tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627880658359966822024-03-05T17:13:21.833-05:00After-Dinner DesignAn ongoing blog following a young married couple as they renovate their railroad apartment in Brooklyn, New York and a crazy falling down farmhouse up in the Catskills. Both husband and wife work full-time jobs each day, so almost all of their projects will be squeezed into any free second each night and every weekend. Hence the name: After-Dinner Design, though come to think of it, maybe we should change it to "So Tired Design"...) John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.comBlogger715125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-59498006709761582012017-03-21T08:54:00.001-04:002017-03-21T10:12:04.908-04:00Welcoming Spring! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eM0SZv_SxKTw0O7nZujBXcjvDlAviVKvkkudsuUp6Rwb8x4vrhr33pV5e5oluI-dYltzF6EGcTB6CzFlFUNwOsNotavmqvE3Ct1_7zh5sZf20COAFNT5NZJEXaXC65CG-y1su00tYQ/s1600/IMG_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eM0SZv_SxKTw0O7nZujBXcjvDlAviVKvkkudsuUp6Rwb8x4vrhr33pV5e5oluI-dYltzF6EGcTB6CzFlFUNwOsNotavmqvE3Ct1_7zh5sZf20COAFNT5NZJEXaXC65CG-y1su00tYQ/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Hooray!!!! </span></b><br />
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Yesterday, Spring officially rolled into New York City. Granted, it was only in the mid-40's and the wind was gusting, but the sun was shining and the prospect of the end of winter warmed me through and through. I was recently inspired by the fabulous furniture company <a href="https://www.arhaus.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Arhaus</b></span></a> to post a Welcome Spring blog, so here I am-- with a couple of my favorite ways to ring in the spring!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Flowers, flowers, flowers:</span></b> It might still be grey and bleak outside, but nothing says "Warm weather is on the way!" like the fresh blooms of Spring. I love picking up bouquets of tulips and daffodils (especially the incredible smelling Narcissus!)<br />
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I swear the bright colors and sweet smells boost morale to get me through those last gloomy days before Spring kicks into full gear. You can also pick up potted bulbs of daffodils, amaryllis, hyacinth, and tulips at your local grocery store or hardware store; which are an even longer lasting way to bring a little Spring into your home.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Clean the windows!</span> </b>I'm not kidding... I know Spring Cleaning is a thing, but if you're not ready to tackle the whole house (I am definitely not!), start by doing a thorough wipe down of your windows. You wouldn't believe the gunk and dust that has built up on your windows over the winter, and now that the sun is finally shining, clean windows will ensure that you absorb every drop of Vitamin D! I know it's a hassle, but it's totally worth it, I promise. (And take note: Now that the sun is shining, you're going to see every particle of dirt that's on those windows, so we'll know if you cleaned them or not!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMqYKIha5GE7GY73HhoI5_azimjV73_Mg_nA8a0i3w1hAzGq7hsrhM74VaHFETvxucV5OcxdaHc4Hx1sdnUhDbEQo6iRKOXz8KwMC0NQ2pQ_hSiXGosQqYs3MP5w0tLvKM6Fbdiu-ug/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-21+at+8.44.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMqYKIha5GE7GY73HhoI5_azimjV73_Mg_nA8a0i3w1hAzGq7hsrhM74VaHFETvxucV5OcxdaHc4Hx1sdnUhDbEQo6iRKOXz8KwMC0NQ2pQ_hSiXGosQqYs3MP5w0tLvKM6Fbdiu-ug/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-21+at+8.44.55+AM.png" /></a><b style="color: #cc0000;">-Tackle Home Improvement Projects: </b>I don't know about you, but during the winter, I go into a little bit of a productivity hibernation state. Piles pile up, projects get put to one side, and a lot of episodic television is consumed. There's nothing more liberating than shaking off that sleepy state of winter-- making a list of things that need to be tackled, rolling up your sleeves, and getting back to work!<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Just saying...</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> <a href="https://www.arhaus.com/furniture/lighting/pendant-lighting/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Arhaus</span></a></span> is a perfect place to source everything you'll need to add a dose of freshness to your home this Spring.<br />
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Check out their incredible selection of <a href="https://www.arhaus.com/furniture/lighting/pendant-lighting/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">lighting</span></a> and throw pillows, for example, which are both cheap and cheerful ways to pump some life into your slumbering winter home. ; )<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">In particular, I'm crushing on these two pendants-- which are now on my "to save up for" list. Love the semi-industrial style and that black finish would look aaahhhhh-mazing in our apartment in Williamsburg. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Okay, now that we've talked about it, I'm feeling galvanized! It is definitely time for me to stop typing and start wiping, because my windows in Brooklyn are </span><i style="text-align: center;">filthy! </i><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Happy Spring Everyone! I can't wait for all this snow to melt!</span></b></i></span><br />
<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-14858205084088422932016-06-15T10:10:00.000-04:002016-06-15T10:10:05.965-04:00Book Review! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>A quick self-congratulatory...... yeee-hah!!! </b></span><br />
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My book, <span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;"><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Home-Improvement-Projects-Busy-Broke/dp/1510705899?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0">Home Improvement For The Busy & Broke: How To Get Your Shit Together & Live Like An Adult</a></u> </span>was just reviewed on this hilarious home improvement pod cast called "<a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=44822315&refid=stpr"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fix-It Home Improvement</span></a>"! I've never heard someone speak so dynamically about installing a home door bell, and that's just one of their posts. Check out the link below to hear their soundbite about my book, and then stick around for the whole podcast if you're in the market for a new doorbell.<br />
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And obviously, you should go on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Home-Improvement-Projects-Busy-Broke/dp/1510705899?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Amazon</span></a> and pick up a copy of the book too. So you can read all about my thoughts on painters' tape for yourself.....<br />
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John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-16929118276978922792016-06-14T21:48:00.001-04:002016-06-14T21:48:24.556-04:00And then, I wallpapered our bathroom... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnsXMVM-uTDbVHyYdmwxFsp8HrqCVLNGUMFitNZXcuRwm5xeJjGTBQZFt9Dzv56Z7a3y_5xGLF1Cil89Y_4XLYEiGKyT1UOhoLysH6MHI9ynLPZsXFufQHVjLJ2P8F1wcP0CXr_H7Tw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+9.41.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnsXMVM-uTDbVHyYdmwxFsp8HrqCVLNGUMFitNZXcuRwm5xeJjGTBQZFt9Dzv56Z7a3y_5xGLF1Cil89Y_4XLYEiGKyT1UOhoLysH6MHI9ynLPZsXFufQHVjLJ2P8F1wcP0CXr_H7Tw/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+9.41.24+PM.png" width="286" /></a></div>
Because I was throwing a baby shower (yep. I do that too...) and I couldn't have all those ladies in my apartment with my bathroom un-wallpapered. Obviously.<br />
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So my champion mother/wallpapering mentor zoomed down to New York, didn't bother me even once about how skewed my priorities are, and we whipped through wallpapering that bathroom faster than you can say "Run a business, open a restaurant, raise a kid, throw a baby shower." What a woman.<br />
