2017 Home Tour

I think the best way to enjoy your favorite things is to only possess favorite things. If I don't LOVE something, I consider it a moral imperative to let it go. It's the only compassionate and sustainable thing to do.

Six months ago, I walked away from home ownership and downsized my life. My family of four and a dog moved out of a 2,500 square foot detached home with a full garden into a 1,000 square foot apartment. Now, I know that 1,000 square feet is still a lot of room. But for us, it was a huge shift. We also divested ourselves of 70% of our furniture and belongings.

And guess what? I don't miss a thing.

And to be clear, we're not minimalists. We're not part of the tiny house movement. We just want to preserve the resources we have and to enjoy more time together as a family. A smaller and more manageable household helps us to do that.

So here is the new and improved 2017 house tour. 

You can see my previous home tour HERE. 

Summer Chickens

My backyard hens are doing well in the summer heat, although they get a little pissy in the late afternoons. I've been letting them eat around the edges of my vegetable beds. This adds a healthy dose of kale, mint, and oregano to their diet. Their favorite snack is still a handful of meal worms, though. When it gets over 100 degrees, I usually take a shallow pan of ice to the hens. The ice melts quickly, but the water is cool and refreshing for the ladies. Gladys likes to stand in the water and cool off her feet.

June Garden Report & Natural Mosquito Repellent

The garden is pretty idyllic right now. Everything is lush, but not overgrown. The pollinators are having orgies over all of the new life and our family is harvesting food every morning. Kale, chard, eggs, herbs, onions, yellow neck squash, French zucchini, green beans and more. Even our salads get a colorful sprinkling of Nasturtium flowers for fun and color. Our tomatoes are almost ready and this year they look plentiful! I'm so thrilled. There are six varieties of tomato in our garden this year, many of which we've never grown or eaten. It will be a new adventure!

Natural Mosquito Repellent Tip
Also - I want to talk about my new successful method for keeping mosquitoes at bay. These buggers are thick this year in Texas. We didn't have a real freeze this winter, so they're especially bad right now. I hate all of the chemical sprays, and even the essential oil based sprays have a really intense odor and residue on our yard. So, I've started burning incense in the garden to smoke them out. It gives our garden the feel of sacred space, smokes out the bugs and smells divine. I just bought the huge pack if India Incense from World Market. It's inexpensive and beautiful.

What's growing in your garden right now?

Baby Grand

I play the piano, as does my 8-year old son. We've been happily using an out-of-tune spinet for the past five years, but we recently happened upon a paper advertisement in the music department of a local university for a baby grand. Our wheels started turning. Could we afford it? Could we justify the expense? Alas, the answer was "no".

But this Christmas, my Dad surprised our little family with a very big gift. He made it possible for us to purchase the baby grand and have it delivered to our home just before the holiday. We are over-the-mood excited to have such a lovely instrument in our midst. When we get her all tuned up, I'll make a little video for you!

A fun side note: The previous piano owner is Peter Protzman, a designer for Herman Miller. He is the designer of many of Herman Miller's most successful furniture pieces. For instance, THESE chairs, THESE chairs and THIS desk are among my favorite of his creations. It was a pleasure to meet Peter and his wife and purchase their piano!

Around the House | Solstice Edition

Here at La Maison Boheme, things are slowing down. Hibernation and quiet are the order of the day. We have family visiting from out of town. Checker boards and puzzles are scattered across the dining room table. Holiday music is streaming. Football games are being recorded. Short brisk walks are taken in the mid-afternoon. Baked goods move in and out of the oven.

Today is the winter solstice. The whole world spins on a dark axis, waiting to be reborn into the light. But inside these four walls, we're toasty and well-fed. Gratitude abounds and my little ones anticipate Christmas. I hope you're all warm and well and with someone you love. Here's a little taste of our holiday scene:

Our Airbnb Studio

Our new Airbnb space is now open for business! Our housemates have moved on to other adventures, which means our 400 square foot studio is now available via Airbnb. It's a 400 square foot garage renovation with AC/heating, flatscreen TV, large mini fridge (is that a thing?), massive walk-in closet, newly remodeled bathroom and garden access. So if you're ever traveling to Dallas, bookmark this little gem! Check out all the details HERE.

Book it here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2181419