Purple Poodle

I nearly died when I saw this person walking her poodle in the fan yesterday. She walked in front of my car, against the light, and I nearly creamed her. I was so intrigued that I drove around the block, pulled over and took a picture with my iphone just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

One of the things I love about living around here is that people do not fear personal expression. People wear funky clothes, sport tatoos, ride on tricked out bicycles,paint their houses fun colors - there are no architectural or design police.

I think I have to draw the line with dyeing your dog's hair. Why doesn't she dye her hair purple??

Am I overreacting???

Pittsburgh!

I am not going to pretend that I have always been a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. Although I lived there in the seventies and eighties when the Pittsburgh Steelers, under the leadership of Coach Chuck Noll, won eight divisional championships and four, count them, four Super Bowl championships, I was not impressed. That was the time of the “immaculate reception,” the play that some call “the greatest play of all time”. I didn't care.

My family moved to Pittsburgh from New York city in 1972 as my father accepted a job transfer. At the time I only had a vague idea what state it was even in. We hardly ever left New York except to visit my aunt in Connecticut or to spend some time at the beach on Nantucket. I remember asking my father if Pittsburgh was in Ohio, and I can still recall the look of shock on his face. I was in my own little bubble and geography clearly wasn't my strong suit.

I spent a couple of years in mourning for my old life in New York instead of trying to see it as a new adventure (a skill I've learned of late). It took a while but I grew to love the city and today, as the city and its residents prepare for the big day, I wish I was there to soak up that energy and share in that feeling of hometown pride.

My first apartment as a single working gal was in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh. The area of Richmond that I live in now, The Fan, reminds me a lot of Shadyside. I know that is why I was drawn here. My apartment was on the third floor on the left side of this photo. It was a studio, probably about 250 square feet but I loved it. My apartment looked just like this one with its arched entry, hardwood floors and great moldings. There was also a Murphy Bed and a little kitchen. I didn't own a car, but no matter, the bus stopped right on that corner and took me to my job at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Life was simpler and fun as hell.

Unfortunately I don't have any family in Pittsburgh anymore, however, I do still have dear friends who I know are very excited for Sunday to come. Pittsburgh I'm rooting for you now.

Get out your terrible towels!!

Just a little bit closer

On Sunday Harry finished piecing together the components to make the base trim in the Laundry Room and hit it all with a coat of primer. He also hung the Roman shade that my friend Rhonda, who has a drapery workroom, made for us. Remind me to tell you about the fabric later. The only things left to do now are to decide what kind of storage to add to the wall over the work surface and washer and dryer and give the trim and door a coat of paint. I'm having trouble with making a decision as I rather like the quiet, uncluttered space. (I took all the laundry off of the marble before taking the picture!) But storage in these old houses is sorely lacking, or is it that we have too much crap? I'm thinking it is the latter.

On our way back down I-95 on Saturday we popped into Ikea to have a look at their laundry and kitchen storage options. Correction - there is no popping into Ikea - you're stuck there for hours, I believe on purpose. I cringe at the thought of navigating that store. Is it me or do they try to get you lost? I know there are arrows on the floor to direct you, but I always seem to be going in circles. Where the hell is the exit? Is all of Virginia here today with their grandmothers and babies? Where did I leave my patience? I had it in the back of my mind that I would soon be at Racine having a hamburger and a beer so I tried to concentrate and not get COMPLETELY ANNOYED.

We made our way over to the kitchen department to take a look at the cabinet options. They really do have some pretty cabinetry. Actually, there are way too many pretty choices. Here are a few. Weigh in, please, as I can't seem to make a decision.

If I am correct, and I need to do more research, you buy the boxes that you need and then select a door style. I liked this stainless door with the frosted glass. These could hide a multitude of laundry room necessities.
The above door is basic, but nice, and would fit in with what we have in the kitchen if anyone thought that was necessary, which I don't as the laundry is upstairs and I am not in need of matching things.