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The wallpaper I put up was a spur-of-the-moment crazy deal-on-a-deal from <a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com/etch-wallpaper/m10365.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serena & Lily</span></a>. A couple of weeks ago, they had a huge sale on everything that was already on sale, so I spontaneously bought three rolls of this wig-a-doo wallpaper for <i>less than </i>$40.00 (yes!!!) and went to town.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9x1bWUYQPd59e2la2cgalW-zV2QPXo_VagUAMC58toWSfCGzBjbeJkdom3DKmlFaBVaFEK0nLrsjhsMl13LcWJCW0tNmaJdsXrp81t3xpXFfieBTAu2f3WLXJ3lztf9HAFxdlkyzeg/s1600/FullSizeRender1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9x1bWUYQPd59e2la2cgalW-zV2QPXo_VagUAMC58toWSfCGzBjbeJkdom3DKmlFaBVaFEK0nLrsjhsMl13LcWJCW0tNmaJdsXrp81t3xpXFfieBTAu2f3WLXJ3lztf9HAFxdlkyzeg/s320/FullSizeRender1.jpg" width="310" /></a>To be clear--- this might not be the wallpaper I would have chosen if I was working with a blank slate, but considering we've just moved into an apartment with this crazy tri-colored blue-grey-and-white tile, this circa 1990 wallpaper seemed like just the thing to pull the whole bathroom together.<br />
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And I've got to tell you. I LOVE IT. It's totally weird. It's a little bit dizzying. The iphone camera had a really hard time finding a focal point, it's so busy. And yet... I LOVE IT. It's like this bathroom has found its true identity. Suddenly the blue and grey tile makes sense. Suddenly the space feels welcoming, not sparse. Suddenly, it makes sense that there is a massive Belgian elephant poster in this tiny space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalxFkpYjwI9WFWz3UQ9AhLJP1RbXp0fW4U3NKXrMsvMhrjnlomm2z43bdwWPy10ON6r4_yhMdPPd_Vb893Clvuqdh4ueHCYpT0AbtjmKeEeOoNnpqKRqOvuuhX6WZUB6cJOu7wMhUNA/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalxFkpYjwI9WFWz3UQ9AhLJP1RbXp0fW4U3NKXrMsvMhrjnlomm2z43bdwWPy10ON6r4_yhMdPPd_Vb893Clvuqdh4ueHCYpT0AbtjmKeEeOoNnpqKRqOvuuhX6WZUB6cJOu7wMhUNA/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
Ooooohhhh waaaaiiiittt. Okay, maybe the wallpaper didn't solve that mystery, but on the whole-- I'm loving the transformation.<br />
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And the best part-- even a couple of women came out of the bathroom during the baby shower on Sunday and said, "I love your wallpaper!" so that was a win.... Even if they were secretly thinking, "...Too bad your floor tile is so weird...."<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>Oh well, you can't win 'em all. </b></span><br />
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<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-10350567520818448232016-06-14T20:55:00.003-04:002016-06-14T20:56:28.007-04:00Not a lag about...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVruLWTNZhj8ZJjwS4NRNh4_4wuJ4sih-nsqdNQ3zVeDIyODn7nuG1oVpzpzFeFTRnLU6eyHbrYFF4H65JZSUg5DL1asl77LJ5xnf2Pc3ToYtLz2_E4Mz_f08mwqXtmj1OBE8zpTlAAw/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVruLWTNZhj8ZJjwS4NRNh4_4wuJ4sih-nsqdNQ3zVeDIyODn7nuG1oVpzpzFeFTRnLU6eyHbrYFF4H65JZSUg5DL1asl77LJ5xnf2Pc3ToYtLz2_E4Mz_f08mwqXtmj1OBE8zpTlAAw/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a>This past weekend I went up to Hampshire College (my alma mater) to speak to prospective, current, and graduated students about "How to be a Maker, Making It In The Real World." If you know me at all, you would know this is <i>literally </i>my personal nightmare. Like, other people dream about walking through high school naked and wake up in a cold sweat. I dream about speaking fully clothed with a script pretty much anywhere and wake up similarly drenched.<br />
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So, to put it lightly, public speaking makes me cringe. Speaking positively about myself in pretty much any capacity makes me near catatonic. Going back to college to do both sounded <i>terrible. </i>However, I also have a lot of love for Hampshire and everything I learned/accomplished there, and of course I was flattered that they asked, so off I went.<br />
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Originally the plan was for John and a couple of our Hampshire friends to come up with me; but then John came up with an idea that would only appeal to a person like me... Rather than go up to Hampshire to watch me squirm in public, he and the crew would stay in New York and build a deck on our roof, I would throw myself on the fire, and essentially, the roof deck would be my prize for surviving... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsUDhX1Ob9B6rBrwyjNpQrpZ4PLX1ZTvZIxX8xj_qTlIRXNr6HTzjj69wRoSnaGTRyh2wCt-9XjptpOKhVB13bHvhXq-zUW0a8dM8aU3tYxRtj5sYupe_3r2sOAnM0hy9eMK9j-qzLQ/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsUDhX1Ob9B6rBrwyjNpQrpZ4PLX1ZTvZIxX8xj_qTlIRXNr6HTzjj69wRoSnaGTRyh2wCt-9XjptpOKhVB13bHvhXq-zUW0a8dM8aU3tYxRtj5sYupe_3r2sOAnM0hy9eMK9j-qzLQ/s320/IMG_3831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
In John's mind-- if I had to speak positively about myself and my experiences, it would probably be easier without any familiar faces in the audience. 100% true. I am the least socially terrified around people I don't know at all. Behind closed doors (and on this blog) I refer to this as "hyper-compensating social psychosis". For the first few hours that I meet total strangers, I am the most funny, most dynamic version of myself. Add a couple of my closest friends, and I become an awkward, self aware weirdo who can scarcely remember my name. I don't yet have a term for that, but I'm open to suggestions if anybody's got one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpjs4PS7QIP9W96d3yhEb74KvQOHhxDVHhso-zuflBm_gSst8hFpfy3f8vmjU2_C9aunkLcv543tzdv-ANm2yGsyFiOT4yTbfoTrbohtDy6ourIgy427JWzyhp41y364_-RbizLUNBg/s1600/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpjs4PS7QIP9W96d3yhEb74KvQOHhxDVHhso-zuflBm_gSst8hFpfy3f8vmjU2_C9aunkLcv543tzdv-ANm2yGsyFiOT4yTbfoTrbohtDy6ourIgy427JWzyhp41y364_-RbizLUNBg/s320/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" width="249" /></a>Anyway-- he knows that at the end of the day, there is truly nothing I like more than straight up progress. (This is pretty much the secret to most of everything that we've ever gotten done. No matter how much I'd rather sleep, watch a movie, or get a pedicure-- there's nothing that really "fills me up" quite like checking off a to-do list. I realize this is totally f#cked up, but that's the gist of it.) So that was the plan. And then, lo! The stars aligned and John's parents told us they had HEAPS of wide plank pine which we could use for the deck (the product of many downed trees following Hurricane Sandy, believe it or not.)<br />
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Totally awesome, we just had to get it from upstate New York to South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. No problemo. One extremely sweaty, very arduous afternoon later; and we had 600 square feet of pine sitting up on the roof, waiting for installation. Ha-zahh!<br />
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Fast forward another week... I've survived the speech at Hampshire with a totally positive reception and only a brief (not public) mental breakdown... But even better, the roof deck has been installed and it feels absolutely f#cking magical out there. I'm not kidding. Without a doubt, going up to Hampshire solo was unquestionably worth how marvelous our deck feels now. Maybe we have low standards, but pretty much every evening we sit outside, eat dinner, and I'm telling you! It feels like we're out on a date. Outdoor eating is <i>so vastly superior to indoor eating-- </i>it's bananas. I just wish we could do it all year long...<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">At this rate, I'm going to end up out there in mid-October wrapped in blankets. </span></b></div>
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John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-44866168834803820832016-06-05T21:55:00.001-04:002016-06-06T09:17:28.076-04:00Major inspo...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcuyYvZShyphenhyphenuQa7u6f6XdX9SZbOOaTl_4IbZKVOAKWK3skGFh0kpWrt51TZ8JQKkVBKsOv40L-eF774NNQub6IDSZ-ojKN4voQi231sczf1_r06bdf39wmuzKXo7b_8BWKBoP2mXrvbQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-05+at+9.32.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcuyYvZShyphenhyphenuQa7u6f6XdX9SZbOOaTl_4IbZKVOAKWK3skGFh0kpWrt51TZ8JQKkVBKsOv40L-eF774NNQub6IDSZ-ojKN4voQi231sczf1_r06bdf39wmuzKXo7b_8BWKBoP2mXrvbQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-06-05+at+9.32.11+PM.png" width="250" /></a>The first thing we bought for the bar basically determined the aesthetic for the whole joint. Through some wild aligning of the stars, I bumped into a pair of stunning art deco brass doors on Craig's List, and after haggling and negotiating (and a fair amount of begging, let's be honest...) we became the proud owners of these fabulous doors!<br />
