a record player update (finally!)

(Breaking out some (new) old posts here.)

Sorry for the wait on the record player! I know you've been sitting at the edge of your seat for months now. Haha. Actually, I'm sure you've forgotten but I haven't! The record player, unfortunately, does not have a home upstairs in the natural light because 1) we don't have a good space for it yet and 2) Ladybug has pulled the glass tubes out and we don't want them breaking! That has made it difficult to photograph - it's pretty dark in the basement!

Here is my last post about it. (Really? Over a year ago?)

Anyway. I had to pull off and sand a bunch of glued on veneer. The point has never been to refurbish the wood (as this would be too pricey and over my head) but rather, because of the water damage and 25 cent price tag) to paint it whatever color I wanted.

I sanded the whole thing down and then glued my own veneer pieces to the sides. This brought the sides flush with the corner pieces (unlike the original) but I was okay with that.

Make sure you have enough clamps! I'd already glued it and then had to run (literally!) to the store before the glue set to buy more clamps.

Disaster averted.

Here is the BEFORE:

And the AFTER!

We brought it up to enjoy some old music with friends and family on the girl's birthday.

After it was glued and the holes filled with wood filler, I painted it in a flat Clark and Kensington "Yarrow Point" then aged it a bit with Annie Sloan's Dark Wax.  Then we took an old door pull from this project and screwed it in with a new screw.

I kept the inside its beautiful dark wood and the record player mechanism looks like it did 60 years ago!

It's far from perfect - I would love to replace the speaker fabric under the face (but that would require disassembly, perhaps with a crowbar!) and the floor of the cupboard is damaged beyond sanding and painting - but it's ours and it's lovely.

Now if there was only a perfect home for it upstairs. Maybe someday!

Here's a little taste of its sound.


record player from Lisa Shunk on Vimeo.

Cheers!

(Can you believe Thanksgiving is in a week!? November has flown by...)

CSA Week 22: Final post!

Last CSA post! Are you relieved? I am slightly. But, more on that in a minute.

This week...

... a bunch of turnips, red mustard greens, 5 pears, microgreens, large head of Chinese (Napa) cabbage, bag of lettuce and a head of garlic.

I'm not super excited about much this week except the pears! I have a pear galette on the brain for some reason. If they would only ripen quickly and at the same time!!

Anyway, week 1 held a huge Napa cabbage for us and I suppose what goes around comes around. Here in week 22 is another! I was not impressed with the taste (VERY bitter) at all. I'm slightly tired of trying to use up the root veggies and we're not big salad people. Hmm.

Not to complain. I've really enjoyed this experience and thanks for letting me document it on my blog! I wanted to keep a detailed version so when we decide in the future whether or not to do it again, I can go back and look.

Upsides of a CSA: fresh, local, organic produce. Supporting a local farmer was a very big motivator, not to mention feeding my family produce without pesticides! Getting to know the farmer by name and having to be creative in my cooking, and eating things we wouldn't normally buy!

Downsides of a CSA: the drive every Tuesday night was getting old. But the biggies were that it was pricey (cut into my food budget quite a bit after while!) and the produce we don't like going bad in the fridge ... then me feeling guilty for paying for it and then wasting it.

Like I said, overall it was good, but everything has downsides.

Tell me, if you read these posts, what did you learn about CSAs? Or buying local? I'm curious. :-)

the weekend Market

After a crazy day last Thursday (complete with rain and 3 hours at the pediatrician/x-ray lab/pharmacy for Ladybug), I finally got to my space at the Market at set up.

Oh, did I mention I got the spot right by the door? Chilly but SOOOO worth it! I sold more than I was hoping for!

I would've planned differently if I would've know how big my space was (bigger than the allotted 9'x9' I paid for!) but I made do with what I had. I arranged it so people might very well want to walk right through the center of my booth. And, they did. Some also got confused if one of the tables was my stuff, but I assured them it was.

Some kiddos walked a little too close to some of the signs on the floor and knocked a few over, but I made sure nothing super precious was down there. That's the good thing about rustic and distressed ... a little bit of kid or klutzy adult (a.k.a. me) won't hurt a thing. It'll just add to the charm.

my spot at the Market (main entrance to the right of the pic)

(sorry, Sharla, Jeremy didn't tell me that my collar was curled up!)

