I often find myself marveling at why I don’t do something more often. There are things I just don’t think of very often. Like this:
For some reason, I decided it was time to clean this coffee table and I looked around to see what I had on hand. I found some Pledge furniture oil, so I took everything off the table and went to work. Such a simple thing and it made such a big difference! Why don’t I do it more often? Now, of course, I want to clean every non-painted piece of furniture, including the sideboard and the piano.
I had to amuse myself indoors as it rained quite heavily for most of the day yesterday. And I probably won’t get to do much, if anything, outside today because the ground is really soggy and more rain is expected. So it’s furniture polishing!
Here’s a closeup of the pillow. It’s sort of wonky, isn’t it? But I don’t mind. It is appliquéd and embroidered – by machine, I’m sure. It makes me smile; a little spring garden on the sofa.
That sofa, by the way, is a remnant of my Boston University days. I bought it for $500 – which, considering the fact that I was grossly underpaid at the time – was a lot of money. It’s still a lot of money! But it fit perfectly in the niche created by the bay window in my Cambridge apartment. I’ve considered getting rid of it; the springs are a bit troublesome, but then again, the same thing holds true for the sofa in the den. We really need two new sofas, but as we flop around on these a great deal and do not have a showplace kind of house, they’re fine for now.
Here it is in my old apartment approximately 28 or so years ago.
Heavens, I loved those windows! It was a beautifully sunny apartment.
Don informed me that he now has a rehearsal and filming on Thursday afternoon – something for NBC news. So I won’t be going in on Thursday. Maybe Friday? Maybe Sunday? We’ll have to see.
Two words: Sean Hannity. (I laughed out loud. I might have cackled.)
I leave you with that.
Happy Tuesday.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”
Indeed! xo
Right spot on Tina-Marie ,and Claudia , they get thinking they are all powerful and above the honest and decent people.
I wasn’t planning that rant! I really wanted to tell you all that I drove to work this morning in a blizzard! Talk about a Bring Down!
Loved this post Claudia. -Judy A-
Oh no! Not a blizzard, Judy! More than time for spring!
We have a cold but sunny day here. I have to get out and run some errands but I will scurry on back home as quick as I can.
I love everything about your cottage. So pretty with the flowers and sunshine. The wonky pillow is really pretty. I like wonky, perfection would be boring…. at least in some areas.
My couch and loveseat are at least 20 years old, probably closer to 25. I have been looking a bit in the last couple of years, no go. Nothing grabs me and nothing wrong with what I have. I bought some throw covers and some new accent pillows. Voila, instant new furniture!
I used to have a slip cover on it, but it was so worn and frayed (the loveseat used to be Scout’s favorite place to sleep) that I tossed it.
Yes…I was cackling a bit yesterday, too. And Tina-Marie was right on with her comment. I saw your daffodils on instagram…oh my…I am swooning. We are currently surrounded by a sea of white with more coming tomorrow…3-5”. So there’s that. That’s why your daffodils are so sweet.
I love the lines of your sofa…and it’s almost like a love seat…all the more adorable. I suppose you could have someone reupholster, rebuild your sofa…better than new. It’s really quite perfect. I have a glass cabinet in my kitchen, that is in dire need of organizing and cleaning…so that is my task today. Must make those goblets shine…enjoy your polishing! ;)
It actually is a loveseat, Donna. I just referenced it as a sofa. It’s only 60 inches wide.
I think love seats are so much more practical than sofas…I have two myself. Ours are starting to sag a bit….nothing better than old shelving underneath for support! ;)
Already have some boards in place!
I sort of gasped right before I cackled. Tina-Marie is right. And the Supreme Court vote this morning, well, I cackled a bit more with the Gorsuch vote. It is kind of fun to cackle. I would like to do a lot more of it, in fact!!
As Donnamae said, we have another winter storm watch for 3-5 more inches tomorrow. I’m not cackling about that.
Have fun polishing furniture today. I have dinner cooking in the crockpot and it smells really good. And the sun is out!!! Maybe I will just sleep through tomorrow and not acknowledge it at all.
I’m so, so sorry! You guys are really getting walloped!
this whole post makes me smile big time. and the comments! xo
Thanks, Tammy!
