Autumn Awesomeness

My favorite season. I love it as much as the dog playing in the leaves in the video below. Pure joy.

Emptynesting

As my son enjoys his college life of classes, sports, fraternity and fun I'm settling into being an empty nester. Last year during the months my son was in the military I never quite got used to living alone, most likely because I felt very unsettled due to worrying about him. This year I've adapted nicely to having the house to myself (well with the exception of my beagle Eloise, she is great company even though she's incredibly high maintenance). Paul and I are both empty nesters, his children are also away at college and we have our own routines around work and home. When we are not working, exploring Chicago together, traveling or with family and friends time seems to be longer with more time to linger. I find that I wander about. I wander to my book shelves, I wander through the yard, I wander through the neighborhood, I wander into the kitchen... Sometimes I play dress up, sometimes I cook ridiculous meals, sometimes I drink martinis and watch bad movies, sometimes I talk to the dog and solve the problems of the world. I pitter patter about really and it's a delight.

A friend recently shared a photo on Facebook and I think it captures where I am in life. Home is my little bungalow surrounded with my books and my garden and my treasures. It's lovely having Paul just down the road and my son as close as social media and a text away. What I'm learning is that even at my age I'm still growing up and growing into my skin.

Can a Book Get You Organized?

Recently while browsing the new book area at my library, I noticed a remarkable number of books on organizing, de-cluttering and cleaning. I browsed through a few of them and found them to be generally...silly. Tips included the following: donate anything you don't need (stating the obvious in my opinion), buy pretty storage boxes (so the junk you keep looks better?) and out of sight, out of mind (the motto of a hoarder for sure).

I've moved so frequently over the past 20 years that I have very few items, whether it's my past mementoes or my sons that I can't find quickly. Older, useless items such as toys, knickknacks and trinkets I get rid of and with only a few boxes of personal items left I am almost box free. Like so many people I have boxes of old photographs and personal papers. Which each box I go through, I discard about 99% of the items and keep only what is precious and irreplaceable. Old photos of my family, my son's grade school art work, letters from my Grandparents and other items I keep filed in a filing cabinet.

This weekend during a break from gardening I went through 2 more boxes and happily filled an entire garbage bag with items. As I get older I tend to be even less sentimental than I was when I was younger.  Old love letters, birthday cards, Valentine's Day cards etc... are so easy to dispose off. I open them, read them, smile and feeling nothing but a remembered sweetness, toss them in the garbage. Old photos of vacations and special events with people I will never see again and who have come and gone from my life are also tossed. The feelings attached to the items just aren't there anymore.

So I don't know why so many books are written with silly tips on how to de-clutter and organize when so much is what you don't need anymore. It's so freeing to just let it go. I'm hoping that the next time I browse the new book area there will be more books on less is more instead of buy more to organize less.

April Showers Bring...

It's raining in Chicago. How fitting for April. I'm guessing we will have many May flowers this year. After experiencing ideal weather during our trip to California, Paul and I returned to a gloomy, drenched City. I'm taking it in stride...so far no water in my basement. After the infamous Chicago area flood of July 2011 that flooded my basement and thousands of others I've struggled emotionally with every rain storm but after having my gutters cleared and the rain guards removed, my basement has been bone dry. Here's hoping it remains that way.

So what to do when it rains day and night. Well I was going to go to a Cubs night game this week but the thought of fighting traffic in Chicago after days of horrendous traffic in Los Angeles didn't appeal to me. Nor did a night in a wet ball field even for the Cubs. So instead I am warm and dry at home with my favorite things.

Since I missed this week's Monday 5 list. Here are the things I can't do without in Chicago's rainy season.

