Here is my list for this week:
1. Organize my desk and add some feminine touches. (This one is left over from a few weeks ago! Oops!)
2. Unpack photos and knickknacks to make the house more "homey" and welcoming.
3. Pack winter skirts and clothes that don't fit to make our closet more organized.
4. Get my hair cut!
5. Organize my recipe binder and try a new recipe.
Visit Charming the Birds from the Trees to join this week's Commitment to Loveliness!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Ahhhhhh...
...sun!
I've been staying away from the computer for the past two days because it's just been too gorgeous to stay inside! (Also I've been thinking I'm spending too much time online, but that's another post.) It's been sunny and in the seventies since Thursday or so. I can't get enough! I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can while I can because more "seasonable" temps and rain are due to arrive later this week.
We've been doing a lot of walking, trying out different routes in our new neighborhood and getting to know all the winding, country roads. We've discovered where there's a mean dog and a friendly one, and planning accordingly! I like to have a 3-4 mile route mapped for my walks, so we're trying out different combinations to settle on the best one.
The bad news is that we have noisy neighbors! We first noticed music blasting from a house the day we moved in, and on and off since then we can hear the bass pounding while inside our house with all the doors and windows closed. YUCK! I can hear it right now, actually! We thought it was a bunch of teenagers at a house with a detached garage playing around and tinkering with their cars, but while it is that house, and there are lots of kids hanging around, it's actually the father playing the music. Apparently, according to another neighbor, he won't turn down or off his music despite many complaints and visits from the Sheriff. As soon as the trooper is gone, music is back up! I guess usually the music isn't so bad, so maybe this is just spring fever and it will abate. Wednesday night it was still playing at 11:00 PM! I should mention that this house is probably a few hundred feet down the road, set back maybe 50-100 from the road and surrounded by trees! It's so sheltered you can barely see the house and garage, but the music really travels! DH is disgusted, but because the guy has a nasty reputation, we're hesitant to really file complaints, lest there's backlash.
Welcome to life in the country.
On a happier note, I must thank Emma for nominating me for a Thinking Blogger Award! I'm very flattered and surprised! I've never really thought of blog as worthy as such, as it's mostly ramblings about the daily life. I'm honored, Emma! Thank you! Stay tuned for my list of nominees.
The living room is coming along nicely. It is all primed and ready for paint. We settled on a color called "Glazed Pears," and I'll be sure to post pictures once it is painted and all nice and neat again.
I've got to dash and get Sunday dinner going. Teddy's Pasta Salad, a very summery dish, to celebrate the warm weather!
I've been staying away from the computer for the past two days because it's just been too gorgeous to stay inside! (Also I've been thinking I'm spending too much time online, but that's another post.) It's been sunny and in the seventies since Thursday or so. I can't get enough! I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can while I can because more "seasonable" temps and rain are due to arrive later this week.
We've been doing a lot of walking, trying out different routes in our new neighborhood and getting to know all the winding, country roads. We've discovered where there's a mean dog and a friendly one, and planning accordingly! I like to have a 3-4 mile route mapped for my walks, so we're trying out different combinations to settle on the best one.
The bad news is that we have noisy neighbors! We first noticed music blasting from a house the day we moved in, and on and off since then we can hear the bass pounding while inside our house with all the doors and windows closed. YUCK! I can hear it right now, actually! We thought it was a bunch of teenagers at a house with a detached garage playing around and tinkering with their cars, but while it is that house, and there are lots of kids hanging around, it's actually the father playing the music. Apparently, according to another neighbor, he won't turn down or off his music despite many complaints and visits from the Sheriff. As soon as the trooper is gone, music is back up! I guess usually the music isn't so bad, so maybe this is just spring fever and it will abate. Wednesday night it was still playing at 11:00 PM! I should mention that this house is probably a few hundred feet down the road, set back maybe 50-100 from the road and surrounded by trees! It's so sheltered you can barely see the house and garage, but the music really travels! DH is disgusted, but because the guy has a nasty reputation, we're hesitant to really file complaints, lest there's backlash.
Welcome to life in the country.
On a happier note, I must thank Emma for nominating me for a Thinking Blogger Award! I'm very flattered and surprised! I've never really thought of blog as worthy as such, as it's mostly ramblings about the daily life. I'm honored, Emma! Thank you! Stay tuned for my list of nominees.
The living room is coming along nicely. It is all primed and ready for paint. We settled on a color called "Glazed Pears," and I'll be sure to post pictures once it is painted and all nice and neat again.
