Much Ado About Dining
Friends! A miracle has occurred.
The dining room has been painted! Due to some time off work, and a little thing called Doggy Day Care, I got ‘er done.
Don’t look at that floor. It’s dirty. But oh man, I’m so glad that turquoise is gone. Remember?
The new color is Distant Gray by Benjamin Moore, color matched to Valspar’s zero VOC paint. I love it. So here’s the thing. I don’t really like bold color on walls. It took me a while to figure this out, but it’s true. Light neutral walls are my jam. I prefer to bring in pops of color with pillows, rugs, curtains, and accessories. Those things are so much easier to change up when you’re in the mood for a new look too.
Now this is where I break your heart.
I don’t really have anything else to show you regarding the dining room makeover. My grandma’s table still needs to be sanded & re-stained, I need to make a trip to Ikea to buy frames for art, I need to hang the art, I need to figure out a mirror situation, blah blah blah. I have been playing around with curtain options and furniture placement though, so here’s a sneak peak.
I can’t guarantee any of it is staying, but it’s fun to play around. That mid century bench looks decent in this picture, but it is gross in person. It was covered in a layer of dirt when I unearthed it from my uncle’s basement, only about half of which I was able to scrub out. I’m investigating professional vinyl/leather paint. Have any of you used it? I’ve seen some pretty good results through the googler but I’ve also seen some instances of the paint cracking. Dilemmas!
So there you go, the very anticlimactic update on my dining room. Wah wah wah…
But wait!
Here’s something you should know about me and the Mike D. Sometimes, instead of eating in the dining room like civilized folks, we like to eat pizza while sitting on the sofa, in our pajamas, watching Dexter. Sometimes it’s burritos. Sometimes it’s tacos. But mainly it’s pizza.
Exposed!
But come on man, who doesn’t? I mean, we can’t always be expected to like sit on CHAIRS and eat off of PLATES at actual TABLES and shit. I mean, what are we? ROYALS?
But as you may know, a puppy lives here now and she is balls out crazy. We tried to make sofa dining work with her, we wanted it so, but it was a disaster. There was jumping, and licking, and messes. I strongly disliked the messes. So what is one to do?
Enter… The dining nook! Located in the south wing of our home. Or as Mike D likes to call it “the other side of the living room”.
Oh pizza in front of the TV! How I’ve missed you!
Do you know how hard it is to find an indoor bistro table that is not ugly, nor a million dollars? NO YOU DO NOT.
It is hard. #Whitepeopleproblems.
Thank god for West Elm. I mean, THANK GOD.
Check out my new hanging globe fixture. Also from West Elm. It’s perfect for a tiny little nook.
That old timey incandescent light bulb is from Anthropologie. We have it on a dimmer. Romance!
I took this as an opportunity to change up the art on the wall, and decided this was the perfect spot for my great great grandparents’ wedding photo and the creepy baby photo of my nana.
Oh, and speaking of that creepy baby photo, see how the gold frame is missing the ornate thingumbobs at the top and side?
Bummer, right? Well guess what, yo? My mom found the missing pieces in the old cedar chest where this photo was kept!
A few dabs of crazy glue later …
BOOM. Fancypants.
I decided to put the bar cart in the new nook, as opposed to the dining room (which was where I originally intended to put it), because I needed a tiny piece of furniture for this space and the bar cart totally fit the bill. I have other furniture planned for the dining room anyway, so this actually worked out swimmingly.
I found these adorable 60’s tumblers & shot glasses at the antique mall recently.
These particular views are pleasing.
There you have it. A casual dining nook made for slovenly pleasures.
I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my progress with the real dining room. You know, the one where we eat the fancy shit, like chinese takeout.
And Ikea! This weekend! But then again Ikea on weekends is nutzo. So no. Yes. No.
I’m undecided.
Otherwise, I’m very pleased with Eleanor Rigby and her badass mohawk.
Xoxo.
Posted in bar cart, breakfast nook, dining room, west elm // 1 Comment
I Have Such Sights to Show You!
I recently inherited a bunch of charming vintage treasures from my late uncle’s estate. Most of it belonged to my grandparents, great grandparents, and even great great grandparents before him. These items were hidden away under years and years of dust in the basement of his home on the west side of Detroit. I am stoked to bring them into my home and give them all a new life.
Alright, Lezzzzzz do it.
First up, we have this framed photograph of my great great grandparents, Augusta & Edward, on their wedding day in 1907. Edward was a skilled craftsman who made all sorts of neat stuff including a pair of special handcuffs worn by Houdini in one of his escape acts in which he was plunged under water.
