An open thank you note for the person who sent me balloons: thank you thank you thank you! Wouldn't you like something in return, Anonymous? A drabble? Something else? Much love to you, truly.
:::
Okay! A weekend spent unpacking and reorganizing, and now I am officially farther along with the unpacking than I was after ten months in my apartment. No books unpacked yet, so the shelves are a little barren, but otherwise things are fairly close to being done.
We'll start our tour on the front porch. The weekend days so far have been too chilly to sit comfortably on the front porch, which is a great disappointment, because only look how inviting! Around the side of the wraparound, it's got a couple of adirondack chairs as well. When you come visit me, come in spring or fall so we can sit out and be lazy.

Next you walk in the front door and into the room I'm using as a study/workroom. When coco saw it for the first time, she said, Look, you have a receptionist's office. Which is what it looks like, really, but it's the perfect size. When no one's looking, I pretend to wear a headset and answer the phones.
Here is a view taken standing in the front doorway:

And here is a view taken from the hallway:

And just as an extra, here's a picture of one of my absolute favorite pieces of furniture in the world. It's a battered old metal cabinet, rusty in places and paint-stained in others, but something about the little drawers and the fact that I can label them makes me unspeakably happy. Right now, it mostly holds stationery. I have a truly embarrassing amount of stationery, considering that I hardly ever write snail-mail letters. Anyway:

And on to the living room, one of two rooms in the house for which I have managed to put up curtains. This is facing from the door toward the bay window:

And this is facing the fireplace wall:

And next the dining room, which since it's mostly going to be books is the least finished-looking room in the house. The stylish Sixties Danish Modern table belonged to my grandmother, and I have many fond memories of sitting at this table drinking cafe blanc at breakfast.
I would tell you about this afternoon's hunt for the two stacking bookcases to complete the set along the back wall, but I am still too close to the memory and therefore too likely to start frothing over it. But at least since I've taken this photo this afternoon, I am one case closer to the complete triple-set.

Now the guest room. After the weekend, it's actually a little messier than it was when I took this picture, because I've been sticking things in there when there's not really another place to put them. But this is it. The bedclothes, which are a bit frothy to my taste, were provided by my mother. And who am I to turn down a free bedspread?
This is the only other room in the house in which I've hung curtains.

And so to the bathroom, which you will note is still pink. The little lump on the floor in front of the cabinet is a little stuffed horse toy from, apparently, Disney World that my cats mysteriously unearthed in my last apartment and which they adore. I've never actually seen them playing with it, but it does move from room to room, and they always find it. In fact, I don't actually remember unpacking it. I suspect they just spontaneously generate them when they want to play and can't find their catnip mice.

And now for my bedroom, which looks surprisingly acceptable with its lavender paint. I forgot to tidy up the dog-cushions on the right, but they do normally look like that, so I guess I can mark this one up to verisimilitude.
Coco pointed out during her visit that I have a preference for putting my beds in corners, but thing about this is that I like windows so much that I don't like setting my big solid-wood bed in front of them and thus blocking them.

And another gratuitous picture of interest only to me, this time of my perfectly fabulous closet, which holds two-thirds of my shoes and all my hanging clothes except the few that are too long to hang in a double-bar closet:

And last but not least the kitchen, which is still a bit messy, but which actually holds all my stuff. I forgot to take a picture of my beautiful little pantry, but I'll take it next time.

