Dining Room Sneak Peek

 

Thanks everyone for your comments on my last post.  I am struggling to keep up with work demands, so I'm way behind on replying to emails and comments, I apologize for that.

Normally I like to wait and show you a room once it is all finished, but I just couldn't wait this time.  I'm in love with a piece of furniture I just got, and I think I might need a 12 step program for it!  Sorry for the quick and dirty pictures, but I wanted to show it off right away.  See that bolt in the photo above?  It had me at hello, and it was one of the reasons I bought this piece, sight unseen from my friend Caroline.

I met Caroline, and her husband Jon-Paul, when I did a photo shoot for Romantic Country Magazine at one of their amazing barn sales in 2010.  Through their business, Eskter Antiques, they import wonderful things from around the world and then sell them at their gorgeous property outside of Leesburg, Virginia during the barn sales they host several times a year.

Caroline is a native of the Netherlands, and her taste is beyond compare.  The home she and her husband share with their two beautiful daughters has been photographed for magazines, and has appeared in Fifi's wonderful book Romantic Prairie Style, and will also be in Fifi's new cookbook!

So I know that when Caroline posts photos of an upcoming sale, I will always find something to fall in love with.  Usually I just drool at her photos because I don't have room for some of her pieces, or I'm just not in the market for something new, but in December I lucked out!  Not only was I in the market for a new dining room cabinet to hold all of my china and crystal, but there, staring out from her website, was the cabinet that had been living inside my head, the one I'd been waiting for.  I knew right then and there that it was time to sell my grandparent's dark furniture and get what my heart was longing for.

So I sent Caroline an email, and then we had a few phone conversations, and I decided to just buy the cabinet without driving the 2 1/2 hours to see it.  It had cremone bolts for heaven's sake, how could it not be beautiful, I thought!  And it was nearly twice as wide and way taller than my old china cabinet, so that meant that the special stemware and dishes that had been living in boxes for 4 years would now finally have a home.  If I ever move or add on, I will make sure that every inch of space is devoted to storage, because this house is lacking in it, well at least for a plate addict like me!
 

My only hold back about the cabinet was that it looked a little too white in the photos, and in my head my ideal cabinet looked like an old piece of driftwood.  Then last Saturday, when Jon-Paul delivered the cabinet, my jaw just about hit the floor.  When I walked outside to see it in the back of his truck, it was not white, but a beautiful driftwood color, woohoo, luck be a lady tonight!  I was thrilled that it wasn't white, even though I would have been perfectly happy with something more white.  

Because Caroline imports much of what she sells, she often only gets one or two of any particular item and she may or may not be able to get more.  When I first contacted her about this cabinet there were 3 other people clamoring to own it, but one by one they couldn't take it.  So my first bit of luck was in being the one who got to buy it, and then when it was the color I wanted, had the right dimensions, and was in my price range, well I was over the moon happy!

The other good news is that I've sold my grandparent's table and chairs, which you see pictured, to a lovely young couple who contacted me through Craigslist.  Yay for no one killing us when they came to look at it!  They will be picking it up on Saturday, and I feel certain it will have a happy home.  When the guy came to look at it last night we ended up chatting for almost 2 hours, gotta love it when you like the people who buy your stuff!

So there will be some more rearranging around this place over the weekend.  I'll be in full on fluff mode until everything is the way I've been envisioning it in my head since we moved in here over 4 years ago.  I just love it when a plan comes together, and apparently patience really is a virtue!

I'll will be posting much better pictures of the finished room, when it is actually finished, and showing you another special item I got from Caroline and Jon-Paul.  And in case you are in love with this cabinet too, I happen to know that Caroline will be getting at least one more, most likely sometime in January, so if you are interested, you can contact her by clicking HERE.  You can tell her you want the special Kat Kabinet...I'm kidding people! ;-)

And I will be linking to Furniture Feature Friday with Miss Mustard Seed, because for the first time in a really long time, I have a new piece of furniture....YAY!

Me, Dave, and Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter decided to make an appearance today.  He didn't come in quietly, or even gradually, but instead he flung the door wide open and ushered in an icy cold wind that could knock you off your feet.


