Bird + Seed

Getting Things Done

This was a weekend for getting things done.  And thank goodness it was three days long, because otherwise it all would not have fit.  The three days made it leisurely.

First, we put up new kitchen curtains.  I sewed up roman shades a la this simple tutorial.  There were dirty cracked mini blinds there before.  And then some kind of see-through curtains that once covered our French doors... they didn't offer much in the way of privacy.  Especially since you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bedroom after your shower.  To match, I plan on painting our memo board that hangs between the windows.

While on the subject of curtains, I through these up.  These woodgrain curtains are my first sewing project, back when I lived on my own they hung in my living room.  The mini-blinds are necessary [the closed one looks right into our neighbor's kitchen only 4 feet away], but ugly because they are the first thing you see when you walk into our house.  

We hung sheets to dry and aired out the pillows and blankets.  All the noise and ins and outs [we ate lunch on the porch] drew the attention of neighbor cat #1, Mr. Whiskers.  We had to shut the door.  We had duck roasting and didn't want to encourage him further.

We cleaned, ran errands, had friends over both Saturday and Sunday, spiced up the Sunday morning breakfast routine by trying out a different cafe, and bought seeds & soil to start our garden.  Perhaps most importantly for me, I relaxed fully, slept in and drank a lot of wine.  Why?  Cause on Monday I successfully defended my PhD.  All I have to do is correct a few typos in my thesis, hand it in, and I'm Dr. Connie.  Of all the 'getting things done', that was probably the best.

Sunny Weekend Notes

You are all very aware I'm sure of the strange winter weather.  Strange yes, unwelcome, no.  We took advantage of the sunny 50 degrees to air out some afghans and our pillows.  Plus hang dry som laundry.  Come spring we'll hang a clothes line on our porch, but for now, the curtain rod will have to do.  Other things we did this weekend...

- Went shopping in Harvard Square.  Damon wanted some comfy sweat pants and needed some undershirts.  We went to Gap.  Across the street from Gap is Anthropologie, where I got a shirt to defend my thesis in (thank goodness out of all the ones I took to the dressing room, I preferred the one on sale).  

- We had lunch at Clover.  I occasionally go to their food truck for lunch, but I had never seen their Harvard Square Space.  So cool.  Barbecue seitan and rosemary fries.  Mmmmm.

- Friday was Damon's company's holiday party [much belated]  It was at a go-cart track.  Its good to still be a small company.  Will they still be able to do that next year?

- We went to the winter's farmer's market.  Plenty of parsnips still around!  A few farmers have hot houses, so some greens can still survive the winter.  Although, I bet some hardy kales can grow outside in winters like these.

- We were visited by 3 neighbor cats over the weekend.  So we got our kitty petting action on.  

- We spent a good deal of time working on new kitchen curtains.  Once they are complete, I'll show you.

- And of course, this.

I haven't gotten used to carrying my camera around again.

Hide the Unmentionables!

This is our bathroom sink.  Lovely.  I'm sure you're all digging this.  It's a sink with some crap under it.  How interesting.  And that's the point.  The stuff under the sink is not interesting- and is pretty ugly.  And some things are unmentionable.  Or at least, things you don't want your friends [or yourself] to see every time you walk into the bathroom.  See- we used to have a linen closet right outside the bathroom.  Those two bins you see were in there.  They hold things like a hot water bottle, netti pot, hair dryer, first aid kit, medicine we don't need fast access too [like allergy and cold medicine that is used rarely], tampons, sun screen & bug lotion... you get the picture.

All that stuff doesn't fit in the over the loo storage- which is actually quite narrow and has two funny shelves.  That thing is really only good for hair gel, deodorant, my makeup & Damon's contact lens care stuff.  And let me also mention that there is BUT ONE CLOSET IN THIS APARTMENT.  It's a good size, but it's in the bedroom.  Yes, there is a small pantry.  And yes, there are shelves above the washer & dryer.  But no real place to put extra bathroom stuff.  So it was sitting under the sink.  Looking ugly.  So I wanted to cover it.  And cover it I did, and the result is still a little ugly, but at least not box-of-tampons-staring-you-in-the-face ugly.

I decided to make a sort of under sink curtain.  First, I went to a great new craft store, and got way too much of a beautiful hemp fabric.  [I always get too much].  I chose the hemp because of it's neutral palate [the bathroom is purple with green tiles and we have light blue and brown towels...] and it's natural antimicrobial properties.  A little cutting, a little pinning and hemming later and we were in business.

Attaching the curtains to the underside of the counter was not so easy.  I chose these hangers, after much thought.  I wanted the curtains to be sturdy, yet able to swing a lot.  And I didn't want to go through the hassle of sewing tabs or loops to hang the curtain off of nails.  Which in retrospect may have been a better option.

I attached them- 4 per curtain [which was about 28 inches long] and with lots of grunting noises I screwed the screws into the wooden counter that surrounds the bathroom sink.  This was not easy as we a) don't have a drill b) the angle is touch c) there was a brace in there at the center that was made out of something really hard that I couldn't drill through, so the curtain is hung in a uniform line.  Plus, the two bins don't fit perfectly under the counter.  Maybe some day I'll get a bin that will fit better.  But for now, they stick out a little.