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They were salvaged from The Stella Town, in Midtown Manhattan, designed by Ralph Walker in the mid 20's. The building was considered to be one of the earliest skyscrapers in New York, and truly, they've defined the design of restaurant. (See the picture at left to see our doors when they were still installed downtown.) Before we found the doors, I kept saying, "I want the bar to feel like the staff entrance to something grand. Like the secret backdoor to Grand Central Station." When I found these doors, I was like, "Holy sh!#. This is them."<br />
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Now I just can't wait to see them installed into our facade (easier said than done, make no mistake...) and we'll really be smokin'.</div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-84779370802066944582016-06-03T23:45:00.003-04:002016-06-03T23:45:57.412-04:00Updates and info...I think we've long since established that this has become an unreliable blog, and I-- I have become an unreliable blogger. If you want to stay up to date, you're just going to have to join me on instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/christinasalway/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">@christinasalway</span></a>). Or better yet, once my friend (who is younger and more media savvy than me) has explained the point of snapchat to me, you'll be able to join me there too.<br />
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In exchange, I will try a little harder to keep you in the loop here on the blog. Deal? Deal.<br />
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So... with that in mind, let's jump straight into our biggest, latest news. We bought a bar. In Brooklyn. What the f#ck, you just said. You heard me correctly. Actually, to be a little more specific, we bought a charmless fast food Korean restaurant, and we're currently in the process of turning it into a bar. John and I have been kicking around the idea of opening a restaurant for years, and about a year ago, he decided he'd had enough of the film and television slog, and he was going to take the plunge.<br />
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As our friend Meg says, "This is not a dry run." He'd spent too much time not doing what he wanted to do, and he was ready to throw caution to the wind to chase after the something he really wanted. I'm sure that sounds just plain crazy to a lot of people. But I had this moment where I thought to myself: "This is going to be so nuts. But really, what's the alternative? Are you willing to ask him to keep doing something he hates, because it's familiar? Because it's known? Do you want those words to come out of your mouth? Just do the safe thing?" And I just thought, absolutely not. No, no, no. We've tackled every other challenge together, and our rule of thumb has always been "Don't look back and wonder what would have happened if you did ---." It's just no way to live. I'm not advocating for being irresponsible or stupid. But I am advocating for taking measured, manageable risks in pursuit of job satisfaction; and this felt like one of those moments.<br />
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And then, serendipitously, we bumped into an old school friend of John's (Sam, pictured above, unlocking our new restaurant!) who was also working on a similar restaurant idea, and lo! A partnership was formed. Crazy, but true. And now we're knee-deep in this sh!# and there's no going back. We've got the space (on the corner of Graham Avenue and Metropolitan in Williamsburg), we've submitted our plans to the Department of Buildings and applied for a liquor license. We've hired a contractor, hunted down spectacular pendant lights, sconces, a curved antique bar; we bought all of our chairs on the cheap at auction, and scored a pair of stunning art deco brass doors (shown below) which came from one of the first skyscrapers in New York City-- <a href="http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Verizon_Building"><span style="color: #cc0000;">the Telephone Building</span></a> in Tribeca.<br />
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Check out some of my design boards and floor plans, below...<br />
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I will try to stay on top of posting our progress here-- I'll show you snippets of the lights, the floor, the bathroom renovation... There's so much to chronicle. So many adventures, so many challenges, and so much of it is going to be done by these three pairs of hands. </div>
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So-- just when you thought this blog might officially be toast-- maybe it's got a second (third? fourth?) wind after all.... </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>You just can't quit me. ; ) </b></span></div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-56405468478076942092016-03-29T23:38:00.000-04:002016-04-07T04:44:57.615-04:00Oh yeah. Something else is happening too.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">I'm pretty sure that I mentioned that I was writing a book a while ago. I must have. I'm a pretty big whiner, and it took up </span><i style="text-align: start;">so much </i><span style="text-align: start;">of my free time (which was already "scarce", let's call it) for about six months, so I must have mentioned it. And then-- off it went to the publisher and all I had to do was wait. (Well-- I had to wait, run my company, find an apartment, move apartments, keep Jules alive, get Jules into pre-school, and not jump from a roof top. Again-- I'm a pretty big whiner. Can't be avoided...) And then suddenly-- an early edition of the book arrived in the mail! </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I'm so psyched. It actually looks so much like a book! I was really nervous that it was going to arrive and look like a sad pamphlet or something, and I'd have to pretend it never happened and just awkwardly brush the whole thing under the rug. I mean, I'm not saying this is my opus or anything, but it </span><i style="text-align: start;">really does look like a book</i><span style="text-align: start;">, so I'm feeling pretty chuffed already. Who knows what will happen with the actual book itself, but at least it doesn't look like a sad pamphlet... </span></div>
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So--- (shameless self promotion)--- if you want to see <i>just how much it doesn't look like a pamphlet, </i>you can buy your very own copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Improvement-Projects-Busy-Broke/dp/1510705899"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Amazon</span></a>. It isn't officially available until late May, but you can <span style="color: #cc0000;">"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Improvement-Projects-Busy-Broke/dp/1510705899"><span style="color: #cc0000;">pre-buy</span></a>" </span>one now, which is definitely what I would recommend. (Not because it's going to fly off the shelves, but because I don't want you to forget!) Yuk, yuk, yuk. </div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-62869766177898400472016-03-28T21:12:00.000-04:002016-03-28T21:12:50.117-04:00We didn't die. But it was by the skin of our teeth. I know it's been a while. And I know I always say that. But I'm such a crazy perfectionist-- I think I've been having a difficult time showing our new apartment to people while it's still in transition. I keep wanting to hide its "in the midst-ness" until its been tweaked and perfected, like it's some shortcoming that we're not already completely finished making our new space perfect. But I also realize that if I wait until it's finished to show you what we're doing and what we've done, you'll have to wait a really long time, and then that would pretty much be the end of the blog.<br />
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So-- I guess I've got to man up and show you all my dirty laundry. We've gotten a tremendous number of things done in the past month, but we've got a huge long list of other things left to do... (Don't tell John. He's got bigger fish to fry.)<br />
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So here's where we are so far...<br />
