Human Lifestyle

Well a reasonable sleep; got up at 9.30 and had a relaxing morning watching Country Tracks and playing Scrabble on facebook.  I also did some tidying of pumpkin seeds, taking them off the 10 or so sheets of newspaper where they have had their initial drying, and putting them onto fresh dry sheets, just 3 this time.  There are an awful lot of seeds. 

I visited my friend Debbie and returned some things she'd given me which I didn't want, and arranged to get her a few bits and bobs from the greengrocers.  Then I went down to Country Fresh and did my shopping and picked up the 3 sacks of compostables.  When I got back I did a bit of work in the garden, dug out the Compostumbler, putting the materials into a dalek, and immediately refilling it almost completely full. I collected the last of the quinces, which I expect I'll make into membrillo, as it's such an amazing taste.  I also collected quite a few of the windfall Cox apples, which are very plentiful this year, although really small.  I'll need to prune this tree this winter.

I was glad to have a facebook chat with my friend Loony, who's visiting my sister Anna in Sheffield, and a bit later another chat, by phone, with my brother, who's found himself hosting a Halloween party for Loony's daughter and Anna.  I'm sure all the children will enjoy themselves. 

Our youngest went out with a few of his friends to do Trick or Treat, and came back happy and overloaded with sweets.  I popped out to collect my equivalent, logs, as I've found a dead hazel which hadn't been coppiced, and had therefore come to the end of it's life, with a height of about 8 or 10 metres and a trunk diameter of about 10 or 15 cm.  If hazel trees are coppiced, ie cut down regularly, the tree regenerates almost indefinitely.  I'm doing something similar to a huge willow in my garden, but instead of cutting at ground level, which is coppicing, I cut it at about 3 or 4 metres, and this is known as pollarding, which I do every 3 or 4 years.  This also extends the life of the tree. So I came home with one trailer full of hazel logs and sticks, and will go back for more in the next few days.

During the evening I halved, cored and peeled more pears for drying, and a few Cox apples, and also did a few pumpkin seeds.  A busy but good day.

Could we have asked for better weather for this fine holiday weekend?!  What plans have you for this leaf-falling, soup-making, owl's nest-making day?  Festivities are in full swing at our house and on our Pickwick street, where the Rountree Owl mascot awaits his moonlight call!

Today, we are costume sewing for a toddler Indian girl, and prop stylizing for a teen-age Martha Stewart.  

Looking so forward to the classic annual neighborhood costume parade tonight, here in Rountree.  Easily, my most favorite event of the year!  {Thanks to Weller mom's, Robbin and Amy, who started this kid-friendly, neighborly tradition a few years back...now it's grown to over 400 kid/family paraders}.  Anyone is welcome and it starts at five, just one block south of Grand on Weller.  I look forward to seeing old and young alike in their quirkiest and most outlandish moods.


I love these masked guests of Truman Capote's infamous Black and White Ball at the Plaza hotel in 1966.   What a party that would have been!

If you're in the 'hood, stop by 910 S. Pickwick and join us as we count over 500 plus trick or treaters this year!  One of the reasons I say, "Rountree = Quintessential Halloween" 

 Have a wonderful day and night!

xo
sharon


{Photos via Habitially Chic}

Not a brilliant start to the day.  Something is whirring round my mind, a situation I want to resolve and make better and I'm feeling quite annoyed and angry about it.  But I got on with the day, did some wooding; a neighbour came round and asked if I'd like their shed which they'd taken down... I went to look but most was painted, and I don't burn painted wood.  But there were a load of floorboards and structural timber from inside, so I came away with a trailerfull. I chainsawed this up and quite a bit more. 

Mid afternoon I set off for Pauline's house, as she too is preparing for winter with her Clearview Stove. She's getting a bit old to chop logs and relies on a few willing volunteers to help.  In return for doing a bit of sawing, I get what can only be described as 'good counsel' and the benefit of her wisdom, although I'm sure she would deny that she has much of that.  I would argue strongly that she is someone who I trust with all sorts of difficulties and issues, and she always has something worthwhile to say.  I really value her opinions and observations.  Today was no different, as I shared my dilemma, and she picked out the crux of the problem, looking at it from the point of view of a mother and woman of mature years... just the perspective I needed.  She helped me see that anger and frustration were not going to get me anywhere positive with this, and to be gentle, measured and apologetic would probably have the better result in the long run. 

