A Short Story

Power Flower

2012-01-23T12:00:00.005-05:00

My parents gifted me with a Pier One gift card for my birthday. When we were near Pier One that same day eating lunch I couldn't resist visiting the Pier to see if there was anything I might need. There was no intent on using my gift card ... I wanted to keep it for when there was something there the Bungalow really needed. Lucky Bungalow, I stumbled upon some wall jewelry that was 60% off!

Mike and I saw this gem about the same time and gave each other puzzled looks. Did we like it? Was it too big? It seemed we both thought the same thing. This monster might actually look cool one one of our gigantic bare walls in the stairwell. So we took a chance and I spent my gift card. All but $7 of it. And guess what ... we love our powerful flower!

The flower (I feel like I should type FLOWER) is about three feet in size. It works perfectly with our artwork hanging below it, too. We moved the downtown Morgantown print and we're still deciding on where it will be placed. We may hold off to see what other artwork goes up before committing it to a new location.

This flower (FLOWER!) demands attention. It commands so much of your eye when walking up or down the steps that now the rest of the stairwell looks extremely plain. We must work on finishing its walls.

For more perspective, look at this shot. Look how far the petals stick out! She really wants you to look at her!

Lilo's View of the World -- Improved

2012-01-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

Lilo likes to peek out the front window. She does this when we leave the house. Sometimes she does it when we come home. She does it when Thunder, the German Shepherd down the street, walks by. Her peeking has taken its toll on many of the blinds in the house. She has been most rough with the front window. We eventually got rid of the sad pieces of blinds hanging on for dear life and ended up with this neat square hole. Lilo's forlorn face poked through it every time we left her at home:

A view with blinds open:

While Mike was away vacationing, I mean, working in Miami, I wanted to try something new. I installed the Basic Blindz faux wood plantation blinds from Lowes.

A look at the blinds closed:

Much better. And much easier to keep clean. We have been leaving them open when we leave the house so Lilo can look right through them. It's been working well so far. But now we need replace all of our blinds. See the window on the left ... she attacked those blinds at some point, too.

We will slowly transition to the new blinds. I already have two additional sets to install. This is a welcome change because of the horrific condition of our kitchen blinds. They're just nasty. Can't wait to tackle the six foot window over the kitchen sink. Yes, I'm accepting any volunteer assistance for installation of that one!

American Horror Story

2011-12-31T13:59:00.000-05:00

Things have been slow around the Bungalow as far as home improvement or nifty additions go. We got caught up in a way-too-busy schedule of work and holiday grind. But now it is time to show some love to our sweet abode. Before doing that we have to embrace her faults (and ours).

We are messy. Terribly messy. My plan is to corral this mess and make some sense of our house. First on the list are the Guest Room and its closet and the Basement. The closet needs shelves and I need discipline as far as not treating the whole room as my closet. The basement is going to remain ugly for a while, but it doesn't have to be such a mess filled with things we don't use. It is time to clean, purge and organize! With that in mind, the first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem. Well, I admit it:

Guest room after Christmas. It's a little bit better now. Not much.

This is from a different angle.

Then there is the corner of the stairway to the basement and the basement. Terrible.

But not ALL is terrible. Our living room looked nice for the holidays.

For 2011 I had a mile long list of resolutions for the bungalow's upgrades. That list is still quite long. This year I'm keeping it simple -- Clean up the mess and keep it clean. Fingers crossed. Whatever we get accomplished on top of that (hello, new living room ceiling?) is icing on the cupcake.
Happy New Year!

Art deco

2011-11-13T19:41:00.002-05:00

Get it? Art deco ... meaning I acquired more art to decorate with.

Our evolving staircase is still mostly a blank slate for art I want but cannot afford. I did make my yearly trip to WVU's Mountaineer Week craft fair and visited artist Annie Morris Simco. We have prints of her work in the living room and a small original piece, also in the stairwell, I splurged for last year at the fair. And now we have a new print in the stairwell!

Isn't it lovely? Of course I would love to the have giant original of this, but it is not in our price range.

I also hung up my print taken by my friend, Jill Olexa. It is a shot of the mural painted on the back of the Chic N Bones building in downtown Morgantown. Check out Jill Olexa Photography if you're interested!

I like the two new additions to our gallery. Just gotta keep on movin' up ... the wall.

Not-So-Scary Halloween

2011-10-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. I came close back in 2009, but with a choice between it and Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights on a trip with hubby and friends, my choice for Mickey was vetoed.

With the help of deal shopper Courtney, I acquired a few not-so-scary Halloween friends for our porch and brought a little of Mickey's party to Short Street.

Hopefully they make it through the season without walking away.

Four More Years!

2011-09-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

Mike and I celebrated our 4th anniversary last week on the 25th. We enjoyed dinner at Lira on High Street where I arrived to meet Mike and was greeted with hot pink roses in our orange vase at our table. Mike was so thoughtful to go to the restaurant early and infuse our dinner with our wedding colors. After dinner we headed to Lake Manor, a bed and breakfast in Cheat Lake where we had a gift certificate. It was a nice retreat complete with a private courtyard and hot tub attached to our room, the Esquire Suite. No, miss Lilo did not join us. Courtney was kind enough to baby sit her.

Mike and I celebrated with traditional 4th anniversary gifts of fruit and flowers. He gave a floral print cover for my new cell phone to me and attempted to gift me with a black pineapple from Antigua (where we honeymooned). Hurricane Irene put a stop to the shipment of the pineapple from Florida, so I missed out on the fruit portion of my gift. It's ok, because I gave Mike two melons for his gift. Why is that so funny? I needed to give him some fruit and melons were on sale. He also received a St. Francis de Sales charm to wear. Years ago I gave him one of St. Peter, a patron saint of writers, and he's worn it ever since. Alas, St. Pete bailed on him recently and is no where to be found. St. Francis stepped up to the challenge of protecting my writer instead.

The bed and breakfast was a welcome break for this busy couple. Things are about to get busier with football season kicking off this weekend (Go 'Eers!). Here's to four more years ... and then some!

Meet Elle Woods

2011-08-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

We have been trying to find a piece of furniture for Mike's basement office that is both a comfy seat and a decent place to sleep. We would like to have a double bed/loveseat combo. In the meantime, our friend Courtney offered up a very economical (cough, free, cough) loveseat. It has no pull out bed. But it's comfy.

Meet Elle Woods.

Elle came to us from the Sigma Kappa house, hence her name. She had a good steam cleaning before we acquired her. Just sayin'.

Like her namesake, she makes the best of her situation. Look how cute she is tucked away in the corner of Mike's office. Go, Elle, Go! Bend and snap it, gurl!

These Are My Confessions -- Part 4

2011-08-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

I confess. I was laying on our hammock of yesterday's post and noticed we had some major weed issues.
I confess. I don't know if this is poison ivy or not.

If this is the bad stuff, we have a serious problem.

I confess. That is the guest room window. We need to do something about this before football season.

These Are My Confessions -- Part 3

2011-08-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

Mike should confess this one.

For our 2nd anniversary, which was almost two years ago, I bought Mike a cotton gift in honor of the traditional type of gift given for a 2nd anniversary. The cotton consisted of an Original Pawley's Island cotton hammock.

I confess. No one even removed it from its box until June 2011 ... almost two years later.

Luckily, Mike's parents gave him a stand for the hammock for his birthday this year. And we finally set it up. And we finally get to use it.

I confess. I love it.

It comes in handy when you have to babysit your friend's kid while said friend helps to install a new Mr. and Mrs. Maytag. Four-year-olds can be convinced that this is actually a giant spiderweb created by Spiderman to catch the bad guys in our neighborhood.

These Are My Confessions -- Part 2

2011-08-01T18:00:00.018-04:00

Yesterday's post about the new Mr. and Mrs. Maytag has me inspired to confess that I'm horrified by the "Other" side of our basement.

I confess. It's scary. Here's what we're working with.

The water is from when we moved Ancient Maytag.

This is what Mr. and Mrs. Maytag stare at ... there is more in the basement, I just didn't take a picture.

This is the stairway down to the good, bad and ugly parts. Eventually there will be kickplates and a storage closet behind the stairs and accessible from the laundry area. The paint will be stripped and the wood stained. Eventually.

I confess. I hate the "Other" side. But Mr. and Mrs. Maytag inspire me to make it better and this we shall do. Eventually.

These Are My Confessions ... Part 1

2011-07-31T21:24:00.000-04:00

I confess. There are some little adjustments to the Bungalow we probably should have covered here and I haven't gotten around to it. Today's adjustment was so huge I had to blog about it immediately.
I confess. We don't usually talk about the "other" side of our basement. There's the adorable room/hallway dad built with a teensy bit of help from the rest of us. But then there is the "other" side. What is to the left of this picture?

I confess. You don't really want to see it.

We inherited a washer/dryer with our Bungalow. It has served us well, but it probably shouldn't take sometimes three cycles to dry a load of clothes. And our laundry probably shouldn't come out of the washer with black marks and holes. Say hello to the Hotpoint and the Ancient Maytag.

Also say hello to the new 40 gallon hot water tank to the left of good ol Hotpoint that I don't think we ever addressed. The "Other" side is just too ugly to acknowledge ... but yes. We did score a new tank using our home warranty when the 30-year old 30-gallon tank pooped out on us just before having Mike's parents for Easter. It was a lovely transition that involved entertaining a handy man contracted by the warranty company for a few short hours. Nothing to it. And we sleep better knowing the previous 30 year-old-geyser isn't going to erupt at any given time.

Back to Hotpoint and Ancient Maytag ... We were going to wait until the after Thanksgiving sales to shop around for a new guy and gal. But friends of ours bought a new house and were ridding themselves of an extra set they had because they combined households. Queue me jumping up and down in excitment because they wanted to unload 6-year-old Maytags that were barely used. Yes, please.

A lot of sweating, cursing, and tearing up of our kitchen floor and hallway landing later we introduced our "Other" side to Mr. and Mrs. Maytag.

There are so many controls and settings I don't know what to do with myself.

So we borrowed a friend's truck to get these babies from their former owners. Then it took four of us to load them. Then two of us unloaded them. Then two of us and a dog tried to get the Ancient Maytag out of the basement. That was horrific. Thankfully just when I was giving up hope, our friend Jay came and offered a bit more muscle. I gladly played with his son while the men dealt with Ancient Maytag. When all was said and done, Mr. and Mrs. Maytag were calling out to me. I had to do some laundry.

People, this is when it gets really interesting. I blissfully figured out what setting I wanted and loaded up Mr. Maytag.

THERE ARE TEN TOWELS AND SIX WASHCLOTHES IN THERE! HOLY CRAP! (why did this excite me so much?)

And then I went upstairs. I came back down later to check on our new precious cargo and realized it was no longer running. "Oh no. I broke it" I was heartbroken. I realized I must have crammed too many towels in Mr. Maytag in my ambitious first fling with him. I walked over to him. He wasn't shuddering or shaking like I was accustomed to and he was very quiet. So I opened his lid ... and he was spinning! Good-Glorious-Martha-Stewart, Mr. Maytag was whirring away without a sound or shudder. Could this be real? I gleefully put his top down and admired his silence for a minute. Then the real kicker occurred.

Mr. Maytag is an Energy Star appliance!! In my haste of snatching up our friends' laundry essentials I didn't even ask or notice this tidbit that was going to be so important to me when we finally purchased a new set. And lo and behold, there it was.

I'm in heaven. If Mike can't find me he should look in the basement where I'll surely be cuddling up next to Mr. Maytag. I'm crushing on him big time right now. (Thank you so much, Tony and Katrina! You have no idea how happy you've made me!)

So you're wondering what happened to Hotpoint and Ancient Maytag, aren't you? They are on their way to scrap metal heaven. Just as soon as Jay's buddy picks them up. In the meantime, they are classin' up the neighborhood.

Now I am inspired to work on the "Other" side a bit more. Mr. and Mrs. Maytag will require a much better residence and I intend to try to give it to them.

The Giving Plate

2011-07-02T15:51:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was the 6th Semi Annual BYOBBQ here at the Bungalow. We call it semi-annual because we didn't have the event when we moved to the bungalow in 2009. We did have a house warming party, but it wouldn't be right to count that, would it?

Friends and family were in and out all evening. And we acquired the Giving Plate.

Our friend Tara used it carry a batch of brownies to us. I have to blog about it now, just a short week later, because we're headed to another friend's party -- the 9th Annual Cave Seafood Feast/Happy Birthday Mr. Delicious event-- this evening.

Why would I give away such a lovely gift after having it only a week? Read the plate. It speaks for itself.

Doesn't it make you want to cry? I hope I get it back some day. It's such a nice idea. Of course I have to add my own sweet treats to it for today. Every seafood feast needs some home made whoopie pies with peanut butter cream and chocolate chips right? Here they are, recipe courtesy of The Lady.

Sure, they could be a little thicker and fluffier. But this is my first attempt at baking them. They can only get better (not sure how b/c I sampled one and mmmmmmm -mmmmmm!).

The livin's easy ...

2011-06-09T16:39:00.001-04:00

It's Summertime. Yay!

Remember back in December I used a Pier One gift card for some Summertime whimsy ... always looking ahead. I finally cleaned up the front porch a little bit so Mike and I can enjoy our dinner out there when we have the chance. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My parents and I went to Swan Point, MD last weekend to visit my cousins. They have a beautiful home on the golf course and not far from the laid back Cobb Island. Just because I want you to be as envious as I am, check out this lovely scene from their screened in back porch. Don't you love the table?!

