Sunday, April 21, 2013

Sunday: Sea Monkeys, Renos, a couple of skirts, and The Perfection of a Cool, Sunny Spring Day

Good morning all!

I hope your Saturdays were all great!  Mine was a bit lazier than I anticipated; it poured all day so I did a lot of indoor work, but somehow the day got away from me.  I don't know how it is that an entire day can pass so quickly and you can have so little to show for it!

One of the things that we did do yesterday was order new windows for our family room.  We have been renovating this room since Christmas.  My renovator (Barry) is good, but is not on this full-time, so when the mood hits him to keep going, I jump on it!

In January he built a floor to ceiling shelving unit, designed to look like library shelving for our huge collection of movies (and video games, none of which are mine!).



You can see the new chair in front of the shelving unit.  Across the front are three framed photographs: James Dean, Gene Kelly (in the famous scene from Singing in the Rain) and Humphrey Bogart.  At the top are brass picture frame lights, which look nice in the evening:



Looking down into the room:



Don't mind the blankets; I didn't tidy up for you!  We have moved the TV over on top of the fireplace.  My live-in contractor will be painting the entire far wall a lovely silvery blue, re-applying crown molding and trim, making a new fireplace mantle and placing faux Pennsylvania field stones in bluish/grey/tan  over the drab brick.  That won't happen till the fall, because right now we are working on the wall to the left in this picture. 

New windows will be put in and the bamboo shades that don't fit will be replaced by light-blocking levelor blinds custom-made to fit.  Between the windows will be three framed movie posters.  The top of the knee wall will have a larger shelf so I can have plants in front of the windows to bring in some greenery down here.


It is a lot of work, but I look forward to sharing the "after" photos with you very soon!

Oh my gosh!  Sea Monkeys!  I have not yet moved them into their new home weekend, but they have been very active since they finally got fed again and I am pretty sure one of them is pregnant.... Maybe this will be my new career: Sea Monkey Expert!

But they are NOT easy to get a picture of!  And my camera is not good for taking those kinds of close-ups!





Now you can truly appreciate just how eccentric I am, keeping these things alive!  As my son (who is the actual parent of these sea monkeys) said yesterday: "Really, they are YOURS now."  Just like the dog, the groundhog, the humminbirds, the other birds, the chipmunk and the skunk who visits out front.  It is a busy place here.

Did you see the amazing legwork Get Fresh did on my skirt quest yesterday?  I am being patient, as I know that some of the companies have some new releases coming up this week.  Right now, there is one from Talbots and one from Yoox in the running! 

Before I got GF's skirt picks, I did pop into our local Winners (TJ Maxx equivalent) to see if there were any skirts there that fit the bill there when we were out in the morning ordering windows.  I bought two home to try (when I see things at Winners I always bring them home to try in the cold dark light of my bedroom) but I don't think either will stay and neither were what I wanted really!


A Ralph Lauren DSX Denim Supply skirt.  It is a lovely cream and only $30.  But am I too old for a ruffled skirt?  This stops right at my knees and has pretty embroidery on it.

The other was the colour I was looking for, a cotton one by Max Studio, but really, is not the flouncy I-am-a-woman-of-Paris-or-Grace-Kelly-or-Audrey-Hepburn-on-a-bicycle-style.  Closer than the one above however.


This one also hits right at the knee and both skirts fit perfectly.

The other thing I brought home to think about were these spanish espadrille ballet flats:


The canvas is the colour of pale chocolate ice cream.  The ribbon is black grosgrain and the trim around the top and the back is black faux leather (I assume it is faux leather).  They are very cute and comfortable.  I have not decided whether I will keep these either - I need to see what I have to go with them and then wear them around the house for an hour or two to be sure.  I am getting very, very picky! 

It may seem odd to bring 3 things home - my experience with Winners is that is is always better to buy, think about it, then return the item as opposed to leave, think about it, decide you can't live without it and then go back to get it only to discover it has already been sold.  I typically return 80% of the clothing I buy at Winners, but the things that I keep are usually wonderful deals!

Today is a beautiful spring morning, cool and crisp.  The snow is almost all gone, so I plan to head out and cut back the grape vines on my arbour and start cleaning up the yard and cutting back some of the dead tops of my plants.  Yesterday I purchased some Dahlia, some primula and some gladiola bulbs for planting. 

As you know, now that Spring has finally arrived, I am in the throes of planning.  To do this, I get out my own personal gardening bible, The Garden Primer, by Barbara Damrosch.


Barbara and her husband Eliot Coleman live in Lane's neck of the woods in Maine and they are my gardening gurus.  They used to have a TV show on PBS that I was completely addicted to.  Now I am wondering if I can get it on DVD, hmm....

