Magpie TV – Hurry Up And Wait!

Posted on February 14, 2014 by mindfulmagpie

And the beat goes on here at Magpie TV. We know House Of Cards comes out today, OK? WE KNOW. But you DO have time to watch this teeny tiny show before you start streaming. Think of it as a warmup for a second season of shenanigans from Frank Underwood. Remodeling is not without political intrigue, you know. Now, cue some mysterious music and let’s get on with:

Magpie TV Episode Three

Part One: Magpie and her husband found themselves in a bit of a predicament. They couldn’t put in furniture until they replaced the floor, but they didn’t want to replace the floor until they painted the walls. No work could proceed until Magpie gave Bubba the paint details. But Magpie would not be able to provide paint details until she inveigled the services of Jane the Designer. For you see, Magpie and her husband had a pitiful record in the paint picking out department. Again and again they had had picked out their own paint and been horrified that the sweet pink for their daughter’s room looked like pepto bismol, the restful pale green like a shade of monkey excreta, and the red a shimmering pulsating shade suitable for scenery paint in The Telltale Heart. Nope, they had learned NEVER to pick paint, no matter how impatient they were to complete a project.

We turned the paint samples into large popsicles. This is as close as the Magpie has come to painting wild murals on the wall.

Eventually Magpie did persuade Jane the Designer, who had plenty of other things to do, that she should, on a weekend, not only pick paint samples but take them down to the condo and try them out. From Jane’s suggestions they quickly chose the colors for the whole condo. Now they had the paint picked; how much longer would they have to wait before the little hideaway could be used?

Commercial

A sad road accident. I do hope the driver was wearing his seat belt!

Part Two: Mr. and Mrs. Magpie felt the project was taking on momentum as Bubba painted, replaced the bedroom window, and the molding in every room.

New baseboards

In addition he built a cornice for the sliding glass door where they hoped eventually to hang curtains. By now it was Spring 2013, but still they could not use the condo. Suddenly, just when they thought they were ready to choose the new floor, Mr. Magpie suggested that it would make more sense to go ahead and do the kitchen next. It need not be stated that Magpie knew this was the most sensible path, but since they had already spent more money than they had anticipated,the Magpie had chosen to allow Mr. Magpie to reach this decision on his own. When Bubba the Contractor readily agreed that it made MUCH more sense to do the kitchen next the couple set aside their impatience to use the condo, and went ahead with kitchen remodeling first.

Remember this?

At least they already had their granite, so the Magpie was not starting from scratch. Magpie set about choosing tile and accessories to develop the urban look she hoped to achieve in the kitchen. Meanwhile Bubba got to tearing out that 1980s kitchen.

Bye bye old appliances!

A voice in the back of Magpie’s mind kept asking, “What will we put in this empty condo? When do we get to pick out shiny baubles? shiny baubles? SHINY BAUBLES? ( The voice enjoyed repeating itself ) But she just couldn’t make those decisions yet. They waited patiently as well as impatiently for the tile to come in and to be installed. They opted for the plain stainless sink though Magpie preferred porcelain, to save costs. Magpie had her usual difficult time choosing lighting, because she really didn’t want halogen. By the time she pored through 8000 pictures of light fixtures, however, she neither knew nor cared what she was choosing. Whatever. The new tile, cabinets and appliances went in without a hitch.

Backsplash Tile

Sophisticated Plans

The Magpie was pleased with her idea to tile one of the kitchen walls in brick.

And the cabinets are in!

Eventually it was time to lay the floor. Back when Magpie had chosen the paint she had also chosen an engineered hardwood floor from the floor contractor recommended by Bubba. But by the time they were actually ready to install the floor Magpie had changed her mind, necessitating another drive to an obscure Mississippi warehouse for samples, and an excruciating delay while said samples were compared at the condo. At length one was chosen. The flooring was the last obstacle before the Magpie could get to the wished for stage of furnishing the condo. But would this last project go as planned?

Floor Samples

Commercial:

This show is partly sponsored by a sock monkey on a fence.

Part Three. Sadly, the floor installation did NOT go well, ruining the perfect workmen track record the project had thus far enjoyed. When Magpie and her husband tripped delightedly into the condo to inspect the new floor, it was gorgeous, but flawed.

