Author: Pointes of View

by

In Pursuit of Paint

IMG_7871 (600x800)If you’ve been following the blog, you know that I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect paint colors for the house. Now that the wallpaper was off and the hardwood floors uncovered and cleaned, it was time to paint. I’d already met with Tim over at Shelby Paint, but now I had to put our selections to the test.

I bought a bunch of samples and let the girls help me paint poster boards (as you can see, the above pic was taken a while ago – Lucy is still in diapers and we’re still at the Apartment), which they were thrilled about. Then I took the boards to the new house to check them out.

IMG_7882 (537x800)Color is a very tricky thing, as I have learned over the last couple months. I knew it already, but wow. Colors change from one room to the next, from one foot to the next even, sometimes. And of course they change drastically depending on how light or dark the room is.

Initially I’d picked Athena for the entryway (the largest of the samples above), but now it appeared too blue. We (meaning me, as my husband was rolling his eyes at this point) decided to go with Manchester Tan instead, the darkest color shown above.

IMG_7873 (601x800)Our dining room pick, Nantucket Grey, was perfect.

IMG_7875 (600x800)And for the living room, we were originally going to go with Athena as well, but again, it looked too bluish. I really wanted a light, airy feel to the living room, so I went with the controversial Navajo White (poster board is Athena). Before selecting a white, I went online and read various reviews from both experts and DIY folks. Many experts poo-pooed Navajo White, saying that it felt too “rental apartment” or boring. But that Linen White was a beautiful white.

Anyway, I looked up Linen White, and it is seriously almost exactly the same formula as Navajo White. So there. And I went with the old design rule (whose rule? I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s a rule), if you like it, then who cares what anyone else thinks?

COMING UP: In my next post, I’ll introduce you to John, our painter, and reveal my one color regret. Can you guess?

 

 

by

The September List

photo 2 (800x800)1) I’d forgotten how magical Fall is. I haven’t experienced a true Fall since I lived in Reno and that was almost 20 years ago (!). I can’t stop ooh-ing and aah-ing and taking photos (and I’ll have a bunch more to share soon).

2) Bug of the month: the cicada. A large, invisible (I’ve never seen one, have you?) insect that makes a loud buzzing noise. All day long. Wikipedia says, “Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas.” I can see that.

3) The worst peril of potty training is not your kid rolling around on the floor screaming “I want a diaper!” for 20 minutes. It’s when they finally poop in the potty and you go to empty it and your face gets splashed with toilet water.

4) I didn’t cry on the first day of school as expected. What I did do was giggle as I ate my lunch on the couch and watched Season 2 of Mr. Selfridge.

IMG_8297 (707x800)5) I’ve been wanting to check out J House Juice on Fisher and finally went in. In addition to a full Starbucks menu, they offer smoothies, fresh juices (Lucy and I shared a pineapple, grapefruit and ginger blend) and delicious coconut desserts that are big enough to satisfy your treat craving, but no so big that you wish you hadn’t.

6) The city of Grosse Pointe Farms does not want your old recycle bins. We bought one of their larger bins, so I called to ask if we could give back our small bin (they are currently out of stock, I happen to know).
Me:  Wait, you don’t recycle recycle bins? That’s kind of ironic, don’t you think?
Woman on Phone:  Well, residents don’t want used bins, they want new bins.
Me:  Wow, okay.
Woman on Phone:  They just don’t want to have a used bin, do you know what I mean?
Me:  I would want a used bin, actually.
Woman on Phone:  You could label it “trash” and we’ll come pick it up (Ummm). Or you could use it for something else.
Me:  Uh, okay, we’ll use it, thank you.

IMG_8330 (742x800)7) And the best Asian restaurant in Grosse Pointe is….(drum roll)…Trader Joe’s. Sad, but true. (And yes I’ve been to Bluefin Sushi). Maybe I’ve been deprived for too long, but the other day I whipped up their frozen sukiyaki, added some green onions and rice and I have to say, pretty darn good. Their orange chicken and pot stickers are also not half bad (do I need an intervention?).

8) A couple months ago, I requested a book from the library that was not in the Grosse Pointe library system or the State of Michigan library system. A couple weeks ago, I got an email saying the book was waiting for me at the front desk. Sure, Amazon is faster, but the library is free. Love.

photo 1 (549x800)9) We’ve painted the rest of the house, but now need to settle on a paint color that will tie our future kitchen to the family room. My husband has likened my paint selection process to that of a serial killer (really?).