1. Rain Coat. I found mine at a thrift store for $5. It's bright blue with toggle closures down the front and a giant hood. It covers my butt and keeps me warm and dry. Sure I look like a 5 year old kid dressed up like a sailor but I wear my coat to walk my dog and save my Burberry rain coat for light rain.
2. Wellies. I bought my Hunter wellies years ago in the UK before you could buy them in American stores. Best boots ever made for rain and mud. Plus they are fun to splash through puddles in as they cover all the way to my knees. Worth every penny. 
3. Martinis. I love a vodka martini with a splash of vermouth and 3 olives. The olives serve as dinner many nights when its been a long day and a meal is a martini. Paul makes the best martinis and we often hand stuff our own olives with blue cheese.
4. A sense of humor. Seriously you really have to have a sense of humor to live in Chicago, definitely a passion for the greatest City in the USA but also a sense of humor for the weather, our politics and our sports teams. But it's worth it, even in the rain. 
5. The Classics. Maybe because these are the last days for months that I will be inside due to terrible weather but as it pours outside I retreat to watching my favorite Jane Austen stories on film (Pride and Prejudice 1995 TV and 2005 film versions and Sense and Sensibility 1995 film version). Plus I am loving a record that we found in an amazing record store in San Francisco's Little Italy, Pachelbel Kanon and Music of Handel, Vivaldi and Gluck. This beautiful album conducted by Christopher Hogwood features musicians on original instruments. 

Where ever you are, stay dry during Spring rains!

Vintage Bazaar in Chicago this Weekend

One of my favorite events in Chicago is the pop-up Vintage Bazaar. This Friday night is the Night Market at Chicago's DANK House in Lincoln Square for dancing, vintage shopping, food and cocktails.  If you are busy Friday evening recovering from Valentine's Day then stop by on Saturday and vintage shop from 10-5 for free. You can find more information on The Vintage Bazaar website. I have a friend arriving from London  to stay for a few days and we will be playing in Chicago throughout the weekend, I'm hoping I can find time to stop by the Bazaar tomorrow.

On other news, my kitchen remodel is complete! Just in time for out of town guests who are popping into Chicago over the next 3 weeks. The picture below shows my new floors and appliances.

I hope you all had as lovely a Valentine's Day with your valentine as I did!

Trying to Find Time to Read Fifty Shades...

These days it seems like the only time I have to read is when I find something interesting online such as this article on the Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptions and Fictional Boys We Want to Date Who Would Make Awful Boyfriends. (I agree with the movies and characters in each article).

It's been a busy few weeks, my kitchen remodel is nearly complete but not without a few major disasters along the way including:

• The plumber installed a water line for my new fridge and a gas line for my new stove. 2 days after he completed the work I randomly walked into the storage room in my basement (the room where the water heater and water lines are) and into a puddle. The plumber did not sauter the new pipe completely and it had sprung a leak, spraying the back wall of my downstairs bathroom wall for 2 days. Needless to say I freaked out and called him, he did come over immediately and fix the problem. He will also be re-drywalling my basement wall.
• The new vinyl floors that were put in by a friend who had done floor work for me before were a total disaster. He removed the old vinyl floor in the kitchen but did not remove the plywood subfloor, instead he installed the new vinyl over the buckled subfloor. I then had to hire someone else to remove the new vinyl floor disaster and install new ceramic tile. In the process of removing the mess my new floor guy discovered multiple subfloors in the kitchen, removed them and installed tile, he really did a beautiful job. The kitchen looks very modern and the floors are warm and cozy. 

Over the weekend my new appliances were hooked up and I'm having fun relearning how to cook on gas after years of cooking on electric. The kitchen is freshly painted and I am currently working on sanding and painting my new wood table and chairs. I plan on hanging some artwork and then the kitchen remodel will be complete.

In the meantime I have been trying to find time to read the Fifty Shades trilogy which apparently everyone has read except me. I started Fifty Shades of Grey about a month ago and frankly the writing is so bad it's a struggle to get through it but I'm determined to finish the books which I know will be made into movies. The awful writing reminds me of another series that became a sensation, the Twilight series but I never finished the first book, I couldn't stand the writing or the character of Bella. Strange cause I surprisingly enjoyed all the movies.

In the first 5 weeks of 2013 I have sold multiple items from my Etsy store, Lively Vintage. In the past week alone I've sold 2 items of clothing and a vintage wicker train case. My parents have shipped me some items from the estate of a family relative who recently died in her 90's and I may add some of the items to the store. Maybe when I go on vacation to LA, San Francisco and Napa with Paul in a couple of months I can get some reading done on the multiple plane rides. I doubt it but I will pack the books...