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In our bedroom, our main issue is wall color. Originally I was thinking about laying this over-dyed turquoise rug I had leftover from my office, so we painted the walls white, thinking the rug would be more than enough color to go around. But once we actually got settled, I realized I just wasn't feeling the turquoise rug. It was the wrong size for the room, and just felt a little dinky in the space. I found a mega-cheap sisal rug on overstock.com (like MEGA CHEAP! $100 for an 8 X 10. Oh baby!) I laid it out, loved it immediately, and at just that same bliss-moment, simultaneously regretted painting the room white. So, eventually I'm going to get around to painting the room-- I already know what color-- I just have to find the time. (Benjamin Moore's Healing Aloe... Surprise, surprise...)<br />
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The living room is in pretty good shape. I'm not totally sold on that mirror on the far left side--- I think it's a little little, to be honest--- but it's what I've got, so it's a decent place holder for the time being. It's a weird thing about unpacking your shelves after having everything "just so" for the past 12 years. Because obviously, they weren't "just so" twelve years ago. It took <i>twelve years </i>to acquire all those odds and ends. <i>Twelve years </i>to position each knick-knack and tchotckes, until it had just the right amount of the "layered" look and not too much "junk f-ing everywhere" look. And then I nonchalantly packed everything up, and absentmindedly unpacked everything in our new place... And now it doesn't have the same curated soul it originally had. Which doesn't mean it won't eventually. It just won't two weeks after we've moved in. So everyone, me included, is just going to have to be a little patient. </div>
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The kitchen and dining room look awesome if you look at it from the angle you see below. We <i>finally </i>replaced the counter top for our kitchen island (which is actually a sideboard on casters, believe it or not...) with a chunk of "zodiaq" which I just got on the cheap from my stone fabricator, because it was a remnant. We built this island about five years ago for our old apartment, using a sideboard we had and the desk top of my old drafting table, and while this worked functionally (though not so beautifully) for many years-- I was ready to draw the line. They happened to have a piece of the "zodiaq" stuff that was an awesome match to the counter tops installed in the rest of the kitchen, and I just wasn't willing to move that cruddy drafting table desk top to a new apartment. It was too jacked up and jankity, and by god, people! We're adults. It was time we had a counter top that was actually intended as a counter top.<br />
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Our project this week (in addition to working, keeping the dog and Julian alive, and being nice to each other) is the rest of the kitchen. Basically the whole thing is set up for a comedy skit. The stove and one drawer are on one side of the refrigerator; and then the sink and another drawer are on the other side of the fridge. And the fridge sticks out awkwardly between the two sides, so while you're cooking, it's like "First I'm over here" duhn-nuh-nuh-nuh "Now I've over here!" duhn-nuh-nuh-nuh "Back to the other side..." duhn-nuh-nuh-nuh... So we've come up with a pretty straight forward remedy for that set up, which we're going to test out tomorrow, I guess. So you'll have to check back in a day or two to see how that's progressing. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">But yeah. The gist is that we're not dead. We've just been really busy, and I'm kind of a (certifiable) stress case. </span></b></div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-69662528880059512042016-03-02T22:26:00.001-05:002016-03-02T22:26:45.077-05:00This is pretty much a farce. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're moving into our apartment in phases-- doing some painting, putting up light fixtures, gradually introducing pieces of furniture (it sounds a little bit like reintroducing solids after a terrible case of food poisoning, which-- come to think of it, is a good metaphor for living in our old building) but the hurricane-- the tsunami-- of boxes, baskets, and STUFF STUFF STUFF has yet to hit land. So, I'm going to show you these progress photos, but please know that it's kind of a lie... It makes it look so calm and organized in there, but actually-- it's only calm and organized because it hasn't gotten totally bat-shit-crazy in there <i>yet. </i><br />
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But rest assured. It will.<br />
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<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-16114376662763348702016-02-27T13:32:00.001-05:002016-02-27T13:32:47.985-05:00While we wait...I'm losing my mind, not moving in yet. I'm just standing here-- poised-- ready to pounce-- and I've got another week to go. So, to cope with the maddening anti-climax that is postponing your move for a week-- we drove a ton of stuff upstate (mainly baby clothes) and then did a thorough purging of our attic. If you live anywhere near Callicoon and have a kid under the age of 3, run-don't walk- to the IOU Thrift Store in Callicoon, where you can pick up a cornucopia of children's toys and clothes. The amount of stuff we donated was amazing/embarrassing, and the cathartic sense of cleansing is unto itself, almost worth the hassle of moving. I have thrown away/recycled/donated such a staggering amount of stuff in the past few weeks, and I haven't even tackled our closets yet. It's such a glorious feeling-- to finally let go of so much <i>stuff. </i>I don't know how it happens exactly-- I like to think of myself as pretty discriminating, but we've accumulated such a massive amount of everything in the past 14 years together; and the danger is-- we've never really had any shortage of storage, so I was never really prompted to cull or trim before. I'd just find a new spot to tuck stuff, and pretend it didn't exist. (Evidently, I'm like an ostrich of hoarding...) <div><br></div><div>Anyway-- I wish I had more news to report, but this is it for the time being. Good riddance to it all-- it served us well, and now it can move on to serving someone else! Hazahh!!! </div>John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-59597267261070964172016-02-25T19:22:00.000-05:002016-02-25T19:22:00.259-05:00Okay, we're getting somewhere. So slowly. I don't have much to report, unbelievably. I know it's been more than a week since I blogged last, and way back then I was like, "I don't want to jinx it, but I think we've found an apartment." And since then, silence...<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>So here are the facts: </b></span><br />
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1.) We have found an apartment!<br />
2.) We've signed the lease, so it really is ours!<br />
3.) It's awesome. It's in a part of Williamsburg we love, in a school zone we love, they allow dogs, and it has a massive outdoor space that's <i>just ours. </i><br />
4.) Unfortunately, it was a little wonk-ily configured, but the good news was the landlord said it could be reworked a bit to make it work for us, <u>AND</u> we could add a washer/dryer.<br />
5.) But then, unfortunately the landlord offered/insisted on using his construction crew to get the work done, "lickity split".<br />
6.) And then most unfortunately, lickity split is <u>NOT</u> what's happening. These guys are <i>the slowest.</i> They are probably <i>the least</i> professional outfit I've encountered in my last 10 years of running an interior design firm in New York. It's like a clown car and a headless chicken got together and made a construction crew. Nobody knows who's in charge, and everybody's doing the bare minimum to look like they're busy.<br />
