the last one...

For years I have coveted a copper mailbox from Smith & Hawken.
I remember being introduced to their catalog probably twenty years ago, and then was delighted to go into their retail shop when it opened in Dallas. It was always a great source for that garden inspiration you needed when it was 100 degrees outside! When I learned that they were closing their doors my garden-heart sank.

In our past homes the mail dropped directly into the house, so I didn't have a need for a mailbox. Here we have a small box and the mailman has to bring small packages up to the house. So, we have been looking for an old rural farm mailbox- large, you see them often on country roads..... we passed on an old one a couple of weeks ago because it wasn't the one.

Yesterday we were in Boston and stumbled across a closing Smith & Hawken (it was close to Cape Cod, and come to find out, was the only store in Massachusetts and we were told it had been the most profitable store in the chain, which was so interesting since it was about half the size of the store in Dallas... .)

And there it was... one lone large copper mailbox... on sale. It had a wee bit of a dent on the door (nothing a rubber mallet couldn't fix), and so we asked if they had another one in the back. The salesperson left us, came back and said they didn't have another one, and in fact she looked on line, and it was
the last one in their whole system.
So, we bought the last large copper mailbox from Smith & Hawken...
that makes me happy and sad at the same time.

Jackpot...

I decided the kitchen table we were "thinking" about would be perfect for the room. I had wanted an oval, but finding antique dining tables is difficult at best, and an oval one would prove even more challenging. But we did, and after vacuuming it off and placing it in the kitchen it is indeed perfection! When Dan does his "Dan wax," as we call it, it will be beautiful! The current casters are plastic replacements, and we'll replace those with antique iron casters which would have been what was originally on the table.
Now, on to finding the chairs and the antique iron chandelier that I can see perfectly in my head, I just can't find!


And...We also purchased this table for the master bedroom. I love it's lines. In a lighter tone it would look like a Scandinavian piece. The bottom shelf was installed upside down, hence the nails showing.... that has already been corrected.

And this.........
Okay, you're going to have to trust me on this one!! Sans the 1990's polyester floral, this is a stunning antique barrel back chair.

I mean, look at this wood detail on the arms....




And these gorgeous ball and claw feet!




The chair just happens to have been painted along the way, and is the perfect shade of turquoise that is in the pillows that I am using as a bit of color in the master bedroom. here



The chair was so happy to get that fabric off!





See, now you can see how pretty she'll be covered in a natural linen.




And finally....

This wood floor lamp! I've looked at the lamp several times now, but didn't have a place to put it. I still don't, but at $35 I just couldn't leave it behind! It will also get a "Dan wax" and a wonderful new shade!

Regarding your requesting;) of more room photos, I know you are being extremely (okay, kinda;) patient with me.... and I thank you for that! And I ask for your further indulgence, as there are just so many little projects and things to finish in each room before I am comfortable showing them (the bedrooms are even further out... .) I know (hope!) you understand!! Know that as soon as I am happy with a room you'll "see" it!

(Thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes for Dan! He was very surprised and happy to receive them! He left a comment for you in the previous post. We had a really fun day-trip and Dan had a wonderful birthday!)

And speaking of...

It was a big day here at the house yesterday.... Big Blue had her mandatory 50-hour service call, and hopefully we won't have to do that again (at $350 a pop- who knew?!) until next year! She passed with flying colors, and the tractor people said some owners don't get to 50-hours in a whole year, and Dan got there in 2 months! She really is a trooper and Dan loves her! You can't blame him, as she's very pretty and does a heck of a lot more heavy lifting around here than I do!! And, she doesn't give him "honey-do" lists which probably also makes him like her!

It was also a big day because I think I found my kitchen dining table! She's turn of the century and very nice. I love when you first spot a piece, and you just know it's going to be yours and you get all excited.... and then leave it!!! I did that when we found Ella too..... I like to sleep on big decisions!!

And speaking of sweet, gentle Ella...we had to take time off from our nightly glass (or two;) of wine, and sitting around admiring our daily progress to make a quick little trip to the Immediate Care Center (an emergency center without the trauma and drama) as Dan's finger came in contact with Ella's tooth while they were playing tonight... A little super glue (seriously!) and he's fine!