While there, my mom and I helped Joann pick out a few hanging pots of flowers for their front porch. I had flower envy. Extreme flower envy. She bought these flowers from her friend who lives on a farm not far from Swan Point. If I thought they would have survived the car ride home with my nephew, I would have purchased some for our porch.

Speaking of nephews, here is the Cutie Patootie hangin' out with cousin Libby on the front porch. Or, as he called her, "that other Erinn."

So I took my flower envy home from Maryland and got to work on our front porch. I picked up some petunias and found my whimsical stars from Pier One.

Then I remembered the pretty hanging candle holder sister-in-law Devon (from More Z's Please fame) gifted me with at Christmas.

But all of this looks so much more inviting on a hot summer night. See?

Here's Mike taking a brief break from work for a candlelit dinner on the porch.

Also, here's an idea for outdoor candles. Mini citronella oil lamps! These were $1 each at Wal Mart and worked perfectly.

Stop by and have a glass of sweet tea with me sometime!

Like a Tree in the Wind

2011-05-31T15:01:00.004-04:00

We came home last Thursday evening (May 26) to find a neighbor's tree partially in our yard. A harsh storm swept through Morgantown and left many trees toppled in its wake. There was even a huge beauty beside Stewart Hall on the main campus that met its maker.

Our little mess is not a big deal really ... except it is completely blocking the alley behind our house.
Lilo was on the scene to try to take care of business.

The job proved to be a little tough for her, so she just ran around and played in the brush instead.

Of course we called and reported it to the city. And of course the tree was still there when we came back to town on Monday evening. Not sure what to do with it now ... we do have a couple of friends with chainsaws. In the meantime, Huck Finn will have some fun with it.

Sweet dreams are made with this

2011-04-23T00:05:00.001-04:00

Last weekend Mike and I found ourselves wandering around Star Furniture looking for a sleeper loveseat small enough for his basement office yet big enough for a full size bed. That's not an easy find. What we did find was a cloud, I mean, a mattress. I have been begging Mike for years to get a new mattress. All it took was getting him to lay on the perfect one and he was sold. Star Furniture's deal helped out his decision, too.

(warning: The following the pictures are of horrible quality. Poor Mike had to use his cell phone because I'm stupid and didn't leave the camera for him or batteries for his camera. I'm sorry.)

So here's our old, flat, pancake of a purple mattress. Mike purchased it in 2002 when he rented his very first adult apartment. He's always been attached to that thing ... who knew he was so sentimental. He loves to tell the story of how the guy in the shop in Westover recognized the young sports journalist and gave him a discount on his mattress set for his celebrity. I, on the other hand, have always hated it. Recently, I have loathed it. So have my ribs and my hips and my lower back.

Look how flat that thing was!!! And it is sitting on risers to make it taller/give Lilo space to hide under the bed.

Now, feast your eyes on this beast, I mean this Restonic memory foam beauty.

Lilo approves of this height (with risers) because she can sneak under the bed.

Unfortunately for Lilo, using the risers just won't work. Look at this! We would need a ladder to get in and out of bed and The Original Grabber to put a glass of water on the nightstand.

So Mike removed the risers and made the bed. Our new mattress fits better now and Lilo is quite miffed because she can no longer crawl under the bed.

Stairway to painted paneling heaven

2011-04-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

This post lacks a lot of before pictures. I thought I took them. But I guess I hated our paneled stairway so much I avoided pointing the camera toward it. The following is all Ican find. It shows when we painted the paneling in the upstairs hall and TV room (long time ago!). You can see a glimpse of the stairwell.

None of this matters, though, because look at it now!

The first picture shows the same angle as the before shot, just from farther back inside the TV room. You'll notice the two recently hung prints on the wall, too. These are two more of my Find Harri prints discussed in the basement hallway/room reveal. The smaller print seen in the other two pictures is an original piece by Annie Morris Simco. Yup, I have a print of one of her pieces, Almost Heaven, hanging in our living room. I have grand plans for including more of her work in our stairwell -- those are some big walls to fill! But I have to save my pennies for more originals like her Wildflowers piece.

As for painting ... this was a beast. I started it way back during basketball season while Mike was away. I finished it April 20. But it's not even finished. There are some corners and trim that still need some love, I'm just having a hard time reaching them. This took two coats of Killz primer (we had it) and two coats of paint in Lyrical Yellow. We didn't have enough of that, so I ended up buying another gallon. We have half a gallon left, so who knows what I'll paint next.

For when the feather boas are in use

2011-04-21T09:06:00.005-04:00

I mentioned an art project in the works for the antique glass knobs now hanging out in our hallway. Although I have yet to create the three monogram-themed prints I've talked about doing, I did come up with a temporary solution. So the three white frames and white ribbon I've had since the week after we moved in are finally being put to use! But, like I said, it's temporary because I'm not 100% in love with what we have.

We have three pretty monograms showing some love for Mike, me and our last name. I'll admit I yanked these from a Web site I won't mention here. It doesn't matter because I won't be keeping them up long, right? The C is slightly bigger than the other two, but I don't think the difference is dramatic enough.

In closing, I hope you don't love these too much because I sure don't!

So, I needed a place to hang my feather boas ...

2011-04-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

One of the Bungalow's 2011 resolutions was to finally get glass knobs up in the downstairs hallway. This is probably the first project we discussed when we moved in, but just never got around to doing it. My mom and dad gave some antique glass knobs to me for my birthday (sssh, way back in January). I needed my handyman around to help me, though, and basketball season got in the way. So Mike drilled in holes and we twisted in the knobs. Pretty easy, actually. The two smaller knobs came from Anthropologie and my March Madness trek to NYC.

The first one!

Finished!

So then I had to hang my boas and see how they looked.

That's OK, but not quite what our hallway needs. For now, the new (old) knobs are sporting festive Easter eggs. I have an art project planned for them for the future.

Here comes Peep-er Cottontail

2011-04-17T10:20:00.004-04:00

Easter is just a week away and I was inspired for an easy project. It took about 2 minutes and cost under $3.

Check out the jars on the windowsill in the kitchen. Usually they sport green and yellow pears that go well with our Fiestaware.

After deciding they need "Easter-fied," here's what I came up with:

Here's the kitchen windowsill after these bunnies and chicks hopped into the jars:

Festive, right?

Not So Shabby

2011-04-03T21:12:00.004-04:00

My friend Jamie and I spent the weekend in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania visiting our other friend, Ashley. We trekked over to a town called Jim Thorpe, PA (yes, named after that Jim Thorpe). This town is full of charm and character ... and Saturday it was full of charming characters:

I purchased a few trinkets along the way and, of course, the Bungalow got a gift. I found this treasure in a store on Broadway St. called Shabby Foo Foo.

Shabby Foo Foo is a pink, lace-explosion of a store. And the best part of it was the nice older lady working there belting out Neil Diamond tunes along with her CD that was playing for us all to hear. She didn't understand why Jamie was wearing flipflops. We explained the first sign of Spring -- it was 58 degrees and sunny -- was reason enough.

After glancing in the store's window I had to go in to see what it would have for our guest room. It seemed like it would definitely have something our pink frilly room needed. Ta-da! The before and after:

What's good for the Goose ...

2011-03-28T12:39:00.014-04:00

My dear sweet momma had one of those milestone birthdays recently. As part of her gift, Mike and I wanted to give her a "goose lift." Sounds odd, right?

Way back in 1994 mom received a concrete goose from her friend Susane Audibert. I can't remember the particulars, but mom liked the goose or Susane liked the goose or both of them did. It has been perched by the front porch ever since. Mom has even acquired several outfits and accessories for Audi-Goose over the years (pronounced like Otie from Garfield. Otie Goose.).

Poor Audi-Goose. She started to show her age a few years back and has looked just plain bad. She needed some work.

A trip to Michael's for some brushes and Patio Paint later, we were off to Maysel to get that girl back in shape.

I first scrubbed down Audi-Goose with water and a wire brush. She had moss growing on her! Then I applied a few coats of the Cloud White Patio Paint. After using a hair dryer to hurry along the drying process, I added her eyes, beak, feet and grass. Her beak (or is it bill?) was a little beat up and somewhat chipped away, but the coat of Pumpkin Patio Paint made it look much better.

She's lookin' mighty fine these days:

Before

After

Before

After

Have you met my new BFF?

2011-02-08T15:50:00.004-05:00

Sorry, Jennelle. There's a new act in town. Meet Daisy. She's the true girl's best friend. Who needs Tiffany & Co.?

I've coveted the never-loses-suction power of a Dyson for several, several years. My obsession began when my $50 Dirt Devil of college days behaved more like an Angel. Then one of my friends actually registered for one for her wedding back in 2005. Then our Sears model left behind way too many dust bunnies in its wake. Then my friend Dave declared of his Dyson, "Believe the hype." Many a friend has acquired one of these beasts in the past and I've quietly tried to save my pennies for my very own. After borrowing Dirk the Dyson Animal from Chris and Melissa and showing Mike the power behind it, he was sold. One 10% off Lowe's coupon, $25 Lowe's gift card and 18 months no interest Lowe's card offer later, our Bungalow had Daisy. She has been impressive from the get-go and Lilo's fur is running scared.

Mike has yet to turn her on (insert joke here). But I don't care. I like hanging out with my new BFF.

Dos!

2011-02-02T14:10:00.002-05:00

Hey, remember this? We almost didn't. I rushed downstairs to a brushing-his-teeth Mike and exclaimed "Do you know what we forgot about?!" to a toothpaste covered, confused face.

January 29, 2011, made two years in the Bungalow. Mike was in Cincinnati. I went to Target. We completely let the day pass without reflection. But hey, at least we remembered at some point.

Is it bad that we easily forgot such a monumentous day in our life together? Or is it good that we are so comfortable with the flow of things that every day is a celebration of us and our first home? Maybe it's a little bit of both.

But look back at that "Firsts" blog post. I think it's fun to laugh at our horrible mess of boxes and loads of stuff. And the kitchen still amazes me because the extra cabinetry we added looks like it was always there. I constantly forget what it looked like when we moved in. We still have the plant given to us by the former owners and it still resides happily in the kitchen. Our first house guests, Alex and Jack, are still in our lives though we don't get to see them as much. Jack no longer needs a baby carrier to move around and Alex is probably a foot taller. Diane and Jason, who helped with the big brown couch, now live in our neighborhood and Rachel and Jay have started their own home together and will be married in October. The other Jay, who was a big help, has moved across town and is still adding to his small empire of property in Morgantown. The "peaceful corner" Mike was seated in is now frequently occupied by our darling Lilo, who we can't imagine living without. It's nice to look back and see how far we've come in two years. Thank goodness we've chronicled some of it here at A Short Story!

Happy monograms to me, happy monograms to me ...

2011-01-14T14:41:00.009-05:00

Pottery Barn's White Sale just happened to be close enough to my birthday to pull the ol' "I'll treat myself to birthday goodies" trick. Lucky for the Bungalow.

Everyone knows a good Southern Belle loves a good monogram. This Southern Belle is no exception. It was sad to walk through the Bungalow and not find one tiny monogram anywhere. Oh, there are always plans in the works, but the ones featuring monograms have yet to come to fruition. The Pottery Barn White Sale has taken care of this calamity.

Our new boudoir pillow:

It's actually more customary to put the lady's initial first. But I bucked tradition and went the other way. I liked mCe better than eCm. I don't know why. So there is the only reason we weren't quite as traditional with our monogramming.

And check out what the "Outer Banks Bathroom" downstairs is rockin' these days. Two of these lovelies:

Both additions make me want to sit on my front porch and drink the sweetest of iced teas.

Just sayin'

2011-01-04T11:20:00.003-05:00

Remember that long list of to-dos I'm constantly adding to? I stumbled onto a blog titled "Dreamy Whites" and found a picture of what has been floating around in my head for over a year for our guest room.

I want this tin ceiling and a smaller version of this chandelier. And I want crown moulding to go with it. Just sayin'.

Click here for entire post at Dreamy Whites. Don't you just love her room?

Resolved.

2010-12-31T11:42:00.003-05:00

Since writing it down might make me actually do it, my resolutions include finishing the small projects I've been putting off. I resolve to finish these Bungalow projects in 2011:

Put glass knobs on hallway wall and hang framed monograms with ribbon from them
Paint the paneling/hang artwork of some type in the stairwell
Paint/fix up the stairwell to the basement. This includes stripping and staining the bottom flight of steps
Paint upstairs hall
Hang artwork in upstairs hall
Find/DIY a piece of furniture for upstairs hall

And now for the big projects we hope to accomplish at some point. 2011 would be nice:

Fix our living room ceiling
Build a deck
Save for/install IKEA wardrobe wall in bedroom
Spruce up laundry side of basement
Organize gross part of basement
Save for/buy new washer and dryer

Not too ambitious, right? C'mon 2011! We're ready!

100 chapters down ... and Pier One is all around

2010-12-30T11:33:00.005-05:00

Oh happy day, it's the 100th post on A Short Story! But who's counting? That doesn't really matter to me right now because I scored some Pier One gift cards!

Back in July I had the urge to buy a particular chest, rug and bowl for the bungalow from Pier One. These urges for things from Pier One happen often and there really is no cash flow in the Bungalow for extraneous beauty from the Pier. But then a little thing called Christmas happened and Devon and Rachel gave Pier One gift cards to me. Thank you ladies!

My gift cards fulfilled one urge and added a little extra bonus. Behold, the bowl I wanted is now sitting right where I wanted it to sit. It currently holds Christmas cards (I'm SO SORRY we didn't send any out this year. New Year's cards may be out soon). I think I can have some fun finding things to brighten up my beloved new bowl. Oh, and big thank yous to Mama Marie for picking out the new placemats and napkins dressing the table.

