All Things EARTH... part 2

[Anita Latte]

Just have to share because I feel like such THE WOMAN right now.

 

Today...I replaced my dryer's support drum rollers. TA DA!

 

Oh yeah. And now the horrible thumping sound it was making is ALL BETTER.

 

Seriously though...we've sold the washer and dryer (among other things) to the incoming tenant and with the increase in that noise I was horrified at the thought of the condition that it was in. A little bit of research. Some YouTube videos. $23 in parts. And the dryer is like new again. Woo hoo!

[Sailor_Sally]

Wow ! Everybody has been so busy.

Margaret , That was a great paddle boarding picture .I know people paddle board here but not as frequently since all the lakes have gators in them.I love furniture shopping . I have to look forever than suddenly I will find exactly what I want . Last year I bought a white sofa . It is plain but the pillows I added really make it beachy .

Anita, Good luck with the move and your new project . I love to see redone furniture .

Laurie , Your trip looked like a lot of fun . I always enjoy Boston. I really like visiting cities .I think it is because living in Florida I am beached out .

Melody , You are making an amazing recovery.

We are still on track for going to Cuba even if the rules change we are just under the 90 day wire .We are also trying to plan next year's trip . Gary's youngest son is getting married so we have to find out the dates before we can make any plans.

[awhfy]

Anita, the only thing you might have an issue with your knee on the paddleboard is getting from your knees to a standing position. I've found I can't do that as it puts too much stress on the foot & it collapses. I get on the board from the shore in a standing position & just go. If my foot gets too tired (or the water's too rough) I just sit on the board & become a quasi kayak! As long as I'm on the water I'm really happy. I've paddleboarded several times in open ocean as well (Hawaii & Ft Myers) & did well. My great nieces (in FL) asked me to teach them. The dog (Great Dane) that was the beach house caretakers dog liked to ride with me on the board, his owner said it was because I had a smooth stroke. I wish I could find that picture, we both looked very happy!

 

I don't know if I shared the pictures of our daughter's new patio home, she has decorated it beautifully (many redone pieces & things from pallets) . Melody

 

 

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[laurspag]

Anita, how are you going to do laundry? Is there a laundry in the building where you will be renting? All this stuff you have going on, and my main concern is doing laundry. Honestly, I couldn't do it. I try to be open minded and flexible, but I must have a washer and dryer readily accessible. In my house our apartment or whatever.

 

Yes, that is a shirt. It was a find I made at Marshalls. There are some great earthy colors in it. The background is fire, but not a strong fire color. I can get away with things like this, it seems. It is very comfy. One thing I just loved about it as that I can just criss cross the straps on a regular bra and make it into a racerback, and you can't really tell. It only showed in a picture or two.

 

That is a big thing with me lately, but I'm really liking shirts that show my shoulders.

 

Anita, I have both a living room and family room. These days, most people will say that is too much unused space. While the living room doesn't get the use it once did, we still use both rooms a lot. There are four adults here, plus two small dogs and a cat. Sometimes, I find that EVERYONE is on the sofa in the family room. It's kind of nice to just get up, and sit in the living room. No TV, maybe I'll listen to some music. It has a huge picture window facing our backyard, and behind that is a field. So it's peaceful.

 

I have a dining room too, and there are times when my older daughter will just bring her books in there and do her homework. I use it every single Sunday, even if we aren't eating anything "fancy". I love the room and believe in using it.

 

I told you my older daughter went back to school full time, will still working 30+ hours a week, right? She's doing great. I'm very proud of her.

 

And kudos to you, Anita, for fixing the dryer yourself! I know the feeling...I replaced the faucet in the half bath a few weeks ago, and was so proud of myself. :D You can save a bundle this way.

 

Paddleboarding intrigues me, but I don't really live close enough to water to consider it, and the bodies of water I am close to are not really ideal for it.

 

Melody, your daughter's new home looks great. I think that light fixture over the table looks great!

[laurspag]

So lets see if I can get day of two of Boston in here before our storm comes.

 

We took our time in the morning. We decided to head down to the aquarium. We got off the train in the required area - the Haymarket Square drop off. We were looking at this big street map they had when we noticed the Freedom Trail. So we thought maybe we should do that instead. It was one of those things - I don't think we knew what we wanted to do, but I don't think we really wanted to go to the aquarium.

 

Straight ahead of us was this great farmer's market. There were a ton of people there getting fresh produce and the like.

 

 

When we were getting closer to it, we noticed a really beautiful garden across the street. So naturally, we had to go check it out. It was like that expression "oh look, a squirrel!" we were totally winging it.

 

 

 

 

Then we noticed there was a park. This is where I realized how much differently city people utilize their outdoor space.

