Pigtown or Pigsty?

Illegal dumping and Pigtown go hand in hand. Casually discarded computer parts, scrap metal or a couch rest easy on sidewalks off Nanticoke St. So today, I decided to meddle after seeing a guy toss several old air conditioning units on the street and begin demolishing them. He had no room in his pickup truck, so his intent seemed pretty obvious. I asked him if he had plans to leave his junk, and he said he wasn't "going to answer that...I wouldn't be so disrespectful because my grandmother lives across the street".

Riiiiiight.

Pigtown Bird Has Chutzpah

Two weeks ago, I was walking my dogs when we stumbled across a small bird chirping from the bushes. It emerged old and feeble, and its wings were out of commission. Amazingly, it puffed its feathers and charged me and the dogs. Whatever makes a small, defenseless creature so brave--if not mad--is endearing and just as impressive as the boldest human in the face of overwhelming obstacle.

I returned solo with my camera and the bird charged me again, strangely allowing me to pick it up--didn't peck me either. Was it daring death? Normally I take sick animals to to the Humane Society, but instead left birdie-badass on the little stump in the bush.

I went back to find it a third time, but no chirp or trace. I imagined it charged the other dogwalker with pit bulls or fell prey to one of the numerous feral cats in our neighborhood. RIP, sweet little kamikaze bird.

Springing into Home Projects

With Spring approaching, it's time to get busy. No more putting off the house due to cold weather! Here ya go...

Project #1: The BM Bittersweet Chocolate living room phase is over, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm going back to light walls, i.e., au naturale vanilla bean. As much as I'd like to think I can do dramatic colors, dramatic colors just don't do my house.

Project #2: New rugs and window treatments for living room/dining nook.



Project #3: Going chinoiserie on the powder room with this wallpaper:



Project #4: Re-tiling MAIN bedroom in basic subway or pennyround tile (the builder basic faux stone tile has to go). Here's an idea (taken from http://www.remodelista.com/products/dal-penny-round-tile):

Project #5: My ambitious grassy patio didn't work out beyond the fall, so I'm filling it in with gravel and pavers (much to the chagrin of Nelson & Sophie).

Pigtown Snowpocalypse: February 6-10, 2010

Nelson's first blizzard...awwwww.



Nelson and Sophie.


My snowmobile.






Feb. 6, 2010.

Doggone...

Gorgeous Williams Sonoma ceramic lantern (and part of a pair).

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Guilty party.

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Damn, damn, damn!!!

Living Room Teaser

I promised living room photos over a month ago, and I'm truly sorry for the delay! However, I'm having the toughest time completing home projects, and the living room is still in transition (note: I'm still undecided about painting the chair rails chocolate brown or a pop-out white, and you'll see both versions in the room). Nonetheless, I wanted to share a few photos. Here goes...

Yay, New Neighbor Across the Street

After 3.3 years, finally! I have a neighbor across the street! No more dead views. There'll be lights! Maybe even a plant or two to sweeten the view. Yay.

Now if I could just get the house w/ the crumbling facade (beside my new neighbor) to be rehabbed or bulldozed.