Two Polar Vortexes in Pictures

2014 has been cold. Like really cold. Like we've created a new weather term to describe the cold. Introducing you to Polar Vortex 1 & 2.

This was the night that the first Polar Vortex reared its chilly head.

 

We were keeping Mosley while Cap and J were home for the holidays. Poor pup shivered his way through our snowy walks like a trooper. I think it was 5 degrees on this particular morning.

The beauty of it all almost makes up for the debilitating cold. Almost.

When Polar Vortex Numero Dos showed up last week, it was kind of like old news... 

....until it dropped about six inches of snow in a 24 hour span.

These pictures are not an accurate representation of all of the snow. Due to the bitterest of winds, a good bit of snow was displaced. The white cat begs like a banshee to be let out on the balcony. She doesn't really know what snow is, but thankfully, she doesn't like it. This outing lasted about two minutes.

 I had to work late on Friday and nearly missed one of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen. If there is one thing that I will miss about the bitter winter months, it is the jaw-dropping beauty of the sunsets. I think it must be the sun's way of showing us a little lovin' through a colorful display. I wish that I had been close to my big girl camera and in a better location to catch the perfect pinkness of the sun's rays glowing over the mountains. The intensity of the pink in the reflection on the river was nothing to the depth of color burning in the sky. IPhones just can't capture it all.

W and I basked in the 30 degree weather Saturday night and walked to the river to get some pictures of what I hoped would be another epic sunset. Alas, it was not the gloriously pink performance of the previous evening.

 There were dark and ominous clouds rushing towards us from the West.

W indulged in a few more snowballs accidentally thrown at ducks floating down the river and rolling chunks of snow down the bank before we retreated inside to the warmth and some homemade risotto.

 

About 30 minutes after getting inside, we had a whiteout and mini blizzard move through. It lasted for about 30 minutes and also included a phenomenon known as "snowthunder." In the middle of the blizzard, there were two lightning strikes and a loud clap of thunder. The wind was insane and we could barely see across the street.

I thought the world was surely ending.

This morning, W left for his FINAL residency interview EVER. He has an 8 hour drive to Birmingham ahead of him. Unfortunately, I have to stay behind in cold and snowy WV. We have less than a month before his rank list is due, and less than 60 days until we find out where we will spend the next 5-9 years of our life.

Exciting times! Stay warm!

-b

B's Woe Curing Weekend

On Friday, sleep-deprived and cold, I decided that four of the residents of 1408 could use a big, piping hot pot of soup for dinner. I felt that I owed Cap and J something major for J rescuing me at 3am from my boiler motor nightmare. W was also driving home from his interview in a snowstorm. Nothing fixes life's little woes like a pot of soup!

I love minestrone soup, so I sucked up my hate of chopping butternut squash and made Ina's winter minestrone. Make it. It won't disappoint.

I decided that we needed some serious veggies--all organic--to combat the chemical spill of the previous week. I kind of went all out. It was delicious!

On Saturday morning we did my most favorite thing ever: antiquing. I scored these awesome vintage cocktail forks for $2 at my favorite local haunt, South Charleston Antique Mall.  

$2!!!

I fell in love with this pink rug. I am pretty sure it belongs to the same vendor I got my Swedish MCM dining chairs from. If so, I know him personally and might be calling him this week to find out the "friend" special for this beauty. ;) I mean, even W liked it and was excited by the prospect of expanding our vintage/antique rug collection!

I mean, isn't it just perfection?!

Then, we did W's favorite thing: ethnic food, specifically Vietnamese, specifically coconut chicken curry. I love the banh mi bo.

YUM. To everything pictured above. Except maybe the dude over W's shoulder.

This is South Charleston, WV's downtown, where the antique shop and Yen's are located. Interesting fact, South Charleston is actually west of Charleston--its just on the south side of the river. Directly behind me is a prehistoric Indian burial mound.

It was about 20 degrees and sneeting (snowing/sleeting). But, W and I (sans my super warm $130 coat.....) braved it and the ankle-breaking stone steps.

