ANTIQUE BIRD CAGES

I guess it's official.  I need a bird cage.  Even BEFORE I had a bird I wanted to get an antique art deco cage for our bedroom.  Specifically one with a stand and a big hoop on top that the cage hangs in.  I am SO smitten with these.  Bird or no bird...they look lovely.

The cages above are all from North Fork Pets and Antiques.  They have by far the biggest and best selection of antique cages online....but, unfortunately, they are all totally out of my price range. 

It seems like the best way to do it is to buy the cage and the stand separately.  You can find some nice less expensive ones on craigslist, ebay and etsy.  And if it isn't a full set (stand and cage) they are much more affordable.  I found the cage below on craigslist for $50 and the stand on ebay.  Currently the stand is at $13 (plus shipping).  The auction ends in two days and so far I'm the only bidder...so we'll see. 

The antique cage will be in my bedroom...and won't be Little Admiral's primary residence.  It will be more like his pied-a-terre.  I want to get him a bigger cage that we will keep in the guest room...which has been renamed the bird's room.  

Oh...and Little Admiral is currently his official name....but we mostly call him Budge.

BIRD CRAZY

About a week after we moved in I noticed a robin building her nest right outside our dining room window.  I'm trying not to bother her...but when she's not around I peek in to see if there are any little blue eggs.  None yet...but my fingers are crossed. 

You would think that was the most exciting bird related news I have...but it's not.  I found a lost parakeet wandering down my street this morning.  He walked right up to me and jumped in my hand.  I basically dropped all of my plans for the day, brought him home, gave him food and water, and then we took a nap in my bed.  He spent the rest of the afternoon on my shoulder while I worked on the house....and he is currently living sans cage in our guest room. We have asked all of our neighbors if they know whose bird it is...but no one does.  So, looks like we may have a new member of the family.  

We haven't decided what to name him (I keep saying him...but we actually have no idea if it's a boy or a girl). We're considering The Superintendant or Little Admiral.  Anyone have any suggestions?

NEW LISTINGS

Well...I haven't been that impressed with any of the houses that have come on the market since my last real estate post...but this week these two beauties showed up in my inbox.

The one in the photo above is a circa 1860 three story with a mansard roof and wraparound porch. It has the original pine floors, 9 foot ceilings, a glass sunroom, mature gardens with hydrangeas, roses, and magnolias, and a 4 room suite on the third floor currently used as a studio and darkroom.  Pretty awesome...right?  Apparently it needs a little TLC...but the listing price is only $214,900! Details are here.

This one is a 19th century farmhouse located on a quiet country road in Accord.  It is on over two acres with big, old maples tree, a barn, another large outbuilding perfect for a studio or guest house and a STREAM!  It's pricier than the other listing...$299,000...but it has already been updated (the bathroom looks amazing), and seems like it's in great condition.  Details are here.

I mean...THIS could be your backyard.  Come be my neighbor!

HORNSEA POTTERY

Lord knows I don't need to start collecting ANYTHING else...but vintage Hornsea pottery is SO tempting.

The Hornsea studio line was made in England from the 1950s to the 1980s and was popular there...but unfortunately, it's not that easy to find in the US. If you're willing to pay a pretty penny you can get pieces on ebay and etsy (mostly from overseas)...but the chances of stumbling upon some while thrifting aren't great. Unless, of course, you are lucky enough to live in the UK.

image above from Pips Trip

photo of blue bird ashtray above from Pips Trip

Here is the bird ashtray reappropriated as salt cellar! Love it. -- from H is for Home.

Most of my favorite pieces were designed by John Clappison. I kind of want to get this book on his life and work. From amazon UK, of course.

photos from: Hornsea pottery collectors flickr group; H is for Home; Pips Trip

VICTORIAN PHOTOCOLLAGE

A few weeks ago Tina and I went to the Metropolitan Museum to see Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage. I had read a few things about it beforehand...and it sounded like it was right up my alley...but seriously?...it turned out to be one of the most inspiring exhibits I've been to in a while!  

In the 1860s, the popularity of the carte de visite (affordable tiny paper photos you could have taken and then hand out to whomever you please) started a kind of photocollage craze. Women would cut out these pictures of their friends and family and place them in hand-painted vignettes. What I found surprising about these collages was how thoroughly modern they seemed. They were so wonderfully weird and witty and playful and surreal. Not at all what you would expect from a bunch of aristocratic Victorian ladies! The show ended yesterday...so I decided to do a quick post with a few images from the exhibit for those of you who didn't get to see it.

OUR FIRST AUCTION

Auctions are something that I have been interested in getting into for a while now.  I've heard that you can find great vintage and antique furniture etc...and if you are lucky you can snag some real bargains. 

Well...guess what my new neighbors do.

Run an auction house! 

Justin and I went to the preview last Friday where we got to walk around and take a look at everything that was for sale. We picked a few things that we were interested in - a mid century modern credenza, an antique glass front bookcase, an old work table, a box of quilts and old  American flags....and we decided what our max price would be for each item.

The actual auction was on Saturday....and while I was back in NYC with some of my oldest lady friends for a bachelorette party, Justin was there bidding on the items we had chosen the night before.  The credenza and the bookcase went for more than we were willing to spend...but we ended up with the work table, the lot of quilts and flags, 10 boxes of books, 3 wooden chairs, and and a tapestry covered armchair. (The books and chairs were a last minute impulse buy that Justin couldn't resist because they were going for SUPER cheap.)  All in all we spent under $200 and ended up with some great stuff. 

This is one of the items from the box lot - a big, beautiful yo-yo quilt large enough to fit a queen size bed.  It's made with the most darling vintage feedsack style fabrics.

Let me apologize for this terrible, blurry photo.  It does not do this table justice.  It's beautifully weathered and work-worn in person.  

MINT ICE MILK

I had ripped this recipe out of some magazine a long time ago.  Martha Stewart...I think?? But I can't find it on her website.  I remember that it had something to do with Blue Hill at Stone Barns....and I believe this is THEIR recipe for mint ice milk.

2 1/2 cups packed fresh mint leaves

2 cups whole milk

2/3 cup simple syrup (recipe here)

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, immediately plunge mint into an ice-water bath. Lift out mint;drain well. Reserve ice-water bath.

2. Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mint. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

3. Working in batches (so that blender is never more than halfway full), blend milk mixture until mint is puréed, at least 1 minute per batch. Pass through a fine sieve into a stainless-steel bowl set in reserved ice-water bath. 

4. Stir simple syrup and corn syrup into milk-mint mixture. Let stand until cold, stirring occasionally.  Refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours (or overnight).

5. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to a manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container.  Freeze at least 1 hour. Before serving, let stand at room temperature to soften slightly.

The recipe makes about two cups.  Not THAT much. But I think it is super cute served in small portions.  You know... just as a little palate cleanser/mini dessert.  I put mine in an espresso cup with a tiny spoon and garnished it with a sprig of mint...and voila!...adorable.

I'm gonna be honest.  I'm more of an instant gratification kinda girl...so cooking anything that takes a long time...and requires a lot of waiting...is not usually my jam.  And, believe me, while I was making this I kept complaining.  I was all: "this is SO much effort for so little"..."are you serious, ANOTHER step??!!"..."I have to wait TWO HOURS now???!!! The last thing I said was: "I'm never making this again". But then I tried it....and I am TOTALLY making it again.  It is SO good.  Promise. 

NOTE:  I was super surprised at how green it turned out.  I mean...it's GREEN green.  I was expecting more of a mint green situation.  So, should you decide to make this recipe...here is a fitting musical accompaniment.