My last few days

So what have you been up to?

When we moved from the old house the last few days were madness. Things were tossed in boxes, in trash bags, in the truck to be taken to Goodwill, it was insane. It's not going to be that way this time. This time we'll be organized and orderly wherever we end up going.

Speaking of that, we don't know yet. If it's a house then everything can move together. If we have to get a rental we'll take the basics and most of these boxes will get loaded into a PODS and stored until we find a place.

A run down

We looked at houses today, here are the impressions:

1. Not as pretty as in the pictures. A drag too, we were both hopeful about this one.
2. Showing cancelled due to contract accepted. (I drove by later, 1 car garage with nowhere to add on)
3. Gorgeous beamed ceilings throughout, interesting painted plank paneling walls, really tight rooms. Room to add on, but you'd price yourself out of the neighborhood.
4. Really nicely modernized cape, with a master closet that rivals the one we're leaving. I don't love where it is, but I could deal. Been on the market over a year, we can't figure out why.
5. Interesting 1911 home nicely updated. High ceilings, wonky kitchen. No back yard, oversized garage.
6. The house on Morningside Drive cancelled the showing. We could have gone later but decided to wait for an open. It's probably too big. We're looking for a ranch and it's three full floors.

Numbers continue to be crunched for an offer on The House. I need all the good vibes you can send this way. Plus if we get it I promise a photo tour that will leave you thinking "Good God they've lost their minds."

Homeless!

I'll be go to hell, Chez Malaise is under contract.

It came about quickly and we're still a little bit in shock, but it's good news all in all. Phyllis is in New York visiting her kids, so there have been calls and texts and faxes and emails, but it's all signed now.

Up next are inspections of course, but we know what needs attention and those few things will be repaired even before the inspectors arrive. The thing now is that closing happens at the end of October, so we've got to figure out where we're going.

The house we love is still available, but we've run the numbers and it's not looking good. There may be an offer made, but likely not one they're going to take. Then again I don't think either of us were really expecting to sell at this point so one never knows.

The moment we had an offer we were both all over the online listings, and the nice surprise is that there are others we're interested in seeing. We'll be doing just that this Sunday, followed by the getting started on the packing. It seems early in some ways, but in others all I can think is "30 days."

Cross your fingers for us, and if you're in town and run across something you think we should see let me know!

Tivo alert!

We're watching the season debut of Dancing With the Stars tonight. It's Mens Night and four dancers in, my money is on the Iron Chef America guy. I'm a harsh judge and so far his Cha Cha Cha is the only dance I wouldn't characterize as stiff and clunky. I adored DWTS when it began but, but over the years their definition of "star" has slipped.

UPDATE: Who knew Donnie Osmond could dance? Completely respectable.

But the big excitement this week is Modern Family starring my cousin Eric! If you've had ABC on for even a moment in the past few months you've probably seen a commercial for it, and the early reviews have been fantastic. I've seen the pilot, know a little bit about upcomming guest stars and plot, and I can't wait to see more. On the right in the picture above, he plays Cameron to Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Mitchell. They're a gay couple who've just adopted a baby from Vietnam.

Brett's as excited for Eric as I am, and we've both been googling to try to keep up with the pre-debut buzz. What we've found is that he's on his way to becoming a bear icon! (A subset of the gay community, the bears are bigger, beefier, hairy guys who reject the shaved, tanned, worked-out look usually associated with gay men) What really makes it a kick? He's not gay!

Comments on the first blog post where I found him mentioned were really nice things like "great actor" and "Not only handsome, but I've met him and he's charming and funny." Comments on another blog post I found later were complimentary as well, and lets say, more detailed. God I hope his mom (or mine) aren't searching for mentions as well.

So set your Tivo or be sure to watch, not just for Eric (the newly-minted Bear Sex Symbol!) but also Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen and Ed O'Neill. Totally a good time!

A disturbance in the Force

photo credit: miss jessie/flickr

Toad's done. I'll miss seeing what's on his mind, but we all do what we need to do. Always a place on my blogroll for you Sir.