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BUT. There is a but! They're finally almost finished. They're about 10 days behind schedule, I've spent the past two weeks harassing everybody and anybody I thought could make it move faster, and we're going to end up moving a week later than we'd planned, but... then we'll get to circle back to bullet-point #3 (It's awesome. It's in a part of Williamsburg we love, in a school zone we love, they allow dogs, and it has a massive outdoor space that's <i>just ours) </i>and that will be that!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">So-- we're trying to be cool, calm and collected, and you'll have to be too. In the meantime, I'm attaching a floor plan above so you can see what it is we're (not so patiently) waiting for... </span></b>John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-24234722148224228022016-02-12T19:45:00.001-05:002016-02-12T19:46:10.428-05:00We found a place! (Maybe.)OMG. I think we've found a new apartment. I don't have photos. I don't want to give you any info yet. I don't wanna jinx it. I don't wanna count my chickens before they've hatched, grown up, and made more chickens. This entire apartment hunting experience has been a misery. I'm like ten years older than I was on December 26th, 2015, before we found out how quickly our living situation was unraveling. The wrinkles between my eyebrows look like the Grand Canyon, and I haven't slept properly in a month and a half. <i>But</i> hopefully we're almost at the end of this saga. <div><br></div><div>Stay tuned. </div>John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-18263125003021359682016-02-07T13:37:00.001-05:002016-02-08T08:40:40.293-05:00Next tattoo. Seriously.I just bumped into this quote, and it's really resonating.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); text-align: center;">"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); text-align: center;">Basically that's Teddy Roosevelt saying, "Buck the f-- up and make the best of it." If I wasn't sure that he was American, I'd be certain that he was English. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); text-align: center;">And depending on how the next couple of months shake out (finding a new apartment, <i>moving</i> into a new apartment, opening a restaurant, releasing a book, getting Jules enrolled in pre-k... no biggie), you might well find me in a tattoo parlor getting this mantra permanently emblazoned. Because sometimes it's good to have a visible r</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">eminder, just in case you forget. </span></div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-85153430301197169252016-02-07T00:33:00.000-05:002016-02-07T00:33:06.682-05:00No kidding. More love from Country Living. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm pretty chuffed about all of the lovely comments people have been posting on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBbdfY9GM7y/?taken-by=countrylivingmag"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Country Living's instagram</span></a> about our kitchen. There's been a whole lot of enthusiasm for the color of our cabinets (which is Benjamin Moore's Night Train, and is -- I agree-- rather exquisite in person as well) and a whole lotta love for our vintage plates and dishes on the upper shelves. </div>
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We're so proud of and so in love with that kitchen. We loved that we were able to incorporate the salvaged cast iron sink we dragged out of a fallen down house nearby. We loved that we were able to bring our Chambers Stove with us from our old house. And we loved that we successfully re-worked the salvaged cabinets we bought at Build-It-Green, which was no small feat, lemme tell you... The whole thing was essentially a recycling triumph of epic proportion and getting a solid dose of mass-media love makes it feel all the more worthwhile.</div>
John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-8080113696809196032016-02-04T15:58:00.001-05:002016-02-04T15:58:14.120-05:00If you can stand it, I'm going to talk about Country Living again.<div>
So, not only did our Catskills farmhouse land on the Country Living website, but as it turns out, it also graces EIGHT pages of their March 2016 issue. </div>
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<i>And, </i>as if that wasn't enough to temporarily suspend the <i><span style="color: #cc0000;">gut wrenching suspense-slash-horror of trying to find an apartment in Brooklyn, in a good school district, with a dog, that isn't a walk-up, within our budget, close to John's restaurant, that isn't completely dependent on the L train in case that stops running (which is might), that doesn't make my aesthetic soul fall out from under me, and oh yeah, now John wants "outdoor space"... </span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYxvUmoMljA96Ln2EN-a3uyEaRqdAMcZcJW1OXautzJW_lM12Y_9ADTShb-gflfV7VqTYuoSNYTQ_af6Tqo8T1V-_34gxFjzeB282QuBXwoVhcG2D1KPQLUyA52zlZUX0bNwZ6tpJ2w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-04+at+3.46.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYxvUmoMljA96Ln2EN-a3uyEaRqdAMcZcJW1OXautzJW_lM12Y_9ADTShb-gflfV7VqTYuoSNYTQ_af6Tqo8T1V-_34gxFjzeB282QuBXwoVhcG2D1KPQLUyA52zlZUX0bNwZ6tpJ2w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-04+at+3.46.06+PM.png" /></a>...This morning,<i> </i>they did a shout out on their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBXpPf2mMxs/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">instagram feed</span></a>, and I'm pretty sure that I got more followers on my instagram from one morning with Country Living than I did from three months on NBC's American Dream Builders. And I have to tell you, it's pretty life affirming when 8,028 Country Living followers all hit that little red heart button. Especially when 175 of them also post lovely comments to each other saying, "Let's build one of these together." And "This is my dream house." It kind of makes me put "the hysterical woman hunting for an apartment" on hold, to just bask for a second in such an utterly awesome, utterly exciting thing for our house and for all the work we put into it.<br />
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So the good news is that all of this positive media coverage is putting my problems in perspective and distracting me from the growing hysteria I feel about moving. The bad news: We're still moving.John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-41603683346335923402016-01-31T10:06:00.001-05:002016-01-31T16:44:27.285-05:00But what really tipped the scale...What solidified this weekend as a winner is that I just found out that the <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/home-design/house-tours/g2975/christina-salway-farmhouse-renovation/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">article</span></a> about our house upstate is live on the <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/home-design/house-tours/g2975/christina-salway-farmhouse-renovation/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Country Living website</span></a>!<br>
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So that's a pretty solid one-two-punch.<br>
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1.) I'm sitting in my house upstate, so I'm already pretty euphoric.<br>
2.) The house I'm sitting in has been featured in a magazine. It's almost a little meta.<br>
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Sitting in the house, looking at the house I'm sitting in. whoa.<br>
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Here are a couple of snap shots from the <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/home-design/house-tours/g2975/christina-salway-farmhouse-renovation/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">article online</span></a>, but you should probably swing by and check it out for yourself. And then maybe send the link to everyone you know. And a few people you don't. Because that couldn't hurt either.<div><br></div><div>And then if you want, you can run out and pick up the printed version from your local grocery- which is even more awesome- because you can hold it in your actual hand! IRL! (I just found out that means "In real life".) <br>
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</div>John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-81165290625254655572016-01-31T09:44:00.000-05:002016-01-31T09:44:35.854-05:00Best weekend in weeks. I haven't been upstate in months. Since before Christmas. If you don't live in New York City, you might not be able to <i>fully understand </i>the obsessive, addictive relationship that New Yorkers form with their country houses. Not going upstate for weeks is a little like going scuba diving with a faulty air tank. Initially you're okay, but after 30 seconds, you start thinking, "Hey. I'm probably going to need some air." And around a minute, you're like, "This is going to get hairy. I definitely need some air." And then your panicking and you manage to get the valve to work, and you're like,<br />
"OOOOOXXXXXYYYY_-GGGGGGEEEENNNN."<br />
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To be clear, I've never been scuba diving. This may not be what it's like in reality, but in my imagination, swimming without oxygen and going for long stretches of time in New York City without a break are kind of the same. There's something about the unrelenting hustle of New York, or maybe it's just <i>our lives </i>in New York, but it's just back-to-back-to-back-to-back. There's almost no stopping. So when we get upstate, it feels like I'm reactivating some part of my brain. The part that wants to stay in pajamas for a prolonged amount of time. The part that wants to read the news on my computer, drink gallons of coffee, and go on a walk nowhere (aka. the mailbox) with Jules and the dog.<br />