Now I know it's January, and I get that the weather shouldn't be balmy, but I've managed to live in a bit of denial since October because we've had such unseasonably warm weather these past few months.  As our cold loving daughter lamented the lack of a chill in the air, I was dancing a jig at the fact that it was in the 60s over the holidays.

If you've been hanging out here for any length of time, then you are well aware that I'm a warm weather sort of person.  I love everything hot, well except maybe soup, but other than that I love warm weather sports, t-shirts, flip flops, the beach, and anything even remotely tropical.

Even as a kid, my mother would get frustrated on snow days when, after spending some time bundling me all up to go brave the cold, I would promptly return 20 minutes later in search of a cup of cocoa and a few marshmallows.  I think I only went outside so that I could get that cup of steaming hot chocolate.  You know, it doesn't seem right to drink it just for the sake of drinking it, you have to be freezing cold so that it can bring some sense of feeling back into your hands when you hug that warm mug.

There are only two wintertime activities that I actually enjoy, one is ice skating, and the other is sledding.  But since we rarely get enough snow to sled, and it hasn't been cold enough for the ponds or creeks to freeze solidly enough to skate on in years here, well then I kind of quietly pass the time until those first buds warm my heart and remind me that winter is done.

I'm not a grump during winter, and I do enjoy seeing the swans return to our creek each winter, but I mostly enjoy this season from the comforts of a well heated environment.  So Old Man Winter, if you are so inclined, why not give yourself a little rest this year and move on down the road.  In case you needed some sort of permission, I'm giving it to you right here and now, to let spring come a wee bit early this year.

And to those of you who love winter, I get it, I don't begrudge you this season.  Nope, I say enjoy every blustery day and sub zero temp you can find.  But just as you hate high heat and humidity, I don't take a cotton to your beloved cold and grey skies, so let's just agree to disagree, shall we?  :-)

When I think of grey days (yes I prefer the "e" spelling of grey), I think of this particular song.  And on a completely different topic, I promised Lili that I would one day tell my Dave story, so here goes.

I am a big Dave Matthews fan, not like a crazy stalker kind of person, but I love his music.  It makes me want to dance, sing, and it just makes me smile.  Mr. Tide on the other hand, not so much.  As a sax and trumpet player himself, he can tolerate the bits where Dave's band gets down with their horn section, but other than that, let's just say that I listen to Dave mostly in the car when I'm driving alone.

About 10 or 11 years ago, Dave was going to be in our neck of the woods, or at least within 2 1/2 hours, so Mr. Tide surprised me with tickets.  I was thrilled, I had always wanted to see Dave in concert, so this was way cool for me.

On the day of the concert we took the kids over to my parent's house to spend the day and have a sleepover, and we jumped in our almost brand spankin new Jetta, opened the sunroof, and headed on our way.  What should have been a 2 1/2 hour drive ended up being more like a 4 1/2 hour drive, and to this day we aren't sure if there was an accident or what, but it was a LONG drive.

We pulled in to the parking lot of the venue, which was a big open air concert place and we sat there for about 45 minutes waiting until the gates opened.  As we sat there I noticed something, everyone around us was far from like us.  They were all young 20 somethings, most likely college students, and many of them had been partying for a few hours by this point.  On the other end of the spectrum were a handful of older folks, as in much older, who clearly had lost their way when the Grateful Dead quit touring, and I guess Dave was a good substitute....I can see that.  But the former Dead followers were about .00005% of the general concert populace by all of my calculations.

The gates finally opened, and we wandered up to the entrance, and the  closer I got the more I thought that one of two things was about to happen.  I was either going to have the concert experience of my dreams, or I was going to be vomited on by a very drunk 20 something...odds were heavily favoring the latter since it was open seating in a field.

I looked at Mr. Tide and said, "would you mind if we just sold the tickets and headed home?"  Now bear in mind, that this wonderful husband of mine, who just drove over 4 hours to a concert you couldn't have gotten him to go to but for love or money, in this case love, looked at me like I had lost my mind.

