Cats and plants

The other day, I discovered the joys of a local nursery (for PLANTS! Plants, people!) and loaded up on a few pieces of greenery to liven up the joint.

I got two 3-gallon pots of hardy azaleas -- good, as I'll probably kill at least one of them -- some hanging geraniums, and a palm for inside (I already forgot the name of it but it's cat-friendly).

By the way, who knew ficus was toxic to cats? So no ficus.

Anyhoo, the palm immediately fell victim to our apparently starving cats. Bernie looked like a panda last night climbing on top of the entertainment center and pulling leaves off the top of the poor thing.

Anyone know of a good, strong, cat-friendly indoor tree with tough leaves?

Sunday, in the yard, with the rake

It's a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon -- a hint of chilliness still in the air, with tomorrow's temperatures (forecast at 80) hinting at a summer to come.

Good weekend for some yardwork.

Besides the exercise we clearly got, I find that yardwork is incredibly satisfying. It's not always clear right away that a lot of work has been done, but something about digging in the dirt, erasing the dead leaves and detritus of a rather tough winter, is good for the mind.

We hit Home Depot yesterday to buy fertilizer, some patching materials, a little potting soil, and a few extra things along the way ... like a small fire pit. Might have to reward ourselves tomorrow with some good wine and a little heat after what will surely be a long day at work.

Three new experiences for Bich:

1. We fertilized a yard! 

2. Brooke used a hedge trimmer! (Really, I shouldn't be allowed to play with power tools -- I might have had a little too much fun with it.)

3. We planted herbs! Rich straightened the sagging flower boxes and I refreshed the soil, and now we have two fresh boxes of cilantro and rosemary -- two of my favorite herbs. Looking forward to some well-seasoned steaks and fresh salsa.

Conversations

Brooke (kissing Rich on the forehead as he sleeps on a friend's couch): I'm off to work. It's 10 minutes to 9.

Rich (smiling): I want to live in Hoboken.

Brooke (also smiling): A bit late for that, but yeah, me, too.

Rich: Let's move to Hoboken.

Brooke: Go to work.

Rich: Look how short your commute will be today.

Brooke: Look how broke we'd be if we lived here. (Thinks of previous night of drinking and debauchery with Jen at Bin 14.)

Rich: . . .

*****

Coming up on HoB:

• A video tour update of the house as we approach the one-year mark of our purchase. It's part of an assignment Brooke has for her HTML class (embedding video into her website, set to launch in a little more than a month).
• Small updates on yardwork. Once the weather finally breaks, we'll get to work raking and fertilizing, cutting down a few dead bushes and small trees, and planning which greenery will join the backyard. It already looks completely different from when we bought the house.
• Pictures of the basement as Brooke tackles the cleanup. Currently, it's a box jungle, which the cats love. Hopefully, by the fall, the basement will be nearly empty, cleaned, painted white and will finally be home to a new utility sink.

For the love of Etsy

My name is Brooke, and I am an Etsy addict.

We've noted before that we like stuff with stories, and what better shopping forum for me to troll than what is, in essence, the world's best online flea market?

To wit, my most recent home-related Etsy purchases (there's an even longer list of handmade purses, jewelry and other accessories, but we'll save that for another blog). First up, the organizer I made Rich install in the kitchen -- I got so tired of him just throwing the keys around, stuffing mail where it didn't belong ... and now each has a house. Together. Grab and go!

Mail/key organizer, OldNewAgain

I grabbed this photo from Etsy because, as it turns out, the Salman Rushie book actually graces the bookshelves I bought to house it and its literary friends.

Recycled bookends, Orange Door Cottage

Fittingly, this mobile went into the spare bedroom. You'd think I'd be more upset about tearing up books to use as decor, but I'll survive. It adds lightness to the room, a fresh and airy touch.

"Bookish" crane mobile, Spare Bedroom Studio

This purchase ... is so not me. Which is why I bought it. It's fun, a little quirky, very cottage-chic. At first, I couldn't convince myself to buy it, but after six months, I was still thinking about it, and knew it belonged in our house. It really adds charm to the dining room.

Rooster lamp, Delightful Finds

My most recent purchase has yet to arrive, but my plan is to use these sconces to brighten up yet another corner of the dining room that doesn't get much light or attention. I think they'll add more cohesiveness to the house, too.

Vintage mirror candle sconces, The Shabby Chateau

Four years, and a hundred more

Here's to me, and here's to you,

And here's to love and laughter.

I'll be true as long as you,

And not one moment after.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the House of Bich to you.

Spring, and budgets

While the coldest (and snowiest) winter I can remember probably has another month to live, now's the time to start making phone calls.

Major house projects, in order of priority (for me, anyway; Rich disagrees):

1. Sidewalks, concrete work, masonry, tree removal. I'll be sad to see those trees go, but go they must. They're old and I fear another icy winter will do us all in. Besides, the township is repaving in the neighborhood this summer ... can't hurt the curb appeal. Not that we're moving anytime soon, promise.

2. Windows. It's possible this is a tie with No. 1. I'm ready for those energy bills to take a dip.

3. Gutters. This one's relatively easy and clearly cheaper than the others, and I foresee this one being done rather quickly.

4. The porch. Ah, the porch: That one's tied with the windows. After that, we can tile, paint, etc. Kittehs should be excited.

Yeah, yeah, we know -- "welcome to homeownership!"

We're under no delusion that buying an 85-year-old house would be easy ... then again, that's probably why we did it.

I need a vacation just thinking about it.

Window Shopping

We’re going to need new windows.

Don’t worry, nothing broke. We bought our abode knowing that the windows were as old as the hills, and that it was only a matter of time until we would have to replace them. Whether we do it in phases or all at once remains to be seen. We got one estimate to do the whole house and it was some unseemly number like $15,000. Now, I’m sure that was high and we could do much better. We could probably do the whole house for less than $10,000.

My question is when should we do it?

One couple we’re friends put new windows in as they bought the house. They pay the cost each month, just like having a bigger mortgage for as long as it takes to pay off. My first thought was to wait until January 2012 and then take out a home equity loan to do the windows and put a half-bathroom in the alcove at the top of our staircase. That way, we could use this next year to save up our money and replenish the bank account in the year after we depleted it to buy said alcove, staircase and aged windows.

What do you guys think?

We’ve already gotten through half of a rough winter, so I don’t feel like there’s any particular hurry there. Although, admittedly, I hate that our oil-burning furnace costs us a vicious fortune. It burns 6 gallons a day, or so I’m told by an oil company lady. At $3.50 per gallon, that’s $21 a day in oil, not counting the cost of transforming the oil into heat. But I digress.

Would you do the windows sooner or later? Do them in phases or all at once? Do it as its own project? Or wrap into a bigger house project, say during the summer 2012?