Stacey Ballis's Blog, page 6
June 8, 2015
Quick events update!
Chickens-
As you know, the new novel is due in 22 days, so your Polymath is all about the typing right now.
The good news is that I think you are all really going to like it.
But you'll have to wait till next May :)
I am planning on leaving the house briefly for some upcoming events, and I really really really would love to see you there.
Lemme 'splain.
I know many of you love to read but don't necessarily come out for booksignings. Maybe you think they will be boring. Maybe you worry about parking. Maybe it just isn't on your radar for something to do. But here is something to think about:
What we do as writers is, by its very nature, isolating and lonely work that when we get to deadline, isolates us from even the people we live with, bless their compassionate and understanding hearts.
These people who live in our heads are good stories, but not such great company. And we write for a faceless, nameless mob of strangers, people who exist in an almost ephemeral space, who are just shy of mythological, and who we are all desperately afraid are mostly mere figments of our imaginations.
For authors, book events are a chance to get out of the house, to put on clothes without elastic waistbands/holes/stains of indeterminate origin, to put on a bit of makeup and do our hair in a style that isn't "unwashed sloppy bun on head". And it's a chance to take that bloblike mysterious mass of "readers" and turn it into real actual flesh and blood people. Nothing is more nervewracking for us than the days leading up to an event, when we are sure no one will show up, and nothing feels worse than when no one does.
By the same token, when you come out? When you leave your houses and park and maybe make a night of it with pals and have some wine and dinner and come to talk to us, and ask us questions and tell us your names, that? Right there? That is EVERYTHING. We want to meet you and take pictures and hear that you gave the book to your sister or that you introduced us to your book club.
Heck, we want to COME to your book club. You know who is never IN a book club? Authors.
If you are our friends and family, having your familiar faces in the crowd makes our heart rates slow to normal rates, and increases our joy, and gives us confidence. We love having those moments to connect with the people we care about, and your support of us, (especially when you bring your friends to meet us), that is huge fun.
If you are readers we've never met before, coming out to see us without any sense of personal obligation or guilt or duty, just because you like us, you really like us? That is like the awesome guy you thought didn't even know your name breaking out a serious prom-posal.
YOU ARE OUR JAKE RYAN.
I'm not kidding.
When we come into a bookstore or library and you are there in your chairs waiting for us? We see you all looking fabulous, leaning against your red Porsche, and we just know there is going to be cake.
Also, often, we have cake. So that is good too.
So, my little Jakelets, here are some upcoming opportunities to really make my day. Don't let my blowouts be in vain, I wanna see you! I wanna meet your friends and your sister and your grandmother, as long as she doesn't mind if I work a little blue.
Thursday June 18 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Read it and Eat a fabulous new cookbook foodie bookstore in Lincoln Park!
2142 N. Halsted
WITH CAKE!
Register for the free event HERE.
Saturday June 20 noon to 1pm
Boelter Superstore in Milwaukee
WITH CAKE!
Details HERE.
Saturday August 15, 2pm
In conversation with Jen Lancaster
Warren-Newport Public Library
Gurnee, IL
Register HERE
(Cake TBD)
I'm going right back to the book typing now, or I won't have a reason to re-post this request next Spring, but know that I adore each and every one of you and REALLY WANT TO MEET YOU SOON!
Your Samantha,
The Polymath
As you know, the new novel is due in 22 days, so your Polymath is all about the typing right now.
The good news is that I think you are all really going to like it.
But you'll have to wait till next May :)
I am planning on leaving the house briefly for some upcoming events, and I really really really would love to see you there.
Lemme 'splain.
I know many of you love to read but don't necessarily come out for booksignings. Maybe you think they will be boring. Maybe you worry about parking. Maybe it just isn't on your radar for something to do. But here is something to think about:
What we do as writers is, by its very nature, isolating and lonely work that when we get to deadline, isolates us from even the people we live with, bless their compassionate and understanding hearts.
These people who live in our heads are good stories, but not such great company. And we write for a faceless, nameless mob of strangers, people who exist in an almost ephemeral space, who are just shy of mythological, and who we are all desperately afraid are mostly mere figments of our imaginations.
For authors, book events are a chance to get out of the house, to put on clothes without elastic waistbands/holes/stains of indeterminate origin, to put on a bit of makeup and do our hair in a style that isn't "unwashed sloppy bun on head". And it's a chance to take that bloblike mysterious mass of "readers" and turn it into real actual flesh and blood people. Nothing is more nervewracking for us than the days leading up to an event, when we are sure no one will show up, and nothing feels worse than when no one does.
By the same token, when you come out? When you leave your houses and park and maybe make a night of it with pals and have some wine and dinner and come to talk to us, and ask us questions and tell us your names, that? Right there? That is EVERYTHING. We want to meet you and take pictures and hear that you gave the book to your sister or that you introduced us to your book club.
Heck, we want to COME to your book club. You know who is never IN a book club? Authors.
If you are our friends and family, having your familiar faces in the crowd makes our heart rates slow to normal rates, and increases our joy, and gives us confidence. We love having those moments to connect with the people we care about, and your support of us, (especially when you bring your friends to meet us), that is huge fun.
If you are readers we've never met before, coming out to see us without any sense of personal obligation or guilt or duty, just because you like us, you really like us? That is like the awesome guy you thought didn't even know your name breaking out a serious prom-posal.
YOU ARE OUR JAKE RYAN.
I'm not kidding.
When we come into a bookstore or library and you are there in your chairs waiting for us? We see you all looking fabulous, leaning against your red Porsche, and we just know there is going to be cake.
Also, often, we have cake. So that is good too.
So, my little Jakelets, here are some upcoming opportunities to really make my day. Don't let my blowouts be in vain, I wanna see you! I wanna meet your friends and your sister and your grandmother, as long as she doesn't mind if I work a little blue.
Thursday June 18 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Read it and Eat a fabulous new cookbook foodie bookstore in Lincoln Park!
2142 N. Halsted
WITH CAKE!
Register for the free event HERE.
Saturday June 20 noon to 1pm
Boelter Superstore in Milwaukee
WITH CAKE!
Details HERE.
Saturday August 15, 2pm
In conversation with Jen Lancaster
Warren-Newport Public Library
Gurnee, IL
Register HERE
(Cake TBD)
I'm going right back to the book typing now, or I won't have a reason to re-post this request next Spring, but know that I adore each and every one of you and REALLY WANT TO MEET YOU SOON!
Your Samantha,
The Polymath
June 1, 2015
Counterpoint
Chickens-
This will just be a quickie, as I am officially ONE MONTH out from delivering the manuscript for the new novel, so I will be a little less verbose in this post, as I'm saving the words for the book!
Are you fully up to date on our basement countertop situation? No? Read THIS. And then read THIS. All good? Excellent.
So the final countertop for the basement arrived today. Once again, we relied on the amazing team from Cosentino to advise us on the choice. From a design perspective, this counter was going into the media room, to serve as the top for the console underneath the television. The console was created out of two salvaged cabinets from the second floor, that were originally part of the butler's pantry on that level. Our cabinetmaker created a third piece with sliding open drawers to accommodate the AV equipment that is coming. And on the far end, the Marvel beverage center . We knew we wanted to use Silestone again, since we hope this room will get a lot of use, and that stuff is indestructible...we didn't want to have to worry about staining or chipping or anything like that in what is essentially our rumpus room.