10) I thought I would have all this free time when school started. I was going to be Martha Stewart on steroids. Baking, cleaning, taking lessons, general do-gooding. In reality, by the time I blink and have my second cup of coffee, it’s time to pick them up. Argh.

11) The day I do not have to make a school lunch, I will have all of you over for a champagne toast and a dip in the hot tub.

photo (735x800)12) Reupholstering a couch is not $600 (which I budgeted for). Or even $800 (my budget cushion). Not even close. So until we can afford it, the bright yellow floral couch and zebra rug will have to find a way to get along (but does it look like they’re @^#%$*  getting along!? The answer is no).

by

Meet Javier, Hardwood Floor Guy

Rug.master

Master Bedroom, before.

When we put a bid on our house, we weren’t thinking about the floors. Let me rephrase. We were trying not to think about the floors. I asked our realtor if she could find out what was underneath the upstairs carpeting. Without hesitation, she said there was no way there was hardwood. She was quite confident that when we lifted up the carpeting, we’d find  plywood, typical of homes built in the 1960s.

But our home wasn’t built in the 1960s, it was built in 1960. This is what the little voice inside my head said. So I held out hope. When the sale went through, we didn’t have possession of the house right away, as the owners requested a rent-back to give them time to solidify the purchase of their condo. About a month later, we finally had a chance to get inside and look around. And to put an end to the hardwood floor question.

rug.guest

Guest Bedroom, before.

If you’re anything like me, you love a good home renovation show (my personal favorite, Rehab Addict). Which means you’ve seen the episode where the camera follows the host to (insert room here), and zooms in on the filthy, stained and/or hideously dated carpeting. We then watch as the host reaches down to pull up the carpet and reveal what’s underneath and….oh my goodness, original hardwood floors, can you believe it!?

Yeah, it was kinda like that.

IMG_7876 (678x800)

Oak

So we had oak floors. Now what? Our first thought was to find someone to come out and sand and stain. Easy peasy. Or not. The one place that was recommended to me (by several professionals. All these home improvement guys know each other), would be happy to do the job. In November. For $7100. Seeing as we weren’t interested in waiting three months to move in, nor had we anticipated having to pay that much, we decided to go a different route.

I called pretty much all the hardwood floor people in Grosse Pointe Blue Book, requesting a quote for cleaning and sealing (no sanding, no staining) of our floors. Three people got back to me (seriously?) and one of them was Javier (pronounced Xavier. That’s what he said. I do what I’m told) of Exotic Floors & Designs.

IMG_7901 (708x800)Like I’ve done with my other trade interviews, I started by asking Javier how he got into the business. About 19 years ago, he was working for an environmental company (didn’t say what he did and of course me being the amateur interviewer that I am, failed to ask) and although it paid well, he was due for a raise and had a small baby at home. He asked for that raise, they said no, and he decided to look for work elsewhere.

Here’s where my facts get a little sketchy (see what happens when you wait too long to try to decipher your very scribbley notes!?).  I do know he is mostly self-taught. In order to learn the techniques of hardwood flooring trade, he bought a video and watched it about 1000 times (for real). He was honest with his first client about his inexperience, and said he would give them a great price if they gave him a chance.

Things obviously worked out (last year, Javier worked with that same client on another job). In 1997, he started Exotic Floors & Design, and at one point, even had a storefront on Mack (a main thoroughfare that separates Grosse Pointe from Detroit) before the building was sold.

IMG_7902 (600x800)As his company name implies, Javier specializes in exotic woods (he was approached by a client who owned a lumber company at some point in his career, and that’s how he got turned on to the exotics). What are examples of exotics? Bamboo and African woods, like the deep red padauk (which can be so poisonous that it can’t be sanded in the home).

What trends is he seeing? He still does a lot of designs – borders and inlays. And says the Grosse Pointe area continues to be traditional and clients here prefer an authentic and/or antique look, whereas newer more fast-paced communities like Birmingham (Detroit suburb) prefer flashier styles. Like what? Jet black floors. I’m sorry… black floors? Yep, finished to where they look like a lacquered piece of furniture. I get the impression he thinks the effect is kind of cool. Perhaps it is.

Javier

Javier and one of his designs (not our house).

Our floors look amazing, considering we didn’t have a huge budget. Javier’s guess is that they were never used, never walked on (can you believe it?). There are some bad scratch marks where razor blades were used to install carpet, and several water marks that won’t come out unless we sand and stain.

