Home again, home again, jiggity jig...

Our travels back to North Carolina took a jag in the "jiggity jig". We hadn't traveled more than an hour outside of New Haven CT, where Danielle lives, when the car started vibrating. We pulled off at the next rest area and realized that one of the front brake calipers had seized. There was a Midas at the next exit, in Stamford, that would be able to fix the brakes right away. At first they wanted to replace the brakes pads, rotors and brake lines on the entire front end. All of this for the low price of $1200 and some change. Seriously? Two years ago I had a complete brake job done on all four wheels for a little more than $700. Connecticut is not the place to break down. We finally settled on repairing the one side for $620. We just wanted to get home. My car goes in for an inspection next month and if it needs any thing more, my mechanic in Asheboro will be much more affordable.
Despite the break down we really had a great time visiting with Danielle and Jay. They recently purchased a 1926 craftsmen style home that was completely rehabbed. The contractor did a great job, leaving a lot of the original details of the home intact.

Many of the windows have the original stained and leaded glass.

The tile in the entryway is also original to the home.

We had our usual lobster feast as well as dining out a few times at some of the really great restaurants that New Haven has to offer. Aside from eating, we did squeeze in a little culture by visiting the Yale University Art Gallery. I will save that for another post.

It feels good to be home and sleeping in our own bed. The trailer is unpacked. The laundry is done. Now to tackle the weeds that overtook our gardens, and get our hands back into clay.

A Home Filled With Light

One of the biggest challenges of living in the log cabin, was darkness. Lights needed to be on throughout the day. The only sunlight that came in the through the windows was in the bedroom, on the second floor. Upstairs was where Sophie cat and the house plants lived. Sophie descended the spiral staircase for meals and evening cuddles, but pretty much spent her days sleeping on the bed.

Our new home has BIG windows everywhere! I am loving the sunlight as much as Sophie. She spends her days following the patches of light shining in. Her mornings start at the end of the hallway, then she works her way into the living room.

Our houseplants have also been flourishing in the light as well. The other day Meredith, over at Whynot Pottery, posted on facebook that she had spider plant babies to give away. Of course I immediately said, "me, me, I will take some". Monday afternoon she delivered my new babies. I can't wait to watch them grow and have babies of their own. I haven't had a spider plant in forever... as Meredith said on fb, spider plants are so 1982. I think it was the 80's the last time I had one! I think they are coming back into fashion. I noticed that my sister has one at her house, and she is always very fashionable.

Home

It feels so good to be back home in North Carolina! I was glad to be able to help out with my Dad and see that he is improving a little bit each day, but I did miss my home. We hurried and got most things unpacked before Danielle arrived and then I was off to New Hampshire. Today I am finally getting around to sharing photos of the two rooms that we have had their facelifts completed.

The sea foam green bathroom is now painted a light gray. I bought two identical shower curtains from IKEA. I was able to make a window curtain for the shower window and a curtain to cover the "knee hole" under the sink. Eventually we will replace the vanity with a more modern one, but for now I think the curtain is an attractive way to hide the basket of cleaning products that is under there. We are still searching for a light fixture for over the mirror. Luckily there is a ceiling light and it works just fine for the interim.

 The kitchen transformation is amazing for us! All that is left to do is to put up a couple of pieces of trim around the window. I am having a little trouble adjusting to no cabinet doors on a few of the uppers. I keep trying to close them and I am constantly rearranging because I feel it looks a little cluttered. Jeff loves it. We still have the doors, and they are sanded and ready to paint if we change our minds. I painted the backsplash wall aqua to break up the vanilla.

We have temporary knobs on right now. Jeff is making wheel thrown, stoneware knobs. We haven't decided on the color yet. Right now we have one glazed in shino. We are leaning towards our nuka glaze.

We haven't done anything in the dining room aside from a good scrubbing. You may remember from a previous post, that the wall to the right is a Japanese cherry tree, wallpaper mural. I am just happy that our dining table will no longer be the photo shoot set up!