When we were at the Cosentino Center, looking at options, we were leaning towards a simple slab in a pale oatmeal color. We thought it would pick up the lighter color of the stone, and also be a nod to the drapes we were planning to hang for blocking out light during movie nights. They had several options in that palette, so there was plenty to choose from. I was looking at the samples with our fabric samples when Erik, who runs the show over there, suggested I look at one more option.
Enter Pacific, from the Silestone Ocean series.
Shut. The. Front. Door.
This is a beautiful marbled slab, with tones of dark and light gray, taupe, oatmeal and ivory. Essentially, it picks up all the colors of our stone wall, as well as the gray in the paint and the color of the drapes. The minute Erik showed it to us, any thought of a basic solid went right out the window! This is why it is so important to work with great people and solicit their input. This is a material we would never have thought of on our own, or pulled off the sample wall, but the moment it was on the table with all of our fabric samples and paint samples etc., it made perfect sense! You might have what you consider to be impeccable design sense, but that doesn't mean that there aren't wonderful opportunities for expansion of your own ideas. When I first met with Costentino about the basement countertops, I had three totally different ideas in mind, all of which would have been lovely. But I ended up with their guidance finding three products that are all very different from what we originally envisioned, and all of those choices, I think, upped the ante on the wow factor.
The media room counter arrived today, and once again, Martin and MJ, our intrepid installers from Stone Masters were on hand to get the job done. Here is how it went...
The slab has entered the building!
Setting it in place, notice there is a notch cut out at the back that lines up underneath where the wires for the AV equipment will go, so that when things get installed, the necessary wiring can slide right up through the countertop. This was a Stone Masters recommendation, and I'm so glad that they thought of it, because otherwise all of the equipment would have to sit on top of the counter, and this way it can all be hidden in the console. GENIUS!
Laying down the silicone adhesive under the top.
Doing the final caulking with clear silicone, just to make sure that if someone spills a drink (Looking at you, Lancaster) it can't seep behind the counter and damage anything.
THERE IT IS!!!! Even more gorgeous in the room than we had dreamt of!
Look at how perfectly the colors work with the stone walls.
The completed console.
Many many thanks once again to Erik and the team at Cosentino Chicago for helping us find such beautiful products for the spaces, and for Tom and Robert and everyone at Stone Masters for fabricating them and installing them with such precision. Once again, I implore you to like both Cosentino and Stone Masters on Facebook, and if you are in the greater Chicagoland area, I cannot recommend them enough as fantastic people to work with. We have already fully committed to working with all of them on every countertop in the house, so stay tuned for more fun information in the world of surfaces!
More later this week with a bathroom update...
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
This will just be a quickie, as I am officially ONE MONTH out from delivering the manuscript for the new novel, so I will be a little less verbose in this post, as I'm saving the words for the book!
Are you fully up to date on our basement countertop situation? No? Read THIS. And then read THIS. All good? Excellent.
So the final countertop for the basement arrived today. Once again, we relied on the amazing team from Cosentino to advise us on the choice. From a design perspective, this counter was going into the media room, to serve as the top for the console underneath the television. The console was created out of two salvaged cabinets from the second floor, that were originally part of the butler's pantry on that level. Our cabinetmaker created a third piece with sliding open drawers to accommodate the AV equipment that is coming. And on the far end, the Marvel beverage center . We knew we wanted to use Silestone again, since we hope this room will get a lot of use, and that stuff is indestructible...we didn't want to have to worry about staining or chipping or anything like that in what is essentially our rumpus room.
When we were at the Cosentino Center, looking at options, we were leaning towards a simple slab in a pale oatmeal color. We thought it would pick up the lighter color of the stone, and also be a nod to the drapes we were planning to hang for blocking out light during movie nights. They had several options in that palette, so there was plenty to choose from. I was looking at the samples with our fabric samples when Erik, who runs the show over there, suggested I look at one more option.
Enter Pacific, from the Silestone Ocean series.
Shut. The. Front. Door.
This is a beautiful marbled slab, with tones of dark and light gray, taupe, oatmeal and ivory. Essentially, it picks up all the colors of our stone wall, as well as the gray in the paint and the color of the drapes. The minute Erik showed it to us, any thought of a basic solid went right out the window! This is why it is so important to work with great people and solicit their input. This is a material we would never have thought of on our own, or pulled off the sample wall, but the moment it was on the table with all of our fabric samples and paint samples etc., it made perfect sense! You might have what you consider to be impeccable design sense, but that doesn't mean that there aren't wonderful opportunities for expansion of your own ideas. When I first met with Costentino about the basement countertops, I had three totally different ideas in mind, all of which would have been lovely. But I ended up with their guidance finding three products that are all very different from what we originally envisioned, and all of those choices, I think, upped the ante on the wow factor.
The media room counter arrived today, and once again, Martin and MJ, our intrepid installers from Stone Masters were on hand to get the job done. Here is how it went...
The slab has entered the building!
Setting it in place, notice there is a notch cut out at the back that lines up underneath where the wires for the AV equipment will go, so that when things get installed, the necessary wiring can slide right up through the countertop. This was a Stone Masters recommendation, and I'm so glad that they thought of it, because otherwise all of the equipment would have to sit on top of the counter, and this way it can all be hidden in the console. GENIUS!
Laying down the silicone adhesive under the top.
Doing the final caulking with clear silicone, just to make sure that if someone spills a drink (Looking at you, Lancaster) it can't seep behind the counter and damage anything.
THERE IT IS!!!! Even more gorgeous in the room than we had dreamt of!
Look at how perfectly the colors work with the stone walls.
The completed console.
Many many thanks once again to Erik and the team at Cosentino Chicago for helping us find such beautiful products for the spaces, and for Tom and Robert and everyone at Stone Masters for fabricating them and installing them with such precision. Once again, I implore you to like both Cosentino and Stone Masters on Facebook, and if you are in the greater Chicagoland area, I cannot recommend them enough as fantastic people to work with. We have already fully committed to working with all of them on every countertop in the house, so stay tuned for more fun information in the world of surfaces!
More later this week with a bathroom update...
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
May 26, 2015
Counter Intuitive
Chickens!
I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend, and that you remembered to take a moment to have a good thought for those in uniform and the families who support them, and those brave servicemen and women we have lost.
Things are still hopping over here at the casa, and today was a good day! Today we got the first two countertops installed in the basement!
Did you catch the first countertop post? No? I'll wait here...
So, today the amazing installers from Stone Masters arrived with the countertops for the basement bathroom and laundry room, and here is how it went...
The guys showed up right on time, and started unloading:
This is the Silestone that our gurus over at Cosentino helped us pick out. It is a really cool color called Cemento Spa, and I just love it! I originally thought we would go white in the laundry room, since the cabinets are white and it seems so clean, but Cosentino thought it might look a little sterile, and suggested this one to pick up on the concrete floor and stone walls, and I'm so glad we did!
Dry fitting the counter.
Starting to work on the silicone...
Installing the backsplash and lining things up just right!
Installing the undermount sink. One of the things that is great about Stone Masters, they carry a wide line of sinks, so that you can do one-stop shopping if you choose. We got one of their stainless single bowl utility sinks.
Getting the sink set ...
Working on the silicone caulking. This is where I learned a cool trick for all you DIYers...after they lay down the bead of caulk, they spritzed it with glass cleaner before using their finger to remove the excess. That way the silicone sticks to their finger and doesn't smear onto the stone, so no having to go back with a knife to try and clean it up, it was a very slick move, and they said you can also use just soap and water in a spray bottle.
