Hydrangea

A study in black and white,

a meditation on zooming in.

The camera lens records it all:  light and shadow, texture and veining, 

variations in color and shape, ruffled edges of each petal, toothed edges of each leaf.

All is exposed before the lens, 

and yet oftentimes, there remains a mystery, which entices the viewer, compelling her to ponder what lies just beyond sight, outside of the frame of view; what lurks beneath the frilly, furled petals; or with human subjects, what is the model in the photograph remembering and feeling as the shutter clicks?

Macro photography, one of my favorite types of photography, extends an invitation to see and an opportunity to indulge in that sense of wonder.  As one who was always enchanted with tiny things, playing with my marco lens is a delight in that it allows me to come in closer... and closer still, until the richness of previously undetected detail explodes before my eyes.  And the more I see, the more I want to see; the more I know, the more I want to know.
There is always more to the story, if only we take the time to dig just a little bit deeper, to look a little closer, to listen a little more carefully.  Macro photography gives me the opportunity to do just that.  Leaning in is not enough. One must zoom in, with senses and heart wide open, for that is where authenticity resides.
That is how we discover the essence of things.

Until next time...

Anne

Very pretty...

 I awoke on this grey morning to a delightful surprise.

My Meyer lemon tree has blossomed!  The heavenly scent is permeating my living room.  Last year, which was my first year with the little tree, it produced 5 lemons.  They have a bit of a tangerine taste to them and are somewhat sweeter than traditional lemons.  I am hoping for a bigger crop this year.  It takes about 9 months from flower to ripe fruit.  I waited in anticipation for this small miracle and was thrilled that it unfolded in my home. 

Here is my kitten Oberon posing with the lemon tree last summer before the fruits had ripened.

 I am thankful to my mom for giving me this tree.  It was a birthday present in 2012 and one that will delight me for many years to come.

This is just the perfect bit of springtime I have been needing to get me through the recent icy and snowy days. 

May your day also bring some sweet surprises.

Until next time...

Anne

On being frugal-- Part II

In this part of the series, I will focus on one recent time when frugality paid off in style and ambiance-- the first time-- and where waiting until the timing was right proved to be the wisest move of all.  Patience can be difficult to manage when being bombarded with images of enviable rooms and so much cool stuff on the market for the home, but is also a necessary element of having a home that is authentic and evolves with you.

Our house has five recessed lights in the great room, you know, the kind that look like big, white fish eyes.  When we moved in they were filled with incredibly bright flood light bulbs-- so bright that we chose to never turn them on, even though that sometimes meant stumbling around the house in the dark in order to get to another light switch or a table lamp.  

I had been intending to replace them with pendant light adapter kits to change up the style just a bit but wasn't quite ready to take that plunge.  The adapters I'd seen were priced at $30 each and glass shades were an additional $15 to $25 for each light.  With 5 lights to outfit, the cost was adding up quickly, and so I waited.

  We were shopping at Lowe's recently (I seem to mention Lowe's quite a bit, don't I?), and I noticed that some of these adapters had gone on clearance for $6 each.  Six dollars for the bronze finish adapters I had been hoping to purchase-- what luck!  They are the kind that are supposed to have a hanging drum shade with them, however that would have looked too bulky in this small room, so I opted instead to simply outfit them with 40-watt round Edison bulbs, and I am smitten with how gorgeous they ended up being!

The lights emit the softest, warmest glow, one with a quality similar to candlelight.  At just 40 watts each, they are dim enough to be easy on the eyes.  They are sprinkled around the room in such a way as to create an even light, eliminating shadows and bright spots.  They also draw attention to the dramatic cathedral ceiling, which soars to about 24' at its peak.  And since they occupy very little visual space, they don't compete with the other elements in the room, such as the windows or the decor.  The pendants are subtle and simple, hinting at industrial style, which also seems to be a recurring theme with me these days.

My husband was skeptical, not sure how they would look.  "Oh, ye of little faith," I said to him, "Trust me on this.  It will be extremely cool."  In my book, "extremely cool" is about as good as it gets.   To his surprise, he loved them once I had gotten them all installed, which was quite simple to do.  They simply screw into the socket, and you wrap the cord inside the fitting to achieve the desired length. He said the soft lighting adds some romance to the room.  In a multifunctional space, where kitchen, dining, and living areas are all very close together, this can be difficult to achieve but is something I work hard to create.

I am among the thankful that Edison bulbs will continue to be produced.  CFL's just would not provide the same ambiance, even though they certainly have their place beneath a lampshade.