Anyway, if you want to learn how to garden or have questions, Barbara is your gal.  She writes well, she writes clearly and she pretty much talks about every kind of plant and problem in her book.  A real must-have for anyone who wants to learn how to do this!

So that is my Sunday morning.  I hope you have a wonderful day!  Stay Safe out there!

39 comments:

  1. Hi, WMM. Your home is lovely. My husband, too, is a wonderful renovator. At his own pace, of course :). Love the cute shoes. I have learned to always bring things I "might" like home from TJ Maxx. Inevitably if I leave it at the store, I MUST have it later and it is gone. Have a great Sunday!

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    1. BCG - I hear you! It is a lot easier to return something in a couple of days then realize you missed a wonderful bargain!

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  2. That is some swell bookcase! I'm joining Wendyflix right now.

    I may have a video of Barbara and Eliot-- I'll check and send it up if I do. I am starting some low hoops today of greens/lettuces/tiny white Japanese turnips etc. Like you, I felt very lazy yesterday with only a loaf of anadama bread to show for the whole day.

    Those little shoes are cute and look comfortable if you need a pair of low espa types. I think the skirts are just so-so and you can do better.

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    1. I was thinking of checking their website today - haven't been for awhile, and that they might sell some there! Just got in from severely pruning my grape vines as well as a couple of bushes and trees. The little fir trees we had in the church for my dad's funeral and planted a couple of days afterwards are looking really healthy, which makes me very happy! I am going to plan some spinach and kale tomorrow in one of my raised beds. As for "needing" those shoes - nah, even me, the queen of "needs" can't say that! However, they may stay!

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  3. Hang on, are the sea monkeys the thread like things or those ugly and terrifying big blobby things on the bottom? I've got my Munch scream face on if it's those big blobs!

    That unit is beautiful, Barry is an asset! I like the whole room, perfect for curling up in.
    I think those espadrilles would be perfect with black or beige crops.

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    1. Nah - the stuff at the bottom is their garbage! That's why they are moving today! They are the little thread like things! They have been woefully neglected the past 3 or 4 months! Oh that Barry is an asset all right! I cannot wait until the room is completely done. Even the new windows will be nice. We have been in this house for 15 years and this is the last of the windows to be replaced. Those windows are 35 years old, with no charm whatsoever!

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  4. I just googled sea monkeys and stared too closely, that's going to come back to haunt me in the middle of the night.

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    1. They're little crustaceans - not adorable in a traditional sense of the word.

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    2. HA! think of pretty dolphins or something! And Kathy made me snort with her "not adorable in a traditional sense of the word" comment!

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  5. I love your room, so warm and cozy. The bookcase is fantastic - Barry is very talented. Love art hung on bookcases as well. No DIYer husband here - I even change the lightbulbs!
    I know you're trying to build your wardrobe, so regardless of the price, I think the shoes are too limiting, and not classic enough for the long haul.
    Even your slow days are so busy! Hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

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    1. I am sure the skirts are going back, and I don't have much to wear with the shoes - they are a clay colour and so the only thing in my wardrobe that they match with is black unless i am really completely dopey. They looked awful by the ivory!

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  6. I love you renovation. It is great now, so I think it will be amazing when you are done. Your husband is quite a craftsman. I really like the idea of placing photos on a book case. It looks wonderful. I agree with everyone. The espadrilles are darling (although the faux leather might throw me off) and look like a keeper. Enjoy your Sunday WMM!

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    1. Thanks Knityarns - will pass the kind words on to Barry! I very much on the fence re: the shoes and not sure how to tell if they are faux leather or not. How do you know for sure? They feel like leather, but am thinking for price, no?

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    2. Sometimes if you bend it, look at the edges, or- possible a quick sniff will tell. But, if you can't tell, it is probably fine. The shoes are darling, and if they are comfy I would keep them

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  7. WMM, I am "meh" on both of the skirts (not because of other research) and think the first one hits girly vs. chic. I think you should hold out. But on rare occasion I do venture to Winners, Homesense, Home Outfitters, Marshalls I am with you, pick it up, because going back for it tomorrow doesn't work, returns do.

    I have a full-on romance going with your bookcase. Yesterday, was a no-hoper after run and with snowflakes, bah. But today is seriously sunny and I have already tackled floors, kitchen, ironing. Un-Martha is hoping for an afternoon outing for her pains.

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    1. Oh good for you! I have been working for 2 hours in yard and hope to put in two more hours! That was just pruning - I haven't even started on clean-up! Barry is supposed to wash the kitchen floor today, but haven't seen him in a while...

      Agree on skirts - back they go. Still on fence on shoes, but I think Kathy is right and honestly, I do have a lot of shoes.

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    2. Would rather see you splurge on one pair of great, classic, and neutral sandals, that you could use for years.

