Hippie Princess

Yes. it's been a long time.  I was too heartbroken to write about losing the house.  Long story short, the appraisal came back much lower than what we were going to pay, the sellers disappeared for a few weeks, the bank put the breaks on the deal.  It went into short sale, which we waited patiently on for a few months, and then it went into foreclosure, and it was over.  So we didn't buy that cool old house, which seemed so destined to be mine.  I blame it all on the banks and that big black hole of negative energy that they are spreading around.  I can't fight that.  So, I was heartbroken and I couldn't write about it.

And now I am up to my sunburned nose in digging new transplant beds in the house we DID buy!  Which is a beautiful, sunny, big house with a huge yard and all sorts of cool features, like an addition that looks like a ski lodge.  In fact, we call that room "the lodge" and even the plumber is calling it that.  We closed in April and are now dealing with a lot of rehab.  We are tackling the innards of the house, plumbing and electrical, will move on to more fun projects later this summer. 

The strangest thing about this house is that the backyard is just a big wide open lawn.  There are no trees.  We are surrounded by gorgeous shade giving trees, but not a single one of them is ours.  So different from the wooded lot we were going to be living with.  It's ok though, I like the blank slate of this yard.  We've already built a clubhouse shack for Ben's birthday, and taken out about 35 Yew bushes.  This week a fence will go up, and soon we can have the dogs over.  We aren't living there yet, as there is not yet a bedroom for Winston.  That is being built in the basement, and as soon as it's ready we'll move over there.

The house was built in 1930, it's a big old brick Georgian, more of a rectangle than a square.  It was lived in for 50 years by a very connected Chicago couple, he a politician, she a mover and shaker in the Daly (the 1st) administration.  So many stories.  I feel like I've inherited a bit of Chicago history, and hoping that my perrenial gardening, chicken getting, bee keeping,  unschooling freak flag doesn't completely upset the neighborhood.  It's a little different up there on the top of the hill.  So many people I've met have lived there for their ENTIRE LIVES. 

I am writing this on my clunkity elderly laptop that can't handle photos anymore, so hopefully I can post some pictures from my ipad.   The other house was felt like a cabin in the woods.  This one feels a little bit like a manor house.  It has 2 fireplaces!  there is a formal living room, which I am looking forward to filling with the pretty furniture we inherited from John's first stepmom, Debbie.  It's been reupholstered and is already at the house, getting construction dust all over it, and getting a glimpse of what it's future life will be.  This is furniture that was treated like fancy, company only furniture.  No more.  There will be kids on it, and people strewing their clothing and lounging selves all over it.  Hopefully there won't be too many dogs on it, but there will be a cat.  Who better keep his claws under control. 

When I went to Fishman to pick out the fabric I was thinking about my mother in law Jane, who defined her style as "casual elegance".  I always thought it was cool that she had a way of describing her style, even though "casual elegance" ala Jane was not necessarily my taste.  I decided that my style, at least for reupholstered furniture that I never in a million years would have picked out for myself, is hippie princess.    This living room will be filled with books and color and there is enough space for a belly dance floor, and there is a fireplace.  We are calling it The Ladies Lounge.  Louise and I already decided that we are going to have tea in there all of the time, and we are going to take turns being the lady and the maid.