Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Science & Progress
I like to bug Nigel as much as I can. Don't feel sorry for him, because he has the same pleasure. One great way to bug him and get a good laugh myself is to tell him in a very authoritative tone some medical wives tale, some extremely simple medical fact, or as in this morning completely ignore his medical credentials.
As I am getting over a winter flu I call out to Nigel and in a serious voice I tell him I need him to Google me something when he is next on-line. "Nigel, Google 'white bits in mucus. explain.'"
He looks back at me and in an equally straight face says, "hon, I deal with science and progress not whims."
Friday, November 13, 2009
Art Show: Small Scale
SMALL SCALE is a group show with myself and all my sisters. It opens this Wednesday at 7pm at Little Mountain Gallery. My sisters have made some amazing new work...minature sculptures, landscapes, textiles, and my own small sheep paintings.
I hope you can all join my sisters for the opening at
Little Mountain Gallery
195 East 26th Avenue (just off of Main Street)
Vancouver, BC
V5V 2G8
Canada
OPENING RECEPTION: Wednesday, November 18 from 7-11pm.
Exhibition runs from November 18-29, 2009.
http://www.littlemountainstudios.ca/?p=271
I have also posted this to Facebook, but as my computer has broken I can't send this invitation out to my mailing list! Sorry about that!
I have also posted this to Facebook, but as my computer has broken I can't send this invitation out to my mailing list! Sorry about that!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Under the Stairs
We are still cleaning up the house before starting any renovations...after all, we are moving in shortly!
I decide to tackle the little space below the stairs.
It looks like there is a pile of stuff left which I will likely throw away.
There are a surprising number of tennis balls found.
There is a tissue paper full of linen handkerchiefs, one embroidered.
And then at the very back behind a lot of building leftovers I find these two beautiful old boxes.
In one there is miscellanious screws, tins, and random little things.
In the other, is a sewing box. I have no idea how old they are or how long they have been there.
And finally...a tin of old glass marbles.
I decide to tackle the little space below the stairs.
It looks like there is a pile of stuff left which I will likely throw away.
There are a surprising number of tennis balls found.
There is a tissue paper full of linen handkerchiefs, one embroidered.
And then at the very back behind a lot of building leftovers I find these two beautiful old boxes.
In one there is miscellanious screws, tins, and random little things.
In the other, is a sewing box. I have no idea how old they are or how long they have been there.
And finally...a tin of old glass marbles.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Front of House
I think there has been a shortage of the front of the house being documented on this blog so far.
I took a better picture from across the street.
The neighbourhood is so peaceful and full of families. It is really beautiful and this particular street had block parties. There is also a book club on this street (for people living on it).
The autumn makes it look really nice. We are also only a 5 minute walk from the Tube station which has a relaxing feel when you come out onto the street...unlike many London areas.
Everyone has a distinct door colour. I am partial to a deep red, while Nigel loves the forest green ones.
Our front yard, which I have barely taken notice of.
Our next door neighbour has the traditional Victorian tile leading up to their door.
A view from our door.
I was under the stairs cleaning it out inside and noticed as I craned below the floorboards that I could see light from outside through several round holes. Hmmm.
I ran outside to see where it was coming from and noticed these holes under that door frame. I noticed all the houses had them. They must be some Victorian method of allowing air to circulate in the house. The mouse poo droppings under the stairs now make sense.
Of course, I call Nigel to come take a look. He comes out and the door swiftly blows shut locking us out. Hmmm.
I knock on our neighbours' door to ask for her key to the back passage (ours were also locked inside) so that we could scale our back fence and get in through the back door which we have left open.
This is the back passage door which is locked and only the neighbours own keys. Okay, maybe the local council does too. I don't know.
At the end of the street the little stained glass shop is having a sale on today.
Oh, I like that one!
I took a better picture from across the street.
The neighbourhood is so peaceful and full of families. It is really beautiful and this particular street had block parties. There is also a book club on this street (for people living on it).
The autumn makes it look really nice. We are also only a 5 minute walk from the Tube station which has a relaxing feel when you come out onto the street...unlike many London areas.
Everyone has a distinct door colour. I am partial to a deep red, while Nigel loves the forest green ones.
Our front yard, which I have barely taken notice of.
Our next door neighbour has the traditional Victorian tile leading up to their door.
A view from our door.
I was under the stairs cleaning it out inside and noticed as I craned below the floorboards that I could see light from outside through several round holes. Hmmm.
I ran outside to see where it was coming from and noticed these holes under that door frame. I noticed all the houses had them. They must be some Victorian method of allowing air to circulate in the house. The mouse poo droppings under the stairs now make sense.
Of course, I call Nigel to come take a look. He comes out and the door swiftly blows shut locking us out. Hmmm.
I knock on our neighbours' door to ask for her key to the back passage (ours were also locked inside) so that we could scale our back fence and get in through the back door which we have left open.
This is the back passage door which is locked and only the neighbours own keys. Okay, maybe the local council does too. I don't know.
At the end of the street the little stained glass shop is having a sale on today.
Oh, I like that one!
Sunday, November 01, 2009
An Afternoon in Battersea Park
We spend an autumn day in Battersea Park in London (mostly to see The Affordable Art Fair).