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OMG. That's basically my idea of a perfect weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhAwbX5-28TS3WhltXCEmUEKb7-uMqyWJZILsZBBQAVnlZTivmjIfYITt5kvurFDyjgqf7RW4paaCUEUUnHmLmy2ytMR2j5pnheieH4e8GwP6QuZGrAXSEpVN6wvHdWak_PIy0ooYfA/s1600/House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhAwbX5-28TS3WhltXCEmUEKb7-uMqyWJZILsZBBQAVnlZTivmjIfYITt5kvurFDyjgqf7RW4paaCUEUUnHmLmy2ytMR2j5pnheieH4e8GwP6QuZGrAXSEpVN6wvHdWak_PIy0ooYfA/s320/House.jpg" width="279" /></a>And now here I am. After weeks and weeks of working through the weekends, of spending every free second looking at apartments, of doing school tours, of meeting with lawyers, and of working, working, working-- we decided to leap at an unexpected 36 free hours and drive upstate.<br />
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And I'm like, "OOOOOXXXXXYYYY_-GGGGGGEEEENNNN."<br />
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It's so good. I am so zen. God only knows what I'm going to find when I get back to Brooklyn, but right now, I'm just going to bask in the next 8 hours of calm. And take a walk to nowhere with my dog and my kid.<br />
<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-63928811043064243572016-01-27T16:09:00.002-05:002016-01-27T16:09:20.639-05:00Friends don't leave friends a tube of almond paste.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDizV0HtKkUyy2_iQ6s1klkRz1Pc1_Ovk2AREb0dqREy5UkE0INJSgW3EY3zQ0xcCMUm5uMoCMRdACb2PsbuKqk9lGgn2n8NC3mXj1p-fygP4Lhqrjkdb9ufLm-kOUN92dWkIJ7a4oA/s1600/Cookies+FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDizV0HtKkUyy2_iQ6s1klkRz1Pc1_Ovk2AREb0dqREy5UkE0INJSgW3EY3zQ0xcCMUm5uMoCMRdACb2PsbuKqk9lGgn2n8NC3mXj1p-fygP4Lhqrjkdb9ufLm-kOUN92dWkIJ7a4oA/s320/Cookies+FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a>"What?", you say.<br />
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Someone left a tube of almond paste in my fridge. I don't know who. Maybe a friend, maybe my mom, maybe Julian's babysitter. But somebody left a tube of almond paste in my fridge. And it's been there for a while... Like <i>at least </i>three weeks. And nobody claimed it, so because I can't stand waste (and I'm currently trying to eat through the contents of our apartment so we won't have to pack it up when we move) I looked up a cookie recipe I could make with Jules that would involve almond paste. And boy, did I find one.<br />
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As a side note: This <a href="http://thenoshery.com/almond-pillow-cookies/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">recipe</span></a> is perfect for making with children, because there's a lot of "rolling into balls" and then "squishing flat!" The squishing flat part was particularly popular with Jules.<br />
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ALMOND PILLOW COOKIES</div>
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INGREDIENTS</div>
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Cookie</div>
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">½ cup sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 cup butter (2 sticks)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 egg yolk</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 teaspoon almond extract</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 tablespoon milk</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2¼ cups all-purpose flour</span></li>
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Filling</div>
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 8 oz can almond paste</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 tablespoon milk</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 egg yolk</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">½ cup sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 28px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2 teaspoons almond extract</span></li>
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INSTRUCTIONS</div>
<ol style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Preheat the oven to 350 F.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl. Mix in egg yolk, milk and almond extract. Blend in the flour a little at a time, until well combined and chunky. Cover an place in refrigerator to cool.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In a mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients. Beat until well combined and the mixture comes together.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop balls of the cookie dough. Roll and flatten the balls in the palm of your hand. Take a scant tablespoon of filling (or 5 oz) roll in a ball and place in the middle of the cookie dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the filling and roll until even. Place ball on parchment lined sheet pan and press flat with the palm of your hand. If you want clean edges use a round cookie cutter to clean the edges. Repeat with the remaining dough.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies you don't want them to brown.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: inherit; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Let cook on cookie sheet, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.</span></li>
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I followed this recipe to the letter, and these guys are off-the-hook. They're soft and chewy on the inside, but taste more like almond-infused short bread around the edges. These are <u>highly recommended</u>, especially if you find a tube of almond paste in your fridge.John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-69112381746266665182016-01-23T19:11:00.002-05:002016-01-23T19:11:56.129-05:00No news. But we've got a new coffee table, so let's talk about that instead. <div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I wish I could say I have an update on the home search, but so far I have no news. We haven't found anything wonderful yet, and I think we've looked at every available apartment in Williamsburg. Rumor has it February 1st will be a deluge of new possibilities, so I guess we'll have to bide our time for now... If you know me, you know that patience is not my strong suit. But I'm trying hard not to claw my eyes out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, I realized that I haven't updated you on the various changes in our living room. (Though I suppose all of that has been rendered mute, since we're eventually going to have to move everything into some <i>other</i> living room...) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So first things first: We've got a new coffee table which is a story of great triumph and a little hilarity. I was on the hunt for a new coffee table months ago: We were having a holiday party and my street-find coffee table was looking worse for wear, and I'll ya what. I wasn't gonna have all those people over to my house with a shabby looking coffee table. So I went online to have a hunt around, and scoured Craig's List for days. I just wasn't finding anything great, so eventually I started looking around on fancier websites-- 1stdibs.com, viyet.com, chairish.com... I was getting desperate. The party was right around the corner and I still had that limping, one-year-with-a-three-year-old shabby looking coffee table in the middle of my living room! And then, on 1stdibs, I saw a table that I had previously seen on Craig's List. I'm not going to lie. I didn't like it when I saw it on Craig's List. I thought it was garish, and too "retro", but when I saw it on 1stdibs, attributed to Adrian Pearsall, </span>being sold as a set for $3,800.00, my opinion on the thing softened. Particularly because it was for sale on Craig's List for $125.00. And goddamn. I needed a coffee table stat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD0Z-JSd13TYdid7AH7PQjDtR3LVleiqqV26kcoBHApOolyKtzz5MROZJCxyVjt0MsQlZ5-Oav8Spv4OdcAYukGlTBx3MJUco181X8868S1z2jrcCsTZSvZT0AZGQF49VIIf9ko43eg/s1600/IMG_2451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD0Z-JSd13TYdid7AH7PQjDtR3LVleiqqV26kcoBHApOolyKtzz5MROZJCxyVjt0MsQlZ5-Oav8Spv4OdcAYukGlTBx3MJUco181X8868S1z2jrcCsTZSvZT0AZGQF49VIIf9ko43eg/s400/IMG_2451.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I hopped in my station wagon, zipped over to New Jersey, and became the proud owner of a slightly ungainly, rare mid-century coffee table designed by Adrian Pearsall. If you are familiar with mid-century modern design, you're probably familiar with Adrian Pearsall, but if you're not-- the gist is that he designed a ton of iconic mid-century furniture, most of which is considerably more elegant and understated than the coffee table that I bought. But it's also usually a few thousand dollars per table, so it's safe to say that was not in my budget, whereas $125.00 worked quite nicely. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoxCkDOESUcs1pURWqv8hVAsmRqUALIAj2tcO0uoiRxsHpnO8e00GTGHP9itXNRi0l0Z2YM8xQh09gHzvClhL7DkUXFmNufqtgdsw2vyRCj0kAXFwupRzDml9x-f0znNhF9iV-Wyohg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoxCkDOESUcs1pURWqv8hVAsmRqUALIAj2tcO0uoiRxsHpnO8e00GTGHP9itXNRi0l0Z2YM8xQh09gHzvClhL7DkUXFmNufqtgdsw2vyRCj0kAXFwupRzDml9x-f0znNhF9iV-Wyohg/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a>The first thing one of my friends said when she arrived at our holiday party was "What is that ugly f-ing table?" which I thought was... subtle. But another friend of mine who owns a super fancy antique store in Connecticut thought I'd scored an <u>awesome</u> deal, so for now-- the table stays.<br />