I went right back to work yesterday making pots and getting ready for the next show. We head to New Hampshire in three weeks for the League of NH Craftsmen's Fair. We will be doing the first four days of the show, you'll find us in tent five, booth 521.

The Joys of Moving...

We have been eating out of the same few plates and bowls for weeks now. As I unpack boxes we are reconnecting with pots that haven't been used for some time, many haven't graced the dining table in years. The bowl in the photo is from Cornish Hill Pottery in Wolfeboro, NH. It was my go-to cereal bowl for years. Unpacking it inspired me to buy some Cheerios for breakfast! The mug is a long standing favorite made by Jeff Dean, here in Seagrove.

While in the midst of this move, I have decided to head to New Hampshire at the end of the month and help out with my Dad. My sister made plans months ago to visit my brother and his wife in Alaska. I don't want her to cancel this trip. Dad will still be in a rehab facility but we both will feel more comfortable if someone can visit with him everyday. Last year she had scheduled a trip to Ireland and had to cancel because of my mother's illness and subsequent passing. My sister deserves a vacation! It's not a great time for me to pack up and leave, but family is important. It will all work out in the end.

Next post should be photos of our completed kitchen... we are so excited!

We Moved...

Well, sort of. We are mostly in our new house. All the big stuff was moved on Friday. There are still some odds and ends that need to travel up the road, and still lots to do at the house. We realized it would be easier to move in and finish it while living there. Too many nights have been spent working until after 11pm, then going back to the log cabin, cooking dinner and falling into bed exhausted. Now we can tackle the house in the evening and have dinner cooking while we work.

The living room is the only room in the house that isn't filled with boxes! Sophie cat is adjusting quite well to the move. I am sure she misses playing on the spiral staircase at the cabin, but this house has so many more rooms for her to explore and hide in. Centurylink really dropped the ball with our telephone and internet move. We kept internet only at the studio until our move is complete and for some reason that made the switch over very complicated. Are we the first people to ever move phone and internet to a new location and keep internet only at the old one for an additional 30 days? They acted like we were. I spent over four hours on the phone talking to different departments and waiting on hold. Today I finally spoke to a reasonable and polite woman at our local office. It took her only an hour to get a tech out to the house and hook us up. I finally feel like we are connected to the world again. How did we ever survive back in the day?
Today we are firing the kiln. Jeff got up early and lit the first burner. He came home and we switched places so he could do some plumbing work. It's a beautiful evening to sit on the porch and wait on the kiln to climb to 1650 degrees. At that point I will put her into reduction and Jeff should arrive to finish off the firing. I am still not sure when we had time to make the pots that are in this firing.
Perhaps it was the elves.

Getting Primed

It felt more like Labor Day than Memorial Day. Yesterday we got almost all the cabinets primed. Today we will rip off the countertop on the outside wall to make priming the interior of those cabinets easier. We are leaving the interior of the cabinet over the wall oven green! It was the only one that was green, and it looks like the cabinet was never used. We will put the doors back on that cabinet. It will be a good one for storing baking pans. All of the lower cabinets are getting their doors back on. Some of the uppers we will leave off so that we can show off our handmade dishes.

Today we will unload the kiln and ship pots. Then it's back to the house to put a coat of real paint on the cabinets. No funky colors. We are playing it safe with "Churchill Hotel Vanilla". I can't wait for this project to be done so we can move in! Sunday night we slept in the guest bedroom. It's the only room with some furniture right now. It felt so good to wake up in our own home and enjoy coffee on the patio.

I just need to be a little more patient!!!! We are almost there.

Do you know what this is?

Have you seen those posts on facebook with photos of high beam buttons on the car floor, or metal ice cube trays with arms for removing ice? They always start sort of like this: 

"If you grew up in the 60's, and know what this is, like and share.

This contraption is inside one of our kitchen cabinets:

Have you ever seen one before? It is located to the right of the sink. If you pull it up, it swings out and raises the shelf to about a foot lower than the counter. The only thing that Jeff and I can surmise is that it was used to hold a small garbage can. When raised to it's upper position you could peel potatoes over it, or dump other waste into it. It raises easily, but is a pain to lower. Perhaps it worked more easily in the 60's!
Should we remove it, or leave as it's a quirky 60's house thing? One thing is for sure... it will be a pain in the a$$ to paint.

