Saturday, February 19, 2011

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

It's still a work in progress, but here are the long-awaited photos of our little house in Cleveland. It really is fairly small, but because Ben used a wide-angle lens when he took the pictures, everything looks much bigger than reality. The kitchen, for example, is quite small:


Here, you can see one of my first sewing projects--the curtains. When we moved in there were these terrible "curtains" up that didn't fit the window and they had crazy ugly roosters on them. When I saw this material at the store, I couldn't resist buying it. More roosters...slightly more classy.
We also had next to zero storage place in the kitchen, so we invested in the microwave stand and made use of a closet organizer for the white shelving in the corner.


Some homemade magnets from my mission decorate the side of the fridge.


We only ever use the kitchen door (the point from which Ben took the kitchen's picture). When you look to your left upon entry, you see this view of our bedroom. We like the red curtains, but if they stay closed too long into the day, the entire room is a lovely shade of pink.


One of my current obsessions: houseplants. It started with our herbs and has expanded to include this umbrella tree. I have many more ideas in mind, but most of the nurseries are still closed in cold Cleveland.


The famous Texas star has a place in the hallway across from the bathroom.



Ben and I went antique shopping a few weeks ago and picked up this window. After a coat a paint and some artistic sanding, it made a nice addition to our bathroom.


Given the central location (and Ben and my love for good food), the dining room is one of the most frequented rooms of the house. I would also like to note that all the furniture in this room was free.

Ben snagged a picture of a general dinner set-up, minus the food.

Another one of my little art projects. I like the effect, but most people ask, "Are those supposed to be empty?"



The living room is known fondly as our "brown room." Brown floor, brown walls, brown TV stand, brown rug, brown couches. One day we'll have more color.... Meanwhile, those brown couches were somewhat hard to come by. We love them, but they're HUGE. The sofa had to be hoisted over the balcony and brought in through the french door your see in the right corner.



On the other side of the living room, slightly more color is provided by our book and game collection. Ben and I like to read aloud to each other, and that habit is aided by our expansive selection.



Off the living room is a small sun room that houses the desk and piano. Despite the fact that it's the coldest room in the house, it's also the sunniest, and, as such, is one of our favorite corners.



Ben says: George Washington never had "wooden teeth", as is so commonly believed. They were actually made out of rhino tusk and over the years, lines and cracks and discoloration have made them look kind of like wood.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Our Belated Valentines Day

I came home from a short visit to Utah to find tulips on the table from my sweetie. I had stayed up late the night before making him some of his beloved, family-recipe honey taffy. Meanwhile, he'd been scheming to provide me with a perfectly wonderful Valentine's evening.
When he got home from school, he insisted on making me a delectable dinner--steak, baked potatoes, fresh green beans, and portabella mushrooms. While he cooked, I was instructed to get ready and to dress nice because we were going out after dinner.
The food was spectacular. When we were finished with our meal he told me that he was taking me to Severance Hall to see the Cleveland Orchestra, and we had box seats!



The hall itself is beautiful, and the orchestra was even more so. The program was as follows:

SIBELIUS - Symphony No. 7
SZYMANOWSKI - Violin Concerto No. 1
NIELSEN - Symphony No. 4
("The Inextinguishable")

The last was easily my favorite with a riotous end involving a battle of tympanis, but I really enjoyed the first two, as well. Ben particularly liked the violin concerto.



Because we had fancy box seats we got to join all the old people for cookies and drinks in a reserved room during intermission--ginger snaps, lemon cookies, and wine glasses for our H2O.

Isn't my sweetie a sweetie?


Ben says: I was wondering why the baseball was getting bigger... then it hit me.