 

[laurspag]

Here's a picture of me, and as you can see, I'm decked out for the game already. The weather was spot on perfect. it was not hot, but warm. And it was not humid. The sun was shining, and it was a perfect day to walk around.

 

 

So now we were ready to explore The Freedom Trail. They make it super easy to do, as there is a brick path built into the sidewalk and you just follow it.

 

The sites are endless...There is the North Church, the statue honoring Paul Revere, all sorts of things:

 

 

 

[laurspag]

One thing that is really cool is that all the little side streets you travel are filled with restaurants and pastries shops, the majority of which is Italian. We were getting hungry, and it was almost 2. We decided it was an ideal time for a late lunch and found this wonderful gem of a place to eat. I'm going to have to post those pictures separately, as they are on my phone.

 

We eventually went back to the hotel to freshen up, then we headed over to Fenway. There is nothing like seeing your favorite team, having great seats, and having them win.

 

 

 

 

[laurspag]

If you look closely at the big screen, you will see "win, dance, repeat" going on. My husband took this picture, while I got a video with my phone. Sweet!

 

 

We actually walked back to the hotel after the game, It is not that far. But I think one thing that surprised me is how the Fenway area is very much alive and active after the game, but you walk a few blocks away, and everything is just closed. So our celebratory beverage we were going to get on the way back didn't happen. Even the hotel bar was closed by 11!

 

But we had so much fun, and didn't get a chance to see nearly as much as we wanted. Hey, we were in Boston and didn't even get a chance to get near the water!

[laurspag]

Pics from lunch...

 

 

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[awhfy]

Laurie. The farmers market is by Faneuil Hall & is the oldest continuously operated open market in the US. The garden is the beginning of the Public Gardens, if you'd continued into it you would've come across the Swan Boats. Great Italian food in Boston! Glad you enjoyed your visit!

 

Karin went with industrial for her lighting & she has tons of works exposed clocks. That light over her table took 5 of us (& 2 newly installed steel beams in the rafters) to hang. It weighs a ton! Melody

 

 

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[Anita Latte]

Love all the pics Laurie! I've been thinking about how we could get back up north for another trip. There is so much to see and do up there. Amtrak has 3 different train routes that we could take. Just to do it, I want to get one of the roomettes with the two bed? Just to do it. Sadly, the timing isn't ideal for traveling north with that idea. It's the southbound route that would pick us up in the evening and drop us off the next morning somewhere in Florida...

 

Fun things to think about.

 

The apt building has washers and dryers in every unit that is included in rent. The unit that we are leasing has stackable ones. The big question is whether or not they are full sized units that stack or if it's one of those combo appliances. It's not a deal breaker either way. I'm just grateful that we don't have to move ours. The less we move the better.

 

The boxes are all in the house. I packed empty wardrobe boxes and other larger boxes with other boxes...I've been sorting those out this morning. And getting those sorted into the different areas where the things are. I am wondering how I'm going to deal with all the boxes in NC. Not that I'm concerned...I saved all my boxes when I lived in a small one bed 415 sq ft apt...I'm sure I'll find a way!

 

Trying to maximize the usefulness of the rooms in a house is something that has fueled my furniture rearranging for years. Living in the suburbs, and trying to live in the better school districts, we usually end up in a house that has more rooms and square footage than we really need...but we are also beholden to whatever the renter's market has in supply. I've been reading Memoirs of a Geisha (it's my current bath time novel)...if it was made into a movie, I never saw it. I'm not far into it, so no spoilers! But anyway...in the book one of the responsibilities of the main character is to stack or somehow move the sleeping futons out of the way each day.

 

I think to myself that, when you live in a small space...a bed really does take up a lot of floor space that becomes unusable during the day. I don't want to move my bed each morning and evening but just the concept of having an open space that you can move things into and out of for use is one that I'm embracing in our new apt. An example would be exercise...and moving things into and out of the area for exercising...whether that's a yoga mat or a rack of free weights.

 

Melody...we have that same table that the blonde girl is coloring? on. They called it a laptop table in Pier 1...and I love it, so useful. Among other things...I usually do my nails on it! All the touches of the industrial are very interesting. I noticed all the blankets everywhere...I have the same thing. I bought a blanket rack through a horse supply catalog. It's intended to hang in a barn or stall and be a place for horse blankets, but it works really well in living spaces for couch blankets! Just sharing because no one who saw it in use had ever heard of such a thing before...

[awhfy]

Lexy calls that her homework table (when she doesn't want to be downstairs at her craft table. We all have tons of blankets/throws. Karin made quilt racks when she was in high school (yes, she took shop) & we have one. Very useful. Probably a lot like the blanket rack.

 

 

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[Sailor_Sally]

Melody , I am crazy about your daughter's light fixture .

