February, 2022: Well Intended

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Here’s what I did during my favorite month: February, my birthday month.  I did some cleaning, some knitting, some movie going, and just generally enjoyed life.

A quick knit project from old yarn remnants.

A lot of movies were released in February so in addition to #4 below I saw:

  • Moonfall
  • Dog
  • Blacklight
  • Uncharted

I’m holding up a bag of white vinegar to clean the rain-shower head in the master bathroom.

Now for my February list of good intentions:

  1.  Host a paw-tea for Dash.  We had a grand afternoon of casual chatting and snacking. Woof!!

    Why so serious, Dash?

  2.  Pack for trip early in March.

    Planning to visit both observation floors of the Empire State Building.

    I’m all packed with mostly my chicest black clothing except for a few bright pops of color.

  3.  Make a change in the mudroom.  I finished wallpapering an accent wall and hung some different art on it.

    These simple projects get more difficult as I get older.

  4.  See a movie:  Marry Me or Death on the Nile. I saw  and enjoyed them both.  I especially loved the costumes of Death on the Nile and was shocked by the Marry Me wardrobe.
  5. Plan a surprise for someone special.  It’s all planned but I must wait a little while before I can unleash the details.  Trust me, it’s not a big deal, just a little fun for my special someone.
  6. Read a book:  Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine is a provocative look at the enigmatic parables.   Duly read, studied, and discussed.
  7. Get 2021 tax information to our accountant.

    My aim is to get my tax return finished before the due date which happens to be April 18th this year.

    I sent him the entire planner (50 pages or so) and 2021 information.  I’m always happy when that’s finished for the year.

  8.  Sew together unfinished handknit sweater.

    A new/vintage sweater.

    I not only sewed the sweater together, I also finished the duplicate stitch embroidery on the shoulders.  It only took me 39 years.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: CHEERFULNESS.
  10.  Write a goal list for March, 2022.

Jo

Moving Artwork Around — Almost Done

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I made plans to shop my own home for a piece of art to put on the new wallpaper in the mudroom entrance.

I lined up the center of the photo with the entrance path from the doorway.

I decided to use a large photo of Paris in the mudroom.

Paris at night photo had been hanging above my bed since 2016.

It used hang over my bed.

This is the only wall in the bedroom not relieved by doors, windows, or bookshelves.

Then, of course, the space over the bed was verrrrry empty and verrrrry blue.

Even though this painting is large it easily fits within bounds of the king-sized headboard.

We have had a very large seascape in the living room that was actually a gift to my son when he was just a boy which Charlie and I lugged up to the bedroom.

Time for me to clear off my bedside chest. Hmmm.

I installed 2 large screws on studs to carry the weight and size of the painting. The only downside is that now I will really be the only one to see the painting and only when I’m working in the Zoom corner.

The living room before moving the large painting.

The wall on the left needs a little something-something.

Now the large wall in the living room not only has a few holes that need to be patched and painted but also needs some art.

Jo

An Old Project Finally Finished

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I used to knit a lot.

Good Housekeeping circa 1983.

I started knitting this sweater almost 40 years ago judging by the date on the magazine instructions.

My least favorite part of any knitting project is sewing it together.

First I sewed the shoulder seams together. (The side seams had already been sewn).

Following the pattern on the right side of the garment was easy. Mirroring it on the left was more challenging.

Then I went back to the pattern to see how to add hearts. The pattern showed bright red hearts on olive green but I had some leftover yarn from the hat I made each of us for our trip to Iceland.

Duplicate stitch hearts.

At first I couldn’t see how this would actually work but as I continued following the pattern hearts emerged.

The sweater looks grey in the photo but is actually olive green.

The final step was turning and sewing the knit-in facings.

I was so eager to wear this sweater I haven’t blocked it yet.

Another finished project!

I’ve been happy to have a warm hat this week.

While I was playing with yarn I knitted a quick hat from more leftovers.

Jo

Moving Artwork Around

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After I wallpapered the mudroom I was planning to do an original colorful abstract painting for the space.

During our recent party I just propped some balloons on the upside-down console in the mudroom.

Who knows when that might happen.

Paris at night photo has been hanging above my bed since 2016.

My digital mock-up seems to acknowledge the colors will work but it might darken the space too much.