HG's back from her summer vacation, with the warning that she'll be blogging less. The first post back got a little zesty in the comments which makes the break understandable and the return just that much more enjoyable.

Decorno, too vowed to lighten her load since returning from Italy, and she seems to have done so. And why not? With her opinionated readership just asking a question is often enough.

Change is good, yeah? Or at least ok.

Pick your poison

Mrs. Blandings likes chairs. ArchitectDesign is fond of china. And I'm a lamp freak. Be they vintage from ebay,

Or new from Barbara Cosgrove.

What about you, what's the thing you can't pass up?

At the workshop

I've been spending time at the workshop in the evenings and on weekends so I thought I'd post about what I've been up to. Lots in progress, and a few things ready to go, or close.

The single thing I picked up at Sparks last week is the rusty locker basket above. They're always good sellers and because it's a little rusty I got it cheap. I cleaned it up with some steel wool and sprayed a coat of polyurethane to seal and it's done. The Murano lamp was all I got at the Tuesday night consignment auction two weeks ago. Right after the photo I took it apart and will look for a replacement base this week. The industrial basket actually came from Sparks earlier this spring. Its been sitting at the workshop but I don't think I can part with it. I'm picturing it as a great wastebasket, or lined with moss and full of plants on our next porch. It would also make a killer shade for a light fixture, so that's a possibility as well.

Last month Brett's birthday fell on an auction night, so I ran down at lunch and left a bid on this old maple drop-front secretary. The finish was shot but the piece is solid, and as usual I forgot to take any before photos. This black is the undercoat, and next up is a grey topcoat and a lot of distressing. It has cubbies that slide into the desk area, but I think I'm leaving them out. With them gone while it could still function as a desk, I can see it even more as being great for a small bar. There's plenty of room for bottles and an ice bucket, with the shelves above holding glassware and tons of other storage in the drawers below. At the moment at least that's how I'm planning to display it, so hopefully I can pick up some interesting glasses or shakers or something at the auction this week.

A woman I work with moved in with her new partner, resulting in two households full of furniture that both decided needed to go. These two tables were worn and tired and I picked up the pair for 20 bucks. The square table, now green, gets a whitewash and some polyurethane and it's done. On the washstand I've used a pale blue that's actually the color of our master bath at the old house. I got a quart in a gloss finish that I planned to use on another piece but thought I'd give it a go here. It will get the slightest of rubdowns with black glaze and some poly to finish.

It also hit me as I was shooting pictures that while I'm great at buying lamps, I'm not so good at selling them. Of everything you see sitting there, only the old Haeger lamp on the right is rewired and ready to go. I've been holding on to it because I'm thinking about starting something on Etsy, but I haven't decided for sure. The two urn bases and the horse head are pot metal so they can't be chromed (damn!), but I've found a body shop that's open to doing some car paint for me. I think the urns would be stunning in a pearl white, and wouldn't the horse head be fun in an orangey red? The copper lamp is made from an old French brazier and had a Sebree Galleries price tag of $980 retail / $720 wholesale...when I bought it for $40 at auction. I went to the estate sale of the woman who owned Sebree Galleries. The house in Fairway was fabulous, even in it the deplorable condition it was in, and hoarder-sickness full of gorgeous things. Webster House ran that sale and the women working couldn't have been more condescending, FYI.

Also in progress are a set of four of the most uncomfortable dining chairs ever made. They had tie-on cushions that I accidentally (wink) left at the auction house, and they'll need them again. I was going to paint them black, but black is just looking so heavy to me lately, so I went with pale green. I don't know that these would sell at the mall so I may give craigslist a shot.

One thing that IS ready to go is this 48" pine pedistal table. When I picked it up the finish was gone on the top and there was a big green stain. I sanded it down and gave it a coat of grey and a light rub with black glaze and a final poly coat. I originally planned to sell it with the black chairs, but it looks more to me like a big occasional table now rather than a place to eat. Then again, it's the perfect size for four, so who knows. I'm going to show it more as a large occasional or center table, but people can do what they want.

