Happy 6th T.

It's a long time in posting, apparently I have used up my photos memory/storage and I now have to pay to blog.
Those pics must be not bad because the stats say that there are over 12,000 views to the hilltop, I feel quite special about it.


Things have been a bit chaotic here and it's a shame because there is still no working oven but we are grouted.


This week was T's birthday.
WooHOO!

I have been saving these pictures for a while though I am sure I am missing lots or maybe I started photographing them a long time in to her habit.

T ties things in knots. In fact anything wrapped round anything is taken away and re used and any toy will probably at some time or another be secured to a house hold object.

She just can't stop herself.

Cashmere feather lined - look how tight she has tied it!

This is T as a Sciencer, job, to turn animals into other animals. Deadly serious.


Recently I found this saga in her room

At this sight I wonder if Red Minnie is flat out on her back in hysterics at the mess Pink Minnie has managed to get herself into.
(actually its the Disney version of me and FMH)

What a year you've had, first year at school, genuine health scare in the spring, studying furiously and trying really hard to win at everything and everyone seems to want to be your friend (which I find rather annoying because you are not a rental), a fantastic active Olympic summer, a small issue with you wanting to be 13, you plat your own hair and now back to school to year 1.
Tomorrow you are going to learn to ride your bike.
Daddy thinks you'll be fine without stabilizers.
Lets watch this space and I'll get the first aid kit ready.

You are not my chunky preschooler anymore, you are growing fast, your head a little quicker than the rest of you. I think sometimes you might be a driod because some times my emotions really go way over that big head.
You still like everything plain and simple and bedtime is still your choice at 7 although your dancing is becoming far out.
You are my big girl and show me so much love every day. I am jealous of school they get to hang out with you more than I do and I so wish to spend more time in your company.

Maybe I can ship evil P to boarding school and we can go out for milkshakes and cake.
At this point you are generally happy to play and be with P who thinks the world of you as do we.
Happy birthday my smiling T.
I love you round the universe and back.

CM

Image Issues?

Been a while, so much going on, the kitchen, kids not well, G not well and just trying to focus on stuff.

Found this great little you tube today, I am saving it for when T is a little older and starts worrying about the size of her bum.

If you have a daughter or worry about your dark circles, dull complexion or how shinny your hair isn't then this one is for you.

I bought a magazine to read in the bath last month, it looked Christmassey. I am sure it was my first fash mag this year.
I thought it might perk me up
It had 'Flat Deeley' on the cover.
What a waste of money!


Things are brightening up at the Homestead and it's T's birthday next week, thankfully a friend has loaned me her oven to bake T a cake for her party this weekend. The pass the parcel is wrapped and the party bags are ready.

Happy Thanksgiving
CM

Dream Holiday?

Did I mention in a post before that a dream job would be to sweep out cluttered front gardens and make everything look presentable?

Mmm think so.

Found these whilst secretly looking at the Daily Mail online, the shame.
Have cut the addiction again last night, remember I don't actually read it, it's all about the photos.

But in another life I would kill to take on this Japanese Resort abandoned in the 1970's.

The photos are taken by Thomas Jorion and you can read the article and see more amazing pics here.

 Izu Peninsula

Message to FMH - Lets go!
I will bring the broom, rubble bags and damp cleaning cloths and then we can shop for textiles.


Happy Weekend
CM

Huurah!

Another four years!

We are a bit nuts for American politics in this house and have been following anything we see on TV
I think all that West Wing we repeatedly watch rubbed off on us.

This picture was the morning after the results of the previous election.
This morning I was in Topps Tiles.

How life changes.

CM

Manganaro Kitchen Inspiration

We went to NYC four years ago.
I remember because T kept UK time all week and then got sick, finally I got some sleep but slept through Barack Obama wining the Presidential Election.
Earlier in the same week I made my way to New Jersey to see a good friend who has married an American and settled very happily and is making herself a family.

I love New Jersey and want to go back there more than anywhere on the planet actually.