Christmas wreath plaques and barnwood frames

table runners

my clocks were the first to go!

this one didn't sell, so it's staying in the family. :-)

handmade lumberyard receipt box from the 1940s...

...turned chalkboard message center. (Didn't sell either but I love it!)

My mason jars looked super cute but only sold 1. Out of 30. Oops.

German bakery sign!

isn't the mint green ricer so cute?

love this old kitchen scale

signs and hangers (and pearls)

paper wreaths went over well too! Made 6, sold 4.

Overall, the Market was a great experience. I was surprised that my cards and lavender sachets got a lot of thumbing through but no takers ... and my signs in French and German weren't taken until later the 2nd day! But just because I love something doesn't mean someone else will.

I got lots of compliments from friends and strangers, so that made me feel good, of course. I was already pleased with the set-up job and my work, so the compliments and my spot sealed the deal! Thanks to everyone who came, who bought, encouraged me through the process, helped with the projects, gave me ideas ... for all of your support! I couldn't have done it without you all. Seriously.

(And, in case you are wondering, I wore the thrifted striped gray and blue shirt dress the first day and my vintage navy polka dot dress the next. I loved that I had something to dress up for... )

CSA Week 21

This week...

2 heads bok choy, a bag of arugula, slicing tomatoes, several sweet potatoes, sunchokes, and turnips. (sorry for the poor picture - I threw it up on the table and snapped after a VERY eventful day.)


Successful salads: a mix of lettuce, salad greens and arugula topped with dried cranberries, sugared almonds, mandarin oranges and poppy seed dressing.

and another of arugula, sliced pears, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette dressing.


One more week to go, kids!

Market Sneak Peeks!

Finally, I dragged several Market items upstairs to photograph. I snapped these quickly, so please don't judge the photograph quality. I'll get some better photos once I have everything set up this weekend ... especially for those who can't come see it in person. (But I wish you all could!)

Everything has at least one element of vintage, upcycled, recycled or reused material. (Well, everything except my cards, but I made an exception to see if they would sell.) 

I have a few clocks.

 And lots of handpainted signs.

Pretty hangers.

French (and German!) signs.

 
Linen lavender sachels with pretty vintage buttons.

And a few holiday items, of course.

Come if you can!! I have lots more.

This Friday and Saturday. More info here.

CSA Week 20

This week...

... 1-2 lb baby golden potatoes, 3 sweet peppers, bunch of turnips, a lb of tomatoes, 8 spicy peppers, a bag of arugula and 2 lbs of flour!


Trying some salads this week to get the lettuce (from last week) and arugula from this week eaten up. Yum yum yum!

:-) I'm not a really big salad person. Any "recipes" or additions that you put in salads to make them super yummy and filling?

The Market!

If you're in the area, come one, come all! And don't feel like you need to buy anything, please just come by and say hi. I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE your support and to see your happy faces. And, if you find something you must have - well, that won't hurt.

What I've Been Reading ...

Although I've been fantastically busy lately, I've found time to pick up a few books and read. Usually during naptime, after the girl goes to bed or on lazy Sunday afternoons.

Most of what I read is, admittedly, completely for fun. Which more or less means a fairly low reading level - which after my days of academic reading, I'm slightly shy to admit.

But then when you throw in day after day after day of life with an almost 2 year old, then you understand what "mom brain" is and why I literally can't read or comprehend anything more than fun books.

That said, I think I forgot to mention the book I read over our June vacation.

The Story of Stuff has been on my list and it added a bunch of other books to my reading list (included the next one in line).

source

Suffice to say, this wasn't fun reading, per say, (stats throughout the entire thing) but it was so practical and revealing. If you are interested in materialism, consumerism or practicing simplicity, it's a great resource to get you started!

Which leads me to 7.

source

Another great, practical (and super funny!) resource on how families can participate in simpler living.

Totally switching gears ...

I've been wanting to attend a book club led by one of our church friends but I haven't gotten ahold of the books in time (too many holds at the library!), I couldn't finish it in time, or they were just too complicated for my mom brain at 8pm at night ...

Finally! I got one and read it through. 11/22/63 is a new Stephen King novel - quite long, but a fast read. We're discussing it at the end of the month and I can't wait to join up with the book club for the first time!

