More Inspiration....

While the little purple digger is busy removing dirt from my driveway, I am busy digging up cool pictures. 

I've always loved industrial lighting and furniture.  I see that everyone is getting with that theme.  At first I was a little annoyed but now I'm thinking that it may not be such a bad thing since it will be easier for me to find things I like.  Restoration Hardware could become my favorite store soon!  Brimfield was also teaming with industrial stuff (real not contrived).  By the time the next antiques fair starts in May I will probably be ready to actually buy something!

Erica George Dines

Could this light work in the kitchen- over center island????

Still not sure how low the ceilings will be.

Prismatic Glass Copper Pendant
From Restoration Hardware

These stools will be great around the center island.  I'm thinking more and more that there should be some overhang for people to sit.

Vintage Bar Stool from Restoration Hardware

I absolutely love the little repro French sewing stool.  I can see it in my studio next to a big table where I will doing my letterpress work.

French Sewing Stool Table
Restoration Hardware

There's something very inviting about this room.  I love the way the wood floor merges into the terra cotta.  I also like seeing other people who like unstructured slip covers.  Why cut a beautiful piece of linen when it can morph into so many things!

Marie Claire Maison

The wall color of this bathroom would be perfect in either of my new bathrooms!

Love the paint color!

And Now for Something Pretty!

OK, it's been all about tearing things down lately.  The old addage that it has to get worse before it gets better is really true in this situation.  My yard is TRASHED!  There isn't one pretty thing to look at right now.  The only thing of beauty is that little purple digger- but that's purely symbolic.  When digger shows up, things happen!

But, we can't live on demolition alone.  Yesterday I actually ordered something pretty.  I kept hearing from people about how wonderful Restoration Hardware had become and how they totally redid their store in sort of European distressed Belgian.  All music to my ears, being a fan of all 3 words.  I had been loaned a catalog and was going through the bathroom furniture just for fun.  I had no idea what I would want for the master bathroom but suddenly my eyes fell upon.... perfection.

The Saint James vanity- http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod20105&categoryId=cat20030

So, was it just a pretty face or was it worthy of consideration.  I would have to see this in person.  So Dave and I went to.... gasp.....the mall!  We went as quickly as humanly possible to the store and found the display model.  It looked pretty good.  All seemed very solid.  The back made of wood and with screws even!  The finish was nice and the drawer fronts were dovetailed.  I kept looking at Dave for something to be amiss.  But he said "it's nice, I like it".  We decided to splurge for the Carrara marble top since it would be easier to keep clean.  Best of all, it was on sale!  Now to pick the perfect faucet for it at Waterworks!

Poof!

After years of thinking about replacing the garage and months of sorting and culling through the crap that lay buried within- the garage was taken down just like it was a toy.  I do have to admit that I was not there to witness the demo but in my mind it disappeared "just like that".  The thing that amazed me the most was that the whole garage fit into a dumpster! 

I left for work with the garage looking like this-

When the little purple digger is around- good things happen :-)

I arrived home to see this-

It looks much smaller without the garage there!

Now the storage container stands all alone....

Old retaining wall where new barn will be located


The next morning they came to collect the dumpster. I went down to the shop to get out of the guy's way. Seems like I do that a lot lately. Moving the car or leaving early. The neighbors are probably getting used to me running down the road in my nightgown with polar fleece after moving my car to the little access road. What a sight!  Anyway, I spent a few minutes at the shop before heading to work. Cruising down route 95 I saw a truck merge onto the highway right next to me. I looked at the truck and it was the dumpster carrying my garage! It almost ran me off the road. Was the garage trying to tell me something? We went neck and neck half way to work. Eventually the truck turned off.  I bid it farewell and didn't look back!

The tree guys returned to clear a few trees that were in the way of the new barn-

Making way for the barn!

And today they began to remove the cement pad that was the floor of the garage.

This is what is left

Timber!!!!!!

Talk became action this week as the trees came a-tumbling down!  There was the rain delay and then the hopes that a few days of sunshine would help firm up the water saturated earth.  Monday was a holiday so Tuesday was game day.   I had to go to the dentist so I was out of the house early- but who could resist a drive by on the way to work to see if they had shown up yet.  As I crawled by the house in a manner reminiscent of when my mom would drive by my shop at a snail pace (like I didn't see her), I craned my neck to see that there were a lot of big trucks in the yard.  There was a lot of commotion between the guys.  It looked to me like the ground was still a bit squishy and the trucks were not as agile as they could be.  Not wanting to be too obvious I continued on my way..... but called Dave to see what was going on.  He said that the trucks were spinning their wheels a bit and that the body language he saw from the window indicated that they were none too happy about it.

