So Thankful.....

Two lucky girls!

I hope that everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday.  There was so much to be thankful for this year!.  Firstly I want everyone to know that Cranberry and Gravy are safe and sound still in their pen happily wandering around and snooting for bugs etc.  These girls had no idea how good they had it!!!  The heritage breed Broad Breasted Bronze turkey from Whitegate Farm- from all reports from meat eaters was delicious.  Thank you Jay for preparing a most delicious meal for us all.

This year has taken us on quite a wild ride.  Last year at this time we thought we were going to move so we were busy getting little things in this house fixed and the cottage ready for sale....we spent many months looking for the perfect house to buy that does not exist.... and then the huge decision to stay here and undertake this most overwhelming, all-consuming yet totally satisfying project.

I also want to apologize to my husband for the over use of the words "I" and "my" used in this blog.  These words will be replaced with "we" and "ours".  Dave is not the name of our dog and I am not a single woman.  Sorry honey.... I got carried away.

While the holiday has quieted the building activity around the house for a few days, the G&S crew went great guns before the break and will be back tomorrow for more.  I was thrilled to hear the Greatful Dead playing as they worked!  Check out how far the barn has come in just a short amount of time.

Walls up!

To.....

Floors down...

Location for the staircase to "Green Grape Press Ephemera".

Really taking shape...



The other night when I got home it was pretty late and I went out to look at the progress of the barn.  I looked out over the house to see the most amazing view.  I decided to spend some time taking it all in so I laid down of the new floor of the barn (why not, it was there and new) and gaze out at the little William Tripp House.  I tried to take a picture but of course it was too dark but just imagine the house with the moon coming up over the roof line.  Silhouetted was the chimney and top of the pine tree.  It was lovely.  I just think that the position of the barn to the house is perfect.  I can picture myself working in my studio and looking out over the little cozy house.....  then running like Hell into the house (a direct shot to the door) when I'm done so no beasties get me in the dark.

While I have been minding the shop this week, Dave has been busy getting things put away inside the house.  Tomorrow they will start to shorten the sun room by 7 feet.  This means that everything in Dave's 18th Ce. tavern needs to be washed and packed up.  Same with the Canton china in the dining room. There's stuff and boxes everywhere!  We've discovered some really neat things that we forgot we had!  By the time it gets unpacked at the end of the project it will again have been forgotten and rediscovered.  Hopefully the new configuration of the house will let more light in and we can actually see these treasures!



Fish and visitors stink after 3 days.... so true!



Looks like a painting- no?

Little Canton collection- Ask me if I care that it is all repaired or chipped.

And there was wood....

The Tool Trolley

A drum roll please....... announcing the long anticipated arrival of the Gulick and Spradlin (G&S) crew.  After maybe 6+ months of preparation from measurements to design, permits, dirt moving and pouring of cement- G&S is in the house.  Well, outside of the house anyway!

The little purple digger was gone when I got home on Wednesday night.  I felt a little sad about it but knew it would return soon.  The first to arrive the scene was the G&S "tool trolley".  I have no idea what they call the little trailer that keeps all the equipage needed for the project but tool trolley is what I'm calling it.  The G&S crew arrived in their black trucks and shortly thereafter a load of wood for the barn.  Dave and I kept peering out the windows to see what was happening.  I am sure that the novelty will wear off soon but for now it's fun to see what is going on.  I am relieved that they are all outside and across the driveway.  I am however wondering why I never got curtains.  Does not seem to be the right time to invest in them either.  Oh well......

Last night Dave and I stood outside with the flashlight and admired the progress of the day.  I took a deep breath in to enjoy the smell of lumber.  Wood smells good! 

Floor of barn starting to take shape

Stacks of lumber all ready to go!

A portion of the barn floor taking shape

I loved this structural view of the foundation with the wood and stone

Supporting the floor

Ch-ch-ch-changes.....

There have been a lot of changes outside the front door lately.  It has been an adventure getting to the house these days with the shortened daylight.  I try the best I can to see the changes when I get home but it's never totally a satisfying experience.  Now the morning is another thing.  I open my eyes and look out (well, have to put on the glasses first or I see nothing but fuzz) to see what has happened the previous day.  Usually I only have a short time to run out and take some pictures.  I did miss a few days when Bob showed up extra early. 

I'll show you some of the before pictures and then the "in progress" pictures.  You can see how much change there has been.  Now, don't ask me what it's supposed to look like when it's done since I haven't a clue!  I wonder if anyone really does?



Remember this is what the area looked like-



Foundation for barn with retaining wall in background

I love the fact that there has been so much digging and rearranging of the yard but it is left really neat and tidy.  All the toys are put back in their place.  The little purple digger finds different places to spend the night.  The other night he was smack in the middle of the barn on a mound of dirt!  Why didn't I take a picture?