On Sunday, we indulged in a little thing (and new weekly tradition--for better or worse) I like to call cheese o'clock. The boys also got together and had a rather stress-inducing chat about residency. I just stuffed my face with cheese, plugged my ears and hummed.

So far, this weekend has proven to be the antithesis to the first two weeks of 2014. Let's keep this up, universe!

-b

*Editor's note: This post should have gone up mid-week but yet another string of bad luck pushed it from my mind. Just call me Scrooge. 

Grimacing a Smile

It should be no surprise to you that last week was a rough one for me and pretty much all of Charleston, West Virginia and the adjacent eight counties. Oh, you live under a rock? Inform yourself!

You might remember from this post that I was already commiserating the pretty miserable start to a week that I had no idea was only going to get worse, i.e. the chemical spill that tainted the tap water of nearly 300,000 people. The week started off as any first week of a new year should with a BANG. But there are good BANGS and bad BANGS and this was most definitely a bad BANG.

It started off with two days of below zero temperatures that my furnace could only keep up with to the tune of 62 degrees in our apartment. Luckily, I had my new and incredibly warm winter coat to help me fight back.

Until that is the realization that this $130 winter coat that had quickly become the love of my life had a gigantic tear sprouting from the top of the zipper. This tear was not an easy fix and was only getting bigger. Said coat had to be shipped back to COLUMBIA at my expense so that they could analyze it for 4-6 weeks to determine whether or not the tear was a result of my error or manufacturer's error and thus covered by a warranty to be repaired or replaced. I will keep you updated on this one. But just know that my cold little heart will be shivering for the next 4 to 6 weeks sans my dear, beloved coat.

Typical J and W.

Then, my Hunter boots, graciously gifted to me by Victoria, both sprung a leak. On the same day. BOTH OF THEM. I wanted to cry. I wear those things ever day, everywhere. I feel a little lost without them. I have contacted Hunter but have yet to hear back from them concerning possible repairs, which I would gladly pay for myself. So, in the meantime, :( sad face.

Then, a tree fell on my office and my car. You will remember that from my earlier post. The car is okay just sporting some new scratches and dents. No biggie, right?

Yeah, no biggie, until said car breaks down on W while he is interviewing 6 hours away. You won't believe what it took to fix it. $500!!!!!!!!!!

But that happened after the chemical leak--news of which broke to the public at about 6pm. TEN HOURS AFTER THE CHEMICAL HAD SEEPED INTO THE ELK RIVER AND SUBSEQUENTLY OUR WATER SYSTEMS. I was aware of a very funky smell in my apartment bathroom at about 5:15 on Thursday afternoon. I didn't think much of it and decided to go for a run, which thankfully didn't progress past a brisk walk. Nearing the end of my walk, I received a text message from a friend warning of the chemical spill. Sure enough, by the time I got home around 5:50, we and about 299,998 people were under a water ban. Water was only to be used for flushing toilets and putting out fires. Comforting, right? W left for his interview the next morning, lucky guy. He got a nice hot, hotel shower! I, well, I washed my hair in a bucket with two inches of water and a bottle of water. Invigorating.

That Saturday, Cap, J and I ventured about 30 minutes west of town to a non-tainted water area to shower at the YMCA. When we got there, the women's line was about 30 people long and I nearly had a meltdown right there next to the kiddie pool. I had left my phone in the car and went to retrieve it, and ran into our savior. No, not that savior. This savior was Meagan, a fellow Junior League girl who I barely knew. That sweet lady invited us to her friend's house where she was staying because of the spill and we were able to shower. Then, we ate restaurant food, which = food you don't have to clean up after since there is no usable water to wash dishes and/or make said food. What a way to lift your spirits!

Until, W calls and tells of his car trouble in the middle of your delicious mushroom-smothered patty melt and margarita.