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And funnily enough, it's really grown on us. I'm hoping it isn't only because I know it's made by Adrian Pearsall, but... who knows. I do know that it lends itself wonderfully to building elaborate brio-train configurations, is really light looking because of the glass top, and actually anchors our living room nicely. So until further announcement, it stays. But as I like to say, TBD. (To be determined.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaLFOAr5TM7CRvdAxzCbgACMXalwzBLJyJvpn4WINxtMj6-C-vMRf4dwn-gjMXohJOMkwFcHqjpwXCF1FAtXBdk6kYF-4L2IRIufWnIqTtuyxlvXRju8fyJGglQecQd4c1UoB8jOpRA/s1600/FullSizeRender2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaLFOAr5TM7CRvdAxzCbgACMXalwzBLJyJvpn4WINxtMj6-C-vMRf4dwn-gjMXohJOMkwFcHqjpwXCF1FAtXBdk6kYF-4L2IRIufWnIqTtuyxlvXRju8fyJGglQecQd4c1UoB8jOpRA/s320/FullSizeRender2.jpg" width="214" /></a>Then, in more recent news (yesterday), I picked up a terrific new pillow for our living room (hazahh for finding Serena & Lily at HomeGoods!) for a mere $15.00 (normally $69.00, plus the cost of the insert!) and it's invigorated my enthusiasm for the other pillows in the room, especially that embroidered the chili-red-and-linen on the right side of the sofa. It's really playing off the colors in our massive Sweetland advertisement nicely. <br />
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And then, believe it or not, I think I am considering reupholstering this little side chair for the 100-th time, because this fabric <i>totally </i>isn't working with my pillows... TBD.<br />
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John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-70671414836000163572016-01-19T23:39:00.001-05:002016-01-19T23:39:05.642-05:00Narrowing down the contenders...Good grief. Have I looked at a lot of ugly apartments. We've only been home a week and I feel like I've seen more generic cabinetry and Home Depot glass mosaic back splashes in these last seven days than I have in the past seven years. My god. We should have an intervention. I could set up a consultation service <i>inside</i> Home Depot to talk people out of zany colorful glass backsplashes and into subway tile. I could do hypnosis. <div><br></div><div><b>YOOOU SHOOOULLD NOOOT BUUUY THAAAT TIIIILLLE. IIIITTT DOOOOES NOOOTT LOOOK ELEGAAAANT. IIITT LOOOKS LIIIKE IITT'S FROOOOMMM HOOOMME DEEEPOOOT. </b></div><div><br></div><div>I think we're on the precipice of a new venture. I could set up a stand like a sidewalk lemonade vendors, harassing contractors as they pick out faux-cherry cabinets and bathroom floors that say "2014" all over them. </div><div><br></div><div>What's almost worse is the actual layouts of these apartments. My god. What a violation of space planning! Everything is configured for 24 year old roommates. Virtually no kitchen, almost no common spaces or living areas, at best, spacious bedrooms, but no promises. And as a family with a three year old, all we want is enough room to build train tracks from the coffee table, down the carefully engineered hill of building blocks and into Julian's bedroom. Is that so much to ask? Evidently yes. Essentially all of these apartments were designed for young millenials who like to eat out a lot. Where do the 30-something's live in New York? Evidently not comfortably in this neighborhood. I know they're here. I've seen 'em by the dozen with my own eyes, but trying to find a grown up apartment with an actual living room?! Nearly impossible. Is everyone living in these squalid conditions, or we're about to move out of the last spacious apartment in Williamsburg? </div><div><br></div><div>I guess I shouldn't sink too deep into the bottomless hole of injustice and indignation. That's not going to improve morale any, and I guess I've got bigger fish to fry right now. We've found a couple of interesting options-- a live/work space which we'd need to build out (awesome, but labor intensive); a stunning prewar apartment we're currently fighting for (numerous applications received. It doesn't bode well); and a more conventional loft that would still require a little building out, but wouldn't be as bonkers to construct, nor as badass when we're finished.</div><div><br></div><div>Stay tuned as we find out what's happening with the pre-war apartment, what our options are if that doesn't happen, and most importantly- if Julian is going to graduate to a bedroom with a window. What?!? There could be a silver lining in all of this after all. </div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for sticking with me folks. I know my posts are erratic these days, but looking for an apartment is like taking on a second full time job. If only I was more wishy-washy about this sort of thing. I think it would be a lot easier to find an apartment if I liked ugly counter tops more and my family less. Because then it wouldn't bother me that our apartment didn't have a living room, nor would I be utterly offended by the sight of my kitchen every morning. </div><div><br></div>John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-51762691382492623932016-01-10T17:10:00.001-05:002016-01-10T17:12:49.349-05:00Silver lining?I might be bummed out about having to move out of our apartment in Williamsburg, but I'm pretty jazzed up about my newest roommate! I was feeling pretty ho-hum after an unsuccessful day at Paris's Marché Aux Puces so I decided to treat myself to a taxidermied scorpion in a lovely glass cloche. I may not know where we're going to live yet, but I know this hottie is coming with me.<br />
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We're hopping on a plane back to Brooklyn tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully we'll have some updates about our apartment situation in the next couple of days. But like I said, I'm optimistic! I've already seen a couple of gems online, so I can't wait to get back and see those bad boys in person.<br />
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I know I've mentioned this already, but "Bring it on 2016!"John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-91494858971704806812016-01-07T12:56:00.001-05:002016-01-10T16:59:03.275-05:00Everyone wave to Sheila. So-- now that I've inundated you with photographs from our time in Provence, let me tell you a little about what's happening in Brooklyn. But first, can I ask everyone to wave to Sheila? Sheila is the president of the co-op where we live in Brooklyn, and apparently she's recently started reading my blog. I'm always happy to have a new reader, so let's all give Sheila a big warm welcome.<br />
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As I mentioned earlier this week, there are some big changes coming down the pike. The biggest change is happening at our apartment in Brooklyn. It seems that we have to move. After 12 years of living in our chaotic, collapsing co-op in Williamsburg-- after years of tolerating the lady who was building a human nest on the top floor, after years of calling the police because our neighbors were having violent arguments through the night, after years of repairs we've paid for because our landlord couldn't afford to make the repairs-- we've been told that they've suddenly decided our lease isn't valid and we'll have to move out. We have some suspicions about the true motivation behind the termination of our lease and we're determined to drag this out as long as possible -- but the long and short of it is that on New Year's Eve, our building taped a notice to our door saying we needed to vacate in 30 days, and we woke up in 2016 and started thinking about where we want to live next.<br />
