Office Minimalist

A crisp, elegant house

Posted by Mr Wong at 12:01 PM 0

I really like the arrangement of art on this wall. The wall color is different too.

Check out the mobile fixture above the table

What do you think of the couch in the dining room?

via KML Designs

Playing in the Dirt Part Two

Posted by Mr Wong at 4:47 PM 0

Well, playing in the dirt, became playing in the mud as we had a weekend of rain and thunderstorms.

Saturday morning started out partly sunny and dry, so Mr. Comforts of Home started building one of 4 raised beds.

Mr. Comforts of Home is an engineer. So we never, ever, ever, ever, ever just plop raised beds willy nilly in the yard. It takes stakes, string, levels, measuring tapes etc to even begin the process.

Though as an artist, I do pick on him for his "everything has to be square and aligned and level" outlook, for my Potager, I think he is absolutely right.

Things were moving right along, until the thunder, lightening and rain started.

It will be a few more days before the French Kitchen Garden gets done.

In the meanwhile, here is a picture of our recent trip to France. This is the gardens of Versailles. Courtesy of one of our friends (Ron S.) we traveled with.

Talk about engineering and making sure everything was in line and level....

Welcome Home,

Penny

Weekend Plans

Posted by Mr Wong at 4:57 PM 0

This weekend we are playing in the dirt.

We had 12 "yards" of top soil delivered today. How much exactly is a "yard" of top soil?

According to Ask.com, "A large or contractor size wheelbarrow holds 6 cubic feet while homeowner sizes hold about 4 cubic feet. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, so 4-5 and 6-7 wheelbarrow loads, respectively."

So, if I am reading that correctly, I have a homeowner size wheelbarrow, which means I have approximately 72-84 wheelbarrows to move.

We need to take this:

this:

and this:

To end up hopefully sometime in July with something that resembles this:

So what are you doing this weekend? I would really love to know!

Welcome Home,

Penny

The Glamorous Suites of NYC's Crosby Street Hotel

Posted by Mr Wong at 11:26 AM 0

It must be amazing to be able to stay in a hotel like this. My budget these days restricts me to hostels, but a girl can dream!

See more at the website.

Some Answers to Your Questions

Posted by Mr Wong at 12:04 AM 0

I have had a few quesions asked in the last couple of posts, so I will answer them here.

First, Jeanne of Backyard Neighbor asked, "I love the bust your dh carried all the way home and around the countryside. Now, I want to see where you put her. Maybe you showed us and I missed it."

Here is Antoinette. She is in my master bedroom on my dresser.

Next Question

Elaine asked, "We took a two week tour of France a few years, ago. I'd love to try the boat tour. Was this a fast paced tour or more leisurely? Do you mind if I ask what company you used?"

The company we used is called Uniworld. Click on their name for a link to their website. They have river cruises in France, Portugal, Spain, Egypt and China.

As for the pace of the tour, it is more leisurely than a bus tour is, because your "home" moves with you. You are not checking into new hotels and packing and unpacking every day. You can choose to go on the excursions at each port, or just relax on the ship.

I have often been asked questions about where I purchased items, color of paint I use in my house, mosaic questions, etc... Sometimes it is hard to answer because the asker doesn't have an email or a blog. So, I might have missed a question.

Please feel free in the comments on this post to ask any question you want, and I will try to answer them in the next post.
Welcome Home,
Penny

A Gift

Posted by Mr Wong at 6:29 AM 0

When I came home from my vacation in France, I found a surprise email from a blog friend. Ginger from Enchanting Cottage had emailed me and said, "I have a small something I would love to send you, a little something for your home. Would you mind if I had your address, then I will get it in the mail to you. It's not much but I thought of you when I saw it. It has your name all over it."

Well, of course I would love a special package, just for me! So I sent Ginger my address and very shortly a package arrived at my door.

It was this wonderfully scented candle, in the best muted colors with a black wax seal hanging from a black cord.

And remember when Ginger said, "it has your name all over it"?

Look at the lid!!! The Comforts of Home!!! And not only that...the curved lettering says, Cobbler on the porch...and then in FRENCH it says Cobbler sur la verande (which when translated means on the porch).

Thank you Ginger....it definately is perfect for my home. You are so sweet to think of me and I will think of you each time I light this beautiful candle!

p.s. a lot of you have requested more pictures of France so every so often in a post, I will add a picture or two...xo

A view from an old Chateau near Milly-Lamartine, France

Welcome Home,

Penny

France...The Rest of The Story

Posted by Mr Wong at 8:13 PM 0

During the 3 weeks we spent in France, I took 386 pictures. I know that looking at travel pictures can be really boring, and I have gone on about this trip for a couple of weeks worth of posts.

So, I thought I would show you a few more random pictures of the south of France and then this post will be the final post of the trip.

There are about 25 pictures to follow....so go get an espresso or a glass of wine, put on some French music and take your time, looking at the beauty of France.

The ship we traveled on.