Love, in the Time of Hearts and Kids

I will admit that I do very little for Valentine's Day.  I often have great plans, but then spend January and February simply trying to recover from the Holidays.  Before I know it, Valentines Day has come and gone, and I'm still trying to finish up the Christmas cards.  I once had a stash of vintage heart-shaped candy boxes that I was going to use to make all sorts of wonderful stuff.  It never happened.  After about twelve years, I donated the boxes to Goodwill.

 Someday, I want to make something wonderful like this sweet heart.

A simple craft, a display of heart-shaped cookie cutters, a couple of vintage valentines tucked into a bookshelf -- that's about all I try do anymore.  There was a time when we made Valentines for the birds, using white bread cut into heart shapes, spread with peanut butter, and coated with birdseed.

The bird valentines we made with our young children were very similar to these darling hearts.

It was a fun family project, and the children enjoyed watching out the window, as lots of sweet little birds visited the tree where we had so lovingly hung their gifts.  Then one year we got a kitten.  Naive little family that we were, we made our traditional valentines for the birds.  A few days later, as we pulled into our driveway after school, we noticed feathers all over our lawn!   Oh, the trauma -- there sat our sweet cuddly kitten, watching, and patiently waiting for the next victim. The kids were really understanding about our kitty's hunting instinct, and really loved their kitty, but they loved the birds, too, so we all agreed the bird treats had to be taken down.

I think my daughter must have been a trendsetter, Etsy shops are full of these 

humorous and sweet anatomical heart valentines .

When my oldest child was in preschool, her teacher requested a parent meeting right after Valentine's Day.  She was concerned that our daughter was not performing at grade level and was not going to be ready for kindergarten.  When I asked her why she felt that way, she pulled out a manila folder, opened it up, and removed an art project my four-year-old daughter had done.

The drawing our daughter's teacher presented looked more like this heart than a typical Valentine heart!

It looked weirdly familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.  The teacher explained that she had instructed the children to draw hearts on their papers, and our daughter was the only child in class who seemed unable to draw a simple heart shape. After a half-hour of listening to the woman's drivel, I left -- without the heart.  The heart, apparently was part of our daughter's "permanent record".  As it turned out, our daughter thought it was really weird that her teacher wanted them to draw hearts.  She gave it her best effort, having only seen a heart once -- on a PBS documentary on open heart surgery.  She thought it was strange that her classmates were getting it so wrong.  She's in her twenties, now, and still remembers that project, and her bewilderment at being asked to draw a HEART for Valentine's Day!  I sure do love that kid.

Using Mirrors in the Kitchen

Do you use mirrors in your kitchen?  While we are in the midst of a bathroom remodel in our marina condo, we have been without a vanity.

photo credit: Francesco Lagnese

Mirrors are placed on the recessed panels of these cupboard doors!  Gorgeous.

All teeth brushing and face washing and make-up applying, and so on, has moved to the kitchen sink.  We simply leaned our vanity mirror behind the kitchen sink.   Sitting down so close to the faucet, it was constantly getting splattered, and keeping it clean was turning into a big PAIN.  It looked so bright and pretty when it was clean, but it never stayed clean for long.....   Well, it occurred to me that we don't actually have to watch ourselves brush our teeth, so I moved the mirror to an adjacent wall -- about twenty inches from the sink -- and I LOVE it!  It is far enough from the sink that it does not get splashed, but it reflects light, and makes the space look larger. 

I think mirrors can work beautifully in the kitchen, depending on placement, 

and how you prepare meals.  The mirrored back splash shown above reflects 

light, and makes the space feel larger.  For the occasional cook, an application like

this could work very well.  For a busy mom, it might become a maintenance problem.

I decided to look around and see how others are using mirrors in their kitchens.  Years ago, we lived in a rental house that had a mirrored back splash behind the stove.  Ours was a busy family -- I worked, my husband worked and attended grad school full time, and we had three children under the age of six.  The mirrored back splash was a nightmare.  Three meals a day were being prepared at that stove, and keeping that mirror clean, on top of diapers, and laundry, and housework, and yard work, and paid work, and homework, was just too much. All these years, I've allowed that experience to cloud my judgment!  

Be sure to check out An Urban Cottage to see lots of remarkable transformations!

After the eye opening experience in my condo kitchen, I saw Steve's beautiful kitchen at An Urban Cottage.  He has a mirror above his sink, but it is mounted high enough to avoid being splashed -- it should stay just as clean as any vanity mirror mounted several inches above your lavatory.  I love that the traditional styling references his home's history, while still being unexpected.  And I love that it reflects light and visually enlarges the space.