This is what the back of the house looked like with a boarder garden, well I am not really sure it was a garden but rather a tangle of ivy and iris (oh, I forgot I had iris in there- crap) and some really neat little daffodils (sniffle sniffle), plus my hydrangea and lilacs.  OK, I can't be too attached to things- there will be plenty of time to replant.  Again, please don't ask what this will look like- I don't know.

Back of the house before



Full ugliness of back of the house

A softer angle

What I do know is that the new front entry will move from the side door (which will stay), to a front entry and mud room located at the far end of the porch.  The little purple digger (and Bob) took all the garden away and lowered the elevation- is that right? 

The new front entry will be at the far end of the porch


Bob was nice enough to put down some crushed stones so that I wouldn't trip up the walk.

View down the driveway



Here are all the frames that they used for the foundation. How tidy they are!  You can also see how much earth they have removed.  Curious to know what this will all look like someday.

The hydrangea and lilac trees have been moved for their winter accommodations down at the end of the driveway.  They will be safe there until we know where they will take up permanent residence.



My hydrangea, divided and a new home for the winter

From here....

....to here for the winter



The Big Apple....

Last week while the Bob and the little purple digger were busy removing dirt from the top of the driveway to make space for the barn, Dave and I headed to NYC.  I wonder if Bob feels like he is swimming upstream with the dirt removal?  While one truckload after another is carted away it looks like there is still more to do.  I've had many a project like that where you feel like you are making no progress until voila it's done.  It is in fact coming along and they are pouring the foundation for the barn!

So, the trip to NYC was to go back to Waterworks and meet with Sarah to actually see some of the wonderful faucets, tile and the Minna bathtub that we have on our wish list.  I wanted to make sure that Minna tub was a good as I had remembered.  I also wanted to see the Grove Brickworks tiles again and the Henry faucets in the nickel finish.

 We took the train into the city and arrived around noon.  Before we went up to Waterworks we ventured down to the Flatiron district to go to Eataly- Mario Batali's new Italian food emporium (Eataly).  All I can say is WOW, I wish that I had a car to bring back all the lovely foods that they sell there.  Sadly, we did leave empty handed.  Eataly is composed of a bunch of little restaurants to grab something to eat as well as many food departments displaying a zillion types of pastas, olive oils, cheese, breads, fish....I could go on and on.....


Only a fraction of the freshest looking fish...

Fresh pastas





Once we left Eataly we headed further south to ABC Home store and Restoration Hardware.  Both were fun to browse and get ideas.

At Waterworks we were greeted by Sarah and began to wander around the showroom looking at all the wonderful bath fixtures from tubs to faucets.  We looked at all the shower trim with amazement.  I have been to quite a few tile and bath showrooms over the course of this project and left being very irritated and not seeing anything that I found remotely interesting and for the most part wholly ignored.  At one showroom I asked if they had a tile that might go with the French tile that I so wanted to use, I was told to "look around" in the huge menagerie of tiles!  So much for customer service.  At Waterworks I have found the whole process to be very easy and pleasant. Sarah has gone above and beyond in terms of customer service.  She has put together quotes, made suggestions and gotten information form the tile makers to help us make a good decision.  I can not thank her enough for all her advice! The products at Waterworks are also so special that it is very hard to choose just one style!  Maybe good that we have 2 bathrooms....

I had brought my French tile with me to see if I could match the background with some solid field tile.  After a long time we finally decided that there really wasn't anything that would really work.  I wandered back through the showroom and saw the white Grove Brickworks tiles and the Henry shower trim in nickel.  I think that that combination will be perfect with the Minna soaker tub!

Understated simplicity....

 The Minna tub cast iron soaker tub was indeed as nice as I remembered.  Sarah suggested that I climb in and see how I would like it.  I felt a little silly crawling into a bathtub in the middle of a showroom fully clothed but I am glad that I did.  The Minna is really deep and wonderfully reminiscent of the soaker tubs in Europe. The French in particular know how to take a bath!  I just love the fact that the surface of the tub is not really smooth.  You can see a sort or orange peel texture and a luster that you just don't see in a plastic tub.  Who needs jets either.  This is a great tub, pure and simple!

Bubbles anyone?

Inside Minna

On our wanderings to find a spot for dinner we ducked into an Antique shop that was full of the most amazing stuff.  I can't remember the name of the shop but that's OK since I could not afford anything in there.  Our field trip to NYC was completed with a nice dinner at a little corner steak house on 3rd.  After we took our aching feet back to Grand Central for the train ride home.  We wandered through the station for a long time since Dave seemed to be amazed by it.  He kept saying "wow, look at that", my reply was "yes, you think this is great you should see Europe".  Maybe someday I will get him to go with me.....