An update of vital unimportance.
If you emailed me or sent me kitchen ideas in the last two weeks, I was having a crisis. And then the original crisis was totally eclipsed by a second… and now stuff has piled up to the point where everything is unmanageable. I may never dig out.
I sort of wanted to explain the crisis, but decided I couldn’t face the extensive typing it would require.
That’s one of the many problems with having a crisis AND a blog: the blog requires that you write everything down, and edit it, and find accompanying images, and compress them, and upload them, and think of a catchy title, and hope people share it on Facebook… and make sure your crisis is entertaining.
But the crisis makes you want to sit on the couch and watch Say Yes to the Dress. Which I’ve JUST discovered and am angry that no one told me about it before now.
It’s something that should fill me with scorn. But instead is so soothing that I want to watch it for hours until my brain melts out my ears.
A reader suggested in the comments last week that I look up the kitchen from Dynasty… and I didn’t even have to, because another reader found it for me (and hello? THAT HOUSE!)
And speaking of comments, if you are not reading them? You’re missing out on the best part.
Not only are you all far more entertaining than I am, you also seem a lot more organized and sensible.
You even have ways to make golf more interesting—pointing out that if played at 200 miles an hour, like Nascar… it would be riveting.
I’m planning to just turn the content over to you all, and dedicate my time to Craigslist and bridal-reality-television and looking at kitchen stuff I cannot remotely afford.
That is from The Enchanted Home’s house tour… Maybe everyone on the internet already knows about her, but until one of you evil people sent me the link, I didn’t…
I spent an hour going through her site and saying—what? What? WHAT IS THAT?
Her house confuses me. Like– I’m sorry? That’s your HOUSE?
I cannot even comprehend what that must be like.
It was sort of like finding out that aliens DO exist. And they have really nice stoves.
To her? A house is a place where everything is beautiful and perfect and finished and huge and the stove costs more than my car. And actually my car is really crappy, so that’s probably not even a good comparison.
To me, a house is where you live, and there is laundry on the floor, and sometimes the cat barfs and you are grateful if it’s on the hardwood and not the rug.
More like this:
So. Anyway. This post lacks any coherent theme or purpose. The crisis (and possibly reality TV) have made me dull. But also there is something pleasant about being able to hit publish on anything I want… Like I am rebelling against society’s expectations for topic-sentences and conclusion-paragraphs.
I do have a bunch of projects I want to share with you, but haven’t gotten around to photographing them. (See crisis, et al.)
We finished the medical table (almost) and I am so excited to say that we are FINALLY finishing the garden urn… it’s been a full year since we got it, and it took me this long to decide that it really did need to be overhauled.
We had it sandblasted because there was SO MUCH paint and rust that it was really the only way we’d get a totally clean surface. It’s ready to be picked up, so tonight or tomorrow we’ll see what we’re working with. I’ll post a photo on Facebook when we get it.
AND most exciting is that after three years of pestering– Paul has agreed to build me a glass-front bookcase in a small nook on the third floor.
I would show you a photo of the space, but I should really clean up first—so as to not actually verify any resemblance to the above photo.
I will love you EVEN MORE… if you share me with your friends.
September 22, 2013 @ 4:39 pm
Sorry…Hi, Recently discovered your blog and its so much fun…really enjoying it. I have been “into” blogging for about a year now and have to say in defense of some of the naysayers here (or jealous people with a few snarky remarks) that while I could not live in such a big house myself (who needs all the work) I think she has done a spectacular job, I think we can all agree it is really breathtaking. BUT the main thing I wanted to say is though I have never met Tina (who owns the house) if you read her blog long enough, her warmth and authenticity shines through loud and clear. I had asked her for a few resources for things and she was so helpful and she is very generous with the giveaways, she is in other words a quality person. I think its easy to look at that house and throw stones but it is beautiful and if anything it just inspires me on so many levels not to mention how much I have learned from her, she is so talented.
Only advice I can offer regarding your kitchen is don’t buy anything in haste wait and get what you love. I made a few costly mistakes and finally bit the bullet and got what I really loved but not without my husband reminding me of it every five minutes for almost a year!
September 24, 2013 @ 9:50 pm
I want a loggia.
September 24, 2013 @ 10:20 pm
Whenever I read your kitchen posts (which I love, by the way!), I think of a wonderful appliance company in a small Canadian town just north of where I live – Elmira Stove Works at http://www.elmirastoveworks.com. They have both antique and vintage product lines. I practically drool just thinking about it. 😉
September 25, 2013 @ 3:49 pm
My favorite bit from “Say Yes … ” ever was when a client had seen a dress that she wanted a salesperson to bring to her. She described it, beginning, “It was white . . . “
October 1, 2013 @ 2:18 am
I hope you are okay :-/
October 4, 2013 @ 11:37 am
I’m sure you have already seen or someone else posted it, but had to post it too . The second I saw it I thought ELEGANCY MUST HAVE IT ! I’m sure once Paul sees the genius you both will find the room for it, it the kitchen redo plans. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/?page=2
October 4, 2013 @ 2:19 pm
I had NOT seen that… and CLEARLY I need at LEAST 17.
Thank you for saving me from the pit of ignorance.
October 7, 2013 @ 4:39 pm
OK, I’m new to this blog and definitely new to that Enchanted whatever blog. Here’s my take: as others have pointed out there are a couple of places where the price tags are showing. Methinks that all the furniture, textiles, and carpet are brought in for one photo shoot, (a lazy one at that, did you catch the lamp on the floor in the dining room, as well as the almost empty glass of wine with car keys on the loggia?) and whisked away. The entire family spends their entire lives in the kitchen – the island itself could sleep four. And they do have three (3!) sinks in there.
November 16, 2013 @ 12:40 pm
Having been through a kitchen reno ( a very disastrous one that had a happy ending) I feel your pain. It is worth though and I have always believed the kitchen is the heart of every home. We too live in a very old home (80 years plus right outside of Boston) and even with its cracks, creaks and many many problems..we love it and can’t imagine living anywhere else. So hang in there.
I actually read The Enchanted Home religiously and love her blog. She is despite what some might think based upon the grandeur of her home such a warm and really hilarious person who is quite self deprecating. And of course its fun to drool over her many impeccable design choices. Of course its much easier when you are talking a new build vs. a restoration! Good luck and I look forward to following along. If I can offer one bit of advice, it is to take your time and do not make hasty decisions. You will appreciate it later on.
Caroline
May 10, 2014 @ 5:25 pm
Jealously and snarky comments are very unbecoming as is dissing a company on a public forum and whining about not getting free loot- tsk tsk!