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I'm trying to be as upbeat as possible about this change. I'm naturally pessimistic (as my friends say, I'm a hopeful pessimist) but I've decided there's just not much point going down the "This isn't fair, this isn't right" rabbit hole. So instead, I'm gonna fight like hell, and then think of our next apartment as an opportunity to create another space; a chance to build something new and beautiful; and a fresh start for 2016.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>Bring it on! </b></span></div>
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<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-64116820773225262062016-01-04T12:49:00.000-05:002016-01-04T12:49:18.820-05:00In case you're really just tuning in for photos of Jules...Last time we were in France, we nick-named carousels the "crying circle" because every time we saw one, Jules desperately wanted to go on until he was on, and then he <i>desperately </i>wanted to get off. This was made more exciting by the fact that they are <u>everywhere</u> in France. They seem to throw up a carousel for pretty much any holiday or event, so if you've got a love-hate relationship with them, it's a pretty torturous experience.<br />
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Luckily, he's older and wiser, and has honed a love-love relationship with them now. We've been in this country for about seven days, and he's already been on a carousel 5 times. And we've still got almost a week of carousels ahead of us!<br />
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Needless to say, this is an obvious photo-op.<br />
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<br />John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-43037948884400721052016-01-04T12:05:00.004-05:002016-01-04T12:05:53.429-05:00There's a short story and a long story...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For now, I'm going to start with the short story, which is that we've made it to France and we're having a marvelous time.<br />
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We spent the first few days in Montpellier, basking in the truly stunning beauty of the South. John and I traveled through the south of France about 12 years ago, but when we did it last time, we were both students and we were broke as a joke for the entire journey.<br />
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Don't get me wrong-- sleeping in a wonky pensione while surviving on baguettes and rosé wasn't too much of a burden back then, but it was a real pleasure to see the South with a slightly more grown up budget. Not that we're living the high life-- not hot tubs or champagne for the likes of us-- but this time we've got a little more wiggle room to explore the surrounding countryside, which is just majestic. I know that's kind of a grand word, but really-- the topography is positively breath taking down here.<br />
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A true testament to its beauty: We were still awe struck by our drive down to Montpellier, even though we'd already spent 6 hours on a plane with a three year old. If you can keep morale high after 13 hours of continuous travel, you know two things: 1.) You're keeping good company. 2.) You're somewhere nice.<br />
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So-- now I'm going to post a million photos of our time in Montpellier-- and then I'll follow up in a day or two with more from our time in Paris, and the shit-show that's unfolding back in Brooklyn. (Let's not even go there now...)<br />
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It's possible that we originally chose Montpellier because they have a "Parc Des Dinosaures" within driving distance of the city. But as it turns out-- everything else about Montpellier and the surrounding towns was an utter success... Dumb luck, but we'll take it.<br />
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I hope everyone had a marvelous holiday season and a happy new year. I think I'm finally going to have the time to post more consistently in the new year, so if you're willing to give me another chance-- I'd be so pleased to have someone out there reading what I'm writing!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Bring it on 2016!! </span></b></div>
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John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62788065835996682.post-51702881838450563662015-12-10T14:04:00.001-05:002016-01-07T12:56:39.525-05:00Dang. So much for scouts' honor...<div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I completely forgot to post photos of my gorgeous new bath towels and "finished" bathroom. The quotation marks refer to the hideous wall tile that remains in our bathroom in Brooklyn. I sometimes wonder if other people feel as emotionally assaulted by interior design as I do. Is this a normal response or am I overly sensitive the horrors of cheap tiling and preposterously wide grout lines? Is it just me? Because I'm offended. Literally. I AM OFFENDED BY MY WALL TILE. Like, the inconsideration?!? Who in their right mind, if they've got any regard to the people around them, would put that much space between each tile?! And of all the tiles on earth, you chose the one that </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">always</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> looks dirty? Was that a plan?? It's kind of like every time I walk in my bathroom, my landlord is whispering, "Fu#% you, Christina." Quietly, almost imperceptibly, but I hear him. He's like the ghost of Christmas past, clanking around my bathroom. What a dick. </span></div>
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So we've finally replaced the gruesome floor tile and dismantled the wretched sink vanity, and so the last step will be dealing with the god awful wall tile, which we're postponing until after the New Year, because there's some risk involved. Risk you say? Not a word typically associated with bathroom tile, but it's true. Our plan is to paint our bathroom tile with Rust-O-Leum's "Bathroom Tile Epoxy" which is supposedly indestructible and will withstand the endless amount of showering and bathing that goes on in our house. (Don't get me started about how much I resent showering. It's such a profound waste of time. If it wasn't for the fact that my hair is a snarled, curly nightmare every morning, I would give it the skip altogether.) According to the numerous reviews I read of this stuff, it holds up over time and actually looks pretty freaking good. And god knows--our current tile is so unremarkable/offensive, virtually anything would be an improvement. Except peeling paint. So cross your fingers for us. </div>
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So the plan is to wait until after the New Year because we've got AirBnb-ers staying in our apartment while we go on vacation, and the last thing I want while I'm on vacation is an email from a distressed Australian family that my bathroom wall tile is peeling and the whole thing has turned into a hideous mess. So I figure we'll wait until we get back, and then if it turns out it's a total disaster, we'll just do what we probably should have done from the beginning and re-tile the whole bloody thing. My attitude on this is essentially win-win. If the tile paint works: Terrific. No more looking at that dingy, always dirty looking tile! If the tile paint doesn't work: Great too, because we will have eliminated all other options and there will be no way to deny or postpone re-tiling our bathroom once and for all. </div>
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Have I mentioned that we've lived in this apartment for 11 years? That I've lived with this resentment for 11 years? This hatred and hostility of 11 years? That's a long time. The upshot of this interior design sensitivity/psychosis is that once something is improved, I'm also jubilant every time we make one of these improvements-- far more so than your average joe. So at least that characteristic is a silver lining we can look forward to once we've painted over that hideous tile... 😬</div>
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John and Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17567797704419911904noreply@blogger.com1