Here is the sink, all ready for the plumber! Its important to know what your faucet is before you have them cut your countertops so that they can pre-drill during fabrication.
The finished product! I know it is a laundry room, but I still think it is sexy. And I'm so glad Cosentino advised us on this color, it just looks fantastic! And of course, Silestone is nigh on indestructible, so this should last forever.
Then it was on to the bathroom.
There is our bathroom counter in the truck!
Coming down the hall...
Dry fitting, and getting the sink set properly. You might remember from this post that we are doing a single long trough sink with double faucets. The sink is from Wetstyle, a really amazing company with a range of cool products that we really fell in love with.
Getting everything in order.
Here is a good shot of the stone. This is a natural soapstone. Originally we thought we would also do a Silestone product in here, but once again, Cosentino to the rescue! They suggested that since we were repurposing an antique buffet as a vanity, we might want to make it look more like it was the original top of the buffet! Since you know we are all about period appropriateness, we were very intrigued by this idea. We knew we didn't want to go marble, which would have been common at the time, so Cosentino recommended this soapstone, which has some wonderful green undertones, which would have absolutely been a palette that would have matched the period of the buffet, and some really nice movement and variation in the stone. It really stands out in the bathroom, since it is the only place we are using it, and I just love how it grounds the space.
Getting ready to attach the countertop to the undermount sink.
Settling it into place.
Final caulking, again with the glass cleaner trick!
Love how this looks!
SQUEE!
As usual, the guys from Stone Masters were exceptional, the whole install on both pieces was fast, clean and impeccable. They offered great advice on care for both counters, which was really helpful, especially that you should only use either Windex, or a mild white vinegar and water mix to clean them, and never anything abrasive or acidic.
There will be much more next week as we finish up the basement countertop project, but in the meantime, if you love your Polymath, do me a favor and be sure to Like both Stone Masters and Cosentino on Facebook!
More soon.
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend, and that you remembered to take a moment to have a good thought for those in uniform and the families who support them, and those brave servicemen and women we have lost.
Things are still hopping over here at the casa, and today was a good day! Today we got the first two countertops installed in the basement!
Did you catch the first countertop post? No? I'll wait here...
So, today the amazing installers from Stone Masters arrived with the countertops for the basement bathroom and laundry room, and here is how it went...
The guys showed up right on time, and started unloading:
This is the Silestone that our gurus over at Cosentino helped us pick out. It is a really cool color called Cemento Spa, and I just love it! I originally thought we would go white in the laundry room, since the cabinets are white and it seems so clean, but Cosentino thought it might look a little sterile, and suggested this one to pick up on the concrete floor and stone walls, and I'm so glad we did!
Dry fitting the counter.
Starting to work on the silicone...
Installing the backsplash and lining things up just right!
Installing the undermount sink. One of the things that is great about Stone Masters, they carry a wide line of sinks, so that you can do one-stop shopping if you choose. We got one of their stainless single bowl utility sinks.
Getting the sink set ...
Working on the silicone caulking. This is where I learned a cool trick for all you DIYers...after they lay down the bead of caulk, they spritzed it with glass cleaner before using their finger to remove the excess. That way the silicone sticks to their finger and doesn't smear onto the stone, so no having to go back with a knife to try and clean it up, it was a very slick move, and they said you can also use just soap and water in a spray bottle.
Here is the sink, all ready for the plumber! Its important to know what your faucet is before you have them cut your countertops so that they can pre-drill during fabrication.
The finished product! I know it is a laundry room, but I still think it is sexy. And I'm so glad Cosentino advised us on this color, it just looks fantastic! And of course, Silestone is nigh on indestructible, so this should last forever.
Then it was on to the bathroom.
There is our bathroom counter in the truck!
Coming down the hall...
Dry fitting, and getting the sink set properly. You might remember from this post that we are doing a single long trough sink with double faucets. The sink is from Wetstyle, a really amazing company with a range of cool products that we really fell in love with.
Getting everything in order.
Here is a good shot of the stone. This is a natural soapstone. Originally we thought we would also do a Silestone product in here, but once again, Cosentino to the rescue! They suggested that since we were repurposing an antique buffet as a vanity, we might want to make it look more like it was the original top of the buffet! Since you know we are all about period appropriateness, we were very intrigued by this idea. We knew we didn't want to go marble, which would have been common at the time, so Cosentino recommended this soapstone, which has some wonderful green undertones, which would have absolutely been a palette that would have matched the period of the buffet, and some really nice movement and variation in the stone. It really stands out in the bathroom, since it is the only place we are using it, and I just love how it grounds the space.
Getting ready to attach the countertop to the undermount sink.
Settling it into place.
Final caulking, again with the glass cleaner trick!
Love how this looks!
SQUEE!
As usual, the guys from Stone Masters were exceptional, the whole install on both pieces was fast, clean and impeccable. They offered great advice on care for both counters, which was really helpful, especially that you should only use either Windex, or a mild white vinegar and water mix to clean them, and never anything abrasive or acidic.
There will be much more next week as we finish up the basement countertop project, but in the meantime, if you love your Polymath, do me a favor and be sure to Like both Stone Masters and Cosentino on Facebook!
More soon.
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
May 19, 2015
Couch Part 1!
Chickens-
Spring has finally sprung over here, and while it is still bouncing into the chillier temps, there are hostas a popping in the front yard, and we are officially at punch list in the basement!
This means that I am spending chunks of my day making a zillion small decisions. Punch list time is a lot like going for an eye exam. "Do you want this here, or a half an inch over?" "Do you want this on the left? Or the right?" "Do you want this higher? Or lower?" Is it better now? Or now?
And I? LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Seriously. Every decision checks something off the list.
Toilet roll holder I found and sourced eight months ago? Stage right, please.
The Flor carpet tile in the media and exercise rooms? All the way to the walls, and not area rug style, thank you kindly.
It also means we can begin doing some furnishing, which is my favorite part of all. I'll be taking you through those as we go room by room, but for the moment, I want to talk about the couch.
Or I should say, THE Couch.
Remember our adventure with our designer MaryJo over at Walter E. Smithe? And how we finally pulled the trigger on a fabulous sectional for the media room?
(I'll wait if you want to go re-read those posts and get up to speed)
Well, the big day finally came.
First off, this is how the room ended up when empty: Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn on the walls, and FLOR carpet tiles in Charcoal Fedora. I love this tile, because it is like a very thick felt, no pile at all. It looks like someone took all of Cary Grant's hats and flattened them out on my floor.
This is the steel beam that helps hold up the second floor. All polished up and glowing.
And this is the shelf that will be behind the couch, a great place for the phone, a box of Kleenex, or to rest a drink. I love this shelf.
For those who aren't in Chicago, Edward Hines Lumber is a local company that has been providing building materials since 1892. Our old girl was built in 1907. This was in the ceiling, it was the place the ceiling joists butted up against.
Nothing like being tucked into the ceiling for 108 years to keep your stenciled name looking fresh!
I love how it looks against the steel!
Then, the truck arrived.
This is Truck 86. It is manned by Mario Estrada and Jose Granados. They are, quite simply, the best furniture delivery guys I have ever worked with. Let's watch them maneuver a massive sectional in four pieces into a building that was designed for daintier furnishings, with nary a nick in a wall or a bit of damage. Magicians.
Our contractor Dennis was awed a bit..