I've got to dash and get Sunday dinner going. Teddy's Pasta Salad, a very summery dish, to celebrate the warm weather!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Spring Again!
Thanks for the comments, ladies! You made me smile and literally laugh out loud. Now, if my post from Monday wasn't enough to convince you of the fickleness (is that a word?) of Northern New York's weather, look at these! I just popped outside to take them:
Could those be flowers??
It's so bright outside I could barely focus the camera. It's about sixty degrees today. What a change! Perhaps this is really spring at last?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Commitment to Loveliness
Emma's hosting another Commitment to Loveliness this week!
1. Finish establishing daily/weekly/monthly routines for new house.
2. Unpack and organize my desk and find a way to add feminine touches.
3. Begin planning gardens: flower and vegetable. See if I can figure out where/what are in the existing gardens. Maybe the snow will stop soon!
4. Find complimentary placemats for kitchen table.
5. Organize Baby's toys/books and decide what stays upstairs and downstairs.
Head over to Charming the Birds from the Trees to join!
1. Finish establishing daily/weekly/monthly routines for new house.
2. Unpack and organize my desk and find a way to add feminine touches.
3. Begin planning gardens: flower and vegetable. See if I can figure out where/what are in the existing gardens. Maybe the snow will stop soon!
4. Find complimentary placemats for kitchen table.
5. Organize Baby's toys/books and decide what stays upstairs and downstairs.
Head over to Charming the Birds from the Trees to join!
Spring!
We lost our power for about two hours this morning right before I went to start the diapers! That could have been a real situation...snowed in with no clean dipes and not a sposie in the place. Yikes! Happily, all is well again!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Living Room
I thought I should continue my house tour and show you the living room. It's still mostly empty since we are stripping the wallpaper and painting. 9 times out of 10, wallpaper ranks right up there with carpet on the list of Things I Do Not Like. Wait until you see the wallpaper in the dining room/school room, though. TO DIE FOR!
Anyway, here is the living room:
Anyway, here is the living room:
Once we've painted it, this room will also house our library. I didn't want to unpack and reorganize all my books just to repack and move them in a week, though.
LOVE the wood floor in here! I've always dreamed about living in a house with wide, plank floors. Sigh...
The centerpiece of the room: one of DH's organs. This is the one that is in the best working order. He has another electric that needs a new synthesizer before he brings it up here. That one's better because its stops are more like a pipe organ. His pipe organ is in his parents' barn and will live there unless we ever build an addition especially for it.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Easter Goodies
This year I made traditional Easter Bread for the first time. It was a lengthy process, but well worth it! It came out really well! The recipe instructed to make two of the rings, but in the spirit of saving a few eggs, I made one ring and one loaf. The loaf is supposed to be glazed and sprinkled with, well sprinkles, but in these pictures the bread had just come out of the oven. The cool thing about this recipe is that you dye the eggs raw and they bake with the bread!
(It was after 11:00 PM. I was exhausted!)
I also a had a last minute inspiration to made these Easter Basket cupcakes for dessert on Sunday. We had to run to a few stores to find the "baskets," but they are so cute! (And so yummy!)
(The cupcakes were also our centerpiece!)
Lest you think we only ate junk for dinner, I also made ham, potatoes, creamy carrot casserole, and green bean supreme! My mom, dad, and sister joined us for the first holiday dinner in our new home. We had a great time despite the blowing wind and snow.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
'Tis True
Fr. John said it best this morning:
"You know you live in Central (Northern) NY when.......there's more snow at Easter than there was at Christmas."
Yep.
How was yours?
"You know you live in Central (Northern) NY when.......there's more snow at Easter than there was at Christmas."
Yep.
How was yours?
Thursday, April 5, 2007
It's been an exciting day
First, the snow is coming down like nobody's business. There was an inch of snow on the ground this morning, and it's been snowing and blowing all day. Lake effect snow warning from tonight until Saturday morning. This is not unusual for the "snow belt." In fact, this area had over 12 feet of snow this weekend. BUT, IT'S APRIL! IT'S EASTER WEEKEND!! Oh, the injustice! So instead of new, spring Easter dresses, we'll be wearing parkas to church.