Instead I am planning to move the large Paris photo from above my bed to the wallpapered space.  However, it might be overwhelming.

My bedroom is periwinkle blue.

Relocating the Paris picture would leave me with a giant blue opening over my bed.

The painting in the living room takes up an entire wall.

I plan to move the large storm painting from the living room into the space over the bed.

Honestly I think it will work.

Above is yet another mock-up with the painting over the bed. The only downside is that now I will really be the only one to see the painting when I’m working in the Zoom corner.

Moving this painting will leave a large empty wall in the living room.

I’m giving myself a few days to consider the situation before I take the drastic action of relocating these 2 large pieces of art.

The grey wall on the left is where the painting large storm painting now hangs.

Not to mention the potential bare wall in the living room.

Jo

Puppy Dish Dessert for Humans

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For Dash’s 4th birthday party (in lieu of birthday cake) I combined my go-to faux tiramisu dessert with meringue shells.  (Tiramisu One Two Three ways.)

Egg whites, granulated sugar, and a pinch of cream of tartar are the only ingredients.

Since Swiss meringue is pre-heated it’s safe to eat baked or unbaked.

I had about 3/4 cup of egg whites in the freezer (left over from yolk-heavy recipes) from which I made Swiss meringue.

An offset spatula is a handy tool for manipulating meringue.

I piped the meringue to form messy-looking shallow cups.

3/4 cup of egg whites was enough for 18 meringue cups and a dozen small kisses.

Don’t worry!  They will eventually be covered with fluffy cream and their shape (or lack thereof) will go unnoticed.  I made the meringues in advance and kept them in a plastic tub in the freezer until I was ready to assemble the desserts.

I could just eat them like this — meringue and lemon curd.

Just before the guests arrived I spooned Trader Joe’s lemon curd into the bottom.

Meringue cup with lemon curd, tiramisu cream, and berries topped with a meringue kiss and Scooby snack.

I piped a generous layer of whipped cream and mascarpone cheese lightly sweetened with powdered sugar onto the meringue and curd.  Finally I added a handful of berries and topped with tiny meringue kisses.  Any kind a berry works well with this recipe.  This time I opted for blueberries and blackberries which I did not mix together.

It’s hard to resist meringue and cream.

Et voila! A dessert fit for a dog.  Arf!

Jo

Any Excuse for a Party

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I want to start out by acknowledging that my friends are good sports.

Our birthday boy is 4 years old.

I invited a group of “ladies only” to celebrate Dash’s 4th birthday.

No doggie décor in the living room but we did have a nice warm fire in the fireplace.

Actually it was just an excuse to get together to chat and snack.  Of course Charlie (Dash’s human dad) was there to play the piano, clear up dirty dishes, and give us a chuckle.

We served Puppy Chow (Chex Mix).

Dog bone (Rice Krispie Treats dipped in white chocolate)

Pawtato chips

Chew sticks (Cheese puff pastry)

The food theme was puppy all the way served on the dining room table in dog dishes from the dollar store. Snacks were individually packaged for COVID safety.

Individual serving baked pasta and cheese, pupperoni mozzarella rolls, and pups in a blanket served on vintage Stangl “Dogwood”.

The kitchen island was set with individually wrapped silverware, plates, and food served buffet style.

To keep multiple handling of utensils, Sug served hot food from the kitchen island.

The menu:

  • Hot dogs — Pups in a blanket – half hot dog in puff pastry
  • Honey mustard (Mutt-stard) No Cat-sup allowed!
  • Individual mac and cheese in cupcake liner

    Radiatore pasta and cheese

    Vegetable radiatore from Trader Joe’s was the basis for the mac and cheese.

  • Pawtato chips – individual packets
  • Pupperoni pizza sticks – pizza dough, mozzarella stick, pepperoni
  • Kibbles and bits (Chex mix) – Puppy Chow – Rice Chex, peanut butter, chocolate chips, powdered sugar

    Puppy chow (Muddy Buddy recipe Chex Mix)

  • Tiramisu with dog bone cookie – meringue cups, lemon curd, mascarpone with cream, berries, Scooby snacks

    Meringue cup with lemon curd, tiramisu cream, and berries topped with a meringue kiss and Scooby snack.