Kitchen Facelift

Jeff had one day to recover from jet lag and then it was back to house renovations. The kitchen is our top priority before we move in completely. First order was to remove all the cabinet doors. No easy task, since all of the hinges had been painted over. It was a chore to get them off and when we paint and replace them, they will get all new hinges... never to be painted again.

 The interiors of the cabinets are three different colors, pink, green, and off-white. They are absolutely disgusting, inside and out. We made the decision to replace the countertop, sink, and cooktop. Last month we bought a dishwasher on sale, and that has already been delivered, just not installed. The countertop will be something inexpensive that will coordinate with the island. It's not financially possible for us to do it all right now. At this point we are just looking for clean and neat.

This house has a large living room and a good size den. We only had a chair for the den which was going to make it a rather sparsely furnished room. A neighbor potter is moving and she had a sofa for sale at a great price, so we snatched it up!

It's a sofa-bed and was a b!tch to move! It had to come down a short flight of stairs at her house. Thankfully at our house it only had to be moved through the carport and into the first room. A few new pillows from IKEA and the sofa looks great. This is the room with the lovely wagon wheel light...

That light really has to go. I am just not into the wild west decor.

While waiting for paint to dry...

I really love a freshly painted room, but I am not in love with the process of getting there. Especially when it starts with taking down wallpaper. There are so many steps that need a day to dry before you can move on. I have taken that "in between time" to clean carpets, line shelves (I have spent a small fortune on shelf liner!), and wash ceiling light fixtures. There were a few lights that we decided right away had to go. One was the "wagon wheel light" in the den. I may have already mentioned that one. Also on the list was the light in the hallway. Financially, everything can't be replaced at once. Which means they at least need to be clean. After getting up close and personal with some of these fixtures, I have decided that a couple of them are rather sweet and very retro.

This is the guest bedroom, ceiling light...

I like how it has the little holes to let out little dots of light, and it's light pink with gold flecks!

This is the hall light that I was sure was going...

It was hard to get a photo with my phone, but it compliments the bedroom light. The dot holes are actually much smaller. The glass matches the bedroom light and the can is similar, not dark like the photo. It's not a very big fixture for such a long hall, and the hall seemed dark. When I took down the light I realized that there was only one bulb in it. With two bulbs, the space is much brighter.

The painting in the main bath is complete, except for the trim and vanity. I need some advice from Jeff on that, so I am waiting for him to return home. I am hoping a friend will help me rehang the plate glass mirror today. I know I can't tackle that monster alone. The original plan was to replace the giant mirror with a framed mirror, but this is what we found when the mirror came down...

The walls are plaster, and they weren't finished on the lower half. The easiest thing to do is to rehang the monster mirror. At least it is keeping with the 60's look and a large mirror helps make a small bathroom appear bigger.
That's the latest chapter in the new house adventure. Stay tuned for updates, unless you are already bored to tears.

Elbow Grease

I am spending all of my spare time doing work at the house. The wallpaper in the main bath is stripped. Tonight I will start prepping the walls for paint. I should have taken a before photo. The wallpaper was quite ugly. I think I have settled on a very light gray paint color. I really dislike this whole window in a shower thing. What were people thinking back then?! I was shocked at how well the window cleaned up. It was pretty gross.

Along with the bathroom work, I have been taking out screens, hosing them down outside, and washing all the windows and sills. The house had been empty for many years, so you can imagine the amount of spider webs and crud that had taken over.

Eventually we will replace these pain in the ass crank out windows. We have a few broken pains that will need replacing. I am hoping it won't be too difficult (or expensive) to find someone to do it.
Doesn't the "indirect" lighting in the master bedroom remind you of a hospital? And how 'bout those bedside wall lamps?!