I walked down 9th Avenue to Penn Station to get the train out, on the way I found a gem called Manganaro Grosseria Italiano.
Worried that I might miss my train I only stayed long enough to scan the place but ended up going back in on the Sunday with a hungry NJ in tow to get her a sandwich.
The reception was frosty, tomato and mozzarella was going to be difficult because the proprietor had only just switched the grill on.

You apparently can't get everything you want in NYC neither can you park except in the
Croatian Church car park in Hells Kitchen although you might have to wait for the congregation to go home for your space to become unblocked.

Whilst looking for kitchen inspiration I searched Manganaro's, over the years better photos have appeared on line, for a long time there was nothing.

http://greenwichvillagenydailyphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/manganaros-old-world-italian.html

(Ken Mac - apologies I can't make contact for permission so I am just going to jump in)

This is the front of the store and then at the back you can eat.

http://realnooyawkaseat.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/armoire-for-sale-at-manganaros.html


Can you see on the back wall there are white tiles with black tile shapes. do they say FISH, no? you can see more if you go to a You Tube interview, and I watched both English and Italian which wasn't necessary.

G is so not going to go for that look at all.


Jeremiah Moss knows what is really going on with the traders of old New York and I gasped to find out that after 119 years Manganaros has served it's last pate of spaghetti and red sauce.
Selfishly my heart skiiped when I read that what contents weren't sold were chucked out into the skip
AAAARrrrrrgggHHH!

Not the big Toledo Scales?!

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/manganaros.html

He then goes on to talk about The Elk Hotel. Follow the link it really is a page turner.
We stayed next door to the Elk in the big bad Orion Building with its 50 floors of shiny windows and Olympic concierge service (that would be another Obama related tale).

The Elk Hotel was like something out of a movie set and any information that I might have tried to gain was cagey.
All questions now very well answered thank you very much Mr Moss.

Anyway this post was supposed to be about tiles but I think went off a bit.

I finally spoke to New Jersey today via Skype. With no power and a freezing cold burst following in behind Sandy she has gone to stay with relatives.
I knew she would be alright although she was worried about the tall trees in her garden, I suggested she put a helmet on the baby, jokingly but as the news reports went by I began to think that wasn't such a bad idea.
Maybe she could write a guest post here about all that happened?


Very tired and looking forward to the weekend
CM

Kitchen Details and Blurred Photos

We went along the coast to choose some worktops, G likes stone I like Formica.

My choice

Dogbone Storm

Bermuda

Earth

Midi Mode White on Folkstone

 or

Amber Burl

Boysenberry

I think Midi Mode White on Folkstone looks like a punch card knitting pattern and Amber Burl....that would just be too fabulous.

But there isn't the time to make a decision about what colour, what thickness and have it delivered before the fitter comes, and, sometimes you get the feeling the sales staff at the builders merchants are making things difficult for you because you are unsure of your needs at this time.
So that visit paled


On the same day the stone masons.
Mostly pale stuff for G.

I got on board with the following terrible photos.

This Verde Marinace comes in a red and it is awesome and we even priced it up and I may have talked G round before deciding it was way out of budget and secretly thinking that we would have to move if we ever went off it.


This was the best pic I could find on Google images, can you imagine!

At home previously G suggested these on the wall behind where all the cooking action happens I flatly said no, to which there was a rage eruption, I yelled something back about them being lovely but imagine cleaning them.

WHY did I always have to bring hygiene in to it?
I'll tell ya!
Because I am the one trying to keep on top of the house work but if he was offering to clean them I would gladly buy him the tooth brush that he would require and he could clad as much as he likes.

The lovely man in the stone shop agreed with me, completely impractical and the argument was closed.


Back at home I managed to say that as we both came from design back grounds it would be nice if we didn't plump for predictable wooden worktops and that it would be nice to imagine the alternatives, I think sometimes the engineer in G comes out and he just wants the job done and WTF's wrong with me.