Home and City

The kitchen remodel has begun at my Bungalow, lots of dust and clutter as the work is under way. It's been a fun challenge updating my 1950's kitchen while trying to retain it's vintage charm in a modern world. So far the work includes:

• Stripped 40 year old wallpaper from the walls, patched and sanded the plaster walls
• The original 50 year old vinyl floors were ripped off, the floors stripped and new vinyl tile is being put down
• A gas line and water line is being installed for appliances
• New stainless steel stove and refrigerator are being delivered
• New paint on walls and ceilings 
• New light fixtures
• I bought a wood table and 4 chairs off Craigslist for $50 which I am sanding and painting for the kitchen

Eventually I will also be adding a dishwasher (the house has never had one) and replacing the countertop with granite or other stone. The kitchen will then be complete!

During the planning process I found many good ideas on websites such as Pinterest, Apartment Therapy, the Tiny House Blog and from books including The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces by Kyle Schuneman. The First Apartment Book is a great source for decorating creatively on a budget, sourcing great finds at places like flea markets and Goodwills and excellent design sources for home goods such as temporary wallpaper and affordable bedding. 

For a break in the midst of our busy lives, Paul and I took a "staycation" this weekend in Chicago at the wonderful Park Hyatt. We ate at the restaurant's signature restaurant NOMI and attended an after hours party at the Art Institute. It's always nice to play in Chicago like a tourist, it reminds us how lucky we are to live in one of the World's Great Cities.

Cooking at the Holidays

Years ago I experienced my first Feast of the Seven Fishes feast on Christmas Eve. A few years ago we adopted this tradition with the addition to the family of my Italian Uncle Vinny from New York City. Christmas Eves spent in Florida (where my parents and my Aunt Kim and Uncle Vinny live) include large quantities of fresh crab legs and claws (cold and steamed), lobster tail, jumbo shrimp and various other delights. This year I cooked this meal at home in Chicago for my son and his Navy buddy. As fresh lobster is hard to come by here I instead substituted various types of fish to go with the crab legs and shrimp. With sides of roasted green beans and parmesan and paprika roasted potatoes, the boys were quiet for 30 minutes while they gorged. It was tons of fun.

Christmas morning I made a quiche for the boys, another family tradition my mom's family has been making for years. I combined a few recipes to create the recipe below. Although a vegetarian I didn't enjoy this dish, but my hungry boys did.

Lively Librarian's Bacon and 3 Cheese Christmas Quiche

1 9 inch deep dish frozen pie crust
1 lb bacon ( I used honey and apple smoked bacon)
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz shredded mozzarella or swiss cheese
3 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup half and half
4 lightly beaten eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the bacon for 20-30 minutes until crisp, pat dry with paper towels to remove the grease. Chop bacon into bite size pieces. In a large bowl combine the chopped onion, the cheeses and the bacon pieces. Pour this mixture into the unthawed pie crust. Lightly beat the eggs with the half and half and pour this mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350, bake an additional 35 minutes until top of quiche begins to brown.

Today I have soup in the crock pot for the boys which they can enjoy all day in-between naps, holiday movies and projects around the house.

18 weeks later...

My son is home. My Navy sailor. He's tired, nearly 40 pounds thinner, and so happy to be home with his family, the Beagle and his friends. Have a great weekend with those you love.

Monday List #25-For Voyeurs

On the web? Of course you are. Phone, tablet, whatever, you're out there.

Today's Monday 5 List is for the readers who are voyeurs like myself. You like to look.

So the next time you're sick on the couch with your iPad or taking a break from answering email at work, here are 5 websites I recommend for visual goodies and inspiration.