The first piece coming in, this was the biggest single piece, 9 feet long, and 3 feet high and over three feet deep. Did I mention the sectional was massive?
In safe and sound!
Here is Jose attaching the feet to the couch.
Unwrapping the pillows.
Here comes the next piece!
The sectional consists of one couch with one arm and a corner, one armless loveseat, one wedge shaped corner and one couch with one arm, which all come together to make a U shape.
Getting the last piece unwrapped. It is at this stage I should tell you that I am having trouble capturing the true color of the fabric, it is a much deeper less blinky red than it appears in these photos, a red with a lot of blue in it. Think classic 1960 lipstick red. If you are a fan of The Women, it is definitely Jungle Red. Frankly I think it is the most perfect red on the planet.
THE WEDGE!
Here is the couch with the other corner.
They get connected by the armless loveseat, there are actual connectors underneath so that the pieces don't come apart when you are flopping on it.
Getting it all hooked up.
MaryJo, helping get it all tricked out with our custom gray and blue pillows and our fun throw blankets.
Details.
Walter E. Smithe doesn't forget a thing, even though we got the SmithKote stain protector, they also gave us this little kit with a stain remover spray and two special cloths just in case one of us is a little klutzy and spills something.
We all know this will probably be Jen Lancaster.
I know I was effusive before about the Smithe experience, but let me say this. I undersold it. This is the single most comfortable piece of furniture I have ever perched upon. It is exactly what I had in my minds eye, and the fact that I could walk into their store and meet MaryJo and end up with something that exceeds every expectation? Smooth as silk, with delivery guys who were skilled and funny and sweet and insanely efficient (less than an hour all-in!), and a designer who came to our house three different times to make sure everything was perfect, for no charge? In a process that can be fraught with decisions that go awry, with people who push you to do things that match their aesthetic and not necessarily your own, when things beyond your control can send things quickly into chaos? To have an experience where everything isn't just competent, but exceptional. Where everything is exactly on time, on budget, on schedule, as promised with no changes or excuses? Where you end up with THIS:
That is priceless.
I'll fill you in more on the fabulous tables (yes, those are steel frames that match the beam in the back, and are on casters so we can move them around as we need them) and other bits and pieces as the room finally comes together. But in the meantime, I'm gonna go snuggle up into that there wedge corner with a book, and tuck that throw blanket around me, and make all the pillows squish around me in a nest, with a glass of bubbly from the bottle that MaryJo brought us to congratulate us on the delivery.
And I may start dreaming about the future living room...I know where I'll be shopping!
Yours in Comfy Taste,
The Polymath
Spring has finally sprung over here, and while it is still bouncing into the chillier temps, there are hostas a popping in the front yard, and we are officially at punch list in the basement!
This means that I am spending chunks of my day making a zillion small decisions. Punch list time is a lot like going for an eye exam. "Do you want this here, or a half an inch over?" "Do you want this on the left? Or the right?" "Do you want this higher? Or lower?" Is it better now? Or now?
And I? LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Seriously. Every decision checks something off the list.
Toilet roll holder I found and sourced eight months ago? Stage right, please.
The Flor carpet tile in the media and exercise rooms? All the way to the walls, and not area rug style, thank you kindly.
It also means we can begin doing some furnishing, which is my favorite part of all. I'll be taking you through those as we go room by room, but for the moment, I want to talk about the couch.
Or I should say, THE Couch.
Remember our adventure with our designer MaryJo over at Walter E. Smithe? And how we finally pulled the trigger on a fabulous sectional for the media room?
(I'll wait if you want to go re-read those posts and get up to speed)
Well, the big day finally came.
First off, this is how the room ended up when empty: Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn on the walls, and FLOR carpet tiles in Charcoal Fedora. I love this tile, because it is like a very thick felt, no pile at all. It looks like someone took all of Cary Grant's hats and flattened them out on my floor.
This is the steel beam that helps hold up the second floor. All polished up and glowing.
And this is the shelf that will be behind the couch, a great place for the phone, a box of Kleenex, or to rest a drink. I love this shelf.
For those who aren't in Chicago, Edward Hines Lumber is a local company that has been providing building materials since 1892. Our old girl was built in 1907. This was in the ceiling, it was the place the ceiling joists butted up against.
Nothing like being tucked into the ceiling for 108 years to keep your stenciled name looking fresh!
I love how it looks against the steel!
Then, the truck arrived.
This is Truck 86. It is manned by Mario Estrada and Jose Granados. They are, quite simply, the best furniture delivery guys I have ever worked with. Let's watch them maneuver a massive sectional in four pieces into a building that was designed for daintier furnishings, with nary a nick in a wall or a bit of damage. Magicians.
Our contractor Dennis was awed a bit..
The first piece coming in, this was the biggest single piece, 9 feet long, and 3 feet high and over three feet deep. Did I mention the sectional was massive?
In safe and sound!
Here is Jose attaching the feet to the couch.
Unwrapping the pillows.
Here comes the next piece!
The sectional consists of one couch with one arm and a corner, one armless loveseat, one wedge shaped corner and one couch with one arm, which all come together to make a U shape.
Getting the last piece unwrapped. It is at this stage I should tell you that I am having trouble capturing the true color of the fabric, it is a much deeper less blinky red than it appears in these photos, a red with a lot of blue in it. Think classic 1960 lipstick red. If you are a fan of The Women, it is definitely Jungle Red. Frankly I think it is the most perfect red on the planet.
THE WEDGE!
Here is the couch with the other corner.
They get connected by the armless loveseat, there are actual connectors underneath so that the pieces don't come apart when you are flopping on it.
Getting it all hooked up.
MaryJo, helping get it all tricked out with our custom gray and blue pillows and our fun throw blankets.
Details.
Walter E. Smithe doesn't forget a thing, even though we got the SmithKote stain protector, they also gave us this little kit with a stain remover spray and two special cloths just in case one of us is a little klutzy and spills something.
We all know this will probably be Jen Lancaster.
I know I was effusive before about the Smithe experience, but let me say this. I undersold it. This is the single most comfortable piece of furniture I have ever perched upon. It is exactly what I had in my minds eye, and the fact that I could walk into their store and meet MaryJo and end up with something that exceeds every expectation? Smooth as silk, with delivery guys who were skilled and funny and sweet and insanely efficient (less than an hour all-in!), and a designer who came to our house three different times to make sure everything was perfect, for no charge? In a process that can be fraught with decisions that go awry, with people who push you to do things that match their aesthetic and not necessarily your own, when things beyond your control can send things quickly into chaos? To have an experience where everything isn't just competent, but exceptional. Where everything is exactly on time, on budget, on schedule, as promised with no changes or excuses? Where you end up with THIS:
That is priceless.
I'll fill you in more on the fabulous tables (yes, those are steel frames that match the beam in the back, and are on casters so we can move them around as we need them) and other bits and pieces as the room finally comes together. But in the meantime, I'm gonna go snuggle up into that there wedge corner with a book, and tuck that throw blanket around me, and make all the pillows squish around me in a nest, with a glass of bubbly from the bottle that MaryJo brought us to congratulate us on the delivery.
And I may start dreaming about the future living room...I know where I'll be shopping!
Yours in Comfy Taste,
The Polymath
May 4, 2015
Dancing on the Countertops
Chickens-
This is likely to be long-ish, in part because I have a lot of hopefully useful information to impart, and in part because it is just so ridiculously exciting to finally be at this stage!