As with any sold out concert, and Dave sells out months in advance, there were numerous folks standing at the entrance, hands held high with the number of tickets they so desperately needed.  We approached a young couple and asked if they wanted to buy ours.  They told us how they had seen Dave the night before in Pennsylvania and how they were so "stoked" to hopefully see him again that night.  I explained that although I loved Dave, I felt a wee bit old and out of place, which was followed by a lot of things like, "nah man, you're not old, you should go in man, he is so awesome in concert...like seriously!"  

Their words of reassurance only cemented the conclusion I had already come to on my own.  When we explained that we just wanted what we had paid for the tickets, they almost jumped up and down and asked if we were sure.  I explained that with two children at home I wasn't really game to use our one phone call to let our family know that we were now in a Virginia jail for scalping tickets.  They gave us cash for the tickets, and gleefully ran into the venue.  Had I been 20 years younger I could have been them!

So back in the car we went, taking a different way home, where we dined at Mikey D's and had ice cream at one of our favorite places in Virginia.  Driving down those back roads, with the sunroof open, and Dave blaring on the car stereo seemed almost better than being with him live.  So maybe Dave and winter aren't that dissimilar for me, I enjoy them from the comfort of my own home.

I have told Mr. Tide, that if Dave ever comes to a much smaller, more civilized venue, appropriate for old folks like me, that I would love to go.  So what do you think the chances of that ever happening really are?!  The odds, I'm betting slim to none. ;-)

The Winter Blues

I'm so excited that so many of you felt a connection with my post from yesterday!  I think the Year of US is full of endless possibilities!

Now that almost all of my Christmas decor is snugly packed away for another year, I thought I would throw a little color around the house.  My collection of blue Ball jars and old insulators will now be providing me with a much happier version of the winter blues.


 

When I come into the kitchen each morning I will be greeted by their various shades of blue and aqua.  And at nighttime I might just throw a few tea lights up there to illuminate their beautiful blueness.

And I will smile when I see the light dance through these wavy, undulating, bubbled, glass vessels.

Yep, now that's what I call the perfect winter blues...maybe I'll even sing the blues.  What makes you sing this time of year?

The Year of Us

Well here we are, at the beginning of a brand new year.  Can you believe that it's the first day of a new year?!  I truly can't wrap my mind around it quite yet.  Even as I packed up all of Christmas today, I kept thinking that someone must have hit the fast forward button because it seems as though it should still be July, not January.  Of course 60 degree temps may be causing me to think that way too!

But I've been thinking about 2012 for quite some time now.  I'm not sure why I felt that the beginning of one year seemed better than any other time to make some changes, but it just did.  So I've been plotting over November and December, not about resolutions per se, but about what I really want to do with my life.  Where I hope to be one year from now, or even one month from now.

Today, I wandered around my yard looking like the creature from the black lagoon...and I'm not exaggerating. I borrowed my son's ghillie suit (see the photo below) and I stealthily sat motionless waiting for birds to arrive so that I could take their picture.  I think the sight of me in the suit may have been more scary than just lil ole me slinking around.

See what I mean?!  I'm sure my neighbor thought that Sasquatch had moved in next door, but hey this was part of my grand plan, my new year, new me plan.  In my plan, I would fool all living creatures who inhabit our yard, and I would then be able to take my wildlife photography to the next level, you know, like National Geographic level.  I didn't say it was a good plan, but it was a plan!

What I discovered was that 

a.  Ghillie Suits kind of smell bad...like a mix of old fishing nets and kerosene.

b.  All those little string things that make you look like a bush...they don't mix well with a tripod.  In fact, they tend to get tangled up and it may or may not take you a lot of time getting them out of said tripod.

c.  Birds are smarter than they look, so camouflage is really only good for animals with bad eyesight.

d.  Even if you have on camouflage, the big honking camera spinning around on a tripod might just give you away.

So, back to my new year, new me plan, slightly amended to include some reality, ie. Nat Geo won't be knocking on my door anytime soon.

When I visited my friend Anna, who is an artist, yoga instructor, marketing genius, and all around great person, she told me that she was planning to focus on herself this year.  Before the words were even completely formed and out of her mouth I said..."YES!, this is the year of ME too!"