Love the lines of your love seat. I have a sofa and loveseat that are over 30 years old. I had them reupholstered 10 years ago instead of throwing them out because they had good bones. One of my cats loved to shred upholstered furniture. I reupholstered in microsuede because it’s supposed to be impervious to cat claws. It is in this case. Then my cat died (I still mourn all my animals who have passed) and the current herd doesn’t scratch furniture, just their scratching posts like they’re supposed to. Good cats!
Good cats!
Reading your blog makes me forget how depressed I am about the weather. I’d take rain any day over all the snow we have – with more coming tomorrow. The robins are freaking out around our place. I envy you having a piece of furniture that long and it looking so good. Between children and cats we’re on our third couch. And THAT has a slip cover because Allie, our kitty who never met upholstery she didn’t want to touch, shredded one arm right down to the wood frame. Kids grown and long gone and we still can’t have nice things :-)
I’m so sorry about all the snow, Kay! Hang in there. I know it’s depressing.
I have two wingback chairs desperately in need of reupholstering! Been putting it off; not sure we would get our money’s worth out of it at our age! Hubby just laughs at me!
I am just so done with the Orange One and cronies!
I am, too!
Love the pillow, as well as the sofa! Your home always looks so welcoming! We had frost last night – again. The average date of our last frost is March 30. Warm today and tomorrow and then back in the 30’s Wednesday night! What a roller coaster! Where in the world are you, Spring?
It’s going down below freezing two times in the next few days. We’re dealing with it, too!
Love that flowery pillow! Our ground is very soggy also, but at least it’s not covered with snow.
Yes. Ours isn’t either, but I could do without frost!
I have some wood pieces I should do a good cleaning on. Well my whole house needs a good cleaning.
I understand. This is just the tip of the iceberg!
I love your blog, it keeps me sane. I love to look at houses. Here we have day lilies and bluebells coming up and hyacinths blooming. The heather is blooming and hope the forsythia will come out soon. and we have sunshine today. Hope you all get hope from that. If Seattle is sunny, the world can’t be coming to an end, can it?
The hyacinths are coming out of the ground. Just hope they’re okay during these cold temps!
oh, what about sean hannity?!? i will have to look it up!
i am that way, too … do something not very often, admire the results, then think “why didn’t i do that sooner?!?”.
your table is gorgeous! and good for keeping older furniture. i am fortunate to have a hide-a-bed sofa that my parents bought in 1973. had it reupholstered about ten years ago and it is wonderful. they don’t make things like that anymore, with such quality.
we had about three inches of crunchy snow this past weekend and another inch is expected tomorrow (ugh), but the sun is shining and it’s april 17 so spring will get here soon … finally!
hope you’re all in the middle of a good week!
kathy in iowa
The weather is dismal here but at least we don’t have snow! Thanks, Kathy!
hey, claudia …
i know you liked the two books written by amor towles, including “a gentleman in moscow”. well, he will be here next week as part of a series put on by our lovely libraries (where they bring in five or six authors each spring).
if he follows suit of the previous authors by offering a q+a period, is there anything you’d like me to ask him about either book, his writing process, etc.?
or would you like him to sign a book for you?
if so, just let me know before next tuesday (april 23), please and thanks.
kathy in iowa
oops … by april 24!
xo
Lucky you! Interestingly, I already have an autographed copy! When I bought it, there was a pile of signed copies, so I grabbed one. No questions, only because I’ve read interviews with him. Thank you so much for thinking of me, Kathy!
you are welcome! :)
i’ve not read either of his books, nor any by the two authors seen so far this spring … but it interests me to hear people talk about their work and (as someone who loves to write, has done a teeny bit of freelancing and is working on some books of my own) especially writers. plus i might find a new book to read. :)
kathy in iowa
Gentleman in Moscow is one of my favorite books ever. I’d urge you to read it.
just looked up about sean hannity … ugh.
kathy in iowa
Ugh, indeed!
i don’t have cable tv so couldn’t see his show and i haven’t read much about it since finding out about it today, but does anyone here know if sean hannity has reported on or discussed his lawyer/friend cohen on air? if so, i think he should have recused himself or at least disclosed that they have a business or friendship relationship. ugh again. said as someone who is far from perfect, but thinks our country needs truly unbiased reporting (among other things) …
kathy in iowa
Just jumping in here. On MSNBC this aft Fox seems to be ok with him not even mentioning his affiliation with Cohen (and now it is reported, he uses at least one other of his lawyers, also). They said they stand behind him. I guess Hannity also says he is a “talk show host” and doesn’t refer to himself as a newsperson. So he is basically an actor, at least the way I see it. And, in my own opinion, Fox truly isn’t a news network, but Trump Entertainment and paid publicity. It makes me so sad that people actually watch that network for their “news”.