When Jeff returns from his trip we will tackle the job of stripping the kitchen cabinets. Some years back latex paint was applied over the oil based paint... it's peeling off like crazy. This job I am not looking forward to!

The lawn was looking like it was ready to be hayed, so I hired someone to mow this week. Everything is looking so green and pretty! We are definitely going to have to buy a riding mower.

While I slave away working on the house, making pots, manning the gallery, Jeff sends me this picture at 7:15 am...

It was 8:15 pm in S. Korea and this is the evening hang out for the festival participants. The 7-11 is next to the hotel and there is outdoor seating. They can go in and buy beer or soju and drink it outside.
The timing of this trip was definitely not ideal. Jeff could have declined the invitation but would it have jeopardized future invites? Thankfully we don't have to be out of the log cabin by a certain date. I know that everything will fall into place... eventually.

Name your pig

 We unloaded the gas kiln in the late afternoon on Sunday. Most of the load was orders and it was a great firing... thank you kiln gods and Jeff, who stayed up all night to get this firing done before his trip.

These are few samples of the "personalized" piggy banks. I was relieved that "Anne" came out perfect. This was a re-do. I totally forgot to add the flowers to the first one, and didn't realize it until it was bisqued. If you know someone named Anne that needs a piggy bank without flowers, I have one ready and waiting for glaze! At least Anne is a common name. I am sure it will eventually sell.

 I had some fun with the underglaze on this piggy. It will be available in my Etsy shop tonight...

I took Jeff to the airport yesterday and he landed in Tokyo in the early morning (our time). He is staying with a potter friend in Naga and will visit Mashiko tomorrow. On Thursday he will fly to Seoul. It was a stressful week preparing for this trip. There was so much to do and we both came down with head colds at the beginning of last week. We felt like we were moving in slow motion. To save our sanity we took some things off of our "to do" list. We postponed the stripping and painting of the kitchen cabinets job. Better to focus on getting healthy. The cabinets can wait until Jeff returns.
I am certain they will still be there, in all of their peeling paint glory.

My consolation prize for staying behind was a shopping trip to IKEA! Since I was already in Charlotte, it was an easy decision. I didn't go crazy but did come home with new towels and shower curtain for the main bath, along with place mats and a runner for the dining table. I will actually NOT have a "photo taking set up" on our dining room table anymore! We have a good size office where we can keep it set up and out of the way. Now to see if we will actually eat at the table...

Flashback to the 60's!

 Lot's of my friends have been asking when they will see interior photos of our new home. First of all, it's been empty for 2+ years, and prior to that was a rental. It needs a thorough scrubbing from top to bottom, along with some new paint. I didn't want anyone to see photos until some of that work was completed.

 This is our main bath... don't you love that retro green?! The porcelain and tile cleaned up pretty well and we will live with it until we can get new vanities. I think I know someone who can make me a vessel sink. The master bath is a lovely pink, or perhaps we will call it salmon.

Can you believe the original cooktop is still there... and it works?! Today I scrubbed most of the grub off of it. A little polish, new drip pans, knobs, and we are good to go. The wall oven is not original. It's a newer model with a black front. While searching for cooktop parts online, I became engrossed with all the websites devoted to retro kitchens and baths. Around the time this house was built (1961) pink kitchens were very trendy. I like to think it explains why the interior of our cabinets are painted pink. Perhaps the Mrs. wanted a pink kitchen but the Mr. said no. I like to imagine that the pink interiors were a compromise!

The dining room needed the least amount of work. I cleaned the wood work, shampooed the carpet, and already moved some pottery into the china cabinet. Luckily, both Jeff and I think that the cherry blossom wallpaper mural is pretty cool. We are going to leave it for awhile. Jeff is going to make stoneware knobs and pulls for both the china cabinet and the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets need to be stripped and painted. When it's done I'll post a before and after photo. The before photo on it's own is too scary.