Today we are talking countertops. Specifically for the basement, we will be chatting kitchen counters soon enough (or actually not NEARLY soon enough for my tastes, but you know what I meant).
The basement has four places where we are getting countertops. They are:
The console underneath the television in the media room.
The bathroom vanity.
The laundry room sink and cabinets.
This antique commode, which goes into one of the basement bedrooms.
I'm going to start with how we started, researching the right products. For that, we went to a place that carries all of the different products we wanted to consider, Cosentino. The short version is that we wanted to be able to consider everything from natural stone and marble and granite to manmade materials like quartzite and other composite products, and we didn't want to have to go to different companies to explore our options. Cosentino is an international company known for the highest quality products and most cutting edge materials, so we met with them first.
And it was an eye-opening experience. We explained the different spaces and how we plan to use them. We talked about our aesthetic. We talked about our budget. The Cosentino team listened carefully and then took us through the different options for each space.
The most important things we learned from them were these:
1. Function, not look, should be your first consideration. It's easy to fall in love with all those white marble kitchens all over Pinterest these days, but the truth is, marble is soft, porous, and hard to maintain. Gorgeous? Yes. Useable in the right places? Of course. But if you are a red wine drinker, or have kids, or need a space to really be a heavy duty work space, marble is not the best choice. There are better materials that can give you the look you want for almost any application, so form really should follow function for countertops or you will spend the rest of your life annoyed. Case in point? The kitchen counters at our family weekend place are gorgeous. Deep gray natural stone. Its been a nightmare since the day it was installed. It has been sealed numerous times, but if you get one drop of oil on it anywhere, it soaks right in and leaves a stain. The edges are all chipping, hit one heavy pot to close to the edge and a little chunk will fly right off. They looked fantastic when they were new, but we regret them.
2. Be flexible and patient. Don't expect to make this decision quickly, and be willing to change the picture you have in your head if you discover the material you think you need so desperately is either out of your budget or not the best material for your space.
3. Budget appropriately. I had no idea that the most expensive, and frankly, most important part of countertops is the fabrication! I sort of just presumed that the place where I bought the material would have people to turn it into my countertops, and that would be a simple labor charge. Cosentino was very clear with me. You need to have a terrific fabricator on board, and their costs are often higher than the cost of the material itself. I wanted to learn why, so they connected me with one of their favorite fabricators and I went on a field trip!
Stone Masters is a company of countertop artisans, and I don't use that term lightly. Their commitment to the finest fabrication of countertops in any material is extraordinary, and I met with the owner, Tom, who took me through the process! He's been in the business almost 20 years, like his father before him, and their facility is completely state of the art. Check out some of the equipment!
This suction-cup thingy can move up to a 2000 lb slab!
One of the saws, imported from Holland. Those blades are the size of a tire and cost $500 to replace!
The CNC machine, a computer-driven cutter that is accurate to .001 of an inch. It can cut details as big as sink cutouts or as small as etched designs.
Another CNC machineTom explained that the reason good fabrication is so expensive is that accuracy and attention to detail are incredibly important. All of this specialized equipment requires talented people to run them, as well as the craftsmen who do all of the finish-work by hand. Edging, bevels, rounding corners, it all happens by hand. Here are a couple of the artists who were working when I was there!
Hand-polishing a top.
Working on a beveled edge.Tom said that when you are picking some of your materials, especially natural ones, it can affect the price of fabrication. Some granites, for example, have embedded crystals or veins of steel or other natural metals. Crystals can break out whole, especially on edges, which can make fancy edging nearly impossible. Metal can actually create sparks and fire when being cut, even though the saws have a constant water stream!
You can see the water dripping off the table as this piece of marble gets cut.
This is the concrete table surface. When the saw cuts through the materials, it gets sharpened by the concrete surface below. They have to re-pour the concrete about every two months, which is about the time they have to replace the blade.I asked Tom about the most expensive piece he ever did, and he showed me this scrap:
This is a semi-precious agate, and that is the actual natural color! He did a back-lit fireplace surround, so that the light could shine though. This stuff is $16,000 per 10x6 slab!!! Apparently it was nearly $60K just for the fireplace surround. Tom assured me that our counters would be much less Robin Leach worthy. On a busy day his team can do 5 whole kitchens! It was so cool to see the whole operation and I strongly suggest if you get to go meet your fabricator that you take the time, it is really an exciting field trip.
After meeting with Tom and seeing the work being done at Stone Masters, we went back to Cosentino to make the final decisions!
For the media center console, we decided on Silestone, which is a man-made quartz product that is amazingly durable. We picked a color called Pacific from the Ocean series.
It has great movement, and is a sort of mottled blue-gray with ivory and a taupe. It will pick up some of the other colors in the room and I think will look amazing against the wood base.
For the bathroom vanity, we wanted a natural stone. The room has limestone accents and a concrete floor, so we thought something a little warmer would be good. We decided on a deep gray soapstone.
For the laundry room, we went back to Silestone, and went with Cemento Spa.
And finally, for that antique commode, which had a cracked marble top that needed replacement, Tom found us a remnant of marble that will be the perfect thing!
Best part? They will be ready for installation next week, so you'll have another update very soon.
(If you are doing your own research, you can find out more at the Cosentino Website or the Stone Masters Website.)
Stay tuned for more updates, its going to be full steam ahead over here for the next two weeks as we get the basement buttoned up!
Yours in Good Taste,The Polymath
May 3, 2015
The Art of the Artichoke- Redux
Oh, Chickens, it is my favorite time of year. Artichokes are back. And this is an update of last year's post, with some important new info!
I love artichokes more than is rational. I may, hypothetically, own 12 24 of these (yes, I keep collecting them, and no, so far I have never used more than 8 at a time, but I MIGHT, you know, someday...):
I am also aware that this makes me an insane person. Right up until I have a dinner party for 12 24 and serve everyone artichokes on artichoke plates and then I am a GENIUS.
Artichokes are magical to me. A large artichoke packs 9g of fiber, 5g of protein, no fat or cholesterol. It is only 17 grams of carbs, so very diabetic friendly, it counts as just one carb serving. It is high in Vitamin C and Magnesium, with some bonus Iron, Calcium, and B-12 hanging out in there. And best part? ONLY 75 calories for the whole thing!
Okay, thats not the best best part. The bestest best part is that they are freaking delicious.
I literally cannot get enough of them, and from mid-April thru June, Charming Suitor and I gorge guiltlessly on these beauties.
Not kidding.
Yes, this is for two people.
I buy them 8 at a time. The first day I get them, I prep and steam them, and CS and I have two each for dinner. He will take one to work the next day for lunch, and I'll eat one at home for lunch. The other two are then available for a day or two for either lunches or snacking or to become an ingredient in something else. 8 artichokes last us about three to four days. And we do this routine once to twice a week until the season is over. And then we miss them until the following Spring. These are the weeks that prove your love for someone, because do not mistake me, this is a lot of fiber and vegetation to put through your system, and they will, without fail, make you spectacularly gassy. You might hypothetically blow the love of your life out of the bed. But they will forgive you because artichokes are so yummy that it will not matter that you both become walking dirty bombs for eight weeks a year.
This is especially important these days, as we are both being very careful about eating healthy and losing weight, which includes logging everything we eat, and there is something magical about a food you absolutely love, which in many ways loves you back. There are very few foods that fall into this category, so I give huge props to the ones that do...this time of year artichokes are actually a big part of helping us stay on our program and not feel deprived.