So we started looking at copper, brass and pewter.
I can't even begin to up load some of the 100's of images I have saved to my phone.

We almost made a decision but I have an under mounted sink and I kept thinking what the return would look like in a metal and before you know it I am knackered and there is now a wooden work top delivered and ready to go in the hallway.

We went with Zebrano.

Funnily enough, Formica do a print just like it.


The oven G has bought has to be handmade in Italy, probably a bit of an over exaggeration, but it won't be shipped to the UK till mid November and then be delivered to the dealer and then on to us.

So with much disappointment we cancelled the re fit and it is now booked for the end of November.

Now G and I are discussing tiles, it is the last thing we need before paint colour.
I like antique mirror.

It has been half term this last week and a half and the girls have been full of fever and snot hence the big break in blog postings and Mrs B in Madrid from the previous post also put the fear in me by suggesting that she would link the Homestead into her Facebook page.
It sent me into hiding, freaking me out that people she knew might think 'what is this crap?', I couldn't do it to her.
I have analysed those thoughts mixed them up them up with a memory of an email from her regarding an Alexander McQueen jacket, taken a deep breath and decided to get a life.

None of that will make sense except to me so until next time

It's getting really cold out there.
CM

Notes from Madrid

Yonks ago I posted, and I can't find it to share, a delicious email from Madrid describing the differences between buying a length of elastic in Spain and here in the UK.

I have been trying to find that post but can't because I don't LABEL things proper and I wanted to link it here to go with the new email that arrived yesterday.

You should know that Otto is under 5 and incredibly well turned out.
You should also note that his mother Mrs B when dressed for any occasion makes a peacock look like a pigeon and her poise makes a flamingo look like a lay about.


*Sigh*

I took Otto to have a haircut today.
We go to the barbers in the next street.  It's run by 2 eldery brothers who each day, co-ordinate their beautifully laundered candy-striped shirts, so they're matching.  (Cufflinks, of course)

It's a tiny shop, that's been open for decades.
The decor and chairs haven't ever been replaced, but are well cleaned and maintained.  The shelves are chocka with half-full bottles of cologne and hair pomades, going back about 50 years, but not a speck of dust.
The clippers are antique, and they still use razors and strops.
There's always an old man sitting in a waiting chair, reading out the bits in his paper that annoy him most.

Otto's lifted onto the red leather child seat that matches the chair, a cape is put on, and the trimming starts.
They do 2 cuts for boys: 1940s and 1960s, for the more rebellious parent, but it's really just a slightly longer 1940s.
We get a 1940s.
"Eres un bueno hombrecito?"
"Si"
"Entonces, los hombrecitos buenos cogen caramelos"
("Are you a good little boy?"  -"Yes"  "Well then, good little boys get a sweetie afterwards")

After a brief discussion of football, where Otto's asked if he's a little capitalist, for supporting Real Madrid, so switches allegience to Atlético Madrid (The left-wing underdogs)  his hair is done.
A swift side-parting, a spritz of cologne, then he's handed his Chupa-Chup (lollies, with Dalí-designed wrappers)

And that's it.  No chairs shaped like fucking rockets, with a Playstation and telly built in.  I can't imagine what they'd say if I said "Yeah, keep it long all over, except the front"

Wish you could come and take pictures.
Besos guapa,
Señora B


No pressure but it's one of the biggest treats of my year to receive these emails.
Apologies if you didn't want me to share.

I will remove it if you ask me to.



On another note G tried to order the carcasses for the kitchen today..............no........ not happening.
He had made the decision that oak was what was wanted.

Turns out you can only have these if you are trade and can guarantee that you will spend £3000 in one year.
Do businesses want to take money in a recession?

So it is wind out of the sales for the mister today.
Never mind.

We also now own a dishwasher, I am not sure how I feel about that one. I buy washing up liquid at 95p a bottle last lasts me three plus weeks and now I will be getting involved in things called Rinse Aid and limescale tablets and I can see an extra £10 on the monthly shopping bill.

See what tomorrow brings
CM