Puzzling Puzzle Rings of the Past

Another blast from the past hit me by total accident today while innocently (!) browsing eBay. How is it possible that I completely forgot about this ubiquitous accessory of the early 1970's among the middle school and high school set, the Puzzle Ring? You just had to have one, if only to have something to do to pass the time while waiting for attendance to be called in P.E. As I recall, there were only a limited number of different designs, so once you figured out the puzzle of your own ring, you could pretty much do any of them. I guess these were the natural progression for those of us obsessed with Cat's Cradle in the third grade. At least we never had our rings confiscated!

On a more thoughtful note, it strikes me that this item from my youth, and the happy reminiscence that it evokes, should be revealed to me today, a day of poignant and painful memories. A message, perhaps? But from whom?

Completed

Wishing you blessings and peace, today and always.

In Memory of a Dear Friend

1971:  Andrea at age 15, painted by my mother, Vivian Morse, on Snowden Lane

Five days ago, I learned the devastating news that my friend Andrea had  passed away while on vacation in Mexico.  She was swimming in the ocean, a pastime that she loved, when, inexplicably, she drowned. I've been thinking quite a bit about Andrea this week; about friendships lost and gained, the power of internet social networks,and how fragile life is.

If it hadn't been for Facebook, I most likely never would have had Andrea "back" in my life.  We grew up on the same street, in a vibrant little college town not far from New York. Her older sister used to baby-sit me, an only child, when I was in elementary school, and Andrea took up the reins when her sister left for college, sitting with me occasionally when my parents went out at night.

In the '60's and '70's, my mother belonged to a painting group that met weekly, and for one of the classes, Andrea was enlisted to "sit" or rather, stand against a tree, as a portrait subject. Two years ago, when Andrea and I first became Facebook friends, I reminded her of this portrait sitting, and she was amazed and heartened to see this painting, so many years later.  She remembered how difficult it was for her, a vivacious girl, soccer and tennis player, aspiring actress, to pose, without moving, for the several hours that the class took to paint her. Even though she was being paid her "going rate" for baby sitting, she said it was one of the most tiresome things that she had ever had to do!  At the end of the sitting, she also said that seeing the many different interpretations of her image was an eye-opener, and in most instances, quite shocking for her 15-year-old self, but that now as an adult she had a much greater appreciation for the quality of artistic expression.

Today is her memorial service, in a city many miles away.  The snow is falling here, for the first time this year, gentle snowflakes swirling above a white blanketed ground. The landscape could not possibly contrast more to that vibrantly colored painting. My heart is heavy. I will miss interacting with  Andrea on Facebook, playing our word games, and reading her comments and posts. While it seems unimaginable that she will never "speak" to me again,  I feel grateful for her memory, and for this portrait.

Bungalow Magic in Miami

Isn't this fantastic?  I just had to share this piece that I read this morning in the New York Times "Home" section.  I could live there. Honestly, if I had to live alone, this is how I would like to do it! I don't think I could persuade my husband to live in a jewel-box like this, but maybe?  I don't know if he would go for the 350 pound pig, either, but I could make an argument for the manatee. In any case, enjoy reading about this Bungalow With A Worldview, and the interesting woman who has made a life for herself there.

Thanksgiving: Floral Inspiration

It seems as if people are taking it easier this year, letting Thanksgiving happen without pre-empting it for Christmas.  I think this is wonderful, personally, and if we have the sour economy to 'thank' for it, so be it.  Getting away from the crass commercialism of the 'holiday season' can only be a GREAT thing, in my opinion.  So, in that vein, in putting together the 'look' for my Thanksgiving dining table (and, let's face it:  Thanksgiving is ALL about the dining table!), I started searching around the internet for some inspiration for a seasonal floral arrangement.  At first, I was captivated by the little bouquets in square, chunky glass vases:

These are nice for oblong tables, as you can place several of them along the center, interspersed with candles. My dining room table is round, however, so I kept looking and found this at epicurious:

The link provides instructions on how to create this look.  I don't have a short compote around the house, but I managed to find, after rummaging in the cupboard, a round brass footed planter that had long ago held a silk floral arrangment. Bonus from the same cupboard: Floral foam! My usual trip to the grocery store gleaned some nice seasonal blooms in interesting colors that I found pleasing and complementary to my dining room color scheme. I then added some dried grasses from my own garden, and the arrangement, as I interpreted it (for under $20) turned out like this:

I think it looks like a combination of the two styles. If I have time, I might cut down the stems a bit (again!) because it really should be a bit shorter if it is going to stay on the table during the meal. I'm pretty pleased with it in general, though!