And here are the added bonuses. Two glass stars that hold candles. These will hang on the front porch in the summer along with the hanging votive holder Devon gifted me with. I want to create a whimsical look with hangy things like these for breezy summer nights on the porch. These stars work just fine in the vision in my head.

I also hit up Pier One's 50% off Christmas items sale. I picked up some fun things for Mike's office decor and for our gold-and-blue-themed upstairs. You'll have to wait until the 2011 holiday season to get a peek!

Fine china and Chinese takeout -- holiday must haves

2010-12-29T10:00:00.005-05:00

When Mike and I got married we didn't really need/want china. But we decided we would use Christmas china. We (I) envisioned large holiday dinners with family around our table and the perfect place settings and serveware setting the scene (setting, get it?). So we continue to recieve this lovely pattern in various forms and we insist on using it.

I should mention the placemats are from Aunt Pat and Uncle Lou from last year. They match perfectly!

For the past two years, Mike and I have sat down to a fancy meal during the holiday season. I couldn't tell you what we've eaten off our fancy service, but I do remember doing it. He has been out of town a lot and the holidays have flown by, but I insist on keeping the tradition. We travel to parents' houses for holiday meals and I don't transport the china. So I set the table Monday night and put out all the serving dishes for an inpromptu Chinese takeout dinner on the fine china. Courtney, Tara, and Melissa helped and came to eat dinner with me. It was beautiful!

Lennox's "Holiday" is a fine complement to good friends.

Now Dasher, Now Dancer, Now Prancer ... Don't hit Vixen on I-79!

2010-12-28T12:50:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Christmas 2010: Part 2, Maysel. Let's house crash MoJo and BG Al's, shall we?
So, first, it was a White Christmas in Clay County. Lovely to see and to have, but wasn't so nice to see when we left Midnight Mass at 1:30 a.m. and found snow raining down on roads that were not going to be plowed/salted anytime soon. The ride home was a white knuckle trek complete with Vixen, or another of Santa's harem, running out in front of us on I-79. Oh, lucky us. Dad has been driving since he was 6 years old. We were good.

BG Al is a Charlie Brown tree enthusiast. He raises the bar every year. Check out his latest after Santa came to visit.

The living room tree is all dad. Mom decorates the rest of the house. Her awesome nativity is made of dolls from the Provence region of France. These "Santons" were all gifts from her friend Susane.

She couldn't find her 3 Wise Men or the baby Jesus. Go figure.

Mom has been building a hodgepodge Christmas Village for years. See the house on the top left knoll? That's Santa's workshop. I think that came from Nashville, TN. I remember when she got it! (Yes, The Grinch was on TV)

I think Mom's pride and joy is her Travel Tree. She and dad collect ornaments from places they visit and they end up here. Mike and I have even contributed with ornaments from Delaware, Antigua, Tybee Island, Corolla, and Williamsburg.

The latest contribution from Mike and me (Tybee Island).

Mom has several knicknacks around the house. Here is a small group of snowmen. I painted the on on the far right in 1992!

What would Christmas in Maysel be without several references to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Here we have Hunter joining in on the fun.

Christmas 2010: Parts 1 and 2 were both glorious occasions. Can't wait til next year!

Oh, the Sweaters Inside were Frightful

2010-12-20T15:34:00.007-05:00

Step away from the Bungalow with us for Christmas 2010: Part 1, Manassas. We traveled to Virginia over the weekend to take in Christmas with Mike's fam. They had their home ready for us! Join us in a little Manassas holiday house crashing.

This is the swanky red IKEA dresser Marie picked for her downstairs guest room after a painstaking search. I think it works wonderfully for the holidays (and the rest of the year, too!).

Here's the cheery red dresser with its equally cheery guest room Christmas tree.

Next we have the big Christmas tree and all the goodies piled underneath. Apparently it was supposed to be a light Christmas. I don't think anyone got the memo.

And the stockings were hung on the banister with care.

Have you ever seen so many lights in a ceramic tree?

We all exchanged ugly sweaters for our first (hopefully annual) Ugly Sweater Contest. Mike C. was a clear winner with original couture designed by Mama Marie. We all went bowling in our sweaters after this. They loved us at Bowl America. They really did. They told us so.

(Lilo is not in this picture. She is upstairs eating our cheesecake. For real.)

Stay tuned for Christmas 2010: Part 2, Maysel! We'll have some holiday house crashing from the home of MoJo and BGAl coming your way.

Let's GO .....

2010-12-02T20:09:00.003-05:00

Some of the most excitable Mountaineer fans from the other side of the nuthou... er, state line are coming to town for the regular season's last game -- WVU vs Rutgers. Our newly finished basement will get some sleeping hours logged. Maybe. But even more exciting is that there will be way too much food and drink for the bungalow and more laughs than 7 people crammed in it can handle. Hope She's ready. Did I mention there are four Christmas trees to navigate?

Let's Go Mountaineers (and USF Bulls, too!)!!

Keep on keepin' on

2010-11-29T22:39:00.008-05:00

I came home from doing a little Christmas shopping to find Mike lugging a ginormous old TV toward his swanky new office. When I asked what he thought he was doing he said "I need a TV working in there." It broke my heart to think of that awful, chunky TV ruining the vibe in his new space, so I made him come out to the car with me where I opened the trunk and surprised him with his Christmas present -- a month early. I really hate that he won't have that big box to open on Christmas morning, but I know he'll appreciate the streamlined tube much more during this next month instead of waiting for it. Lilo approved.

My personal shopper, a.k.a. Courtney, found a deal on frames at Michael's. So we grabbed three with mats for some Find Harri prints by Jeff Moores. These were a birthday gift from my parents last year. The artist even signed the one of the Coliseum (to "Erin" ... oops) and threw in a free print of his Backyard Brawl. It isn't being used yet -- saving it for a wall upstairs. I digress. Here they are:

Sunnyside:
The Coliseum and Mountaineer Field:

Mike swung by IKEA on his way home from Pittsburgh over the weekend and picked out a desk complete with an orange drawer. I'm told it was a little aggravating to assemble, but isn't everything from IKEA? His "new" desk chair came from Frog Pond Printery via WV Tech (correct me if I'm wrong, dad) and can probably be classified as an antique.

We'll keep on keepin' on with this basement and see where it takes us. I think his office has quickly become Mike's favorite spot in the house.

It's a start ...

2010-11-25T10:57:00.016-05:00

Little by little our 86-year-old basement is becoming useful. A year-long effort has produced a home office for Mike. What started on December 27, 2009 as B.G. Al's "let's insulate that outside wall so it isn't so drafty down here" type of project became a whole room. Evenutally. Feast your eyes on this.

We made a hallway! It's way more welcoming than what you previously saw when walking into the basement. The picture on the left shows the beginning stages. Note Mike's hardhat. He had a hammer incident involving his head. The hardhat was the result. The blank walls will soon have my Find Harry prints I received from mom and dad for my birthday last year. You know I'll post about them here.

On the left is what the space looked like before there was a hallway and a room. On the right is a view from the hallway at the bottom of the basement steps into the office.

Check out the difference the ceiling makes! We decided to keep as much height as possible and not put up a true ceiling. This part of the basement didn't have many wires or pipes hanging in it. I had read about a basement redo in Martha Stewart Living where the home owners simply painted the floor joists. That's just what we did. Two coats of primer and two or three coats of Killz white paint later, we have a much brighter room. Thanks to MIL Marie for helping on that. We both had sore necks/arms for days.

Mike now has a wall of storage and shelving. There will be a nice TV in the middle soon so he can run Bill Stewart's press conferences down there while writing his articles. Mike picked out the room's paint colors. Isn't that orange fabulous?!

This comparison amazes me the most. It's hard to believe our basement looked like that!

This is a pretty amazing transition for this corner of the room. There was a shower where you see the chair in the pic on the right! Unfortunately I can't find a picture of it. This is the first wall we worked on. It now has caulking, moisture block, insulation and the beadboard you see in the picture on the right. How 'bout that door? That was leaning against the wall in our basement. Score! We think it may have previously been a door between our kitchen and living room. We sanded it a little and whitewashed it. B.G. Al cut it down to fit the space and voila! An 86-year old solid wood door that is just beautiful. The shelves you see outside the door are along the basement steps. B.G. Al added them to use as a pantry space.

Here's the back wall of the room. The trim is actually tongue and groove flooring. Mike and his dad discovered it would be a cheap alternative to actual trim when they replaced a few boards on the front porch (see The Porch Post). We had some leftovers. It works. The carpet came from Lowe's. It is a commercial grade that came with padding on it. It worked perfectly on our imperfect concrete floor (thanks to Jay for helping this girl put it down as a surprise for Mike). The pictures are old ones Mike already had of Doubleday Field at Cooperstown, NY and Jacobs Field (now Progressive Park) in Cleveland. I popped them into matching frames for the wall.

We aren't sure where this sign came from. It was in Chris and Melissa's basement when they moved in. None of us can find a street in Morgantown called Cleveland Avenue. Melissa graciously offered it up as a surprise for Mike in honor of his love of Cleveland.

UPDATE: There is a Cleveland Ave in Westover, across the river from Morgantown. I wonder if the sign came from there.

Did I mention how much I love storage? These cabinets are 30 years old and came from dad's print shop. He wasn't making use of them so he brought them to us. We used some boards to space them out and painted them white. All they need now are some pulls. Mike will fill these up with media guides.

So now we're ready to find some furniture and get Mike set up in his new and improved work space. It's a start because, well, there's the rest of the basement to think about. Plans to spruce up the storage area and the laundry area are under way. We may have it all set in about five or so years.

OHMYGOSH

2010-11-21T11:37:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited about what's going on in the basement :) Stay tuned! Also, Christmas is just around the corner. Soon our attic will explode with red, green, gold, etc. goodness!

We saw the light ...

2010-11-07T18:22:00.006-05:00

... and it was on clearance at Lowe's!

Earlier this week my love and I had a rendezvous at Lowe's for supplies for another ongoing project in the Bungalow. He shouldn't let me get there first with time to kill, especially with the Christmas retail out in full force. But what caught my eye was not of yuletide spirit. It was in the lighting department. I've had my eyeballs on this particular fixture for a year. The style goes along with the Craftsman/Mission character of our bungalow. And now it was a price I couldn't pass up.

Our boring, old light fixture in the hallway was replaced with a beautiful Tiffany style piece priced at a whopping $28.

Boring, old light:

Shining beauty:

If I had my way, we would have the larger, flush mount matching piece in the living room. But my love wants to keep a ceiling fan there, so we'll have to get a Tiffany inspired one down the road. And that's just fine with him since he was not daunted by the knob and tube wiring coming through our ceiling, circa 1924.

This post reminds me we've never addressed our hallway on the blog. If I ever finish up the few small projects I have for it, then we'll get a blog post up about the neglected middlemost part of our house. Now, with this fancy new light fixture, I have to add "paint the ceiling" to my to-do list.

Happy Howl-o-Ween from the Bride and Groom

2010-10-31T21:05:00.006-04:00

Melissa and I took Rudy and Lilo to the Howl-o-ween Paw-ty at Woof's yesterday. They dressed up as a bride and groom (thanks Melissa), but we let them think it was their wedding paw-ty. Lilo won a game of first dog to get a treat out of a plastic bottle and Rudy bobbed for hot dogs!

Lilo had a veil, a flower, a ring and a garter!

Rudy had a nice tuxedo and flower in his lapel.

This looks like they are saying vows.

The happy couple:

Our First Trick or Treaters at the Bungalow

2010-10-31T20:41:00.004-04:00

We were not at the Bungalow last Halloween. We traveled to Tampa for the WVU/USF game and Guavaween in Ybor City instead. So this year was our first Trick or Treat in the 'hood. It was so exciting! Lilo wore her pumpkin best for the kiddies and we handed out Reese's peanut butter cups and Butterfingers. We had 19 trick or treaters!!

Our first trick or treaters were Thing 1 and Thing 2 (or Chuck and Leigh's kids, Colin and Charlie, from Jones Avenue). They were adorable. This was the first time both of them went trick or treating and we were their first house. Yay! Firsts all around. Both boys were perfect in their "Trick or Treat" pleads and "Thank yous." And they even added "See you Monday!" when they left. I guess they want us to come eat some candy with them or something.

Aren't they adorable?

Have I really not blogged during my favorite month?

2010-10-22T09:50:00.003-04:00

It makes me sad to see that the last blog entry was Sept 24. I love October and its pumpkins. I need to kick it in gear and get some bloggy times for the Bungalow. Wait til you see the awesome pumpkin MIL Marie made for Mike and me. Oh, and a project that began last December is shaping up quite nicely. I haven't made mention of it here because it has been a very slow process. Hopefully there will be a big reveal soon.

Until then, check out the new home of our friends Jess and Brett. Isn't it pretty? My fave part is the arch window above the door. Jess used some punkin decorations we picked up last weekend to make it festive. Check out the wooden pumpkin with their last name on it located bottom right. CUTE.

Not to be outdone by Jessica's pumpkin cuteness, Courtney has a little pumpkin flair of her own on her front stoop. I'm jealous. Both gals purchased their decor at Pennsylvania's Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Festival. We went on Oct 17. It was a blast!