[awhfy]

Sally, she probably got it on Amazon Prime or Wayfair. She has a single matching lamp over her front door. I can ask her where she got it if you're interested. Melody

 

 

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[Sailor_Sally]

Melody, Thanks but even though I love it . It just would not look as nice in my house .

[awhfy]

Sally. It wouldn't work in mine either

 

 

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[Anita Latte]

I think the reason I like packing so much is because it's like doing 3D puzzles all day long!

 

And I'm not being sarcastic...I actually ENJOY packing!

 

I'm tackling the kitchen first. Which might seem odd considering how much time we have...but I realized that we bought a set of dishes for DH for his apt...and if we use those, I can totally pack all my dishes!! I have in mind what I personally call the essential kitchen...the absolute minimum needed for about a month's worth of kitchening...including dishes, cookware, and tools. It's like making the decision that in fact I will not use a crock pot for the next month...and so they get packed, etc.

 

Usually resulted in a kitchen that is so much easier to keep clean too...

 

Melody...I used to have something I called a quilt rack. It was like a freestanding piece of furniture. If her racks are like towel bars...then we are talking about the same thing. The blanket racks I'm referring to are more like a towel bar in a bathroom, I think they might even be called a blanket bar...with enough distance between the bar and the wall to hang several blankets. They vary in look, but most are of the iron variety, to be sturdy and withstand the elements in a barn...I thought it seemed in keeping with the industrial touches in her home. Sadly...the house we've been living in for the past 3 years has chair rails in so many of the rooms, which can be lovely, but makes it difficult to hang the blanket bar because the rail is interferes with functionality of the bar.

[Anita Latte]

I found this person today and I just have to share:

 

http://sarahrenaeclark.com/2017/color-palettes-beautiful-landscapes/?utm_content=bufferb842b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

I found her on Pintrest first with the link to this post, but searching for her I discovered that she is an illustrator and in addition to color palettes, creates adult coloring pages and books. I'm in awe of the one post I linked...it reminds me of TVF and how that blogger does those inspired by art wardrobes. I'm not thinking of these landscape inspired color palettes for wardrobes...but for decorating. I have a very real opportunity here to change things up in the new loft.

 

I'll have to search through the palettes (she has many many more) to see if there is anything that includes the aqua color of the couch, the deep brown of the library wall...and crazy enough...possibly some brick red...because we have exposed brick in the loft IIRC. It sounds crazy, but you never know...

 

Or maybe I'll just have to find my own landscaping picture that includes that...there were some desert photos that might have that...anyone think of another place that might? If the aqua is always the sky...maybe flowers in a mountain meadow could be red?

 

Anyway...Margaret have you settled on a color scheme for your new living space?

[Member123]

If you have a smartphone....

 

I found what I think is an incredible app by Adobe called Adobe Capture. You import pictures into the app, even using your camera as a source. The app determines the predominant colors in the picture and displays a color palette of five colors. You have the capability of moving the color "spots" so that a different color, or tone/hue of color, is picked up. From there, you can create a color theme.

 

I found this tool because I'm having difficulty with my human eye seeing the undertones of the travertine stone that I have as flooring. I have been reading articles that say ALL travertine has a pink or peach undertone, and I just couldn't see it. Well, by gosh and by golly, by using the Adobe Capture software, the technology picked up the pink and peach undertones in a stone that I thought was predominantly brown or yellow. There you go. Nailed the reason I had such difficulty choosing the right paint color for the walls.

 

I don't think this app applies too much to wardrobe planning, which is why I didn't mention it previously. But since the topic here has made a subtle shift, I thought I'd chime in with this information. Hope it's helpful.

[Anita Latte]

What would be interesting to see with that app is what color the sofa ends up being. What kind of aqua/blue is it really...KWIM?

 

Well...the kitchen is packed. As packed as it will be until we actually move. My essential kitchen may be more well equipped than some...Anita DOES still have her latte machine out...but by and large, what remains can easily be back into their original boxes (yes, I have the original boxes for the latte machine and the Keurig...and yes, BOTH are essential;)) and the cook wear and dishes, etc., will fit in two laundry baskets which will be moved in the back of the 4Runner...and instantly, I will have a working kitchen in NC upon arrival.

 

And when I say kitchen...I also mean dining room...all such things that are stored in the buffet and cabinet are packed!!

 

AND...comparing my inventory from the last interstate move...it appears that I have reduced my kitchen/dining by about 50% since 2012....so THAT's VERY exciting.

[awhfy]

Anita, always good to downsize!

 

 

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[laurspag]

I have the theory that if you don't use it, it has to go. My husband thinks that if you use it once in the next ten yesrs, you better keep it.