And that's how the honeymoon is proceeding so far. We are still in love, slow drains and all.
:::
Okay! A weekend spent unpacking and reorganizing, and now I am officially farther along with the unpacking than I was after ten months in my apartment. No books unpacked yet, so the shelves are a little barren, but otherwise things are fairly close to being done.
We'll start our tour on the front porch. The weekend days so far have been too chilly to sit comfortably on the front porch, which is a great disappointment, because only look how inviting! Around the side of the wraparound, it's got a couple of adirondack chairs as well. When you come visit me, come in spring or fall so we can sit out and be lazy.
Next you walk in the front door and into the room I'm using as a study/workroom. When coco saw it for the first time, she said, Look, you have a receptionist's office. Which is what it looks like, really, but it's the perfect size. When no one's looking, I pretend to wear a headset and answer the phones.
Here is a view taken standing in the front doorway:
And here is a view taken from the hallway:
And just as an extra, here's a picture of one of my absolute favorite pieces of furniture in the world. It's a battered old metal cabinet, rusty in places and paint-stained in others, but something about the little drawers and the fact that I can label them makes me unspeakably happy. Right now, it mostly holds stationery. I have a truly embarrassing amount of stationery, considering that I hardly ever write snail-mail letters. Anyway:
And on to the living room, one of two rooms in the house for which I have managed to put up curtains. This is facing from the door toward the bay window:
And this is facing the fireplace wall:
And next the dining room, which since it's mostly going to be books is the least finished-looking room in the house. The stylish Sixties Danish Modern table belonged to my grandmother, and I have many fond memories of sitting at this table drinking cafe blanc at breakfast.
I would tell you about this afternoon's hunt for the two stacking bookcases to complete the set along the back wall, but I am still too close to the memory and therefore too likely to start frothing over it. But at least since I've taken this photo this afternoon, I am one case closer to the complete triple-set.
Now the guest room. After the weekend, it's actually a little messier than it was when I took this picture, because I've been sticking things in there when there's not really another place to put them. But this is it. The bedclothes, which are a bit frothy to my taste, were provided by my mother. And who am I to turn down a free bedspread?
This is the only other room in the house in which I've hung curtains.
And so to the bathroom, which you will note is still pink. The little lump on the floor in front of the cabinet is a little stuffed horse toy from, apparently, Disney World that my cats mysteriously unearthed in my last apartment and which they adore. I've never actually seen them playing with it, but it does move from room to room, and they always find it. In fact, I don't actually remember unpacking it. I suspect they just spontaneously generate them when they want to play and can't find their catnip mice.
And now for my bedroom, which looks surprisingly acceptable with its lavender paint. I forgot to tidy up the dog-cushions on the right, but they do normally look like that, so I guess I can mark this one up to verisimilitude.
Coco pointed out during her visit that I have a preference for putting my beds in corners, but thing about this is that I like windows so much that I don't like setting my big solid-wood bed in front of them and thus blocking them.
And another gratuitous picture of interest only to me, this time of my perfectly fabulous closet, which holds two-thirds of my shoes and all my hanging clothes except the few that are too long to hang in a double-bar closet:
And last but not least the kitchen, which is still a bit messy, but which actually holds all my stuff. I forgot to take a picture of my beautiful little pantry, but I'll take it next time.
And that's how the honeymoon is proceeding so far. We are still in love, slow drains and all.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-13 03:33 am (UTC)I love the positioning of the desk! When I come to visit, will you sit there and ask me pleasantly, but with slightly intimidating dignity, "Yes, may I help you?" And that metal drawer cabinet thingie is wonderful. I only wish I could squint hard enough to SEE the labels on the individual drawers.
And your bed! I'll have to tidy up in my bedroom and take a picture, or, better yet, since it's the most un-cute room in the house, you can just take my word for it that my bed is oriented exactly the same way to avoid blocking what's probably the same configuration of windows. (And ours open IN, which makes the whole thing even more fraught with feng shui peril) Frankly, though, I just think beds look nicer put in corners like that. And it also makes for some handy storage (or kickass hide-n-seek hiding place) behind the headboard!
Your closet is a thing of beauty. That kind of organization is something I drool over but seldom achieve. And I can see the Target pink flats!
Those teapots are darling- what a great way to display them, too! Were the shelves there already, or did you install them?
So, so wonderful, this house! Congratulations again, and may the honeymoon never be over.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-14 03:44 am (UTC)BY THE WAY you should definitely post pictures of your diaonal bed! I am all curious to see it, and it's been too long since your last picspam.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-14 04:37 am (UTC)Christmas decorations behind the bed- great use of space! We store blankets and a ginormous custom-built-for-Brooke toybox that we can't bear to give away and also the huge exercise ball behind ours.
You shall get a picture of the diagonal bed, but I warn you- it's not a very attractive room. We seem to exercise our artistic flair elsewhere.
And thank you thank you thank you for the fabulous card! The girls refused to believe it was homemade until I made them look at the barcodeless back. What a lovely day brightener! Thank you so much!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 12:45 am (UTC)I'm so glad you got your card in time! I had fun making it--it's been a while since I went the handmade route, and it was fun to drag out all the paper and the X-Acto knife.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 06:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 06:12 am (UTC)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/laurelwood/thebed.jpg
no subject
Date: 2006-02-18 06:05 pm (UTC)I love your bed! And the quilt! The palm tree and the big flowers make me extremely happy. And you're right that the layout seems really, really familiar--right down to the little table under the window. :D:D:D:D:D