Lil punkins make me so happy

2010-09-24T08:33:00.003-04:00

We all know how much I love pumpkin time. Of course our porch is decorated. All I need are a few big mums and it looks pretty much like it did last year. I'm currently playing around with options for the buffet in the living room. I love our little buffet. Since we lack a fireplace and I suffer from not being able to create mantlescapes, I'm so happy to be able to create buffet-scapes.
Here's what we have going so far.

I spent $7 on this! I purchased the spider web runner for $3 at Kroger a few weeks ago. The little ceramic pumpkins were part of the decor for a pumpkin-themed baby shower I threw for a coworker (my pumpkin love knows no limits). The two square pumpkin candle holders and the bigger ceramic pumpkin were Big Lots purchases back in the late 90s for mine and Jennelle's first apartment. The pumpkin kid figure was a TJ Maxx score at the end of last season. The orange vase was a Christmas gift last year from my mother in law and the green Blenko glass piece was a gift from Jennelle. The Indian corn bundles were Kroger sale items I picked up this week, 2 for $4.

The buffet isn't the only thing sporting some pumpkin love. My main punkin' got her share of it:

Admittedly, Lil Punkin' Lilo doesn't look as excited as I am for pumpkins, but she is so darn cute! She actually wasn't as miserable as she looks here. She didn't want us to take off her shirt. I think she liked cuddling in it.

So maybe next fall I will grow my own pumpkins. And then Mike and I can sit in the pumpkin patch and wait for the Great Pumpkin to show up.

I want these.

2010-09-06T17:37:00.003-04:00

So I got another pesky email from Pier One the other day. It had the cutest Halloween stuffs featured. I fell in love with these.

They slide onto your dining table legs for extra pops of Halloween fun. They would look incredibly cute on our dining table. I'm a little nervous to get them because I'm afraid Miss Lilo will feast on them. I was even encouraged by friends I ran into at Pier One today to go ahead and buy them because, as they said, they were soooo me. But I refrained. I may cave and go back and get some in a week or so. It's a little too early for me to think about Halloween.

However, a certain lady in Richmond who always receives a Halloween care package from me may have acquired a cute thing or two. I can't discuss here b/c she may be reading this. Oh, Pier One. You're the devil.

Uno, Dos, Tres!

2010-08-26T10:45:00.003-04:00

Sure this blog is about the Bungalow, but every now and then we need to throw in a little love. A house isn't a home without some love, right?

Mike and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday. Our last two anniversaries have been pretty cool, and this one was no different, just more low key.

We ate dinner in Morgantown at Richwood Grill. I've been there before a few times, but Mike never had. If you haven't gone, you should try it. They use local meat and produce to create their global menu. And they have a nice view from their patio. Go!

More importantly, we exchanged gifts. Each year we like to adhere to the traditional anniversary gift themes. For our first anniversary, the paper anniversary, Mike received (paper) tickets to see his first NFL game --it was in Cleveland. I received a print of the article about our wedding from the Daily Mail ... and a diamond necklace. For our second anniversary, the cotton anniversary, Mike received a 100% cotton Pawley's Island hammock. I received some cotton gifts from Victoria's Secret.

This year, the leather anniversary, we stuck to the tradition. Mike received a leather cover for his phone and a pair of dress shoes (he always needs them when covering games). I received a leatherbound recipe box and some lovely red roses. I told Mike as an added treat he had to help me organize my recipes.

My favorite story from the day can be found in the card he gave me. In addition to the lovely note he wrote inside, it was the most perfect card ever! A week or so ago, my friend Diane and I were in Hallmark picking out an anniversary card for my parents. Yay BG AL and Mama Jo and your 39 years!! I saw a card with Cinderella and Prince Charming on it and swooned. Of course I loved it. I said to Diane, "Oh, I hope Mike gives me this card. "

Of course that is the card he picked out. Isn't that cool?! (No, Diane doesn't have Mike's phone number). I was so touched. It just shows that we actually are in tune with each other, doesn't it?

Happy Anniversary to us!

Pesky Pier One is at it Again

2010-08-17T08:57:00.002-04:00

I need to make Pier One stop sending me email. Today's says "Show me the merry" and asks me to follow their penguin for the 2010 Holiday Preview. * Sigh *

I clicked. I followed.

You can too. The site is Flash driven, so no cut/paste here. But click on it and check it out. Mike will love the argyle Christmas balls in the "Yuletide Treasures" section. I love the apron in that section, not that I need another one. The safari tree ornaments under "Gilded Forest" are adorable, yet I don't see the point of them for Christmas. The frog ornament under "Merry and Bright" is my fave.

Take care, Pier One. I'll see you in October when this funness hits the stores.

What's for supper?

2010-08-15T20:18:00.005-04:00

Wiles Hill offers up some pretty good people. Through various activities (ahem, porch crawls organized by yours truly being some), we have come to know some great neighbors in the year and a half we've been planted here.

Mom, Mike and I decided to take Lilo over to see Diane and Jason's new cute house on the other side of the 'hood (yay!). Just as I said, "Oh, mom, you would love the lady who lives here ..." while passing a neighbor's house, out she came with a big smile on her face. "You need any tomatoes or cucumbers?" YES!

Not sure what we'll have for dinner tomorrow night, but I'm sure it will include swiss chard, tomatoes, cucumbers and a red pepper courtesy of Teresa down the street. Don't you love sweet neighbors?

We love sweet parents, too. Mine dropped in today and brought us early anniversary gifts:

That is a new Fiesta piece -- the loaf pan! And a new garbage can. You may think that is an odd gift, but mom and dad have felt guilty ever since passing off their broken, sad garbage can (read: headache) to us a while ago. They wanted to replace it with this beauty. It helps with the romance -- no more wrestling garbage bags out of the old one equals less stressful Wednesday garbage nights.

Now off to bake zucchini bread for the neighbor boys ... pay it forward!

That's what I call a productive evening

2010-08-11T22:30:00.006-04:00

Maybe it is the excitement in anticipation to see this man tomorrow. Maybe it is the pure glee from knowing I don't have to go to my office tomorrow. Maybe I'm just nuts.

Amidst cleaning and prepping for tomorrow's houseguests (read: Parrotheads) I decided to use some of our local produce to make the Bungalow smell delicious while whipping up some yummy treats for our guests.
(The cobbler isn't burned. That is cinnamon. It got a little clumpy in the process.)

Peaches from Romney, WV and a recipe from The Lady were all that was needed to create a bubbling, golden peach cobbler. I picked up a 1/2 peck of peaches at Saturday's farmer's market downtown. They are quite delicious, but I didn't think we could finish them all before the knats took over. So I baked a cobbler (yes, I made Mike run out for vanilla ice cream to accompany it).

Zucchini is abundant with our crop share from Provider Gardens. What better way to use it than make some of Connie Harper's zucchini bread? She gave the recipe to me years ago and I substitute no-sugar-added applesauce for the oil. I'm sure this is a Connie-approved substitute. Just look at this picture. Doesn't it make you want to crab a block of cream cheese and go to town?

Now I'm off to finish dusting. Fins to the left!

Tybee Tidbits

2010-07-27T11:02:00.007-04:00

We spent a glorious July week away from the bungalow and enjoyed some Tybee Time on Tybee Island, Georgia, as well as a couple of enchanted evenings in Savannah.

Of course a few things for the bungalow came back with us.

This fun and sweet welcome sign on the front door came from Christy's Department Store, which is beachfront on Tybee Island. Fun Fact about Christey's -- the music store scene in The Last Song was shot here. Yes. Mike was in the same building that Miley Cyrus had stepped foot in a year earlier. He couldn't contain his excitement. And that pier you see in the preview? It is right across the street from Christey's.

These two prints came from a River Street gallery in Savannah. I brought them home and found a cheap frame to showcase them in. They reside in our downstairs bathroom now. The print on the left is of the Tybee Island Light Station and the print on the right is of Cockspur Lighthouse, which is part of Fort Pulaski off of Tybee. The little boat is a Christmas ornament from Christey's that says "Tybee Island, Ga" on the side.

We couldn't come home from Savannah without some goodies from The Lady. We picked out some butt massage, mop sauce and hoecake mix from Paula Deen's shop at The Lady and Son's restaurant. I have a hoecake pan I need to break out for that mix!

I brought home a signed cookbook from Uncle Bubba's Oyster House (Paula's baby bro -- yes, I met him!), Paula's newest book on Savannah Style (also signed by her and by Bubba), and a book from Tybee called "Cottages" that features many of Tybee's perfect little havens decorated by the fantastic Jane Coslick. I purchased it at a wonderful spot called Seaside Sisters on Tybee. My book is signed by her, too! These books make me sooooo happy. Why can't I just be Paula's personal assistant?

Oh, Pier 1. You know me so well.

2010-07-15T14:36:00.006-04:00

I got an email today from Pier 1. Of course I chuckled at the subject line: "Gimme, gimme, gimme! I need! I need!"

The message inside said, "You want them. You need them. You gotta have them. Now's the time to stock up on all the things that make a house a home -- baskets, pillows, candles, dinnerware, lighting and more. You want 'em. We've got 'em. Why fight the urge?"

Hmmmm, Pier 1. I can tell you why I must fight the urge to come visit you. There is a lack of cash flow to support my urges for your trinkets. But if I did ... this room from your Web site's idea room gallery might look nice sitting in our basement space we are currently working on:

I love that little striped chest on the wall!

And we should probably talk about this rug. I do have urges to come buy it from you and put it on our living room floor. But I don't have $200 to part with:

And this bowl? I have an urge for it sit on our dining table:

So yes, I have urges to come see you, Pier 1. But I simply can't afford to. I will have to scour yard sales for more treasures to bring home. So stop teasing me with your emails!!

Our Banner is not Waving

2010-06-25T08:49:00.004-04:00

You're a grand old flag,
A high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
-- George M. Cohan

I'm going to buy a new flag pole and hang our American flag today. So the quote above means a lot to me because I need my flag to fly in peace in our neighborhood. I discovered last night that someone stole our cute Spring-y flag and the pole it flew on. I put it out Memorial Day weekend (it was out last Spring, too) and now it is gone. Apparently it has been gone for a few weeks and I didn't notice until I went to switch it out with our American flag.

What kind of jerk steals a flag off someone's porch? Probably a drunk one. And probably a drunk one I angered at some point since our new neighbors moved in down the street (three 19-year-old boys) and started having parties. I've had words with a few of their guests who stumble loudly down our street in the wee hours of the morning ... it was probably one of them who decided they needed our flag and flagpole.

Hopefully they will not feel the need to steal an American flag. Who would do that? We shall see.

Everything's coming up Hydrangeas!

2010-06-20T16:51:00.006-04:00

Happy Father's Day and happy West Virginia Day! Lilo took her dad to the dog park today for some fun in the mercifully shaded park. Unfortunately she was ready to leave about two minutes before Kobe and his dad, Wellington Smith, arrived. Oops. Needless to say, I was not thrilled we left.

Lilo gave her dad a nice card, too.

Back to the Bungalow. Our tulips, azaleas and roses have come and gone, but we're still blooming. I planted some pink petunias a while agobeside the garage and they are still providing cheerful color in the yard. A few of these flowers have popped up, too. I think they are residual from last year's "open a packet of seeds and cross your fingers" fun.

We also have this little Salvia plant thriving beside the garage. It was a house-warming gift from our neighbors across the street last spring. We thought it died. But it came back!

Beside the house we have orange lilies blooming and the lilies-of-the-valley are getting ready to shine.

What I'm most excited about is the hydrangea bush. It is an odd thing ... it sits in the middle of our side yard. It's not the best spot and we've contemplated digging it up. I waited for it to bloom last year and it never did. So I pruned and talked to it this spring. And now it decided to show off. It's a wonderful shade of purple. There aren't that many blooms on it, but the ones there are enough to make me want to keep it. Lilo likes it, too.

What's blooming at your house?

Sale-rday

2010-06-19T16:12:00.006-04:00

People who get up at 7 a.m. the Saturday after the University Chapter's golf scramble must be doing something extremely important. Or just worthwhile.

Melissa, Courtney and I took in so many yard sales today we lost count. We hit up Suncrest, Star City, Mt. Morris (drifted into Pennsylvania!) and Westover for treasures. Courtney found a white spiral Christmas tree ($1!) she has been searching for. Melissa was the winner of the day with a carload of goodies to help make he home she shares with Chris fabulous. I will have to post pictures of what we found for her in a DIY post -- some of the items need revamped.

My bounty wasn't so bad, either.

I was appalled when my coworker told me she doesn't have a rolling pin. So I picked up this one for her from a Suncrest sale for $1.

Our nephew, Hunter, may be coming to stay with us next month. I hope he does because he has the coolest bed on Wiles Hill. It was still in its original packaging and never used and it was $15. He is a superfan of the movie Cars and any type of automobile in general. It's a little pop up bed (like tailgating chairs) with a soft sleeping bag type cover. Lilo approves. Let's hope Hunter does.

I like to call this my vintage 1950s lemonade set. I bought it from nice lady in Mt. Morris for $3. She probably bought it at the Dollar Tree last year, but I'm sticking to my vintage tale. Mike and I and four lucky people will use this set for our porch. Hopefully we'll have a deck to use it on one day.

This is a Hallmark recipe card box that had a packet of recipes and empty recipe cards included. It was never used and still had its original packaging. I purchased it from the same lady as the lemonade set for $.25.

These "hairy" shade mini lamps came from a sale in Westover. I have no idea how much they cost and don't want to know. Let me just say this is what happens when you stay in the car and your friends decide you need a present. I may spray paint the bases and find some other shades to use.

This full-size mirror was $10 in Mount Morris. I love it.