Our coffee and stollen and conversation finished at about 5pm and I cycled down to the Millennium Bridge, through the allotments (I had a quick peek at the YUMI plot) and along to Simon and Melody's house, as they had invited us to a party.  I arrived about 3 minutes before Gill and the boys rolled up in a taxi; Gill had made a cake with a spider's web design on and a pumpkin pie made with bought flaky pastry.  She'd spent most of the afternoon trying to find a costume for our youngest to wear, no time for making pastry therefore.

I was pleased to see Natalie, their daughter, who has come back from her first term of Fine Art at Oxford.  She'd made a very good pumpkin soup which was delicious.  Gill's pie was nice too.  There were fewer visitors than usual, Lee and Christine came and I had a nice chat with Christine who works for English Nature and knows our friend Sarah Woolven.  The children seemed to be happy and occupied, and near 8pm started to get excited about Merlin on TV.  I came home via a woodpile. I do not get excited by Merlin on TV, and was glad of a TV-free evening when I got in.

I enjoyed a facebook chat with my friend Loony who is staying with my sister in Sheffield.  Loony and I have a similar sense of humour and outlook on life, but of course, I'm not as loony as she is!  I'm glad my sis is having a good time with Loony, and will be doing Halloweeny things tomorrow with our niece and nephews.

The partygoing family members came in well after 9pm, closer to 10; they'd walked back.

Did fruit and washing up, and was awake when my laptop clock went from 1.59 to 1.00. 

Quite a tough day; woke late after the late night last night, and certain household members suffering from 'Cabin Fever'.  But I kept busy... sorted out the last of the pumpkin seeds from their pulp, now all are on about 10 sheets of newspaper drying.

I went to the bread shop at lunchtime and later, took the St Nicks bucket back to them, plus two Apple Day posters which had been left on a lamp-post, and I'd taken back home for safekeeping and re-use.  I went on to see Rich at Country Fresh... and he was creating more pumpkin Halloween Lanterns, so he gave me yet more pumpkin seeds.  I really do need a little gadget or machine which de-hulls them.  I wish someone would engineer something which did this.  As it is, I either have to eat them with the tough outer coat on, which I don't like, OR have to peel them one by one, by hand, which isn't difficult but is time consuming. 

I did a bit of compost heap management but not all that I have to put on a heap actually went on, so I'll have to do some more tomorrow.

Gill got our eldest to make tea... he made a batch of savoury biscuits, something he invented and is good at making, and to go with this he made a pumpkin, veg and Bulgar wheat pate which went well with the biscuits.  He also sorted out some cucumber and celery sticks for dipping into hommous, coleslaw and mayo.  It was a good meal.

And then, I was delighted that both my sons and one of their friends accepted my invitation to take them to see Illuminating York.  There was a bit of discussion about how to travel, since the boys don't use their bikes now, as school is so close, so they aren't in a usable condition. There was talk of getting the bus, or walking down and getting the bus back... but I walked down with them, all the way to the Minster, leaving just before 8pm.  There was a big crowd at Minster Gates, the junction of Petergate and Stonegate, but we got through to Deangate which was more open and had plenty of space.  The installation 'Rose' by Ross Ashton and his wife Karen Monid was really good... at one stage it looked like the Minster was beginning to float up into the air! 

After we watched this for maybe 15 minutes, we walked round to the other side of the Minster, to see the various installations in Dean's Park.  I liked the 4 metre high sphere called 'Lightweight' best, but my friend Vanessa's community stained glass piece 'Unifying Light' was good too.

Then we walked home... Monkgate, Heworth Green, The Gasworks alleyway, James St, St. Nicks and home.  I was impressed that all 3 boys managed this quite long walk, with minimal fuss (only one was making a fuss, the others just kept walking) and we got in at 9.45pm.

