I Guess I'll Start With Lust

Who will go to this with me?
I MUST have something from the Dominick Dunne estate. I'm totally fine if it's a letter opener, or like a half box of kleenex. I have an irrational level of love for Sir DD. Can't explain it.

For Next Year...

OK, so it's too late for this year but you guys have to see these. My friend Gretchen Kelly (a daily painter here in Hudson, see link on right), is selling holiday cards that are prints of some of her house portraits with little glittery accents sprinkled here and there. So fantastic!


Can you imagine commissioning a house portrait and then having few hundred cards of it printed up? I can't think of anything more chic.
As soon as the front of my house is an ounce or two less fugly, I'm doing it. I'd send that Christmas card out year after year.
These are just doors, she's great at little peaks into worlds like this - but her formal house portraits are more complete.

Just wanted to share the pretty.

Weekend Yard Project

Even though I should be blogging for one of my paying gigs right now. I'd rather show off a little proj progress from the long weekend. It was such a nice break. We worked like crazy in the yard, but also had some awesome home cooked dinners with friends, and walked to a gorgeous double waterfall nearby. But I digress.

Here's the deal. I snapped up this table and chair set at my favorite affordably priced Warren Street haunt (there are a few I promise!) Carousel.
When I bought it, the chairs were white vinyl.
Ick.
Sticky summer legs, where do I sign up. Right?
Anyway - I'll probably put a clear coat over them so they don't continue to chip and rust. I like the current ratio.
Before...


After (one is an armchair and one is a side)
I'm not super awesome with the upholstery projects yet - I don't suggest starting with stripes btw - but I'm happy with it even if they are a little wiggly.



The cuteness comes together.



The over all sitation:
What you don't see is the huge pile of crappola including but not limited to posts with huge concrete globs on them (deck carcass), tons of rotten wood, three (why) rusty propane tanks, snarled metal fencing etc. etc. etc. that was piled up directly behind this little patch of concrete paradise. That's cause we lugged it outa there!



The yellowish grass is where it lurked.



Ok so maybe this IS too many pictures.
Whatever. It took a long friggin time people, so please humor me.




Bernie loves it - so there.



I made a little DIY firepit out of some of the pretty antique bricks we had. I salvaged these from one of the "chimneys to nowhere" that we took down from the roof when we had it repaired. Note to self, find out city fire laws.
I've seen other neighbors with firepits but God knows I live my life in fear of a scolding, so I'll have to check.



Here's where all the stuff is now - cause I know you wondered.
Note: Alleys are rad!



Here's more of it.
Sometimes things take a long time around here becaue Rainman loves him some organization. But I look the other way because I have found over time that his methods generally pay off.



Anyway - we will probably lay flagstone on top of the little cement patch - or box it in and pour pea gravel. Either of those would be preferable to cement. And both will be fairly simple to do since we don't have to level anything.
But this will do for now.

And after all that Joe mowed


So there's the dirt patchy, former pool area on the right and the cement island on the left. The former home owners sure loved to break up flow. If you are wondering what the heck's up with the rusty pole center frame, why it's half of the gigantic clothes line that diagonally cuts across the lawn.
We know.
It's next on the chopping block.
Joe's totally looking forward to digging out the concrete pilings holding it in place.

More soon!

The House as a Psychiatric Diagnostic Tool

You know how sometimes a simple drive by can tell you all kinds of fascinating information about the inhabitants of a particularly house?
Here are a few around town that I snapped on a recent walk.
In my mind, I see a psychiatrist with a stick drawing of a house rather than a Rorschach blot. He makes notes on the image (i.e.) gaudy flower pots speak to impending dementia...
You dig?

Let's play!

House # 1:
a. a clear case of ADD
b. a simple case of the fuck-its no meds required.

Another view for the people. I can't say that the color scheme isn't brilliant, because it manages to be all dressed up and waiting for flag day way way way in advance.
But I kinda think the owners need to take a good hard look in the mirror and admit to their inner-most selves that the 30 minute beer break they took in 2004 is officially over, and now it's time to finish painting that sum bitch.

House # 2
House #2 has so much going on that I need to feed it to you in teensie bite-size pieces lest you stop finding this exercise entertaining and start shaking your head and calling me a heartless bitch.
note 1: the use of unconventional materials as porch support. This could be a sign of:

a. an artistic spirit and/or rich Appalachian heritage
b. Schizophrenia (OK, I'm stretching a bit but note the semi-visible political sign)

note 2: A variety of exciting trim colors on the porch mouldings
a. A super artistic spirit, JEEZ! Why are you so judgmental?
b. Bipolar disorder - Happy Paul likes green, Sad Paul likes blue.

note 3: Roofing Is Fun - a still life.
a. Bipolar - (mania) I'm going to re-roof the porch! No, wait, I'm going to make my own yogurt! No, wait, I'm going skiing (note waiting skis)
b. Schizophrenia - voices told him to re-tar the roof or else the President would die.


