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Nothing majorly exciting happened since the last time I shared a glimpse into our projects, except that our family room renovation has been delayed indefinitely due to our contractor pulling a disappearing act that would make David Copperfield jealous. If it weren’t for this pandemic I think I might have stressed about it more, but considering the year we’ve all had, it’s really helped put things in perspective. He’ll show up eventually, and the room will be done, and never again after that.
In the meantime, between work, parenting and housekeeping duties, I’ve been slowly chipping away at projects here and there. I am almost done painting our basement walls and have managed to make a few very bad Amazon purchases (a toy-like leaf blower that cannot even move one leaf! One! And an army wool blanket that looks nothing like the image advertised – it’s dark green instead of beige- and was so heavily drenched in fire retardant and oils that I had to immediately open all windows and wash my hands). I’ll be returning them later today…
However, there have been several triumphs that I’d like to share with you. Things we bought that have made our life a little bit better, prettier even. In the end it’s all a balancing act… By far the most successful purchase of the month has been a wonderful faux fur blanket. This faux fur blanket.
It is the coziest, comfiest thing we own. I’ve been wanting to get us one for a long time but was afraid that it might trigger my daughter’s allergies, and that it might look tacky. So far ( we’ve had it for over a week) it hasn’t made anyone sneeze, and it looks beautiful! Isabella asks to come downstairs during her school breaks to snuggle up in it on the sofa (she was under there seconds before I took this photo). So far, that alone makes it worth the money. My only regret is that I didn’t order two, or the larger size.
Another serendipitous purchase, one that we’re super excited about, is our new (to us) fireplace screen. You may recall that last fall we purchased one on Amazon and it has served us really well all winter and we made numerous fires, but when a listing popped up on Facebook Marketplace the other day I knew it was what I wanted all along. It had the right size to entirely cover the firebox, the right price and was conveniently located only a few miles outside of town. It is old, but we gave it a good cleaning and is now a beautiful addition to our living room. We had the first fire of the season to celebrate! 🙂
Now let me show you the less pretty, but equally important to us, purchases. I think I’ve mentioned this before; our property is set on nearly one acre of land surrounded by large trees. The views are beautiful but the amount of grass clippings and dried leaves we rake every year is astronomical.
I’ve seen our neighbors build cold compost bins out of pallets and was inspired to put all these garden leftovers to good use, while improving the quality of our soil in the process but I did not like the pallets because they would be difficult to move around at the end of the season, and some are sprayed with harmful chemicals that keep them from rotting, chemicals that would inevitably leak into the compost… Plus, we’re not the most enthusiastic DIYers in the world… So, when we saw on Youtube a Welsh farmer use composter bin kits that he dismantled and moved around in his yard when the season was over, we loved the idea and wanted something similar for our garden. We quickly found a beautiful compost bin kit made of non-treated cedar wood and ordered it on a whim. We love it! Here it is in our yard.
When I shared this image on my Instagram stories I received so many inquires about it so I’m including the link here. This is the cedar wood composter and the great thing about it is that it’s both pretty and versatile, and can be extended over time if need be.
We added one extension already (three seems to be ideal to have several stages of compost decay – to amend the soil in early spring, mid-summer, then again late-fall) so we’ll consider adding a third one soon. It is worth mentioning that the wood will dry and patina over time to a dark grey (which I love).
Assembling it was relatively easy, but we made sure to wear gloves to avoid splinters. To set the slats in place, my husband used a mallet. If you’re hitting it too strong, and too close to the middle, the slats will break. (We didn’t break any, but almost did.) And the best part is that now all our kitchen scraps go into a pretty compost pile so we have less waste, and hopefully better soil next year for my flowers.
And finally, you may recall I’ve been lusting for a chain saw for a really long time. We have a deep patch of overgrown vegetation at the back of our garden, shrubs and tiny trees growing haphazardly that no one had cleaned up for nearly a decade. While my husband will get an intimidating gas chain saw, I wanted something that I could use any time I had a half hour to spare. It was important to me that it be cordless and light, with a rechargeable battery. I landed on this chainsaw from Greenworks, based on the large number of positive ratings it had, and I’m happy with it. It doesn’t cut big trees but it does chop shrubs and and young saplings.
