January 28, 2012

to ‘dumptiques’

I listened in on a lovely chat called #designtv this week.  #Designtv  is a lifestyle chat held Thursday at 5pm EST on Twitter, co-founded and co-hosted by

Jonathan Legate, and Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCDDesigns.

All fabulous inspirational people who get together and chat it up!

Chatting about what can be repurposed and mixed into your home made me think about a recent trip to the dump.

First I had to convince the dog, that he should ride in the back seat, and not the truck.

Then I saw a fabulous turquoise blue stool, and thought no I shouldn’t, yes I should, and no I shouldn’t. I left it behind, and went back the next day the landfill was open…and it was gone.  I was sad that I left it behind, but so glad that someone took it home.  I really didn’t need the stool, I just hate to see perfectly useful items thrown out!  In the #designtv chat, Pandora de Balthazar tweeted in reference to recycling, reusing, and re-purposing, “@PandoraLuxLinen: the more who do, the fewer who go without! “

Such a lovely comment provoking thought about our everyday actions.

I then started thinking about some of the dumps that I have been too.  One of the most interesting, ‘Dumptique’ of West Tisbury Massachusetts.  This is a first come first serve actual shop, where everything is free.  If I remember correctly there is a donation box.  The idea is basic, there is something that you no longer want in your life, but is in good shape…no need to throw it out, purge it from your life, pass along to a local dump that allows exchanges, or find a local church or thrift shop, or woman’s shelter.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

can i decoupage the waste bin? or a stacked table out of the rusting old rims...or should they be a color from Benjamin Moore's new Colorstories pallette?

Sad to say all I have to share are the ‘trash’ photos, as I tried not to bring anything home.  I hope it will encourage you to look at things differently while you are out and about shopping for the perfect find!

When you find that special find, be creative with your usage you can always alter the item to suit your needs!

My challenge to you, next time you put something in your trash can, wonder if it really should be going into the trash bin, the recycling bin, or the repurposing bin

….or might someone else be able to make good use?

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January 25, 2012

to green skies

The chances of seeing the Northern Lights in Northern New England are slim.  This week there is a chance that is as long as the clouds go away.

The Northern Lights aka Aurora Borealis are the result of physics and chemistry.

Particles in between the earth and the sun form a sheet, which is illuminated dependent upon the gases that are present in the earth’s upper atmosphere.

Oxygen is said to result in green or brownish – red aurora where as Nitrogen results in blue or red sky.

Years ago I was blessed with a view of the northern lights.  This was truly one of the most spectacular sights of my life.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the clouds disappear and I can sneak a peak tonight!  Then maybe I can share some images.

Until my next sighting here is the best detailed description I could find on the phenomenon that includes some images that are so amazing they are surreal.

The site speaks more about Aurora Australis otherwise known as

the southern lights.

 t0 learn

http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2011/03/picturesque-particle-collisions-–-auroras-explained/

 to view

http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/aurora-australis-over-antarctica-taken-by-samuel-blanc.jpg

While searching for information on the Northern Lights, I can across this amazing Naturalist/ Tour Guide/ Photographer Samuel Blanc.

To view his incredible work & read his fabulous blog

http://www.sblanc.com/

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January 10, 2012

to a vote

@Tara Hartnett

that’s right it’s the New Hampshire 2012 primary, and Rich’s first opportunity to vote as a United States Citizen!  After becoming a citizen over the summer, the first item on the agenda was register to vote.  An opportunity to vote is something that is remarkable.  No matter what your beliefs, you have a chance to voice your opinion.

I would like to vote for the candidate that is going to clean up all of their signs on the side of the road first, respect my wish to be on the do not call list, and clearly respect others including their competition for the race.