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    3. Agreed - just wore them around the house and they are not comfy after 1/2 hour. Back it all goes!

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  8. Oh, please tell me that you don't feed the skunk too! WMM, you are a softy.

    Good luck with the renovation. Must be so nice to know how to do handy things around the home. My husband and I talk about doing these kinds of things sometimes, but we know we'd be awful at it. Well, he might be able to learn, but I'd be useless. :)

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    1. Merry Wife - I am pretty useless too! I usually have a "vision" and then he tried to execute! In this case, we had help as I was stumped and only wanted to do it the once! No feeding skunks. I try to avoid them at all costs. Sadly, we seem to have a lot of good fat grubs in our front yard which are prime feeding material for little skunks...

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  9. Your renovations look so nice. I admire people who have vision for a space. I was born missing the decorating gene ;) I think the Winners purchases are probably returns... you don't seem to love any of them. But I understand bringing things home to try on. I cannot make good decisions in stores and I buy and return too much as a result. Jenna's $8000 light fixtures must have special hypnotic powers that my home lighting does not possess.

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    1. Cate - you are right about store light fixtures (though WInners lighting is wretched!!!) - I just find if I can bring it home I do so I don't make a bad decision!

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  10. Oh and thank you for the Sea Monkeys pictures. They do not resemble the package pictures. Where is the TV? That looks like a lunar landscape at the bottom of their dwelling.

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    1. Cate - I don't want to scare Tabs, but that could be the GRAVEYARD...... I think the TV is microscopic... that is what I tell myself! And still, I keep the wretched things alive! I often think I would make a good character in a movie - crazy lady next door with sea monkeys...

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    2. Half a bubble off, as we say.

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  11. I'm intrigued by the sea monkeys, what are they really, the biological name?

    I've had many days slip away from me lately, totally swamped with work leaving time for very little else. Love your bookshelf and the cozy room. We have throws on every seat as well it seems.

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    1. xoxo - EVERYBODY in our house wants a blanket when they watch TV or a movie! I am anxious to get the room done, but can't rush the contractor!

      According to Wikipedia:

      Sea-Monkeys is a brand name for brine shrimp – a group of crustaceans that undergo cryptobiosis – often sold in hatching kits as novelty aquarium pets. Invented in 1957 by Harold von Braunhut, the product was heavily marketed, especially in comic books, and retains a presence in popular culture.

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    2. I was just about to ask the same question, so glad I read the other comments first!
      Those shelves are great!
      We are inching towards a fairly major renovation of our old, falling down house..... It's inspiring to see what others have done.

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  12. Hi WMM, I absolutely adore your library shelving, I would love something like that. I'm bookmarking this post for future reference.
    I very rarely find clothes at Winners - I usually look at the housewares and accessories - but if I do, I'll try on in store. I really like the shoes but if they don't fit in with the rest of your wardrobe ....
    I love the Coldwater Creek skirt that GF linked to in comments yesterday - I'm going to take a closer look at that website.
    It's a beautiful day today here - perhaps we really are done with all the snow now!

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    1. I loved that skirt, too, Patricia! I will take better pics for the after reveal, but there are plans and measurements done by Barry and the decorator!

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  13. I remember wanting to raise sea monkeys many decades ago but never did. Just googled for a picture and I think they're kind of cute. But what do you do with them, do they expire at some point or are they their own ecosystem if kept fed?

    The work around your house is lovely but you make me feel very, very lazy. My weekends are gone before I've done anything more than loading the dishwasher ...

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    1. hi tiffany Rose - i bought them a new house, so naybe they jusy move, like an episode of hoarders?

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  14. That is such a great room to hang out in. If I lived anywhere near, you bet I'd be coming over for movies and Miller time!
    Barry is absolutely wonderful, my husband can't even hang a picture, even when the nail is already there, and every time he cleans, he either destroys something or makes a mess. I think he may be playing dumb so he gets to do all the cooking! :-)
    And the seamonkeys, I don't know what to tell ya, lady. They are going to be giving me nightmares tonight. They look a little slimy!

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    1. well you would be most welcome - wait till it is all done!

      as for husbands, it s my experience that they become more competent with time!

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  15. I love, I mean I LOVE your room! I would die for shelves like yours, I always wanted build in shelves. I am green with envy, I mean with errr, admiration for Barry, that's better, right?
    I like the second skirt, looks very pretty.
    You crack me up with the Sea Monkeys! I did not know they were biological organisms, you must be the only person to actually raise them but somehow I am not surprised :)

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    1. ajc - too funny! all skirts are going back as i wait for "the one"





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  16. Wendy, good luck with the hunt for the perfect skirt. I think you're right to return those if you're not totally in love with them

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