1. Pinterest. I've been browsing this website for awhile but only started "pinning" a few months ago. Not familiar with pinterest, it's a virtual pin board, you see an image you like on the web, you pin it to your collection of boards, clicking on the image once pinned takes you to the source of the image (blogs, websites, flickr accounts etc). Others can re-pin your pin, you can re-pin other's pins and on and on and on. I use it for recipes, style and great vintage sources. You can find me on pinterest here.
2. StyleLikeU. A great site for browsing people's closets. Yup, photos and interviews with everyone from celebrities to designers, shop owners, musicians, writers etc..I love the images of messy closets, cluttered bedrooms, cherished mementos and the stories behind the clothes they wear and the trinkets they have in their homes.
3. Flickr's What's In Your Bag Group. Completely. Addictive. Thousands of images from people all around the world of the items they carry in their purse, tote, backpack, carryon etc... Hover over an image and see little popups about the items. Fun, cool and sometimes shocking what people carry in their bags.
4. Apartment Therapy. You can dig and dig in this website and always find something inspiring. Want to see the inside of tiny apartments in New York City. They're in here. How about clever ways to decorate on a budget? Its in here too. It's a time suck, beware.
5. Hooked on Houses. Have a favorite movie or television series house? Good chance it's on this fun website. Some of my favorites are on here including the house in Something's Got to Give, Practical Magic, Under the Tuscan Sun and Kate Winslet's house in The Holiday. Celebrity homes and featured homes about the world are here too. The movie homes I am waiting to see on this website are Harry and Sally's apartments from When Harry Met Sally.

"The Doll House"

For the first time in 19 years I am living alone. After my son left for basic training it took me a few days until I was ready to pick up the towel he left on his bathroom floor, wash his sheets, put away his laptop and clean up the "man cave" basement where he hung out with his friends during his last weeks at home. Now that I am beginning to adjust to my life as an empty-nester I'm finding it fun to have a home to decorate without sports equipment, video games and boy stuff.

As I settle into my new routine, my fridge and pantry are full of fruits and veggies instead of meat and dairy, the windows are open, and my favorite radio station is playing music from the 30's and 40's whenever I am home. I have more wine in the house, more high heels scattered around the house, clothes and hats on tailor mannequins, bowls full of jewelery on tables, new girly smelling soaps and lotions in the bathroom and vintage pictures on the walls.

My 1950's bungalow is full of period details and because I purchased it from the original owners it was well loved and rarely updated. I'm adding my own touches such as my home library, remodeled basement, raised vegetable beds in the large newly fenced-in yard, new landscaping around multiple patio areas and lots of vintage pieces.  I'm considering adding large mirrors to a wall in the basement with a ballet bar to create an area to stretch and dance.

Although I am sad my son is not around to ask me repeatedly, "What are you making for lunch Mom?" or "Where are my shoes?" or "Is there gas in the car?" and I miss cooking his favorite meals, watching movies together, and waking up in the middle of the night when he comes home and wants to talk, I'm adapting to finally having a little home exactly the way I want it. My own doll house.

Monday List #22

It's been a while since I've posted a Monday List. With Chicago in the full bloom of Spring I thought I would share some events and projects I am enjoying before summer.

1. The Antiques and Garden Fair will be held April 20-22 at Chicago's Botanic Garden. I am looking forward to attending on Friday April 20. I am unable to attend the lecture by David Howard, "My Gardening Life" on Saturday but imagine it will be a fascinating program. Mr. Howard is the former head gardener of H.R.H Prince Charles' estate Highgrove House and will discuss his 40 year gardening career in the UK.

2. Bookcases. I purchased 3 of the Ikea Hemnes bookcases over the weekend, once in place they will line an entire wall of my living room. I considered purchasing 1 of the glass door bookcases for my rare book collection but found the doors to be rather unstable. I instead went with 3 of the open bookcases which will allow me to rearrange the shelves and add photos, plants etc... Once the room is painted this month the bookcases can be installed and after 2 years of having my collection in storage I will finally have a home library again.

3. Travel. Did you think I was on a traveling hiatus? Never. I will be enjoying my first trip to Baltimore this weekend. For our 48 hour trip I have 3 things on my to do list:

• Enjoy seeing this historic city with Paul and our hosts
• Eating crabcakes and lobster rolls
• Visiting the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. I am re-reading some of my favorite works of this macabre writer, especially his poetry. Haunting.

In May, Paul and I will be returning to New Orleans for 4 days and then directly to Los Angeles for another 4 days. On the agenda, listening to jazz at Fritzel's, learning to cook NOLA specialties in a cooking class, spending time with friends in Santa Monica and enjoying the trip with great people.

4. Time. With my boy. There just aren't enough hours in the remaining weeks until May 31 when he leaves for NAVY training. I'm spending every minute I can with him at home cooking, watching movies, talking. He is a typical busy teenager who is right now planning his much anticipated upcoming trip to Indiana University for the Little 500.