Wandering further afield we found this area of basic storage components. I like the wall cabinets here, but worry about reaching to close it as I am 5'3" on a good day.
Here is one in a stained finish - I think I need to stick with white. Why do I keep getting Harry's arm in these photos? Sorry, thinking about beer, no doubt. I hadn't noticed the art work until now - quite pretty.

I don't mind this clean open shelving, either. And the hooks would be handy for hanging up wet stuff, what, I can't think right now, give me a minute. I could put containers above to put detergent, etc. in.
The above would work, too, I think they were the cheapest, and I think they look that way, too. Sorry, Harry. I think I'm voting this one out.

We got away without having to trudge through the restaurant or marketplace, how I don't know. We brought home a bunch of literature and need to pour over it to make a decision so that the next time we're on I-95, which we all know will be very soon, we can "pop" into the marketplace and get really annoyed as the choice we've made won't be in stock.

I sound like Debbie Downer today. Sorry.

I hope wherever you are today that you're warm and safe and don't have piles of laundry sitting in your hallway.

I haven't forgotten to talk about the fabric used on the Roman shade. I'll save that for another scintillating post.

The Photo That Cinched the Deal

As part of my email as to why we would make the perfect tenants for the home in Old Town, I attached the above photo. Who could resist this duo? Turns out, it wasn't the dogs that sold her but the carpet remnant under the iron plant stand that impressed her!! In any case, the house is ours, at least for a year.

I'm starting to get excited.

You had me at the sidewalk

I know it has happened to you when you're house/condo/apartment shopping - you get that feeling when you walk in the front door, or maybe even before, when you're searching the Internet - that this is home. The house seems to call to you, "live here, be mine". I didn't expect that to happen yesterday while searching for our weekday home in Alexandria (VA). We were just hoping to find something decent, mostly commuter friendly that we could perch in Monday-Thursday.

We started in Parkfairfax as stated in my post yesterday. The first apartment is housing an adorable family of four that has been there for ten years. Not much has been done to it in that amount of time, except for amassing a large collection of house plants. I'm sure once they move out and a coat of paint is applied, it will be a cute place. But it wasn't speaking to me. There was a long walk from the parking lot to the front door, too, which makes schlepping groceries more of a chore than it already is. Okay, we'll keep it on the list but let's move on.

We popped into another model - this time a vacant one, thank goodness.
This condo had the same floor plan as the other and has had some updating over the years.
I love the patio and the Adirondack chairs. It would be easy to let the dogs out from this entrance.
The bath looks like it has the original tile and tub but the rest has been updated. I'm okay with that.
I like the wall of windows in the Living Room, the two colors of paint, not so much. I'd need a new paint job, for sure. There were nice wood blinds on the windows - bonus. These pictures were taken when things were still green - yesterday there was a good coating of snow on the ground. I guess I can see myself here, after some paint. Moving on....

We did a quick drive-by of the Fairlington condos. We weren't in love with the location of either so we headed into Old Town.
You had me at the sidewalk. The home pictured above is in a section of Old Town called Yates Gardens - town homes built in the 1930s. A closer look at the listing read "no pets". Yikes, how did this one slip through the filter? My old and dear friend, Liane, who is also my real estate agent, said she often can convince people to take pets - and was willing to go to bat for us. Meanwhile, I was trying not to fall in love. Too late.
The living room which takes up the entire second floor has windows on both sides of the room. You can see above the light streaming in. The fireplace is a bonus.
The kitchen and dining room are on the lower level along with a door out to the garden - yeah - letting dogs out at midnight won't be too hard.
Charm was oozing from every nook and cranny. Add to that the super location near the Safeway, the river, the bike trail, the restaurants, it is perfection.

This morning, back in Richmond, I wrote a lengthy email to my agent with all the reasons why they should pick us as their next tenants. I guess it depends on how much "no pets" means "NO PETS".

A Bird in the Hand

So, Harry's company has asked him to come back to DC to become Chief Engineer at a huge project on the Potomac River. The contract here in Richmond only has about two years left in it, while the one in DC could go on forever, or at least until we want to retire. The bird in hand is the job in DC and the two in the bush are what we would do after the work in Richmond dries up. The non-practical side of me likes the two little birdies sitting in the bush but then the practical side takes over and says, "sure, I don't mind upheaval."