For those of you who think artichokes are complicated, they are not. I've had a lot of practice, so I can break one down in about 45 seconds to a minute, but once you know the technique, you can knock it out fast yourself. Don't be scared of the artichoke! It will reward you.
When buying them, look for ones that feel heavy for their size, have leaves that are nice and tight, and they should squeak a little when you squeeze them.
First thing, have a large cutting board, a 6-8 inch serrated knife (essential...more on this in a minute) and a lemon, cut in half. Do not do this with a straight edge knife, you need the serration for grippiness. Trust me, you'd like to keep all of your fingers. This is a great time to use that sad little mangy lemon in the bottom of the fruit bowl. The artichokes won't care. Hold the artichoke on its side, and slice off the stem flush with the bottom of the artichoke to make it fairly flat. Let chefs peel and fuss over the stems, as CS says, the juice isn't worth the squeeze on that, go for fast and easy instead. Once the stem is removed, use the knife on a slight angle on the bottom, from the revealed center outward, to slice off the bottom outer leaves and reveal the heart. Go all the way around the bottom of the artichoke in this manner, it will take about 6 slices total to have the bottom totally peeled. Rub the cut side of half a lemon on the bottom. Then turn it back on its side and slice straight down about 2/3 up the side, removing all the spiny top parts of the leaves in one go. Rub the lemon on the cut ends of the leaves, and you will have a prepped artichoke!
I use a large steamer, but you can use a steamer basket in a stockpot, or a steamer insert. Place your artichokes bottoms up in your steamer, with about 2 inches of water in the pot.
You don't want to boil them or let them touch the water, or the leaves will soak it up and get waterlogged. Cover and steam over high heat for about 35-40 minutes. I test by poking a fork into the bottom of one, it should go in and out smoothly. I don't use a knife to test things like artichokes or potatoes because my knives are super sharp and may slip right into something that is actually not quite done yet. Forks are a much better indicator.
Aren't they just gorgeous? I take them off the heat and place them over a towel for about 15 minutes. Then I put the four we are having tonight on a plate with a piece of plastic wrap, they'll be terrific at room temp, and put the other four in the containers in the fridge for later indulging.
I know many people swear by drawn butter for dipping. And you know your Polymath is a big fan of butter. Mo' butter, mo' better. Well, usually, I mean, not these day when it is a little bit of butter used judiciously where essential, those buttery calories do add up quickly! But even when I am on a full steam ahead butter festival, I just don't love it for my artichokes. Artichokes are buttery on their own, much like avocados. They want a little acid and a little salt to make them shine. I make vats of a pungent thick vinaigrette that we use for dipping, (these days with about half the oil that I used to use, with no ill effect)!
I use lemon juice, dijon mustard, shallot, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, maybe a pinch of sugar or a squirt of agave just to polish off the rough edges.
I don't measure, I just go by eye. For the original sauce, since many of you are not restricting your eating: This is the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 2 heaping spoons of capers, a large glug or two of dijon mustard, and one chopped up shallot. Then I pour in about twice as much oil as I have stuff in the bottom, and use my immersion blender to whizz it all up. Taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary. For a lighter version, I do about 1/2 c of water, 2 T of white wine vinegar and 1/2 c of oil instead of the straight oil, keeping the rest the same. I like this much more intense than I would make for salad dressing, you should do what you like. This is making a huge vat of it, because as I may have mentioned, we eat eleventy million artichokes a week, and this stuff lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge. You should feel free to make a rational amount if you choose. You don't need a lot, I only use about 1 tablespoon for a whole artichoke for dipping, (now have cut that down to about 1/2 T, again, still very enjoyable) you just want to gild the lily a bit.
For me, the first artichokes of the season are the only thing that really means Spring, and after this winter? Having them back on the menu is amazing.
Know what else is amazing? Finding a special tool for a favorite dish that makes it even easier to prepare.
Meet my new bestie:
This is the new Wüstof 6" salad knife, which they sent me to test earlier this week. And yes, it is amazing for salad, which I can tell you because salads are a big part of our new eating habit! But as great as it is for that? It's a gamechanger for artichoke prep. The 6 inch length is perfect for even the most jumbo artichoke, and the razor sharp serrations grip even the wiggliest sphere. This thing has cut my prep time nearly in half! Thanks to the always amazing team at Wüstof for sending it, for any of my Chickens who are as into the art of the artichoke as I am, you are going to want to have this one in your arsenal for sure!
What are the super seasonal things you wait all year for, and how do you prepare them? Extra points if they happen to be on the healthy end of the spectrum!
Yours in Good Taste,The Polymath
I love artichokes more than is rational. I may, hypothetically, own 12 24 of these (yes, I keep collecting them, and no, so far I have never used more than 8 at a time, but I MIGHT, you know, someday...):
I am also aware that this makes me an insane person. Right up until I have a dinner party for 12 24 and serve everyone artichokes on artichoke plates and then I am a GENIUS.
Artichokes are magical to me. A large artichoke packs 9g of fiber, 5g of protein, no fat or cholesterol. It is only 17 grams of carbs, so very diabetic friendly, it counts as just one carb serving. It is high in Vitamin C and Magnesium, with some bonus Iron, Calcium, and B-12 hanging out in there. And best part? ONLY 75 calories for the whole thing!
Okay, thats not the best best part. The bestest best part is that they are freaking delicious.
I literally cannot get enough of them, and from mid-April thru June, Charming Suitor and I gorge guiltlessly on these beauties.
Not kidding.
Yes, this is for two people.
I buy them 8 at a time. The first day I get them, I prep and steam them, and CS and I have two each for dinner. He will take one to work the next day for lunch, and I'll eat one at home for lunch. The other two are then available for a day or two for either lunches or snacking or to become an ingredient in something else. 8 artichokes last us about three to four days. And we do this routine once to twice a week until the season is over. And then we miss them until the following Spring. These are the weeks that prove your love for someone, because do not mistake me, this is a lot of fiber and vegetation to put through your system, and they will, without fail, make you spectacularly gassy. You might hypothetically blow the love of your life out of the bed. But they will forgive you because artichokes are so yummy that it will not matter that you both become walking dirty bombs for eight weeks a year.
This is especially important these days, as we are both being very careful about eating healthy and losing weight, which includes logging everything we eat, and there is something magical about a food you absolutely love, which in many ways loves you back. There are very few foods that fall into this category, so I give huge props to the ones that do...this time of year artichokes are actually a big part of helping us stay on our program and not feel deprived.
For those of you who think artichokes are complicated, they are not. I've had a lot of practice, so I can break one down in about 45 seconds to a minute, but once you know the technique, you can knock it out fast yourself. Don't be scared of the artichoke! It will reward you.
When buying them, look for ones that feel heavy for their size, have leaves that are nice and tight, and they should squeak a little when you squeeze them.
First thing, have a large cutting board, a 6-8 inch serrated knife (essential...more on this in a minute) and a lemon, cut in half. Do not do this with a straight edge knife, you need the serration for grippiness. Trust me, you'd like to keep all of your fingers. This is a great time to use that sad little mangy lemon in the bottom of the fruit bowl. The artichokes won't care. Hold the artichoke on its side, and slice off the stem flush with the bottom of the artichoke to make it fairly flat. Let chefs peel and fuss over the stems, as CS says, the juice isn't worth the squeeze on that, go for fast and easy instead. Once the stem is removed, use the knife on a slight angle on the bottom, from the revealed center outward, to slice off the bottom outer leaves and reveal the heart. Go all the way around the bottom of the artichoke in this manner, it will take about 6 slices total to have the bottom totally peeled. Rub the cut side of half a lemon on the bottom. Then turn it back on its side and slice straight down about 2/3 up the side, removing all the spiny top parts of the leaves in one go. Rub the lemon on the cut ends of the leaves, and you will have a prepped artichoke!
