Snapshots

It’s picture day! I started out looking thru some recent pictures on my camera roll & realized they might show you more of what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks than anything I could write. And who doesn’t like to look at
pictures? 

Last Monday my husband tackled our sagging porch. (Yes, one corner had actually dipped measurably.) It was more than time for this repair, but we had no luck finding a carpenter to do the job. Fortunately, Steve is very handy. This is what he did.

Before
Demolition is always pretty ugly and we didn’t know what we’d find. Happily, the decking was in great shape (yay!). Steve had to cut out a few boards to get to the substructure, which was also in good shape but had sunk a few crucial inches in one corner.

 
Since we were expecring guests, we just rolled the old carpeting back over the newly leveled porch. We talked about skipping the carpet and painting the floor, but apparently treated lumber needs to dry out for several weeks to months before it can be painted or stained. We could still power wash the floor and leave it exposed to speed the drying, but the spaces between boards are more “generous” than we thought. Will that invite bugs? Decisions, decisions. It’s a work in progress.

I shared on Instagram but not here that my husband built these awesome cedar Adirondack chairs earlier this spring. It was quite a project, but so worth it. They are a great place to take a break from the garden, read a book, share a glass of wine, or just chat.

This clematis came with the house over 30 years ago, and it’s blooming non-stop this summer, but look at the color variation. Some blooms are the usual deep purple, but others are varying degrees of lilac. Has anyoine else had this happen? Is it missing a particular nutrient? If you have any ideas, let me know.

I was walking past the dining room recently and noticed that the table was clear, there were no jackets draped on the backs of chairs and although the light wasn’t perfect, I needed to capture this moment! By the way, I am on a mission to center the table with something other than flowers, hence the candlestricks. This is also a good example of my current high/low style: a crystal chandelier over a pine table. Works for me!

Finally, I often save pictures from Instagram that somehow and for whatever reason inspire me. Do you do that too? Here are two recent saves. First, if you have ever been to Charleston, South Carolina, you know that residents there take their window boxes very seriously. I thought this one was so pretty and featured flowers we could do in Chicago.

Finally, if you have been here for any length of time, you know I have taken cooking classes at The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune, France. I wrote about one here . Marjorie and Kendall set a lovely but simple French table and the food is plated just as beautifully. It’s not all all surprising that their shop displays have the same elegant, restrained French sensibility.  Just look.

That’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you soon!