Happy Freaking 2014, B. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

We were without water from Thursday afternoon until Monday at noon. I showered that afternoon and have had no adverse effects. The smell in the water was the worst in our apartment on Saturday and Sunday. It was so bad that I had to open windows because it was burning my eyes. By Monday and after the "flush," the smell was still noticeable but was not hurting my eyes like before.

(By the way, we continue to drink, cook and brush our teeth with bottled water.)

So, things were looking up, right? Wrong.

Wednesday afternoon, the heat in the office breaks. No biggie. Its fixed Thursday afternoon.

:) Happy face.

Skip to the wee hours of this (Friday) morning--3am to be exact--and I am awakened by the loudest roaring and rattling I have ever heard coming from our radiators. (Did I mention that W left Thursday for an interview 6 hours away??!) It literally sounded like the house was about to take off and shoot into outer space. My heart was pounding and I had no clue what to do, so I sat on the floor and called W, sobbing into my hands and praying for a break. I thought that surely the whole house must have been roaring and was waiting for Cap and J to call, but nothing. I ran outside and their lights were still off. Of course, it was a B problem. Just little ole lonesome me and an exploding boiler. Duh. Silly me for thinking I had company in my troubles. I called and texted Cap and J until I finally woke them up (sorry, guys!). By that time, I had turned my thermostat down and the noise was getting fainter. J came to the rescue and we shut the gas off from the boiler. I got back in the bed at 4am and lay there wide awake until about 5:15. The fear of a boiler/gas explosion was pretty minimal at that point, but I couldn't ignore the rhythmic "whom-whom-whom" of the boiler motor that continued to spin for the rest of the morning. I catnapped off and on until 9.

Thanks to a 3:30am phone call to my landlord and subsequent text messages, a repairman was at the house by 11. Luckily, the motor just needed a little bit of oil and all is fixed. Such a simple solution for something I thought would surely end in death.

But, man! I tell you, the universe is seriously trying to make herself heard.

Universe, you have my full attention.

-b

Hillbilly Hotdogs

On Saturday morning after our obligatory visit to the flea market, which was really just a drive-by because the cold temperatures had kept vendors and us at bay, W and I made a detour on the way home onto I-64 West and decided to take a little road trip. Initially, we were just going to visit a few antique shops at exits about 25 minutes outside of Charleston, but I remembered that there was a place called Hillbilly Hotdogs out in that direction (Lesage, WV). Knowing W's affinity for hotdogs, I googled it and found it to be about 20 minutes beyond our original destination. It was noon and with a healthy spinach smoothie each in our bellies, we decided it couldn't hurt to check out this local celebrity.

Its pretty famous in these parts and on a certain Food Network show, which I won't mention.... because I can't stand the host. But I'm sure you can figure out the show considering what a (hint, hint) dive this place is. We didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't heard that much about it and had never visited the website. I knew it was across the street from a river, but that was about it.

It has the look of shanty-town, flea market, junk yard, dump, shack, etc. all rolled into one. Apparently, people bring random things and put them all around wherever they want. I guess it is an encouraged tradition? Also, you are encouraged to leave your mark and sign any spot available.

The menu is huge with everything from hotdogs to hamburgers to salads to sandwiches--not at all what I was expecting. You order at the counter and then take a seat in one of two old school buses-turned dining rooms.

W and I are pretty conservative when it comes to our hotdogs. I don't eat them without slaw. W doesn't eat them without chili. So, our orders were a little boring. However, the folks in front of us went all out and got a taco hotdog and the one with mac and cheese on it. They said they were both delicious. We will gladly take their word for it!

W got two Hillbilly dogs and I got a West Virginia dog. Of course, we had to get sides. We got the garlic fries which are smothered in cheese, bacon and (YUM) ranch. I have never been able to say no to a fried pickle, so we got an order of those as well. I was much impressed with the condiment they provided with the pickles--ranch dressing. Usually, places serve honey mustard, but I am a ranch girl all the way and it was perfect.

You could spend at least an hour wandering around outside, investigating all of the odds and ends hung and stuck and set here and there.

In case you couldn't figure out what show it was featured on, you can see the sign in the picture below.