The Beautiful and The Damned.

There were definite scratches on the wood and NO ONE HAD EVEN USED IT YET. In addition, some pieces were damaged in places.

No floor comes this way!

I don’t think so!

So yet again there was another frustrating delay waiting for the floor contractor to make good his work, a task he seemed disinclined to do. First he said the couple had to file a claim with the floor manufacturer. He promised to get them the form to do so, but never did. Then he said the floor was just a very soft floor and inclined to scratch. What???! They didn’t even have any furniture on it yet. They were not happy. Nor was Bubba the Contractor who had told Mr. Floor Man specifically to make his workmen lay down butcher paper on the floor, not to walk on it directly until Bubba inspected it. Mr. Floor Man neglected to give his men that directive. So Mr. Floor Man was responsible, right? No, he still insisted the manufacturer was at fault and that he would have to contact the rep, a task which he also appeared disinclined to do. Time went by. The couple did not pay the balance on the floor, pending action from the floor man.

After several weeks of runaround Mr. and Mrs. Magpie decided to go ahead and deliver a bed to the condo, and let the chips fall where the may regarding the floor. They had decided to replace our current bedroom furniture and to take what they had been using to the condo. Finally the bed was delivered to the condo. Magpie and her husband spent some sweaty hours trying to put the thing together, but at last they completed the task.

At last! A bed!

The finished kitchen!!!!! Raise your hand if you love it!!!

On May 31, 2013, almost one year after purchasing the condo, Mr. and Mrs. Magpie were able to use the condo. Now they could spend the night there, but what about the other furnishings? You’ll have to wait, because Magpie TV is signing off now to catch House of Cards, but don’t worry. Magpie TV is also made for binge watching. We won’t make you wait too long!

An Eye On Design In Istanbul

Posted on March 4, 2013 by mindfulmagpie

When I learned I would be going to Istanbul on fairly short notice, I consulted with my daughter who had recently returned from there. She advised that I read Istanbul: The Collected Traveler, An Inspired Companion Guide edited by Barrie Kerper. I took her advice and read this and other books to learn as much about Istanbul as quickly as I could. The more I read about this fabled city, the more I was overwhelmed with how much I did not know. Because here’s the thing about Istanbul: whatever you know or see or experience, there is always more.

Now that I am back from Istanbul I naturally want to share some of the “more” that I experienced there during my brief visit. I anticipate that this task will be just as easy as pulling individual jewel- colored pieces of glass out of a twirling, revolving kaleidoscope. If such a thing were possible, one piece I would extract would be that of design. I cannot think of a single place I looked in Istanbul where I did not behold the splendor of ancient design. Whenever I am surrounded by works which have survived the centuries, I am humbled by the skills of these long dead artists and craftsmen. How did they live? How did they learn to plan and carry out works in stone, in glass, in paint, in jewels, in fibers?

I could go on and on describing my emotional reactions to these wonders, but you already know my magpie tendencies. So without further ado here are some some designs I admired from just one place: the Hagia Sophia Museum.

I love the painted arch above the screened window.

To the left of the dome is a scaffold; restoration is ongoing in the museum.

View from the balcony.

The chandeliers, an Ottoman addition to the space, seem like floating clouds.

The mosaic tiles.

A view out the window.

This mosaic looks as though it is made out of gold.

Even the broken floors have interesting shapes.

Beautiful shapes everywhere.

A railing.

From Christian era, excavated during renovations.

More excavated stone.

In the courtyard.

In my musings about ancient structures and design, I am always reassured at how similar humans seem to be through the ages. We seem wired to decorate, to embellish, to arrange raw materials around us in order to make statements about ourselves in this world, and about what we believe to be the world to come. In the majestic spaces of the Hagia Sophia I am reminded like untold numbers before me that I am but a miniscule speck beneath the glory of the heavens. Through carvings, paintings, mosaics, and more, artists of the early Christian and Ottoman periods speak to us of intangibles: life, love, eternity, brotherhood. Questions they struggled with then we still struggle with today. I find a pleasing design in that.