The really exciting news, howevah, is that when I was vacuuming this afternoon, I peeled pack a corner of the carpet on the stairs. There is definitely intact hardwood under there. Not stained, but painted or stained dark brown (looks to be the same color as the moldings) and in good shape. I managed to get a look under a corner in the master bedroom and it looks the same. This is EXCELLENT! The wood floor upstairs in the old house was painted a cornflower blue, but spotty and not in great shape and we covered it with hardwood-looking laminate (which was beautiful). This looks workable. We could pull up all the carpet and live with the paint until we can refinish. We wouldn't have to put down new floors and all that entails. I hope the floor is in good shape in the middle of the rooms and downstairs.
I am thrilled because even doing the work ourselves putting down new hardwood was going to be expensive, and we would have had to wait a year or two to start and work room by room over time. Refinishing is a pain and lot of work, but comparatively not budget-breaking.
I'll get some before and afters! Have a blessed Easter everyone.
Alleluia! He is Risen!
The really exciting news, howevah, is that when I was vacuuming this afternoon, I peeled pack a corner of the carpet on the stairs. There is definitely intact hardwood under there. Not stained, but painted or stained dark brown (looks to be the same color as the moldings) and in good shape. I managed to get a look under a corner in the master bedroom and it looks the same. This is EXCELLENT! The wood floor upstairs in the old house was painted a cornflower blue, but spotty and not in great shape and we covered it with hardwood-looking laminate (which was beautiful). This looks workable. We could pull up all the carpet and live with the paint until we can refinish. We wouldn't have to put down new floors and all that entails. I hope the floor is in good shape in the middle of the rooms and downstairs.
I am thrilled because even doing the work ourselves putting down new hardwood was going to be expensive, and we would have had to wait a year or two to start and work room by room over time. Refinishing is a pain and lot of work, but comparatively not budget-breaking.
I'll get some before and afters! Have a blessed Easter everyone.
Alleluia! He is Risen!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Country Kitchen
Our kitchen is in the "new" part of house. I'm guessing that the newer part of the house was built around 1900.
You come into the kitchen from a door off the driveway. There's a small vestibule between the outer and inner doors and a coat closet to the left. The refrigerator is next to the stove, just out of the frame.
As you can see, there's a second outside door that leads to a small porch on the other side of the room. Our wind chimes are hanging out there and can be heard throughout the house.
To the right of the door I'm standing at is the sink/counter:
Now for a few closeups. Here is the "antique" kitchen island we bought this weekend. As you can see, I have very limited counter space, so this is where I'm doing most of my meal prep and also storing all my baking supplies.
You come into the kitchen from a door off the driveway. There's a small vestibule between the outer and inner doors and a coat closet to the left. The refrigerator is next to the stove, just out of the frame.
As you can see, there's a second outside door that leads to a small porch on the other side of the room. Our wind chimes are hanging out there and can be heard throughout the house.
To the right of the door I'm standing at is the sink/counter:
To the left of the coat closet is the pantry/laundry room:
There's a door next to the cardboard box that leads into DH's workshop. He hasn't even begun to unpack, so no peeking there!
Back into the kitchen. To the right of the table is the amazing cupboard unit that is original to the house. On either side of it, you can also see through the doorways into the dining room (currently box central).
Now for a few closeups. Here is the "antique" kitchen island we bought this weekend. As you can see, I have very limited counter space, so this is where I'm doing most of my meal prep and also storing all my baking supplies.
The cupboard above it was here when we moved in, but I'm not sure if it's original or not. Definitely old, though! We're hoping it can be moved up a few more inches so I can keep the knives on the island too. Storing those safely has been an issue! The handles are too long for any of our drawers.
Last but not least, the inset shelves where I'm displaying my cat cookie jar and mugs. The canisters have rice and coffee in them. I had nowhere else to put them, even though they're out of place with the cat motif. I don't use them too much, so even though they're out of the way, it's not a huge inconvenience.
The kitchen is charming and I love it, but very inconvenient all the way around. There's no way to really create a workable system for storage and meal prep. I'm getting into a groove, but it's definitely not a Lillian Gilbreth "efficiency" kitchen!
New House Pictures
I'm going to take pictures of everything as I get rooms completely unpacked and organized. The kitchen is done, but there are a few odds and ends that need to be distributed to their final destinations. I'll get pictures after supper, if possible.
For now, here is one of the views from the master bedroom windows and Zuzu enjoying the afternoon sun in the master. The light in this place is amazing!
For now, here is one of the views from the master bedroom windows and Zuzu enjoying the afternoon sun in the master. The light in this place is amazing!
(Of course, you know the pink carpet will be one of the first things to go!)
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