Richmond Blows
This Saturday, 60 mph winds blew through Richmond. And boy did they carry some drama our way. First we returned home at around noon to discover that we were without power. Now it’s no big deal to be without tv, internet, and heat for a few hours, but learning that our “estimated power restoration time” was Monday night at 10pm was quite a shock. No power for three days? Those must have been some winds.
But learning that 200,000 other people are having the same problem helped us understand why there’s such a long waiting period. At least we’re in good company. And we’re actually luckier than most, since we have a gas fireplace in the den that can essentially keep the whole house warm if necessary. Short-haired-always-cold Burger certainly appreciates the back-up warmth.
And who knew blackouts could be so entertaining? After a particularly dramatic game of Yahtzee in the dark (where I whooped John fair and square) we realized that you don’t need a tv or a computer to entertain you when you have a camera and a flashlight. Observe:
John’s funny flashlight faces are hee-larious.
And this photo of my ninja impression also cracked us up.
But then the drama really kicked into high gear when we got news of a jumbo sized pine tree FALLING ON JOHN’S SISTER’S HOUSE. Yeah, we rushed right over with our camera in tow. Now it should be noted that this is a rental house (she and her hubby are currently building their dream home and are just renting this in the meantime). So that explains why they look more amused than devastated by this event.
And that’s just the front. Here’s a view of the back.
Talk about drama, right? But the truly miraculous part of the whole thing is that this is the only known damage that the house sustained:
Which brings us back to the fact that we’re hopelessly devoted to brick ranches. What other house could get slammed by a tree and just need some touch up paint and some new window molding (and maybe a new roof, but insurance will cover that). The window pane didn’t even break, it just magically shifted downward from the weight of the branch. Gotta love a house that takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Junk in the Trunk
A couple of weeks ago, Young House Love reader (and former Richmonder) Jennifer W. tipped us off to a great local source for junk – er, architectural salvage. She described Caravati’s as a paradise for old windows, doors and other historic home goodies. With our curiosity sufficiently piqued, we paid Caravati’s a visit as soon as we got the chance.
Their huge warehouse is in a quiet, industrial part of town- you could miss it if it weren’t for the crowd of cars outside. And the inside is just as crowded… with rows and rows of any and every type of architectural detail: fireplaces, mantles, doors, archways, stained glass inserts, toilets, windows, railings, columns, metal grates, etc.
And we’re not talking shiny, new IKEA style stuff. This “junk” looks as old as it probably is, which means it has Character with a capital C. Chipped paint, broken glass, rusted parts. Sherry summed it up as “authentic shabby chic”. Overall, really cool and really inspirational.
Here’s a sampling of the architectural eye-candy we saw:
We hoped to walk out with an old window that we could turn into a four-photo picture frame (by taping pics behind the glass of a four-paned window), but we didn’t find the right size this time. Even though we left with a junkless trunk, we still have some window DIY to share courtesy of our new friend Jennifer W.
Here’s a kitchen pot rack she made with an old window she snagged at Caravati’s. Clever, eh?
And for all you non-Richmonders, Caravati’s runs an eBay store so you can get your hands on some incredible architectural salvage too. Happy hunting.
We Need to Vent
Ever since we first posted about our vent-tastic Arietta hood back in October, it’s been one of the most asked about items in our home. Does it work? Does it really look that good? Is it too good to be true?
We had to dodge those questions for months while the hood just sat on the floor waiting for its friends, the cabinets. But now it’s been up for a few weeks and we’ve been able to put it to the test.
So let’s put all the speculation to rest. Yes, it works. Yes, it looks pretty darn fine. And no, it’s not too good to be true.
For all of you out there who worry that the low $350 price tag means a sacrifice in quality, know that we’ve been overwhelmingly happy with our choice. It’s quiet (check out the demo in our house tour), it’s functional (3 fan speeds, timer, clock, light) and it certainly looks like a million bucks.
Please chime in if you’ve got your own Arietta hood review to share, we’d love to get a concensus. Until then, here are some of the fun meals we’ve thrown together under our stainless steel sweetheart. Gotta love a kitchen that inspires you to cook more:
Tomato Basil Shrimp
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Pineapple
Note: For the recipes, please click the comment text-bubble on the top right hand corner of this post. Mmm…