This face just about sums up the entire 45 minutes we spent there and the amount of calories consumed. Antiquing probably should have been done prior to eating all of this, but we were still able to tromp around some places for a few hours.

I highly recommend a visit! It is definitely a true West Virginia experience.

-b

Watch out for that tree!

This blog was supposed to be about the awesome little (40 minute) road trip that W and I took on a whim this Saturday, but that will have to wait.

You see, I'm a little distracted by the giant hackberry tree that fell on my office and partially on my car earlier today.

You see, the day already wasn't going that well. I recently took over doing the finances for the museum on top of everything else. I was excited for the opportunity to learn a new aspect of running a business, but I think I was a little too confident. There are some days when I just key in a few numbers and hope for the best.

Well, its not that bad, but it seems like it to me through the number haze.

When the tree fell, I was on the phone with my treasurer attempting to explain the financial reports that I barely understood myself. And then I heard scratching over my head. At first, it sounded like a very large animal was doing calisthenics in the attic and then it was pretty obvious that a tree was falling on the roof. My coworker ran out the door and started yelling about "a tree!" and "our cars!" as the tree slid off the roof and came to rest on my car. By this point, I was crouched under my desk attempting to put on my boots and coat while hanging up with my treasurer and chanting Hail Marys.

I thought my coworker and I were going to be crushed by a tree--she by the trunk because she was standing outside and me by the collapsing roof. Luckily, none of the above happened. Thank goodness.

My car is okay, too--just a few scratches and some pretty gnarly dents. But it runs and is safe, so I'm okay with that.

It did take the tree company an hour to cut my car out and there is still half of a tree laying on the office roof, but all is well that end's well. The roof is not badly damaged and that makes one less tree to worry about come derecho season. Positivity!

But after it all happened, I started to feel really sorry for myself. It is so hard for me these days to have something like this happen and to not take it personally. I can't help but feel like the universe is moving against me. Its like its trying to show me (and, boy, has it) that I am not where I should be. (And, I totally agree.) I know that I can take these circumstances (did I mention the other two trees that have fallen on the property; or the hardwood floor that had to be replaced; or the two--not one but TWO--cars that hit my previous museum during my tenure; I could keep going) any number of ways. Maybe, its my attitude. Maybe, its my location. My job. Who knows?

I know its not W. He is my everything.

Then, W and I decided we needed Mexican for dinner to help me properly wallow in my self-pity, and it was just awful. The extra large bowl of pico de gallo that I like to shove my face in tasted like soap. Soap! Can you develop that aversion to cilantro overnight?! I hope not! And then, my hard shell beef taco was cold. I had to send it back. I've never even heard of sending food back at a Mexican restaurant.

I took it personally.

And then, there's the cold. Not that I want to talk about it, but it's really freaking cold. Like the Jesus statue on my favorite trail is wearing red gloves it's so cold.

told you...

Our radiators can't keep up, so it is perpetually 60 degrees in our apartment. Luckily, we have an oil heater that I can practically sit on and a heater in the bathroom wall.

So, I'm getting over it all. Right now. Eating chocolate and watching The Biggest Loser. Because, is there any other way to watch The Biggest Loser?

I realize that things could be much, much worse and that is why I am now sitting cozily on top of my heater in doubled-up pajamas and gloves and a hat talking to you all. The pity party is over.

Want to really know what got me out of my funk? Firstly, we are toilet training our cats. Yes, we are teaching them to use the toilet instead of a litter box. Secondly, it is going quite well and we are not at all embarrassed. I mean, we are banking on being litter free in a month. Two cats and litter free?! Miracles!! Tonight was a first for this whole process though. It was the first time that both of the cats and one of us had to use the bathroom at the exact same time. (Oh yeah, there's only one toilet!) I won't say which one of us it was.................... but I got a major kick out of the frantically meowing and pacing cats and the unfortunate human bathroom occupant, the object of the meowing and pacing and door scratching.