This ol gal came from a Westover sale and she set me back $1. She'll hang out in the basement until October. Jealous, Devon?

Have you found any goodies at a sale lately?

A one-year-old little lady, a rainstorm and a STEAL!

2010-06-07T22:47:00.005-04:00

Mike and I trekked to Moundsville on Saturday for Lex Vavrock's first birthday party at Grand Vue Park. The "Vue" was grand once the rain stopped just in time for her party.

On the way home we drove directly into a "Toricane" (I think that's what I called it: tornado+hurricane = toricane). So I used that as an excuse to stop and window shop. We meandered through a ginormous JCPenney and took a nap in the garden section on a swing. Then Mike went to the restroom as I hung out in home interiors. Thank goodness he had that extra drink because I found a treasure for the bungalow.

Remember back in October when we acquired our bungalow and deliberated on what we would hang above it? Jackpot. We found this baby for $49.99 (frame, mat and print!). Plus an extra 15% off. That's right. We paid $42.50 for this (0riginally $100).

Here is our map hanging above the buffet. Notice we removed the scrollwork on top of the buffet for a cleaner line. No worries ... it is still in tact and can easily be placed back on top of the mirror if we decide we miss it.

Isn't it lovely? It makes me want to go somewhere RIGHT NOW. But I always feel that way, so nothing new.

Because she is so adorably sweet and deserves credit for our find, here is Miss Alexis Marie Vavrock, the fabulous daughter of Ashley and Thad Vavrock.

And at our house, the water flowed like wine

2010-06-06T11:57:00.012-04:00

One of the little disclosures the previous owners of our home made was how there could be, at times, water and moisture in the basement. We were OK with that, understanding it's the sort of thing that happens in 80+ year old homes. And when you live mid-hill on a corner lot and wedged into a slight slope, you're going to get water.

Nevertheless, this is the reason Erinn and I cringe, either internally or furtively, when we're away from the bungalow and know it's raining really hard in Morgantown.

And on Sunday -- and conveniently enough, immediately after I got home from church -- we came pretty close to "worst case scenario."

And how did this happen in the very area of the very basement I spent three days cementing and dry locking last summer?

Say hello to my little friend!

The porch post

2010-06-03T15:00:00.002-04:00

For months now we've had this awful and wobbly post on our front porch. Fortunately, it's not weight bearing or we'd have a family room on the front porch and God knows who or what else underneath.

While technically safe, it's still a nuisance. For instance, it keeps us from having a number of peopel on our porch because in many situations a few would sit on the railing that would ideally be supported by a firm post. Instead you get near chaos and visions of personal injury claims and escalating premiums.

This needed to be fixed and not with shims. That meant replacing three rotting boards beneath the problematic post. While we were at it, why not paint the whole thing since it hasn't been the same since we moved in 16 months ago?

"Four hours," my dad said.

Three days later, it was done. (To be fair, the assessment was for the board replacement, which did take far longer than anyone could have expected. The lengthy work was the sanding, priming and painting of the porch, to which my wonderful mother's blistered knees can attest was long and brutal work).

It started simple enough. Unscrew this, unbolt that, pry these boards off, wear some sandals, look pensive and let Eu do his thing.

I'm telling you, it seemed so simple ... until our day went up in smoke.

Everything beneath the bad boards explained why those boards were so bad. It was all wet and rotting and kind of smelled like it looked. You couldn't put new boards on the delapidated frame and expect it to hold up. So we had to design some new ways to support the new boards and the post. We mostly crammed boards into tight places and were satisfied with the results.

Along the way, I used a saw without incident. This is pretty rare in our clan. Why, you can count the instances on ... well, you'd need a lot of hands, but that's the point.

See?!?!? I'm not sure what was more amazing. Dad doing this or Mom catching it on camera.

As you can see, we'd make progress and then have a small issue. Here, Dad had dropped a screwdriver into the gap and no one's arms were long or slim enough to get it. I proposed a bottle opener magnet attached to string to fish out the screwdriver. Damn right it worked.

Speaking of worked, I can't say enough about what Mom and Dad did over the weekend. It's not possible. Dad took some time for iced tea as Mom immigrated from another task to sand the porch. She was finally persuaded to relax for a moment. A brief moment.

Finally, we finished and restored some of the beauty to the front of out little bungalow. Inspired, we then attacked the back porch, eliminating the blue-gray and replacing it with white.

Something old, something new, something ugly, something blue

2010-06-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

Monday night Erinn was shaken from a deep sleep by Lilo's gagging at the foot of the bed. Both settled down and fell back into their slumbers. I was oblivious. The next morning I found ... well, I found proof Lilo had an episode.

So our coverlet/comforter set had to come off the bed to be cleaned. In its place? Nostalgia!

I'm told this is temporary ...

Ramp season comes to an end, but it was just the beginning for two diners

2010-06-01T21:58:00.007-04:00

I proudly boast I have brought a few people into the fraternity of ramp lovers. And those people have brought others into the fraternity and so on. So when April comes around and ramps start popping up in this great state, we all get a little excited. The Farmer's Market starts up in Morgantown and we have our ramp guy for a few weeks. Other than that, we must rely on other sources for the tasty delicacy. Luckily, a student in my zumba class asked her husband get some of the last of the crop out of Webster Springs just in time for Gene and Marie's Memorial Day weekend visit. The patriarch and matriarch were given their first taste of the indigenous Wild and Wonderful onion. And they loved it (at least they said they did).

That is a mess of ramps with scrambled eggs and bacon served with a side of fried potatoes. We like to use maple bacon when it is available. That is the tastiest option, but any center cut thick bacon will do.

Though optional, hot sauce really kicks up the dish. We offered a good assortment from which to choose:As an added bonus, Mike fried up a side of froglegs. Does it get any better for our guests? (I'm not a big fan of the legs, I have to confess.)

There's nothing like two happy houseguests at dinner time. And we all smelled just lovely the next day while working on the porches in the sweaty heat.

On the chopping block

2010-05-23T09:20:00.004-04:00

Many elements of Morgantown seem to be on the chopping block these days. Elementary schools, old houses, greenspace, neighborhoods in general. But since this is a happy blog about our happy existence on Short Street, I won't go there. If you want to read about certain elements of what makes us crazy in our town, Sam sums some of it up over on his new blog. If you want to know more about what comes close to home here on Short Street, then give me a call.

But some elements of this chopping-block town must be discussed here. Let's talk about our lovely catawba tree. As I write I can see a few early white blooms on it and there are several birds flying in and out of it (Lilo hates them so much). But she is laying happily in the shade underneath the tree.

Powerlines are not buried in our old neighborhood, so the ugly things are strewn about almost haphazardly here on Wiles Hill. And this is why our catawba tree now looks like this:

Thank you City of Morgantown, Allegheny Power and the tree cutting company you contract that employs people who only speak Spanish. I can't thank you enough for this assistance with our landscaping (if you can't hear the sarcasm, then I can't help you).

This is what I came home to after a week of not-fun things I won't write about here all concerning our lovely town and our even lovlier street. It was almost too much to take. The good news is, after Lilo stopped freaking out about 3 strangers randomly coming into her yard and start chopping down her tree, she realized her shade is still there and it's almost as if it never happened.

Oh, to be a dog.

Sunny Spring Saturday

2010-05-02T16:44:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny May Day and we enjoyed it immensely here in the 'hood. BG Al and Mama Jo were in town and we all went to the Farmer's Market downtown and then the Lucky Cafe for breakfast. For some reason we did a little cleaning of the garage (thanks, mom). Those who came down the hill on Virginia Avenue were treated to this glorious sight.

I adore Spring and azaleas are a good reason why. See that purple one? It didn't get to its full effect last year because it was choked by another weed. I made sure to tackle that weed this year to let the purple guy shine. And shine it does.

The two ferns gracing our front porch were given to us by Wes and Keri from their wedding decor. They look perfect!

Lilo acquired a new toy yesterday from the Dollar Tree and had her fun with it in the backyard. She really is too cute for her own good.

Stop by some sunny afternoon and sit on the front porch with us. Or chase Lilo and Mickey around the back yard.

Sometimes I'm Late for Work.

2010-04-23T14:46:00.003-04:00

Can you blame me?

Sometimes I can't stand leaving our bungalow in the morning. Sadly, this probably has more to do with my four-legged lovely than my Italian lovely. Shh, don't tell Mike.

We haven't done much resting lately, so the photo above captured a rare moment. Things will be winding down soon for Mike with the conclusion of Spring Football and I will hopefully slow down after Wedding Frenzy: the Spring 2010 edition subsides (Yay Devon/Mike & Wes/Keri!). We will be working on the basement and Mike has deck plans up his sleeve. I hear we may import assistance from Manassas for that one.

Stay tuned!

Quick Side Note

2010-03-14T20:21:00.006-04:00

While February goes by very quickly at the Bungalow, March is definitely a blur. We don't really get around to doing much here because we simply aren't home. Mike is following my 'Eers and I'm usually at a local dive doing the same ... only locally.

But with this life away from the Bungalow comes wonderful experiences such as this past week's Big East Men's Basketball Championship tournament. My local dives were forsaken when I joined Mike in the Big Apple for four days and nights of Big East Basketball. * Sigh * we have been living the good life. The 'Eers brought home the trophy and I brought home dark circles under my eyes. When in New York you have to go hard or go home.

Which brings me to Saturday. It was almost a bust because of torrential downpours and gale-force winds. Undeterred, I set out to have a good day.

How does this relate to a blog about our house? In a very loose way, my dinner Saturday night brought feelings of warmth and hominess that some often find hard to find in the big city. Eli and Chris were kind enough to take me to chef Marc Forgione's Forge. I sat and gazed around me until I finally decided the place looks like it belongs in a Pottery Barn catalog. It was wonderful. I'll just link the restaurant's site here and let you see for yourself. Check out the menu page. I started with the Watercress & Endive Salad with beets three ways, goat cheese carpaccio and walnut oil. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Then I moved on to the Beer, Butter and Bacon Braised Suckling Pig with red cabbage and smoked whipped potatoes. All I could think of with the first bite was Irving Berlin singing "Heaven .... I'm in Heaven ...." Then I finished with the Affagato Hazelnut Ice Cream Sundae.

Here is a pic of the main dining area in Forge. Eli, Chris and I sat at the table under the big mirror. Poor Mike. He couldn't join us for the meal because he worked his fingers to the bone in Madison Square Garden all week. I made sure to order something I thought he would like to salute his efforts.

Our fabulous meal was wedged between this at 2 pm:

and this at 9 pm:

I dare you to describe a better Saturday spent in New York City!

Warning. This one might make you think Mike is sweet.

2010-03-01T23:11:00.005-05:00

My husband is awesome. Sometimes he pays attention to me. And sometimes he actually pays attention to me during basketball season. I know. All the ladies just swooned.

Remember back in November when we started messing around with the guest room? Mike paid attention. Fast forward to January 9 when WVU played Notre Dame in South Bend. No, I'm not going to talk about the outcome of that game. I'm going to talk about my husband. He had some free time in South Bend. While walking around town he came across a storefront with an item that caught his eye. He walked in and asked if he could buy it.

WVU may have lost, but I won! This was Mike's birthday gift to me.

How cool is it that he found the exact dress form I was looking at for the guest room? And how cool is it that he walked into a quirky shop and asked them to box it up and ship it to Morgantown for his wife's birthday? If that's not romantic I don't know what is.

Take note of the print on the right. It looks very "Home Interiors" because it actually is a Home Interiors print. Miss Whitney, or "my boss" as I call her, gave it to me when she saw my ideas for this room.

As for the rest of the room's decor, it's a work in progress. The little print below was a Christmas gift from the fabulous in-laws and the Eiffel Tower was a day-after-Christmas cheap-o find at Pier One (I confess. Sometimes I buy myself things there.)

These prints were purchased online sometime after Christmas. I was inspired to get things on the walls. The one on the left is a French advertisement for hairpins. The one on the right is, noticeably, an advertisement for perfume.

The Vogue print below is somewhat disappointing. The online store didn't have the one I originally purchased. This one was a consolation prize I got for free when I agreed on the hairpin advertisement print above. Two for one! Score! Notice the little white dress form on the chest of drawers. That was a TJ Maxx find from Melissa.

The room still needs some finishing touches. And, well, don't forget I still hate the ceiling, trim and light fixture. But it's coming along nicely a little at a time. Maybe for my next birthday my wonderful romantic husband will install a new ceiling, ornate crown moulding, and a white chandelier light fixture (hint hint).

A Sunflower in the Snow

2010-03-01T22:17:00.006-05:00

The weather is warming up around these parts. The temp has hovered in the mid 30s lately and next week should be better. I snagged a deal a week or so ago in the midst of all our snow and grey skies that brightened my day and our living room.

While shopping for Devon's Bridal Fiesta I couldn't hold myself back from Pier One's incessant pleading for me to walk through her doors. I can't help myself. I love that store. It's rare I buy anything for myself, but I always have to take a look around when I'm close by.

In the never ending quest to fill up our living room walls (you can read about that here and here) I was eyeballing Pier One's sunflower mirror. At $50 it wasn't a bad deal. But the Bungalow could wait a bit longer. Imagine my glee when I saw it on clearance for $29.99. Not sure why because it is $39.98 online. Maybe it was mistagged? No questions were asked as I paid for the Bungalow's new jewelry.

Our mirror sits above my special table in corner of the living room. Doesn't it look spiffy?

Super Sweet Sunday

2010-02-07T15:19:00.004-05:00

Mike and I are taking in the game at a friend/coworker's house today. I was instructed to bring dessert. I thought three desserts sounded better than "a" dessert.