So that's some of what's going on at my workspace. More to come as things get finished and taken to the mall.

Joe Wilson: Asshat

Photo via CNN.com

Did you see the look on Nancy Pelosi's face? Palin/Wilson 2012!

About your wedding: Notes from a guest

Saturday afternoon we went to a wedding for the brother of Brett's law partner. That's us above with his law partner, Rachel. And delicious cake. This is how weddings should be done. Here's what I liked:

-The ceremony was over in 19 minutes flat. Exchange of vows, two short readings, one quick song, and Hello Mr. & Mrs.

-The reception was immediately following, at the same location. Nobody wants to wait or drive across town to the country club. One and done!

-Black and white isn't traditional for an afternoon wedding, but you know what, everyone looks good in it.

-Immediate drink service and opening the buffet quickly keeps everyone happy.

-Yay! for not doing the bouquet and garter things. Does anyone really like that?

Best wishes to the happy couple. Thanks both for including us in your big day, and for making it so easy and pleasant.

Sparks Fall 2009: The Lazy Recap

I took off from work Thursday and headed up north of Atchison for the Sparks fall flea and antiques market. Cool in the morning, it turned out to be a beautiful day and a great show. As always seems to happen, I went to shop but fell victim to "if I buy it I have to lug it to the car" mentality and came home with one locker basket to resell. And as usual I've spent the last two days thinking of a small two door cabinet and a tall console table I wish I'd brought home to paint.

I ran into Sheila and Craig, some friends I met through auctions and sales around town. Sheila has a fun review of the day on her blog, Oddfolies. I'm taking the easy way out and directing you to her for the review.

Enjoy the rest of your long weekend everyone!

Bon Voyage!

ArchitectDesign posted about l'Opera Garnier the other day as he's off to Paris this week. That post reminded me of this photo I took of the balustrade surrounding the opera house. Yes, I'm a geek and I take pictures of parts of buildings. I love this shape, I'm totally trying to figure out who could translate this into big pillar candlesticks. Picture it in turned wood with a waxed finish.

The opera house is an amazing building because, like so many buildings in the city, it's chock full of beautiful details. There's just no end of things to see. I'm looking forward to reading his impressions upon his return. (Post your sketchbook too!)

Have a great time Stefan!

Resto finally makes a move

For a long while now I've been completely apathetic towards Restoration Hardware. They have some handsome furnishings of course, but nothing I thought was especially inspired, and nothing I was at all anxious to own. And while I know that choices are good, the streamlining of things into collections, with every frame available in every fabric, it just rubs me the wrong way. It's like they sucked any little bit of specialness out of everything they offer. Until today.

The catalog came yesterday but I didn't pick it up until a commercial during Wipeout tonight, and I'm completely serious when I say that the first 65 pages made me squeal. Reclaimed wood, aged steel, architectural and vintage inspiration, chunky proportions, lighter colors, polished chrome...wow. Finally some pieces with some attitude. I won't comment on everything, but I wanted to post some favorites. Enjoy.

And this doesn't include the upholstered pieces covered in what looks like vintage linen with that gorgeous, chunky texture. I'll stop in this weekend and see if it's all as good in person.

Oh eBay, I've missed you

Things have been busy lately and I've neglected my eBay addiction, so before bed last night I took a spin through the ironstone listings. What did I find but this 11 inch footed bowl in need of some love! I was at the workshop starting on another secretary tonight, so I set a reminder on my phone so I wouldn't forget to bid. As it turns out I got home with time to spare, and there was no flurry of last minute bids which meant my late bid was good!

There's a small rim chip, but other than that it appears to be in pretty good shape. A spin through the peroxide bath at Connie's house should brighten it right up. Connie, if you're reading, make a list of painting and/or framing projects you'd like help with, me and my dirty whitewares need to come see you when Sparks is over.

There's another of these bowls on my watch list for later in the week. It's in pristine condition so I don't expect to have as easy a time of it, but I'll bid my best.