I also have something exciting to look forward to this weekend! I am hosting a little Golden Globes party on Sunday. There will be these cheese puffs and this artichoke and feta tart and this raspberry tart. I can't wait to get baking and cooking!

-b

A New Year and New Goals

Goals are positive achievements--something I can work with. The word "resolutions" just seems so naggy and I don't respond well to nagging. So, rather than resolve to do anything in 2014, I would like to set goals for things that I would like to accomplish in this new year.

1. Take more pictures.

I apologize to all of you who follow me on Instagram. My brother says that he doesn't look at it anymore because I post too much. But, sometimes, that one Instagram picture is the highlight of my day! Finding the beauty in life's everyday routines is something to be celebrated. I just choose to do my celebrating through Instagram. I mean, its kind of hard to not find beauty with Instagram and its filters as your lens.

ALSO, I finally got my dream camera. I can't wait to explore the world with it. Don't worry. I have no desire to be a professional photographer, but I so enjoy capturing life's little and beautiful moments. I can't wait to try it outside of my very limiting IPhone.

2. Make more things.

I love DIY projects, but am pretty terrible with follow-through. I am not a crafter. I think I'm crafty, but crafts just seem like so much work with so little gain for me. And, it is all totally due to my perfectionism and impatience. I just don't have the stamina to craft.

I love cooking and decorating and would like to do more of those two things in the new year. I hate that cooking can often feel like a boring chore. I have decided to make an addendum goal to this one to use recipes from my Junior League cookbooks (all EIGHT of them that I was required to buy). These recipes are great because they usually aren't too fussy and so far have been delicious. I've made crabcakes, remoulade, cornbread and pork loin with mustard sauce from them in just the past two days! I also made a chocolate glazed chocolate tart that turned out to be just what W's dark chocolate dreams are made of. He nearly ate half of it in one sitting. I am one to turn my nose up at baking and sniff (because I'm melodramatic and impatient and, alas, a terrible baker), but this time I stooped (kidding) and baked. And, I really enjoyed the process. I totally freaked beforehand and read the recipe about 12 times, but, in hindsight, that is probably what normal people do. My aversion to reading recipes through completely before beginning is my biggest downfall.

3. Seems only appropriate this should be bake more. (?!Can't believe I just typed that?!)

4. STRESS LESS.

2014 is going to be a major year for us.

W will graduate from medical school!! Thank the good, dear, beloved and holy Lord above all that is living and breathing and eking it out down here.

We find out on March 21 where he matched for residency. Cue fireworks.

We will move. Cue hallelujah chorus and part the heavens.

To our new home for the next 5 to 7 years. Cue panic attacks.

W GETS A PAYCHECK. W GETS A PAYCHECK. W GETS A PAYCHECK. (I will still probably make more than him. Heh. Heh.)

Maybe we'll buy a house? Maybe we'll be moving into a 500 sq. ft. apartment in the Upper East Side?  Maybe we'll have 1.66 children by year's end? Ha. Maybe we'll adopt multiple kittens?

Maybe--just maybe--we will have the best year of our lives yet?

Here's hoping! Cheers to you and 2014!

-b

November, You're Blushing

It seems like I was just whining about Monday, doesn't it?

TGIF, y'all, for real.

As soon as I get my hands on a camera that actually works, I will be posting more pictures of the apartment. My cracked and beat-up IPhone4 (WHAT. what. represent.) fails every time I try to capture the crumbling plaster and peeling paint of our current abode.

Rather than a weekend of big plans, W and I will be relishing in November, which happens to tie October for my favorite non-summer month. I seriously love Thanksgiving--always have, which means I have an equally serious love for the month in which it falls. My favorite thing to do is watch the Macy's Day Parade and nibble on my dad's famous stuffing, which he doesn't stuff in the bird since we fry our turkeys in South Carolina (read that last part in your best Honey Boo Boo voice). W thinks that it is so lame and so weird to watch the parade--I mean, who actually does that?

Millions,W. Millions of people. Its the freaking Macy's Day Parade! Back off.