Spoiler alert: He escaped!
Next up we have a photograph of my great grandmother Eleanor, daughter of Edward & Augusta pictured above. This photo was taken in 1908 when she was just a few months old. She passed away when I was only six, but we were very close and I loved her dearly. I think this photograph of her is very fancy and austere. Although some would probably say it’s just creepy.
Speaking of creepy baby photos…
There is an antique store in Berkley that I frequent often. For the last two years, every time I visited the store, I found myself drawn to a baby photograph similar to the one above (identity of baby unknown). I don’t know why, but I just wanted it so bad, as though it was calling to me. Unfortunately it carried a hefty price tag with it, so I never took it home. I would lovingly stare at it while I was there, and when other customers would approach the photograph, I would yell “DON’T TOUCH MY BABY!”. So one day, I was talking to my aunt Joann about fleamarkety stuff, as we do, and I was telling her about that creepy baby photograph. She said it was most likely calling to me because the evil spirit of the dead baby was trapped in the photo and wished to come home with me to haunt us for all of eternity. EGADS! Thank heavens I’m poor and could never afford it! Now when I visit the store I walk over to it and whisper “Run to the light, child! Run as fast as you can!” I don’t know if it works, but it can’t hurt.
I about lost my shit when I saw these tintype photos. I mean, they’re like a couple HUNDRED years old! I am assuming these are family members of mine from the mid 1800’s but I have no idea who they are. Regardless, they look pretty serious. Especially those dudes on the right. Holy moly.
Sidebar: Have any of you used Ancestry.com? I recently started a free two week trial and it is BLOWING MY MIND. I found my great, great, GREAT grandmother Frances on the 1880 U.S. census, the year she immigrated from Germany. She was 20 years old, working and living in Detroit as a hotel servant. I wonder if Frances immigrated to the U.S. by herself without her parents? If so, why? Were they deceased? Did she have siblings? Did they come with her, but were working and living elsewhere? Was she an indentured servant? I NEED TO KNOW!!!! Hence the 500 hours a week I’m spending digging through census and immigration records on the site. Cuz you know, I have time for that.
I also found a 1900 census (20 years later) in which Frances was then married to her husband, my three times great grandfather, Jacob. They had seven children at that point, and Jacob was working as a day laborer. His mother, my great, great, great, great grandmother Agusta (four greats!) was living with them. She was born in 1835! I know I sound like a walking advertisement for ancestry.com, and I’ll stop gushing over it now, but seriously, if you have any interest in tracing back your family tree, I would definitely recommend starting a free trial. And then tell me all about it and we can totally geek out together!
Ok? Ok.
Oh hey, look at this badass wooden tool box, hand crafted by my great, great grandfather Edward (the same one who made the Houdini handcuffs). I don’t know what we’re going to use it for (not tools) but most likely as a handsome display piece in Mike D’s man station for storing office supplies.
A lovely assortment of teacups and saucers.
Queen Elizabeth teacup? SHUT. UP.
Did I ever tell you that I originally wished to name our puppy Mary, Queen of Scots? I was all about it, but Mike D… not so much. I thought it was a great puppy name, but whatever. Had we gone with that name, I totally would have used this teacup as her little water dish. So hilarious, right?! You know, seeing as how there was all that babymamadrama between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth back in the di-zay? Question mark? After discussing this with Mike D, he said this is not funny at all. Even after I explained it.
Oh my lands, a whole box of old 45’s and 78’s! I feel a plethora of exclamation points coming!
Cab Calloway! Nat King Cole! Glenn Miller! Johnny Mathis!
Can you even?!
Oh look, a Lady Schick facial mister.
No, I did not test it out on myself. But I did try it on Celia and Eleanor Rigby.
What? It’s called ANIMAL TESTING, people. Maybe you’ve heard of it.
This is what Eleanor Rigby looked like after her first misting.
And this is what Celia looked like.
Is it just me, or does Celia look older?
Large wooden fruit crate we still have from our storage space in Singapore for storage of random crap? Don’t mind if I do. Maybe I’ll use it for storing & displaying my new records. Or maybe I’ll add steel casters to the bottom and make it a mobile cat/dog bed. Anything could happen.
Gold flatware. Dude, yes.
You guys know I like these.
How awesome are these old potato chip cans? Perfect for storing away ugly things in the kitchen.
Can you believe potato chips used to come in cans?! And cigarettes used to be recommended by doctors?!
And babies used to shave?!
Oh, olden times. You so crazy.
I am now the proud owner of a boat load of gorgeous antique glass serve-ware and depression glass.
I CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE A PARTY AND SERVE MINIATURE FOODS.
Plus, I now have a bunch of embroidered towels, table cloths, and hand knit doilies. Some with cats!
Doilies, you get a bad rap, but I love you.
A stack of old National Geographics will make our guests think we are smart & worldly. They will also add a nice pop of yellow to our decor.
Cool, old timey kitchenware.
My excitement reached a fever pitch when my eyes landed on this AMAZING set of four mid century outdoor chairs. Could these possibly be real Salterini Orange Slice chairs?! How do I tell?
Do I really care though? Not really. I plan to give them a good sanding and a fresh coat of glossy white paint and plop them in my backyard. Under my bum.
I really can’t express how grateful I am to my family for passing down all these amazing things to me. And this isn’t even all of it! I also received an old vintage locker from Vietnam, some cool mid century bar stools and my great grandmother’s art deco dressing table (pictures coming soon).
It feels really good to shine all these nuggets up and put them back to use and on display. I’m sure my ancestors are smiling down at me, getting a kick out of all this.
Or…. they are pissed that I’m using their stuff.
Uh oh.
I doubt it, though. My people be pretty cool.
PS: Two of my friends just started a new blog about making craft cocktails, called Detroit Saloon League. It’s a great resource if you are interested in making old fashioned boozey drinks. Which if you are, why haven’t you invited me over?
xoxo
Posted in cameras, creepy baby, facial mister, mid century chairs, teacup, tin type // 3 Comments
My 34th Birthday and Bravo! Bravo!
Hey fraaaands,
I turned thirty four!
I like this age. I’m feeling motivated, creative, and due to some recent setbacks, so grateful for everyone and everything I have. I am really, really lucky. I had the best of fun in my twenties, but my thirties feel… calm. And right. Still exciting, but in a more grounded way. I’m thrilled about the future and I feel like I’m on the right path. Late early thirties… I think I love you.
Almost every year it’s a million degrees on my birthday, and therefore every year I torture my loved ones with a sweltering outdoor patio party. But this year it was cold. In June?! The horror!
And so we celebrated my 34th atop the freezing cold roof of the Magic Stick where free hot dogs, pizza, and terrible techno music were provided.
Here are some instant film shots from the night.
Those shots were taken with a Fuji Instax Mini. I.Love.That.Camera. The photos are miniature, about the size of a credit card. Find me a person who doesn’t love something miniature!
Actually don’t because they’re probably dumb.
I got some pretty rad gifts too, so I thought I’d share.
This particular gift combines two of my very favorite things – Cats and Organizing.
The pre-printed grocery checklist is extremely helpful as I often forget to buy lard and extracts when I’m at Target.
But wait!
This next gift ALSO combines two of my very favorite things – Cats and Crafts.
You see, you cut out these naked cats…
And you dress them up in these fancy little outfits.
And then you act out conversations between them about Charles Dickens over high tea and lady fingers.
And why don’t husbands understand the excitement over fancy cats in fancy outfits?
Puzzling.
Courtney Fischer necklace? Yes please!
Big, bold, black & gold earrings? Give them to me! Wait, they’re already mine.
This adorable print from my list of etsy favorites. LOVE!
Mike D gifted me a white Moroccan pouf which I have been coveting forever. But in true Mike D style, he didn’t order it in time to arrive for my birthday so he gave me this instead.
What a boob.
But due to the powers of the internet, it has since arrived in the mail and I can show it to you! hooray!
Put a dog on it is the new put a bird on it.
WHATTAMUFFIN!
On Friday, Mike D and I attended a charity event for the Detroit Opera House called Bravo! Bravo! This was our third year in a row, and it’s So. Much. Fun.
It’s a lavish party where everyone dresses like it’s prom and overindulges in free boozes and foods. We wear sparkles. We eat sushi, tuna tartare, and mini trifles. We throw back shots of tequila. We drink every flavor of vodka. We ogle at local celebrities. We dance to awful Michael Jackson remixes. We curse the invention of high heels.
Oh, and photo booth strips!
A free photo booth is provided every year, to which we always oblige.
The theme for each frame is as follows (because there should always be a theme).
1. Angry woman with a fork
2. I’m not here to make friends
3. Grandma
4. What have I done?!
Alright, enough with the partying, I have things to do. You know, refinish a dining room table, paint the dining room, teach the puppy to stop pooping in the living room, etc.
By the way. Thank you SO MUCH for the thoughtful comments on my last post. You guys are seriously the business.
Oh, and another thing. I changed web hosts recently and all your wonderful comments disappeared!
I know! I KNOW.
But.
