I want.... Eva Zeisel Classic Century Footed Bowl and Sauce Boat

I would totally add these (and the matching place settings) to my wedding registry if I had one. Will have to wait till Christmas. Hopefully the line will still be available.

Project: The Bedroom Window

We disagreed on almost everything about the window. The original sashes were pretty rotten and he wouldn't let me epoxy/sand/paint them. Instead, he built me a whole new window from scratch (I made him stay as historically accurate as possible), and moved the whole thing to the left by 10 inches to allow for better house siding installation and water-proofing. We bought fancy new pulleys and window hardware from houseofantiquehardware.
(Drumroll........)
TA-DAH!!

(Before the final picture rail trim and the extensive painting that took place)
Total time: 1 year. Yes, 1 year with a gaping hole in the wall...

I want.... Orla Kiely at Target

Orla Kiely's affordable new line at Target has finally convinced me to go and check their stores out. Soon. It's just hard to remember as I rush home everyday.

Project: Winter Hats

Made with Paton's Classic Wool (100% merino wool), lined with no-pill fleece for extra warmth, and with the maker's label.

Total time: maybe 3 episodes of The Wire each.

Vintage Pyrex

I thought I'd share with you a few pictures of my vintage Pyrex collection. It started innocuously enough. From the late 60's, these gorgeous bowls were found at the Alameda Flea Market. I love these colors!

I want... Stig Lindberg porcelain!

Someday, someday, when I'm done cleaning up the clutter in my house, maybe T will let me buy some Stig Lindberg porcelain. Hmmm, it's a good incentive. My favorites? The Bersa (top) or Eva (bottom) lines.

Project: The Master Bedroom Closets

Don't get me wrong. I love my San Francisco house. It's quaint and charming. Built in 1928, with old growth wood framing, plaster walls, and picture rails. The problem? Decades of use as a rental and little to no maintenance. Yes, I have a tight budget too, but it's so sad to see how this little old beauty has been run down.

The worst part of the house? The closets!
All were dank, nasty, and smelly. Shabby but not chic. They were so sad and depressing. Sure, I could have filled them with clothes and hid them. But where's the joy in that? The "master" bedroom had two closets. Both in serious need of repair. Closet 1 was the larger, main closet, original to the house, with peeling wallpaper everywhere. A long, sagging rod spanned the whole length of the closet, and there were 2 shelves on top. The ends of the shelves and the rod were impossible to reach and use.

Closet 2 was a smaller addition from the 50's or 60's. Less depressing, but also horrible.

After much "discussion" with the fiance, I opted for fragrant red cedar lining, ipe trim, and special-ordered metal hardware. An easy project in concept, it turned out to be painstakingly time-consuming. As anyone living in an older house would know, no two walls in my house are square, so each piece of cedar had to be measured and cut individually. After much work, here are the completed closets.

Closet 1 (above): Cedar lined and with cedar shelves. We put double bars on each side (his and hers) which increased our total hanging capacity and allowed us to "walk" in to reach the high shelves at the top. Even though the space in the middle is sort of wasted right now, it's much easier to get to the clothes and we actually can fit more in. Eventually, we'll either put a long mirror in the middle, or build a shallow system for purses, belts, shoes? We haven't decided on that part yet.

And Closet 2 (right): We put several 1" thick solid cedar shelves for sweaters and folded clothes, and a hanging bar for dresses/pants. The closet is wonderfully fragrant and keeps the moths away!

There are a couple more touches to be added still, like the full length mirror inside Closet 1, but overall, we're very pleased. It's now a joy to open those doors and put our clothes away!

Project: The Bathrobe

After fruitlessly searching for a nice hooded bathrobe for years, one Christmas holiday, my fiance finally decided that he would make it for me. He bought me 3 plush red blankets which then sat in storage for a few more years. Finally, this winter, I decided to make it happen.

Here's one of the blankets laid out on the dining table as I worked up my nerve to cut into it...

There was a lot of deliberation, guessing, red fuzz all over the house, and finally, 3 butchered blankets later, the completed bathrobe! Two sizes too big, but super warm and cozy!

The perfect tea kettle

No bells or whistles. Literally. Who would have thought that finding a classic tea kettle with simple and clean lines would be so difficult (or so expensive)? After searching and searching, I couldn't decide between the two finalists: the Sori Yanagi kettle and the Eva Zeisel kettle (not as good looking, but with a whistle for the forgetful-types like me). So I left it up to my Christmas gift-giver. After a long, long wait, I finally received the Sori Yanagi tea kettle this week. I love that there's nothing complicated about it. Just stainless steel in a design reminiscent of pre-WWII Japan. Boils water and looks extraordinarily good on the stove. It turns a mundane activity into simple pleasure. I will have to force myself to remember that the stove is on... Now if only I could make the rest of the kitchen match!

One step for mankind

Well, hello world. Meet Ibidem. Born March 17, 2009, with much timidity. Follow along as she learns to fly the digital world. Will post pictures soon!