And speaking of Dan.... today, August 20th, is his birthday! Happy Birthday to Mr. FLOH- (that's how lots of people refer to their husband on their blogs, Mr. Name-of-Blog... but I think we'll just stick with Dan if that's okay with you?!!) Dan is much older than I am, though not as old as my much older sisters:)!! He has decided (seriously, it was his choice) to drive to the Berkshires to go to some antique shops that he remembers us going to when we were house hunting. We haven't been over that way since we moved here. And, in case we have some extra time... Bunny's house isn't too far out of the way;)!!

And speaking of antiques... the top photo was just a pretty photo I snapped today of our antique mariner oil painting by Edwin Hayes (b.1819, d.1904), entitled " In Full Sail" (in it's original frame) that hangs in the dining room and captured the overlay of the shadow of our dining room chandelier!

I've stood in Bunny's barn....

yes, the barn that goes with this house... the barn.

The barn of all barns! I've stood in Bunny's conservatory, I've walked her property, peered into her kitchen, lingered in the pool house and marveled at the chicken pavilion. I've stood in her greenhouse, walked around the sunken garden, through the woodland garden, and gathered landscape ideas from her parterre garden.

I've met Bunny and her pack of rescue dogs.
(Now, at this point you are probably thinking I was under the tutelage of Joni at Cote de Texas and was in 'stalking' school, but that wasn't the case, and the police were not called to the scene!)

Bunny even mentioned my visit in the book! Okay, well not exactly my visit, but the event in which my visit took place! See page one hundred eighty eight were Bunny says... "I'll never forget the Saturday..." Neither will I Bunny!!

This is how I met Bunny... I had read in a magazine about Trade Secrets a charity plant show, antique sale, and garden tour that Bunny had at her Connecticut house. (She no longer hosts the event at her house, but opens her gardens for the garden tour. One year Carolyne Roehm's garden was also on the tour, and this last year's tour featured Michael Trapp's garden! Imagine!) I marked my calender and when the event came around the following May 18th of 2002, Dan and I flew up from Dallas to attend! The forecast was for sunny skies, and highs in the low 70's. I packed all new Spring outfits and cute new sandals! The morning of the event we woke up to rain, mixed with snow! It was snowing snowflakes the size of silver dollars! We found some rain ponchos at a local store, and I donned my not-so-cute tennis shoes instead of the cute sandals I had planned to wear. We then had to buy some gardening gloves at the event to even keep our hands warm! It was freezing and because of the crazy, cold weather Bunny generously opened up her Barn so people could have a place to warm up. It was there, standing in her magnificent barn with a fire roaring in the fireplace, where we met Bunny! She was beautiful, sweet, lovely and gracious as all these unexpected guests milled about her room. We chatted for a long time and then at the end she invited us to come back sometime!! Little did we (or Bunny;) know, but a mere six years later we would live within driving distance, and just might take her up on that!!

All of Bunny and John Rosselli's (he was there also, although we didn't meet him) dogs were there, running in and out, throughout the visitors. Adorable Charlie was there... Charlie was featured with Bunny in one of my favorite books that I have kept by bedside for years... Found Dogs. When you walked from the conservatory into the barn Bunny had a large skirted table filled with books, and right on top was Found Dogs!

Being a good Southern girl I wrote Bunny a thank you note after returning to Dallas... but, now I'm realizing that she doesn't have my new address...... must remember to drop by to give it to her! Hummmm..... what would Joni do?!

Bunny standing in front of her greenhouse!

p.s.

I just found Joni's post on Bunny's house and barn, so head over to Cote de Texas to see some beautiful photos from the book! Great timing!

getting our second wind...

It's been a good week at the house. In fact, it's been a good couple of weeks now. Your words of encouragement and support, and the stories of your own renovation nightmares that you left after my last post were very encouraging, and made us realize we were not alone... we are so sorry that most of you can relate, but we thank you for telling us your stories.

After our three month project hiatus since moving in (I had underestimated the physical and emotional impact of moving and unpacking 225+ boxes, and trying to settle in and starting to decorate...), we have gotten our second-wind and are moving forward. All of the contractors that we have hired have brought a respect for the house and us, and a good, positive energy. You might not think that the person you hire to repair shingles on the house can radiate positive energy, or that it would even matter. But he can, and it does!

