and I said "Sold." Brett then immediately said "How much more to add ceiling lights in the hallway?"

So everything needs to be cleared out and ready to go by Thursday, because thats when the rewiring begins. We went to Lowe's tonight armed with a list and the Christmas gift cards from our families, and came out with 400 bucks worth of electrical equipment. New, white, grounded outlets. Five inch recessed ceiling cans. Wide, shallow wall switches with dimmers. Even a pair of simple ceiling fixtures to replace the bare bulb and pull chain lights in the closets.

Never one to wait on the fun stuff, today I also picked up a couple Ben Moore sample jars to test when the new drywall is up.

We're SO ready for some change.

Hammer time

The final numbers for carpentry and drywall and electrical are nearly in, and while they're really not bad, we need to save where we can. Coupled with a chance viewing of DIY Network's Ten Grand in your Hand, we decided today to begin demolition in the west bedroom.

Here it is before, an ugly expanse of wallpaper glue left from the old faded burlap.
Here's the other side of the room with the ancient built-in desk. Bill's going to do a window bench here. Those pieces of paper up in the corner are there as we were judging sizes for new crown moulding.

And here is the east wall shortly after we began swinging hammers. The closet in the center remains, but gets a double door instead of the sliders that were there. The tiny closet in the corner on the left goes away. It currently holds slanted shoe shelves and not much else. Removing it lets us install a 30 inch door into the bathroom rather than the too-narrow one there now. That change saves us the cost of a door and hardware as well as making that whole part of the room less congested.

Here's Brett with his hammer. The other benefit of demo work is that we got to blow off some angst and steam we built up yesterday. The sweatshirt is your clue, nuff said.

So far it seems like our house is exremely well built. Phyllis had told us that in 1952 Joe Hoffman was the premier home builder in this part of town, and I'm inclined to think she was right. Nails are long and plentiful, and everything is incredibly solid. For some reason the drywall is double layered. There actually is insulation, but its old and not very thick and I'm happy we're replacing it.

The wiring is all intact and while it's not scary, it does look old and I'm glad we're replacing it as well. Another electrician comes tomorrow night to give us a bid, and hopefully I can get someone to deliver a roll-off. So far we've got 12 contractor bags of broken sheetrock, assorted doors and shelves, and miles of nail-ridden trim.

More photos to follow as things progress.

Its time

After a long winter we're dying for some change around here. We're both itching to pull out the legions of overgrown yews circling the house, but really we need some improvement inside. Contractor One came a couple weekends ago, but he seems to have flaked and we're not calling him back. I emailed a couple of questions to Contractor Two and received a prompt reply from the company president and an invitation to call and talk. We've since reconsidered hiring a remodeling company for this first task, but when we get to the middle of the house (where theres a ceiling vault planned) or the master bath addition, Lyon Construction will be my first contact. (Locals, if you have any experience with them I'd love to hear about it.)

Tomorrow night Bill is coming by. The husband of a woman I used to work with, he's been invaluable at past houses. Carpentry, drywall, tile, he can handle them all, and he's good.

We're starting in the bedroom at the end of the hall, and I've asked him to bid the following: Tear down drywall and insulate the walls. He's passed on rewiring so I've got to get an electrician in for the electrical. Then back to Bill for new drywall, all new trim and all new doors. Depending on where the price lands, three windows will need to be replaced and theres a spot perfect for a window bench.

Why all new? Mostly because of the electrical and insulation issues (good God it was a cold winter), but also because most of the architectural choices are just plain wimpy. Mouldings are too small, doors are plain and flat. Coupled with old paint and general wear and tear, everything just looks tired. And not the kind of tired that new paint can fix.

I think good moulding can make a room, but I hate the overwrought detailing you find in garden variety new construction. Rooms tend to be smaller, then they go crazy with the trim and the resulting effect is just overwhelming.

We've got bigger rooms, and we need proportional moulding. Here's a crown profile that I think I love. Six inches feels like the right size, but the profile isn't overdone. Also it's symmetrical, which I like.

I'm looking for a four inch casing for windows and doors that works with this. I've got a couple contenders, but so far nothing has yelled out "it's me!"

I've had a bit of a revelation on doors as well. I originally had a very contemporary flat panel in mind, in this configuration.

I've since come to realize that it's likely too modern for the house, even in the more traditional raised panel. We're trying to inject some freshness into this place, but I think a lot of that will come from clearing out the clutter, strengthening the proportions, and using more up-to-date colors.