So for $13 times five, my great room glows every evening, providing warmth on these cold winter evenings.  This is one instance where being frugal, being creative, paring things down to their simplest forms, and waiting for the right time to act has paid off.  

And that makes me all warm and glowing inside!

Until next time...

Anne

On being frugal-- Part I

“There is no dignity
quite so impressive,
and no independence
quite so important,
as living within your means.” 
― Calvin Coolidge

Frugality is something I strive for, sometimes more out of the desire for a challenge than out of necessity, although at other times it arises out of necessity.  Sometimes it works out perfectly, where I am able to save some money and have the desired look and/or quality I am seeking; but other times, it does not pay to try to cut corners.  In this 2-part series, I will explore both of these scenarios.

A little background to the story:

When we moved into our new home last May, there were a number of hidden expenses.  We thought that in buying a new home, things like the electrical system, the well/plumbing/septic system, and the HVAC system would all be up to code (even though there is no official "code" or code enforcement in the extremely rural area where we live) and in proper working order.  This turned out to be wishful thinking.  We have had to hire contractors to work on all of these systems in the short time we've lived here.  Hopefully, that trend is now over.  Thankfully, things seem to be operating smoothly at last.

And so, when we moved in, there was not extra money available to spend on non-necessary or cosmetic things.  Moving is expensive, even without these added costs.  So, for example, I purchased very cheap pulls for the cabinets.  They were actually window sash pulls that cost about $2.50 each.  I thought this would work out great-- cheap prices and good looks, what more could you want?

They looked fine but didn't give me the style I had been seeking.

 I pined for some industrial-style, satin nickel finish bin pulls I'd seen at Lowe's.  I would walk down the cabinet hardware aisle and sigh, "Wouldn't it be nice..."  At home, I would often get scratched upon opening cabinet doors by the ends of the screws sticking out in the back of the cabinet.  Since these were window pulls, the screws were slightly longer than the thickness of the cabinetry, and the sharp ends poked through.  

"Enough is enough," I thought.  A few days ago, I went back to Lowe's and purchased the bin pulls I had been coveting.  They were more expensive, but the boost in style and comfort was worth the higher price tag.  This is one example where being cheap did not quite work out the way I expected.  These bin pulls draw together and echo other elements in the kitchen, reinforcing the bistro look I am striving for, as well as tying in to the steel finish of the appliances and pans.

In this instance, I would have been better off spending a little bit extra and getting what I wanted from the beginning.  It is always better to make one purchase only and save the time and expense of having to do something all over again.

This is a lesson I will take to heart.  The good news here is that the original expense and the secondary one were still under a couple of hundred dollars.  I would be a lot less chipper about the whole thing and probably angry with myself had I overspent and ended up being dissatisfied with the results.

I have also learned that what seems a bargain to one person may seem way overpriced to another.  My husband and I have this debate much of the time!

Stay tuned for part II where I discuss one example where my being cheap paid off the first time.

Until next time...

Anne

Just for fun...

I recently staged a "photo shoot" with my kitty, Sabine, as the model.  

She is posed in front of a copy of Sabine's Notebook, the lovely second installment of the Griffin and Sabine books by Nick Bartock.

My husband gave me these books for my birthday this year, and they are dear to my heart.  If you have not read them, they tell the story of two people who have a cosmic connection, an unexplainable psychic hook-up, and their love story unfolds through the letters and gorgeous, hand made post cards they send to one another.  

As both a romantic and one who loves letters, these books touched me profoundly-- 

So much so that Sabine was named for the character in the book, as was Griffin, of one of our other cats.

Sabine makes a wonderful model, doesn't she?

I hope your week is starting off well.

Until next time...

Anne

Decorating by using what is on hand

 Sigh...

via Restoration Hardware

 

I have a deep love of industrial-style shelving units, particularly these examples from RH.  Without even seeing the rest of the kitchen above, I can confidently say this is the kitchen that haunts my dreams-- light, open, solid, aged, loaded with texture.  It doesn't get any better in my humble opinion.

However, despite my adoration of this shelving unit above and the ones following...

via Restoration Hardware

via Restoration Hardware

the reality is that my small space and small budget do not allow for such extravagances.  In my case, both of these are very tight, with little wiggle room for non-essential items.  And besides, using what you already own is better for the environment.  Dumping perfectly sound items in order to purchase something newer and trendier is wasteful.  Through this whole process of downsizing, I am trying to reduce my impact on the planet as well.  Limiting my consumption is one way of achieving this goal.  Having limitations, however, is not necessarily a bad thing.
As necessity is the mother of invention, limitations give birth to creativity.