So a good finish to a not so good day. I spent quite a bit of time refilling the drying racks with pears and apples til late...

Ok ok, I know..is not Christmas yet..but my present is already here! Thank's to my husband ♥ I have finally a Wood & Wool Stool!!
I already told about Ingrid in others posts (the artist that produces and sells this nice item that you can find here: http://www.woodwoolstool.com/) and now I'm a proud owner of one of her Wood & Wool Stool. I choose the pattern and the base color (white) and since she knows about my blue passion, she made the stool with some very nice and delicate lightblue pieces.
I'm so happy about it and I think that is perfect in my livingroom! Maybe for my birthday I might buy one for the studio! ;-) 









Ok ok, lo so .. non è ancora Natale..ma il mio regalo è già qui! Grazie a mio marito ♥, ho finalmente uno sgabello di Wood & Wool Stool!
Ho già parlato di Ingrid in altri posti (l'artista che produce e vende questo bellissimo prodotto che potete trovare qui: http://www.woodwoolstool.com/) e adesso sono una orgogliosa proprietaria di uno dei suoi Wood & Wool Stool. Ho scelto il modello e il colore di base (bianco) e dato che lei sa della mia passione per il colore blu, ha realizzato la struttura dello sgabello con alcuni pezzi di legno in un piacevole e delicato color azzurro.
Sono davvero felice e penso che sia perfetto nel mio soggiorno! Forse per il mio compleanno potrei comprarne uno anche per lo studio! ;-)

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,269 ft - 10,269 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft (net), 1,432 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Voice and Sight Control (Flat Tops Wilderness)


Skinny Fish Lake is a short (but not nearly as short as the Forest Service advertises) trip to a scenic lake surrounded by the infamous Chinese Wall, a unique geologic formation in the Flat Tops Wilderness. We chose this trail because we thought it was really short (advertised distance is 3 miles round trip) and we just wanted to stretch our legs after driving the Flat Tops Scenic Byway.

The trailhead for this hike is located on Trappers Lake Road in the Flat Tops Wilderness. It is clearly marked on the map and the parking area is quite obvious.



The trail begins by heading up a steep hill filled with Aspens. On this rainy fall day, they were in full color. At 0.9 miles is the junction with the Lost Lake Trail. Lost Lake is on the other side of the wall and this trail goes around it reach the lake. After crossing a small stream (nice bridge), the trail enters a broad, grassy meadow. Here the eastern portion of the wall comes quickly into view. Its stair-stepped features are both interesting and intimidating. This is one large hunk of rock. At 2.11 miles is the intersection between the Skinny Fish and McGinnis Lakes.



Since our time was short, we chose to head towards Skinny Fish Lake since we guessed that it would not be totally in the trees. This turned out to be a good choice. The lake is surrounded on 2 sides by the Chinese Wall. It is broad and welcoming. I can not report what McGinnis Lake looks like, but if you go all the way to Skinny Fish, you might as well pop over to McGinnis.


A good portion of the trail traverses the 2002 Big Fish Fire area. This lighting sparked fire burned over 17K acres of prime wilderness. The skeletal remains of Aspen and Lodgepole stand as a stark reminder to the transience of Nature. Nothing is permanent.

This trail held another surprise for me. In the Flat Tops Wilderness, dogs do not have to be on leash if they are under voice control. I guess it is only the crowded Front Range Wilderness Areas where the leash law is mandatory.


On this trip, this was the only hike we did in the Trappers Lake area. There may be others that are more scenic, but for us, this trail hit the spot. It got our legs moving and we got close to the Chinese Wall, which was another objective. Little did we know that the following day we would climb to the top of the wall on our harrowing trip to the Devil's Causeway.

A good day, up fairly early and cycled out towards Stamford Bridge to see Julie, who is interested in going greener and I think I may have persuaded her to get a compost bin.  Spent an hour or so with her and on the way back I found some honey fungus growing on a tree stump.  I collected a few of these and a bit closer into York, picked up some branches which will make good kindling.