5. Gardening and Vintage Shopping. Between getting my vegetable beds ready with seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and buying and listing vintage pieces for my new store, I'm busy. And happy.

Do You Zillow?

I'm a real estate junkie. With a couple of exceptions, the only shows I watch on TV are House Hunters and House Hunters International on HGTV. Other tools that help feed my voyeuristic tendencies for house snooping are Realtor.com and Zillow.com. The Realtor.com app is one of the most widely used apps on my iPhone. I use it to find listings via GPS whenever I am in a neighborhood I like. Completely addictive when wandering through a city like Chicago or New Orleans.

One of my favorite websites is Zillow.com. When I was couch bound last week fighting a cold, Zillow kept me entertained in between naps and watching movies with my son. I narrow down the filters and virtually travel around the interactive map to investigate real estate listings. I'm guessing my real estate addiction is thanks to my parents who had multiple properties when I was growing up. I was born and raised near Chicago but spent months each year at our other homes in Florida and Colorado. Now as an adult, it's nice to be as familiar with other cities as I am with Chicago.

One of the homes my parents purchased was when I was about 8 years old in the sleepy beach-side town of Gulfport Florida, inbetween Tampa and St. Petersburg Beach. Gulfport is old Florida, small bungalows, oak lined streets, nightly dancing and bingo at the Casino on the beach and friendly people who take things slow. In the last 15 years or so, Gulfport underwent a revitalization and is now known for it's eclectic shops, art festivals and great restaurants. But for me it's still the small southern town where I roamed the streets with my friends and got into all sorts of mischief as a teenager in the early 80's.

I recently was browsing Zillow looking at properties in Gulfport and found a few charming bungalows with wide front porches, giant palm trees and carports within a short walk to the beach that can be bought for a song. A 2 bed, 1 bath for $35,000. Yes. A 3 bedroom, 1 bath for $89,000 with new tile floors (a MUST in the sweltering summers), a remodeled kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counter-tops and a sun porch. Yes. Or maybe a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a beautiful pool for $149,000. I found one.

Maybe a small sleepy beach town in Florida is not for you but if you are looking for real estate or just if you're a junkie like me, give Zillow a go.

Vintage DeLIGHT

Since I started remodeling my 1950's era home I have added some wonderful vintage pieces to my house. Thanks to my parents who are antique mall, Ebay and resale shoppers I have a collection of glassware and china, including George Briard and Edwin Knowles Weather Vane. I've also purchased some great mid century furniture pieces including a fantastic table that folds up flat against a wall.

During my frequent shopping trips I've found some odd pieces that now have a place in my home. This fantastic blue chandelier I found in a shop window for $60. My parents call it the "Big Ugly" but I love it and it's a great conversation piece.

I recently found this little treasure, a gold and crystal cherub chandelier in an antique mall and it's now hanging above my bed. We are calling it, "Baby Big Ugly". The light is very dim, like the glow from candles and I'm crazy about it. I painted the wall behind it a bright blue to highlight my growing collection of dress forms and vintage hats. My most recent purchase, an early 20th century gorgeous but very fragile hat of feathers was bought for the 1920's era Great Gatsby party Paul and I are having this summer, you can see it in the photo below on one of my dress forms.

And finally for less than I usually pay for light bulbs I found this mid century lamp that is now in my living room. Odd right, but so unique. I mean why have something everyone else has? Traditional I am not. Boring, why bother.

Later this week I will blog about some of my favorite vintage sources online. I will also add them to the Vintage page.

New Pages on Lively Librarian: Books and Vintage

I've added 2 additional pages to my blog, Books and Vintage. You can access the pages by clicking on the tabs on my homepage.

On my Books page I will be compiling all of the book related posts I've written on Lively Librarian since 2008. They will be organized by reviews, gifts for book lovers, trends and more.