Off we go up I-95 today to look at condos in Alexandria, VA. The company is giving us a living allowance, for now, as we grapple with what to do with our lives in Richmond. The housing market has only gotten worse since we moved here, however, home prices in Alexandria seem to have held steady. Therefore, what we could afford there really pales in comparison to what we have here. Not too mention that we're not finished with the renovations here at Haven that would be necessary to put it on the market. So, we're not even going to entertain selling now as we love it here and are willing, for now, to hang around in DC during the week and trek back to Richmond on the weekend. That all may change as my patience for commuting is nil.

First stop today is a garden style condominium complex, Parkfairfax, near our old home in the City of Alexandria. In 1941, as the Federal Government grew rapidly in response to the Second World War, a housing shortage developed in the Washington area and President Roosevelt asked the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York to develop housing near the Pentagon. The Company purchased 201.7 acres on the western edge of the City of Alexandria, for $282,150. Leonard Schultze and Associates of New York was the architect and Starrett Brothers and Eken, Inc. (builder of the Empire State Building) was the construction company. A total of 286 buildings were built containing 720 one bedroom, 863 two bedroom and 101 three bedroom apartments. The rental office was opened in May 1942 and the first tenants occupied units in October 1942. Metropolitan donated to the City of Alexandria approximately 5 acres and $50,000 for the building of Charles Barrett Elementary School. Among former residents of Parkfairfax are two Presidents of the United States, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Harry and my first home was in the same neighborhood as this condo complex so I know I can feel at home here.

Having two dogs really drives a lot of the decision making here. I don't want to live in a high rise and have to come down in an elevator at 6:00 a.m. to let them out. The neighborhood around here is great for walking and commuting to both of our jobs should (!) be fairly easy.

Parkfairfax also has several pools - I love to swim and have missed having easy access to an outdoor pool.

Next stop is Fairlington, a townhome complex in Arlington - in the same neck of the woods as Parkfairfax. Fairlington was also constructed as a garden apartment complex to house defense workers and their families during World War II. At the instigation of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it was designed by Kenneth Franzheim and associate architect Alan B. Mills. The project was intended to remain a permanent part of the community after the war's end. The first families began moving in during May 1943. By the end of that year, 2,415 apartments were available for occupancy. It remained a rental community until 1972 to 1977 when the units were renovated and sold as condominiums.With its tree-lined streets, proximity to Old Town and walkability, I think I can find a spot here, as well.

Finally, there is one apartment right in Old Town Alexandria that we'll see today. I like the idea of being in Old Town but I think parking and the lack of pool is going to drive me back to the other two options.

Stay tuned.

Take Back Your Bed

I was at the Washington Design Center yesterday in the Hines showroom and saw this photo which cracked me up. This mismatched pair reminded me of my two canine friends, a standard Poodle, Lion, and our welsh terrier, Harvey.

The ad is for Perennials Fabrics, a wonderful line of outdoor fabrics which we use for a lot of our client's who have pets and especially for places where fabrics can fade as they are resistant to UV damage. They have an amazing selection of colors and textures that one used to never be able to get in an outdoor fabric. Perennials also sells pet beds - you may want to invest in one if your pet will use it!!

I think it is too late to reclaim my bed. Actually, I like having them there. Harry would disagree. A recent Washington Post interview with a dog trainer stated that a dog in bed is "a sign the dog is completely in charge. Get the dog off your bed. It can make a bigger difference than anyone can imagine." Ahh, is that where I went wrong? I would love to have this wallpaper from Osborne and Little somewhere at Haven - again, Harry would probably have a problem with it.


This family not only reclaimed their bed, they stuck it outside. Poor Scotty - you can come live at my house.

You know these two are just posing for the camera - as soon as the photographer left they jumped up on that bed.

For your viewing pleasure on this cold and rainy day here are some shots of others in the same boat (bed).