Claudia — Page 1308

All Systems Are Almost Go

January 15, 2014 at 8:51 am by Claudia

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Yesterday, I drove about 30 minutes south of here to look for a blanket for the bed. It was another in a series of rainy, foggy days around here. I hate to say it, but I’d much prefer snow over the mud and dampness that has been the norm lately. Anyway, I found a blanket at HomeGoods, as well as a throw pillow. Then I checked out everything at TJ Maxx and ended up with a big fat zero. Ah…but what did I see on the horizon? Bed, Bath & Beyond, the place where I found the pillows we love to sleep on. I needed a couple of King-sized versions of the same pillows. And some pillowcases. The pillows were not cheap, so I could only buy one for Don and one for me and that means the other pillows we use will still be standard size. Screwy, I know, but they’ll be hidden behind the King pillows. Hey, we’re on a budget.

Everything has been delivered. Last night, the last two items – sheets and a dust ruffle – were plopped on our doorstep around 8:30 pm. Almost everything was bought at a discount, sometimes a deep discount. Even so, when you change bed sizes, you have to buy at least one of everything. This has been an expensive proposition for us. Now we await the call that tells us when the bed will be delivered, which will tell us how much we need to do tonight and what we can do at the last minute tomorrow. Cross your fingers for a late morning delivery, okay? That will give us some wiggle room. I’m putting 11:00 am – 2:00 pm out into the universe.

Anyway, there was a Dollar Store right next to TJ Maxx, so I went in to look for inexpensive document frames (check) and found something for the dollhouse. I’ve been looking for a circular mirror to hang above the bathroom sink and I found a thingy that’s meant to be carried in a makeup bag or purse – you flip it open and there are two small round mirrors. $1.00. I came home and managed to pry out the mirror without breaking it and there you go.

I like it.

The other night we were watching Channel 13, our local PBS station that comes out of NYC, and an ad appeared for their programming with a montage of still shots from Downton Abbey and Sherlock, etc. And right in the middle of it all was a shot of Don from The Poisoner’s Handbook! We gasped and cheered. Yay Don!

Since you gave me your blessing, I might be trying some different ad configurations on the blog as my earnings this month have been abysmal. It will be a test. Thanks for your support. Question: Do you have a preference?A narrow, horizontal rectangular ad right above the top of the content (where I post) or one above the header?

Have to go. I have a lot to do today. Everything will be topsy-turvy.

I just looked outside. It’s foggy again. Enough already.

Happy Wednesday.

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Shelter Magazines: Which Do You Miss? Which Do You Buy?

January 14, 2014 at 9:13 am by Claudia

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The other day I mentioned my stack of Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion magazines (hereafter referred to as MEHC.) I think I managed to save just about every issue. A lot of you commented that you also had hoarded away copies of MEHC. I thought that MEHC would go on forever, just as I thought Country Home and Cottage Living would go on forever. (By the way, I saved a lot of my Country Homes and Cottage Livings as well, but they’re tucked away on one of the lower shelves of this bookcase and I can’t get to them at the moment.)

My three favorite ‘shelter’ magazines. I loved them because they were lush with gorgeous photographs, eclectic homes, (unlike the trendy and like-every-other-home look I often see nowadays), wonderful features, informative articles. Opening each new issue was exciting, I knew I was in for a nice, long session amongst the pages. The sleeper among them, Cottage Living, was a brilliant mix of design, articles about cottage communities, how-tos, home tours, gardening – every page was a delight.

When they went under during the ‘magazine bust’, as I call it, I was shocked. I even wrote about it on this blog. I went into my own little period of mourning. In the meantime, the internet, blogs, Pinterest, etc. have taken up a lot of the slack. But none of them are a substitute for the glossy pages of a reasonably priced magazine with informative articles that is perfect for holding in your hands while sipping a cup of tea.

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I used to be a sort of shelter magazine addict. I bought a lot of them every month. I looked forward to the day I knew I could find Country Home on my neighborhood magazine stand. I had a mental chart of each magazine’s publishing date. I knew when MEHC would arrive in my local store and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I loved nothing more than sitting down with a stack of newly published issues. Such a wonderful treat!

Now? I buy a magazine about once every six months. If that. Partly because I’m very careful with my money but mostly because I find the content less than inspired. Country Living doesn’t really do it for me anymore. Sad to say, it doesn’t inspire me. I usually stand in the aisles of the supermarket or the bookstore and thumb through the pages of an issue, carefully considering whether or not I should put out the cash to bring the magazine home with me. Almost always I come up with a firm “No.” And when I cave because I just want to treat myself, to try to re-experience that old pleasure of finishing everything I need to do so I can sit down and lose myself in the pages of a magazine, I end up disappointed and feel like I wasted my money.