  • Cheddar puff pastry twists from Trader Joe’s – chew sticks
  • Rice Krispie treats shaped like dog biscuits dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles

I call this an owie puppy because a piece of ice can be inserted in the rear for holding onto small hurts.

A puppy for everyone.

Finally, everyone left with a small bag of Scooby snacks and an adopted puppy created from a washcloth.

Woof!!

Jo

Wallpaper in the Mudroom

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Although I have been moving from my Parisian style to a more beachy vibe, the new wallpaper in the mudroom definitely leans more French than Eastern Shore of Maryland.

This watercolor anemone wallpaper was the family’s first choice.

I would have opted for this avant garde paper.

I had a choice of 2 patterns and most of my family and friends chose the more conservative paper.

Seabrook Anemone in Dark Ash and Canary

The paint color in our kitchen is “Waterbury Cream” with contrasting dark grey cabinets.

I’m not tired of these colors (in the kitchen) after almost 8 years.

I must admit the new paper is a perfect lead-in to the kitchen color.

I primed the wall with a mixture of wallpaper paste and water.

Before cutting and pasting the paper, I sized the entire wall with a mixture of glue and water which I did not measure — maybe 25% paste to 75% water.  I let it dry for 2 hours.

The space to the right of the first piece is just narrower than the paper itself.

In the mean time I marked a plumb line on the wall about  60 cm from the corner which was a couple inches narrower than the paper.  After applying paste to the back of the paper with a roller I hung the first piece to the left of the plumb line leaving a space between the wall and the first piece just in case the wall wasn’t plumb.

The first 3 pieces filled in the space visible form the outside door into the mudroom.

I continued with one more piece to the left then filled in the corner with a third piece which I carefully trimmed the length of the wall after hanging.  This paper matches in an alternating pattern with large flowers dancing across the wall.  It was not difficult to match.  My personal secret is to be sure wallpaper matches most closely at eye level.

The ceiling near the kitchen drops down near the top of the basement door.

The next weekend I was determined to finish hanging the paper but I had saved the trickiest part for last.

I decided to use the reveal to finish the wallpaper in an inside corner to protect it.

I had a decision to make whether the wallpaper would stop at the end of the wall or make the corner into the kitchen area.  I decided to turn the corner so the paper wouldn’t end on an outside corner and thus be more likely to pull off.

A pro might have dealt with this differently but I didn’t want a skinny piece of wallpaper right next to the door.

I trimmed the length of the paper at the kitchen wall and at the door trim.

Instead of continuing from the piece I had already pasted near the basement door I started in this corner and hung a full piece making all the turns.

The flower just above the door trim was specially cut past the seam.

That left me with an odd little space above the door into which I fitted a custom cut piece.  Since the flower above the door was unfinished I fussy cut a piece of flower to finish it.

Before

After: A view from the mudroom looking into the kitchen of the new wallpaper.

I like the view from the kitchen even better.

I hung it myself in 2 Saturdays.

The entry before

After

I had this project on my to-do list for February but completed it a little early.  I was happy to be finished.

Next steps:

  • Artwork –  Something colorful and abstract
  • Bench

    I’m hoping to build something like this.

Jo

February, 2022: Intentions

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Here we are at my favorite month: February, my birthday month.

Now for my February list of good intentions:

  1.  Host a paw-tea for Dash.  Woof!!

    Any excuse for a party is good enough.

  2.  Pack for trip early in March.

    We haven’t had a theatre weekend in NYC since 2017.

  3.  Make a change in the mudroom.

    Hang some wallpaper.

  4.  See a movie:  Marry Me or Death on the Nile. Or both.
  5. Plan a surprise for someone special.

    This is a decoy!

  6. Read a book:  Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine.

    We’re using the study guide in a class so I’m reading the book.

  7. Get 2021 tax information to our accountant.
  8.  Sew together unfinished handknit sweater.

    Hats are more my speed now.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: CHEERFULNESS.
  10.  Write a goal list for March, 2022.

Jo

January, 2022: Well Intended

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The month of January is flying by so fast we almost missed it.  However, we were able to enthusiastically knock a few items off our ever-growing list of things that must get done.

