How to Live in Your Bedroom

One of the grands bedroom

 When I saw today's wikiHow I was so excited to see the topic on how to live in your bedroom.  As I clicked on the link I was a bit disappointed to learn that the focus of the story was directed more towards the college student trying to "do more with less" though as I read the article it took me back to the memory of my days in my very first apartment.  

Photo courtesy of Hooked On Houses

 My first real job was a teaching position and I made $7,000 a year.  It's not much money now and it wasn't very much then either.  When I started looking for a place to live I had to find something that was within my budget so you can imagine how excited I was to find an efficiency apartment for just $155 a month!  Even better was that the apartment was just 8 miles from the high school where I taught -  not too close, but not too far.  My efficiency was great too, minus the harvest gold shag carpet.  It was a one bedroom efficiency with a half wall divider that separated the living room/kitchen from the bedroom.  Being able to move into that tiny little apartment was my Mary Tyler Moore moment and though I had no sofa, my table, chairs and shelving were perfect.   

Thirty-three years later, my bedroom is my favorite room in our house.  Not because of the decor (though I do love my bed), but more because it's my quiet corner of the world where I can cocoon in my little haven.  I guess I should also mention that a feng shui expert took one look at my bedroom and told me to start over because it looked like a granny room.  

A few weeks after we moved in this house my dad died.  It was a very sad time for me.  We were in a new house with neighbors we didn't know and it was Thanksgiving weekend.  I felt so alone but somehow my bedroom was a comforting space and I learned then that having this very safe place can help restore me. I also learned to treasure having a quiet and private space.

I've always been amazed at Louis XIV's bedchamber and how the room was used for ceremonies and royal business.  Can you imagine hosting public events in such a private place? 

As the weekend comes to an end I'm so happy to have had some quiet time in my treasured space.  Hope you had some of the same.  

Stilltsville…

some colorful history off the coast of Miami…

There stands a group of seven unique houses… on stilts in the Biscayne Bay

they happen to have a bawdy, raucous

and all out mischievous history. isn't that the best kind?

Now built on concrete pilings…these stilt homes,

some around since the thirties

have seen their share of hurricanes…

But doesn’t seem to dampen their party spirit at all!

The first one was built by“Crawfish” Walker, who had a bait-and-beer shack for passing fisherman during the prohibition era.

…and apparently made a famous crawfish chowder from crawfish caught beneath the shack!

Soon several more shacks sprung up,

some built by prominent Miami businessmen.

These little wooden structures had a colorful history of" “ boozers, gamblers and flashy women.” ha…love it

In the 1940′s the Quarterdeck opened, featuring electricity, a bar, dining room and gaming tables it was featured in Life Magazine in 1941.

Soon, other clubs on stilts with an “anything goes” atmosphere opened up –

police raids began in the 50′s to stop prostitution and illegal gambling.

In the 60′s someone grounded a 150′ yacht on the flats and named it the Bikini Club.

women in bikinis were served drinks free…live music day and night

gotta love the 60’s…no?

This bawdy little bit of history on stilts was recently saved from demolition

with the help of a group of conservationists… An agreement was reached to preserve the structures under the Stiltsville Trust

Let the party go on!

Stiltsville....learn more here

'I Don't Care What The Weather Man Says'

~ well I do really. Following a Twitter conversation yesterday with Patient Gardener and Yolanda, I realised how fond I have grown of my little weather station, which himself insisted on treating me to last year. We did not go out with the intention of buying one but it leapt up at us from the depths of a certain well known German supermarket.

It sits in the dining room where it records a myriad of information which keeps me fascinated. Temperatures both indoors and outdoors, maximums and minimums, a uncannily accurate weather forecast, atmospheric pressure, time, date and phases of the moon are all conveniently delivered in the blink of an eyelid to a most compact screen. I suspect that my yearning for additional information such as wind speed and direction as well amount of rainfall is a little greedy. I will have to resort to the old handkerchief in the wind technique and perhaps come up with a makeshift rain gauge.

However this marvellous machine in danger of being usurped in my affections - it now has a serious rival competing for attention - yet again a visit to the aforesaid store was responsible. This time a little camera came home with us - initially designed to get close up views of a birds feeding table but himself has adapted it to fit in a nesting box for robins. The box has been put to good use before when it hung up in what we called 'The Temple', where it was immersed in a tangle of ivy. 'The Temple' is no more and we are not sure whether the new location will attract occupants. However it's a case of wait and see. We have robins in the garden and are avidly watching so far still life shades of grey images on a small television screen with bated breath. Real sitting on the edge of your seat stuff! I am not sure whether the novelty will wear off soon if there is no action. Will keep you posted. Meanwhile the outdoor temperature here last time I looked was 3.2º centigrade and rising .........

Just wonderin’…

Ok

I am all about huge chunky marble on counters

I think of ice cream cones…and home made fudge. But that may just be me.

But.

this I don’t get…

Why would you make a cabinet look like drawers?

why not really have drawers?

can anyone enlighten me.

please?

images: Southern Living

Promotional Photo for a Cover Band

As briefly mentioned in the comments here, yours truly can sometimes be found crooning cover versions of Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. in restaurants, pubs and other shady joints. Above is a self portrait of myself and Ben trying to look "album coverish/promotional posterish" and failing miserably... oh well, at least we have fun!

Another from the archives!

Another one from a few years back that I thought would be worth reposting. Anyone know what kind of bird this is? I used to know...

Nikon F801s, Tamron 100-300 zoom, Fuji Superia 200.

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day ~ March 2011

G IS FOR?

GARDEN BLOGGERS MUSE DAY

~ when garden bloggers from all over the globe gladly get together to post muses on matters seasonal and green. My offering for this month is this grand poem by Eleanor Farjeon, 1881 -1965 :

'First Gathering'

'Child, take your basket down,
Go and find spring,
Earth has not lost her brown,
Nor wind his sting,
But in the morning
The thrush and the blackbird
Sing to the sleeping town,
And the waking woods,
Sing:
       take your basket down,
Go and find spring!


Now where the ground was bare,
Only last week,
Now where the flower was rare
And the hedge bleak,
Reach for the catkin
And stoop for the primrose,
Seek if you want your share
Of the first gathering,
Seek,
        where the ground was bare
Only last week'


Garden Bloggers' Muse Day is hosted each month by Carolyn Choi over at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.

Go over to ABC Wednesday for more on the glorious letter G!