But that’s okay with us, we feel fortunate just to have them. They remind us a little of our old place (and I want to add “back home” but I’m trying to stop doing that) in San Francisco and I find myself wondering how long it will take for this place to feel like home. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

 

by

Liebster Award

liebster-awardWe interrupt our regularly scheduled programing for something a little different: the Liebster Award. I’ve been graciously nominated by Life, the Universe and Lani – a blog about an expat teacher’s life in Thailand. She’s easy-going, funny (so darn funny), smart and interesting. Please take a second to stop by her blog to be enlightened and entertained!

Since she nominated me for this award, I don’t think she’ll mind if I quote her explanation of the Liebster Award:
“Basically, the Liebster Award is a Favorite Blog Award – Liebster is German for “favorite”. It is awarded to a blog that has less than 200 followers (although I actually have a hair more, but who’s counting). It’s a great way to interact with other smaller blogs and to get everyone more connected!”

The rules for the Award (which Lani modified, and which I will, too) are as follows:
1. Each person who is nominated must post 11 things about themselves.
2. You must also answer the questions that the tagger set for you in addition to creating 11 questions for the people you nominate to answer.
3. Nominate new bloggers.
4. Go to your nominees’ pages and tell them.
5. Thank and link back to the person’s blog who nominated you.

I won’t write 11 things about myself.  If you have a specific question, you can always just ask! And I won’t nominate more bloggers, although I’ve listed a few of my favorites below that you should definitely check out. I will, however, answer the five questions given to me by Lani:

1. How do you decide what to write about?

The premise of my blog is our big move from San Francisco to the Detroit area, and since I’m only five months in, I have a lot of material to work with. Everything is new for me still.

2. What inspired your blog name?

That’s easy. My new town: Grosse Pointe.

3. What was the best present ever given to you?

A motorcycle jacket. I had been dating my now husband for about 3-4 months. We sometimes went for rides on his motorcycle and one day he announces that I should have my own jacket. He took me to a store, where we settled on a feminine-cut bird’s egg blue jacket. That to me, was significant because it told me he was in it for the long haul, that he planned to take me on many more adventures. I don’t know how many girls can say they received a motorcycle jacket as a first gift. It’s pretty romantic.

4. Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been?

I should say the Seychelle Islands, because it’s the most exotic (and expensive) place I’ve been. But if I really think about it, I’d have to say Tuscany. Italy has my heart as much as San Francisco does. And San Francisco is a close second to Tuscany, if not tied. Some of the most beautiful, awe-struck, there-is-a-God type moments I’ve experienced have been in these two cities.

5. What is the best job you’ve ever had?

Serving as the director of contract administration at Papyrus. I loved working with artists and agencies and I loved all the copyright law stuff. I also loved being in downtown San Francisco and working in a loft-style open environment. Plus, it took me away from the worst job I ever had, which was working for a toy company, but I met some of my very favorite people there, so it served its purpose.

Now for some of my favorite WordPress blogs:
-Scarlett @ Hello Scarlett Blog. Beautiful shots and sweet posts. A really lovely blog.
-Ehren David Edralin @ Masculine Manhattan. Because who doesn’t love NYC street style, especially when it focuses on the gents?
–Street Smarts for Suburban Moms. Like me, she moved from the city to suburbia. I like to read her take on things and she often poses issues that make me think about how I might handle similar situations.
-Annie @ This Northern Belle. She’s super cute and here in Michigan. A fun, happy lifestyle blog.

Thanks again, Lani! You rock hard.

 

 

 

 

by

My Latest Obsession: Grosse Pointe Estate Sales

shoes

Jimmy Choo ballet flats: $45.00 (new $395).

Estate sales don’t happen in San Francisco. Well, according to my husband they do and they did, only we never noticed signs or heard about them (but if a tree falls in the forest…?). There were countless garage sales back home, but whatever wasn’t junky was always priced way too high.

Here, estate sales are like garage sales with sprinkles on top. This summer, there was one, if not several, going on every weekend (I’m sure it slows down in colder months. Perhaps even comes to a full stop. I’ll let you know).

I noticed the sidewalk signs when we first moved and didn’t really think anything of them because for one thing, there are so many freaking signs here that one tends to stop looking at them all together. Anyway, I don’t normally waste my time digging through bins of other people’s unwanteds. But I’d see cars lining the block and people walking with a purpose and one day I got curious enough (and brave enough) to park the car and check it out for myself.

IMG_7666 (601x800)In Grosse Pointe, most estate sales are run by professionals who have been in the business for years. From what I’ve gathered, there are two main companies: Marcia Wilk and Stefek’s (the other companies appear less frequently and are almost impossible to find online).