Camille, at The Vintage Object, uses a long framed mirror to support a focal point in her kitchen.  It is such a pretty way to style her space!   Camille has done a beautiful job styling her entire home, so be sure to check out her blog.

In the modern kitchen shown below, mirrors are used to define the dining area in an open concept space.

Here is another example of using a traditionally framed mirror above the sink.  In this simple streamlined space, the mirror creates a focal point.

photo credit: Photo by Don Freeman

This tiny mirror might not create too much of a maintenance burden behind the stove -- what do you think?

These smokey mirrored tiles might be a little more forgiving than my old back splash. 

This back splash made. me. swoon.  The diamond shaped mirrored tiles, with darker accents at the intersections is just stunning!

So tell me, would you use mirrors in your kitchen?  I'm definitely scheming about the best way to use a mirror in my kitchen!

Beach House Design and Renovation

As we begin ramping up for a new year of new (and old) projects, I have been reflecting on the design and progress of our beach house renovation.  We have come a looooooong way!   Looking back at the original state of things, I wonder if we were out of our minds to take this on, especially when I see all the work still left to accomplish.

This was the street view of our beach house the first time we saw it. Sometimes you just have to step back and remind yourself where you are going...

... and how far you have already come.  The image above shows an exterior concept for the beach house -- looks easy right?  Just slap on some paint and some new decks -- how easy is that?  Oh, and raise the house nine feet!

Easy peasy!

Honestly, the exterior has not progressed much beyond this point in the last six months -- the rains came here in the PNW, and we focused our efforts inward.

This is what the first guest room looked like when we viewed the house the first time!

This is how we envisioned the space....

.... and this is how it looked early last summer. 

It looks quite a bit different than this, now, but we still need to do the board and batten, build the window seat, and hang the window treatments. The illustration below shows this guest room, and another guestroom, in relation to a funny little attic space.  We opened the wall between this bedroom and the attic to create a sleeping loft (this is a beach house, so we will be having lots of guests)!

Here is the concept for other guest room.  We still need to build out the cabinets and hang the board and batten in this room, but like the other room, it is already "finished" by builder standards.

The loft above the living room opened onto a leaking deck on the east side (with a lovely harbor view).

We had to enclose the deck, because of the leaks.  This turned out to be a good thing, because the loft space was enlarged, and the view was enhanced.   This is our concept for the newly enlarged space!

This was the space during construction....

We have plans for the courtyard, as well!

So, this was where we started on our project, and a few of the places we've been along the way, and where we're heading.  We've actually made quite a bit of progress since most of these interior shots were made.  Looking at some of these old  photos almost makes me wonder why we took on a deep renovation like this, then I remember...

We did it for the sunsets....

Imagine the Impossibilities!

This post is being linked to the following lovely places:
No Minimalist Here
Blue Cricket Design
Someday Crafts
Wow us Wednesdays

Classic Chair Styles

You can never go wrong when you stick to the classics!  Classics never go out of style (though they do certainly trend).  Here are a few of my favorite chair styles:

These bentwood chairs have been freshened with sweet pastel paint...

 via

... or you might opt for the classic finish of an original Thonet, Chair No: 14.

source

 The Louis XV Bergere is shown here in a very formal fabric....

 source

... and here, reinterpreted in more casual garb....

via

Velvet covered Louis style XVI side chairs are always in style...

source Velvet and Linen

A more casual version of the Louis XVI side chair is also lovely.

Restoration Hardware via

Here is a Louis XVI style square backed chair in formal garb....

source

... and here, an updated version....

Restoration Hardware via

A Twentieth Century classic was the Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair.

Perhaps you prefer it upholstered in a bright Patchwork?

Squint via

So, do you have a favorite classic chair?  Do you prefer the more traditional interpretations of the styles, or the or do you like the updated classics?  Or do you love (hate?) them all?

Best Bloody Mary Mix Ever

Another recipe I'm moving over from the old blog.  This really is the BEST Bloody Mary I've ever had!  Here is the original post:

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be given a going away "girlfriend brunch" hosted by a very special lady.  The hostess is a really great sport, so when I sent her the recipe for the Best Bloody Mary in the entire world, she agreed to prepare a batch of the mix.

Halfmoon Bay Bar and Grill, in Westport, Washington, generously shares this recipe in a tourist information magazine (visitorschoiceusa.com) that is available in Washington coast hotels.