So not entirely ugly, but certainly not beautiful.  It's not something that I would normally like to share on a blog, but I've got nothing else going on.  I'm in a mini craft lull before the Christmas crafting goes into high gear.  

There is some sun

We are fully moved in.  Stuff is on the walls.  The last box was put into the recycle today.  Everything has found a place to live.  It feels nice.  Part of easing into a new house is learning where the sun shines brightest at each time of day, so you can place your plants accordingly.  I have a lot of plants.  Succulents mainly.  And in the old place with a line of fully west facing windows with wide window ledges begging for plants, the choice was easy.  Here, it's a little trickier.  We are on the ground floor and nestled amongst trees and other 2-3 story structures around us.  There is some sun, but it peeks out behind branches and dapples along the curtain.  Our plants may not grow like weeds- but at least it will be cool in summer!

The neighbor's kitty comes up often to say hello too and meows at us through the screen when we're folding laundry on the bed.  I don't know his true name, but to me, he's Mr. Whiskers.  Mr. Whiskers comes by every day and will let you pet him for a while.  Mr. Whiskers is the block's guardian.  If you park along the street he will come out and make sure you belong there.  I'm serious.  Mr. Whiskers is no joke.

This is the goat tile in the bathroom.  There are some bird tiles too, but the rug covers them up.  This is how I know I belong here.  I love birds.  And goats.  Love love love.

My computer desk and this small side table occupy a little front nook in our big front room that plays the role of office, guest room & hobby room.  It gets a little afternoon sun.  I think the succulent looks happy here.

And our neighbors are very resourceful.  My guess is that the plant that was in this hanging basket bit the dust long ago.  But now, the pumpkin is on display.  This perfectly symbolizes our new neighborhood.  Cute and quirky.  It still doesn't feel completely like home, but it certainly is homey.  And I'm falling in love with the small yard and the quiet street.  And of course, Mr. Whiskers.

Insta-curtains!

I have never in my life bought fabric, used it on the same day- nay- used up all of it on the same day.  Until Sunday.  I bought 4 yards of fabric at 3pm and by 5pm I had curtains and no fabric scraps  [which is good- my fabric stash pile is growing out of control]  

We have French doors between the living room and dining room/office.  And rarely do we have those doors closed.  Except when guests sleep over and the living room becomes a bedroom.  Or, when we are watching a movie and want to block out the sounds of trucks rumbling by and light streaming in.  So curtains were pretty low on the to-do list.  But, about a month ago we had guests over and I resolved that curtains would be a smart thing to put up.  I thought this as our guests tried to sleep and silly Connie, awake at 5am at her desk with the light on.  That said, we [I] didn't want anything too heavy- sheer would be best.  

So I picked some sheer fabric with a subtle beige faux woodgrain look.  We actually have faux woodgrain curtains in the bedroom.  I'm sensing a theme... .  I hemmed them up, folded over a few inches on the top for the rod to go through and voila.  Instacurtain.  It felt great to be sewing again- it was the first time I whipped out the sewing machine since I got it fixed last month [to the tune of 120$...ouch]

And now that the warmest part of summer is over, I foresee more sewing projects on the horizon.  At least, there has to be.  Because while at the fabric store buying curtain fabric, I also bought some other fabric.  To make a tunic.  Or not.  Maybe it will sit in my fabric box for ages.  I tell you, it is an affliction from which I suffer.

Craft fairs are great places to find birds

Somerville Artbeat is one of my favorite parts of the summer.  Craft fair + food stalls + Davis Square weirdness is my perfect equation.  [Hint:  the answer is AWESOME].

And I especially love how in Cambridge/Somerville fairs & festivals Indian food stalls far outweigh everything else.  Fried dough and burgers?  Hard to come by.  Samosas, pakoras & mango lassis?  Hell yes.  

And of course friends.  Especially when friends are so good as to match my raspberry lime rickey.  

But the highlight of the day [for me] was this shop.

I've admired her wares before at previous craft fairs and a shop in Providence, where she is based [etsy shop here!].  Everything was very cute and lovely.  But oh. my. god.  I made an impulse buy that I do not regret.  I even told my friend before we got to the craft fair that I was probably going to buy something with a bird on it.  Cause I'm just that kinda gal.  But this, this is meta.

This is going up on the wall above the couch.  Next to the yellow bird print... which is below the egg painting. Which is across from the other bird print.  Yeah.  And for all you uninitiated, I welcome to the club:

How does the garden grow?

Fairly.  I'd say it's fair.  Our sun has been very limited.  But now it's about time for my herbs babies to meet some pots or larger window boxes.  We've added a few purchased herbs to our garden family.  I think it will take forever for the homegrown basil to be edible.  It was a real bummer to us that we didn't get a community garden plot this year.  And while I love all my baby plants, nothing compares to actually having a square of earth.

Our lettuce babies are just a crazy jumble.  They look like salad already.  Just pour the dressing right on them and dig in.  Mmmm.