The Vintage page is developing through my love of vintage clothing, antiquing, resale shopping and the retro remodel of my 1950's era home. I will regularly add links and information on stores, bargains and pictures of items I wear, gift and decorate with.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Going Retro-Flash Back Friday #47

3 months ago my son, our dog and I moved into a very retro (built in 1956) home in a suburb just outside Chicago. I purchased our home from the original owners, a family who immigrated from Sicily in the 1950's to raise their family in America. My home is a brick 2 bedroom 2 bath with a full finished basement and a large beautiful yard. Over the years the home was wonderfully maintained but not frequently updated. My kitchen has original solid wood cabinets that are in amazing condition, the basement was updated in the 70's and while finished is rather dark due to the wood paneling. The plaster walls throughout the home are in great shape, the floors are wood and the main bath is charming in its retro design.

Last weekend Chicago got hit with one of the worst storms on record. Between midnight last Friday and 6 am on Saturday morning there was record rainfall. I awoke at 3 am on Saturday morning to a river roaring down my street and my basement flooding. (The picture was taken in front of my house looking down my street at 5:30 am the morning of the storm) Thankfully we had not fully unpacked, most of our possessions including my rare book collection are still in boxes in the garage (that stayed dry) and we were able to remove the basement entertainment system and sofa before they were ruined. We only had a few inches of water which receded quickly and over the next 24 hours we removed the basement carpet, which was glued to the concrete floor as well as room after room of stick on tile flooring. We thankfully did not have as much damage as my neighbors, some families lost half their furniture and possessions to water damage. A neighbor a few houses down was featured on the front page of the local paper due to the $80,000 worth of damage they lost when their basement windows exploded and the home filled with 8 feet of water. It's humbling how people work together during a disaster. At 5:30 am as our street was a river, my neighbors and I were outside in the rain, helping each other, alerting people to the situation, setting up generators etc. I am truly blessed with great neighbors and know I can turn to them with anything I need.

I wasn't planning on remodeling my basement, but now with the water damage I will be replacing the floors, painting the wood paneling and having recessed lighting installed. I can model the basement as I like it instead of the cozy 70's decor it had when we moved in. The home I lived in for the 4 years previous to this home was large and also in need of remodeling. The kitchen was in terrible condition and unfortunately my ex and I never remodeled it while I was living there. I won't make that mistake again. Why bother living in a home that isn't the way you want it for everyday living and entertaining?

So for a Flash Back Friday, here are a few websites I am using while I plan the remodel of my 1950's era home in a retro but modern style.

Retro Renovation This website is a terrific source for images from 50, 60 and 70 era magazines as well as stories of people who have retro updated their homes. Here is a great story with pics of a 1950's kitchen redo for under $1500.

Retro Redheads Great site for vintage shopping.

Ebay The go to website for almost everything. Thanks to my parents who are vintage/antique shoppers I now have the Knowles Weatherpane dishes.

It Takes a Village

I closed on my new house yesterday. I charming 2 bedroom, 2 bath, brick 50's ranch with a full finished basement and a large yard. My new home is in my hometown (12 miles outside the City of Chicago) where I have lived for the past 10 years after moving out of the City when my son started grade school. Buying a home in my hometown wasn't in my plan. I am single after leaving an 8 year relationship, my son is starting college in the fall and I was renting a home until I decided if I wanted to put new roots down back in Chicago or travel and perhaps relocate.
Fate seems to have had a hand in my decision.
I found by chance a fantastic Realtor when I inquired about a house I saw online last summer. I was house hunting mainly out of curiosity because it's a great time to buy if you don't have a home to sell and I was looking everywhere from downtown Chicago to the surrounding suburbs. So after 8 months of house hunting, I bought my new home at an excellent price. My Realtor hooked me up with my mortgage lender who was able to get me a great mortgage in the US's worst real estate market even with the tough federal guidelines. I have a close friend who's an attorney who secured a closing within 4 weeks of purchasing my home. Things just fell together. So I'm a home owner. Again. The 4th home I've bought in 10 years. But this one is HOME.
During the stress of the last month, buying the home, inspection, mortgage approval, closing...I realized how lucky I am to have such strong support in my community. Great people who really went the extra mile to get me and my little family in our new home. I love where I live. I'm a short drive or train ride to one of the World's greatest cities, my hometown has fantastic amenities including a great library, restaurants, park districts, golf courses, doctors, shopping, etc. and only a 15 minute drive to O'Hare airport for trips anywhere I want to go. The greatest blessing, I am surrounded by friends who really have become like family.
So if you are in the Chicago area and you need referrals for wonderful professionals, everyone from a Realtor to a mechanic to a doctor, let me know. Sometimes it takes knowing where to turn to find where you are going.