Have a wonderful, safe, and comforting Thanksgiving!

Anthropology Gift-Card Giveaway from European Paint Finishes!

I'm sharing this awesome, just in time for the holidays, give-away for a $50 Anthropology gift card which is redeemable in person or on-line.  Go to European Paint Finishes to enter!

Music, Past and Present

Credits, left to right: DGW Auctioneers, Harp Gallery, Antiques Atlas

An Art Nouveau Music Cabinet renovation posted by Peeling Paint got me to thinking about this particular type of furnishing, something that was probably much more common in the Victorian home and those of the early 20th century than the average modern-day house.  I certainly never had one growing up, even though we owned a piano (and never had anywhere to keep the music, except on top of the piano itself!).  Yes, a spinet piano was usually sold with a bench that doubled as music storage, but this quickly proved inadequate, especially if someone was taking lessons.

Still wondering what the purpose of the mirror was...?

I'm not usually a fan of red, but I think this little music cabinet looks delightful done up in Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk Chalk Paint.  I wouldn't mind having it in my "music room" (aka the living room).  Speaking of which, I've gone back to my texts on Victorian life to do some research on the importance of music in the household, and found some interesting little bits and pieces, such as this website, victoriana.com.  As noted, it was the inevitable coal dust and grit associated with homes of nineteenth and early twentieth century England which necessitated a place in which to store music where it could be kept relatively clean. Having lived in a vintage 1865 London terrace house, I can only imagine that the dust levels in homes of this era must have been all but suffocating when coal was the main source of fuel.  The grit accumulation in the window sills, long after the banning of coal burning at the turn of the millennium, was alarming. 

Thanks to modern awareness, the air we breathe is clearer, but....wouldn't a beautiful cabinet to store all that sheet music be just as functional today?

A pair of more pedestrian, most likely mass-produced early 20th Century examples:
 right, Denhams Auctioneers; left,  Vintiques

A gorgeous example of Art Nouveau from  Tole Treasures

If Edwardian is more your style, there's this beauty from Wilson Antiques

Keep making music!

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To Pinch or Not To Pinch...

It's that time of year again, when the last warm days of Summer are finally giving way to cooler nights and chilly mornings, and we have to come to terms with what to do with the potted annuals that have graced our patio for the past few months.  I've read up on overwintering New Guinea Impatiens, and it seems that it can be done successfully if you pinch back at least a third (or is back to a third?) of its current size.  I just don't know if I can bear to do it!

Look at all those sweet little buds...

Well, I guess it's time to bite the bullet, and go buy some Mums...trying to avoid the inevitable never proves wise!

Enjoying this beautiful day of sunshine,

Linking My Way Around

Happy October! I've been busy....and today I thought I would try something new, for me at least, here in the blog-world:  sharing a link-party give-away.  One of the great things that I've discovered cruising around here in blog-land is the seemingly inexhaustible information and inspirational resources. So, I am going to share one here. Thanks to Amanda at Reloved Rubbish (I love that name!) and Maison De Stencils, we all have a chance to win one of the fabulous stencils such as that used on Reloved Rubbish's latest project.  Even if you're not into stencils, I think you will agree that these are pretty amazing!



Stenciled Slipcover from Reloved Rubbish

Enjoy what's left of the weekend, and good luck should you decide to enter!

Ice Box: Food for Thought

Yesterday I had a few extra minutes to slip into one of my favorite haunts:  a conveniently located furniture and household goods consignment shop.  I've gotten some beauties there before, both of the "ready to use" and "needs serious help" (See Marie-Louise ) varieties, so it's always fun to have a browse around.  One of the first things that I spotted upon entering the shop was an old fashioned ice box, which looked very much like Letter B pictured above.  It got me thinking about living life in a much simpler time. What would it have been like to have no refrigeration, and how would that have affected how one went about preparing meals, grocery shopping, caring for a family's nutrition?

A few weeks ago, during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, my family and I, as well as many others in this neck of the woods, got to experience what it's like in 21st century America to go without the comforts and benefits of electricity.  The power was out for only 26 hours, yet it was sorely obvious how much we all relied on it, especially for food preparation:  although we were able to cook on the propane grill (since the weather had turned for the favorable), the food needed to prepped and served by candlelight since the dwindling cloud cover made things very dark in the kitchen.  It made me wonder how folks managed it back in the day, and still do to this day in other parts of the world.  I've always had a fascination with social history (loved The 1900 House) and learning about the way ordinary people lived their daily lives.  Did I buy the ice box?  Not yet...

