Winter heat settings.

via Instagram

More crystal hanging

via Instagram

Progress shot of attaching the Crystal parts to the top of the light that was already mounted on the ceiling.

Clicking the link will show you the photo on my instagram. I'm not sure why it stops showing in the blog.

So I messed up again. New plan.

via Instagram

Putting the crystals on the not-quite a chandelier. I found that they do have to go on a certain way and if you are working with the whole long part it can be frustrating.

So I took the lang parts apart to put on the signal crystal at the top. This worked much easier for keeping them facing the same direction.

Then I was able to attach the other part back on.

A little extra work but it save a lot of frustration in the end.

Clicking the link will show you the photo on my instagram. I'm not sure why it stops showing in the blog.

One of these is actually backwards and now I have to fix it. Thank god my parents aren't in the house because I'm gonna start swearing and screaming if I keep doing this. At least I took this off the chandelier and I'm not trying to do this while looking up side down.

via Instagram

First Christmas in my house.

via Instagram

Rose of Sharon seeds. I think they are a light blue to purple. Gonna spread them by the fence and see which don't get eaten by mice.

via Instagram

So I thought the saffron had died but I guess it's just doing whatever it wants.

via Instagram

via Instagram

About the don't do this photo

The only background I have for the photo is that the light was like that when I bought the house. The light? Is over the upstairs kitchen sink. It looks like a home brew for disaster.

Technically the light gets power.

No I won't be testing the plug, accept to remove it.

I swear I don't know how my house inspector did go back in time and smack the idiots that put that monstrosity in.

I'll probably get rid of it once I can afford the $3,000 to fix the cracked drain pipe. I am so afraid of what mold is probably in the walls. 

So many ways to say don't do this!!!!

via Instagram

I don't know if the light fixture came with the plug built into it. It doesn't look like it to me or my electrician.

Did I mention that this is the light over the upstairs kitchen sink? That sprays water every time it's turned on because the people that the church rented it to broke it?



Clicking the link will show you the photo on my instagram. I'm not sure why it stops showing in the blog.

I'm afraid to take the door down because I don't know what it's hiding.

via Instagram

My little nook.

via Instagram

Eastern Red Bud

First, this is probably not the right way to treat an eastern redbud. At all.

The start of this poor trees journey was a few years ago at a blue big box store. It had not only the unfortunate luck to be the only redbud, but to be the tree that caught my attention. I was looking for the summer sun beaten discount plants. Mostly the cheapest ones that might survive.

This time there were some trees. They were even marked 50% off. I was very suspicious.

I was also paranoid. While I was reading the tag (I was calling my dad) another customer came up a seriously started eyeing the tree & was trying to move in on it. She didn't  let up even when I was holding onto the trees trunk.

My dad loves redbuds. He has always wanted one but never got one because they were too expensive. So when I found out that the mystery tree was a redbud and only $12? I started calling him and guarding the tree. I will also point out the he decided that $12 was too much. I bought it anyway.

The very nice sales person was kind enough to get my "only looking" idiot self a cart. She was very nice and... also eying up the tree. She was telling me about how all the fruit trees had been mostly purchased by employees the moment they went on sale. It sounded like she had gotten twelve trees or something like that. She said it was a beautiful tree and if I wasn't interested she would probably grab it.

Again my idea self got paranoid so I passed on the store holding it. My dad, with the car that actually had a trunk was not going to show because stubbornness runs in the family. (My mom already said not to buy anything so that was out) I now needed a way to fit it into my car.

At this point my car was a beetle. Not the classic but the 'new'. It was lazer blue. And while I have hauled 4 giant pumpkins in it it can barely hold one suitcase if the seats up.

The tree was at least seven feet tall with an additional two feet from the pot it came in. The branches were at minimum three feet diameter.

I vetoed having the pot in the trunk with the branches sticking out to be at the mercy of my driving. So that left fitting it in my car. Right.

I somehow managed to do just that.

I also managed to get it back out. All without damaging the tree or making a huge mess. I hit my head at least twice on the inside roof of the car, so still a win.

The best win was the fact that my dad loved it.

Unfortunately the place we planted it was... not the best. It was a perfect view but the soil turned out to be more clay then the tree roots could deal with. Plus the deer would chow down on it. He got to see a few blooms over the years but not many.

Then last winter almost killed it. We had to chop it down to a little stump. It had a leaf bud or two. It was sad.

We dug it up, discovered that the roots were still in the original rootball, put it in a garage bag and took it to my house. Were it spent all summer in the garbage bag next to my barn. It has four two foot long branches now. I still don't know where I am planting it. 

If this had fit, I would have it in my kitchen right now.

via Instagram

via Instagram

Not how to do this.

via Instagram

Apparently the thick layers of paint (black on gray on avocado on white/pink) are covering this delightful color job. I am assuming it was done properly since it's not chipping off like the others.

via Instagram

So the kitchen window has this. It's a hole with a bit of foam thing in it. I think the water it wicking inside via this. I have no idea why anyone would saw a square hole into a window like that.

via Instagram

The floor should not have done this. Small research problem.

via Instagram

*happy squeak!*

via Instagram

And when I finally get a female blossom it's when it's so late in the season that's not gonna work. Oh well. Maybe next year?

via Instagram

The original cloth covered 1880 wires have porcelain tubes that they travel through when there's a hole drilled through one of the boards/beams so that they don't rub through the cloth.

via Instagram

There's a charge for going on between the buyer and squash and the tomatoes. No idea how to prop up the tomatoes.

via Instagram

It fits.

via Instagram

AC & an 1880's house

I have found that with an 1880's house... Assuming that no one has messed with it, it keeps it's temperature really well.