When I got in I had a good session of stacking outside the front door, and then a late lunch.  A low key afternoon, mainly within the house, washing up and dealing with pumpkin seeds and fruit.  I had the honey fungus for tea along with an assortment of other bits and pieces.

I popped along to Dylan T's house to sort out his recycling problem (their green bin, supposed to be used for green waste, is full of bottles and cans and mixed waste) and met Tiger, a keen cyclist whom I get good vibes from, and then I visited a friend who is battling alcoholism.  They also use their green bin for cider cans... it was completely full, and we calculated that there was about £100 worth of cider there... or the empty cans which used to contain the cider.  I had some deep conversations with this person, they voluntarily let me confiscate 5 cans left in the house, which I'll pay for not with cash (which would get converted into alcohol) but by getting some fresh fruit and veg tomorrow.  I'm trying to be a good friend. I really don't want to lose this person, but I think it is quite likely that their addiction will kill them.

In the evening I waited in to see my Fiddlesticks photo projected onto a Warsaw building, part of an advertising campaign by Aviva, called Be The Big Picture... I participated as the company said that they would give £2 per photo to Save the Children.  So at 9.23 BST my family watched for the approx 3 seconds it was up... after which I went out to the York University People and Planet Bonfire on the Allotment.  I had some lovely conversations, met some good people, some of whom I'm friends with already, some I interact with mainly through facebook, and some new people too.  I rolled in at 1.45am....

Well, not too bad a day, as I had a relatively late start and got busy with assorted household things, and also some stacking, splitting and chainsawing.  I got a fantastic booking for next April, a big event where I'll be performing to over 100 people - and a good fee promised, too.

During the afternoon I made a pumpkin loaf for the York Rotters Pumpkin Evening.  I used a wholemeal loaf which I made into breadcrumbs in the blender, and also a big spoonful of very dry Meridian peanut butter from the base of the pot, which all blended in very nicely.  I then added a whole onion, chopped, and a red pepper, chopped, and about a third of a pumpkin, grated, and a handful of chopped mixed nuts.  For flavouring I used some red wine, Balsamic vinegar, bouillon and mixed herbs... and a dash of cumin.  Then to bind it, an egg.  I mixed it really really well, and turned it into a greased dish which I'd lined with mixed seeds.  I microwaved it for 10 minutes, and then turned it out onto a baking tray and bunged it in the oven on Mark 6 for 20 minutes... and left it in the oven with the gas off for 20 minutes before taking it to St Nicks in a cake tin.

I also took one of my boys and a friend who lives up the road, both of whom enjoy carving pumpkins and had a good evening.  I took my biggest pumpkin for the competition... mine weighed no more than 2kg, the winning one was over 40kg.   I spent most of the evening peeling dried pumpkin seeds, and then sorting out fresh ones from the pulp.  Two people requested my nutloaf recipe, so I'll send them this link.

The three of us got home at about 8pm and our visitor stayed for another 45 minutes or so.  I had a fairly relaxing evening... washing up, sorting out pumpkin seeds (I have a bucketful to deal with!) and keeping the stove going.

Today I made these 3 sketches for my interior styling school..the space is designed for a poet (a young woman).



Oggi ho fatto questi 3 bozzetti per la mia scuola di design .. lo spazio è pensato per una poetessa (una giovane donna).

A very full day.  I started by cycling down to Country Fresh with Gill's big pink rucksack to pick up 16 pumpkins, 15 for the St Nicks Pumpkin Carving Evening, and one for me to make a pumpkin loaf from, to take along for people to try.  However, the pumpkins this year are a bit smaller than last year, and I got 10 in my trailer and 3 in each pannier.  So I didn't need the rucksack.  I also picked up a box of compostables, and cycled along to St Nicks, put the pumpkins on the landing, and went to the Komp compost bin with the perspex front to put some of the compostables in.  There were a large number of pumpkin seeds and pulp in there, so I retrieved a few of the seeds as for me, these are a valuable resource, although time consuming to prepare. 

