Category Archives: admiring

heads down

Posted on January 9, 2017 | 15 Comments

Big day coming up – January 20th. And I’m not talking about the inauguration, I’m talking about a distraction from it. The 20th is the day we hand over so much of our work to someone else. (Choirs of angels singing.)

We are tired, and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. I will be largely absent here between now and then, and largely absent from my bed as well. I’m already yawning through everything, but I’m excited too. And stressed. But mostly excited. Until five minutes from now when I will again be mostly stressed.

I’m looking forward to sharing many more details soon, but for now, I thought I’d let you guys do the writing work for me! I’d love to know something that you would love to have in your kitchen – maybe something you’d do if you had more room or would tackle in a future renovation. Or it could be something you already have now that you couldn’t live without.

Here are two things to get the ball rolling:

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Don’t laugh, but I want to install a large paper roll / cutter like this on the wall of the kitchen. Maybe even more than one. Not to write lovely menus on the wall – although that’s adorable, but I really would love a giant roll of parchment paper mounted like that. I guess I could write on it occasionally, but it would really be for using. I love the natural colored parchment paper, and use it for baking, roasting, wrapping, covering, etc. I put a roll in my shopping cart every three weeks.

And pot rails. Cue the pot rails. I can’t wait.

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Sneak peek at the range as well.

Your turn.

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admiring: Hamilton, in all its glory

Posted on October 25, 2016 | 3 Comments

Since the Broadway hit Hamilton is a frequent topic of conversation in our house – to the point that the seven-year-old will bust out lyrics like nobody’s business – “Hey guys, I want to be in the room where it happens!” – I thought I’d highlight a few fun things we’re considering for holiday gifts in these parts.

But first, I wanted to recommend the fantastic documentary – Hamilton’s America, the first in PBS’s Great Performances series.

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It aired on PBS last Friday night, but my understanding is that it is available for streaming for four weeks, and after that point, you can still access it if you have PBS Passport (a benefit for PBS supporters, as we are). It was phenomenal. We loved watching the back story of how Miranda and his talented team worked for six years on this production, but it’s far more than just the story of how a show gets made. There are interviews with historians, politicians, artists, playwrights, musicians. Cast members visit and tour historical sites and view and touch journals and writing desks and weapons from the story. At one point near the end of the documentary, as they are discussing the inspiration behind the song “One Last Time” about George Washington stepping down from power, and the peaceful transition to a new leader, we were all pointing at the screen and shouting “This is so RELEVANT!” It’s just so much fun to deep dive into a subject in a new way, and it’s a testament to this living, breathing work of art that it’s so profoundly engaging and smart. So watch it!

This book is purchased for the little one:

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I’m picking these up at the Book Fair next month for the big one:

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And t-shirts, right?

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I’m already excited for Christmas morning.

If you’ve got other Hamilton-inspired items, please let me know!

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admiring: cross extension table

Posted on September 3, 2016 | 4 Comments

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I’ve long been eyeing this Cross Extension Table for the new dining room. I really love the legs on the table – how they are inset, and splay outwards. It makes for comfortable seating on the ends as well. I’ve drawn this table in our floor plan – you know, just for planning purposes.

I’m not positive we’ll land on this piece. I still want to visit and talk to the owners of Narrative Furniture just down the street from us. They custom build dining room tables to your specifications, and I attended a meeting once on one of their tables and it was gorgeous. I like the idea of working with them on a table, but I’m not sure if they do extendable pieces.

I have a few must-haves for the table. I’d love for it to be walnut and I want it to extend for larger dinner parties and seat 12 people. This Cross Extension Table holds two leaves in a felt lined tray below the table. I think we’d probably always have one leaf in – I really want a large table in the room, even if there are only four of us – but the second leaf could go in and accommodate our family and friends.

We’re also planning for built-in seating along the west wall of the addition. It will incorporate storage for cookbooks and drawer storage beneath it. It will provide us a comfortable place to sit or lounge in the space when we don’t necessarily want to sit at the table, and with the addition of a folding table and a few stools, it will double the seating capacity for the room – making it possible to have dinner for our entire family if they visit for special occasions, or a place for the kids to eat while the adults are dining at the main table. I see it as a really flexible component of the room, and something that brings a library / den feeling into a dining room. I think this room will become the heart of our home, and I’m excited for the connection to the garden outside. It’s currently gorgeous outside – the kind of weekend where we’d have the folding glass wall open all weekend, transforming the space into a breeze filled garden room for all sorts of tasks and relaxing.

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My favorite dining chair of all time is the Wishbone Chair by Hans Wegner. It’s such a classic piece, which is great, because I’d have to collect one at a time, over many years! It’s so comfortable to sit in, and the footprint is compact enough to not look overcrowded around a table.

Okay, back to the drawings. (Sometimes it’s nice to take a break and jump to finished products!)

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