You never know who's reading your blog

Last night we were invited to a special Northern versus Southern Hemisphere food and wine duel at one of the best restaurants in Huntington (nay, on the Island) Aix en Provence, during the course of which my neighbor told me he reads this blog.

It's always a stomach- churning moment when you find that someone you know has been reading your words. The first thought that ran through my panicked brain was "Did I write anything scathing about them"? I mean, I only put my true feelings and frustrations into this blog but I try to remain polite and positive. However I have noticed recently that a few of the posts were a little testy in tone. At one point I seriously considered changing it's name from Beach House to Bitch House. But I digress.

At some point during last night's very enjoyable dinner (on the whole we liked the Northern food and the Southern wines the best), my neighbor said I hadn't blogged about his house and I took that as carte blanche to write this piece.
I had wanted to write about my neighbors' renovation for a long time, but I was concerned they wouldn't want their house out on the internets for people from Honolulu to Hajdu-bihar to gawp at. I did once mention it in passing and I asked if they were keeping a blog or video diary of the experience but they weren't. They were too busy living it.


Turning this old cottage and adjoining stables into a stunning home reminiscent of an English country cottage took twice as long as estimated and I'm guessing a whole stable-load more money but it was worth every second and every cent. The outcome is phenomenal and feels completely authentic. It certainly helped that one of the owners is a designer who had the vision to see through the dark and dirt to turn the stables into a huge light and airy living space with a master suite in the hayloft. They needed to be diplomats to deal with the locals constantly asking when they were going to be finished, or why they didn't just knock it down and build a new house on the land.


Now it's complete and truly this renovation should be featured in Architectural Digest. It's more impressive than anything I've seen on HGTV or Ths Old House. I cannot get over the way the two buildings flow seamlessly into each other. I love the way they kept some original windows, and had others replicated. The shingles they found match the originals perfectly. And the kitchen? Everybody who has seen it is madly jealous. It looks like a butler's pantry circa 1920 but it's functional and modern. How do you do light and airy yet keep it cozy? I don't know but she accomplished it, and she incorporated the sliding barn door into the interior too.

Steven has only admiration for the way the non-designer half of the duo coped with the cramped living quarters and cluttered chaos for two years while they were more than doubling the living space. And speaking of chaos I am secure in writing that when one of the neighbors has finished reading this, the other will have turned that Versuvius of boxes and bags full of Xmas decorations into a beautiful representation of an American winter wonderland.

Schmap

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I'd never heard of Schmap until this morning when I received an email letting me know that one of my Flickr photos had made it to the shortlist for the fourth edition of the Vancouver guide. Even if the photo doesn't make the final cut it's cool to know someone liked it.
We were in Vancouver, Canada in August 2006 for what proved to be the final trip out of the USA to renew our visas. The US Department of Immigration Services requires legal immigrants leave the country to get their visas renewed. Some people go back to their home countries, but we hadn't applied from our country of citizenship when we originally came here and that complicated things. The US Government has a pragmatic solution for people like us: a quick trip to Canada or Mexico.
We had only a few weeks to renew the visas and we intended to go to Montreal or Toronto or Quebec City to get the passports stamped but the wait time for an appointment at the US consulates there was 8-10 weeks. So we looked to see if there was an earlier slot anywhere else in Canada or Mexico. We were really lucky to get a 8AM slot the following Monday morning in Vancouver. We flew out at the weekend, made the appointment and eventually got the stamp. And we had one of the most enjoyable vacations in a great city to boot. I would move to Vancouver in a heartbeat, the scenery is unbelievable, the food is wonderful and Canadian people? It's a cliché but they are so nice.
Here's a link to my Vancouver slideshow. I won't spoil the possible surprise by singling out the submitted photo. But you can guess if you want to. Here's a hint: it's not this one



Enjoy.

Candy stash

What's the first thing you do on the morning of Hallowe'en? Throw out last year's candy rejects, that's what.
I found a stash of Necco wafers and nasty fake chocolate bars lurking behind a case of espresso pods in the pantry. Who eats Necco wafers anyway? The trick or treaters picked them up, shuddered and put them back saying "Not these, they're disgsuting". Maybe a little impolite, but I tried one and I had to agree. Yuk. Perhaps it's an acquired taste. I must have thrown the rejected candy into the drawer and just forgotten about it. Rather than risk mure disdain from the neighborhood kids I pitched the whole lot into the garbage. Man, I hate waste.
I wonder if there's anything interesting behind the case of coffee beans. Like money.

Party time = house tours

towards kitchen
Originally uploaded by modernemama

We threw a party on Saturday evening, and as usual when people come to our house for the first time they are blown away by the architecture. I'd like to think they come for the company and the food but I'm pretty sure they come to see the house.