Monday List #11

I am enjoying a quiet if productive Monday, I have the day off after working the weekend and am spending the day house hunting. When I purchase my next nest it will be the 4th home I've purchased in the last decade and the 2nd home I've purchased as a single woman. When I bought my first home a buyers options were regulated to running down a list of properties selected by your Realtor or browsing the newspapers for a list of open houses and popping in for a look. Oh how things have changed. The market peaked and crashed and Illinois had the 9th highest rate of foreclosures in 2010. Not good for sellers but a good time to buy.
Here is my list of the tips and tricks I rely on when house hunting.

1. This one is a no brainer....have a good Realtor you trust. For 2 of my home purchases and 2 of my sales I used a realtor who had bought and sold my families homes for years. In fact it was through her that I met my 2nd husband, she was selling my home, she knew him from a past real estate deal, she put 1 and 1 together, he bought my home and we eventually married (and divorced). However due to this rather incestuous realty relationship I am currently using a new realtor, I trust her, she knows what I am looking for and she doesn't get crazy with my "if it's meant to be it will be" attitude towards homes. How do you find a good realtor? Ask your friends and colleagues, DON'T pick a realtor just because they are listing a home you are interested in. Get referrals!
2. The Internet is your friend. I am addicted to real estate sites. My favorite is http://www.realtor.com/ however I have learned the hard way that the listings are not updated as often as they should be. There are homes currently listed on realtor.com that are under contract and have been for some time. This leads to tip #3...
3. Have your realtor call or email the listing agent BEFORE you go for a viewing to make sure the home is not under contract. Why? In this day of frequent foreclosures, the bank may have accepted an offer on a home but the listing is still active. They just can't keep up with the sheer volume of foreclosed properties and you don't want to visit a home, fall in love, write up an offer and find out from the bank the home is under contract.
4. Use phone apps to pin point homes for sale in your target neighborhood. The realtor.com app on the iPhone is amazing. It uses my GPS location so I drive to a target neighborhood and search by price, features etc. You can also search by mapping features, by open house and even by rental. Searches and home listings can be saved and shared via email. I am addicted to this app and use it every day to search for new listings in my target area or to virtually search locations I may not have considered.
5. Get your financial ducks in a row. I have letters from my lender ready to go when I decide to make an initial offer. This saves valuable time and could get you the home you want over another bidder/buyer who doesn't have their lending in place.

I will update the blog when I do finally buy my next nest. Wish me luck!

A Smaller Life (book, article and website suggestions)

I'm downsizing and I love it. I recently moved from a large home to a small home and with the lighter lifestyle has come the unexpected gift of time and awareness.

 Here are a few of the changes I'm enjoying in my life:

• Walking my dog. My former home had a large fenced yard for my beagle Eloise. I now walk her 4 to 6 times a day and I'm really enjoying exploring my new neighborhood, meeting other dog owners and watching the seasons change.
• Childhood pleasures. There is a pond down the street from my new home. Every day I walk the dog to the pond and feed the ducks scraps from the kitchen. I haven't fed ducks since I was a little girl and it's now one of my favorite parts of the day. I love to watch them fight for the bread and enjoy that they sometimes follow me home looking for more. I've also started collecting pine cones on my walks, I've filled a pretty bowl in my dining room.
• Nesting. I cook almost every day. I eat healthier. I crawl in bed with a mountain of pillows and my dog and I read, day dream and get more rest. I cuddle with my son. I write more letters and read more books.
• Spending my time wisely. When I was married my life revolved around the weekends and the chores around the house, the dinners out, parties, events at the clubs we belonged too etc. It was exhausting and not always fun. I stopped laying in bed and reading the paper. Lazy Saturday mornings lingering over breakfast disappeared. Walking, talking, movie nights and just simply being wasn't happening anymore. I wake up now with an entirely new perspective on life. I spend my time wisely. I play more golf. I spend time with my friends sitting around a bonfire instead of a country club lounge. I started volunteering again. I've invited more people into my life now that I'm not competing with someone else for his time. I've made some lovely new friends and reconnected with some dear old friends.