I had already memorized every wonderful comment ever written on this here blog and have them saved in that special part of my brain that can still recite all the dairy queen frozen misty flavors in under 3 seconds and will never forget all the lyrics to every campfire song ever written.
xoxo.
Posted in 34, birthday, bravo! bravo!, cats, courtney fischer, detroit, fox, instax, magic stick, photobooth, pouf // Add a Comment
The Long and the Short of it.
[That’s the short of it]
The long of it is that Mike D and I both recently lost two very important people in our lives who we loved greatly.
Smack dab in the middle of all that loss, a close member of Mike’s family fell very ill, and we even had a sick little Eleanor Rigby on our hands. Both are on the mend now, but man, that was scary for a minute. People, I’m an expert worrier. You may be surprised to hear this, but I am the effing BOSS of worrying. It’s like a special power. That I never wanted.
And work. So much work. I’m grateful for it (especially that of the freelance variety), but you know, when your plate is already full and then BOOM terrible life stuff falls on top of it, you tailspin. Obligations still have to be met, deadlines still exist, and man, the laundry doesn’t do itself. Last chance undies much?
Why am I telling you this? Well, for one, I want your sympathy.
For two, I feel obligated to explain the lack of creative things happening in my world. This blog is young and wee, but I appreciate every single one of you who read this. Friends, family, strangers and the like. Every time I receive a comment or an email from a new reader, I literally jump out of my chair. I’m just so thrilled that anyone wants to be here with me in my wacky little corner of the internets.
It means a lot.
And I haven’t forgotten about you, blog of mine, I swear.
It has been said that bad things happen in threes. If so, we’ve hit our quota for a while, eh? I accept that the hard times are inevitable. Life can’t be good all the time, or we’re not really living. I don’t care to ride the middle through life. And you certainly can’t experience great loss if you didn’t have great love in the first place. Loss is really just love in disguise, yes? I believe these are the times in life where we learn our lessons. The really great, painful, life-changing ones. I mean, nobody ever says “I hope you learned your lesson” after something fantastic happens, right?
Mr Mike D and I, we are riding out this wave, we’re feeling it all, and we are near the other side. We’ve been through worse, so we got this. And if my eyes don’t deceive me, I see a little sunshine coming our way.
I’ve got ideas brewing. So many in fact, I’m lying awake at night attempting to untangle all the threads of ideas swirling through my head. I turn 34 on Saturday. THIRTY FOUR, folks. You know that’s my number. I’ve got plans for this year.
More sunshine stuff soon. In fact, consider this a first date.
XoXo
Eleanor Rigby
Allow me to introduce to you Miss Eleanor Rigby, who breezed into our life on Friday the 13th.
While perusing Petfinder last Friday, I came across her little mug and decided we should meet immediately. I set up an appointment to see her right after work. I figured that if we bonded I would bring Mike D to meet her the following morning. Well, we rendezvoused Friday evening and it was love at first sight. I knew if I didn’t take her home right away, someone else would. This pup was clearly special.
So home she came. Mike D arrived several hours later to find me on the sofa with a sleeping fur baby on my chest and I was all nonchalantly “Oh hey dude, I adopted us a puppy. Hope dat’s cool”.
He took one look at her and was sold. That Mike D is really the best. He’s so accepting of my ways. And never disrespectful.
Cuz his mama taught that.
But back to the little turd burglar. She is a chihuahua mixed with maltese (we think), born on 2/2/2012. Her favorite pastimes include chewing on everything, cuddling, chasing balls, jumping, pooping in the living room, and running around like an asshole.
Puppies are mother f*cking crazy.
The house training, the chewing, the crate training, the running under foot, oh my lands.
Oh, but the puppy breath. And the puppy cuddles. And squeaky little yawns. I die for those.
Celia, our beloved feline of 9 years is not sure what to make of this little beast. Her routine has been to stare, cautiously approach, sniff, give the stink eye, and walk away. We are giving Celia plenty of individual attention and when the pup isn’t listening, we whisper in her ear that she’s still our favorite.
[She knows]
Eleanor is itsy bitsy, currently weighing in at 2.5 lbs, but growing so quick. I learned yesterday that she can no longer squeeze her little body through the gap in the baby gate which makes me simultaneously relieved and sad. Is this what real moms experience when their human babies grow? Happiness and sadness all rolled into one confusing emotion? STOP GROWING SO FAST.
Anywho, the takeaway from all this blabbity bloo is that she is really effing adorable.
Observe.
Now leave her alone, she’s exhausted.
Posted in celia, dog, eleanor rigby, puppy // 2 Comments