Visitors always ask many questions, but two are inevitable:
1) Who was the architect?
2) How did you find it?
The answer to the first question is Andrew Geller, one of the most innovative architects of the 20th century. We have a copy of the Alastair Gordon book Beach Houses: Andrew Geller as well as postcards of the The Pearlroth House and they are fascinated to discover other Geller designed houses on Long island. Most are amazed that they hadn't heard of him before, given the uniqueness of his work. The consensus seems to be that this house should be featured in Architectural Digest so that more people can appreciate it.

To the second question I always answer: Serendipity. I wasn't looking to move house, I was simply filling a dreary Sunday afternoon looking at house listings on the internet. But my reactions to the photos and to seeing the house at an Open Day were physical - the hairs stood up on the back of my neck and the thought that I wouldn't be able to live here one day left me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I fell blindly, totally in love with the house and it's the way I still feel more than three years later.

That's why it's my pleasure to welcome people into my home, conduct guided tours and answer as many questions as I can about my unconventional house and its creative architect, Andrew Geller.

Mibo Lulworth lampshade

Mibo Lulworth lampshade
Originally uploaded by modernemama

All it took was a simple dish of garlic fried in hot anchovy oil, added to Tagliatelle with the contents of the jar of anchovies in chili oil, served with a green salad. A really easy supper and Steven was more than happy to put up the Mibo pendant light in Verity's room.
And he didn't even mention the cost!

Reflective

First Frost
Originally uploaded by modernemama

I just love this color, First Frost, from Pittsburgh Paints, not only because it's clean but it's also shiny too. Just look at the cat food cans reflected off the wall. (Must hang cabinet for those!).
I still have to paint the old laminate countertop but it already looks a gazillion times better than it did before.

A little mint with your chocolate, anyone?

I took a look in the kitchen cabinets this morning. The fact that we actually have food in them means we have guests and this particular selection can mean only one thing: Verity's home.
Can anyone guess what her favourite ice cream flavour is?

Happy BBQ Day

BBQ
Originally uploaded by modernemama

What do you do if you can't get the old barbecue support pipe out of the ground? When you tried disguising it with a sapling and that didn't work? You buy a new bbq and strategically place it in front of the pipe. That'll do for now.

Balcony kitties

Balcony kitties
Originally uploaded by modernemama

They've been hanging out here for a while but they are making their way downstairs now. I took them for a check up today; Maya weighs 2lbs and Hermes 5lbs.
So far they have stood their ground against the other cats and the dogs and even pushed Sadie and Polly away from the dog food so they can get at the dogs' Nutro.

The Unimal

It's a crazy, scary concept but I kind of want one in my kitchen to remind me to keep only real food in there. The Unimal toy was created by H.E. Babcock, professor of farm marketing at Cornell University in the 1920s.

The clip is from Farmboy, a documentary about his son John Babcock. It is directed by Jake Gorst, grandson of Andrew Geller and lead mover to save the modern icon The Pearlroth House, a beach house on the east end of Long Island.

Ready for the summer visitors?

High cabinets
Originally uploaded by modernemama

We all know it's true, S**t or as D. Rumsfeld, would have it, "Stuff" happens.
So the day before the first visitor arrives, the old barbecue has been demolished and a new one has been ordered, and all the bathrooms (except for the master shower, but who cares about that apart form ME?) are functioning. The house has been cleaned from top to bottom and the yard is looking good. We are all set for a relaxing summer, just in the nick of time. When...........
Many months ago, while we were deciding on a timetable for the remaining projects, the far left kitchen cupboard door came off two of its hinges. We managed to get it back in place and agreed not to use that cupboard again. We didn't really need it as we have plenty more space and it was an odd corner cupboard anyway (we used to keep dog food in it but we found another place for that).
In the frenzy to make this place look gorgeous I (it was me, mea culpa) opened the lower door instead of the upper where the vases are kept and the door fell completely off, twisting the remaining hinge in the process. Impossible to re-attach, the hinges have already been re-positioned at least once, impossible to fix into place, and exposing the nasty, old cabinet interior.
Luckily we were just about to leave for a well-earned martini in Huntington, and I couldn't do anything other than laugh about it but today we are now faced with another dilemma. Do we take the door away completely leaving the old dirty white laminate for all to see (think rotten tooth) or leave the door leaning against the cabinet and risk someone (probably me) walking into numerous times each day?
Is there any way we can get the kitchen remodel done by this evening? I mean if Extreme Home Makeover can rebuild an entire house in five days how long would it take to do a kitchen? Seriously, we need help here.

Celebrations

Lots of things to celebrate this week in addition to finishing the first bathroom remodel. I got my Social Security number at long last and that means I am a certified, numbered real person and with that and my Dept of Homeland Security photo id I was able to renew my NY state driving license, which expired in November. (Living in NY and being dependent on your husband's visa is both demeaning and frustrating; I've been a kept woman and felt like chattel. It does little for one's self-esteem, especially when they take away your driving privileges because your visa has less than six months to run, even though you've been granted an extension for three years). And the number of places I'm asked to show my driving license here? Banks, stores, airports..... it's impossible to exist without one. But enough of the Kafkaesque nightmare that is USCIS, Department of Homeland Security and NYS DMV. I am now legitimate again.