So after a walk, and some more chatting about what our vision will be for 2012, she and I decided that it will not be the year of me...or her...but it will be the year of US.  Us meaning, anyone who wants to move in the same direction.  Women just like us, or my friend J, or anyone really who wants to focus on doing the things we love, finding new things to love, taping into our talents, and really going after the things we want.

Not "going after" things in a Filene's Basement bridal dress sale sort of way, but in a way that helps us to reach our goals.  Because let's face it, when we are happy, satisfied, accomplished, well it overflows into every other aspect of our lives.

We are better people, mothers, children, siblings, workers, whatever, because happiness, calm, and focus are all contagious.

Now I haven't figured all of this out yet, but I do know a few things.  I will focus on my photography in a way I haven't ever done before.  Instead of taking pictures of things I think others might like, or processing them in ways I think might make them easier to sell, I will now create for me.

I will maybe even start a new blog, one that is more photography centered.  One that will chronicle this new journey I'm embarking on.  That may mean that this blog won't see as much action, though I can't imagine ever completely shutting it down because I still have a passion for design and decor, just not the same passion I used to have for such things.

I see this year of "US" as a chance to do what I want, be who I want.  Like the photos above, it will be one filled with realism some days, and others where I will create my own vision of how I want things to look.

I plan to use this year to reach deep within, clean out the clutter, both literally and figuratively, and find what remains.  And just like any good plan, I will remain flexible, open to possibilities, and ready to turn on a dime.

So who's with me?!  Are you ready for the Year of US?  You don't need a special membership card, or learn the secret handshake, as a matter of fact I suggest you keep it all to yourself so that others don't feel the need to give you any advice.  Just go out there and do it, whatever it is, climb that mountain, pull those clothes off the stair stepper and get moving, get rid of the people (and stuff) that are holding you back from being who you want to be, need to be, and can be!

I won't be giving motivational speeches, nope, I plan to take my cues from Nike...and Just Do It!

Happy New Year!

A Thank You and a Wish

As we rapidly approach year's end, I want to say thank you for all of your wonderful support in 2011.  You have inspired me, bolstered my spirit, challenged me to do better, given me sage advice and laughed and cried alongside me...could I ask for anything more?!

My wishes for each of you in the new year are that life is kind to you, that you find health and happiness, a sense of self, a sense of purpose, and most of all, that you are surrounded by love.  Those are my best wishes for all of you!

The next time we chat it will be a brand new year, one where I have lots to talk about, places to go and people to see.  I hope to share all of it with you, the good, the bad, and yes...even the ugly.  And I hope you will do the same.

So until we meet again...Happy New Year everyone!!!

Looking Ahead

Just like that the holidays are behind us.  In the blink of an eye the day, the weeks and months leading up to it, the whole year really is almost gone, never to be retrieved again except through our memories.

Crumbs and dirty dishes are all that's left to represent the time and fun we spent with friends and family.  And for me, this year will be a happy memory, a year filled with highs and lows, but thankfully mostly highs.  Even Christmas, which included our daughter throwing her back out and being bedridden for the most part, will still bring a smile to my face when I think back on it.

To hear my children laughing and chatting while she laid in bed and her brother hung out with her warms my heart and makes me long for those holidays when I knew she wouldn't be leaving to go back home to her own place.

Some years are more memorable than others, and I have to say that 2011 was one of the more memorable ones.  It included selling my parent's house, the home I grew up in, the place where my dreams were first formed.  Just before we went to settlement last week, after months of waiting, I wandered from room to room and said goodbye.  Tears fell, as I remembered the joy and happiness I had found there, and the dreams I had dared to dream in each and every one of those rooms.  But tears gave way to relief and the knowledge that instead of empty rooms, those rooms would once again be filled with laughter and hopefully be the place where someone else could learn to dream big.

It was also a year when friends were challenged by illness and accidents.  One where they found a strength I can only imagine, and one where they are winning their individual battles.  For that I am grateful, humbled, and mostly just in awe.