The parts that have not been updated or messed with are wonderful. The house has been cooler the the outside almost every single time I come home. If I had forced air this would be perfect. In the unaltered parts.

If you ever get an unaltered 1880's house, do not gut the inside walls. I say do everything you can to not mess them up. want to add additional insulation? Reside the house and insulate that way.
Now the updated parts? Horrible.

The bathroom addition doesn't keep a steady temperature. It's insulated but it freezing all winter. to the point that I have to keep a bunch of doors open to make sure the pipes don't freeze. It gets pretty warm in the summer but nothing like the florida room.

The florida room has no insulation or heating. The radiator pipes were cut long ago and the insulation was put on the ceiling of the crawlspace and not the walls. The access point is about a foot and a half square and I'm not dealing with it.

So... Just when I think I know what I'm doing, things suddenly happen faster then expected.
Expected: parents moving in while they house hunt to save money and to help me out with little things I can never seem to get to. Get AC hooked up in my room for the evil heat.

Reality: They are moving in THIS Saturday and I am working (taking a break to write this) to make room for the free furniture from them and oh yeah, their bed so they can do that thing called sleeping. Also the AC? only can be hooked up to three windows in my whole house. One in the computer room that is its final resting place but it has no door. The other two windows? in my art room that is packed to the gills.

My mom hasn't lived in a house without AC in a very long time. Possibly since before I was born. I am pretty sure that she is going to find a way to get a screen on one of the down stairs windows. The down stairs windows are all sash windows and look to be originals. (Accept the addition for the bathroom from twenty years ago.)

All the storm windows are screwed into the frames.

All but two windows have had the sashes cut. The sashes are connected to the weights that let you open the window.

My mom is a stubborn New Yorker, if she can't figure it out or get it to a point that my dad or I can? Then it can't be done and it sure as hell can't be done cheap.

The original screens for all the original windows are in my barn. That's the really easy bit.

The also technically easy bit, but part that takes a lot of labor, is replacing the vinyl trim around the windows to black (because it will look awesome!) but to also see how the frame is underneath. Then put new hangers on both the screens and the storm window.  Both will need that storm door insulation trim. For the screens to help keep the bugs from entering the edges. For the storm windows to help insulate. Some of them have huge gaps, but they still work better then the newer windows upstairs.

Now, if there was a super cheap, efficient and non-destructive way to magically put an HVAC system into my house?

Steep edged glass bowl/vase + oil + spoonful of peanut butter in the middle = miserable but trapped mouse that you can release far away.

via Instagram

One of the ways to tell that something will be up with the floor… The darker wood on top of the picture is the dining room and original. The other stuff below the very beat up doorstop? That's all the kitchen… I am pretty sure that brighter newer stuff near the doorstop is creating up. I'm not touching it for now because redoing my kitchen is like the last thing on my list.

via Instagram

Both orchids have been growing in only water. The white flowering one and the larger one that is putting out a new flower spike are both about three-ish years old. They dropped their blooms during my move but three months later are blooming like champs.

via Instagram

More lemon grass started in water.

via Instagram

A good solid half turn clockwise and no more leak. I had a fan blowing on the floor boards from the basement to dry that up. Hopefully there is no mold or anything growing in between the cabinets and the floor.

via Instagram

Bathroom fan installed. No more open winter windows.

via Instagram

Guess who forgot that the leg electrician has to get up in the smaller attic? Yup.

via Instagram

All of this, a john boat and more is supposed to be going into the garage. I call it a barn but I think I might need a bigger barn.

via Instagram

Possible ramp seeds.

via Instagram

Well… The zucchini isn't messing around.

via Instagram

I forgot I had purchased this granite probably about 10 years ago. I was going to make cheese boards with it but considering my kitchen floor has to be redone… I only have a box and a half and then some cuttings but it might be enough to put a nice accent in. Or you know… I might make cheese boards after all. We shall see.

via Instagram

One day in my fan will be on display…

via Instagram

I had to use part of my bathroom as a staging ground because I had so many tomato plants to move outside. And with the weather we had yesterday? And then saying heat we're having again today? Very happy I got this done yesterday and took the long route instead of running around outside.

via Instagram

I didn't realize how late hydrangeas bloomed

via Instagram

Come on luffa

via Instagram

Growing wild ramps that I got from the store. Very happy to see one put out seeds.

via Instagram

Tiny tia dragon pepper plants with peppers that are bigger than them.

via Instagram

Mystery plant

via Instagram

The tiny hosta garden seems ok with neglect

via Instagram

The lone survivor of the acorn squash

via Instagram

Lemon Verbena ready to dry

via Instagram

The old wire caseing.

via Instagram

Tiny owl!!!!! For once my insomnia was a good thing. The itty bitty owl didn't quite land well on the roof there and since I was a wake I saw the wings flap and was only a little startled. I thought it was a bat at first. It... wasn't afraid of me. Maybe if there is enough light before I go to work I can get a good pic.

via Instagram

I might have made a mistake

via Instagram

Blue Butterfly Pea Update

So a sooner update then I expected, because only one two of the 50 seeds grew.

I am not happy. I'm not surprised either.

Right now I am going to assume that I messed up. If I get any seeds from these plants (if they even live that long...) then I will be happy.

Again the internet is torn on what is good info. Basically if they are self pollinating or not. The majority seem to think that they are and I do not have the skill to do it by hand.

On the (oooh I just heard thunder!) good side is that I think the bunny that was hopping about took the hint and skidadeled. The squirrels, unfortunately, have not. I keep seeing little holes in my pots from their digging.

Oh well.

That tiny Little dot is from where I got poked by hogweed yesterday… I cannot express how much just the tiny little poke hurt. Hogweed has been ripped out of the yard and fortunately the soft part of my foot no longer hurts.

via Instagram