Relics

Yet another photo project I am working on...  I am so fascinated with what people have left behind: How empty space builds tension and wonder about what existed before and why they aren't there anymore.  Like the abandoned homes I shared with you in my last post, here is a selection of photos depicting walls where pictures etc. used to hang.  I wonder what might have been on the wall, the descriptions on the back of the picture, or signs of their accomplishments.  I photograph these things because I believe it is a testament that, no matter what we do, we leave behind a footprint of our existence.

 

 

"Jo Ann, Myself, and Sue Ann opening Christmas presents."

...

"Our 4 boys on Easter '98.  Ryan 14, Adam 13, Mark 10, Eric 18 mos.  What a size difference!"

Mansion Top Removal

   For years I have been fascinated with abandoned homes.  So much so, in fact, I have spent those years photographing some around my farm.  Today, most of these amazing homes no longer exist, either they've been torn down, slowly used for scrap, or even burned.  Now that I am involved in home restoration, I have access to vacant/abandoned homes I would otherwise never get the chance to photograph.  I thought I would share with you the images I have captured over the years, some old some just taken today.  This is an ongoing project, hopefully one day I'll actually take the time to print, frame, and exhibit them!

It's What I Do

I have been freelancing as an Interior Decorator and Personal Assistant for several years now but rarely do I talk about my job with my friends!  I guess it might be because I am interested in other things (like my art) and am always looking for more opportunities... but I thought that I should share with everyone what it is exactly that I do everyday!!

So lets start from the beginning.  I start with a house (a house my client has purchased) and I analyze all of the aesthetic work that needs to be done for it to be sold again at move-in-ready market value.  THEN I start!  I select/shop for all lighting fixtures, flooring, counter tops, cabinets, bathroom fixtures, interior/exterior wall color, etc.  Clearly this house needed A LOT of work!!

Once I've collected all of the materials, I typically begin by painting the wood trim and then all of the walls, and anything else that needs to be painted.  The appliances/fixtures/lighting/flooring is all installed by a well trained handyman, which I am not... yet (but it is on my bucket list)!

Once all of the cosmetic and handy work has been finished... then I decorate it!  My client is a Real Estate agent specializing in buying and remodeling homes and thus has an inventory of furniture and staging items.  Through the years I have also been responsible for shopping and collecting most of the pieces we decorate with, but in every house, it has been a challenge to reinterpret the same items to describe very different homes.  Once everything is perfect, I photograph the home and put it on the market for sale/rent.  This particular home happens to be in Northside just down the hill from The Comet!  Here is the finished home!  I just wrapped up today!!

If you happen to be looking for an ADORABLE home to rent, with an awesome backyard... you MIGHT like this one, it has won my heart over!

Also, see that coffee table in the livingroom?  I designed it. Yes, that is right, I designed and had it built.  It's the first piece of furniture I've made, and I'm proud of it!  Its an old casement window as the class top and a wood leg/frame shape that I designed, it was manufactured by a cabinet maker and is one of a kind... I'll have a better picture later.

From a Little Studio to a Big Gallery

 Last evening was the opening of the most recent art exhibition my work has been in!  "Art at the X" is a highly selective international juried art show at Xavier University (Cincinnati).  If you happen to be in the area, you can stop by the gallery to see the show, Monday-Friday from 10-4pm.  Its worth the hike.  The show this year features mostly litho, etching, and wood block print artists however, some photographers and painters were thrown into the mix...  I am proud to say that my work was by far the farthest away from the general style of the artists represented!  Meaning, I was still accepted into the show even though my work isn't what seems to be the taste of the Juror.

 

My favorite artist in the show was Kathleen Ristinen, a woodblock printer from Athens, OH.   From what I can gather, she creates very intricately carved single tone (black & white) wood block prints based off of old photographs.  The effect is a fantastic mixture of early American Propaganda art and a contemporary love for all things vintage, especially photographs.  I was not able to find much work of hers online to share with you, but, here are a two small images that I was able to glean:

 

I am in love.  I hope you can make it to the show to see her amazing work, I couldn't stop looking at it.

Olive Oil, Salt & Fire

Every Saturday from 9am-1pm and Wednesday from 3pm-7pm, The Party Source (in Newport/Bellevue, Kentucky) hosts a local Farmer's Market!  What makes this little market so special, is that this is where the local, small and mostly organic farmers have have set up shop after leaving Findlay Market downtown once the cost to have a booth there skyrocketed.  Products at the Market include: vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and cottage goods...  some of my favorite vendors there are, Shady Grove Farm, Thistlehair Farm, Greensleeves, Napoleon Ridge Farm, Cox Family Farms, and more.