Soft earth caused a lot of smooshy ruts in the yard. 

Another call a few hours later gave the report that 3 of the trees had come down, one hitting the fence- oops.  That was not the worst of it, another call (this time Dave called me) to say that a big limb had come down on the hood of one of the workers trucks.  Now that's a bummer that can't be fixed with a few spare pickets.  I am sure by the time they left for the day they were in a foul temper.  It was already a difficult job under optimal conditions- a fence, a slope and a stone wall to deal with- but not being able to maneuver your truck to where it needed to go was a challenge!

Day 2 seemed to go smoother and all the rest of the trees came down on that side of the yard.  The only excitement was the arrival of our neighbor who was "hopping mad" and claimed that the hill would now fall down without the trees.  Now wouldn't that be interesting????  I half expected a phone call after she went to the building office to complain but so far there has been no fallout.....

When I arrived home that night it was already dark so I could not really see the yard. I could almost see the area where the walnut tree had stood.  I felt like I had lost a relative.  I looked into the night sky and could see far more of the stars and moon than ever before.  As I looked upwards at our new view a shooting star crossed the sky.  I won't tell you what I wished for but I know that it will come true in some manner.

Here's a picture of the last glimpse of the walnut tree from down the yard.

A farewell glance at the walnut tree

Goodbye friend....

This is what the tree looks like now :-(

The remainder.....

sniff sniff

Now when I look out of my little office window, I don't see the bark of the tree and I don't see "Nuttie" the little nuthatch that was often zipping up and down the side of the tree upside down.  I will miss you both but I do look forward to what is to come.  But wait a minute....  there is a tiny little woodpecker out side of the window peering into a hole in the eves.  He's very cute but maybe not the kind of tenant we want to share the house with?????  OK, now in the last few minutes I have seen a sparrow and a starling.  Is it an open house today in my eves?

The walnut tree is now at the saw mill drying out.  We have decided to make a very large dining room table and a kitchen cabinet out of the wood.  If there is wood remaining we will think of more projects for it.  So, while not standing outside of my house, the tree will soon be inside and remain part of the family!

Lots of work for Dave to cut all this into firewood for next year!

Ready- Set - Go!..... No wait!

The project is getting going, well sort of.  The summer was warm and dry- just what you would want for the project right?  Now that all the permits are in place the schedules have been cleared and we are ready to start- Rain!  Ugh, why me?  Dave has been busy preparing the outside of the house for the crews to arrive.  The garage is looking much better, things are organized, cleaned and put into the container.  Only a few stray things left to attend to.  The stone walls that have surrounded the patio have been taken up.  There was once a lovely little wall that held up the pachysandra but this has been dismantled.  

Once held up by a lovely little wall.

Here's where the walls have gone.  All in a pile under the spruce tree.  I am glad that I was not involved with this part of the project.  My back could go into spasm just looking at this pile!

Doesn't look like much but back breaking work was done!

Here is where I actually did some work.  We cleared all the phlox, daisy and sedums from the area where the road was to go.  It was getting a little out of control anyway so I was OK ripping out a lot of it.  The peonies did get transplanted further down the fence.  Other things that were lucky enough to come up with roots also found a new home.  I wish them all good luck!

Look out here comes a road!

The first attempt to schedule the road was rained out.  Our first day and our first delay.  I thought I was getting a road for my birthday but all I got was mud.  Very sad! 

But Monday I left for work saying good bye to the garden area.  I came home and voila a road!  It looks pretty nice as far as access roads go.  Dave wants to leave it.   I don't think so!

Looks pretty good huh?

The gate looks like it will hold the wee beasties from bolting out into traffic.  I think they are going to add more gravel to raise it up a bit more.  

Can hardly tell my garden was here :-(

So where did all that dirt go you wonder?  In front of the rest of my garden- of course!

Wondering where that dirt went.... here it is!

Care for a spin around the block?  This little digger looks so cute in the yard.  Is purple the "in color" for diggers?

How cute is this little purple digger?

The tree guy was supposed to come today but again foiled due to rain.  They certainly do not want to get those big trucks stuck in the yard.  So, for the time being the walnut tree still stands.  I really will miss it when it's gone.  But I am so excited to have gotten the project actually going.  Seems like we all waited so very long!!!!