A little bit of California in KC

Phyllis held our place open today, and we actually had a couple people come through! And even better, there's a showing appointment for tomorrow morning. So we (and the dogs) had to clear out for the afternoon. It was a gorgeous day and other than the barking and nose prints on my just-washed-yesterday car, we had a good time.

Don Drummond was a builder here in the 50's and 60's, and he used a number of plans made popular in California by builder Joe Eichler. If you'd like more information on how that came to be just Google either of their names and you'll find a number of blogs and websites that tell the story.

In Kansas City, if you say "It's a Drummond house," most people will know exactly what you're talking about. They tend to be clustered together in a few little enclaves throughout the metro area, and they're vastly different than everything around them.

We'd seen one online and tried to go look at it last week, but the open had been cancelled. It was open again today, and had a huge crowd.

Here it is from the front. This plan has a two-car garage, which is a little bit rare. Often they'll have a large carport, which stylistically I love, but doesn't work so well with our winters.
Walls of glass, big beams, and slanted ceilings are the hallmarks here, and what make Drummond homes so different from the ranches, colonials, and capes that fill our neighborhoods. We spoke to a neighbor who's Drummond is for sale by owner, and she explained that there are no load-bearing interior walls, which make them easy to reconfigure as needed.

This room, currently used as an office, looks out onto the outdoor dining/lounge area. It was a nice size for either this or a TV room.

This is the other outdoor patio, set up as a lounge area. It's accessable via sliders from the kitchen/dining area as well as the master bedroom.

The paint colors wouldn't be my choice, but I do like the sliding shoji screen doors and the fact that the tile flooring runs pretty much throughout the entire house.

And the deal-sealer, a pool big enough to splash around in, and small enough to easily maintain. Brett's in love.

We're not buying, as it's way south of where we'd like to be, but if there was a house that was going to pull us out of the target neighborhood, this would be it. They had a continual flow of people in and out, I'll be surprised if it's not under contract by the end of the week.

Damn you JCrew

It's no secret I'm a big fan of the Crew, so when an email popped up this afternoon letting me know there were new arrivals online and in-store, I couldn't get to jcrew.com fast enough. I was not disappointed.

I like tee shirts, and I like vintage-inspired tee shirts even more. I've found that while I don't love the majority of their novelty tees, occasionally they'll put one up that I do, such as the Hudson Graphic Tee.
The Crew is also a favorite for sweaters, and I'm totally digging this, the Military Mockneck Wool Cardigan. It also comes in a blah brown called Heathered Earth, but I much prefer it in black.

I stopped by the store on the Plaza tonight. I wanted to see the sweater and I thought I might pick up the tee, but they hadn't received either. The manager James is extremely nice (Brett thinks he has a crush, I think he's just helpful) and said he'd give me a call when they come in.

What was in was the Fatigue Jacket. I tried this on and it's really great. It comes with a button-on hood (which James helped me remove) and it's really much better without. Washed and just slightly distressed, stand-up collar, a bit shorter than I imagine army-issue would be, and a deal at 168.

It's totally going to be my fall jacket.

8/18/09

Happy Birthday Baby!

Tonight: You, me, and JP Wine Bar. And then presents, and then...

Love you-
D.

Grey floors

We've had a few showings lately here, which is good news. The house we want to buy is still available as well, and I'm starting to wonder (foolishly perhaps) if something isn't afoot. Are the real estate gods conspiring to put us somewhere new? Is that somewhere the place we hope? There's no way to know of course, but in case it is, we can prepare.

As I've been reworking that house in my head, a task that will take years to complete unless we happen onto a pile of cash, there are two issues I've been unsure how to handle. The first problem is a pair of walls, one which should (and I believe can) go away, and the other which should change. I can't explain it coherently here without drawings, but I've figured out what we'd need to do.

The second problem is the floor. I hate broken up floors, which is what this house has. Stone in the entry, parquet straight ahead, hardwood to the left and right, and eventually linoleum in the kitchen and a different tile in each of the 2.5 baths. Looking at photos I discovered that a quirk of the house could be the saving grace for my floors.

