Little House in the Big Woods

This past weekend was a big one up at the property. I feel like I am going to be saying that a lot this summer… Anyway, this weekend Grandpa, Dad and Uncle Joe came up to help M & me and boy did we get a lot done. We built three 4′ x 8′ decks to extend our civilized area. We still have to paint the cabin (we are thinking red because we have a ton of red paint) and stain the deck but we now can go up, have a clean place to sleep and relax! We have a little fridge inside and this weekend we are going to be moving the grill to this area so we can cook out. My next project is to give the alum bench pictured here a little TLC. It is in fairly good shape, but it needs a good cleaning and some cushions. Our little homestead may not be huge (boy is that an understatement) but for now it is wonderful! Who knows, maybe this summer we can even have guests.

aerieLOFT

I am coveting the aerieLOFT by breathe architects. This amazing 10′ x 11′ x 17′ tall curved structure has a screened front, sun shade, porch, and a loft big enough to fit a queen size bed. Solar panels, an inverter, and a wood stove allow this structure to be completely off the grid while feeling very civilized. A separate outhouse has built in water catchment, outdoor shower, sink, and composting toilet. It comes as plans or a DIY kit. We have the perfect spot on the property to spend our evenings gazing at Mohonk while the sun sets. You can watch a video of the architect (stick with it until the end to see the beautiful design for the door of the outhouse) over at Treehugger. via

I Go Walking

The subway is one of the most stressful parts of NY, in my opinion. People pushing and shoving and taking up more than one seat and flapping their paper in your face. Especially after work things are just too much to handle. In order to delay this torture a bit I have started walking. At first I walked to a subway stop just under 2 miles away, then a stop just over 2 miles away, then to a stop just over 2 1/2 miles away. The next jump was a big one. The stop 2 1/2 miles away is the last in Manhattan so now I am walking across the Brooklyn Bridge! That makes my trip 4.6 miles and although I still have to take the subway for a few stops, it is later in the evening and it isn’t nearly as crowded. Now that the days are longer I would like to get to the point where I walk all the way home, which is almost 8 miles. I will just keep walking one stop further until I get to that point.

From Scratch

I would bet that most of us out there, even those of us with jobs, are looking to save a little money these days. Everywhere I look I see recipes to make things I would normally buy with the claim it is cheaper. Bagels, yogurt, cheese, mango lassi, jam, pickles, butter… you get the idea. But is it really cost effective? There is no denying that for the most part making something from scratch with no preservatives to keep it on the shelf for 10 years is going to be better than store bought. But is it more economical? Jennifer Reese set about answering that question in this article on Slate.com. She does a great job of factoring in everything from ingredients to cents per hour to run your oven. Your time is free since as she puts it, “I take it as a given that everyone knows better than to quit their job—any job—to take up cracker-baking.” The bottom line? Try it. You might be as surprised as Jennifer to find that things can be better AND cheaper when you make them at home. Am I going to start making everything from scratch? Probably not everything, but I might try bagels and butter. If you don’t know where to start, The Kitchen has put together a nice long list of recipes.

My Favorite Herb

My most favorite herb is rosemary. I have been known to use it in just about everything from pork to potatoes to green beans to popovers to roast chicken…. if it is savory, I have thrown in rosemary. I have to say, I have never used it in a cocktail. This vodka rosemary lemonade fizz sounds like a most delicious, refreshing summer beverage. I drink a lot of seltzer and I am always looking for something to make it a little more exciting. For me this is probably too much sugar so I will have to play with the proportions a bit and maybe even make a simple syrup separate from the lemon rosemary syrup without sugar so that I can adjust as necessary. Vodka will be optional.

Flat Felt

I love handbags. You rarely have to worry about if a bag is going to fit right. Since many of us need a bag to carry our wallet, metrocard, lip gloss and whatever else it is women carry in their bags, you might as well have a few so that you don’t get bored. I especially love this bag from Branch. It is felt (we all know how I feel about that) it is grey with orange, and it unzips to lay flat. How cool is that? I have seen similar bags by designer Josh Jakus but I happen to prefer a shoulder bag to a clutch.

Ork

I have long been a fan of the Ork Posters. What is an Ork poster? Only the coolest maps with breakdowns of popular city neighborhoods! I finally got my Brooklyn screenprint last summer and it now displayed prominently in our living room. The newest addition to the lineup isn’t a city, but a map of your heart. Thump thump.

Summer Showers

As the weather gets warmer I start to think about what projects I would like to complete this year. Now that we have a place to sleep that isn’t a tent, I am sure we will be Upstate more often this year. If you live in the Northeast, you are familiar with hazy, hot and humid summer days. The type of day that requires a cold shower, especially when you have been working outside getting dirty. At this moment we do not have running water, but we do have a rain barrel so I am thinking we can finally get an outdoor shower set up even if we don’t have traditional plumbing this summer. There are so many things I love about this house, the way the walls open up to the outside, the rough concrete paths and bridges, the floating deck, but I think the thing I love the most is the bathroom with wood floor over dark stone and ofuro tub. Although this bathroom appears to be indoors, this is what I am going to shoot for in my outdoor shower.

I Will Soon Need a Bell

This is the year I am going to get a bike to replace my Specialized Hardrock that was stolen a few years back. I have been way too sad to even think about it not to mention when I have been Upstate I have been working, not biking. Now that we have our little cabin in the woods I don’t have to work quite as hard and I can plan for some fun things like biking the rail trail or into town. I am pretty excited about the idea of having a bike again. Shopping for a bike is way different now that it was in 2001. There is this whole class of bikes called comfort bikes. Perfect! What is a comfort bike? As far as I can tell it is a bike that has a seat that is lower than the handlebars (no more leaning!) and the woman’s versions are step through which is good for me because I have short legs. At the moment this Specialized is the front runner mostly because I love the look. It is nice to see that not all women’s bike’s have to come in pastel colors with flowers. I will definitely be test driving before I buy. I am a designer, but I am not crazy!

Button Up

The weather this past weekend was amazing and the coming weekend is looking like it is shaping up to be just as nice. So why am I showing you pictures of knit button hats? Because they are just too cute to wait until the fall! I love the different combinations of decorative ribbing and buttons. I just happen to have one crazy big button stash waiting for a project like this. Besides if I start now there is a much better chance it will actually have it finished for the cold weather. You can get the free pattern here.