I decided not to vote for Mitt Romney since he was the first republican candidate to start the degrading of other candidates.  Certainly my biggest pet peeve through the political races is amount of energy that each campaign spends on degrading the others.  The amount of money that goes into each of these campaigns seems like money that could be spent in a much better way.  I have never been able to understand why when it comes down to voting day I am always unclear on who to vote for, but have a better idea who had an affair, who skipped school in junior high, and what famous person supports each candidate.  I would much rather walk into voting day with a clear vision of what each candidate thinks it takes to represent the United States of America, how they think they can accomplish this, who their crew is going to be, and what they have done in the past that will make me believe they can accomplish this.

 All that being said, I am still proud to be able to vote if I choose to.

And yes I am tempted.

Vermin Supreme 2012 Presidential Candidate

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December 19, 2011

to relaxing

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a week at Manior Hovey in North Hatley, Canada cured our need to relax.  A southern businessman originally built the Inn at the turn of the century.  He modeled the project after George Washington’s Mount Vernon home.  The Inn overlooks Lake Massawippi and the township of North Hatley.  Our days tended to start with breakfast, turn to a nap, maybe a bath, lunch, a nap, a stroll by the lake, a game of backgammon by the fire, dinner, and back to bed! We managed to leave the property twice in the week, once to grab a couple of snacks at the proper local grocer, Lebaron J B Ltd Grocery and the next time we decided we should take a venture.  The marvelous cheese cart at Manior Hovey inspired the venture.  We decided to select from those that were the most local to the area.  Typically I stray away from the blue ones, but after the description from our server I was sold.  The Bleu Benedict was spectacular, and warranted a trip to the Abbey of Saint-Benoit-du-lac where the monks of the Abbey make the cheese.   We managed to make the Abbey just in time to hear the Gregorian chant, so moving that I had tears in my eyes.

One of our rituals while traveling is to find a piece of artwork from a local artist, to build a collection of art that reminds us of our special voyage.  In the dining room of Manior Hovey there is a piece of work hanging over the fire.  We were both taken by the piece, and once we found out the artist was a local artist that also works on the property, we knew a piece of hers would be a very special addition to our collection.  The Artist, Lydia Malinowski, her work is displayed through out the Inn.

Returning to Manior Hovey to more spectacular food!  The staff was exceptional, the property is just amazing, and the location, just over the Canadian border approximately 4 hours from Boston, and 2 hours from Montreal.   Between the two of us we managed to sample just about everything on the menu for the week, and were presented with a special Quebec lamb dish for our final evening!  While most of the week we kept to ourselves and truly enjoyed ‘our’ time, towards the end of the week we did meet a lovely couple and exchanged some nice conversations in front of the fire in the library.

A beautiful trip we will cherish for years to come!

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October 20, 2011

to nourishing your body

About six months ago I was introduced to a marvelous woman, Pandora de Balthazar, who prides on her creation of a sleep system to help care for your body.  Pandora & her lovely team encourage visitors to try the system of pillows made of Hungarian down in various densities.  The system was created to rejuvenate & support your body whether reading in bed, relaxing, or sleeping.

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After my first encounter with the sleep system I became a believer.  At the time I could not afford to purchase the sleep system, but knew I wanted to save to purchase something that my body would benefit from on a daily basis.  If you think about the amount of time you spend on your pillows, investing in the right system is certainly logical.  In addition to the sleep system, Pandora has one of the largest collections of antique linens in the world.  She encourages you to put the linens on your bed, and use them daily rather than store them in a closet, the air is good for them.  Pandora spends her time traveling to share these beautiful linens, and bed system with others.

In September I attended #Brimfield Tweet-up at Brimfield’s Antique Show.   #Brimfield Tweet-Up was put together by Gretchen Aubuchon of Gretchen Aubuchon Designs and Cynthia Bogart of The Daily Basics, and sponsored by Aubuchon Hardware, Benjamin Moore Paints, GE Monogram, Company C, Pandora de Balthazar, and media sponsors Traditional Home and Better Homes and Gardens.  The group consists of amazing designers, collectors, all around beautiful people that enjoy surrounding themselves with unique special finds that enrich lives and pride themselves on sharing with others!

who says that you can't be comfortable while you work hard?