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I have to admit, there was WAY more language than I would prefer, but I really wanted to participate in this one. Past that, the storyline was SO interesting ... and I couldn't put it down! My penchant for the past made me swallow this one hook-line-and-sinker.

Another book club book, The Night Circus, I just finished about 10 minutes ago. And I loved it. In sort of an Alice in Wonderland way. The author, Erin Morgenstern, is incredibly talented ... the whole time I was reading it felt like a dream (completely intended by her, but totally believable!) It used beautiful, descriptive language without being forced. It was completely "magic" but still believable. That makes a good author if you ask me ...

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Honestly, the ending still eludes me a bit, but I'd read it anyway. This is a January book club discussion, so maybe I'll be able to understand more then.

Last one for this post is Room. I was intrigued by Jess' description so I reserved it for our trip to Nashville.

source

I was VERY confused at first and found it difficult to read the nuances of a five year old narrator, but about halfway through finally started to understand his language and get into his story (which I think was, again, totally intentional by the author). By the end I was choked up - a hard story told in a way that didn't make it less horrifying, but put a perspective spin on it that made it readable. Pick it up, I do recommend this one.

*****

That's it! Have you read anything good lately?

CSA Week 19 - with a couple recipes

This week...

... a bag of lettuce, a bag of salad greens, several Asian eggplants, a lb of green beans, half dozen eggs, a pound of Roma tomatoes, and 2 large white/yellow peppers and a tiny red one.

I have to admit that with the Market frenzy in my head, I've had much less time to meal plan and think about how to use our produce. But, I'm still trying. :-)


I did have a new recipe success and thought I'd share.

Arugula-Cilantro Pesto
(*source is a CSA website I can't find at the moment...)

1 C arugula (or so)
1 C cilantro (or so)
2 lg garlic cloves
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C grated parmesan
2 tbsp. pine nuts (or more)
salt and pepper to taste

Whirl it all in the food processor - and yummy! Freeze any extra in small portions for a quick meal.

** I fried some chicken pieces and we had chicken-pesto pasta. Then a couple days later, I made a pizza with the pesto as the sauce, chicken, green/red peppers and sliced grape tomatoes with mozzarella on top. Also quite good!


White Bean Soup with Winter Greens 
(*adapted from vegetarian version in From Our House to Yours cookbook with Italian sausage)

2 cans navy beans, drained (you can use lb of dried beans, but the process is so much longer!)
(1/2-1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and drained) 
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lg onion
2 carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock/broth
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lb winter greens like kale, chard, dandelion, collard or turnip greens
freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Heat EVOO in lg pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, parsley and bay leaves. Saute until veggies are slightly softened, about 10 min.

Add beans, stock, water (and sausage). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover. Cook 20-30 minutes. If you choose, remove some of the beans and puree to make soup thicker (I skipped this part).

Wash greens, remove any thick stems or ribs. Stack the leaves a few at a time and roll into a log. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch ribbons. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add greens and boil about 2-5 minutes until tender. Drain. Stir into soup. Simmer a few minutes more.

Enjoy with freshly grated Parm (if you have any).

Probably the best soup I've ever made!! Wonderful the next day too.

a grey and yellow nursery (girl version)

While Asa's nursery was dark and boy, Ella's nursery is soft and whimsical. It's amazing that two nurseries of the same color scheme can be so different!

(Ella's room is on the side of the house without much light and I didn't have our tripod, so excuse the slightly yellow photos, please!)

The walls are a very soft gray. The curtain, a bright canary yellow.

Isn't the rocking chair sweet?

Custom art pieces fill E's house, and the nursery is no exception. Here is a dreamy painting of a tree (which has now been accompanied by several gorgeous paper flowers surrounding it! I wish I would've snapped another picture.)

However, in my opinion, the curtain is by far the show stopper of the room - handmade by E. Isn't the smocking gorgeous?!

Her crib linens are technically "mismatched" but they still go together so well! Mixing patterns is something I love but have a difficult time achieving.

Another art piece - this one upcycled and bunting-like streamers criss-cross the air. Something for sweet Ella to stare at in her crib... 

E included some vintage (chair, stool) and more whimsical decor. Recognize this?

E! Thanks for letting me feature Ella's nursery!

I love the contrast between both of the gray and yellow nurseries. Soft vs. bold, matching vs. mixing, dark vs. light, whimsical girl vs. graphic boy.

What fun decorating is!