The family that lived in this house for all but the first two years of its existance owned a carpet business. As such, the living and dining rooms, as well as the hall and bedrooms were always covered in wall-to-wall. And under that carpet, the original oak flooring was never finished. It's there now, raw as the day it was installed.

More importantly, it's a standard three inch oak plank, still available today. Which means that the stone entry and the "family room" parquet can be easily replaced. Same for the kitchen. I don't know what's under the lino, but if necessary I can install what I need. I can even run it into the powder room, a far better answer than the pink mosaic you'd find there today.

The photo above is an engineered wood from Berti. I'm not a fan of engineered wood, but this is exactly the color I have in mind. One unbroken surface of grey-stained, satin-finished oak, as far as the eye can see.

This warm neutral ground also helps me in the kitchen, where I want dark base cabinets. A lighter floor means those cabinets won't blend in and disappear.

We'd end up with exactly two flooring materials in our home, an idea which appeals to me greatly. The master and second full bath get a carrera marble herringbone mosaic bordered in six inches of China Black marble. Everything else is warm grey wood.

Hunger for Handmade

We're thinking about another trip next year, Paris again, because we love it, and Amsterdam (sort of again) because that one day on the way home last time wasn't nearly enough. This time the sightseeing will be more lesurely, with more time spent roaming and shopping.

I've been looking around online for a while now, and ran across Matieres a Reflexion. Leather bags, handmade from carefully selected vintage jackets, retaining the vintage details. Each is produced and numbered right there in the studio/shop. The bag pictured is from the Army line, made from old French Army jackets.

In Amsterdam the sightseeing will no doubt be more intensive, but we'll still make time to simply get a feel for the city. The shopping must-do is Denham the Jeanmaker. The website is beautiful, but a bit cumbersome to navigate. Still, I've read about Jason Denham from a number of sources, (his blog is interesting if you like clothing from a historical standpoint, I'd kill to see the Denham Garment Library) and I'm dying to see the clothes, which he describes this way:

"Our customer is not going to settle for less than jaw dropping, mouth watering, gotta have pieces. The only way we know how to make them is to create our own unique balance of deep authenticity, inventive contemporary detailing, and a distinctly modern attitude."

As much time as I spend painting you'd think I'd work the creative urge right out, but I've found myself wanting to make things lately. Not big things or furniture, but things I can hold in my hands. And a side effect of that desire seems to be a search for things not mass-produced.

A Sunday Buzz

We were at loose ends today. We'd slept in, had breakfast, picked up the house and cleaned up ourselves. It was too hot to go to the workshop, and Brett didn't feel like going to his office, so we ran out south to Crate and Barrel to look at a couple things I'd seen in the catalog.

Nothing we had to have there, so we swung by Baby Gap to pick up a first birthday gift for Brett's god-daughter Maya. Being the good gay uncles we are we bought the cutest dress in the store, and a little cardigan that should make it work further into the fall.

Those errands out of the way, and a little too early for dinner, we needed a snack. JP Winebar is right there at 119th, so off we went.

This is exactly what a hot Sunday late-afternoon needs. One bottle of Riondo prosecco, and the Spain cheese flight. Three delicious cheeses on a bed of fruit, nuts, pickled vegetables and crackers.

It was likely the cause of my two hour nap when we got home, but I still heartily recommend.

Have you read this?

I read it last Saturday. It was in the contestant's gift bag we got Friday night at the reception for the Fuzzy Fotos contest. (We finished 7th with just over $3,000 raised by the way, completely respectable in a field of 21. And the event raised just over $52,000 for No More Homeless Pets KC and KC Free).

If you're a dog person and you haven't read it, give it a go. The story is told from the point of view of a dog at the end of his life. You'll laugh, you'll get angry, and fair warning, at one point you will bawl like a baby, but you'll still enjoy the book.

It took most of the day, but I read it in one sitting, so it's not so long as to be grueling. (I do that sometimes, as I did with The Lovely Bones, and even The DaVinci Code, although that took all evening and night.)

If you have read it I'd love to know what you thought.