Cocoa rice krispie treats shaped like footballs are apropos for the day:

Take a closer look. Sure, the piping could be neater. But it will taste just as good.

There is also a pile of my crowd-pleasing orange marmalade cupcakes:

To round out the trio we will have the truffles showcased earlier in the weekend.

Geaux Saints! ... And go Pat McAfee! Clearly, I'm undecided on which team to cheer for.

Snow blogging, Part II

2010-02-07T02:40:00.006-05:00

Short Street on Feb 6, 2010. Our neighbors made a snowman in the middle of the street (you can't really see it). This is funny because our street doesn't get plowed.

Here is our front stoop and a peek at the snow-covered Cavalier and street.

Our snowbunny Bungalow.

The Cavalier is going to remain parked for several days.

Yes, Mike's legs are through the seat of the chair. Our cable went out halfway through the WVU vs. St. John's game because our satellite dish froze. He was going to stand on the chair, climb the tree to the room, then climb to the top level of the roof to clean it off. Thankfully, this is as far as his plan got. He did end up with a scrape on his leg. Could be worse!

This part of our yard had 17 inches. Some parts had 14. Some had 13. We really don't know how much snow we have.

This is the view of Virginia Street. If you come out of our garage and turn right, this is what you face. At least a foot of unplowed snow.

This is a view of Virginia Street if you go left out of our garage. Notice the car in the ditch. This guy tried to come up the hill and ended up in the deep ditch. He walked home, but a towtruck later came and pulled him out.

We can get the AWD Equinox out of the garage. It's the foot of unplowed snow on Virginia Street we need to worry about.

Here we see Mike trying to save our holly tree by knocking off the heavy snow. It will most likely remain in tact.

This shows the 12-13+ inches of snow on our roof.

Lilo surveys the scene from the tunnel I shoveled for her through the yard.

Snow greetings from Short Street! People were skiing and snow boarding here, too. Who needs cars?

Snow blogging!

2010-02-06T01:07:00.009-05:00

Remember those cute tins we have sitting on the buffet in honor of St. Valentine's Day? They are full of these:

I was bored tonight and made some Valentine truffles with the help of some cheap champagne and Lady Gaga.

Mike was benched by the storm and stayed in Morgantown this afternoon. He was supposed to head to NYC to Madison Square Garden to cover tomorrow's noon tipoff between WVU and St. John's. Unfortunately, the Snowcalypse came along and his flights were not only canceled but impossible. I'm excited to watch a basketball game with him tomorrow, despite his travel troubles.

Things around Morgantown were laughable for most of the day because we had a lot of rain. A LOT. WVU stopped classes at 1 p.m. and actually shut down completely at 3 pm. I'm not sure I remember that ever happening in the 12 or so years I've paid attention. Around 6 pm things started to change. Friend Courtney and I went out for sushi and I really thought I would have to walk the half mile back home. Vernal (the Chevy Equinox) goes just fine in the snow, but others weren't as fortunate. And Vernal and I got stuck behind them. No pics. Stupid me didn't have a camera.

It is a little after 1 a.m. now and we have what Mike calls "two beer cans tall" of snow. Check it out:

and here is the snow sitting on the rail along the steps to the backyard:

Here's the little tree in the back yard, weighed down with snow:

Mike's rare basketball-season-freedom led him to a friend's house tonight for some tomfoolery while Lady Gaga and I stayed home to make truffles. We'll post more pics of the snow tomorrow. It's still coming down and it's that lovely heavy, wet type that is perfect for snowmen/women. It's already up to Lilo's little puppy hips. Perhaps we'll make it to a "three beer can height" snow!

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-30T17:19:00.003-05:00

Yay for the Bungalow! We have officially lived here a year (as of yesterday, Jan 29). We've come a long way from that first dinner on that first night. Mike had the bbq sandwich and I had the hotdog with cheese and ketchup from Sheetz. We giddily stood in the kitchen and ate our inaugural meal and wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. It's so much fun to read through the blog posts from the past year and see how far we've come. I try not to dwell too much on how much more we want to do around here.

We love a good holiday here on Short Street. Valentine's Day won't slip past the bungalow without a few accoutremonts. Last year's Valentine's Day was the first holiday we spent in our home and we didn't even put so much as one heart up (much to my dismay). We did spend a romantic day together painting; which was actually romantic and fun.

Moving on to Valentine's Day 2010. Check out the sweet wreath picked up at TJ Maxx for a mere $12. I tied a white ribbon around it so it could hang on our front door.

See that pillow? It was $4.99 at IKEA the day after Christmas. Sister-in-Law Devon and I both had to have one.

These coordinating tins also came from IKEA at $7.99 for all three.

Little pops of red and pink give the Bungalow a slight romantic vibe. Hopefully there will be some red velvet cupcakes in the kitchen in the near future and some tulips of any color (hint hint) hanging out on the dining table in the fiesta pitcher. I did have some lovely pink tulips there that were given to me for my birthday by my lovely husband. They have worn out their welcome and might need replaced for the holiday :)

Wall Art

2010-01-27T20:35:00.005-05:00

We still haven't tackled what to put over our buffet in the living room, but there are a few additions to the walls in there.

Through some online research we were able to get a digital file of the catalog page depicting The Plymouth. We're 99% sure this is our house, so we had the neat idea to display the page in our home. Here it is, right beside the front door.

The other piece of art is on this wall on the other side of the window (to the left when lookng at the photo above). It was a find at the Mountaineer Week Craft Fair at the WVU Mountainlair in November. I was first drawn to it for its colors and the general tranquility of the piece. But after I met the artist I knew I had to buy a print. Her name is Annie Morris Simco. She is probably my age. But that wasn't the cool part. My grandma on my dad's side was named Annie Morris. And the name of the piece is "Almost Heaven." It belonged in our living room.

Still taking ideas for above the buffet. We still like the look of a vintage world map.

Resolutions to keep

2010-01-05T16:48:00.007-05:00

Happy new year!

Mike and I sat down last night and made a list of everything we want to do to the Bungalow. We each took a piece of paper to separate rooms and individually brainstormed. It is possible the only thing we accomplished with our individual lists was freak each other out. The good news is my list was incredibly long and every item on Mike's list was on mine. Except for painting the exterior of the house. That hadn't crossed my mind. Come to think of it, I really hope Mike didn't mean painting the Bungalow a different color. I love our yellow!

We are currently in the midst of a basement overhaul that could last for years. On top of that we are still working out decor all through the house. That seems like it will be an ongoing thing. Amidst all the crazy ideas and wants (not necessarily needs), we do have a few things that should be included in our New Year's resolutions.

1. Finish the basement overhaul (man cave, storage, laundry area, work bench area, hallway, shelving, etc. etc. etc.)

2. Paint the paneling in the stairwell.

3. Build a deck! I like this idea for starters, don't you?

We don't want to get too crazy with our deck and build something that dwarfs our house. And we do want to incorporate the lay of our land and have a patio and nice landscaping. And we do want to make sure we stay within some sort of budget. Oh, and we have to figure out the city building codes and permits. This whole task seems quite daunting and I think it is safe to say we both will want/need our daddies. But nothing to do right now but brainstorm. There is too much snow flying around out there to allow for much else.

I won't go into the other numerous items on our to-do list. But installing new ceilings in the entire downstairs is on it!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T15:12:00.006-05:00

The picture above was taken at about 4 a.m. on Saurday morning (Dec 19). We had about 2 inches of snow at that point. Miss Lilo had to go out so I took the opportunity and grabbed the camera.

This snow bunny picture was taken on Saturday afternoon. There was about 8 inches of snow overall at the house and Lilo loved every bit of it. She even got compliments on her snowman sweater from passersby. Well ... the ones she wasn't barking at.

Snowboarders decided to take a stab at the unplowed Virginia Street on Saturday afternoon. Lilo did NOT like this and told them about it, as you see in the pic above.

We even were visited by Santa's helpers on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 20). Mom and dad decided to trek up the Interstate and bring us some toys. Dad came in a Santa hat and a red bag ... of course. And even Lilo got to open up her first Christmas present.

These lovely icicles formed on our front porch. Melissa, Chris, Scott, Mike and I had some fun taking pictures of them on Sunday night (Dec 20) while a pack of kids were sledding on the hill across the street. We wanted to join in, but decided we would rather stay warm. Plus, Mike was having too much fun trying to throw things at icicles to know them down. Which explains the next photo.

I was very angry with this development. We will be shoppping for a replacement bulb in the post-holiday rush. At least the rest of the lights stayed lit!!

I will leave you with this warm and inviting shot of our icicles, wreath and Christmas tree. We are very happy to have enjoyed this holiday season in our first home with friends and family coming to and fro. We are looking forward to many more seasons to enjoy. Maybe we will join the kids across the street next year.

Our little bungalow is a happy one with happy inhabitants. Not sure we could be more thankful.

Not quite a Charlie Brown tree

2009-12-15T09:45:00.003-05:00

Remember the ceramic tree discussion from before? I finally have a picture of the little tree painted at the Wow! Factory. It was disappointingly easy to do. It provides festive cheer to my coworkers who visit my cube.

Yuletide Necessaries

2009-12-15T09:35:00.003-05:00

The bungalow's decorations are all encompassing. This means even our bathrooms get a little festive. You will remember we have beach themes for the two necessaries. The downstairs room is decorated with Corolla in mind (where we were engaged in the Outer Banks) and the upstairs bathroom plays host to Antigua flair (our honeymoon!).

Because the downstairs bathroom is already blue and white, it was the perfect spot for snowmen decor recycled from mom. The only thing we purchased was the sign above the bathroom door and another hanging in the room.

Is it weird or funny to have a sign above the toilet that reads, "Comfort and Joy" ? I purchased this sign earlier this month in Hershey Park.

This sign hangs above the bathroom door. It was purchased at the Ben Franklin in Fayetteville!

The Antigua bathroom is the smallest room in the house. But it isn't too small for a little green Christmas tree and some Christmas light garland from Pier One!

Oh Tannenbaum!

2009-12-08T22:59:00.007-05:00

Let's begin with a little Ernest P. Worrell.

It's no secret how much I love this time of year. Poor Mike deals with me by leaving for the majority of the month. He thinks using the ol "duty calls" excuse works. But I secretly think he cannot deal with my Christmas obsessions.

So this is our first Christmas in the ol' Bungalow. It's a little overwhelming to try to figure out a new decorating scheme for a new place. And I have to say I am still missing some of our decorations simply because I either do not know where they are after the move or I do not know where to put them. For now, let's examine the Christmas trees of the house. All FOUR of them.

The kitchen tree

This little cutie is only about a foot or two tall and sits on the countertop. It is adorned with gingerbread men and little candy apples. It's cute enough to eat!

The guest room tree

After the addition of pink and decor to the guest room, a pink Victorian tree was needed for the holidays. This four foot white tree was donated by MoJo, complete with pink ornaments and Victorian figures. I remember having this tree in my bedroom growing up for a few years. It included ballerina ornaments, but those are still in Maysel.

The WVU tree

For many years (i'm talking since Christmas '98), I/we have had a WVU-themed tree. Usually this is the "main" tree (the real one), but I switched up things a bit this year. The WVU tree is upstairs in the master-converted-into-tv room.

Mom and dad started giving me these WVU ornaments every year. This year's addition features Santa in his sleigh. Cute!

The "Southern Living" tree -- as my friend, Sam, calls it

I love big, real trees. Poor Mike is allergic to real trees. He swears as long as he doesn't touch them he is fine. But I question this theory and spend most of the holiday season watching him for any signs of runny nose and sneezing. I do feel guilty, but look at this beauty!

This tree features old fabric ornaments from my mom as well as the old Martha Stewart straw ornaments she gave to me. There are strings of multi colored wooden beads I remember from my childhood. Mike's first ornament is also hung here and my first doll is perched on a branch (baby's first is still in Maysel, I think).

A word from Lilo

2009-12-07T09:12:00.004-05:00

Lilo says Season's Greetings! ... and "Get me out of this thang!"

I came home a couple of Mondays ago to see Mike's giddy face through the front door's window. He motioned for me to come on in. I opened the door and Lilo was at my feet in this getup. She was not as excited as Mike. But she was just as cute, if not cuter.

Giving thanks ...

2009-11-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

For the second year in a row, poor Mike can't be home for Thanksgiving. The 76 Classic calls and this year Mike has to trek to California for five days to cover it.

Wait.

Last year he HAD to trek to Las Vegas for this tournament.

So, let's start over. For the second year in a row, poor Erinn has to be home for Thanksgiving while Mike gets to enjoy a sunny, warm location that she would like to visit.

I don't mind being home. Truly. I love family time. But I love it a little less without Mike. Especially when Mike gets to go see Mickey Mouse and the Christmas decor at Disneyland without me and Lilo.

Moving on.

Mike gave thanks today for a wife who wanted to make him a traditional Thanksgiving dinner while he watched football and drank beer. We both enjoyed ourselves. Score!

We had our first turkey roasted at the Bungalow along with mashed potatoes with gravy, steamed green beans with garlic and butter, sweet potato casserole, grandma Jane's rolls and pumpkin cheesecake with cream and chocolate sauce:

It was quite tasty. Happy Thanksgiving!

Not quite what I hoped for, but maybe better.

2009-11-22T00:30:00.006-05:00

Today started off with a trip to the WOW! Factory in an effort to create my very own Christmas decor. Even though I contacted the Factory earlier this week to make sure my desired ceramic tree was there and they confirmed it was, there were no trees to be had this morning. They were fresh out.