If you have ever had the pleasure of eating a local and in season tomato, you may (like me) have cursed yourself into not being able to eat any other kind of tomato!!  So, thank God for Greensleeves Farm and their amazing variety of organic tomatoes and a rainbow of different kinds of sweet and hot peppers!  Today I bought about $10 worth of their tomatoes and peppers, 2 cartons of okra, 12 ears of silver queen corn, 1 garlic clove (by far the most expensive purchase!!), and 1 pound of Broccoli... all for under $20.

 

 This will feed me for a week!  Some of the recipes that I'll be making with this wonderful collection of veggies will be:

Roasted Hot Pepper, Okra and Bacon (or Vegan Bacon):

2 Cups Chopped Okra
1 Red Onion, Chopped
3-4 hot peppers chopped (give or take a few peppers depending on how hot they are)
1 Sweet yellow pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
5 strips of bacon, raw, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
dash of salt

Preheat the oven/broiler to 475 degrees.
If your oven happens to have a broiler, it is best to use a broiler to make this dish since it gives it a fantastic grilled taste that simply roasting it in the oven will not do.

Once all of your ingredients are chopped, toss them into a large mixing bowl together with olive oil and salt until all the ingredients are coated.  Then simply pour the mixture into either a shallow casserole dish or if your broiler (like mine) is too narrow for a dish, use a large piece of foil, turn up the edges, to create a cookie sheet-like dish. 

Spread the veggies out evenly in the dish and place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, tossing the veggies around every few minutes so that all of them are slightly charred when roasted, once the bacon is completely cooked, the dish is finished so just take it out, let it cool (just enough so you don't burn your tongue), and enjoy!  This is so good, you don't need anything else for a dynamite dinner (or lunch).

Heavenly Bruschetta:

This is possibly the most amazing dish I have ever made.  It is so simple and yet incredibly delicious.  All you need is:

Tomatoes, chopped

Garlic cloves, chopped

Basil, chopped

German Multi-grain Bread from Shadeau, sliced

butter

olive oil

sea salt

This is all about fresh local tomatoes.  Everything else is secondary.  To make this dish you simply combine your chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil and then drizzle generously olive oil on top as well as a healthy pinch of sea salt, toss the mixture and set aside.

For the toastinis, I have found that simply skillet frying your sliced bread in BOTH butter (first) and olive oil (second, once the skillet has burned off most of the butter) and sea salt until the bread is crispy and golden brown never fails to please.  This is also exactly how I make my home-made croutons for my salads and as an appetizer (except I chop them into 1 inch squares and toss them in garlic salt).  The only secret to making these toastinis is keeping the heat on your skillet low and the bread saturated in oil.  Be patient while the bread fries, the slower you cook them the more evenly toasted they will be throughout, and the outside won't burn.  

Once the bread is golden brown, place them on a plate and pile the tomato mixture on top and serve while the bread is still hot.  So good.  

If you insist on having cheese with it, I would recommend the "Norwood" by Kenny's Cheeses (you can find them at the Farmer's Market as well at the Greensleeves booth).

Now if I could just find a good gluten-free bread, I would be set.

Sew Simple, Sew Elegant

In keeping with my theme today of new ways to reuse old possessions, I figured I would also share with you my newest piece of found-object jewelery.  Yesterday I happened to stumble upon a beautiful pair of antique sewing scissors... the kind that are super tiny and used to cut the threads in a seam... Now, I assume that this could work with any kind of small sewing scissor as long as you have a matching necklace.  If you don't have a pair, I bet your mom or grandma, or someone you know, has a pair somewhere that they haven't used for years that they might donate to your fashion cause.

I know that this "idea" has already been done several times over and was seen on runways, fashion blogs & magazines etc. but the difference is, this one you don't have to BUY.  Its simple to just string a necklace cord between the handle of the scissors and rock it.  Plus, by using a found/gifted item, you are wearing a piece of history, something that has been used to create many beautiful things by the hands of someone wiser, older, and who you may know and love!  Plus, its functional, not just a metal cast of the real thing...  I can't tell you how many times I have needed a little pair of scissors to cut that obnoxious thread hanging from the hem of my skirt!!

Find it Cheaper... or Free

I suppose, in essence, this blog is meant to help inspire others (and myself) to live well by spending less and being creative with what we already have.  As an artist and interior decorator, I have learned how to create a rich life while spending very little, yet experiencing a lot.  I have always wanted to share with everyone the little discoveries and creations that I have found to be exciting, whether it be a new delicious recipe or my most recent thrift store find.  This simple blog will be where you will find the little things I have to share!

Photo by: Tiffany Dawn Nicholson