Saturday in the Neighborhood

Posted on October 15, 2012 by mindfulmagpie

When you’re zipping around in the car, bustling back and forth between home and places unknown, do you ever look longingly at places you pass, and wish you could stop and go in? All along my daily routes I notice what is new, or what is familiar and resist the urge to pull off the road and investigate. I think I am drawn not so much by the places themselves but by the freedom to interrupt an annoying trip to the post office, or to forgo a business meeting entirely because I wanted to try out a new walking path or take pictures of the changing leaves.

But just because I cannot excuse myself from adult responsibilities all the time does not mean I can’t mix some small adventures in with the drudgery. Today I had a pressing errand I had put off for a week – returning some tile samples for the condo to the tile showroom, about twenty miles away. Mr. Tile Man was eager for me to return these tiles, and I was eager not to have then whumping around in the back of my car.

After returning the tiles to the showroom, I got back into my car, turned to my companion in the front seat and said, “Let’s have a little fun!” Who is my companion you ask? It is none other than my darling Nikon D3000, which I had remembered to bring along. With this stylish little friend I would reward myself for having had to run such an obnoxious errand.

For the two of us had plans. We were going to drive around the neighborhood with no particular destination in mind, taking pictures of whatever caught our eye. I was in no hurry. My camera was in no hurry. If I saw something I wanted to record , fine. If I did not, that was fine also. That’s the way life should be! Here is what we saw.

Unused railroad depot against the blue sky.

I retraced the route I take at least twice a week to the gym. My personal training appointment is at 7:30, so there is no hope of dallying along the way, and on my way back, after having been subjected to a challenging workout, I only want to get home and drink coffee as soon as possible.

It says stop! I often wish I could!

The door of the depot.

The roof of the depot.

The depot is actually for sale. The unused railroad line is being transformed into a Green Line trail which will connect the city from east to west. Part of it is already open. When it opens out here, maybe someone will turn this little depot into a coffee shop!

Across the street from the depot are some old buildings, such as this former grocery store. It used to be open as a sundry when I first moved out here, but I don’t know if it is still open.

This old house is a restaurant, the Cafe Fontana, where Italian food from fresh local ingredients is made daily. It hasn’t been open very long, but I’ve already been there several times and was not disappointed. I love that the place is owned by a family in the neighborhood. And when you go in you are welcomed like a neighbor. It’s a good feeling! This is an old post office which has been preserved by the community. In the background is a church cemetery as well as some new construction. I’m thinking this building may have been a where people lingered and visited after getting their mail, once upon a time. In front of the post office is an old school turned into a community center. Alumnae of the school have kept the building from destruction, and committed citizens have made a small museum inside.

I guess I had to have a reminder that I am in suburbia! These empty swings and picnic tables are available! Well, for now I DO live in suburbia, which is not as diverse as I would like, with not as much culture as I would like. But that is another story. For today I would rather concentrate on how no matter where I am, things catch my eye. And that it is important to stop all the busy-ness sometimes and just look around. What about you? What do you go by all the time but never seem to have time to investigate? I hope you’ll make the time soon. You won’t be sorry!

But Wait…There’s More!

Posted on July 23, 2012 by mindfulmagpie

Raise your hand if you are ready for the next installment of Project Pergola. To recap, other people besides myself had worked for two weekends prepping and building the pergola. Now we will hear the tale of the third weekend.

If you have read my previous post you now know that the plan was after erecting the frame and large joists, old shutters would be attached to the top of the structure to add visual interest and more complex shade patterns.

To prepare to attach the shutters, they had to be arranged in such a way that they could be attached to two joists. Here, in the rain, joists are put out at accurate distances.

Here are the shutters arranged so that the builders could see where they would attach to the joists.( I hope all this makes sense. I can only tell the story the way I understand it. ) The strips of blue tape are from where I had previously numbered the shutters to avoid disagreement and confusion during construction. However, (insert loud throat clearing sound) the aforesaid strategy did not achieve the goal specified. Some of the numbers were washed off by the rain. We were all walking around with several shutters in our hands, trying not to trip over ourselves or the joists. My husband and I wound up crouched down at opposite rows of shutters, each trying to rearrange the shutters from our own end, causing each other to be off by just one shutter, and making meaningful remarks to one another such as, “But that won’t work!”, “It works fine. Just follow the numbers!” and, “Never mind, just do it the way you want.” Our son wisely stood in a shady corner and said not a word. From the photo you can see that the shutters were eventually arranged.