When I got back I did a bit of wooding, and then had lunch.  After lunch I went back down Heslington Road as I'd met Zaf earlier, and he'd massacred a Laurel bush which had a honeysuckle growing through it, and he'd asked if I wanted it.  I decided that although this material was only worth composting, having almost no woody bits, I'd tidy it up for him, and I took a big builders dumpy bag to put the stuff in.  I spent half an hour sorting that out and brought most of it back, although a sackful remains.  Then I spent a happy half-hour shredding, and now have a good few tens of kilos of slightly woody, fibrous stuff for layering on the current compost heap between the more putrescible fruit and veg 'resources'.  When I'd finished this, I cycled round to Keith in Burnholme and he gave me the wood which was not picked up yesterday.  This was another huge load.  Before it got dark I popped round to Janet's to pick up some more pears, and I gave her some dried pears and apples as a thank you for the last load of pears.  As it got dark, I went round to Mick and Judy's old house, where builders said I could pick up some logs from their devastated garden, and whilst I was there, Dylan T. arrived as he's living there at the moment, and we had a nice chat. I came back with another trailer load of stove-fodder.

I jarred up more dried apples during the evening and sliced a load more... it's a good production line!

A much better day.  I got up early as Gill and the boys were heading to Whitby and I had been asked by Keith to deliver some compost at 10am.  So I gathered four sacks of best mature unriddled from down the garden and one large carrier bag of riddled from the side passage.  I cycled slowly round to Keith's in South Bank.

He had his Thai girlfriend Arie staying with him, so once I'd brought the sacks of compost round the back, and Keith had made me a coffee and we were sitting chatting, lots of the conversation got partially translated into her language, which Keith has been learning for 5 years.  I was pleased to see them both together, they are a lovely couple.

On the way back, clutching my newly-earned £20 note, I went into Cycle Heaven and was surprised to see my friend Dylan T. working there, and he checked my gears which have been jumping a bit.  He adjusted them... and I spent £21 on some reduced-price cycling gloves, as the last ones are wearing through.

And home via Alligator and Country Fresh, the latter to arrange the pumpkin purchase and delivery for Pumpkin Evening on Wednesday at St Nicks.  I'll do that tomorrow.

I got home to find that the family hadn't gone to Whitby.  For assorted reasons, a peaceful day at home was the preferred option.

I went onto my laptop and scanned Freecycle and there was a message from the other Keith, in Burnholme, who had offered some wood for burning which I'd responded to.  He said the bits of wood were taken but there were two tree stumps which needed chopping down, and if I could do that, I could have them.  So I had lunch and cycled round with my electric chainsaw and carefully removed the two large softwood stumps, chopping them into movable pieces for ease of packing and transport.... I only just managed it, there was such a lot!  So a win-win situation there, Keith got his stumps chopped off close to ground level and I got some good chunks of wood. 

I got home safely and had a bit of time in the garden preparing for my next visitor, Fern, another Freecycler.  She'd asked for some compost so I did my usual thing and said she could have one free bag or sack, no obligation, but that if she wanted more, that I'd be happy to come to an arrangement.   So she came round at 4, and was keen to learn about composting, as currently she's just collecting kitchen scraps in a bin liner.... not a good method!  I showed her all the different composting systems including the wormeries and tumblers, the different stages of composting, the sorts of things that can go in and how different things decompose at different rates.  She was happy with the free sack and wanted another 5. I was happy to oblige.... and earn another £20. I took the barrow full of compost sacks to her car.

I did a bit of wood chopping and stacking and at 6pm had a chat with a journalist film-maker who was researching something, and then later, after a cauliflower cheese tea, I visited a friend who is feeling lonely because their youngest child has left home and they are all alone in the house, then I picked up a huge lot of dead Lavender bush, another Freecycle job for someone.  I'll probably shred it.

So, a busy day, and much more upbeat than yesterday.

Hello Blog land, I am not a lot online these days. Well at least I have an excuse now :-)

The Flat Tops Scenic Byway will make you GASP in the fall. It is by far the most scenic drive in Colorado I have driven thus far. While other roads let you glimpse Aspens, this road lets you wallow up to your neck in Aspens. After a couple of hours driving, you will run out of explicatives and just start grunting, moaning, and hyperventilating. And that is just the start. This was an all day drive. My destination was Trappers Lake. I had so many photos it was hard to decide on which ones to post. Unfortunately, I was shooting with the sun high in the sky, which is not the best.