Sadie
The biggest celebration though is that after an entire month Sadie the dog has decided that the Fatboy dog bed isn't so scary and she's taken to sleeping on it at night (after Cassis the cat has made it cosy and warm. I'm still waiting for Polly to pluck up the courage to try her bed out.

Polly
Ooh, and one more huge celebration. I did not know this until two minutes ago but today is NATIONAL GARLIC DAY. I love garlic: roasted, fried, preserved in oil, in Rogan Josh, leg of lamb, sliced in poached sea bass, Skordalia it's all good. I think I will keep the celebration going all weekend long.

Setting a New Budget

It's going to be the end of the week before the plumber can do the rough work and move the shower drain so in the meantime I thought I'd frighten myself by ignoring the bath remodels and looking at the budget for the 2008 kitchen remodel.
I started this spreadsheet back in July 2004 when we purchased the Sub-Zero with a view to building the kitchen around it and completing it within two years.
It seems we were a little optimistic in our timeline.
Over the past two and a half years I have researched options for replacement cabinets and countertops, chosen 16x16" and then 20x20"floor tiles, and picked out stainless steel appliances. The spreadsheet is a thing of beauty with internet links, retail and discount prices, lead times and possible alternatives. As we changed our minds about products, new versions came on the market, or prices rose, I updated the spreadsheet but the basic price of the remodel never fluctuated by more than a few hundred dollars.
Walking around Soho one Saturday last October we wandered into Henrybuilt and fell in love with the hardwood cabinets, they seemed to have been designed with our house in mind. Suddenly the perfectly acceptable Ikea boxes didn't seem to cut it anymore, even if we used our own custom doors. The budget got a huge makeover, upwards.
Then I starting reading the Brooklyn townhouse renovation blog Here is the House. Big mistake. And I showed the post on appliances to Steven. Even bigger mistake. He fell completely in love with the Hansacanyon LED faucet and wouldn't be dissuaded even when I showed him the price.


Of course you just cannot have a beautiful, expensive faucet pouring red or blue water into a bog standard kitchen sink, even if it is the BlancoPrecision 10: Super Single Bowl Undermount, sink of choice for Varenna and other German and Italian kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Never fear, Here is the House gave us an idea for a solution. We only have to add an extra $3000 to the budget and we can be professionally washing up, chopping vegetables and cooking with the Kohler PRO CookCenter sink. Actually, this will also solve a design dilemma too. We hate seams on countertops but the quartz we have chosen only comes in 10' slabs. Our sink area is 10' 8". If we go with the mega sink it is countertop width so we can have two separate pieces of quartz on either side. Smart but not priceless.
The new kitchen budget? Even though we will save on extra plumbing by not having a prep sink on the island and we save the cost of an extra sink and faucet, it's increased by 50% since we started and that's without adding the built in coffee maker I have lusted over. I wonder what we can cut back on so we can afford this remodel before we get too old to enjoy it. Food maybe?

Feline frustration

I thought the dining room was done but Wilba the Cat had a few other ideas. Wilba is ten years old and cross. I have no real idea why she is miffed, although it might have something to do with the two male kittens who joined the family a year or so ago, then again she isn't very keen on Sadie the big dog, but it could just be that she prefers salmon to cat food and she hasn't been getting any recently (salmon? we have a house to finish, you know).
Anyway, she likes to punish us by pooping in inappropriate places. For the longest time it was the bath, yucky but a cinch to clean up; we had a sparkling bath from scrubbing it down twice a day.
Now, though she has taken to using the dining room carpet as her personal litter box. The white dining room carpet. Except that it's not white anymore, no matter how much we scrub with carpet shampoo and Nature's Miracle the stains persist.
And because the drapes almost touch the floor and I'm paranoid about them being stained, today I made Steve move the curtain poles up four inches to avoid any kitty contamination. He is unamused: twelve new holes to drill, twelve old holes to spackle and paint over, and we still have to find a solution to the kitty poop problem.

This is where the money goes

Actually it's on the food, but this is what we pay for when we stay at Renaissance hotels. Cute, eh? This is Austin, Texas where we went to listen to music in "the live music capital of the world". This is the replacement trip for the one we had to postpone to SXSW in March. I'm still inclined to be snitty about that but a break is a break, no? At least we had the opportunity to change the tickets and it is nice to have somone pickup after me for a few days
PS There is more live music in Huntington, NY than we saw in Austin, and it wasn't nearly weird enough for us, but we did eat snake, bad bbq and NY chocolates. Go figure.