I pressed on and created two Christmas gifts. I can't discuss them at length here because I never know who might read this ... just know I made them for some special gals. We'll see if they are worth giving to anyone after they are glazed and fired. I'm crossing my fingers.

What I did learn today is that the ceramic Christmas tree I want to paint is quite expensive, so I'm glad today turned into a test run for it.

Tara took pics of us with our creations, but I have none to post. Courtney made the sweetest kitty treat jar for her two kitties, Captain and Morgan. Katie made the cutest little stocking ornaments for her fiance, Art, and for herself. Erin made a "Merry Christmas" plaque and a fun little Christmas tree ornament. And Tara was the bold one and created a cut glass tile with a flower design as well as a ceramic picture frame. Three hours flew bye. That's what happens when you're having fun.

I get to pick up my creations in a week. In the meantime, I'm planning what to make next, along with my tree. I'm thinking a mirror with a mosaic frame will be perfect for our living room.

I promised myself I wouldn't do this yet ...

2009-11-11T21:02:00.005-05:00

I promised myself I would wait to post anything about Christmas. It's a smidgen too early. I was OK with that promise until the oddest thing happened today.

I was checking out the Vermont Country Store online and came across an old-fashioned ceramic Christmas tree. If you will recall from my Christmas decor post last year, I discussed how I would like to have one of my own because I always loved my mom's.

I didn't want to buy a tree, though, I wanted to make my own. People at my office thought I was nuts and thought I should just buy one. But I argued it wouldn't be as special if I did that. I went so far as email the local pottery place today to see if they have a mold for such a piece so I could plan on a Saturday morning there happily painting my very own ceramic tree.

Fast forward a few hours. BG Al and Mama Jo are passing through Morgantown on I-68 and call to say they want a cup of coffee. Nothing odd for those two -- they had today off for Veteran's Day and had been out and about since 9 a.m.

Their arrival was accompanied by a ceramic Christmas tree.

Isn't that crazy? I absolutely love that my parents randomly brought this tree to me on this particular day. Apparently they saw it months ago, but were on their motorcycle at the time and could not transport it. So they went back to Grantsville, MD today to pick it up (amidst their trekking today). I'm still dumbfounded by the coincidence. I don't even mind that it was purchased for me and I didn't make it. The fact they brought it to me, unprompted, and it happened to be eerily timed makes it special. And here it is ... sitting on the same table my mom's sat on for all those years at my parents' house. I. Love. It.

BG Al and Mama Jo's granddog also got a little Christmas cheer. Lilo received a stuffed pig (no pics, she already ate both ears and the pigtail) and her very first stocking!

Miss Lilo approves of her Christmas flair.

And she also thinks she is cute and wants you to think so, too:

The most wonderful time of year is upon us! Yay!! I hope to overflow this blog with holiday cheer!

From Drab to Fab

2009-11-06T08:36:00.007-05:00

We're still working out details for our living room walls (see previous post). I promise to post updates when we figure it all out.

In the meantime, our little discussed guest room has been getting some love. Here is a picture from the first day we lived in the bungalow. It's quite drab:

Since then we added some 80-90 year old mahogany furniture. My parents gave it to us and it was given to them from a friend who wanted to get rid of it. Can you imagine not having a use for such fabulous pieces? There is also a vanity with a bench and mirror (you can see the corner of it in the second pic). Just lovely.

We added some pink paint (Paris Pink, to be exact) to the walls and some frilly curtain rods and white sheers. Future plans for the room include a white faux pressed tin ceiling and some major crown moulding. For now we must live with ugly brown trim and even uglier off white ceiling tiles with gold glitter. Yikes! We also hope to add a prettier light fixture. I personally think a small chandelier would be great.

All of the above updates will have to wait a while, however, I am adding some artwork to the walls soon. There will be two vintage covers from Vogue as well as some vintage advertisements-as-art. I'm also thinking about a metal dress form and a metal eiffel tower I saw at Target.

We need your opinions -- Part 1

2009-10-09T09:24:00.009-04:00

The living/dining room is coming together quite nicely. I think it is best, for now, to leave the walls the off-white the house came to us with. But the question is what do we put on those walls? The next few blog posts will pose questions for our walls and nooks in the living room. I like feedback.

Let's start with the buffet wall.

What should go on the wall above our fabulous buffet? I have two ideas so far:

1. These prints, side-by-side:

http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-8504-121-twilight-1.aspx

and

http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-8505-121-twilight-2.aspx

2. A vintage map of the world

http://www.enjoyart.com/single_posters/worldmaps/AntiqueGoldWorldMapArtPrint.htm

http://www.art.com/products/p15329086-sa-i3697074/vintage-world-map.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=0&ui=1145e590bd9341e0a65b66176ba8fc1c

3. Do you have any ideas?

I really like the thought of using a vintage map of the world. That way Mike and I can sit on our little couch and map out our future adventures. But those two prints are so darling. Either idea can work on another wall in the room, too. We do have that nice print Sam gave us that currently resides above the dining room table wall (we'll get to that wall later). It can move around the room if needed. So many decisions! Share your ideas and suggestions! We'll have more walls up to think about soon.

Front Porch Fun

2009-10-06T08:28:00.002-04:00

We've talked about my affinity for autumnal decor and how I adore pumpkins. Our front porch is loving this trait about me and basking in autum glow (well, when it's not raining around these parts).
Check out our Halloween flag that also includes WVU flair. Thank you, Courtney, for this gift!

Then we have who I like to call Lil Mike and Lil Erinn. Aren't they adorable? These came from the aforementioned Christmas Tree Shops.

And here is a better view of the rest of the porch. The leaf garland came from WalMart. The wreaths -- my favorite part! -- came from the Christmas Tree Shops. The pumpkin basket on the table built by BGAl is from last year's Charleston Junior League's Halloween Boo Ball (best costume prize for Mike and me as Freddie Mac and Fannie May. It had wine and other goodies in it). The porch now boasts an assortment of pumpkins and is in need of some more colorful mums, but this pic gives you the general idea.

Hooray for the Buffet!

2009-10-05T11:35:00.004-04:00

Mom and Dad decided to make use of the sunny day yesterday and bring Mike and me the lovely buffet we mentioned on here before. My uncle Terry was generous enough to give it to us and we couldn't be happier. We were a bit nervous that it wouldn't fit the room, but after putting it in place and using a little Pledge on it we all agreed it looked like it was made for the room. Here are the proud new owners (pic quality not that great, sorry).

Isn't it perfect? Mike and I both get so happy when every time we see it. I want to do some research to try to find out how old it is and where it came from. The scrollwork is definitely hand carved (it seems to be anyway, it isn't exactly symetrical). The feet had rollers on them, but we removed them so the big chunks could be flush to the floor. Not sure if the rollers were original, but they had to go. I'm still looking forward to decking it out with some pieces from our Lenox Christmas china.

Lilo?

2009-09-25T11:34:00.002-04:00

We've been wondering for months what Miss Lilo might actually be. The person who gave her to us said she thought her mom and dad were both beagles. Her mom was definitely a beagle (I saw pictures), but the jury is still out on her daddy.

Not that it matters. She is cute and sweet and perfect -- whatever she is. But its fun to wonder. And we were thinking maybe she is part rat terrier. So a google image search occurred.

She may be part rat terrier, but now the more pressing issue is how does she know Dave Coulier and what does a girl have to do to get a sit down with him to discuss possibilities of a Full House reunion? C'mon, Lilo, cut-it-out and pull some strings already!

(photo pulled from http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/carol&dana.html via google image search)

Mixing up the old with the new

2009-09-15T10:03:00.003-04:00

Mike and I have been trying to figure out what to do with our living room/dining area. You see in the post below I finally broke down and did something to the ginormous blank wall. We still have other plans for the room. Some easy ... some seem impossible. I won't talk about the ceiling (cracked plaster that looks horrendous) or the light fixture/ceiling fan. I won't talk about the lack of window treatments and the inner turmoil the thought that causes me (I love the woodwork and don't want to cover it up!). I won't talk about the perfect corner liquor cabinet we picture in our mind but can't find (hey, dad, don't you make things?). But I will talk about this:

This buffet will soon be in our living/dining room. My dad thinks it was about 100 years old and guess what .. it was completely free. My lovely parents picked it up from family over the weekend and dad is currently storing the beauty in Clay.

So let's talk about it. We already have 3 (?) types of wood in our living room ... the trim, the dining table and my old table in the corner you have seen on here before.
This wood is a bit lighter than any of the others. I think it will mix well (hope it will). I'm not sure I like the scrollwork above the mirror, but dad says it can be removed. I can already see pieces of our Christmas china sitting on top of this with candlelight flickering in the mirrors. Can you?

A blank slate no more

2009-09-10T23:58:00.006-04:00

We have this huge, blank wall in our living room I've been trying to figure out what to do with. I visited a dear friend over the weekend and made a pit stop at a store called Christmas Tree Shops in the hopes of finding her new baby a "baby's first" ornament. Little did I know this store is nothing like a Christmas Mouse ... it's so much better. Instead, I found an abundance of decor to use on the Bungalow's front porch (check back soon for that fall-tastic post) as well as lots of stuff Devon might want for her favorite holiday. Among all the fiscally responsible madness (note: do not use "cheap" to describe your home decor) there were some reasonably priced frames. I came up with an idea.

I decided we needed a photo gallery in our living room. I've started our basis and there is room to grow. I felt this is a good start and we can move the frames around, add pictures and add coordinating frames if needed. For now I chose two 11x14 frames (some of our wedding pics), three 8x10 frames (Hunter, Ma and Pa X, Ma and Pa Caz), two 5x7 frames (Josh and Jess, Devon and Mike) and one 4x6 frame (lil Lilo). All of the photos have a sepia finish to complement the walnut frames. Lil Lilo's frame features a coordinating ribbon I glued on (using my new glue gun!) to add texture and depth. I still haven't found a vertical picture of Ma and Pa Caz, so that frame still has the stock photo in it.

I had some help along the way:

The finished product. The frames cost about $40 together and the prints at Walgreens were about $10. A nice little project for about $50. I'm still trying to get used to it, but I think I like it. Mike just walked in the front door and he thinks he likes it too. Lilo loves it. She told me so. Then again, I think this is the first project she has worked on.

For all you non-Green Thumbs

2009-09-08T10:42:00.005-04:00

Early in the summer I opened several envelopes of seeds and threw them in the ground in hopes something would happen. Mike and I were not well prepared for landscaping at the new home but wanted to do something in the effort of pretty-ing it up. I diligently weeded the flower bed beside the garage and often wondered where most of the little seeds were. We had a few flowers, but not in one particular spot.

Well ... it would help to know what you planted and what those plants look like. It seems I was frequently pulling out what I thought were weeds.

Fast forward to me getting behind in the weeding. A few "weeds" became very tall. I left them. It looked better than having just dirt down there.

Please note: These are not weeds. I know this now. Hopefully you do, too.

I think it's sweet the two surviving zinnias are orange and hot pink (our wedding shades). And there are some kind of blue wildflowers there, too.

Oh, and this is not a weed:

She likes to help me clean out weeds by eating them. She's a doll.

See! It IS pumpkin time!

2009-09-08T10:10:00.003-04:00

Enjoyed one of these --iced -- over the weekend. Mmmmm ...

This is exciting

2009-09-02T14:38:00.005-04:00

When we purchased our house our realtor told us he was almost positive it is a Sears kit home. I think I found our proof.

I think it is safe to say Mike and I live in style #3323, The Plymouth. Only our floorplan is opposite this one with the bedrooms on the left side of the house.

Apparently this design was available from Sears from 1934 to 1937. That means our house probably wasn't built in 1920(s) like we were told. I'm going to be looking further into this and see what I can find in the County records. And I think i'll buy a replica Sears catalog.
Here's more
http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/sears/page163.html

It's Pumpkin time... almost.

2009-09-01T14:42:00.003-04:00

I went to Dairy Queen last night to pick up an ice cream cake for a friend and saw they have the pumpkin blizzards. You know what this means, right? It's pumpkin time again ... almost (I usually wait til late Sept. to get excited for all things pumpkin).

Pumpkin candles, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin decor, pumpkins with Flying WVs on them (I saw these at the mall and must have some even though they will probably be stolen from our porch) will ALL be in abundance very soon. I can't wait to light my pumpkin candles, bake some pumpkin cookies, and put pumpkins all over the house. And maybe some mums.

Stay tuned for pictures. Pottery Barn has given me some ideas ...

I can't find a picture of what I want to replicate from pottery barn other than links to buy stuff, but I stole this lovely vignette from a google search (from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/)

Can I have a Z, Pat?

2009-08-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Help me welcome the cleverly named "More Zs Please" to the blogosphere. Devon and Mike wish to share their ambitious undertakings (co-habitation, house, puppy, wedding, etc.) with anyone who cares to tune in. Join me in following along. It will be a good time. Promise.

http://www.morezsplease.blogspot.com/

Summer Notebook, Part 5 (treasures from the Far East)

2009-08-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

I traveled to China, sans Mike, July 13 -- 21. It was the trip of a lifetime. Since this blog is about the Bungalow, I thought I would share with you the treasures I brought back for the house.

When we moved in, Mike was adamant we get a tea set. I was confused and wondered why he really wanted one -- his explanation was that every house needed a tea set and we didn't have one.

Ok. (picture Mike sipping from a teacup with his pinky sticking out and giggle with me, please.)

