January 16, 2016

House Build Progress Photos January



The roofing materials arrive.


Weighting the roof with concrete tiles before install.


Concrete roof tiles.

 
Mudding the drywall - which means we must choose the plaster finish and eventually colors! Love the asymmetrical, symmetrical mix in the home.




Most current color palette.
The open flow through the home will be white/cream, not shown.



Measure.


Height.
And working through the weekend! Love the team.

January 12, 2016

friends of Summer


Lilah
Lilah loves accessories, pool-hopping and chatting up a storm!

House Build Progress Photos


August. Astrid moves dirt, breaks ground.


Goldie on the way with her rig.


September. The home gets a form.
After MUCH deliberation there is no basement.


I am smitten by my neighbors. And despite the construction I think they adore me as well ;)


Lots of steel. There will be exposed steel on the front porch, in the living room, and on the back and side patios. We are from Cleveland, so we love steel.


October. The sticks are up. The framers are awesome.
Bring the framers treats to eat - check.


Stick phase is pretty.
(Plywood phase is not; photos of plywood phase are few and far between if any at all.)


Laundry room with a view.


Fireplace. Goldie is 3-feet tall for scale.


Trusses arrive. Prefab, baby.


Beautiful trusses that unfortunately will be hidden away behind walls.


November. Endless discussions in the dining room with architect.


Upstairs. Goldie's suite. Storm a comin'?


Well, Hello, windows!



Stair 'tower' and stairs we and the crew used to use (ladder).
Exposed steel. Bronze windows. Knotty siding to be stained dark.


Long day's work.


January. Radiant heat pipes. A difficult $ decision that I fully recommend!
Steel beams to be powder-coated dark.


Radiant heat pipe patterning and a wood burning fireplace which heats 3,000 square feet.


Dry wall abound. Looking into the kitchen from the living area.
Kitchen is in North-East  corner of home; the most high energy location in any house.


Baking the gypcrete. The radiant heat is on high and for the first time we (they!) are not all freeeezing on site.


Master 'retreat'. Windows on three sides.
The Master is purposefully placed in the South-West corner, where the energy is calmest in any building.


Front of the house as of January 1, 2016.


Back of the house as of January 1, 2016.


Goldie makes her mark in the Garage. Headed out the back door ...

Everything in the project was conceptualized and chosen by myself and architect Mark Ford of Studio 3fold. We did not use a 'designer' so the next phase, 'finishes'!, should be interesting... Lots more fun to come!!


January 4, 2016

PACK for the CITY in WINTER with KIDS and the rule of JET LAG is...

 


A few thoughts after a couple of days in Florence, Italy in December:

Packing for the City with a little one in tow
- Coat ; One. Cute with coverage ; covers butt at least, knee length is a bonus.
- Swimsuit ; hotel pools and hot tubs!
- Gloves and Hats ; that fold up small enough to fit into kids' coat pockets.
- Sunnies (or winter hat with brim.)
- Compact warm layers ; wool, cashmere, and silk. We get ours at Petit Bateau.
- PJ's ; more than you think you need. Tight ones that double as undergarments. KicKeepants work well for this.
- Scarves for you end up being very handy for bébé.
- Bright colors and patterns for dresses, leggings etc. (that hide stains and dirt).
- Carrier. Toddlers love these in Cities, (and airports) even if they aren't wild about them at home.*
- Hair things ; lots of options. Clips and bows are a tiny-to-carry way to freshen up tired angels and make them look dressed.
- 2 pairs walking shoes for little feet. Not new shoes.
- Clothing you know works and fits and is loved ; not new clothing!
- For every item think 'Sure Bet' not 'Wild Card'.
- Party dresses and special occasion wear is an exception, of course.
- Diaper. Your potty trained child says "I have to go potty" and you know for whatever reason it could be quite a long while... if we are stuck in the metro, gondola, tram, bus everyone can sigh with relief when Mommy has a diaper on hand.

Mom
- Same cover-it-all-up coat idea for mom.
- Fresh haircut for mom before leaving :)
- Hat for mommy too ; cool baseball cap is easiest to pack.
- Small purses and wallets for mom ; fanny pack or other safe option.
- Backpacks, though great on planes, can cause troublesome access while out and about en ville.
- Umbrella.
- Space to Shop; fold in a Longchamp-esque bag for serious damage.
- And another medium foldable bag ; overnight bags to hand to Grandma/whomever when the kids sleep in their hotel room ;)

*Cities are incredibly invigorating and inspiring, but are overwhelming and overstimulating for small bodies. Coddle, even spoil, your children while traveling.

-Art by Goldie's Parisian cousin Giorgia, 4 years


Mamma e Gigi sul balcone.



Jet lag
Allow one day of adjusting for every hour of time difference to overcome the effects of jet lag. There is no way around this, but balancing your vata  will ease the symptoms of your  desynchronosis.

Happy New Year