***Celebration of Spring Studio Tour Update***
Day two of the studio tour was very rainy, but the people still came and bought pottery. It was the best Spring studio tour yet. Even though we sold LOTS of pots, we still have some nice ones left. We plan to stay open throughout our move. Come to Seagrove, buy some pots, and we will have less to move. If you can't come to Seagrove, our Etsy shops are open 24-7. The goal is for our new gallery will be ready by mid-June.

Tea Time

Sophie and her "Uncle" Phil enjoy afternoon tea.

Our "Mug for Moving" campaign continues. If you would like to  help us out AND acquire a wonderful, new, handmade mug... click here:  "MUGS FOR MOVING"

Patience is a virtue?

I am loving this new batch of spoons that came out of the wood kiln that was fired during FireFest at STARworks. I like them so much that I want to keep them... but I will be strong and put a price on them. Well, maybe I will keep one.

There is so much that needs to be done at our new house and it's making me crazy to not be there every minute! But alas, there is a studio tour this weekend and I have to prepare for that, as well as piggy bank orders to complete. It doesn't help that the house is just a mile from our current location, making it all the more tempting to sneak away. I need to be patient. We knew that the timing of our closing would be squeezed in between studio tour preparations, and Jeff's impending trip to Japan and S. Korea. Yep, he leaves in less than two weeks. It's a good thing we aren't under pressure to move out of here! Our goal is to be completely down the road by June 1st.

I am both exhausted and exhilarated, just thinking about it.

We are on the move!

We closed on our new home today!

We are very excited to be moving one mile up the road, which keeps us on the Pottery Highway.

If you are familiar with Seagrove, you might recognize the beautiful barn that will be our neighbor. The house needs some TLC, but we are up for the challenge. The in-town location is perfect for business, yet we have a little over 2 acres and a very private backyard... lots of room for a big garden.

I think there is going to be some celebrating around here this weekend!

Mugs for Moving

Jeff and I have been in Seagrove, NC for nearly five years. Living and working in these two log cabins has been an adventure that we will always hold near and dear to our hearts. It was never our plan to be in this location permanently. We are renting, and our dream has always been to purchase our own place.

After many years of hard work, and frugal living, we have found that place! We have a contract on house just a mile up the road. It's a perfect in town location with some acreage and a wooded backyard. All of this is both exhilarating and scary at the same time.

For most people moving is hard work and a pain in a$$, but for potters it's that X 100. Once more our gas kiln will have to be dismantled and rebuilt, along with pouring a new pad and building a kiln shed. We almost have it covered but a little help from pottery lovers and collectors will make a huge difference. 

Mug for Moving is our campaign to raise funds to get our studio and kiln moved. We are offering three different mug styles for $25 each. This includes shipping in the US, and if you are in NC, sales tax as well. Mugs will be shipped or available for pickup by fall of this year.

The details are on our newly launched website along with a shopping cart to place your order via Paypal. www.gypsypotters.net

Thank you readers and fellow bloggers for all of your encouragement and support over the years. The blogging community feels like family, even though some of us have never met. Jeff and I realize that times are tight for everyone, if you can't afford a mug perhaps you could share our campaign on Facebook via the handy "share this page" button on the website.

Looking forward to the New Year

I love that the camellia blooms this time of year in North Carolina. I have been here for four years and I still think they are a wonderful, winter surprise.

The year has come to close, which give us the opportunity to reflect upon it. 2014 was a complex year for me.  The first half I was faced with my parents car accident and then my mother's passing. Next Jeff's trip to South Korea was postponed, leaving us with a very expensive plane ticket, that wouldn't get reimbursed until the trip was rescheduled. Somehow despite these obstacles, and a few more, we managed to increase our sales and financially had a pretty good year. We are probably still poor by many people's standards, but we are happy and enjoy our lifestyle.

I am feeling very positive about 2015. So positive that Jeff and I have been looking at a house to purchase. Now we have to hope that the bank will feel the same way. Please send good energy our way. We are already arranging our furniture in the new house!

My wish is that you all ring in the New Year in the manner that makes you happiest, and that 2015 brings you health, happiness, and a little extra cash wouldn't be so bad either.
Happy New Year.