November means that family time and delicious food and good movies and great music and parties and friends and happiness are just around the corner. It really is getting to be the most wonderful time of the year.

And so, this first weekend of this my-tied-for-first-place-favorite-non-summer-month will be spent doing my favorite things:

I have asked and W has agreed that we shall grill out Friday and Saturday night (maybe Sunday, too??). Because grilling sans mosquitoes is a godsend.

Cap and I will be going to an estate sale Saturday morning.
Looking for:
1. Dining room chairs to replace the ones I sold in our August yard sale so that people will actually be able to sit for Thanksgiving, which I am hosting. Yeah, I didn't really think that one through....
2. Serving pieces and utensils.
3. Etched mirror to go above my dresser.
4. Bowls that will go with the Horchow.

The leaves are really putting out the goods today, so I'm hoping the weekend is just one, long golden and delicious day. I plan to stare at some leaves for a while, hopefully from the comfort of my lawn chair. W and I are totally those weird people who sun themselves in the middle of the front front yard. Wrapped in blankets. Maybe sleeping. Drooling? Yep.

Hiking. There's a new trail I want to check out.

Table fixing, since our kitchen island leg broke (and sent my beautiful glass bowl shattering to the ground).

And, fire pit!!

Have a wonderful weekend! Follow me on instagram (bri_jackson) to see my "currently coveting" posts and our steals as we wheel and deal at the sale!

-b

Not Another Monday

Mondays are the worst. Monday mornings usually find me dragging and depressed and whining to W, who--ever the sweetest man on earth--whispers soothing words to me via texts. Ah, technology.

In an effort to lift my spirits, I usually try to focus on my favorite day of the week--the weekend--which always does just feel like one, gloriously long and refreshing day. We took this past weekend slow. We weren't fully up and functioning until about 11 each morning. I couldn't help but get a little annoyed at myself for wasting the precious hours between 9 and 11 with such nonsense as delicious lattes on the couch and weekend PBS programming (my favorite) and cuddly and soft kittens and brushing my teeth, and exclaimed both mornings, HOW IS IT ALREADY 11. EVERYTHING IS OVER. THE WEEKEND IS OVER. IT JUST MIGHT AS WELL BE MONDAY. UGH. UGH. UGH. THIS IS JUST AWFUL.

To which W replied, okaaaaay, do I take a right or a left here?

Oh, W, my steady and emotionally-stable rock. I would probably be institutionalized if it weren't for him--or partial to cocaine.

Despite my mid-morning freak-outs, we had a pretty fantastic weekend. In fact, we've had quite a few pretty good weekends. Here are snippets from the last couple of months that I am relishing in right now.

These clam shell cocktail plates make me so happy. I can't wait to use them at Thanksgiving, which I am hosting this year. Eeee!

Flea market haul. I've already gifted the blue and white pitchers to Cap. They didn't end up working in my living room and look awesome in her guest room. I was pretty shocked to find a piece of tobacco leaf pattern china for $5. It matches a set that I bought back in September when Margaret was visiting. I know, you've missed so much, but it is entirely my fault. The verdict is still out on the mid century modern (MCM) sugar and creamer set. W abhors them. I do think they are little shiny, but I kind of love them. The MCM ash tray was actually found by W and looks awesome on the bar cart--not sure of what it could be used for though. The pink glasses are just heavenly and make me yearn for Christmas. I have always hated the color red (until recently) and preferred hot pink for Christmas.

Margaret and I on our way to Lewisburg when she visited all the way from NYC on Labor Day Weekend. We stopped at Hawks Nest State Park for the views.

My new china (I sold my wedding china--grandmothers everywhere are shocked) that I scored at one of my favorite antique stores in Lewisburg. I got four 5 piece place settings plus two coffee mugs (not pictured) for less than $70. The china is Horchow tobacco leaf pattern. W and I are still pretty obsessed with it. (Yep, he loved it, too!) The two coffee mugs that came with it were also in a tobacco leaf pattern, but not Horchow. I'm unsure of the maker, but the platter that I found this weekend matches those perfectly. Unfortunately, there was a sticker on the bottom that said "for decorative use only," so it now lives on the mantel. I adore it.