It was a year when I got to visit Europe again, and was reminded why I love it so much.  The people, the cities, the architecture, and of course the food.  And being there made me formulate new dreams that include getting back there and not waiting so long between visits.

This year was also a year when my family stood behind me and gave me the courage to try new things, step outside of my box, and start on a new journey of exploration.  They did this all while making me proud every single day by living their own dreams, while still supporting mine.

I don't have a handbook for what 2012 will be, what it will have in store for me or for the ones I love, but I do have a clear vision of what I hope it will be.  I hope that I will slow down more, enjoy more, listen to that little voice more, and do the things that make me happy while making others happy too.

I took the photo above last October.  It is of the river just across the street from me, and was taken with my long lens.  When you look closely you can see the houses on the other side of the river, which is 5 miles wide at this particular point.  Some people will only see the dark foreground, while others will focus on the water, but the lucky ones will see the tiny houses nestled on the distant shore.

Be one of the lucky ones in 2012, look beyond your own shore to the one you can barely make out in the distance.  This year, use your own long lens and dare to look ahead and picture where you want to be and what you hope to accomplish.  Remind yourself each day of how important you are, even if you are the only one who knows it, and create your vision instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you!

Do you have a dream for 2012...I'm all ears!

Not a Creature was Stirring

Not a creature was stirring...well maybe a sleepy eyed pup!

Happy Holidays!

The Imperfect Christmas House Tour

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It's been awhile since I took you on a tour of this big old house of mine.  Well technically my house is neither big nor old, but hey in blogland you can pretend whatever you want right?! ;-)

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I thought I would show it to you while it is still relatively clean.  Two big dogs (see Misty Belle in the left of the photo), do their best to mess it up regularly! We are having guests on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday, and then the following weekend, so I'm trying to keep up with the little stuff so that it stays nice and tidy.

I also thought it was a good time to take a few photos for memory's sake...my memory that is.  You see, the dining room will soon be undergoing a change, and the living room too for that matter.  The china cabinet, that once belonged to my grandparents, will soon be replaced with a lovely new one that is more than twice as large.  Yay, since I need every ounce of storage I can muster in this house.

And the rug will also be replaced, yipee!

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I haven't yet decided if all of the dining room set will go bye bye, or if I will chose to keep a few of the pieces for sentimental reasons.  The buffet would actually work well in our bedroom, so I'll have to give it some thought.

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If I decide to get rid of the table in the dining room, it will be replaced with this one, the farm table my dad made me.  So there will be a piece of family history in the dining room no matter what.

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By moving the current kitchen table into the dining room, I would actually gain a lot more room in my family room.  And since this area also serves as our office until we add on, that extra space would be nice.  I might even throw a dance party to celebrate...ok, just kidding!  Well I might dance, but one person dancing does not a party make!

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See how much space it takes up?!  But here's the rub, we love sitting here and looking out over the water while we eat...so what's a girl to do?!  Maybe a smaller table...yeah that might work.  Maybe even something round.

Now, for you Christmas purists in the crowd, please ignore the man behind the curtain.  That's code talk for please ignore the fact that I have a fake tree, and that the base is nek'ed.  No really, it's exposed, looking sad and revealing my secret that I have a fake tree.  I know, I know, it's sacrilegious, but it is what it is.  I swore on everything holy that I would never do a fake tree, and then when my dad asked me if I wanted his because it was too big, I said why the heck not!  We've had it for about 6 years now, and my parents probably had it for 4 or so before that so we may be back to the real deal next year, but this year it's all about the realistic fake tree around here!

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Ok, where was I before I felt the need to unburden myself about the fake tree?  Ahh yes, I was in the kitchen where I feel the need to explain that my *$&% backsplash is still not in!  I did email a friend/contractor who should be able to handle my bad boy tiles which have scared everyone within a 100 mile radius off, so we'll see.  2012 may just be the year of real trees and finished kitchens...exciting eh?!

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So there it is, my imperfect Christmas House tour.  And since I'm posting twice in one day...egads, I think I'm losing it...I might as well say Happy Holidays again too!

I hope your imperfect home (it is imperfect right?), and imperfect life (just says it's imperfect to make me feel better!) have a very good day!