The kitchen has been repaired, and now we're just waiting on some painting to be done on all of the repairs. We've also been putting in stone steps off of the kitchen mudroom. We are using huge slabs of granite that we removed from the original foundation in the making of the garage under the barn. The stonemason is an artist, and it is so interesting to watch him work. Dan has been his assistant (moving the huge slabs with Big Blue, the tractor) and learning lots, which will come in handy as we have several stone projects planned for the house. We've been getting bids on painting the exterior of the house and staining the barn; and putting in a gravel driveway- it's always surprising (and rather shocking) the huge range of bids you get for any project. And, I'm most excited about windows, as this week we placed our order for windows for the barn room! Right now the barn room is walled off/boarded off from the kitchen, so the fact that the barn room is "in the works" is very exciting!!

Again, thank you for being here on this journey with us!
Here are some photos of the new, beautiful stone steps.....

This photo shows the concrete pad that was poured months ago for the foundation for the steps.

Our stonemason cutting the first piece of granite for the top step.

First/top step being lowered into place by Dan & big Blue! The logs underneath the step are temporary support until the end/side stones are installed- as they will carry the weight and support the steps.

Step two...

Steps three and four! Notice the antique iron boot scraper that we found at an antiques shop here in NH. It will be placed on the second from the top step on the left side.

Side view of the mud room steps. The area between the steps and the porch will one day be my herb garden. The bank of three windows above that area is my kitchen sink. The sides of the steps will be cut stone and a wall of field stones. Eventually we will add field stones under this back porch that you see in this photo, and the front porch.

An expanded view to give you some perspective. The mudroom with the small overhang is to the left of the barn. The door opening in the white Tyvek is our current access to the barn, but will (soon!) be a french door with transom. The solid plywood section to the right of that door will be another french door and transom. A stone fireplace will be built between the two in the barn room. The two small windows you see upstairs in the barn are the windows in the master closet. The larger vertical window between them will be shingled over.
The single window on the garage side will be shingled over, and the area above the garage doors where you see the Tyvek will be two sets of two, two-over-two windows.... got that?!!!
(fyi- the pile of wood boards you see in this photo to the left of the garage are/were the floor boards from the upstairs barn loft. Fired ex-GC had had his son and his teen-age friends rip them up, and put them on the burn pile- that was NEVER, ever the plan, mind you... Luckily Dan was able to save them and they will go back.)
It's hard to tell in this photo, but behind the wood board pile is a stone wall. We will move that stone wall out to the corner of the garage which will give us a terrace off of the barn room accessed from the french doors.

Dan and the stonemason looking for stones in our very own quarry!


The huge granite slabs removed from the barn foundation. I stood in this area to take the "perspective" photo above. I thought it might give you some perspective on the perspective!

Please note the 15/20 tons (that's a large dump truck full) of gravel. This was delivered for Dan's french drain project around the house. Unfortunately, it was delivered to our neighbor's across the street house.... took Dan four hours to bring it home. It's always somethin'!

I am NOT a fearless blogger...

like my friend Anne-Marie at The house that A-M Built who can write the words describing problems with the building of her gorgeous new house in Australia. Problems that would make a very strong, grown man cry.... She is so brave in the telling of the issues, problems, and solutions to the things that have been done to her beautiful, beautiful home.

I am not so brave.

I, instead, tend to crawl into the fetal position, and hide my head under the covers and the problems cause all my energy to drain from my body... for months. Talking about the problems in our renovation, and especially the writing of them makes them all too real... so usually I don't. Until now. And the only reason I am able to do so today, is because we had a very talented finish carpenter here yesterday and today to fix the problems.

The subject: Our Kitchen- my beautiful, dream of a kitchen. (excuse me while I go get a tissue...)

The background: Our fired ex-General Contractor fancied himself as a carpenter. He was not. If I had a dollar for every time I asked to "please hire us a finish carpenter" I could have paid for 1/8 of my kitchen. Instead the ex-GC took it upon himself to become our finish carpenter and installed our kitchen cabinets (and then had the nerve to charge us a carpenters fee plus his 20%---- I know, I know. If it hadn't been for the extreme time constraint of having to move out of our temporary rent house he would have been fired in February. From our point of view we just didn't have the luxury of time to fire him, and had to forge ahead to get into the house.) We are now paying the price, literally and figuratively, for that decision.