Remembering 9/11

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 (as written on September 11, 2011)

Just an ordinary weekday morning in Princeton, albeit a beautifully clear and sparkling one in the aftermath of an oppressively hot and humid Monday. The older two kids were at school, the fourth day of the school year in their new town in which we had been living barely two months.  We were back in the USA after spending the previous five years living abroad. Hayley, our four year old, was excited to be starting pre-school the next day:   Her first day of school, ever.

I was in the kitchen looking through an enormous stack of mail and paperwork for a letter that the elementary school nurse had sent home regarding Collin’s need for a TB test. He was scheduled to have one at our new pediatrician’s office that afternoon when his older sister had her physical, and I could not find the form for the life of me. I had given up looking, assuming that it had been thrown out by accident, and had called the school nurse in order to have a another copy sent home. The nurse was absent that day, I was told by the office secretary, but I could probably just have the doctor’s office complete their own form stating that my son had in fact had the required medical test. I had just hung up the phone with the school when Gavin came into the kitchen and said, “You’ve got to look at this.”

We went upstairs to the office that Gavin had carved out for himself in the attic, and I saw the television image: the tower with the airplane sticking out of it. As I was looking at it wondering, “how are they going to fix this?”, the second plane hit. Gavin asked me what I was thinking, and I clearly remember saying, “National security.”

No one knew what the hell was going on. We spent the next hours glued to the television, while simultaneously carrying-out the mundane tasks of daily existence. The little ones ate and took naps and played, blissfully ignorant of the horror. When Flight 93 went down in western Pennsylvania, I called my parents in Pittsburgh. I was so distraught that my dad must have thought that something had happened to one of us, asking me tenderly, “what’s the matter, dear?”

Time passed, but almost seemed to stand still that morning. A PTO volunteer called at one point to inform parents that the schools would remain open, and that children should remain at school until the normal dismissal time. She also asked that someone be home to either collect from school or meet the children when they got off the school bus. Later, I learned that this call was meant to ascertain if a parent was going to be home, that is, not in New York. The television remained on. We watched in disbelief as first one tower went down, then the second.

The school day was coming to a close. Gavin walked down to Johnson Park to get Collin, and I remained home with Hayley and Sean. What do you say to a seven-year-old about something that you can’t even get your own head around? A short while later, Megan came home from the middle school, her attitude callous, and almost defiant, too wrapped up in adolescent uncertainties to feel compassion and empathy, or even fear.

Since I had not yet reclaimed my driving privileges (license had expired while abroad, and I, at age 41, was waiting, like a seventeen-year-old, to take the road test a few weeks later), we all six piled into the car and headed to the pediatrician’s office. Driving down Rte 206, everything seemed normal, but yet, nothing was normal. The township offices had the flags flying at half-staff, as they would remain for weeks to come. We arrived at the doctor’s, a place where none of us had ever been (except I, once as child when my best friend came to receive a scheduled “allergy shot.”). The nurses had a small television set and a radio playing behind the reception desk, yet everything proceeded as it normally would. No one said anything about what was going on. Not a word. We filled out forms. We met the doctor. We talked about height and weight. Collin had the TB test, Megan had a vaccine, and we went home.

For the next two weeks, not a day passed that I did not at some point spontaneously break out in tears. Grief, fear, and rage, combined with a feeling of being totally disconnected, persisted as we continued to live our lives, day by day, wondering when the other shoe would drop.

With hope in my heart that there someday might be peace in this world,

It's Labor Day Weekend, Already?

Wow, here we are, post Hurricane Irene, feeling blessed that we have not suffered much damage at all.  Just a little water in the basement and the inconvenience of being without power for one day.  We are truly fortunate to be able to enjoy this Labor Day Weekend in a relaxed and contemplative mood, gearing up for school to start this Thursday. Blogspot has changed its format, and I think I am getting more at ease with it, although all the Google/Youtube stuff was kind of a mess with the log-in id's changing. Oh well, live and learn!    Soon (hopefully!) I wll be posting photos of my next project, which has a little bit of a story to it. I'm looking forward to getting started. Until then, enjoy the last days of summer!