After fixing this mix for yesterday's brunch, the hostess is looking for a reason to host another brunch-- just to have an excuse to make more of these delicious (and gorgeous) drinks!  The beautiful picture is from the Halfmoon Bay Bar and Grill website.  Check out those amazing garnishes-- you could have this for breakfast!  It has pepperoni and shrimp, and several different veggies.  It just doesn't get any better than this!

Ingredients:
4 - 46 oz cans of premium tomato juice
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup horseradish
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh minced garlic *we used a garlic press
2 tbsp celery seed (please grind first) *we used a small mortar and pestle
3 tbsp ground sea salt
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients and mix with emersion blender.....We highly recommend pairing this wonderful
mix with Absolut peppar vodka....Enjoy! *we used an organic vodka from the Midwest

We prepared this mix the evening before the brunch, and "tested" it.  It was very good right then, but the next day the flavors had married beautifully, and it was absolutely perfect!

Huckleberry Cobbler Recipe

This is a re-post from an old blog I am shutting down.  I've decided to start including recipes on House Revivals, so some of the old posts can be repeated here, like this yummy skillet cobbler! Here it is:

As many of you know, we are in the throes of moving out of our Colorado house.  This transition has taken us several months, and has involved going through things, throwing out things, donating things, and recycling things.  Just today I was going through what I think is the last small stack of magazines-- ripping off the address labels (why, since I'm moving? I don't know), and flipping through them one last time before donating them.  And I ran across this recipe from the August issue of Sunset.

Yum.  Huckleberry Skillet Cobbler.  Doesn't this look amazing?

Suddenly, I can't wait for summer!  I'm going to try this recipe over the campfire.  I usually just stick to simple recipes like baked apples, or bananas, wrapped in foil and placed in the campfire coals, but I think I need to get a little more creative this year.

The place where we vacation has tons of huckleberries, so I'm just so excited to try this dessert!  Isn't it beautiful?  Here is the recipe from Sunset-- you can find this recipe, plus complete nutritional information on the Sunset website, here.

Cobbler:

Time: 1 3/4 hours, plus at least 45 minutes to cool. One of our all-time favorite desserts, with just a hint of spices to pull out the complex, wine-rich flavor of the huckleberries—and also delicious made with blueberries.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  plus 2 tbsp. sugar (if using blueberries, decrease to 1 cup plus 2 tbsp.), divided
• 1/3  cup  quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/2  teaspoon  cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 2  qts. (2 1/2 lbs.) fresh or frozen huckleberries* or blueberries
• Buttery Pastry
• 1/2  tablespoon  milk
• 1  cup  crème fraîche

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a 12-in. ovenproof frying pan or a 9- by 13-in. baking dish, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar (1 cup if using blueberries), tapioca, cinnamon, and cardamom. Gently mix in lemon juice and berries. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for tapioca to soften slightly, 15 minutes (50 minutes for frozen berries; they'll start to look wet). Spread berries level.
2. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out pastry to a 14-in. round or 10- by 14-in. rectangle, lifting up pastry and re-flouring underneath if needed to prevent sticking. Trim uneven edges with a knife. Slide a rimless baking sheet under pastry and ease it over berries. Fold edges of pastry under so they're flush with pan or dish, pressing together any cracks. Flute pastry edges with a finger and thumb to seal.
3. Brush crust (but not fluted edges) with milk and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar. Cut about 6 vents in crust to release steam. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling through vents, 50 to 60 minutes; tent with foil if pastry starts to get too brown, and put a rimmed baking sheet underneath if the cobbler starts to bubble over.
4. Supporting cobbler underneath, carefully transfer to a rack and let cool at least 45 minutes. Serve warm or cool, with crème fraîche to spoon on top.
*Buy huckleberries from specialty produce markets or pick your own, from your garden if you grow them or from the wild. Huckleberries range from blue-purple to red and even white; they thrive in subalpine forests and meadows in many Western states. In the Cascades, respect posted areas reserved for the Yakama Indian Nation.

Buttery Pastry:

Time: 5 minutes
This recipe goes with Huckleberry Skillet Cobbler

Yield: Makes 1 cobbler crust; 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2  cups  flour
• 3/4  cup  cold butter, cut into 1-in. pieces
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  plus 1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a food processor and whirl just until dough comes together and is evenly moistened. Gather into a ball, then shape into a flat disk.

*the huckleberry bush photo is from the International Wild Huckleberry Association website.