The problems: Ex-GC was a hack of a carpenter. My beautiful, beautiful kitchen had issues. Some days I had a hard time even walking into the room. It was the equivalent of a beautiful automobile that was a lemon. My very talented custom-cabinet-maker made lovely cabinets. He included shims for the installers to remove as necessary to make them fit the room. My ex-GC didn't know how to install them, left them on when they weren't needed, and my subzero housing was then installed unlevel which is apparently obvious in what was supposed to be a open shelf above it-was instead 1/2 " off of level. My gorgeous Venatino marble on my island developed a huge sag. Yes, I just said my marble developed a sag. Hard to believe, but true. Several interviewing carpenters were shocked it hadn't cracked. Doors in the island opened to a huge gaping hole to the floor- as ex-GC didn't put in the piece that was made by the cabinet-maker to finish it out. The baseboard on the island had be ripped out to correct the problem. Drawers and cabinets don't work with the self-close feature we had paid extra for; some barely close at all without scraping the paint off of the wood below. A gaping hole was left open under overhead cabinets. Just a big hole sitting there.... go figure. All these pieces were provided by the cabinet maker. Ex-GC left a stack of unused materials..... One of the cabinet doors under the sink is installed upside down. The kitchen company who happily took our money, now doesn't want to get involved....

The Solution: [It should be noted at this point: Via our lawyer (yes, sadly there is a lawyer involved. Ex-GC is writing letters acting as a lawyer;) ex-GC offered to come fix all the problems; he said it would be "easy" and only take half a day! Now, why would I want the person who screwed it all up in the first place, and obviously didn't know what he was doing to come "fix" the problems? So, we are paying to fix them ourselves.]

Back to the solution. A very talented, kind-hearted man and his son were here yesterday and today to fix my kitchen and bring her back to all her glory! Hooray!!! They are building new doors to camouflage the unlevel shelf above the SubZ. Turning sink cabinet door right side up, extending 6 of the under island supports/feet to make them meet the floor- as ex-GC didn't bother to do that which is what we learned today caused the marble to sag, and is kindly fixing all the many remaining problems.
They were miracle workers I tell you! For the first time in the three months I actually walked into my kitchen tonight and wasn't pissed off. I looked around and saw my beautiful, beautiful kitchen again!



My apologizes for writing about things that are not 'pretty.' I just felt I needed to talk about some of the difficulties of late. And while the kitchen problems were a huge issue, it is just one of a long list of little and big 'issues' that we are now resolving. I do think; however, that fixing the kitchen will bring the muses back, and inspire me to not only start cooking again (which I love to do), but to continue the decorating of the house. All of the issues and the problems have been a huge energy drain.

I salute A-M who is my hero in fighting the 'bad guys' in a remodel. Her courage gives me strength.

The good news is that I promise a kitchen reveal is not too far off now!



b.a.d. photos

upside down cabinet door

unlevel shelf

gaping hole to floor between island trim and cabinet

Please note the 'daylight' showing between the bottom of the level and the marble.

g.o.o.d. photo

Please note NO 'daylight' between the bottom of the level and the marble!!!!! Miracle workers I tell you!

be still my heart...

Our AC units were installed today! Aren't they beau-T-ful?! I've saved this photo as my screen saver I love them so much! I am a very happy girl! This is the second region of the country (the other being Portland, Oregon) where I have lived that you often hear, "oh, you don't need AC here... ." Hellllllooooo, I beg to differ. If it gets over 72 (that's 23C for my international friends), you need an AC in my book!

We've been blessed with a very cool summer this year, but it's been getting a little toasty and humid here lately.

I get a wee-bit cranky in toasty & humid!

Ella and I are very happy to see these babies go in today!

I would like to thank Mr. Willis Carrier today, and depending on where you live you might want to thank him too! When we lived in Dallas we would literally "bless him" every day in the summer!!




And finally, if you prefer your air conditioning a little more

au naturel, you might like this photo that we snapped last week- -

be sure to double click the photo, so that you get a good shot of his beard blowing au naturel in the wind!!

Or not......!

Either way... Stay Cool!!