This is the route I took...

• From Yampa go north on County Road 17, which becomes County Road 19.
• Turn left onto County Road/State Highway 132, which becomes County Road 8
• From County Road 8 turn south onto County Road 8a/Trappers Lake Road/Colorado Hwy 155

All of these roads are clearly marked on the Colorado Gazetteer but may not be listed on a typical AAA map.

A mixed day, with some nice time by myself doing assorted stuff in the garden, but some difficult times too which I won't dwell on. 

I collected several sacks and boxes from Country Fresh and it was nice to see Richard, but I really wasn't feeling too jolly.

I escaped into the front garden and chopped logs but I had a very grumpy day.  I enjoyed a good programme about David Attenborough but after that went out on the bike to collect another log or three.  Going out on my bike always makes me feel better and collecting logs has a doubly good effect.

I had a lie-in which was really welcome, and because of this, I didn't get up to Hartrigg Oaks for the midday lunch with my friends from AVP, some of whom had already had a Facilitators meeting.  I'm a volunteer with AVP North East and East Midlands... my only official role is the Health and Safety person.  This afternoon's meeting was 1.30 til 4, and I got there just in time.  I was really pleased to see so many people around the table, a baker's dozen of us.  There were attendees from Lincoln, Sheffield, Harrogate, Scarborough and of course, quite a few of us from York, and one from Manchester.  NEEM members are responsible for putting on, overseeing or managing AVP workshops in Doncaster, York, and Newcastle, and there are plans for more. Our Facilitators work all over the UK and several people in the room are active within various parts of AVP Britain.

One of the things we discussed was the possibility that we should employ someone to manage the group... several other AVP regions have a paid manager and our region has now got the level of support and activity to merit a paid worker.  I volunteered to help prepare an initial proposal to start the process, and I'll be working with a chap I don't know at all, Colin, from Wakefield.  I'm looking forward to that.  I also volunteered to look at publicity and social networking with Cecile, whom I've also not worked with before.

The meeting finished on the dot of 4pm and I stayed a while to sort out the meetings I need to attend.  On the way home I collected some sticks from a hedge in New Earswick, and then on the cycle path near Haxby Road there was a pile of freshly dumped Elder logs, so they just managed to fit on the pannier rack.

I was pleased to get back and have a coffee, but at about 5.45pm I went outside to do a bit of log stacking and then chainsawing... not a lot, less than an hour, but the front garden is looking a bit full, so it needs sorting.

I came in before 7 and as there was too much Strictly Cum Dancing on the telly, I went upstairs and listened to Tracey Smith doing her weekly radio show on Apple AM. I like her sense of humour, also her interests overlap with mine... for instance, she visited a landfill site recently and is thinking of doing a programme about it.

I had my evening meal at 9pm and had a fairly relaxing evening, although there was a mountain of washing up and I got through some of it.

Wow, what a fab day!!!  A very early start, a long day, very stimulating.

So, after 4 hours sleep, got up at 5.30 and before I cycled down to the station, I remembered that I wanted to take some extremely well rotted humanure compost with me, as I thought the children would be interested in that.  I'm really glad I did!

So, with a small rucksack and two canvass bags, I set off to get the 06.37 to Newcastle, with the tickets which had been sent to me by the Sunderland Sustainability Team.  The trip up was uneventful... I kept on failing to read my NewScientist as I was too tired, and the highlight was pre-dawn Durham, and then the Metro trip to Park Lane, which I got to soon after 8am.  David, one of the Sustainability Team people picked me up and drove to an industrial estate where there was an office complex with a large meeting room suitable for the groups of schoolchildren visiting the assorted stalls.