I made it my obsession to get a tea set for us in China. Of course, I waited until the next to last day to buy one, but I finally gave in to the purchase after mom and dad bought an extra carry on bag to bring back all of our goodies. I had put off buying a tea set because I didn't think I could get it back home.

I bought this in the Beijing Pearl Market. It is a building with about five floors of New York City's Canal Street. Only, there are more persistent sales people who relentlessly try various methods to get more money out of you. I was called a stingy American Lady for my offer for this particular set. I was told it is a very popular brand in China and is high quality. I don't understand the logo on the bottom of the set, so I'll take her word for it. The cups are also insulated, so the tea stays warm. After many minutes of bargaining and threatening to walk away twice, I purchased this tea set for Mike for 205 Yuan. That's about $30! I chose this one because I love the flowers and I love that it is yellow, like our lil Bungalow! I think Mike likes it as much as I do.

The other purchase for the Bungalow was a joint effort between my mom and dad and me. We visited a silk factory in Shanghai and learned about how silk warms make silk and how the factory manufactures 100% silk comforters and duvets. It was actually very interesting!

We were told if we wanted to purchase silk goods, this would be the place to do it. Sure, you can find silks in the markets, but you can never be sure they are the highest quality and 100% silk. So I purchased a silk comforter for Mike and me and mom and dad bought the duvet for a Christmas gift (Christmas in July!). I looked around and immediately picked out the one below. How about that for a keen eye? I can't believe how well it matched our existing bedroom accessories!

Thanks mom and dad! And Merry Christmas!

Summer Notebook, Part 4 (there really are nice people out there)

2009-08-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

Take a look at this Fiestaware coffee pot. At first glance you might think it is the color Tangerine. The more trained eye may notice this style isn't quite like any you have seen at Macy's or the Fiesta Outlet store. That's because this particular piece was only made from 1936-1956. This color is the original Fiesta red (but it looks kinda orange, right?). This color was only produced until 1943. Production halted due to the need for uranium for the war. So, this piece dates from 1936-1943. Pretty cool, huh? (I thought so before I went to China and saw pitchers from the Tang Dynasty ... but that's another story).

Isn't it beautiful?

So, given my obsession with Fiesta, I'm VERY much in love with this coffee pot. It has a flaw -- a piece broke off the lid and was glued back on. But I don't care about that at all!

A very sweet lady, Lynn, who was a coworker for a while brought this to me at work one day. She and I had had a few conversations about Fiestaware and she told me about her collection made up of mostly the "old" stuff. Lynn spontaneously announced to me that she was going to bring a piece to me. She knew the three colors I collect and I suppose she decided this piece would go well with them. Upon her presentation to me, I asked her if she knew what she was giving me ... it is such a valuable piece. She explained that she knew and just wanted to give it to someone who would love it and give it a good home. You can see in the picture in the post below that the coffee pot has a nice spot on the middle shelf of the corner cabinet.

Thank you, Lynn, from the bottom of my heart. It was such a sweet gesture and I will cherish this coffee pot forever!! It is a constant reminder in my house that there are good people out there in the world. We just need to be friendly and we will find them!

Summer Notebook, Part 3

2009-08-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

In early June, Mama Jo and BG Al came up to help us with our additional kitchen counter top and cabinets. Well, Mama Jo and I went shopping and BG Al, Mike and Jay played in the kitchen. We have been missing the piece of glass in the corner cabinet and the counter top was cut wrong. So now, both are in place. Here is the finished product (for now). We still want to do something with the middle space we left open. We're wired for a TV -- we think a 19 or 20 in flat panel would fit nicely. Or a spice rack would do. Notice the square Fiesta plates!

Summer Notebook, Part 2

2009-08-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

Mike and I spent a Saturday at the end of June painting the ugly paneling in the upstairs room. After 3 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint, it looked like this:

Not to shabby when you see the before and after:

Before

After

I'm so thankful to Mike for helping me paint the room. Now, we have to tackle the stairway (yikes). This is why I bought him an 8-foot ladder for his birthday!

Summer Notebook, Part 1

2009-08-13T21:15:00.000-04:00

Since I forgot to blog this summer, I thought I would catch up on some of our homeowner setbacks and successes.

Gene and Marie (Mike's pa and ma) came for a visit at the end of July. They had not seen the house since we moved in and were very excited to check it out. While our kitchen's addition looks nice, it's hard to enjoy when standing in a puddle of water ... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Their first night here we all had a good laugh at Gene's expense because there was a puddle of water in the kitchen floor. We thought he had unknowingly made a mess and left it for Marie, Mike and me to find. So we giggled and wiped it up. The next morning, after washing some dishes, there was a puddle again. Perplexed, I looked under the sink. Of course, everything was wet.

We cleaned out under the sink and dried it up.

Mike and Marie got to work taking apart all of the pipes and fittings while I tried to rinse them all out in case they were blocked. Gene slumbered peacefully.

There was no blockage. But then Mike couldn't get all the pipes back together again. Marie: "Gene, dear, wake up."

The Shop Vac was brought out. Gene and Mike tried to suck whatever was blocking the drain out of the pipes. Didn't work. We go down in the basement and freak out because the pipe flows into the basement's concrete floor and beyond to only God knows where under that.

Church has to be attended and discussion of drain-o, plumber's crack and Morgantown sewage system ensues.

After church, it is decided that the pipe in the basement has to be cut in two. Gene and Mike get to to it and discover the blockage is most likely above the concrete (Whew!)

Enter the Shop Vac again. It sucked out this:

I admit, it looked like celery and onion pieces (my doing) stuck with some bread dough (Mike's strombolis). We're both guilty. Or, maybe, just me. Who knows. But we got a stern talking to from Mamma Marie on the ins and outs of using a garbage disposal.

Just a quick trip to Lowe's and Mike and Gene had the pipe in the basement back to working order. All were happy and dishes could once again be washed.

Get a Home Warranty!

2009-08-12T16:12:00.000-04:00

Heading into the last hurrah of summer, Mike and I and our little bungalow received a new air conditioning unit today. I haven't been home yet, but I'm told it cools the house very quickly. We had a quick fix for the summer months in the form of a leak repair, but now we have a brand spanking new AC. Since ours would have been 20 years old in October, this is a good thing. Thank you, home warranty!! You've out done yourself.

I promise to write more on here more frequently. I've been a bad blogger this summer.

Freezer Defrosting made easy

2009-06-15T11:15:00.001-04:00

Mike and I came up with a full proof method for defrosting your freezer. Just leave the door slightly ajar and leave for 3 days. Works great!

No pictures for this demo. Sadly, I was too busy cleaning up raw chicken juice to grab the camera.

In other news, the home warranty is helping out b/c the AC isn't working too well. We get that checked on Wednesday. The new kitchen cabinets are in, but no hardware up on them and the counter top was cut wrong. We are waiting on a new one and a piece of glass for our display cabinet. Pics will be posted when the scene is finished. :)

Everything's coming up roses ... and some Lilo highlights

2009-05-26T11:05:00.001-04:00

The rose bush in front of the porch bloomed and it is pink! We also have a bunch of crazy wild roses growing on both sides of the house. And some peonies, too!

Lilo was also outside much of the weekend and enjoyed playing with Mike and me. She is just too cute:

Here she is laying on Grandpa Al's adirondack chair.

Lilo has a favorite spot in the yard when it is sunny and hot. She likes to lay under the Catawba tree on the hill and observe the neighborhood.

Here she is smiling with daddy.

Mike swears she uses this leaf as a disguise over her face while she is pursuing her prey.

A girl's gotta eat. And what's better than eating out of doggie Fiestaware?

Meet Lilo!

2009-05-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to introduce Ms. Lilo Ruebea Casazza. (That's like "Ruby," only it stands for Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur.)

Blanche Deveraux would definitely approve of her pink scarf. Not sure Mike does, though.

You may think she looks a little different from the puppy picture seen here before. That's because Lilo is that puppy's sister. The previous puppy made a run for it and was never seen again, so we decided to adopt her sister.

Lilo is a sweetie. So far she has been enjoying chewing her froggie toy and chasing scents in the backyard. She is not a big fan of her leash (even though it is a cute hibiscus Hawaiian print) and she is still getting used to the idea of her crate.

Here she is in the car ride home. She found the most comfort lying on top of me.

The Media Room

2009-05-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

The flat panel TV has been on the wall for a few months. It is now accompanied by a nice shelf, courtesy of IKEA, Mike and Jay.

Mike and Jay cut a hole in the wall inside the closet to the left of the TV to gain access to the attic and the wall behind the TV. They installed the shelf (making sure it is attached to studs) and deftly concealed all electrical chords. A few decorative touches later, and voila!

Now, if only someone would paint that darn paneling we would have a nice looking room!

Short Street in Bloom

2009-05-09T16:46:00.000-04:00

A nice Saturday on Short Street begged for the camera. Enjoy! We certainly are!

Red azaleas (and one bright pink one) line our front porch. A jubliant "Welcome" flag blows in the breeze.

What is the name of this flower growing in front of our porch? I have no clue, but it's cool.

Hostas, Lilies of the Valley and a yellow flower (no clue, I'm not a green thumb) are abundant on the left side of the house.

Hot pink azaeleas are on the right side of the house. They remind me of Grandma Annie.

This is the rose bush in front of the porch. I think they are going to be either pink or red. Can't wait to see!

Mike is proud of the garden he made along the garage wall (in the first picture of the gardener above). We both enjoy mowing the lawn ... we just hate cleaning up the trimmings.

Pondering the roots of our ceiling

2009-04-22T12:46:00.000-04:00

I daydream a lot about the perfect Crafstman style bungalow. Ours is a representation of it, but of course, not my dream. Those who know me know I suffer from that horrendous "the grass is always greener ..." disease. Our bungalow is wonderful, but couldn't it be slightly bigger? Couldn't it have a dining room with a built-in buffet? Couldn't it have a staircase in the front of the house with bookshelves built underneath? Couldn't it have more windows? Blah blah blah ...

In my musings I look for ways to improve our bungalow and bring it up-to-speed with its roots and style. I try to forget about the painted wallpaper walls because they really are OK for now. Instead, I want to look for future projects for Mike and me, the kind that have their own line item in a budget (i.e., "Ceiling").

Look at this image from a Mission style bungalow, circa 1920. I found it from this site: http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/rsimages.shtml

Ignore the beatiful light fixture hanging over the dining table. We have no space for that. But notice the ceiling's beams. I love them and think we can do something similar in our living/dining room. The plaster is quite old and cracked, so it needs to be redone at some point anyway. And I would be more than happy to get rid of the horrendous ceiling fan currently taking up residence there.

Check out this modern version of a similar ceiling as well as its light fixtures:

I'm convinced something like this, but on a much smaller scale, can be accomplished in our living/dining room. But we need to get the additional kitchen cabinets hung and the basement room framed out before thinking about a ceiling and it's ceiling fan that are not giving us any problems right now.

What's in a name?

2009-04-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

Mike and I will welcome this little lady to our family in about a month. We have some ideas for her moniker, but we're wondering what you might suggest. We think she is adventurous, but we need to get to know her a little bit better before bestowing a name upon her. Any ideas?

The one where Mike takes a tumble

2009-04-19T23:10:00.000-04:00

The one alarming home owner expense I just hadn't anticipated was for a ladder. How six feet of aluminum could cost $75 totally blew my mind (sadly, I'm over such sticker shock now). And so it was I was grateful when my parents offered me one when they visited ... the weekend after we moved.

Rule N0. 187: Don't accept hand-me-down ladders.

I decided to get domestic Friday and clean the windows. A few required the ladder. Toward the end of the day -- and I believe it was getting windy -- I carefully placed the ladder in a barren flower bed atop some soft mulch. It was the fourth time I'd done it that afternoon so, no, it's not like I didn't know what I was doing.

The ladder was set up so it was parallel with the house. As I climbed it, the house was to my right. I reached across the ladder and to my right to reach a corner and noticed the weak side you're not supposed to climb was basically dying. The left leg was digging into the mulch. The right side was slipping. The ladder was falling away from the house. As the ladder tipped, I quite clearly understood I was in trouble.

I was six feet in the air and our house is on a small hillside. I decided to leap and flap my arms and run in place. The last thing I really remember is my cell phone chiming to tell me I had a new text message. Then I was on the ground.

A few things to note here. The ladder is destroyed. The bracket you see is bent at a bad angle. The bracket you can't see is broken. The thin left leg is mangled. Second, that ladder is pretty damn far from the side of the house and the flower bed I was planted in, so I'm not exaggerating the tumble/leap here. Lastly, my wife actually photographed this.

What's missing from that photo is the scattering of my cell phone, sunglasses and the bottle of Windex, all of which were about 10 feet away in different directions. It was like when Brendan Gleeson jumps from the tower in "In Bruges."

Also gone? About 45 seconds from my memory. I was dazed. My sunglasses were knocked off my face and I obviously bumped my head somewhere along the way. When I snapped out of it, I remembered having heard my ankle pop when I landed. Then I realized my ankle was really, really hurting. Then I remembered the only other time I heard something pop was when I tore meniscus and broke my fibula two years ago. Scared, I expected to see my ankle in some weird contortion. Yet there was no bone poking through my sock and no holy-crap-look-at-that break. I was actually able to move it, though not without pain. I got myself inside and feebly called for help. We then laughed.

I'm happy to report I'm only limping. Friends of mine in medicine figure I probably just strained some tendons and ligaments. Nothing serious. Just a minor ache and some lumps, swelling and ugly scrapes on my knees. I figure I'll be fine when softball starts next Monday. Either that or this episode will be my excuse when I pop weakly to left field.

You shoulda seen the other guy!