Staying with the three panels, but changing them up a bit, is this:

Feels crisp and classic, doesn't it, especially thinking of it in fresh white paint. White paint of course is a whole post unto itself, but if you've got a favorite feel free to let me know. I've got plenty of room for test patches.

Cross your fingers for me tomorrow night. With a little luck I'll have reason for a before shot here in the next week. Bill appears to be available and hungry, so hopefully he'll give me some good numbers and we can give him the green light.

Hard to find: the perfect parsons

A few weeks ago I was looking through the craigslist furniture listings and came upon a plain parsons table. Sort of a console, 5 feet or so long, and perfect for a spot we'll have in the living room. The top and legs were the same material, which I like, but the material was a dark woodgrain laminate, which I don't. I thought about doing something to it, wallpaper or fabric, maybe some paint even, but ultimately decided to pass.

It got me to looking around online and it seems like a simple parsons table all in the same material is hard to find. If you want a steel base with a stone top thats no problem. Same for chrome and glass. But it doesn't seem like anyone is offering anything in all wood.

Room and Board has the Brooklyn console in lacquered steel, which isn't bad. I like steel, and I like the solid sides. I can't decide if I like the little rolled foot on the bottom. It reads vaguely asian so you'd think I would, but I'm just not sure. Happily there's plenty of time to look and think. Still, it looks like a good deal for $449.

I also liked Room and Board's Align console. Stained bamboo wouldn't be my first choice of material, but it's got great lines. That spot between the top and the drawers is just screaming for a couple stacks of big books.

Crate and Barrel used to offer nearly this same thing, only without the drawers. I remember it along with a matching bench you could slide under, but they seem to be long gone.

Before and after. Sort of.

I have some shelves down in the basement where I keep the lamps I pick up at auctions and estate sales. A graveyard or a nursery, depending on how you look at it. Some I've bought with the intent to rewire and sell, like that vintage bottle-shaped Haegar with its original finial, or the one made out of an antique French copper brazier.

More often I've bought thinking they could be refreshed and pressed into service in our home. The pair of oversized Stiffel urns that I hoped could be chromed turned out to be pot metal, so they're awaiting a trip to the body shop for some car paint. The same with the metal horse lamp, the base shaped like an oversized knight off a chess board.

This ceramic seated Asian figure came from an auction, was originally glazed in an unattractive avocado green, and sat on a corroded metal base. I don't remember exactly what I paid for him, but I do know that he was under five bucks. As is the custom here at Chez Malaise, I completely forgot to take a picture of him as purchased.

When the weather warmed up last weekend I took him outside and got to work with a can of Krylon Fusion superbond spray paint. I've never painted a ceramic piece before, but so far I'm pleased with both the apparent adherence and surface finish of the paint. He'll need a few touch-ups to cover a couple thin spots and one small run I hadn't noticed, but the shot above is representative of how he'll look when I'm done spraying him down.

A lamp shop not far from me has simple round black wood bases with oriental bracket feet, which I think will work perfectly. I saved the guts to reuse, but hope to find a silver-toned cap and neck for between the base and socket. With that he'll be done and ready for a shade, whenever I find a little spot to fit him in.

2010 AIDSWalk Open

It was a busy weekend. Saturday started with a 10am bloody mary at Bistro 303, our start bar for this years putt-putt pub crawl, the AIDSWalk Open. My tee shirt is shown above, laid out on the dining room table in all its XL glory. Lets hope a hot dryer will shrink it down to something I can actually wear. Note to self: remind Cindy next year that I'm closer to an M or an L.


We putted well and made great time, even stopping for some adult refreshment along the way. (who can say no to jello shots?!) Plus the weather held and it was nice enough to walk so we got some exercise. Brett and I made it home in time to watch the second half of the KU/MU game, and indeed no win feels quite as good as spanking Mizzou.


Rachel's husband was out of town so she texted early evening with an invite to a small impromptu dinner party. She makes this delicious celery soup that I have yet to replicate, followed by salmon with an herb butter and sauteed mushrooms with carmelized bok choi. With a few good bottles of wine a great time was had by all.


Prada is staying with us this week for spring break. They're all sacked out on the couch currently so I imagine its an all-day barkfest while Brett and I are at work. Her daddy has not had her groomed all winter so I'm doing her a favor by not posting any photos. I'm also calling her groomer tomorrow to beg for an emergency appointment. I can't imagine this is going to end in anything other than a near-total shave.