Trying Out New Things

This is just a test post to see if I can get this livesignature thing to work.  I still can't post comments on my own blog, even using the OpenID. Weird!

Frustrating Friday!

I'm ready to call it quits here after an hour of messing around with Google blogger and not being able to correct the fact that I can't even comment on my own blog, let alone anyone else's.  I keep getting a notification that "user is not authorized to view that page." Even though I am a public follower (of my own blog!). I just don't get it. So, if you have come to this page, and are kind enough to leave a comment, if you can enlighten me as to what steps I need to take in order to be "authorized" and join in the blog-world, please do! Many thanks, and have a great weekend!

Marjorie

Presenting: Marie-Louise. Ta-DAH!

There's a neat little pull-out shelf that Mr I was instrumental in re-installing

Yes, I named "her." It's hard not to when you spend so much time with a thing, being intimate, as it were.  At first, I referred to her as "Marie," for obvious reasons, then as time progressed, I found myself singing that old Charles Boyer hit "Every Little Breeze Seems To Whisper Louise," and so, there you have it.  Finally finished the little darling and I am posting the after shots along with a few "befores."  A 1960's era French Provincial gets a 21st Century make-over using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Wax, plus a few other materials (We won't get into the chains and garden tools.  You already know about the coffee and dirt).  All in all, I'd say I'm quite pleased with my first attempt at using chalk paint!  My eye has begun roving, searching the house for my next victim...


We started with this factory-finish "antique" white paint with heavy gilding, purchased at a local consignment shop, looking like it came out of any one of a thousand little girls' bedroom sets:

Gilding. Subtle like a sledge hammer.

The photo makes the piece seem whiter than it actually was.  The true color was a dingy cream

Now, a one of a kind hand-painted beauty

Thanks for viewing!

PS September 22, 2011:  For those who are interested, the ASCP paint colors are Emile and Old White on the drawers, Old White with a coat Versailles ragged over on the sides and shelf. I also used a tinted wax (Old White) on the drawers, and dark wax on the sides and shelf. ~M~

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wax on, wax off, dark wax on, dark wax off, white wax on...

I've been waxing and polishing, and doing more of the same.  The thing is almost done. Almost...

Working, working, working

Still working on the little dresser "Marie Louise."  Coming very close to completion: the drawers were painted and waxed today, and I am now happy with my decision to incorporate the grey-green "Versailles" into the color scheme.  Perhaps a reveal tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Transformation progress photos

How we started...factory paint finish

As of this morning: Paint sanded off, distressed, coffee and dirt-stained

I have since applied the first coat of the Minwax Woodsheen (mixed Plantation Walnut with Manor Oak) and am waiting the proscribed two hours in order to apply the second coat.  Chalk Paint should be arriving today....

Let's have another cup of coffee, and get to staining

Today I tried my hand at coffee staining.  On purpose.  Took some coffee grounds fresh from Mr Insouciant's afternoon brew and rubbed them all over the freshly sanded top of the dresser I'm renovating for my daughter.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

In search of hardware

Now that I'm gearing up for some serious DIY furniture revamping, I've been on the hunt for materials to complete the projects.  I'm awaiting a shipment of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (which I can't wait to try!) in order to redo an old French chest of drawers for my younger daughter's room, and it's got me thinking seriously about the dresser that's been in my bedroom for the last 27 years.  It was in no great shape, but passable and inexpensive, when I bought it way back in 1984 at a consignment shop while sharing a house with a group of fellow recent college graduates:

 My first furniture purchase!



 Resale and Consigmment, Hope Street, Stamford, Connecticut

I knew even then that refinishing it, even professionally (which I could not dream of affording at that time) would be practically impossible given the veneer and decorative molding and painting, so I just let it sit and deteriorate over the next several decades.

Missing bits and pieces

The dresser has been in daily use, and several of the drawer pulls have been MIA for quite some time now.  It's actually ridiculous that I have not replaced it, but how can I part with something that I have owned all my adult life, and which has accompanied me all around the world, from Stamford, Connecticut to Japan, to England, and again back to the States?  There's way too great an emotional attachment to ever just give it away! So, now that I've found the chalk paint....can I find replacement drawer pulls?  The problem is that the current handles, which are sort of a neo-classical design, are 3 1/2" apart on center.  My quest: find ready-made drawer pulls to fit so that I don't have to fill the current holes and redrill!

Very sad indeed

I couldn't resist any longer....

So, I created this blog.  Welcome to my as yet unknown followers!