I use a large steamer, but you can use a steamer basket in a stockpot, or a steamer insert. Place your artichokes bottoms up in your steamer, with about 2 inches of water in the pot.
You don't want to boil them or let them touch the water, or the leaves will soak it up and get waterlogged. Cover and steam over high heat for about 35-40 minutes. I test by poking a fork into the bottom of one, it should go in and out smoothly. I don't use a knife to test things like artichokes or potatoes because my knives are super sharp and may slip right into something that is actually not quite done yet. Forks are a much better indicator.
Aren't they just gorgeous? I take them off the heat and place them over a towel for about 15 minutes. Then I put the four we are having tonight on a plate with a piece of plastic wrap, they'll be terrific at room temp, and put the other four in the containers in the fridge for later indulging.
I know many people swear by drawn butter for dipping. And you know your Polymath is a big fan of butter. Mo' butter, mo' better. Well, usually, I mean, not these day when it is a little bit of butter used judiciously where essential, those buttery calories do add up quickly! But even when I am on a full steam ahead butter festival, I just don't love it for my artichokes. Artichokes are buttery on their own, much like avocados. They want a little acid and a little salt to make them shine. I make vats of a pungent thick vinaigrette that we use for dipping, (these days with about half the oil that I used to use, with no ill effect)!
I use lemon juice, dijon mustard, shallot, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, maybe a pinch of sugar or a squirt of agave just to polish off the rough edges.
I don't measure, I just go by eye. For the original sauce, since many of you are not restricting your eating: This is the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 2 heaping spoons of capers, a large glug or two of dijon mustard, and one chopped up shallot. Then I pour in about twice as much oil as I have stuff in the bottom, and use my immersion blender to whizz it all up. Taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary. For a lighter version, I do about 1/2 c of water, 2 T of white wine vinegar and 1/2 c of oil instead of the straight oil, keeping the rest the same. I like this much more intense than I would make for salad dressing, you should do what you like. This is making a huge vat of it, because as I may have mentioned, we eat eleventy million artichokes a week, and this stuff lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge. You should feel free to make a rational amount if you choose. You don't need a lot, I only use about 1 tablespoon for a whole artichoke for dipping, (now have cut that down to about 1/2 T, again, still very enjoyable) you just want to gild the lily a bit.
For me, the first artichokes of the season are the only thing that really means Spring, and after this winter? Having them back on the menu is amazing.
Know what else is amazing? Finding a special tool for a favorite dish that makes it even easier to prepare.
Meet my new bestie:
This is the new Wüstof 6" salad knife, which they sent me to test earlier this week. And yes, it is amazing for salad, which I can tell you because salads are a big part of our new eating habit! But as great as it is for that? It's a gamechanger for artichoke prep. The 6 inch length is perfect for even the most jumbo artichoke, and the razor sharp serrations grip even the wiggliest sphere. This thing has cut my prep time nearly in half! Thanks to the always amazing team at Wüstof for sending it, for any of my Chickens who are as into the art of the artichoke as I am, you are going to want to have this one in your arsenal for sure!
What are the super seasonal things you wait all year for, and how do you prepare them? Extra points if they happen to be on the healthy end of the spectrum!
Yours in Good Taste,The Polymath
April 30, 2015
Basement Update Video Part 2!
Hello Chickens!
Things have been really moving along here at the house, so it is time for some updating.
First and foremost, the painting is done! After more sampling from the pink debacle and some help from our team at Sherwin-Williams, we FINALLY got the right color for the bedrooms. Quartz White was the winner, a lovely pale pink with plenty of gray in it, and it is warm and lovely and no longer looks like whole sorority of Barbies got drunk on bubblegum slushies and threw up on the walls.
Final color choices:
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn in the media room and exercise room, Black Fox in the wine cellar, Eider White in the bathroom and laundry room, and Quartz White in the bedrooms. We used their Red Mahogany stain on all of the windows and on the wine cellar door.
As for the rest of the updates, I thought it was time for another video walk-thru!
If you missed the first one, here it is:
Ready for some big changes? Check it out now!
Stay tuned for more updates next week...big exciting things happening here!
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
Things have been really moving along here at the house, so it is time for some updating.
First and foremost, the painting is done! After more sampling from the pink debacle and some help from our team at Sherwin-Williams, we FINALLY got the right color for the bedrooms. Quartz White was the winner, a lovely pale pink with plenty of gray in it, and it is warm and lovely and no longer looks like whole sorority of Barbies got drunk on bubblegum slushies and threw up on the walls.
Final color choices:
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn in the media room and exercise room, Black Fox in the wine cellar, Eider White in the bathroom and laundry room, and Quartz White in the bedrooms. We used their Red Mahogany stain on all of the windows and on the wine cellar door.
As for the rest of the updates, I thought it was time for another video walk-thru!
If you missed the first one, here it is:
Ready for some big changes? Check it out now!
Stay tuned for more updates next week...big exciting things happening here!
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
April 21, 2015
Painting with all the Colors of the Wind
Hello Chickens!
Things are cranking along over here, so I thought I would give you a brief update...I'll be doing another video walk-thru in the next day or so, because things are HOPPING, and frankly, you don't want to have to read a zillion flowery words about my new windowsills or doorstoppers or how much I suddenly love plinth blocks.
But I did want to share something important with you all, because I know one of the things I loathe about the interwebs is this sense that everyone's life is either insanely perfect or a constant hot mess, with little in-between. Except I think most of us live most of the time in the in-between, I know I do. Has our renovation gone scarily smoothly so far, all things considered (knocking on things), yep. Thank goodness. Have we had the occasional snafu? Absolutely. (SEE MOAT) But I'm not here to make you think that renovations are a lovely little bit of delightful, nor a constant source of horrible. They are mostly in-between.
So this is my in-between update.
We are painting. And by we, I mean the very nice team of guys who are actually painting right this moment while I stay safely and smartly upstairs where I don't ruin anything. Remember all of our conversation about the ins and outs of paint? And how excited we were to have our palette all picked out?
So, here is how we are doing (please excuse terrible photography):
This is the hallway! We are so excited at this bright white space, the Superwhite color looks really nice and wide and tall, and doesn't feel dungeony or basementy at all, which is what we were going for. The trim is all in the same color, just in Cashmere Pearl finish instead of satin, and it is ready to get its second coat. Gorgeous.
This is the passthru from the media room, which leads to the wine cellar and the exercise room. (exercise is thirsty work, you know, so we thought proximity to refreshments would be a good idea!) You can see how the Ceiling Bright White stays white even though the walls are dark. Genius technology, that. The room doesn't feel cave-like at all, despite that Peppercorn paint on the walls. I love how the white trim makes it pop, and the wine cellar door, which is the only door in the basement that is stained instead of painted, looks fantastic! We picked Sherwin-Williams Red Mahogany stain for that door as well as all of the trim on the windows, and it is such a close match to the original stained woodwork on the upper floors that the house will feel pretty seamless.
