As I type this blog post, new LED panel lights are being installed in our basement! I can’t wait to see that space properly lit and bright. I put off my painting until the new lights were installed so I could see better. I hope to have that done next week.
My four things this week – Restoring Williamsburg, Alone Africa, regret & gardening overalls, and hiring out annoying jobs.
what I’m reading
My research of Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello led me to Williamsburg. Jefferson was educated there and was influenced by the architecture, but departed from their formal English-style gardens when designing his garden. I have a couple of books on Williamsburg, but poked around to see if there were any good ones I was missing. This led me to Restoring Williamsburg, and it’s been an interesting read so far with lots of great images. Would you believe that I have never been to Williamsburg? It seems such a shame given my love of history, homes, architecture, and gardens, and the fact that I lived in Virginia for many years.
Anyway, Jeff and I have already been talking about planning a trip there one of these days. Until then, I’ll enjoy touring it in my books…
what I’m watching
Season 12 of Alone is finally available to watch! Alone is one of our favorite shows, so we eagerly look forward to new seasons. This one is in South Africa, so it throws the contestants in an entirely different environment than previous seasons. Previous locations have been in or near the Arctic Circle, so the challenge has been cold and food scarcity. This season, the challenge is clean water, thirst, heat, and protection against wildlife.
I enjoy watching people embrace the adventure and flex their survival skills, but I also love watching their creativity. The ingenuity and resourcefulness displayed are inspiring. You can watch it on the History Channel or purchase it on Apple TV. (Previous seasons are available on Netflix and Hulu.)
what I’m loving
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.“
– Mark Twain
…AND…
I love my gardening overalls from Duluth Trading Co. and wear them anytime I’m doing yard work or outdoor projects. I bought a second pair on sale last year because I wore them so often and thought it would be nice to have two pairs to rotate. I happened to navigate to their side and saw they had a blue and white “bandana” pair, and I couldn’t resist. Does one actually need a work overall wardrobe!? I guess if you work on projects as much as I do, it’s justifiable.
what I’m working on
This week feels more about what I’m not working on than what I’m working on. Of course, I’m still working. Jeff and I have worked on removing ivy, and I’ve done other yard and pool chores throughout the week. I’ve been writing and painting, and working more on the basement. But what I’m not doing is stripping wallpaper in the guest room and our bathroom. I finally decided to hire someone to do it, and it will be awesome to have the last bits of wallpaper removed from this house (excluding closets, which I’m not going to fuss with).
We’re having a crew remove the wallpaper and glue and prime the walls, and then I’ll take over from there. I have wallpaper for this room, but I’m just going to paint the walls with white paint I already have and live with it for a while before I put up new wallpaper. I need to decide if it’s really worth it after all the glue-removal we’ve had to do in this house!
What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on this week?
21 Responses
We’ve been watching SILO — it’s not usually my kind of show, but it’s definitely intriguing and packed with cliffhangers that keep us coming back.
I encourage you to go to Willimsburg! You will love, love and did I say LOVE it. The beauty, history and simplicity will capture your heart….it did mine twenty years ago and we still enjoy our repeat trips there. Don’t put it off. Have a great, creative day!
I would so like to see what you are working on with your fine art paint projects
I’ve enjoyed reading these posts. Thanks for sharing these tidbits!
I recently purchased the Duluth garden overalls in Farm Toile and LOVE them! They are so comfortable and easy to work in or not!
I grew up on the east coast, so remember family trips to Williamsburg. You must go when given the chance! You will be inspired by the charming simplicity, history, and architectural beauty.
Contemplating wallpaper myself, for at least the powder room. I just want to make sure it is classic and something I love as it won’t be coming down….maybe ever…given your glue removal saga!! Smart move to hire out the rest! Happy 4th to you and your family!
Maybe I am biased because I live in Virginia and my husband grew up in Williamsburg, but you really do need to plan a trip there if you have never been. Another blogger (Rhoda of Southern Hospitality) did a nice review of her trip there.
Marian,
Our Williamsburg vacation was the best vacation I have ever taken. I loved everything about it! The history, architecture, the food and entertainment. I always have wanted to return.
You work so hard, you deserve to have someone remove the wallpaper. Such a tedious job. Glad you are giving yourself a break from that.
Your basement looks great now with the painting.
My husband and I have been watching Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s Long Way Home where they embark on a two month vintage motorcycle beginning at Ewan’s house in Scotland and ending at Charley’s house in England. We have not watched the other “Long Way” tours but this one is very good with beautiful scenery.
We are loving the Long Way Home shows too!
I’ve been reading “A Rich Spot of Earth,” after you wrote about it. My copy has an autograph by Peter Hatch, which I’d forgotten. You will enjoy Williamsburg! I seem to remember you mentioning “The Chesapeake House,” a book featuring Williamsburg architecture, which was a treasured gift. It makes me happy that you are hiring the rest of the wallpaper stripped! Happy Fourth!
I would love to encourage you to book the trip to Williamsburg. We took our girls when they were young and they still say it was our best family vacation. We also took in Jamestown & Yorktown while we were there. We all want to go back!
I would also say go in a month when it isn’t too hot. You’ll enjoy it more, as will your boys. It really is a wonderful place to visit.
you must go to Williamsburg at Christmas. You will love all the door decorations and wreaths, all done with totally natural materials including seashells
Another book you might like is “Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation” by Andrea Wulf. There is also a YouTube video of the author speaking about it at Monticello. Happy Independence Day and have a great weekend. 🙂
Hi, I enjoy these weekly “four things” newsletters. This week I have a question about the last photo of the bedroom. Can you tell me where the white coverlet on the bed is from as well as the brownish looking coverlet folded at the bottom of the bed?
Many thanks,
Lisa
Both are from Annie Selke/Pine Cone Hill. The gold quilt is no longer available, but the white quilt still is. We’ve been using this one for over 10 year and it’s been great -https://bit.ly/4nB02NU
I would encourage you to have the fellas you hire out strip the closets as well; how much more could it cost? In my opinion you’ll regret it every time you open the closet. Having paper stripped from my living room years ago was the best money I’ve ever spent!
I Have a lot of experience with lavender so I offer this information. The best way to kill lavender is to over water it. In fact once it is established don’t water it at all. Unless you have an extreme heatwave. It starts to look bad sometimes and we assume it wants water. That is the wrong help for lavender. Hope this helps.
Maybe the striped wallpaper in the guest bedroom isn’t in good shape, but I have to say it looks fabulous in that photo! I love those colors together and the warm woods. So cozy and homey!
Yeah, it’s peeling in some places and looks pretty dated in person. The wall behind it is purple, so that doesn’t look too great, either, where it peeks through!
We are from SW PA but are camping in Gettysburg this week for the reenactment, one of my favorite places! I always think of you when I’m here, especially going to Biglerville to the farm market and when I see the red brick homes that look a lot like the home you had here. It’s so clean and pretty here and love the history and architecture! Your basement progress looks great!
Visiting Colonial Williamsburg is an absolute must.
You won’t be disappointed!