to chris k in wisconsin …
thanks for the update.
i don’t know sean hannity’s show, etc .(don’t have cable tv) and haven’t checked any website he may have, etc., so don’t know how news-y he may be or not. whether he is a reporter, talk-show host or whatever (and no matter how he may try to spin things), i think that if he talked anything about cohen on his show, he should have disclosed their connection.
what a mess!
i tend to just get to watch local news in the morning before work and same before bed (if i haven’t fallen asleep), mostly for local events and weather. i miss seeing the national news, but my schedule doesn’t often allow it. and i’m usually only online for a few blogs … claudia’s first!
have a nice night and good luck with the snow.
kathy in iowa
He’s a carnival barker, a film-flam man, who spouts conspiracy theories constantly. He’s also constantly in touch with Trump.
Fox News is a propaganda arm of the administration.
Yes. He has repeatedly interviewed Cohen, never once admitting that he was his lawyer.
thanks, claudia.
i hope someone with power asks him “if it’s all innocent, why not tell of your work/ personal relationship with cohen?”
i don’t see how his employer could look past that unless they are shady, too.
ugh again!
kathy in iowa
Well, they are shady. So they announced that everything was okay and that he would still be employed there.
The pillow is really lovely. It photographs very well. Love the loveseat. Just replaced my 35 yr old couch and chair after lots of soul-searching and dithering, etc. Turned out to be as bad a decision as I feared. The new ones are not nearly as comfy or nice as the old ones and I just can’t get comfortable one them! Sigh.
You hit a nerve when you said “often find myself marveling at why I don’t do something more often”. Lately, that has been a refrain of mine and still, I don’t do. BIG SIGH! Congrats on cleaning the table — it looks beautiful! Wood loves to be nourished, as my late, wonderful husband often said.
Caroline in Upstate NY
Yes, I need to remember that and nourish the wood more often! Thank you, Caroline!
Have fun polishing.
Marilyn
Thanks, Marilyn!
OMG – best last 2 ending sentences for the blog EVER!! I myself chuckled, cackled, guffawed, snorted, giggled, tittered, sniggered, snickered, yukked etc etc. Wasn’t that something? When I first heard the report on MSNBC yesterday afternoon, I actually thought Ali Velshi was goofing. Then as he went on, I began thinking “Gee, he almost sounds serious about this…” Ha ha! Tick-tock, Sean… Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
#FireHannity
Tick-tock for sure! Thanks, Janet. Peace. #Resist
Good for you on the furniture polishing!
It might be worth it to have the sofa redone. I had a lovely antique one redone. The guy said the the structure was still fabulous, that it was made so much better than modern furniture!
I don’t know if the structure on this one is fabulous, Lee. It’s not that well made!
I think the pillow is cute.
My 40 minute commute was over an hour today on ice.
Yuck!
That is the only word I have.
I love that cute little pillow. It is perfect on the sofa that has such a great history. I would not get rid of it anytime soon. And the photo of the sofa when it was new in front of that wonderful window is a treasure. What a wonderful apartment that must have been.
Oh, it was. I really loved that place and would have stayed there if I had been paid more at BU!
I love your old love seat and your new pillow!!…Cold again here today with some rain and some snow…happily the snow didn’t stick…I just need to do all kinds of Spring cleaning around this house of mine…including outside!
Cold here, too. I am so over this weather!
Hey Claudia,
Yes, you guys have really had some weather to grow tired of for sure!
By the way, I love your pillows and wish I was in my creative mood but it is not happening at the moment and I am not sure why.
Sean Hannity, etc etc etc… hahahahahahahahee hee!!! (and the boy was so indignant at Cohen being “raided”) as he said. NOW we KNOW why. I too, am waiting with abated breath to watch what else happens. This administration is beyond shame and embarrassment. Are we being run (ruined) by a sorry businessman/ reality TV person and Fox news? Yes.
Internet went out so I was lost from news for a while.
I haven’t felt very creative for a long time. I blame the resident of the Oval Office.
I hope you’re doing well, Katheryn!