I Love The Smell of Spray Paint In The Morning

Pssstt. . . Wanna buy a beach house?

Yes, we are selling the family beach house
on eastern Long Island's North Fork.  

And you know what that means: it's all hands on deck to make 
a family-friendly house look as if no one lives there, or ever did.

Weekend before last, we 4 siblings and our spouses 

gathered and cleared out any remaining stuff.

We eight are rarely all in one place at the same time, as we are 

scattered along the East Coast, and it was great to be together.

Selling this property, which our parents bought in 1969, isn't easy.

But sometimes you have to do what's practical and logical.

That's just how things are.

This past holiday weekend, Howard and I were joined by

my sister Peggy and her husband Bill, as we set the stage for selling.  

Goodbye old porcelain knobs, hello brushed nickel.  A new look for the kitchen cabinets.

Staging a house for sale is a strange process.

You erase most of what made that house a real home.

Gone are the photographs, the mementos, the little cards tucked

into picture frames, the worn or threadbare towels and bedding,

the mismatched china and gas station drinking glasses,

and all the quirky, bizarre stuff that every family acquires over time.

Enter, Pottery Barn.

You get as close as you can to a generic, pared-down, 

won't-offend-anyone style. This is just good common sense; 

the house looks fresh, and pretty, and anonymous.

 Prospective buyers can visualize their own worn out junk in the rooms.

Now, what is Howard doing on the floor with sharp pointy things?

This heron knows what's going on.

 "Look Ma!  I'm a padded headboard!"

Having neither artwork nor a headboard for the master bedroom,

we brought out plywood, spray adhesive, batting,

fabric, and (of course) staple guns.  Ta-da!

It bothers me that the heads of the upper birds are "cut off"
because I had to wrap the fabric to the back, and their little
birdy heads were too close to the selvedge.  Gotta fix this.

I added a heavy white cotton matelasse bed cover, extra pillows,

and silky-smooth high thread count sheets in a deep sandy tan.

I need to add lamps, and tweak this room, but it's getting there.

(All bedding borrowed from guest rooms at That Old House,

so don't come visit us till the beach house is sold!)

Up until Monday morning, the bedside tables were dark mahogany.  

2-1/2 coats of Rustoleum's 2X spray paint in semi-gloss white,

much of which is lining my lungs, and they are transformed.

The nightstands that had been there were in fine condition, but very dated in that old 60s colonial

style.  These now-white tables are less of a dark solid presence, more airy and light.

I did not get pictures of all the rooms.  (You're welcome.)

Two twin beds, both wearing vintage cotton matelasse coverlets 

that I got at auctions; one from eBay, one at a house auction.

Simple and sweet.

Can't you see two little kids cozying in to sleep in this room?

Across the hall, what used to be called the crib room 

no longer has a crib, but it has a new bed, and like all the guest rooms

at the beach house it has an empty chest of drawers, an empty closet,

and a chair so you don't have to sit on the bed to tug on your socks!

The cotton cover on that fresh-washed comforter is
too wrinkly, so I'll replace it with another one
from TOH next weekend.  Hey, it's a process.

This room, the former sewing room, is looking a bit sad.

I brought a king size coverlet by mistake.

Have you ever put a king size spread on a twin size bed?

It is hi-larry-us.  And, it does not work.

This room has a fabulous view across Corey Creek

and Laughing Waters, out to Peconic Bay..

No shabby bedding can take that away from it!

At the front of the house, on the second floor, there's a family room.

We cleared out any extra furniture, hung a big vintage nautical chart,

my comedian husband "staged" 3 decoys having a pow-wow

on the coffee table . . .

and we arranged a simple tablescape in the corner

by the stairs to the loft, 

and hung a small painting as part of the vignette.

Very simple and plain, no frills up here!

The view is the star on this level of the house.

Well, that's enough for today's tour!

Anne and I will be out to Southold this coming weekend,

to finish the last of the prep, and get this show on the road.

Thank you, Mom and Pop, for providing this wonderful refuge

for our family for so many years.  I'm especially grateful that our

daughters got to know what it's like to live at the shore, tuned in

to nature's rhythms and magic; there's no place more wondrous.

-- Cass

Link Parties!
Yes, it is not Monday, but I didn't have computer access yesterday, so I get a Do-Over!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is the brains behind Metamorphosis Monday.  Here!
. . . and because it is actually Tuesday . . .
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life has Inspire Me Tuesday to motivate us!  Here.

Holy Smokes, It's 2013

Wow, that came fast -
a New Year and all that goes with it.

Courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Did you make any resolutions?

I did.

One of mine was to blog more regularly.

Already blown that one; my last post was 12/29/12.

Oops.

Sunroom tree.  Shedding needles now, sadly.

Here at That Old House, our Christmas trees are still holding court.

A double-header in the Parlor.

A tabletop with the Girls' Ornaments in the Study.

Ecumenical, that's us.

In the Dining Room, a small tree, with red wood beads,

birds, fruit, and little tea cups.

Reminder for next year:  Get a Tree Skirt!

Naked plastic fake tree trunk -- not A Good Thing.

How could I have overlooked that?

It's so easy to toss a tablecloth around the bottom.

Aaargghhh!

We always leave our trees up through the Epiphany on January 6th.

But on January 6th, we were not in New Jersey;

we were at our beach house for a 3-day weekend.

 Look closely, and you can see Howard walking Dylan on the lawn in front of the house.

It's easier to see in this picture.

Daughter Alida, who with her husband Josh was visiting for the holidays
from Los Angeles, took these pictures from the dock.

It is very quiet and rather bleak during the winter, right on the water,

and it's often cold but we were lucky - temps well into the 40s all weekend.  Beautiful weather.

The tides are lower than in spring, the grasses are brown, the sky feels even closer to the earth.

I quite like it.

Plus, there are so very few people out there in the winter.

Downside?  Our favorite restaurant was closed for a seasonal break.

What nerve.

***************************************

After canceling our Christmas party on

12/29 because of snow, we gathered up friends

and family the very next day, Sunday, and partied on.

I am absolutely awful about taking pictures during parties.

Here are a few, mostly taken by my daughters.

The younger-uns, gathering in the study.

 And the highlight of the party:

Our bizarre Grab Bag.

I hope my dear friends in the Land of Blog all found joy in

December's holy days, and in the celebration of this New Year.

Welcome, 2013.

God bless us, every one.  -- Cass