Can you love a soffit? I do. This one. This is in the exercise room, which has a curved wall, so our contractor made the soffit curved to match. I love how the Peppercorn plays off the white ceiling and the brick and stone.
And then this happened.
Remember the very awesome grown-up sophisticated elegant pink I wanted for the bedrooms?
Remember how I counseled you all to do samples of many versions of paint colors you want in your rooms before buying paint? Do you recall how excited I was that Sherwin-Williams will let someone order 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of sample paints for just this decision making process?
Yeah, that in-between thing?
What is not as clear here as I might like it to be is the truly horrible a-My Pretty Pony-ballerina-threw-up-fairydust-and-strawberry-Quik-in-here color that is on these walls. Looking at these pictures you might think we are fairly close. You would be mistaken. These colors are Blush and Bashful. Disney would clothe a stepsister in them.
EPIC FAIL.
So, today I have called my guy Dennis over at the Sherwin-Williams store and ordered two quarts of new sample colors that the painters will slap up in hopes that we can find something that doesn't look like I've covered the bedroom walls in Calamine lotion. The good news is that they are currently running a 40% off promotion, so if you need some paint, now is the time to do it!
Stay tuned, I will keep you updated on all the good, the bad, and the in-between.
Yours in (usually) Good Taste,
The Polymath
Things are cranking along over here, so I thought I would give you a brief update...I'll be doing another video walk-thru in the next day or so, because things are HOPPING, and frankly, you don't want to have to read a zillion flowery words about my new windowsills or doorstoppers or how much I suddenly love plinth blocks.
But I did want to share something important with you all, because I know one of the things I loathe about the interwebs is this sense that everyone's life is either insanely perfect or a constant hot mess, with little in-between. Except I think most of us live most of the time in the in-between, I know I do. Has our renovation gone scarily smoothly so far, all things considered (knocking on things), yep. Thank goodness. Have we had the occasional snafu? Absolutely. (SEE MOAT) But I'm not here to make you think that renovations are a lovely little bit of delightful, nor a constant source of horrible. They are mostly in-between.
So this is my in-between update.
We are painting. And by we, I mean the very nice team of guys who are actually painting right this moment while I stay safely and smartly upstairs where I don't ruin anything. Remember all of our conversation about the ins and outs of paint? And how excited we were to have our palette all picked out?
So, here is how we are doing (please excuse terrible photography):
This is the hallway! We are so excited at this bright white space, the Superwhite color looks really nice and wide and tall, and doesn't feel dungeony or basementy at all, which is what we were going for. The trim is all in the same color, just in Cashmere Pearl finish instead of satin, and it is ready to get its second coat. Gorgeous.
This is the passthru from the media room, which leads to the wine cellar and the exercise room. (exercise is thirsty work, you know, so we thought proximity to refreshments would be a good idea!) You can see how the Ceiling Bright White stays white even though the walls are dark. Genius technology, that. The room doesn't feel cave-like at all, despite that Peppercorn paint on the walls. I love how the white trim makes it pop, and the wine cellar door, which is the only door in the basement that is stained instead of painted, looks fantastic! We picked Sherwin-Williams Red Mahogany stain for that door as well as all of the trim on the windows, and it is such a close match to the original stained woodwork on the upper floors that the house will feel pretty seamless.
Can you love a soffit? I do. This one. This is in the exercise room, which has a curved wall, so our contractor made the soffit curved to match. I love how the Peppercorn plays off the white ceiling and the brick and stone.
And then this happened.
Remember the very awesome grown-up sophisticated elegant pink I wanted for the bedrooms?
Remember how I counseled you all to do samples of many versions of paint colors you want in your rooms before buying paint? Do you recall how excited I was that Sherwin-Williams will let someone order 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of sample paints for just this decision making process?
Yeah, that in-between thing?
What is not as clear here as I might like it to be is the truly horrible a-My Pretty Pony-ballerina-threw-up-fairydust-and-strawberry-Quik-in-here color that is on these walls. Looking at these pictures you might think we are fairly close. You would be mistaken. These colors are Blush and Bashful. Disney would clothe a stepsister in them.
EPIC FAIL.
So, today I have called my guy Dennis over at the Sherwin-Williams store and ordered two quarts of new sample colors that the painters will slap up in hopes that we can find something that doesn't look like I've covered the bedroom walls in Calamine lotion. The good news is that they are currently running a 40% off promotion, so if you need some paint, now is the time to do it!
Stay tuned, I will keep you updated on all the good, the bad, and the in-between.
Yours in (usually) Good Taste,
The Polymath
March 17, 2015
Some great news!
Chickens-
First off, you probably noticed that in order to get here you were redirected to the new domain! Make sure to bookmark blog.polymathchronicles.net for the future.
Second, if you are in the greater Chicagoland Area, I am delighted to announce that the first event for Recipe for Disaster is coming!
And the best part? It is an evening with me and my bestie Jen Lancaster!
Please join me and Jen in conversation about Recipe for Disaster, and her upcoming new memoir I Regret Nothing, and probably some other topics like Kimmy Schmidt and the enduring legend of John Hughes.
Thursday April 9
7pm
The Book Cellar
4736 N Lincoln
Both Jen and I will be signing books after the discussion. Really hope to see you there!
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
First off, you probably noticed that in order to get here you were redirected to the new domain! Make sure to bookmark blog.polymathchronicles.net for the future.
Second, if you are in the greater Chicagoland Area, I am delighted to announce that the first event for Recipe for Disaster is coming!
And the best part? It is an evening with me and my bestie Jen Lancaster!
Please join me and Jen in conversation about Recipe for Disaster, and her upcoming new memoir I Regret Nothing, and probably some other topics like Kimmy Schmidt and the enduring legend of John Hughes.
Thursday April 9
7pm
The Book Cellar
4736 N Lincoln
Both Jen and I will be signing books after the discussion. Really hope to see you there!
Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath
March 3, 2015
Recipe for Disaster is Here!
Chickens-
Just a quick note to say that Recipe for Disaster is finally here!
Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered, and if you never got around to it, you can absolutely order it today or pick it up from your favorite local bookseller!
If you want to make me the happiest author in the world? After you buy the book, pop over and make sure you are following me on Twitter, Pinterest, and like my Facebook Fan Page. We all know how social media numbers help, so if you haven't yet joined the team, I'd be ever so grateful.
And as always, if you read Recipe for Disaster and love it, please consider writing even a brief review on Amazon so that we can help other readers find it as well!
I will be having some upcoming events in the Chicago area, we are holding off a bit because we'd like the weather to break before asking you all to come out on a school night, so stay tuned for some exciting readings and signings in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, thank you one and all for reading, it means everything to me.
Yours in Humble Taste,
The Polymath
Just a quick note to say that Recipe for Disaster is finally here!
Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered, and if you never got around to it, you can absolutely order it today or pick it up from your favorite local bookseller!
If you want to make me the happiest author in the world? After you buy the book, pop over and make sure you are following me on Twitter, Pinterest, and like my Facebook Fan Page. We all know how social media numbers help, so if you haven't yet joined the team, I'd be ever so grateful.
And as always, if you read Recipe for Disaster and love it, please consider writing even a brief review on Amazon so that we can help other readers find it as well!
I will be having some upcoming events in the Chicago area, we are holding off a bit because we'd like the weather to break before asking you all to come out on a school night, so stay tuned for some exciting readings and signings in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, thank you one and all for reading, it means everything to me.
Yours in Humble Taste,
The Polymath
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