sittin’ pretty

We love to surround ourselves with things that have had an entire life that we don’t know about – always looking for something that has a history or a story that we may not know - it makes for good conversations and lets our imaginations run wild.  So when we were looking for some furniture for our patio, we were hoping to find some storied pieces.  We got lucky.  We found an old set of iron chairs and a table at Olde Good Things (a really cool spot if you don’t know it – the website doesn’t do justice to how cool the actual shop is).  The people there gave us the back story and they’re from Buenos Aires (probably the vibrant area of La Boca port).

They definitely needed a little restoration (which you can see below – and btw – rust reformer works amazingly if you ever have to do something with rusted iron), but we’re always up for a challenge.

The final product is so fulfilling and we love them and happy they have become the spot to enjoy a good, relaxing conversation.

summer jobs

Now that summer is here (how awful was that humidity this past weekend?!?) our attention has turned to the Great Outdoors.  We are reaping the benefits of last years accomplishments (the installation of an entire backyard DIY-style) and trying to get all of the other little things done this summer so next year we can enjoy it with our little Peanut.

We also are once again amazed by the power of Google, who not only consistently satisfies our need for instant gratification by providing answers to the strangest of questions, but has now even aided in helping us design our house.  Check out Google Sketchup when you have a moment – some screen shots below are what we’ve been using it for (also shows all of the other little things we have planned for this summer).  It’s much more powerful than what we are showing (ours is not even to scale – just very rough at this point as we are novices getting to know the program – but it is free).  It beats drawing everything by hand, that’s for sure.  As you can see, our project over the next few weekends is a pergola over our deck.

Can’t wait to finally enjoy a summer lemonade under it.

window pain

We promised that we would follow-up on a post from a couple of months ago – and here it is.  The stained glass course came to an end and we’ve finally displayed the final project.  It was A LOT more work than expected (lots of learning by trial and error), but in the end it all paid off.

We strategically selected the colors and design to match and complement the first floor bathroom.  Now that it’s complete, it makes a wonder of difference in that room – giving a truly unique feel and focal point.

Now, one of us is trying to convince the other to create more so that we can integrate it into doors and windows throughout the house (practice makes perfect!)…

spring rejuvenation

We took a recent trip to Buffalo to visit the family. While there, we FINALLY were able to make it to Buffalo Reuse. We’ve been dying to get here for a couple of years, but every time we are in town it seems to be a holiday and their hours of operation never seem to coincide with ours.
But, at last, we made it…and it was so worth the wait.
First off, it was much bigger than we thought and much more stocked full of treasures that will now transform our home moving forward. From solid oak doors with stained glass windows to chandeliers and wall sconces made of solid brass.
This trip, however, we are elated to finally have found the tin for our kitchen ceiling. It was amazing how much of it they had – different sizes, patterns, etc. Here is what we went with:

Next step is stripping the lead-based paint (which is going to be a job), then revitalizing it to get it back to its original form.

This is a cafe in the area that purchased some that was similar and did the same rejuvenation process:

We are so excited about this and can’t wait to get started.

We also never thought we’d be so excited to plan another road trip up to Buffalo.

Next stop, refinished barn door with vintage hardware for all of our closets.

turning the tables

We have a short list of “wanted” items that we keep as we come across flea markets/estate sales/yard sales, etc.  One of those items is an old gramophone that is in good working condition.  After a couple of recent, frustrating hard drive failures, we’re beginning to realize that maybe this digital revolution isn’t so cool after all.  We find ourselves longing for an old fashioned photo album or even snapping some real polaroids (not the cheesy iPhone app ones – can you tell we’re bitter).

Anyway, we did come across this, which might be the next best thing in our gramophone hunt.  It’s an actual DIY kit (which is cool in itself), relatively cheap and the right size.  Plus you can record yourself to albums and even old CD’s.  If we do get one, we’ll be sure to follow-up with how well it works.  ’Til then…

birth some earth

It’s been forrrrrrever since our last post and feeling really mad about it.  I guess sometimes you have to prioritize your life and A LOT has been going on recently that has needed our extra focus.  We figured, though, that today would be a great day to get back into the swing of things since it’s Earth Day.

So, check out this pretty cool book that we recently spotted.  I think it would be pretty cool to beautify  all the void and neglected spaces around us, even if it doesn’t belong to us.

More to come soon, promise.

welcoming color

It’s been way too long since our last post, but crazy work schedules, a holiday and a bad cold have been barrier to us spending the needed time writing.

The weather has been exceptional, though, and we have spent part of the time doing the Spring clean-up of our yard.  While cleaning up, we noticed that Winter definitely took a toll on the exterior cosmetics of our house.  Our door frames need a new coat of paint badly (which means sanding and priming, ugh)…but it also got us to thinking…should we add a little more curb appeal and our front door a new color while we’re at it?  If so, what is the right color?  What do you think? (see examples of color options below)