I've read some good books on minimizing your life, your home and your job in order to maximize your time, health and happiness. Here are a few I've enjoyed:

The Minimalist Entertains : Forty Seasonal Menus for Dinner Parties, Cocktail Parties, Barbecues, and More by Mark Bittman. Good recipes and ideas. Simple can be better.

The Only 127 Things You Need: A Guide to Life's Essentials by Donna Wilkinson.  Excellent resources, tips and plain common sense on things from your health, your wardrobe, your home and more. A great book to get you started on downsizing your life.

City Chic: The Modern Girl's Guide to Living Large on Less and City Chic: The Urban Guide to Livin' Large on Less by Nina Willdorf. Tips on everything from dining out to decorating your home on a budget. Love the recipes for skin care from kitchen staples like olive oil and eggs. 

Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano. Tips on "greening" your home, style, food, travel and more. Recipes, tips on eliminating junk mail, exercise, beauty tips and more.

Here are a few good articles to read. 

The Next Little Thing? by Steven Kurutz (the NY Times article that got a lot of people thinking small)
Think Small by Bethany Lyttle
Death of the McMansion, a Yahoo Finance article

And some great websites:

Small House Society
The Not So Big House
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Antiquing Roadtrip

I grew up with a flea market/resale shop/garage sale addicted Grandmother. She always made second hand shopping fun by renaming stores like The Kidney Foundation (proceeds of sales benefited the organization) to "Kennedy Fashion" and taking me out for antipasto salad after our shopping excursions. Throughout the 80's I shopped with her, mostly for clothes and accessories and over the years found some beautiful pieces: dresses from the 50's, leather go-go boots from the 60's, 70's black suede pants, jackets from the 40's and beautiful leather bags. When I left Chicago in 1990 to attend Ohio University I discovered antique malls and small antique shops in the small towns of Ohio, each one was full of all sorts of treasures.

At 22 I moved back to Chicago and rented a little apartment but being a single mom had very little money to decorate. Searching garage sales, resale shops and antique stores for art work, dishes and furniture was a fun and economical way to decorate my home. Over the years I've become a little more choosy about what I buy and lean more towards antiques and estate sales over garage sales. Because I'm also a bit of a Gypsy and move every few years I don't clutter up my house with knick knacks, holiday decorations or cheap collectibles.

I had a few days off last week and my parents and I spent the weekend antiquing in Indiana and Michigan. I collect rare books, 18th and 19th century paintings and prints (portraits and hunting), silver plated goblets, jewelery, small lamps and glassware. To meet my criteria the piece needs to be either practical or beautiful.

Below are pictures of a few of my finds from last weekend. Not pictured a 19th century copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Volume 1 bought for $2!

I bought 4 of the small aperitif glasses, 4 tulip shaped water goblets and 2 wine goblets. I found them at the Coachman Antique Mall, 500 Lincolnway and Up Towne Shoppes, 623 State Street, both in LaPorte Indiana. Total paid was under $50 for 10 silver plated cups, not including the silver polish I need to shine them up. Why serve water or wine in a boring glass from Target!

2 antique hunting prints, framed. Total for both was $60. Bought at the charming and beautifully displayed Millie's Antiques, 13815 Red Arrow Highway, Harbert Michigan, a few miles north of downtown Union Pier. The detail is stunning and the hunting dogs in the prints remind me of my beagle Eloise.
I found 2 of these small lamps at The Antique Market, 3707 N.E. Frontage Road, Michigan City Indiana. Total price for 2 lamps was $22.00. They have the softest glow and fit perfectly under a kitchen counter or nestled into a bookshelf.

My favorite find of the year, this all gold cigar band style cameo ring found at an antique store in Charleston, South Carolina. It's my favorite piece of jewelry and the piece people comment on the most when I wear it.

So do you antique, resale shop or stop by every garage sale you see? If so, share your favorites! I'm looking forward to buying my next home, possibly a small vacation cottage in Southwest Michigan and am excited to start hunting for antique furniture and art.