bohemian hellhole

Green Giant

If you are looking for low-effort, high impact plants, here are two of my favorites. The Cardoon is basically a giant thistle, related to the artichoke. It has very large purple flowers, and the leaves make for a fantastic addition to a flower arrangement.

A friend of mine was searching for something dramatic to place on her low-slung mid-century mantle and used some cardoon cuttings from her yard on a whim. The result? A large-scale graphic bouquet of silvery green that lasted for weeks.

Peruvian Lilies-or Alstroemeria, are also easy on the gardener, and great in a vase. They come in a wide range of colors, and grow to over 4 feet tall {at least they do in my backyard} with little to no effort.

Locally, Swanson's Nursery is a good source for plants such as these.


Sharpening my pruning shears, Alice

 

Today on Craigslist

As you can tell, I love creepy old leather furniture.

I also love tufting.  This chair is a mere $75, and a perfect addition to your gothic modern decor.
Looking for quarters in the sofa, Alice

Yard Sale Bloodbath

Yard Sale Bloodbath - One of my new favorites, I remember reading about it and meaning to spend some time there, but I kept forgetting. Until today.  For anyone who has gone to a yard sale ever, this ones for you.

"After talking about doing something like this for way too long, we finally took the plunge and started up this blog in April of 2007. Here you’ll find our various thoughts on yard sales and related subjects, ranging from philosophical musings to “oh my god, I can’t believe that person was trying to sell their used granny panties."

The above text was taken directly from the Yard Sale Bloodbath about page.

Wondering about Jack Nicholson and Lara Flynn Boyle, Alice

Safety Glass

The upstairs windows in our house have been on my fix-it list for about a year. They barely function, one doesn't even open. The ones that do open, are so close to the floor level that I keep them shut, for fear of anyone falling out. So today I began the window rehab. {We are re-purposing nearly all the rooms in our house, necessitating that each one be repainted, and given some love. This was step one in the room shuffle. } The goal was make them safe, functional, pretty, and restore what we had, instead of purchasing new, expensive, plastic windows.
I had to start in my favorite way, with a hammer. I removed all the trim, and enough plaster to expose the window-weight shafts on either side. Then I removed the lower sash window, breathing in the long awaited fresh air. Next, there was a rotten little piece of trim set into a groove that formed the track for the two sashes {window sections} that had to come out in order to get the top sash out of the frame. Luckily, they sell the exact same dimensional trim at Lowe's, {1/2" X 3/4"} so I didn't have to do any crazy cutting.
After I removed everything from the frame, I was ready to sand. there were years of nasty paint and caulk preventing the windows from sliding, so I got to work. It took a few hours of sanding and scraping and gluing, after which I started putting it all back together again. New rope for the weights, very easy. I can tie a knot, and apparently that is all you need to know to make this system work. Slide the knots into the grooves on the sides of the windows, and voila! you have weighted windows.
After installing the top sash, I replaced the track trim, and then installed the lower sash. All that remains is to trim out the sides, covering the weight shafts.  The result of todays work? A true double-hung window that opens top-down for safety, and lets all the hot air out of our stuffy attic. Not to mention that it cost about $20 in materials, as opposed to $200 for a new window. And, I feel happier knowing that I fixed something, instead of just buying more.

Sweeping up nails, Alice

Cabinet Fever

James Merrell has a whole host of amazing interior photos in his on-line portfolio.

Pink again, I know. The simplicity of this photo makes me happy, along with the plastic bag and dishes on the counter. {it seems rather luxurious to keep kitchen appliances out of sight - I hate to see the toaster} Curtains covering the lower cabinets have long been on my to-do list, they are such an easy way to soften and change hard cabinetry, especially if you don't like what you've got.

If you just want new knobs, I love these bin pulls. At $4.99 each, they won't break the bank.

For a dramatic change pair new knobs with some vintage wallpaper{secondhand rose is a great source for vintage wallpapers} , or to replicate the kitchen above try Farrow & Ball paint in Calamine.

Removing all my cupboard doors, Alice 

Stretch your dollar

Out of tea towels? Try pearlriver.com, where you can buy colorful kitchen linens for $1.75 -$2.50.

 

They also carry these cotton bedsheets, which would make fabulous summer curtains or tablecloths for just $17.50. 

Planning a picnic, Alice

 

Neece Clark

Sea Peonies

I was recently introduced to Neece Clark, who sent me a lovely email and a link to her on-line gallery.

The botanical paintings are a nice break from the overly feminine floral work out there. She also paints on commission, email her for more details.

Golden Ranuncula

Battling Sea Peony envy, Alice

Mail Order

For some unknown reason the pottery barn catalog came to our house yesterday with a welcome-to-the-neighborhood letter and coupon. Have I ever even bought anything there? Nope. I looked through it anyway, and decided that I really wanted these yellow things.

If only I had a whole set for my table.

Why do the wheels need to be so huge and ugly? They should be replaced with metal ones. I still love it, and have been filling all 10 drawers with little bits of paper, photographs, art supplies, treasures.....

Feeling suburban, Alice

In Memory of Edith

Read more here.

I have driven by this house so many times, admiring it's tiny fist to the sky. With new construction towering around it, I often wondered what drove the owner to stay, even when their neighborhood went up in smoke, to make way for Trader Joe's. Since my first visit, numerous articles have been written about the owner, Edith, and her refusal to sell her home to property developers despite large monetary compensation.   I was sad to learn that she died on Sunday. She wanted to live, undisturbed by the world at large, in the house that was her home. Part of me is glad she got her way, and part of me wishes she could have lived out her days without steel girders and cement walls creeping up around her. The fate of the house is unknown, I really hope it is preserved, a testament to the importance of home vs. a pile of money. To Edith!

Admiring stubborn old ladies, Alice

More Pink Please

I love this post on pink rooms. Everyone needs more pink in their life. I know this because a real-estate agent once told me our house had too much pink for the general public. Such is the sad state of affairs in our everyday, shopping mall life, where pink is relegated to awful baby dresses or cheap underwear. If you're unwilling to make any significant changes in your life, at least buy some pink flowers for your bathroom.

Sitting on the front porch, Alice