The leaves are amazing...right as they are turning so you get yellow, red, and still a lot of green.
And then Nigel gets a call...
And the poor guy is all tuckered out.
The leaves are amazing...right as they are turning so you get yellow, red, and still a lot of green.
And then Nigel gets a call...
And the poor guy is all tuckered out.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Original Floor Boards
I had told Nigel I had found original floorboards under every carpet in every room, including the hallways.
But he wanted to see for himself.
He ran from room to room and pulled up the carpet to take a look.
In this picture you can see the cement meant for the bedroom hearth. We will put the Victorian fireplaces back in and refinish the floors. For now we put the carpets back so that it doesn't look like a building site just yet (refinishing floors we have been told is the last thing we need to do).
And remember those banisters and spindles that were encased? I noticed this tiny pencilled note "sides blocked 1958" which means the last owner who lived here for 40 years didn't encase them. It was the owners before him.
But he wanted to see for himself.
He ran from room to room and pulled up the carpet to take a look.
In this picture you can see the cement meant for the bedroom hearth. We will put the Victorian fireplaces back in and refinish the floors. For now we put the carpets back so that it doesn't look like a building site just yet (refinishing floors we have been told is the last thing we need to do).
And remember those banisters and spindles that were encased? I noticed this tiny pencilled note "sides blocked 1958" which means the last owner who lived here for 40 years didn't encase them. It was the owners before him.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Back Yard
This is the first back yard we have had together.
If you walk out the door you get a brilliant south facing garden.
It took me awhile to come around to this yard. I don't think I could get over the way it is completely tiled. Nigel and I like grass too. But we didn't realise there is a whole soil section to the right and at the rear.
You can see the random tiles, which I must admit, have a charm of their own, but really hinder new planting and growth. I love all the planters of things he has left.
And I only just discovered some friends in the garden.
Nigel doesn't know it, but I think these guys have to stay!
Much to our dismay the entire back of the house has been coated in pebbledash (those small stones in cement).
You can see the rest of the houses on the block are all nice old brick. We know there is original brick under the top layer.
In the yard, as in most in London, is the shed. You can see the fence beyond it that connects to the back passageway.
This is the back passage, thankfully in the other direction than we would use. With rows of terraced housing there is every so often a break between the rows and an entrance to the back passage. Our closest one is on the other side of our next door neighbour. Pretty close, actually. They were originally used for delivering coal.
One of the real treasures is what is inside the shed. The previous owner left its contents to us, which is handy because it is full of garden tools (of which we have never had to own any).
It is also full of antiques.
There are boxes (I think 4 or 5) of old hand tools.
And even more boxes full of boxes of old screws and nails.
We have slowly come around to liking the garden layout as it is but want to add a few features. We would replace the cement stuff with grass for most of the yard and large stone tiles for near the house and under the terraced roof that will grow grape vines and have a table and chairs beneath. I have been offered a mature apple tree which I will replace one of the large bushes with on the right. The other large bush will probably be replaced by a vegetable garden. We want to have a lot of growth to cover the fence.
Here is the apple tree with my studio-mate standing in front of it to give some perspective.
My studio-mate's alotment has exactly what I was imagining going in the yard with grapes growing on it...a Pergola.
I imagine a fountain like this hidden away below the trees in the very back...sitting near to the bee hive.
If you walk out the door you get a brilliant south facing garden.
It took me awhile to come around to this yard. I don't think I could get over the way it is completely tiled. Nigel and I like grass too. But we didn't realise there is a whole soil section to the right and at the rear.
You can see the random tiles, which I must admit, have a charm of their own, but really hinder new planting and growth. I love all the planters of things he has left.
And I only just discovered some friends in the garden.
Nigel doesn't know it, but I think these guys have to stay!
Much to our dismay the entire back of the house has been coated in pebbledash (those small stones in cement).
You can see the rest of the houses on the block are all nice old brick. We know there is original brick under the top layer.
In the yard, as in most in London, is the shed. You can see the fence beyond it that connects to the back passageway.
This is the back passage, thankfully in the other direction than we would use. With rows of terraced housing there is every so often a break between the rows and an entrance to the back passage. Our closest one is on the other side of our next door neighbour. Pretty close, actually. They were originally used for delivering coal.
One of the real treasures is what is inside the shed. The previous owner left its contents to us, which is handy because it is full of garden tools (of which we have never had to own any).
It is also full of antiques.
There are boxes (I think 4 or 5) of old hand tools.
And even more boxes full of boxes of old screws and nails.
We have slowly come around to liking the garden layout as it is but want to add a few features. We would replace the cement stuff with grass for most of the yard and large stone tiles for near the house and under the terraced roof that will grow grape vines and have a table and chairs beneath. I have been offered a mature apple tree which I will replace one of the large bushes with on the right. The other large bush will probably be replaced by a vegetable garden. We want to have a lot of growth to cover the fence.
Here is the apple tree with my studio-mate standing in front of it to give some perspective.
My studio-mate's alotment has exactly what I was imagining going in the yard with grapes growing on it...a Pergola.
I imagine a fountain like this hidden away below the trees in the very back...sitting near to the bee hive.
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