Talk amongst yourselves. Leave your votes in the comment section s'il vous plait.


You can only see a bit of it in these shots - but the next door neighbor's house is f'n immaculate. I feel for them, whoever they are. Sorry folks, all the white picket fences in the world can't draw the eye away from the fact that you live Pippi Longstocking adjacent.

Catch Up Posts: Veterans Day

Member how Michelle Obama said that this was the first time in her adult life that she'd felt truly proud of her country? And all manner of shinola hit the proverbial fan?
Listen now, I love America and all. But even thought I had two colonel Grandfathers, I've never been one to get all moved by Veterans Day.
But I don't know guys. something happened to me during the election I think, and I got weirdly patriotic.
I was covering a parade and ceremony for VD and I seriously got kinda teary and had to put on a huge pair of sunglasses while I scribbled in my little reporter notebook.
Here are some pics. Such a pretty town when you get right down to it.
There were rifle solutes involved.
Click to expand.

An Epic Entry To Catch You Up

Well, it's been what... 12 days? It feels like a frigging lifetime. So here's an epic entry to catch everyone up. I started work at the paper - here are a few cover stories I got in my first week. Turns out it's not a quaint little paper. It's a crazy,, hectic little paper. I've been working my ass off and to tired to do anything fun or frivolous after work. hence the blog draught.
But the people are rad and I'm learning a lot. So the good outweighs the ass kicking.


One thing you gotta love about Hudson, the people are friggin hilarious. here are a few "brides" at the Second Show Thrift Shop - they were having a sale to benefit the local hospital. I just totally dug these ladies.

These two called themselves Muffy and Puffy Chardonnay.


This one was mail order...I'm missing Joe like a mofo. He sent me Halloween flowers though - how adorable is that. Here they are. he said they were called something ridic like Autumn explosion. Could he be any more awesome?

My Dad sent me some really cool chairs. They are very mid century - and I tend to like things that were made about 50 years before that - but these are so cool that I'm making an exception. do you like what a gracious receiver I am? Ha! Anyway, they are super comfortable. I may get them reupholstered at some point in a traditional fabric. Thanks Dad. These rule and I know Joe is gonna appreciate them because the no-arms thing makes guitar playing easy. This one is a little dark - Bernie was like what the f's up yo? Why would you ever want to take a picture that I'm not in?
This is Rob and his fairy prince of a son Finn. this kid is so cute it hurts my ovaries. I get to run into these two every other day. Cause that's how it is here. It aint large folks.
Thank god there are so many cool people here.


here's a glimpse of the gorgeous scenery that I happened to snap a shot of after this weird press conference that I had to cover. This looks like one of Dawn's paintings. mmmmmmmm. So relaxing.

Whew! Well, more soon. But that's the gist of it.
love love.
Will be posting more decor related stuff this week. Swear!

Where I've Been

Hi all - sorry to have neglected the blog. Trust me - it's one of my favorite things to do so you gotta know that if I haven't been around its because life has been kicking my a*#. I've been busy trying to hustle all manner of sidejobs and then taking breaks to panic. By the by, if anyone you know needs a press release, bio, obit, Ebay listing, entire book, TV pilot idea or greeting card written, please... by all means let me know.
I called a total time out this week and went up to Hudson with Bernie in tow for a 24 hour mental health break. It helped like you wouldnt believe.
So anyway - I'm back!
H.

You Know You Are In A Small Town When....

the hair salon is called Hairy Situation



Do you think they have enough signage?


I don't know about you but these Nagel girls in the window make me wanna get a tan.
Hairy exhibit B... Hair We Are.



Ok so this is not a hair salon but it totally belongs under the dorky/punny name umbrella.

Emergencies are welcome. Um... great. So there's that.

Stale Blog Entries

I'm gonna just put up the things that have been clogging up my "tobeblogged" pile.
Please do not complain if you find them to be crusty.

Here are a few shots i took at this awesome barbecue we went to up in Hudson on Memorial Day. There was a really sweet little girl there who was in love I MEAN LOVE with Bernie. As you can see Bernie is very good at enforcing his personal boundaries. But it kinda looks like they are slow dancing prom style.