125

Photo credit: ESPN.com

Kansas State was incredibly tough, but Kansas pulled ahead to win 82-65. Senior Night this year had only one honoree, Sherron Collins. For him tonight's victory was win number 125, the most by any athlete in a four year span in KU history.

Four Big 12 regular season titles, 2 Big 12 post-season championship titles, 3 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances, 2 Elite 8 appearances, 1 Final Four and 1 NCAA Championship win.

Thank you #4, it's been a blast.

Winter Fine Arts and Antiques Auction

***Post Auction Update*** BLOODBATH. Here's how it ended up:

Grant Wood litho - $2,000, and the condition was pretty rough
Dog portrait - $250 (I'm pissed at myself that I didn't go on this, it was gorgeous in person, cleaned and relined by a conservator in 1995. Far lesser dog paintings on ebay right now for way more $. Lesson learned.)
Mah Jongg Set - $275, I never bid, I didn't think it was all that old and the case left me saying "meh"
Seascape - $550, gorgeous painting, worth way more, I just didn't have the free cash
Bronze - $180, which seems a bit much for unsigned work. "Consigned with" two other signed bronzes means nothing
Goodknight landscape - $90, didn't love it so much in person and didn't bid
Norio Azuma serigraph - $80, I let go at 70 and it went to a local dealer. I just couldn't bid more not knowing anything about the artist and it being in the bottom half of the run.

Fun sale to watch, but a drag coming home empty handed.
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Tuesday evening is KC Auction Co.'s Winter Fine Arts and Antique sale. These quarterly catalog sales are always interesting, so I'm heading down after work. Even though I'm not in the market for a linen press, antique Stuben, or victorian jewelry, it's always interesting to see things and what they sell for.

I am always in the market for interesting art, and there are some great things coming up on the block.

This pencil signed lithograph is by Grant Wood. I like the image, but there are some condition issues. The paper has some foxing in addition to the old tape damage on the corners. Pre-auction bidding (these sales are also live on the internet) is up to $600 so it won't be coming home with me, and thats okay.




This dog in profile painting has no pre-auction bids, so if it looks like it's in good shape when I go to preview, I'll give it a shot. From the photos it appears to be a quality painting, and I think a new frame might really breathe some life into it. I've said before that I've avoided buying dog art because I think it's better that I just not start. I'm over that now so who knows, perhaps this will be the first of many.

I love mah jongg sets. I have only a rudimentary understanding of the game, I just think the pieces are so beautiful. The box for this set isn't my favorite, but I'll be interested to see it in person. These generally sell well, and I always fear its to crafters who'll turn the tiles into drawer pulls and elastic bracelets. (Crafters, this is how that word got a bad connotation)

This is the painting I was really interested in, an oil on canvas by Bennett Bradbury. Framed dimensions are 19" by 23", which is a nice size. Born in Massachusetts in 1914, he ended up in California and is known for seascapes like these. Pre-auction bidding was at $110.00 earlier today which only mildly concerned me. Tonight its sitting at $275.00 so I'm pretty sure its going way over my head. The auction data I found has his past sales in the 3K -5K range. I think it's really beautiful and I'll be very interested to see what it sells for.

Sculpture is something I rarely buy. I sold a couple things at the antique mall, but I could likely find a spot for this 9 inch tall bronze. It's attributed to a Kansas City artist named Clara Bikales. I know nothing about her, but I do like the form. If I were lucky enough to bring it home we'd have to find a more attractive base. Polished stone block perhaps?

If you've paid attention to the art I've mentioned and/or bought in the past, you know I have a thing for landscapes. This little oil on board woodland scene is by Colorado artist Veryl Goodknight. I think a new frame could smarten it up quite a bit, but it's a pretty nice little painting as is. It's 14" by 16" framed, so again could fit in anywhere.

Of course I do like a little bit of modern too, like this serigraph (silkscreen) print titled "Calm" by Norio Azuma. I know nothing about Mr./Ms. Azuma, and this is the lower half of the run (277 of 500), but I like the image a lot and could certainly find a spot for it. Things like this often sell for very reasonable prices, so again I'm anxious to see it in person to know if I want to bid.

Hopefully I'll come home with something good and can chronicle another framing project soon.