If only my herbs grew as fast as my succulents.  These guys just took off.  I'm going to start trimming them too.  Which only means more and more pots of succulents.  Or succulent presents for everyone.  

Up against the [boring] wall... REDUX

Lately I feel that my schedule has [de]evolved into get-up-go-to-gym-go-to-work-come-home-make-dinner-clean-up-go-to-bed.  It's my own fault in a way.  I've been piling on too much to do while at work.  And when I get home there is just too much 'that needs to be done' that I can't seem to find more than 10 minutes to have me-time.  But that must change, because when I have me time- not only is it healthy for me- I get a lot of great stuff done.  

Exhibit A: Last weekend Damon went to NYC and I solved the boring wall situation [mostly].  Voila:

1- I painted the bookshelf brown and gave it a faux-wood treatment.  Previously, this bookcase was spray painted [poorly, by me] white.  Back when I lived in a dark hole of an apartment, I tried to incorporate as much white as possible into the decor so as to not suck what little [reflected off the opposing wall- not direct] sunlight I got.  Also, I feel that a lot of white furniture is too feminine.  Or cottagy.  

Using a dry brush technique and some cheap paint I covered over the white using uneven brush strokes and coats of paint.  I think this gave it a weathered and woodsy look.  Also, before hand I roughed up the wood to 'antique it' by banging it with a few nails, a hammer, a screw and rubbing it with sandpaper.  These wonderful ideas came from the ever-great & entertaining blog, Young House Love.  Those two are just great- if you ever want to see how handy-but totally real people conquer home make-overs in an affordable way, they are who you should turn to.  

I think it turned out rather well.  The brown has a bit too much of a red hue for my total approval, but it looks much better than the white.  And you know what's great?  If it doesn't suit, a little sanding and another coat of paint will make it new again!

2- I hung the barnwood shadow boxes.  A month ago I bought a set of three from this Etsy store and Damon and I both agreed that this look was exactly what we wanted.  They are art all by themselves, but also can hold art.  So I contacted the seller about buying two more.  I told him which sizes I wanted and within 5 days he made them for me, custom-listed them in his store, I bought them and they were in the mail.  Speedy and excellent. 

I just had to put some picture hangers on the backs to keep them steady and level.  I really like how this wall turned out.  I don't think it needs anything else.  

All the art and baubles in the boxes came from Etsy sellers too.  They are [working clockwise from the left]

1- little ceramic pot I made in pottery class with a mini air plant from toHold.
2- bottle with airplant from toHold
3- chicken & eggs mini painting by Cool Ranch Studio.  I want an entire collection of these.
4- ceramic birds from New Moon Studio.  
5- airplant + balsawood house from My House Party.  I've been eyeing these guys up for a while.

Now that this corner of our home is largely complete, I need to settle on a new project.  And believe me, I have no shortage of ideas.  Time is just the missing ingredient.   

Hobby Corner

Some day I will have an apartment [or house] with an extra room that could double as an office and hobby room.  A room that I can make a mess in and just shut the door.  A room that I'll organize cutely like all those craft rooms that I see on cute design blogs.  [Ok, maybe not quite like those, they're all a little too cute and 'suburban mom' to me].  But you get the point. 

As a craft room is not immediatly in the cards we went to Ikea [which is of course, always in the cards] and got this bookshelf.  We actually have one already that sits horizontally and houses Damon's books.  We also got these neat drawer and cabinet attachments.  So now our hobby stuff can stay stashed away neatly.  It all means though that I have to keep my sewing stash pile down to a minimum- which is ok as I'm not planning anything big and I usually only buy fabric when I have a specific project in mind.  So now, welcome to our dining room-office-hobby room.  What do you call a room like this? And do you have one of these too?  

Up against the [boring] wall

No, this is not a Christmas post.  This is a story about a wall.  Specifically, a boring wall behind the TV.  It's a big wall, and besides the TV and some rotating seasonal art [here & here] its bare.  And that bugs me.  

See, it's a big space, so most things I've put up seem dwarfed by comparison.  And then there's the complication of the TV.  Having too much color or stuff going on behind the TV might be distracting.  Not that the TV is the focal point of the room- we really only have it on 3-4 hours a week- but I didn't want the space to look busy.  

In my old apartment [gah!  old picture... my 25th birthday...] I had a flock of blue bird wall decals thrown up.  It worked pretty well.  Not distracting & took up a lot of space.  Also cheap.  That is important.  And while I like wall decals, I'm kind of done with them.  I think they have become a bit overdone.  And I don't think Damon thinks too highly of them.  Plus, they only stick to walls well if you have nice even walls- and as most apartment dwellers know.. old apartment walls are never even.

But then... inspiration.  Reclaimed barn wood shadow box shelves.  Excellent.  We ordered three and have just ordered two more to even out the space.  I put a few trinkets in as well- stuff that can be rotated out, are small and cute & don't distract the eye too much.  The goal was to have the boxes suffice on their own.  [Small objects include a bowl I made in pottery class with an airplant, this guy, these and this].  But I'm still thinking there might be some more work to be done.

Paint?  And what about that corner?  Ideas anyone?  How have you tackled a big blank wall?