Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Got Gas?

   As the title of this post suggests, this isn't going to be a very glamorous entry. I am sharing a photo with all of you that, although not pretty, represents something beautiful- CLEAN ENERGY. Our family has been on a mission this year to make our 45 year-old home more energy efficient. The process began in April, with the installation of Energy Star-rated replacement windows, which have already proven to make a tremendous difference over the summer months. 
   Another aspect that also began last Spring, was our attempt to replace our ancient, ugly, hot, loud oil boiler, with a gas-burning one. I am happy to report that FIVE months after the fact, our local utility company showed up today to hook us up to the natural gas line. This is a huge step in making our home more efficient, and just as importantly, less expensive to heat over the brutal upstate winter months!
(Notice the gigantic oil tank on the left... Bye-bye!)

Fall Rebirth

Spring isn't the only season that can bring fresh, beautiful changes. I am taking the opportunity this autumn to breathe some new life into some old things- clothes, furniture, recipes... the list goes on. 
Some of these projects were are simple as mending garments that have long-awaited the good old needle and thread. In particular, a gorgeous, expensive- had it not been a vintage, thrift find,  pale-yellow,  ****** ***, 3/4 sleeved, rain coat that started to come apart at one of the arm seams. After (and I admit, this is sad) more than a YEAR- not to mention two rainy spring seasons, sitting in my closet, waiting for repair, I finally got it all fixed up a few days ago. It looks great, again, and I am grateful to have it back in rotation :)
Other projects are a bit more complicated, but fun. One I am really excited to see the end product of is a skirt-bag transformation I am currently working on... in between taking care of two youngsters, a husband, a home, two dogs, two hermit crabs and a fish. It was one of my favorite skirts ever, that suffered a mysterious stain that even the dry cleaner couldn't remove. Rather than toss it up to bad luck, I decided to turn it into a beautiful linen hobo-ish style bag. Though I didn't have enough foresight to take a photo of the skirt before I cut it up, I can show you a glimpse of the fabric: 



Finished bag photos to follow...

Have a beautiful day, and as always, don't forget to be the queen of your own realm!