Next the holes were predrilled.

And a shutter goes up!

Here is view from the top of the ladder.

It didn’t take long before the whole thing started looking pretty cool.I love, love, love, the shade patterns! And I love the shapes of all the component parts!

This little vine is supposed to grow on the pergola. But it doesn’t look too healthy here.

Look at the pattern on the chimney!

Here they are finishing up with the electrical wiring for the fan and an electrical outlet.

Is anyone missing any tools?

After the shutters were attached and duly admired, more joists were added.

Two different sized joists were added between every large joist.

The joists were slightly different heights, and added to the overall shade patterns.And we’re finished! Actually we are short one board that we can’t buy and put on until next weekend, but I’m going to call it finished. Except for the fan. And furniture. But we will leave that for another day.

Before.

And after. Even this little critter is pleased! What wonderful fun this whole process has been! I haven’t decided what to put underneath the pergola yet in the way of furnishings, except for a rug and a fan. If anyone has any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Good, Hot, Dirty Fun

Posted on July 20, 2012 by mindfulmagpie

I’ve been so industrious lately, serving as general dogsbody and chronicler for the Pergola Project that I’m going to interrupt that lengthy story to tell about some good, hot, dirty fun I had and how I can’t wait to have it again.

Before you become convinced that you have somehow mistakenly found your way to a tacky cougar blog, I’ll tell you that the fun was connected to shopping. No debauchery here.

When we were still in the planning stages of our pergola, the designer ( who happens to be our son ) prepared several drawings for us so that we could compare and contrast the various design elements. The poor guy had to come up with ideas that would please me, who never wants to have what anyone else has, and his Dad, who wanted something he would be capable of building. We eventually settled on a simple but elegant ( I think ) design which could be embellished by adding architectural elements, if I could find something suitable, in a suitable amount of time. IF I could find something suitable??? To paraphrase Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a magpie?”

So the hunt was on, and the clock was ticking, Where could I go to do some thinking out of the box and have a reasonable chance of finding something that would work for me? I knew just the place: South Front Antiques. This jewel of an establishment contains three full floors of antiques and salvaged materials arranged in a delightful hodgepodge. I’d been wanting to go anyway ever since the talented Amy Dale took our daughter’s engagement photos there last year. It was just another of things I’d never gotten around to, but now I had my chance. I took my first opportunity to pay the store a visit. Don’t even think the following pictures do justice to the place.

Feeling just like someone on a TV home decorating show, but without the decorator to make salient points, I wandered around the store in a dopamine daze for a few minutes, unable to remember the purpose of my visit. Oh yes, items of architectural interest for my pergola to prevent the dreaded occurrence of having to settle for a less original structure than I had desired.

Loved the chandelier, but it was too ornate for my project.

You probably don’t see too many wagon wheels on a pergola roof, but they were too country for me. And those wrought iron things behind there? Were they too heavy? Too short? Too few?

I couldn’t help but get a little distracted.

Or even a lot distracted.

I was only able to ignore the books by promising myself I will come back just to browse. And I will. I mean it.

After touring the basement which was full of doors and all the tin ceiling squares a person could want, and making a an initial round of the first floor it was time to go upstairs.

The fact that the upstairs was not air conditioned on this 100 degree day truly helped me stay focused. I resolved to become inspired quickly while still capable of respiration.

So how about lovely old weathered shutters? Some quick figuring and and a few interrogatory photo texts later, the idea was proposed, discussed, and accepted by all parties! I couldn’t get them today, because I didn’t have a way to transport them, but my design plan was set. Yippee!

With that burning issue settled, I gave myself license to browse around just a wee minute more, downstairs where we had more chances of survival, what with the air conditioning and all.

There must be some place I could use this, I mused.

And I was going to pass up these cuties? Really? Yes. I had to stay on task.

A moose in a china shop?

Aaah, a place to sit down! But it was time for lunch, so I had to leave with the surface of the store barely scratched. I hadn’t been able to look at the maps, or the stamps, or the toys or the books or the boxes of crystal doorknobs this time. But right now I needed to get myself someplace where I could wash my hands and face and drink some ice cold water. I’d had some good fun alright, but not without getting plenty hot and dirty.

mindfulmagpie

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