Using what I have on hand, with a slight and inexpensive modification, I fashioned a make-do shelving unit to sit in front of the window in my kitchen/dining space.

The space is awkward and must accommodate both the unsightly water cooler and the window.  With this shelving unit the open back allows light to stream through the unit and keeps it from feeling visually heavy.  In this small space, everything must be functional, flexible, portable, appropriately sized, and visually light.  

While this set of shelves may not possess the uber cool vibe of the fancy shelving from Restoration Hardware shown above, it works just fine for me, serving my needs without breaking the bank.

What items have you updated, re-used or repurposed lately?

Until next time...

Anne

Returning home

The polar vortex that held much of the country in its grips this week clamped down upon us as well, ultimately forcing us to seek refuge at a Holiday Inn about half an hour away.  It was truly a series of unfortunate events (apologies to Lemony Snicket).

On Christmas Day, I noticed smoke billowing from the upper section of stove pipe, leading us to cease using our beloved wood stove.  It was unnerving to have smoke pouring into the house and unpleasant having the smell linger, but after a few days and some fresh air, it cleared out.  Luckily, it was not terribly cold at that point, and we managed just fine with out heat pump/furnace back-up system. When our local wood stove expert returned from holiday, he scheduled and appointment to come out to diagnose and fix the stove on January 10th.  We were disappointed at having to wait but resolved to be patient until he could get here. 

However, in the meantime, the polar vortex was descending from the arctic.  Once the freezing rain and snow that preceded the sub-zero temps hit our area, things took a turn for the worse.  I awoke on Monday morning to a very cold house.  Our heat pump/furnace had gone out in the night.  We attempted to use the wood stove again to get some heat into the frigid place, but there was intense wind and down drafting occurred, filling the house with smoke and setting off the alarm.  Not long after that failed attempt, we discovered the pipes had frozen.   

At this point, I was becoming afraid.  It was -6 degrees outside.  We had no heat and no running water.  We live half an hour from town on curvy, hilly roads, which were covered with a sheet of ice and layers of snow.  When we later called repair people to come out and look at our heat pump, they were afraid to drive out to our house due to the possibility of getting stuck or running off the road.  Luckily, we still had electricity and a couple of space heaters to create some warmth, which we began using in the office and guest room, setting up a warming zone for our cats, with plenty of food, clean litter, and water.  

Reluctantly leaving the cats behind, we loaded up our Prius and taking Sadie, our dog, we headed into town for a couple of days until heat was restored in the house.  With a front-wheel drive car and slow, careful driving, we were able to make it 5 miles to the main road, which was in decent shape.  A day later, the heat pump was repaired, and luckily, the pipes thawed overnight simply from heat running through the duct work.  Yesterday, the person who installed the wood stove came out to clean the stove and figure out why we experienced poor drafting.  He is still unsure what happened exactly, but it seems to be back in proper working order.

I have never been scared before when an intense weather event arose.  I love thunder storms and snow storms.  I do not fear tornadoes, and was not afraid the one time when we had a derecho (inland hurricane) a few years ago.  This feeling was something new for me.  I think it was the fact that this cold was truly dangerous.  Unexposed skin would freeze in just a few seconds.  And our back-up systems had failed.  We thought we'd been prepared and were in control.  Even with proper planning, things can go awry, and we realize how vulnerable we are to forces beyond our control.

Now we are safely back at home.  We all survived our week's adventures, and while I love waking to sweeping views of forested hillsides, I will be a little less cavalier about the potential dangers of country living.  

Today it feels like spring outside, with temperatures in the low fifties.  The snow and cold are completely gone.  I awoke with gratitude for being back at home with everything working properly.

I hope your adventures have been safer and a little more calm, and I hope the new year is getting off to a good start.  

Until next time...

Anne

Winter morning

 Peace on earth.  

That is what recent snows brought to the landscape outside my windows-- a deep peace, one that lingers within me even now as I look at these photos while sitting at my desk at work, miles from my cottage in the woods.

Early morning sunlight has painted a tender blush upon the sky. 

Two ancient box elder trees stand like guardians at the western edge of the property, remnants of the old farmstead that once occupied the land where my house sits now.

With this view accompanying my morning cup of coffee each day, I awaken feeling very blessed.  With each sip, my thoughts invariable drift upward toward the vast sky.

