July 01, 2007
We're Not in Kansas Anymore
That squash? It was even bigger than it looked when I first spotted it peeking out from under the leaves in the garden. It's so huge, in a pinch I can Sharpie some eyes, slap on a bonnet, and stroll it around the neighborhood in a pram.
Here it is with a normal-sized coffee mug for scale.
And speaking of big, I could wear this as a hat to the horseraces.
And speaking of plantlife in the front yard, here's a nice problem to be plagued with: fragrant blossoms getting stuck in the car door.
And speaking of Angels Trumpets, we have four of them (orange, yellow, white, and pink), not just three, as I'd previously thought. Wow wow wow. And wow.
And speaking of the backyard, that's which way the house has been sliding ever so gently over the years.
But overall, it just keeps getting better. Yesterday, while watering the garden and cleaning out the birdbath, I found a mini discoball hanging from one of the (four!) apple trees. If that's not a sign, then slap my face and call me Sally. I'm so happy and in love with the place that I did three loads of laundry yesterday with a smile on my face and a song in my heart and that hasn't happened in...well, ever. AND!--the bathroom sink is edged with nickels!
But it's not all good. Today I pulled up to find a housewarming gift in the driveway--garbage bags and piles of bricks and loads of old wood dumped there by some friendly neighbor. Welcome to the neighborhood, suckas! Maybe it was the car of guys who, baring their matching silver grills, hooted at me in all my unshowered, sweaty, filthy-pawed glory as I was carrying boxes from the car to the house. Oakland is Oakland is Oakland after all.
Also, I may have inadvertantly led you to believe that the whole house has those gorgeous hardwood floors with inlay detailing. So Hardwood, meet Pergo:
And the countertops? Not granite, but "indestructable" quartz--two times stronger than granite and perfect for practicing our clogging upon.
And the fridge? Stainless steel and therefore NON-MAGNETIC. Mourn with me over a bowl of ramen, will you?
Note: Icky linoleum in the old apartment, not the new house.
(I hope all of this isn't coming across as obnoxious or show-offy, but I just can't believe we ended up with a house this cool. I'll be modest when we've actually done something to it to make it ours, but for now I just have to gush unabashedly over the spectacular work the previous owners have done. I hope that's okay.)
Posted by Leah at July 1, 2007 07:46 PMKeep taking the pictures and telling us about the house; I love seeing it. Of course, I love houses, so I may not be an objective audience.
Posted by: Janssen at July 1, 2007 08:16 PMThe kitchen looks amazing. And the picture of the squash in the coffee cup made me laugh.
Posted by: Crystal at July 1, 2007 08:48 PMLove the house! Janssen, you are not alone.
I recently got my own stainless steel fridge and was totally bummed to find that it's not magnetic. I guess it's to better show off the sexiness of the fridge, but I have cute magnets and now what am I supposed to do with them?
Posted by: Holly at July 1, 2007 09:17 PMHonestly? I am finding this completely thrilling! I love a new place. I love people getting new places! I LOVE seeing inside your new place! I can't get enough. I am a domicile voyeur. Also, SO HAPPY for you.
Posted by: jenB at July 1, 2007 09:17 PMYou have a magnetic knife strip! Rad! =)
Posted by: beck at July 1, 2007 10:42 PMTotally okay and wow! It IS amazing. I'd be shooting like there's no tomorrow also. Actually, I do and my house looks nowhere near as cool as yours, but.. it's mine.
Posted by: Elizabeth at July 1, 2007 11:35 PMGush away, Leah! The house seems awesome. I love seeing the pics.
As for the stainless steel fridge, I've heard you can use these "gel gem" thingies to stick things up on them:
http://www.thegelstore.com/catalog.php?item=907&ret=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegelstore.com%2Fcatalog.php%3Fpage%3D1
Please, keep gushing! What an exciting time in your life and also your relationship with the boy! You are not coming across as showy-offy at all! Just very excited, which you are totally entitled to! I know we, your readers, are excited for you also. And come on...it is YOUR blog anyway...so if you wanted to come across as showy-offy you would be entitled to that as well :P Either way, keep enjoying all the wonderful little surprises (nickles around the sink!) and let us do it with you!
:)
please brag, gush, and take many more photos...i'm enjoying your newly bought treasure...
:)
Posted by: zay at July 2, 2007 07:22 AMWhat a fantastic place and I'm just delighted for you. Owning your own home is one of life's most enduring pleasures (and hard work). Revel in the great job that the previous owners did on the house...in my mind it's always far preferable to have the tough stuff done so you can primp and personalize the rest.
And as far as the gorgeous Angels Trumpets, I have a couple of those plants as well. Here's some info on them.
Keeping Your Angel Trumpet Healthy
Hailing from South America, these beauties prefer damp conditions with warm days and cool nights. Angel Trumpet's are in the Solanaceae family, which is the same family that tomatoes, potatoes and petunias are in. However, a word of caution: Angel Trumpet's are extremely toxic.
