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Rockin’ It

Published on December 3, 2012December 3, 2012 by Our Humble Abode20 Comments

Right now, we’re kind of between projects. Planning some while waiting for materials to come in/get delivered for others. One of those projects is a fireplace revamp. First off, neither Ben or I like the look of the 70’s moss rock; it’s dark and looks dirty.

Secondly, the placement of the vents and fan are less than ideal. What’s a fireplace without a mantel? But most importantly, the open wood burning fireplace is a huge cause for concern. We can’t leave a burning fire unattended, fearing an ember will land on the rug and burn the house down. The ash gets everywhere, and we can’t control the intensity of the fire. So, we’ve ordered and are waiting on our wood burning insert.

Because the insert weighs about 600 pounds, Ben decided to start on the surround before we have to move a hulking insert around. To get started, Ben laid out wood (to protect the floor) and chipped rock off the hearth face.

Seeing a pile of rubble inside wasn’t exactly a good surprise as we expected the cinder block to continue up from the basement. Hoping to find better news, Ben cut a small hole in the sheet rock on the side of the fireplace. Looked like rock and cinder block.

With nothing to lose, we pulled off the sheet rock to see what we were looking at.

Some block and some rock. Really makes us wonder what the previously covered up the cinder block. Knowing there was cinder block on the other side had us hopeful again, so we chipped away at a rock on the other side.

Cue the sad face, more rubble. This was the biggest blow to our plans because this side extends into the hallway.

It seems this rock isn’t a façade, rather a structural part of this fireplace, which means it has to stay. Now we’re stuck building over the rock, which is less than ideal on the hallway side. We’ll build out as little as necessary over the rock to keep the hall as wide as possible, but we’re bummed. Rebuilding the front isn’t as much of an issue because we’ve got space to extend, but we have to work within the confines of the inlaid floors.

Until the insert arrives, our fireplace will look sad, like this.

With the insert, we’ll be able to get accurate measurements necessary to rebuild and reface.

P.S. We realize removing/covering the moss rock isn’t for everyone, but neither of us have ever been fond of it, so we’re doing what works best for us.

Tiny Art Collection

Published on November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

I’ve got an unnatural fascination (bordering on obsession) with miniature things. The smaller, the cuter, the better. When the boys and I went to Minnesota, we collected (lake) shells. Then I noticed a few teeny tiny ones and began searching for nearly microscopic shells. And I found some, quite a few, actually. Rather than keeping these mini cuties in a jar or drawer, I dug out glue, black card stock, and an empty frame to display my collection. A small dab of glue holds each shell in place, arranged in a neat grid.

I hung the frame near my computer screen, so I can admire them while I work and remember a fun beach day with my boys. From across the room, the shells seem to be white dots, which makes people want to go in for a closer look.

To round out the group, I added a few more small art pieces. A wooden block with mine and Ben’s thumb prints, an old photo of Ben and his brothers, and a mini business card.

This business card from Mai Autumn is a tiny version of her Landscape with Birds painting, which is beautiful full-sized, and completely smile inducing as a mini.

I plan to buy or make a small frame and further expand this little art collection. Because I’ve got a big thing for little things. Whatever makes you smile, right?

Please tell me you’ve got a strange fascination with miniatures. Or something else like turtle figurines.

Rice Blend Risotto

Published on November 28, 2012November 28, 2012 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

Typically we don’t do much cooking during the summer months. We’ll make meat on the grill and have salads to avoid heating up the house. But when fall and winter roll around, we’re ready to cook again. Well, I’m ready to cook. Ben’s ready to bake. Nothing fancy, just simple dishes that are tasty and healthy. I’m a carb lover and risotto is so tasty to me. So here’s my twist on a classic risotto.

We shop at Costco and love the Organic Harvest Medley rice blend for this dish. The rest is stuff we usually have in our fridge or pantry. Except the leek. That was left over from another meal, so I used it. An onion is all you need. Oh, don’t forget to add salt and pepper to taste.

I’m not a big fan of crunchy onion, so I finely mince it and cook thoroughly.

Once the onion is cooked, I add rice, Better than Boullion (or chicken stock) to the pan. Just enough to cover.

Simmer, keeping covered, but check occasionally. Stir to prevent sticking and add more liquid when the rice looks dry.

Once the rice is soft, remove from heat. Either add cheese to taste after plating, or add enough for the whole batch.

Because this is such a large batch, I add cheese per person. Of course you can add any cheese you want. I like the zing of a little blue cheese, but don’t add too much or it gets overwhelming. Any left overs go in a storage container that I heat up and eat for lunch. I always make a large batch of rice to enjoy later on because it takes a while to cook.

What’s your favorite fall or winter food? Soup? Meat and potatoes?

I Love Geometry

Published on November 27, 2012November 27, 2012 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

On Sunday, we hauled the Christmas decorations out of storage and set up the tree. Not before discovering mouse poop in the box though. Boo to those creepy little critters. We all discussed ‘themes’, wondering what we should go with. Last year’s theme was Winter Wonderland, but I wanted something more colorful this time. After tossing out ideas, we settled on a geometry theme, spurred by a box of wooden blocks. Basically, simple shapes in fun colors.

Last year, my sister found plain wooden blocks in three sizes at a garage sale. She bought them thinking I could craft with them and the boys could build. Turns out, I really liked the way the blocks looked after a coat of paint. But cubes looked a little sharp, so I bought some plain wooden beads at Hobby Lobby and gave them a coat of paint, too.

Small eye hooks, also from Hobby Lobby, screwed in the blocks have a place to attach a hook.

And voila; simple, minimalist ornaments that only cost a few bucks.

To go along with the geometry theme, I bought two packs of silver bead garland from HoLo. You know, because every Christmas tree needs extra sparkle. I’m still planning and working on other geometric ornaments, too.

Do you make ornaments for the holidays? What themes have you used? Or perhaps you stick to a certain color palette?

Open Season

Published on November 21, 2012November 21, 2012 by Our Humble Abode27 Comments

Ben’s happy about hunting season. I’m excited for painting season. Okay, it’s really not a season, more of an itch I need to scratch. A desire to make this house feel more like us, and less like the previous owner. And what bigger, cheap, and quick change than paint? So I’ve hoarded samples and painted swatches on the walls. For the guest bedroom, I’m set on yellow, though it is proving to be difficult.

On the far left is Anjou Pear by Ben Moore (which I got for the boys’ room, but tested in here, too), middle is Willow’s Gold from Dutch Boy and the right is a 50% tint of Willow’s Gold. During the day, I loved the middle color. Sadly, the CFL bulbs turned the pretty greeny-gold to key lime at night. More swatches, this time in the tan-ish gold department. I think I’ve pinned down a color from the chips shown.

Finding a pale, muted green-blue-gray for the north facing family room is really hard, too. Now I’m considering painting the living room a blue-green and use Wood Smoke in the family room. The blue colors seem to look better in brighter, sunnier spaces.

I have made some paint selecting progress. Anjou Pear by Ben Moore for the boys’ bedroom. During the day, it reads as a warm green, but at night it takes on a more muddy green. Against the tan it looks a little crazy, but the striped curtains tone it down.

And I’m gearing up to paint all the doors Squirrel by Behr, color matched to Glidden. Actually, I’ve already started.

The dark color should hide dirt and grime, and the muddy gray modernizes the shiny brass door handles. We’re happy with the quality of the six panel doors, but some of the grain makes the doors look a little like plastic.

Sun rises and sets are stunning this time of year, too. Here is a shot from last week, with a perfect crescent moon.