{vignettes}

Sunday, May 3, 2009




little vignettes from yesterday

I don't think my home has ever felt so open, spacious, tidy and clutter free. It looks amazing. The second floor of this old brick house is basically spruced and ready for viewing . Today it's onto the first floor, sun porch and a little doodying up of our back garden. I'm so into this really, and am thoroughly enjoying the process - my only complaint is that everything always takes me so much longer than I originally anticipate and I find myself veering far off of me pre-destined schedule. Sigh. I'll have early tomorrow morning to do any little last minute things.

I find this process very much like styling an image to photograph. Which I love doing. I'm seeing my rooms like photos and editing, editing every last little thing that could take away from over all feel of light and space. With the addition of a few props (all things I love and have collected over the years) leaving just enough personality to evoke a feeling. The feeling that you live in a big ol' brick cottage just a short walk up from the harbour. With the windows all open yesterday I'd swear we lived in an aviary - our little backyard forest and garden is such a haven for birds they hang out there all day and sound incredible. Especially the finches who are the most wonderful, non stop, sing songey chatterboxes. They must be very social birds. And all the while a warm breeze off the water blows gently through the entire house. Sigh. I love her - this ol' brick house. She's been good to me.

I finally watched the Sex in the City movie last night. Shocking that it's taken me this long (especially to those who know me well and know how totally addicted I was to the series). I LOVED that show when it was first airing on HBO back in the day when for some freakish reason HBO was part of my cable here in this little seaside village and at a time when HBO was unavailable in Canada (shhhh ??) I so wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw, - and I guess I still do. Last night I cried and smiled and cried some more through the whole movie. I loved it, in fact I just may watch it again before it goes back to the library.

Al Green's cover of this amazing song is part of the soundtrack - I like the Bee Gee's version just as well.

A big ship is coming in - gliding by our studio window, completely lit up and golden from the just risen sun. Big sigh. I never tire of watching the ships come in.

13 comments:

  1. Susan...I love the chair by the window! I want to sit there and read! Can you see the ships come in from there?
    Carol

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  2. It's so satisfying, isn't it, to have your home orderly and lovely to look at! I wish I could just keep it that way. I love your smallish picture (photo?) in a large mount and frame. Hope the couple coming to view tomorrow fall in love with your house at once!

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  3. What a fun video, Susan. I so loved the Bee Gees back in the day and that was surely one of their very best songs.

    Your house looks so.....UNCLUTTERED! And SERENE!!! So completely BEAUTIFUL! I've got my fingers crossed for you. How could they not fall in love with it.

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  4. The same thing happened to my husband and me when we were moving from our Southern California apartment (Condado)...the windows were clean, the space was uncluttered and open...suddenly we questioned, "Why are we moving?" We were going to move on to New York and try our life there.

    I changed my mind about the move and then my husband did, too. We had sold our couch and tables, bed...everything! We had to renegotiate the rent and backtrack all of our plans. It worked out though because we both finished our masters degrees in English (me) and Spanish (him)-i.e. started our lives again with a renewed idea of what we wanted to accomplish in California.

    I don't think I could leave your house...but you are strong and if you have the vision of your new life clear in your mind, all will be well. We moved two times after that reconsideration so I guess it was in our destiny to move on! Now we're in Puerto Rico.
    Lots of pets and hugs to les gang. <3

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  5. Good morning, sweet sweet Susan. Your place is looking lovlier every day. Wish you the VERY best with selling your house.

    **hugs**

    Much love to you and the furry gang. xo

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  6. so wonderful that you are enjoying this process, susan. i too enjoy puttering around and sprucing up, moving things, locating nw spots to showcase a little treasure. and, it is amazing how you can just lose yourself in the day and time flies and all is right in the world. enjoy the rest of your sunday!

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  7. Clean Clean Clean. With the strength of 7 Mute Valets she cleans. Banishment of the dust critters. BE GONE, become nests for birds.

    Cleaning in the spring is much more fun with windows open and the Finchly Tabernacle Choir as your background music.

    How do you feel about packing for a move?

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  8. Having a wee high test (Starbucks - from the freezer) 3pm coffee break and I gotta say the light in today's 3 vignettes is tres shittéy. My apologies ... maybe that's why I don't take more expansive vistas of the inside of this old house - all that dark light - or dark lack o'light - actually it's tripod light (now there's a thought it's dans la crawlspace). Oops gotta run the 7 IMV's are a callin.

    *IMV invisible mute valet

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  9. Susan, I want to live there!!! If I had the money, I would head out from Collierville, Tn and buy it today. I don't want you to move. I will never "see" the house again. But I will have to look forward to another beautiful place that you will have.

    Also, I wanted to tell you that your gift for writing is as great as your gift for design. Do you have a book started? All your blog posts could be put into book form, edited, and filled in with more details, and people would buy it. Have you ever talked to a publisher about this? I am praying that you will do this. It would be such a creative project that you would not be sad anymore. All the beautiful pictures..ethreal descriptions of Nova Scotia..and the flood of deep emotions from your heart all touch a chord within anyone who loves nature, animals, art, literature, and just "watching someone's everyday life." We get to sleep in the down and feather nest, write on the teak-topped desk, escape to the land of bubbles and scent, drink that coffee, walk on the crackling ice during that ice storm, sit by your blazing fire, listen to your radio, all with the background of your furry ones who talk and send us messages through Mama's journal. We all love you, empathize, and are addicted to our daily visits with you.

    If I see a 0 on my feed, I keep checking until you write something. Please consider this writing thing. Ask some of your other friends about it. I read older posts every day as well as the new ones. And if you can, for us, please for a minute or wo consider a way to stay in that big open-armed house..so I can come visit you with my sister Diane from MS. She loves you, too, and we talk together about your blog every day.

    I was so looking forward to seeing you transform the house this weekend. It looks wonderful! M'Lou would be proud. Maybe you could send another message tonight. Love to you and the fur people..

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  10. Sorry, I misspelled "ethereal."

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  11. Martha - Thank you so much for that sweet & very kind comment - just made my day! you did. You know I've actually learned to love me and my life through writing this blog. It gives me an entire different (and much welcomed as you so well know) view of my own life. Who is that girl anyway? Wink. xo S & les Gang

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  12. Oh, the song is so achingly poignant. I would feel exactly the same way, maybe worse, if I had to leave WM.

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  13. Love that chair iamge, well, actually, all of them. Lovely. Very few evoke a feeling as much as you do from your photos, staged or not. I wold so flal in love with your house.

    BTW, you are far better off as yourself than Carrie--I always found her to be rather off-putting somehow.

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