Once you have acquired an Angel's Trumpet, the next step is to keep it healthy. First you will need to make sure if you choose to grow yours in a pot that the pot and the plant are both well balanced so the wind cannot knock it over. The limbs of these plants break fairly easily, and although this will allow you to multiply your collection easily, the trick is to grow your Angel Trumpet into a large size tree for maximum blooms.
Remember to leave enough room at the top of the pot to thoroughly water it. They need a lot of water and can handle being watered daily in the hot summer months.
Be sure to fertilize your plants with a good fertilizer at least every two to three weeks so your plant will produce a maximum amount of blooms. A commonly used fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro, Peters, or Andersons 17-17-17 is a good choice. If your plant is in the ground, a fertilizer of 15-5-10 can be used.
To boost the foliage on your Angel Trumpet, a good dose of ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) applied in early spring and late summer, is best. Use approximately three tablespoons for every two gallons of water that is applied. Ironite can also be applied once every season with the exception of winter.
Another suggestion would be to give your plant some shade during the hot part of the day. Angel Trumpet's prefer full sun, but the heat from the sun can result in slowed growth, sparse or no blooms and leaf loss.
You deserve to gloat...it's gorgeous!
Posted by: lainey at July 2, 2007 08:46 AMYou totally deserve some gloating time. And, honestly, I am totally enjoying looking at your pictures and hearing how the new house is. Living vicariously! It's great!
Posted by: Ky at July 2, 2007 08:55 AMThose gardens looks absolutely beautiful! I am terribly jealous...
Posted by: Cait at July 2, 2007 08:56 AMCongratulations.... Home ownership is amazing, challenging, and the REPAIRS NEVER END. I had grand ideas about beautiful gardens until the first year the mosquitos dive-bombed my head. Of course, some years are worse than others. I just came in from weeding the herb garden for the first time in 6 weeks, and I'm inspired again.
As my dad said, when we bought our house: you didn't buy a fixer-upper, and that's good. You bought a keeper-upper.
Can't wait to see more snaps as this place evolves into yours!
Posted by: JennB at July 2, 2007 09:34 AMSo, part of your bathroom is nickle-plated. I might have to borrow that idea, but considering the money we've pumped into our house, it might just have to be pennies.
Pergo=easy maintenance. The hardwood is beautiful and enduring, but don't drop anything heavy on it! The laminate has some wood in it.
From a previous post, you mentioned the back of the house tilts. Ours does that, too (stupid stupid slab foundation). It's really handy, though, because if you drop something round you always know to find it along the back wall.
Enjoy! Even the laundry!
Posted by: Texas T-bone at July 2, 2007 10:05 AMThis is fun! Keep 'em coming!
Posted by: Amanda at July 2, 2007 10:08 AMNo apologies necessary! Keep up the reveal! I'm just tickled for you guys :)
Posted by: Angella at July 2, 2007 10:57 AMit is all quite beautiful. congrats guys.
Posted by: dutch from sweet juniper at July 2, 2007 11:40 AMThat's some squash! Very cool place! :-)
Posted by: Chris at July 2, 2007 11:56 AMPerfectly OK! Keep it all coming! I'm so happy for you two, the house looks amazing =)
Posted by: Ellie at July 2, 2007 04:34 PMSo cool. That kitchen looks purty and I love the nickel sink. As for the Angel trumpets- so pretty. They're also known as Brugmansias (brugs as we call them) and the boy knows a whole lot about them. He's got tons of them. So if you have any questions about taking care of them, he knows a ton.
Posted by: ayankintexas at July 2, 2007 04:55 PMI'm incredibly jealous, but in a really fun oh-my-goodness-let-me-live-through-Leah-for-she-gives-me-hope-that-I-might-also-have-a-home-as-kick-ass-as-hers-someday type of way. :)
Posted by: Missy at July 2, 2007 05:13 PMIt's all awesome -- the internet is happy to celebrate with you I'm sure! We feel the same way about our new house. (What is it about doing laundry in a happy new place? I can totally relate.)
Posted by: Sara at July 2, 2007 07:04 PMHardwood meets pergo is also in my house, it makes me itchy. I constantly wonder what is hiding under there. I plan to redo my floors next year so I'll let you know.
Posted by: Teej at July 3, 2007 04:16 AMThe nickels = awesome. I woke up to my car being covered in web worms this morning, so even though this comment is oozing with jealousy, congrats on your beautiful house...
Posted by: Jennie at July 3, 2007 08:56 AMIt's more than OK! Keep the photos and descriptions coming!
Posted by: gimmy at July 3, 2007 09:34 AMThe nickel-plated bathroom is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!
Posted by: molly at July 4, 2007 05:49 AMGush away at the new house.. it's not everyday you get a new one! Your kitchen is gorgeous, as is the nickel lined bathroom sink!
Posted by: Jessica at July 4, 2007 08:40 AM