We started clearing out the shrubs last weekend and I could use it easily. I did have protective gear – goggles and gloves and knee pads – and tried to be as careful as possible, keeping my arms steady and away from the blade. It will take time to clear it all up and we’ll work through the winter when there’s no foliage and ticks are less active, but if we can do it, it will potentially save us thousands of dollars in having to hire someone to do the job for us. Plus, it is an excellent workout although protective gear when working with a chain saw is an absolute must.
And that’s about it on our end! I hope you were not bored stiff by my compost and chainsaw rants. Fingers crossed I’ll have more interesting updates to share with you soon. Take care!
Love the blanket! It looks so snuggly and warm. And I know what you mean about the contractor situation. We only had one project where someone did that and I am SO. GRATEFUL. that the person who did our kitchen was reliable.
Your place is looking great, and coming along just the way a lovely home should be – a little at a time, layer by layer.
I so look forward to your posts about your home. I feel like we’re on the same timing track and it’s fun to see your home and garden evolve.
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Hi, Linda! Thank you so much for your comment! I am in awe of all that you’ve done with your new home so far, and in such a short amount of time! I am realizing now that finding reliable people to work with is difficult, but key to the success of a home decor project…
xo, Eva
I too have a family room awaiting my missing handyman. The hole in the ceiling from a plumbing issue is somewhat patched but a bat still got through. I removed the popcorn and am waiting for beadboard. I did ask him a month ago if he was coming back – he said when it gets colder. I pointed out it was colder:)
Thanks for the chainsaw tip. I also have lots of tiny trees and shrubs that need cut back that are a bit too big for the lopers. Also looking for something light and girl friendly to take care of them.
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Oh, no! A bat, Jeanne? At a time like this when bats are disgraced, it must have been very scary… And good for you for being cheeky with your handyman, he was asking for it… 🙂 I hope he shows up on time! xo, Eva
P.S: Please be careful with the chainsaw, if you get one… Make sure to wear protective goggles, as wood chips fly everywhere.
Take care!
Tell us about that absolutely gorgeous highboy/cabinet? in the living room. Do not remember seeing that on your earlier posts. Absolutely stunning. Your decorating proves that small homes can be as elegant as those of folks with larger homes and lots of $$$ and much more cozy. Enjoy your column immensely.
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Hi, Loretta! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, I am glad you like our highboy!! It’s an antique reproduction by a New England carpenter from the early 1900s made of tiger maple, and the first “serious” antique piece of furniture I bought 🙂 Take care! xo, Eva
I too am needing a light weight blower, something to move the leaves but leave the graveled path in place…..please tell me what NOT to buy!
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Hi, Kris! Of course, I’ll tell you but I rather do it privately, I don’t want to throw shade on someone else’s business. After all it is my opinion, others may like their product 😐 Please send me a message through the contact form of this blog and I’ll gladly send you the link. xo, Eva
So much useful information this posting- thank you so much!
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Thanks, Patricia! Glad you think so. xo, Eva
Ugh, I am frustrated on your behalf regarding the missing contractor. I have had several contractors or handymen that have been less than stellar in one way or another in the past. I just hired someone to replace our upper kitchen cabinets and backsplash and our shower. He seems really great so far but I feel like I have PTSD from past experiences and have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He hopes to start on the first project (the kitchen) next Monday! Fingers crossed that all goes well. And fingers crossed that you hear back from your contractor soon.
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Thank you so much for the empathy, Lauren! I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming projects and I’m sending positive thoughts your way!! Keep me posted how it turns out. xo, Eva
Eva, I have to tell you that the best present I’ve ever had was a faux fur _electric_ blanket! I’ve had it about five years now and it is the warmest, loveliest thing to snuggle under. It’s just getting to the time of year now where I’ll plug it in and be toasty warm!
Mine is very similar colouring to yours and amazingly it just washes in a normal washing machine . . . It’s my favourite winter luxury and is normally over me when I read your latest blog post :)))
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Hi, Katie! That sounds delightful, thank you!! xo, Eva
I’ve learned that you need at least one cubic yard of leaves, grass cuttings (not treated with chemicals) shredded cardboard etc. to get a compost pile to cook. If
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Hi Deidre! You’re right, it takes layers of greens and browns in a 1:2 ratio and layered lasagna-style to get it going. Oxygenating the pile by turning things around every other week is also supposed to help… Fingers crossed it will start cooking soon! 🙂 xo, Eva