That planter was a flea market find and what encouraged the blue and white theme of which the pitchers were a bust.

 

W and I went to a costume party at the local crossfit gym Saturday night after a delicious dinner of pizza and sangria with Cap, J and J's dad, Mr. Mike, who was visiting from Louisiana. W was a very handsome gladiator. I was a not-quite-black-haired Wednesday Addams. I (of course!) couldn't find black hair paint anywhere. I used eye shadow that I brushed in. W was not a fan of the brown locks.

Also, a Halloween party at a crossfit gym is so un-fun, considering the 20, 30 and 40 (!!!!!) + year old women in barely there costumes. And, who can blame them? Not me! They looked fantastic. I was definitely the most covered up. People thought I was a nun. I can't help but laugh about how juxtaposed my costume was from every other female at that party. I also will never eat again. Period.

The weekend ended as so many have before--family dinner with Cap and J and this beauty of a chicken. This is the most delicious chicken you will ever eat in your life. Promise.

Recipe:
Butterfly your chicken (remove the backbone and break the breastbone).
Rinse and pat dry.
Smother in Tony Cacheres Cajun Seasoning.
Grill on the cold side of a charcoal grill (no lighter fluid!), covered for 30 minutes, skin side up.
Don't touch it.
After 30 mins., rotate it 90 degrees.
Cover and don't touch it for another 30 mins.
Make sure the internal temp is 160 degrees.
Remove and rest for 15 mins.
EAT.

-b

Curtain Spiff-Up

First of all, you should know that I graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC (ie: the most historic place ever) with a degree in Historic Preservation. Now, you will understand why I have a very strict rule when it comes to choosing housing. I only choose old-- the older, the better.

Currently, we live in a circa-1910 monster Victorian of which we occupy 75% of the second floor. I adore our apartment except for a few glaring oversights (a proper dining room, which means that living room dinner parties are the norm; a second bathroom; a dishwasher; a garbage disposal). Just because I love historic buildings does not mean I want to live historically. I enjoy the finer things in life, such as motorized dish washing and more indoor plumbing.

You should also know that one feature of historic buildings that I love the most is original windows. This can be heartbreaking at times, since they are a rapidly disappearing feature. Enter: vinyl windows, the scum of the earth. Luckily, both of the historic buildings in which we have lived over the last four years have retained their original windows. Sure, they can be drafty, but there are so many, easy options out there to make them more energy efficient. In my opinion, you take out the windows, you take out the soul. Rant over.

Our circa-1897 building in Lewisburg, WV. Our apartment was the three window bays to the far right on the 2nd floor.

Our old living room. The windows were gorgeous.*

(The wall color is still a favorite, Valspar's Woodlawn Lace; the trim is semi-gloss white.)

I tell you all of this so you will understand my strange, unconventional (?) approach to how I dress these original windows. LESS is better. The first thing I have done in both of our apartments has been to immediately rip out blinds and curtains that remain. Our first apartment had awful vinyl blinds, which are not easy to clean and are not made for historic windows. They almost always never fit. Even if you get them cut to width, they are usually too short or way too long. And, let's just face it, they're ugly. Our current apartment had some pretty awful polyester track curtains a la 1973. I couldn't wait to rip those things down.

Our current building before the porchony got a makeover.

Lovely pepto pink polyester curtains, right? This is our bedroom.

Bri's Solution for Window Treatments for Historic Apartment Living

First thing's first: If you know that your situation is temporary, treat your window treatment solution as temporary. AKA, don't put too much time, effort or money into it, since these curtains will most likely not work in your next place and are therefore not worth a major investment. Finally, (most) historic windows are just beautiful and don't need too much dressing up. Embrace the old! Don't try to cover up trim and moldings. Try to do as little to the original fabric of the window as possible. Be unobtrusive, but still make sure that your needs are met. Choose appropriate textiles and hanging methods. And, just have fun!