I was pleased to meet Suzanne from Peta, who was doing fruit and veg kebabs and presenting information about Meat Free Mondays. There was also a nice gent called Craig from Groundwork who was making things out of waste... hanging baskets out of plastic milk bottles and paper pots from newspaper. Then there was an excellent project fronted by Richard Smith, called Dig It,  They were doing seedling based stuff, parsely seeds I think.  Another lovely chap was Paul from Food for Life, he did a little presentation at the end too.  There were also people doing a taste test between quorn and beef mince and tasting unusual fruit.

My stall had several items of 'going off' fruit and veg including a mouldy cauliflower and a carrot with black patches, a small collection of other suitable compost items such as a loo roll, a balloon, a bit of wood, some EcoLeaf toilet roll packaging, which is compostable plastic made out of potato starch, and another small collection of non-compostables.  Then there was a box of compost beasties... worms, slugs, woodlice, a few centipedes.  Always popular, these!  I'd prepared two compost bottles (which I think is my invention as I've never seen them elsewhere) (OK, I just found these, but my design is simpler and better!!!) (OK, I've just found loads of similar designs on the net.  How could I have thought that I invented these?) I suggested to the groups that they might like to try making compost bottles.  I had 3 bags of compost: one with material just a year old, then one with riddled and very mature, and finally, the bag of humanure/sawdust compost.  This was just SO popular, with loads of questions and interest.  At the question and answer session at the end, most of the questions were on this.

I enjoyed chatting over lunch and loved doing the composting stuff with the small groups of 9 to 11 year olds.

However, I was glad to be packing up at about 4pm, and to get driven to Sunderland train station for the 5.30 Grand Central train back to York.  This got in at 7pm and I cycled home quickly, tired but elated.

Later Gill and I watched BBC2's 'Life Without Work' which focussed on York's Seebohm Rowntree's report on poverty about 100 years ago.  An excellent programme, and available on iPlayer for a short while.

Its midnight and I am just out of the bathroom. Took all the paint away, even my hair was full of it. But at least I worked a lot on the new apartment today. This weekend I have to do the biggest part of all the paintwork. Here are some pictures of the action going on.

HELLO AND HAPPY FRIDAY!  I am finally figuring out how to enlarge photos on the blog. All by accident, of course.  My kids shutter at how much I don't know.  "Seriously, mom!" Here are a few noteworthy inspirations below....Three to be exact, from my trip to NY.  I seriously stood and studied the seductive Ralph Lauren vignette, pictured below, for a good half an hour.  I loved everything about it... The rich, deep jeweled tones in the oil painting and how it pared so well with the vibrant red velvet upholstered headboard/side rail.  I also couldn't get over the funky, split personality chair {as my friend Meg called it}. It's two opposite fabrics give it such a fresh take on a wonderfully sculpted Old World chair design!   I have so many little truffles in my little camera box...just like these, so I think it only appropriate to hand them to you in small doses. Because they are so rich, no?!  

Ralph Lauren's Showroom @ ABC Carpet and Home!  {INCREDS!!}

Well, what do you think? AND...CAN I have you, you STUNNINGly beautiful original upholsteried Settee?  PLEASE, come to me!

Cutest shop I have ever seen.  Called "The Best Chocolate Cake in the World"...in SOHO.

Beautiful Foyer of a house I've been consulting on. I decorated for Halloween on the credenza with the homeowner's things. The home is being renovated and is GORGEOUS!

Giving it a go on oxidizing mirrors.  I am going to attempt to make a wall of oxidized mirrors.

Vases for a dinner party.  The tablescape theme was "Mysterious".  I collaborated on with Kendra of Lonie Mae...{should have pictures soon of the end result.}

Contemplating the purchase of a quite seductive gypsy painting.  She stands seven feet tall and appears to have a gun in her holster? ..very Darrell Carter-ish style.

Taylor Made pillows are made to order.  These just came in and  I sold four out of five to the first customer I showed them to today!

My sister Rosie, threw a shower for a Mom to be of Twins!

Niece Goldie siting on Pinkie Velvet Chair

Rosie had the cutest decor... Miniature babies in bunkbeds on the cake!!  INCREDS!

Wish my camera could show you that the stork brought two darling dears.

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and MUCHO fun festivities to you all on this weekend before the weekend of Halloween!

xo
sharon