I was fortunate enough to be able to procure a nurturing sleep system for our bed while at Brimfield & I look forward to continue to build my linen collection over the years! After six weeks of sleeping in our luxurious new bed, Rich & I have both been more aware of how poorly we were sleeping before, and how thankful we are to be able to rest & relax so peacefully now!  Thank you Pandora, we are forever grateful!

If you would like to try Pandora’s sleep system, or browse her marvelous linen collection you can find her at the following shows:

High Point Market October 22nd – 27th.  High Point, North Carolina.

Kemah Antique Show– Antiques by the Bay Kemah, Texas November 3rd – 6th

Shreveport – Bossier City Opera Guild Bossier City, LA November 17th – 19th

Austin Jr. League Show – Christmas Affair Austin, Texas November 17th – 20th

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September 6, 2011

to treasures

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treasures from a visit to Brimfield last may

looking forward to what treasures are awaiting this week & hoping to find a some unique items so I can be sure to participate in the #Trash2Treasure shopping spree being held by

Pandora de Balthazar European Luxury Bedding

to participate you must be signed up for #Brimfield TweetUp

a gathering of fabulous people that are inspirational, full of energy, & love everything home!

hoping to find a cool treasure to post for the contest, so I can have a bed like this!

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August 26, 2011

to the calm before storm

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August 23, 2011

to the qualities of cast iron

where to start, the solid beauty of cast iron is what holds many of the buildings in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  To think, at one point cast iron was less expensive than brick, and stone.  A surge of cast iron buildings arose in the second half of the 19th century.  With the use of cast iron in construction the building styles became transformed.   The strength of the cast iron allowed for smaller columns than those made with brick and stone, and allowed for additional height of the building.  This in turn became a feature that many builders could market as the square footage the owner would end up with would be larger than with stone or brick material.  In addition to the extra space, the cast iron would also support the load of the building in ways that other materials could not.  Hence the ability to allow for larger panes of glass in buildings made of cast iron.  The advantage here would be to allow natural light to pass into the interior space, a new movement of glass facades began changing history.  Lots of natural light for interior spaces was of particular interest as electricity was costly at the time.  With the ability to gain height on the floor levels, the cast iron also allowed for the ability to carry the weight of addition stories adding more square footage to each building.

 

Part of what made the overall costs so low with the usage of cast iron was the assembly.  Cast Iron parts could be selected out of a cataloge, and then pieced together by builders, no need for an expensive architect.  Makes me wonder if this was the inspiration for today’s ‘pre-fab housing’ although I have a feeling in 200 years many of the ‘pre-fab housing’ built today will no longer be standing, and the cast-iron buildings built 200 years ago will be.

 

Louisville claims to have the second largest collection of Cast Iron Architecture in the nation.  The largest collection would be NYC.  Take a venture and view some of this beautiful architecture with fabulous ornate detailing!

To learn a bit more on Cast Iron & Architecture check out … www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/pbriefs/pb27.htm

specific to Louisville….

www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9B578902-F9F0-4793-858B-B2DE417B9C74/0/WestmainNG.pdf

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August 8, 2011

to bourbon, the short unofficial history {from discussions with distillers, distillery workers & guides, bartenders, & enthusiasts}

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Whiskey has been part of the American landscape almost as long as there has been an America.  Early settlers & farmers were distillers, distilling was a way to preserve the harvest and increase the value of your crop.  Early presidents including Washington and Jefferson were known to have produced whiskey on their plantations.

From these humble beginnings flows the story of bourbon & the pioneer spirit.

The major ingredients in Bourbon; corn, a plant that the Native American population introduced to the new settlers and that thrives in what is now Kentucky. The corn was added to the grains already used by the early distillers {wheat, rye and malted barley} to create the earliest American Whiskies un-aged and clear closer to moonshine, known today as White Dog. Many of the early settlers in Kentucky were of Scottish and Irish origins and were familiar with the distillation of alcohol from grain.