Much of this is due to the competition from the internet and from blogs. How many times do you pick up a magazine and see a feature about a home and realize you’ve already seen it on the internet? It has to be tough for magazines to come up with original content. I don’t envy them that task. And while I’m thrilled for fellow bloggers who get featured in a magazine (I’ve been there a time or two and, believe me, I felt proud and honored) I seldom buy those issues because I’m already familiar with the content. If I had a lot of disposable income, it might very well be a different story.

There is also the sheer glut of home and decorating blogs and photos everywhere online. If that overabundance makes me tired, and it often does, then I’m probably not going to put out money to buy more of the same.

I also don’t want to pay $7.99 for a glossy issue that is 75% ads and 25% content. I understand the need for ad income and I wish I could fork out the money to support those magazines, but money is just too tight. I’m on a strict budget. On the other end of the spectrum, the Stampington magazines, Where Women Create, Somerset Life, etc. are gorgeous, beautifully designed, lush and a treat for the eyes, but they are over $15.00 a pop. They are worth every penny but I can’t afford them. And I still love specialized, niche magazines like Studios, where I know I will see lots of new-to-me features. Oh, and I forgot to mention Flea Market Style, which I adore, and buy.

Of course, I’m talking about my personal preferences in reading matter. I know that yours might very well be different. I’d love to hear about them.

So, some questions for you this morning, sparked by your comments on my stack of MEHCs. What shelter magazines do you miss? What magazines do you routinely buy? Do you subscribe to any magazines? What are your thoughts?

Happy Tuesday.

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Trunk Sorting Yields a Vintage Find

January 13, 2014 at 8:05 am by Claudia

The other day, as I was sorting through all the things I’d stashed in my vintage trunk, I came across something that I think was my grandmother’s. It’s petite, and she was just over five feet tall, and it’s handmade. Letitia, my vintage dress form, is also quite petite and you can see it fits her rather nicely.

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I think it’s a nightgown. It seems to be made from muslin or something very much like it. Perhaps this was part of Grandma’s trousseau? Did she take it with her as she moved with my grandfather to Michigan, leaving her beloved Canada behind?

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The neckline is hand crocheted. Such a simple and effective embellishment.

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Each sleeve has two tucks and is finished with a crocheted edge.

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Isn’t it lovely?

My mom passed on a lot of my grandmother’s things to my sisters and me. Last year, my adored sister Meredith found another more elaborate (and rather sexy!) nightgown that we were pretty sure had to have been Grandma’s. It was exquisitely handmade. We analyzed the bust size, we pondered whether Grandma made it or if our great-grandmother made it, and we finally came to the conclusion that it had to have been made for Grandma. My mom was about five feet seven inches tall when she married my dad. These nightgowns wouldn’t have fit her.

My grandmother was tiny and small boned. My grandfather was tall and his nickname was Slim. His sisters were very tall. My mother is tall. My brother was about six feet four, my sisters and I are tall. In a sea of tall people, my wee little grandmother stood out. So really, isn’t it obvious? This was hers.

If you click on the link to the nightgown that Meredith found, you’ll see that it must have been part of her wedding trousseau. This one is simpler, a bit more everyday, but beautiful in its simplicity.

Did you know that Meredith and I named our dress forms after each other? Mine is Letitia, which was my aunt’s name and is Meredith’s middle name. Meredith’s dress form is Caroline, which was my grandmother’s name and is my middle name. Can you tell we love each other?

Such a lovely surprise. See what happens when I start to rearrange things in anticipation of the arrival of a bigger bed?

Now I’m looking at the studio with tough and uncompromising eyes. I’m in the mood to eliminate unnecessary clutter. I’ve cleaned off a lot of the little tchotchkes on the mantel shelf, I’m taking the Reimagined Bulletin Board down for the time being. Since I have to move the bookshelf out of the way for the upcoming bed maneuverings, I’ve decided to move it permanently into a corner of the bedroom. It takes up too much space in what is a turn in the hallway. Don will be happy about that. I won’t ever be a ‘spare’ decorator, but I’m tired of too much stuff in a tiny space and that is what my studio is – a tiny space.

Gosh, this bed is causing a lot of changes!

Happy Monday.

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All Systems Are Almost Go

Shelter Magazines: Which Do You Miss? Which Do You Buy?

Trunk Sorting Yields a Vintage Find

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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