On this day of nearly perfect weather, looking out the window upon our back yard I think about how I should be outside weeding.
But instead I am inside because there are tasks at hand here. Plus, I have plans to go to the knitting group at the library. So perhaps I will get some [...]

We have been drawn to old historic homes for a long time now.  In Manhattan, we lived in an 1870’s brownstone.  In Brooklyn, it was a 1920 eclectic brick house in a designated historic district.  Even in Massachusetts, our house, contemporary in appearance, had originally served as a workshop, connected to an old Victorian house [...]

I am going to attempt to show some progress by talking about some of the many projects we have been working on here at La Belle Vie over the past 6-8 months. I’ll begin with the pink bathroom, connected en suite with the “pink room.”   Sometimes we call this Amy’s room in homage to the [...]

Just as a general update, this is a before and after presentation of the parlor. 

Parlor, Before

Parlor, Furnished
As I look at the furnished pic, I see everything was pretty much purchased in the “aftermarket” — antique stores, auctions, Craigslist and so on. With the exception of the carpet (Overstock) and the Audubon’s Birds of America: The [...]