How white dog became bourbon is a story of innovation, accident and in many cases luck.

In 1787 on the site of what is now the Buffalo Trace distillery, charred oak barrels were filled with White Dog (moonshine in essence) to be sent down river on rafts for the 7-month trip to New Orleans.  During this trip a magical transformation happened, the Whisky interacted with the barrels and when it arrived it New Orleans it was America’s first barrel aged Whisky.  This proved to be quite popular.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

In 1835 along came a Scottish doctor, Dr. James C. Crowe who was to change the fortunes of the bourbon industry forever.  He is now often called the father of bourbon.  For 20 years at the Oscar Pepper distillery (now the site of Labrot & Graham’s Woodford Reserve Distillery) he was to innovate and improve the distillation and aging process of whiskey.  His payment for this job was 10% of the whiskey produced, this ensured that he produced some of the finest whiskey coming out of Kentucky during this period.  It is said that Senator Henry Clay took a barrel of Crowe whiskey to Washington every session “to lubricate the wheels of government.”  Old Crow bourbon formerly from the Old Crow Distillery, and now distilled by Jim Beam, is said to be named in Dr. Crowe’s honor.

www.woodfordreserve.com

At one point there were well over 200 registered distilleries in Kentucky.  There are many reasons why we now only have about 10, the most significant event were the dark days of prohibition.  This period from 1919 – 1933 could have spelled the end of bourbon forever, luckily some people believed there was a medicinal necessity for whiskey, 4 distilleries were granted licenses to produce this whiskey, one of which is know as the Buffalo Trace Distillery.  During the period of prohibition approx.. 6 million prescriptions are believed to have been written for every malady and patients of every age.

Shortly after returning from the war in 1945, Bill Samuels decided unlike the whiskey his family produced for 3 generations, he was going to make a whiskey he enjoyed.  At the site of the old Burk’s Spring Distillery he began the creation of what we now know as Maker’s Mark.  He eliminated the rye from his mash bill, and replaced it with red winter wheat & created a sweeter smoother whiskey.  This was to be marketed as the first premium bourbon with a whopping $6.79 price tag.  A lot of the credit must go to his bride who while he was working on his recipe she developed all the packaging, including the signature hand dipped wax as well as the marketing of the original bottles.   In essence she truly developed the brand of Maker’s Mark.

www.makersmark.com

With the encouragement and support of bourbon distillers, the U.S. Congress set the codification of bourbon in 1964.  Bourbon must be made in the U.S., made from grains which consist of 51% corn, aged in only charred new oak barrels, distilled with a proof of 160 or less, enter barrels at a proof of 125 or less, and bottled at 80 proof.  In order be called ‘straight’ bourbon it must be aged for 2 years.  We found out that most distillers age for about 7 years, and do not age more than 23 years…for fear of evaporating the entire batch. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey )

We now stand at the start of a renaissance period for bourbon with small batch bourbons being produced by all the major distilleries & micro distilleries opening all over the country.

This is a fabulous time to be a bourbon enthusiast!

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August 3, 2011

to kentucky

We were lucky to win a trip to Kentucky to tour bourbon distilleries from The Spir.it.  While we were both excited for a new venture in learning, what really surprised us was the sheer beauty of Kentucky, not just the rolling hillsides & horse farms, but the people and small towns we visited.

We spent 3 days in Louisville/Lexington area, and met so many fabulous people, people with a quiet gentle pride in the history & place they come from.  Families at farmer’s markets, distillers proud to be honoring the legacy of their families, using local corn to produce the most historically significant spirit in the country.  Restaurants serving fabulous local ingredients, & every bartender had a favorite bourbon or cocktail they were excited to share.

Over the next few posts we will go deeper into many of the people we met, and the places that we visited which made our short trip so memorable.  If you have ever thought you should see bourbon country don’t wait, start planning your trip now!

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