In addition to the planned list:

  • Saw the movie: The 355. I enjoyed this movie which was full of action and unexpected twists.  I hope there’s a sequel.
  • Had the shocks and rear tires on my car replaced with the help of Sug.  Apparently mice had made a nest near the shock absorbers.
  • Bought a some new blazers and a winter coat while everything was still on sale.
  • With Charlie’s help, put Christmas decorations back in the attic.  Everyday I find a few more which were scattered around the house.
  • Charlie started deep-cleaning the pantry.

    This is a great improvement.

    He found a dead mouse in a mouse trap.  We knew something smelled funny.

My January list of good intentions transpired as follows:

  1.  Host a party on New Year’s Day.

    The popover king was delighted to make dozens of popovers.

    Charlie and I hosted a popover party which had fewer guests than hoped for due to a surge in the Omicron virus.

    The only food offered was hot popovers with butter and powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

    However, the guests that did come were congenial and helped us start the new year with an uplifted spirit.

  2. Begin making reservations for autumn, 2022 trip.  I have reviewed many accommodations for a trip to Hawaii and made reservations at 2 different places to stay on 2 different islands plus vehicle rental reservations.

    Hawaii is on our travel menu for this year.

    I limited myself to places with reasonable refund policies considering the possibility of airplane flight cancellations, quarantines, etc. I don’t have airplane tickets yet.

  3.  Make a plan to update the mud room entrance.

    I bought an inexpensive new rug for the entry.

    The new plan includes wallpaper, furniture exchange, woodworking, decluttering, and new rugs.

  4. See a movie:  Something with the word “king” in the title.  I ended up seeing The King’s Man last month which I liked very much.  To fulfil this month’s task I saw The King’s Daughter with Pierce Brosnan as Louis XIV partially filmed at Versailles.  It was truly a fairytale.
  5. Plan a party.  The party is planned for next month and the invitations have already been sent.

    Does this sound like fun or what?!

  6. Read a book:  Round Up The Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca. 

    At our Casablanca party I dressed as Ilsa.

    This book was a gift from someone who knows Casablanca is my favorite movie.  It is actually a non-fiction book about the making of a fictional movie — where, when, and how it was made and why it has become so iconic.

  7.  Touch up paint in living room.

    Before

    After

  8.  Add new floor protectors to chairs.

    Easy to apply felt glides with integrated nail.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ENTHUSIASM.
  10.  Write a goal list for February, 2022.

Jo

Planning a Fall Trip

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Charlie and I usually plan our big trip of the year for September or October.

Greece is on my bucket list.

The trip in 2022 was supposed to be to Greece.  After traveling to Iceland last October we decided to give the COVID pandemic a little more time to resolve itself and restrict travel to US destinations.

The Big Island is just south of Maui.

That being said our target became Hawaii — exotic, warm, and accessible.  If, per chance, we get stuck there we know the language and the currency.

We want to leave from Baltimore-Washington International and limit our airport stops.

Usually when I plan a trip I purchase the airplane tickets first then arrange for accommodations.  Fall flights to Hawaii are not yet available so I’m changing my order of attack to get a cancelable place (or places) to stay first.  Selecting travel dates without having plane tickets is somewhat daunting.  I plan to purchase our flights as soon as they become available.

A view from the lanai of our rental in Kona on the Big Island.

We want to travel to Maui and the Big Island (Hawai’i) since I have already been to Oahu and Kauai.  After doing some research I decided that visiting the Big Island first would let us arrive earlier in the day which seems to be a big advantage in terms of picking up a rental car and  checking into a rental property.

Hoping for a view something like this from our lanai.

Reservations on Maui’s western shore come with more choices and more decisions.  Although accommodations on the island are extremely expensive I am determined to have a “room with a view” and by that I mean a view of the ocean which adds to the expense.  I am taking time to read every review and look carefully at every photo before I make this decision.

We’re renting a vehicle like the one I drive at home. (Notice we saved a nickel at booking!!)

Additionally I have been warned to make car rentals as early as possible so I have already put in a reservation for vehicles on both islands.

Not sure we’ll actually see hot lava from our chopper but I’m sure we’ll see something spectacular.

The next chore is to line-up our excursions:  horseback riding, helicopter tour of volcano, sunrise at Haleakala. etc.

Jo