SoBro Bungalow

Trusty New Table

Last week, I had about 10 minutes to kill, so I dropped into Gardener's Market on my way to pick up Mootsie. I was looking through vintage linens when this table called to me. I'm really not good at accent tables, or lamps and, as we all know, rugs, but I just had a feeling about it. I got up to the register, handed over my card, and the shop owner informed me that her credit card machine had conked out. I didn't have my checkbook or cash. Do you know what the woman said next? She told me to go ahead and take the table and bring her back a check. Seriously. When does that ever happen anymore? If I wasn't giddy enough about finding the table, here was some good ol' fashion trust.

And do you see the rug? Yes, that's the flokati back in action. Something about adding the table, made the rug work. This is a little embarrassing, but can anyone else see the double-sided tape on the sofa? OK, sure now that I pointed it out, you all probably can. We're trying to deter our lovely Vivi from clawing the heck out of yet another sofa. It seems to be working although it's not the prettiest stuff in the world and can be murder on leg hair (Jeff?) if one is not careful.

Weight Lifted

I'm a keeper. Though I desperately wish I wasn't, I am. So when the mood strikes to purge, like it did Sunday afternoon, I have to go with it. While Mootsie napped and Jeff cleaned the house, I gathered up every magazine in the house. We're talking four years worth. OK, wait. I kept any that contained stories written by me and Blueprint, since you know, there won't be any more of those, but that's it. I didn't look through to see if there were photos I might want to save because that's trouble for me. I just tossed. The house feels lighter, and it should. Jeff, who carried the recycling bins to the car, estimates that each weighed 50 plus pounds.

She's a Dancing Machine

Or I should say, Mootsie was a dancing machine. Last Friday was her first and LAST ballet class (at least for a while). Seems mom jumped the gun a wee bit and though she loves to dance and does arabesques of her own volition, she wasn't quite ready for an organized class. She hung tough through nearly 10 minutes of introductions and stretches before she could take no more and had to run and twirl and leap. I winced as the teacher took her firmly by the hand and danced her right out of the studio to me. Did Mootsie care? Nah, she got to rock a leotard and ballet shoes (and continues to do so actually) and after the class was over, and after she was officially expelled, she got busy with her own brand of ballet.

Au Revoir, My Tiny Market.

I popped into Sunflower Market in Broad Ripple Friday to pick up a few necessities and was greeted by a sign that said the store would be closing soon. If I'd had my Envirosax (never can seem to remember those darn things), I surely would have dropped them. Words fail to express how much I love this little grocery store. I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that the tiny market was my salvation after having Mootsie. In my sleep-deprived, hormone-induced new baby fog, I just could not handle the cavernous supermarket down the street with its harsh lighting and unhappy checkers. And suddenly here was this totally manageable grocery with the friendliest, most helpful staff who actually conversed with me while ringing up my purchases -- not a small thing considering it was sometimes the only adult conversation I would have in a day. So long Sunflower. I will miss you. 

The Nitty Gritty

I recently received this e-mail from a reader:

I watched an article on an HGTV Newsletter about kitchen countertops, and I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer! PLEASE direct me to a successful GROUT CLEANER for the white tile countertop in my kitchen. I have tried just about everything I can find on the market with little or no results. Please advise me how to clean and maintain the white grout. If I'd known how almost impossible this is to keep clean, I would have definitely chosen something else, even though I like the look of it. We cannot afford to change it. --Moira

First, let me say I'm skeptical and wary of any magic bullet chemical solution that promises to clean grout without a good scrubbing. Depending on what ails your grout (food stains, dirt, mildew) one of these three solutions may work: Try a paste made from baking soda and bleach; or Bon Ami mixed with a bit of water to form a paste; or the liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend. With any of these, let them sit on the grout for a bit and then use plenty of elbow grease.

If none of those work, many carpet cleaning companies now offer grout and tile cleaning using high-pressure steam.

You can also replace the grout -- a drag, I know, but sometimes grout is beyond salvaging. A grout saw or Dremel tool can pop out the old grout, and re-grouting is a fairly simple DIY project. Just remember to take appropriate safety precautions. Then make sure you seal, seal, and reseal the new (or newly cleaned grout) with a grout sealer. Your local hardware store can recommend one that's appropriate for kitchen countertops.