Here's what I do.

1. Buy two sets of cheap curtain rods for each window. I got ours at Walmart or Lowes for around $4-$8 each, depending on the size I needed. The windows in the bedrooms were wider than the kitchen and living room, so I needed longer rods. I chose silver tone, because although they are cheap, I don't want them to look too cheap. You get it, right?

Cheap silver tone rods.

(The reason both sets of rods are bent and wonky is because we have a white cat that likes to dangle from the curtains when we won't let her out on the porchony. This is another reason to not invest in more expensive window treatments. Naughty creatures!)

2. Depending on the amount of privacy needed in each room, buy 1 to 2 sheer curtains for each window. Since we are on the second floor and have a good bit of tree coverage, I chose to buy only one sheer curtain panel for each window. I did the same for our kitchen. Since bedrooms are a more private area, I got two sheer curtain panels for each window. Walmart and Lowes have sheers for $4 a panel.

3. Buy one curtain panel for each window. I chose to buy curtain panels (preferably at Target when I find them on sale), but you could make them if they are cost effective. I am a sewing and craft dunce, so store bought saves me time and frustration. I chose simple white curtains for the living room, $9 a panel at Target (on sale). I chose printed curtains for both bedrooms. They were on sale, maybe $12 a panel, but I can't really remember. Again, one curtain panel per window is a savings. Sure, the windows would look better with two, but I have found with the sheer curtains closed (meaning spread across the window) and the panel pushed to one side, the window actually looks pretty well dressed.

4. Install, and you're done. My curtains are not perfect for my windows, since historic windows vary in size and shape and I bought stock curtains. Mine hang right below the window sill, but I find I'm not bothered by this. My curtains are 84 in. length. You could always hem them with hem tape or liquid stitches for the sewing challenged.

5. Or, you can jazz them up a bit like I did in the living room.

I picked up some white pom pom trim and a bottle of liquid stitches to add some charm and de-cheapen my cheap ass curtains.  I still haven't finished one of the panels as I bought all of the pom pom trim that Jo-Ann's had (a whopping two rolls!) and they still haven't restocked. :( Things like this make living in West Virginia not so fun. I feel like we are always three steps behind. Anyways, I bought two rolls of pom pom trim ($3.99 each), which was enough for 1 1/3 curtains, and a bottle of liquid stitches ($7). My total after coupons for the project was about $12. I will need one more roll of trim to complete my panel. So, about $15 total for my update. Applying the trim was super easy. I laid the curtain flat on the ground and put a few paper towels under the area I was applying. You do have to press on the trim and hold it for a bit, but once the glue starts to dry, its stuck. And because the glue is water soluble until it dries, its easy clean-up. I thought I would have to reinforce parts of the trim with a thread stitch, but so far, so good. It took me about 30 mins. to do 1 1/3 curtains. Not bad!

Last year, Cap and I picked up a bag of 6 curtain tie backs from the flea market for $1. She has two in her dining room. I decided to add two to the living room to further dress my windows. Since our curtain panels are usually open, pushed to one side, the addition of the tie backs really dresses things up and is functional. W kindly drilled the holes and just screwed them in. I think it took him 5 mins. after I picked the height. I am forever finding curtain tie backs at antique shops, so keep an eye out. They are a fun and unexpected accessory for a room.

BEFORE

AFTER*

(Note the black cat passed out on the radiator. You'd think it was cold or something!?)

*WINDOWS IN OUR FIRST APARTMENT: I ripped down the vinyl blinds. In the living room, I put up two sheer panels per window and one tea-stained curtain panel per window. In our bedroom, which also fronted the road like the living room, we used double-sided tape and attached sheets of white butcher paper with a dark gray curtain panel  in each window. The paper provided complete privacy and filtered the light in a very nice way. Since the view was the same from the living room and bedroom, we didn't mind not having a view from the bedroom.

*We have not painted in this apartment.

Do you have any easy and cheap window dressing tips?

Coming up:

I apologize for the poor quality photos--working on it!

-b