They announce sales at the beginning of the week, with the actual sale starting on a Friday and ending Saturday. I’ve never gone to one right when it opened, but apparently it can get crazy. Numbers are handed out 30 minutes prior to start time and customers are asked to be “organized and orderly” (as one website states). On Saturday afternoons, prices get dropped considerably, the catch being that the good stuff is usually gone by then.

IMG_7612 (600x800)IMG_7613 (600x800)The first sale I went to was a hot mess. There were holiday decorations galore, plates, pots and dishes for days, books, records, clothes, odds and ends and a handful of furniture. In addition to displaying the estate’s offerings, estate sale companies also bring in their own stuff (items from past sales, consignment items). There were a lot of folks at this one and they were riffling through things like rats in a garbage bin.

IMG_7669 (800x800)Amidst the chaos, I did manage to find something I liked. An Italian Mottahedeh ceramic bowl for $25.00. I did some research when I got home and couldn’t find the exact bowl, but based on similar items (same design, different shape), the actual value is somewhere in the neighborhood of $125-$150.

Since I had a babysitter on Friday afternoons (had, because the school year has started, so I no longer have a sitter), I’d make sure to check out a sale or two if I had time between my frantic errand-running. The signs I followed one day led me to one of the properties that had been on our new home shortlist. Remember the Canadian consulate on Stephens Road? (FYI – It was weird to be wandering around a home that only weeks prior we’d been considering living in. I can’t explain why it was weird, it just was). Anyhow, there I was.

photo-1 (800x800)First I spotted a great collection of matches. As I walked to the counter to pay for my $5.00 bowl of assorted matchbooks, I eyed two sets of chairs:  a pair of wingbacks with matching ottoman and a pair of tub chairs. All in excellent condition. And all pink. I stared. I paced. I sat. I consulted my husband (who was back in San Francisco for work and who told me to use my best judgement, as he was swamped and couldn’t help me make a decision). So I did use my better judgement, and made the decision to buy the whole lot.

The tub chairs were $350 each. The tag on the chairs said William Switzer, a Canadian company (naturally) based out of Vancouver. I called the company, emailed them a photo of the chairs and they confirmed the chairs were authentic. They also told me the retail value for each is about $3000. Score.

homes.stephenslivingI bought the wingbacks and ottoman for $1200 (Would they throw in the matches for free? They would). I couldn’t find the manufacturer for those, but no matter. I love the chairs and for sure would not have been able to get them for that price at a retail store.

homes.cloverlylivingIMG_7642A couple weeks later (on our way to a walk-through of our now home), we drove by  the Cloverly place we fell in love with (but whose layout and space would never work for us). We had ten minutes to stop before our appointment. And did I find something there? Of course I did. The yellow floral couch is the perfect size for our living room. It actually looks lovely (so happy, so bright) in there now with our other estate sale finds, but it will eventually need to get a facelift, as it does not go well with the zebra-print rug.

We even went to our new home’s estate sale (the people we bought it from were downsizing to a smaller place). Talk about weird. My husband could barely take it – strangers touching our walls, opening our cupboards, walking around in our bedrooms. I bought a Pottery Barn faux throw for $15 (retail $149) and a shoe rack for $8.00 (my only bad estate sale purchase. Turns out, it doesn’t hold shoes).

I put the brakes on estate sale hunting when all the home renovation stuff came down the pike. I was just too darn busy. Plus, we don’t need anything else. Although… the little one could use a cool vintage bookshelf between the twin beds in her room. Hmmmm, better keep an eye out.

by

Storm

photo 3 (800x800)Last weekend, a storm blew through town. It seemed to come out of nowhere and lasted less than half and hour. I wouldn’t have known the weather had taken a turn for the worse, except that I happened to look out the window and saw trees getting whipped about and lots of lightning. A couple hours later, a friend texted me to say that they drove by our new house and a couple of branches were down.

photo 1 (756x800)Branches indeed. They missed the porch by a few feet – yikes.  But we were one of the lucky ones. Much of Grosse Pointe lost power for days (we didn’t lose power at our apartment or the new house). And we were lucky in that the tree that fell was on city property, so they took care of hauling it away. This was the second freaky storm we had this summer. The last one hit about a month before, and same thing. Very short, but very powerful with lots of trees down. They tell me this sort of storm isn’t exactly a normal occurrence in these parts. Hmmmm.

photo 2-1 (600x800)We think the tree will eventually have to be cut down. Until then, I’ll make sure to enjoy it every day that it’s here. Aaaaaaannnnd….we’re all moved in! Update soon.