And if you're looking for an inexpensive alternative to a tile countertop, I would highly recommend IKEA's Pronomen butcher block. I installed it in my house as a quick fix to a previous owner's ugly laminate (pictured above). We've had them for a year, they've worn beautifully, and at $29 for nearly 5 feet of countertop? You can't beat it.

Anyone else have a suggestion for Moira?

The Trouble with Rugs

I've been trying for four years to find the right rug for my living room. It's a hardworking room that functions as living room, dining room and entry. We've had three rugs and none of them have done the job.

First there was a carmel-colored 3X5 wool rug. That ended up being way too warm with the cool color palette and it seemed a tad smallish because the seating area is more of a square. It didn't matter what way I turned it, the rug just didn't fit.

We shifted some furniture around and brough in an 8X10 sisal. Wrong. Not soft enough. Cats loved it though. Scratch. Scratch.

Most recently, we tried a flokati, but it just wasn't the right size either. Plus the cleanability factor was at play here. Flokati + two-year-old and all the schmutz that goes along with her = notsomuch.

For a while we were considering FLOR, but I got samples and the squares seem to be magnets for cat hair.

In my attempt to figure this out, I came across this useful rug guide in Blueprint. I think I've got it. I need something that's big enough to cover the small seating area and the entry, something that's soft yet not super pile-y, and something that's light colored, but can handle whatever a toddler can throw at it plus some serious foot traffic. (I do love this Angela Adams, alas it's not in the budget.)

Any rug experts out there?

An Open Letter to sfgirlbybay

Geez Victoria. You should have warned me to steer clear of your blog yesterday. One glimpse of Lucie Summers' work, and I could not get over to her etsy shop fast enough. Initially, it was for this mixed media lovely:

But then there was also this Gocco:

And then there were these cards:

My change purse is a little lighter. Great find. Thanks.

Scenes from a Weekend Walk

How brave do you have to be to paint your house orange? I don't know, but this past summer, the owners of this bungalow kept me mighty entertained as they spot tested colors trying to find the perfect hue. I love the burnt orange they settled on.

Moss is the greatest. It's so amazing to see something lush and green in the middle of January.

Wacky though it may sound, this is the inspiration for my home's aqua and yellow palette. Now I normally complain about The Indy Department of Public Works' shortcomings (hello plowing and street cleaning), but their lack of attention to chipping, peeling fire hydrants has been to my advantage.

More lovely colors.

That's What Happens

Many apologies to those of you who saw this photograph accompanied by the very deep, thoughtful post "t h" yesterday. That, my friends is what happens when a post is started and interrupted and then discovered and finished later by a curious toddler. Oooh. Roller Skates. T. H. Save. Or something like that, I imagine.

Where was I? Yes, roller skates. Over the holidays we went to visit Jeff's family in Pennsylvania. His brother-in-law's family owns a roller rink/car dealership. I'm going to let that sink in. On the front of the building it seriously says, "Roller Rink Auto Sales." Awesome. We had the rink all to ourselves on a Sunday afternoon and turned Mootsie loose with her cousins. She took a three+ hour nap that day. Again, awesome. I want my next house to have a roller rink.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Susanka and the whole Not So Big movement, so I was intrigued when I stumbled on The Not So Big Life over the weekend. I'm only two chapters in, but so far I'm digging Susanka's architecture-life analogies.

Winter Warm Up?

Man, it's freezing here. You know it's cold when the cat is laying on the heat vent and then looks at you like, "Gotta problem?" Nope. No, I don't. You just take as much hot air as you need kitty.

Over the holidays, Jeff saw a twin draft stopper on an infomercial and decided that it is the be-all-end-all solution to the drafty back door. Have you seen these things? I'm skeptical about everything that's "as seen on television" and it's U-G-L-Y, so I went in search of a tutorial to customize the draft stopper for our wonky 1946 door and pick out a fabric that jived with the rest of the decor. And voila, here it is at Not Martha. I'll report back.

In warmer news, I got several prints back from  my mother-in-law, who happens to be a pro framer. She did a lovely job framing pieces by John W. Golden, Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday, Matte Stephens and Sugarloop.