Lookie-See: Bird Tales

When picking lemons, i discovered this tiny little hummingbird nest. there were two birds, who we named George and Gracie. Who knows why! Over the course of about 5 days, the went from barely visible above the top of the nest to not being able to fit in the nest. Mama never got too excited when I was around. I didn't hover, just staying long enough to catch a couple of photos each day.

I wanted to tell the story of George and Gracie. What better way than through digital scrapbooking media.There are so many wonderful products from which to choose.

The Cabinets are Coming

Next up was the placement of cabinets. This is a view from the front door. The column on at the corner of the the bar was removed; the one across from it was reduced. The view from the front door is so much more expansive. I love that deep chocolate wall.

In the bar area, the wall nest to the door way was removed.  A wine fridge and other bar elements will be centered on the kitchen wall viewed through the new expanded doorway.

a kitchen start here.

Getting Ready

For the good stuff. The mantles have been removed from both sides of the fireplace. It will be tiled with very large tiles.

And the drywall has been completed.

Giant mirrors have been removed from the master bath.

And lots of clean white LED lighting has been added to ceilings in most rooms.

Demo in progress

In early January, the next level of demolition began. We have decided to make a few changes in the house that we think will open it more and give it a lightly contemporary look.

Removing walls:

and columns:

and debris:

What a mess!

Craft Napa

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.”

~Dr. Seuss

In January, Caite and I took a girl trip to Napa California and attended Craft Napa. We stayed at the Embassy Suites, where the classes were held. She chose one class: Indigo Dyeing and i chose another Finding Symbols in Art. We ate out each evening at some very nice restaurants in Napa. For our finale, we treated ourselves to massages at the Silverado Spa. We laughed as we left town. We never once went to a wine tasting. Huh!

I loved this time crafting with my girl. We used to do that all the time when she was young. She's back at it. What a very fun girl trip!

Good Read: A Gentleman in Moscow

In other words...

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov has never worked a day in his life, and must give up his luxury sweet and belongings to live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

The first half of the book creates a thorough and gorgeous visual of the hotel and it's occupants. We are being immersed fully into this setting. Nothing is without purpose. Each moment and person is leading somewhere.

Full of  humor and philosophical wisdom, this book has a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another. I have tagged all the things I wish to remember and there are many. Here are a few of my favorites.

"If patience wasn't so easily tested, then it would hardly be a virtue."

"When fate hands something down to posterity, it does so behind it's back."

"Some might wonder that the two men should consider themselves to be old friends, having only known each other for four years.; but the tenure of friendship has never been governed by the passage of time."

 And finally "What matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of acclaim."

This is a revelation of a life well lived. It's a smart book about a wise man. It starts slow but builds delightfully. do not put it down.

Trust me, he can’t leave his hotel. You won’t want to.