 

It sounds like you have a good system planned, Anita! When do you officially move?

 

I am thinking ahead to planning our next vacation. We have our crise in September, but I always try to plan out for the next year. I need to see what ships are where now. A few people have told me to try Anthem. It sails from Bayonne.

 

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[MJC]

Laurie, if you cruise out of Bayonne you should come a day early so we can have lunch or dinner!

 

My DH and I are similar to you guys. I only want things I use and I want them handy but stowed. DH likes to hang on to things that could possibly be useful in the future (hence the big tub of various tech cables), not to mention things that he's "always had" for mysterious reasons of his own. Oddly he's not very sentimental, I think it's just familiarity. Two of our current moving points of contention are our LPs and DVDs. Of course I think we have way too many. :) I've already done a big purge on the movies, mostly mine, and he doesn't even notice. We have a wonderful thrift store nearby that supports a women's shelter, so I feel like our unused things are doing good works on their way to finding a new home.

 

Anita, I have been pondering and pondering both the color scheme and the layout of our living room. It is a 14'x17' rectangle with some odd bits. One short wall has a support beam at the entrance that makes for a shallow kind of alcove in the wall. The opposite short wall has the windows. You enter from the corner (it's a kind of an "L" with the dining area, but with a jog in the connecting part), facing the only long wall. The room kind of tells you where the sofa should go, so it's largely a matter of how much other furniture to add. Right now I'm envisioning a seating group with a sofa, chaise, and two chairs, with the sofa against the far wall, the chairs by the windows, and the chaise floating opposite the chairs. It will mostly fill the room but there will be plenty of space in the conversation area without knocking knees on things. I would like more empty space somehow, but I have to accept that I don't live in a loft. I can get empty space at the lake. :)

 

 

For the past two days I've dragged DH to numerous stores to sit on sofas. :) His experience of a piece of furniture is very different from mine, since he is so big. We like the more modern styles, but since his hip surgery he finds the lowness of them to be an issue. Right now this is the current favorite:

 

http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/living/sofas/wynwood-sofas

 

With pillows in the corners it was super comfy. I'm not happy about the chrome legs, which aren't optional, but I figure we can fashion a wood sleeve to cover them. We both like how firm the seat is, it makes it easy to get out of! I do think sometimes about how to make our place suitable for our aging selves.

 

I'm dithering about the leather option. If we get both the sofa and the chaise, that's a lot of leather in a not so large room, and a dark color like blue would be just too much for the space. So, I'm leaning toward a neutral, and possibly a fabric. But, the leather sofa we used to have held up so much better with a cat.... Our current one is microfiber but DH hates it, he doesn't like the texture and how it feels for some reason, so that is out. If we get a fabric it has to be a super tight weave and I'll have to be a lot better about trimming miss kitty's claws.

 

It also turns out the we are shopping at the end of the furniture spring season, so some things aren't available as the stores are doing clearances in preparation for fall, which comes out in early August. I remember reading once that color trends in home design follow fashion but with about a two-year lag. So, not surprising to see lots of teal and turquoise, and many of the spring off-whites and beiges have a pinkish AIR quality.

 

Pam, yesterday I picked up some small cans of paint to make boards for comparing in the actual space. I'm waiting for when the wood floor goes in to choose a color. They're up to tiling the bathrooms now and finishing up all the electrical work. There are three toilets sitting in the LR: one of the old ones, and the two new ones.:)

[awhfy]

Margaret. I agree with your DH on microfiber. We have microfiber in our LR upstairs & it's HOT! Great in the winter, but on days that are over 100 (even with ac blasting) I found myself putting a towel over the microfiber & gave up & went downstairs to the family room to stretch out on the leather sofa. The microfiber tends to be much squishier also (too much give). I'll never get microfiber again. I like the firmness & height of the leather as well. In your furniture browsing have you looked at a LazyBoy store? They're not just recliners any longer. When we were looking I found they had many more choices then regular furniture stores & prices were good.

 

Pam, I downloaded that app, looks like fun

 

Anita, when we were moving around for 22 years we didn't collect "stuff". I think I need to move again to get rid of the "stuff!!!" Melody

 

 

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[Member123]

Well, Melody.... I'm about ready to play the "if I Were Moving Game." It goes like this, "if I were moving, would I want to take this with me?" I've been playing the "oh look! A space that I can stuff this thing into!" game for quite a number of years. I think it's time.

 

I sometimes read along on a fashion forum and one of the thread titles is "You know you're a nail polish addict when...." One of the posts answers with... "you decide NOT to move your sofa because you'd have to give up too many boxes of your polish." That made me giggle.

 

Anyway, it's a thought.... How I Spent My Summer Vacation?....

 

Happy First Day of Summer to Everyone!