These images were taken the other morning through a window in my "great" room, looking off to the south and west.  With the loss of summer leaf cover, so much more is visible, like the neighbors' house across the field and stream, the barns dotting the hills and valley, and the contours of the landscape itself.  The spareness of winter brings its own type of beauty, albeit an austere one.  It appeals to the latent minimalist in me.

Wishing moments of deep peace to you as well.  In the hustle and bustle of a busy holiday season, it seems we need this even more.

Until next time...

Anne

An unexpected gift

A winter storm, fierce and forboding, descends upon the land

We brace ourselves for the squeeze of its icy fingers

A fire blazes inside to ward off the chill, seeping through the windows, 

rushing in through the opening door, 

as the puppy bounds outside in wonder at the newness of it all.

Stillness settles in.

 Snow flakes gently fold themselves into one another, 

a pillow of softness for weary souls

The earth heaves a sigh and snuggles beneath the billowing blanket of infinite white.

Mother Nature hums a lullaby:

Time for rest, darlings, time to dream.

Sometimes a gift can come in the form of adversity.  Things that seemingly make our lives more difficult can be small blessings in and of themselves.  Our recent snowfall has been this way for me.  Luckily, there was plenty of warning about the winter storm, and we were able to stock up on supplies-- food, drinking water, fire wood, pet food, household water.  We were expecting to lose power, which would have shut down our well pump and out heat pump, but fortunately, that never happened.  

The long days have been filed with simple pleasures, such as napping with my cats.  Newcomer Griffin with his own infinite whiteness, is like living art.  And he blends into my decorating scheme just beautifully.  Though I was hit with a momentary desire to warm up my decorating scheme for fall, now that winter weather has hit, white once again seems right.  

One of the most profound gifts of being snowed in has been the gift of time.  The days have been deliciously long and as productive as I have wanted them to be.  I have had time to read, to write, to create, to dream, along with the necessary chores of meal preparation, laundry, and cleaning.  

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to warm up and the roads will begin to thaw.  I will return to work, and this sweet winter respite will be over until my holiday break begins at the end of the month. Despite the heavy work of shoveling the driveway, cleaning off the cars, and splitting kindling, these few days have been a time of calm and simplicity, and for this, I am grateful.  Watching snowflakes fall is meditative, and my tiny house, with its wall of windows, provides a front-row seat to Nature's spectacular performance.

Wishing you a break from the busy-ness of life and time for reflection and presence, snowstorm or not.

Until next time...

Anne

 Poetry and photos in this post are property of Anne Silver.

Holiday crafting on a snowy weekend

This is what we awoke to Friday morning, and it continued to snow most of the day, leaving us buried beneath about 14" of snow and a layer of ice beneath that.  A state of emergency had been declared, with law enforcement officials telling people to stay off the roads due to hazardous conditions.  Living 4 miles from the nearest town, down twisting, hilly roads, we thought it wise to heed the warnings.  Our Prii (the plural of Prius, don't you know?) haven't left the driveway in days.  

What's a crafty girl to do besides spending the day in front of the blazing fire drinking coffee splashed with Irish Cream liqueur?

Get out the Mod Podge of course!

Using card stock, printed scrapbook papers, Mod Podge, and some rudimentary tools, it is very easy and fun to create one-of-a-kind cards for any occasion.  There is an infinite array of printed papers available at crafts stores.  I have been collecting them for years. 

Last winter I spent hours cutting scrap book papers into 1" to 2" squares and have been using them for art projects and hand-made cards ever since.  I strongly recommend getting a paper cutter if you decide to take on this project.  Getting square corners is nearly impossible without it.  Working with these papers is very much like quilting or doing abstract painting.  It takes no artistic experience, only a little time, and a willingness to play around with color, pattern, texture, and contrast.  To keep the mountain of little squares organized, I purchased some cheap stackable bins and have grouped the squares by color.  This makes it much easier that sifting through literally thousands of paper squares to find just the right one.

To create the cards:

Simply arrange paper squares on the face of the card, overlapping them as desired.  Brush the backside of each square with Mod Podge and adhere to the card, smoothing it as you go.  Mod Podge dries clear and flattens out easily, sans lumpy spots.  I prefer the matte finish, but it also comes in a glossy one.  After all bits of paper have been glued down, brush Mod Podge over the surface of the card as a sealer, making sure all corners are smoothly affixed to the card.  The glue dries in about an hour.

These are just a few of my finished pieces.

And so I am sending this out as a greeting card to you-- Happy Holidays, Dear Friends.

I hope you are enjoying the season.  If you decide to try this idea out, please share the results with me. I would love to see what you have done.  May all your snow days be happy ones!

Until next time...

Anne