15 October 2010

before and after

The breakfast nook was one of our first house projects when I arrived a few years ago. This is the "after" shot.

We removed the built in benches (out of sight in this picture) and installed a breakfast counter overlooking the canyon. Our contractor discovered that the hardwood under the linoleum tiles was in great shape, so we had it restored. There is so much warm wood in this old Craftsman cottage, and the nook feels very cozy now.

The studio really took a lot of work. We started by shoring up the back corner against the fence which had been eroded by a neighbor's fence-building project years earlier. Not an easy thing to lift a building and create a partial foundation with local stone! Then there was an enormous amount of prep before painting, and the result (see last post) is pretty wonderful.

08 October 2010

morning greens


Baby bok choy, plus cabbage, beets, onions, tatsoi, kale, spinach and peas are all loving the greenhouse conditions, as the sun returns after a couple of rainy days.


Doesn't the Sweet Orange Studio look great this morning in our new colors? I'll have to post a "before" picture soon, to give you the full impact of this change.


And speaking of oranges, how about this enthusiastic bunch of tangerines preparing themselves for winter?

07 October 2010

here comes the sun



Solar panels are being installed next door! It's so fantastic to see people wanting to use easily available, truly renewable energy. I'm going to do a happy dance...