Springtime Plants...

Our dogwood tree.

I think it is finally safe to say that spring is here, along with April showers!  This time of year is the best in Northcrest.  The neighborhood comes alive with tons of flowering plants, especially famous for our plethora or azaleas and dogwood trees!  The mature, tree-lined streets are gorgeous and I never feel like I'm here in the city.  Here are just a few quick pictures of our yard right now...



Pink Camellia Bushes.



Some Azaleas and Camellias.  I would love to trim this area so it is not so overgrown, anyone have any tips?

We have so many projects lined up for spring...among them is working on a new mailbox and small planting bed underneath.  There is a lovely hydrangea bush by the mailbox and a nicely shaped boxwood so I am hoping to plant some color and texture below them next to our new mailbox.  We are also getting close to installing our Crestview Door Light Kit.  Can't wait to get it in and let go of the glass door (which sadly, and not unlike the carpet, Pizmo will really miss!).

*Anyone have tips on trimming roses?  We have a couple (very old) roses at the street and I would love to trim them to maximize their blooms.  I also need tips on trimming back and shaping some overgrown azaleas, hydrangea, and other flowering bushes!

On the Road, Again....Mid Mod Style!

Jeff and I have just returned from a mini-vacation roadtrip to Oklahoma City.  Why were you in Oklahoma you ask?

For this George Nelson exhibit, of course!

It was spectacular and well worth taking the trip.  Of course, we made a map of antique and junk stores, stopped and browsed bought along the way, checked out Route 66 for mid-century Googie signs, saw Oral Robert's mid-century modern marvel of a university, chatted with shop owners, dined inside a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome, and just enjoyed the open road.  We headed up to Tulsa to see the lovely mid-century modern neighborhood Lortondale, and might I add, it was a great place to call home.  Flat roofs and loving owners occupied most of the homes, and it was nice to compare and contrast Lortondale to Northcrest.  Here are a few teaser images to hold you over!

More coming soon!


p.s. Did you know what a mid-century hotbed Tulsa is?  Wow!  Mid-century around every turn!  We loved it!

Here it is....the Northcrest Tour of Lights!

I just posted some of the wonderful holiday lights around the neighborhood on Home Sweet Split Level....
Take a look!

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to All!

Merrry Kitschmas!

Here we are, on Christmas Eve eve, waiting for that guy in the red suit and hoping for a snowy white Christmas here in Atlanta!  Jeff, our good friend Brian, and myself are all going to saddle up in the car tonight, eat some bbq and do our annual "Northcrest Tour of Lights"!  Look for the results tomorrow on Home Sweet Split Level!  There are really some impressive houses in the 'hood, but Brian's probably takes the cake!  He prides himself on riding that line between over-the-top awesome fun, without being tacky.  It really is spectacular this year!  Here is sneak peek...

Oh don't worry, he has added more since this picture!



And, last but not least, here are our holiday decorations this year.  I swore I was going to pull out all the stops, but I just didn't have time with everything going on this year.  I am determined to stock up on some crafty holiday supplies for next year's handmade holiday when everything goes on sale.  I did make the wreath I had been dreaming of this year, and I may have squealed when the handmade vintage felt deer ornaments went perfectly with it.  We also usually get a real tree, which I adore, but we weren't in town much earlier this month so we pulled out our old college tree.  It is so tiny that I had to put it up on boxes for it to fill the space!  Oh well, it is really about the ornaments to me anyway!  I adore a good vintage ornament, and I picked up several new ones this year....we are going to have to get a bigger tree eventually because all my ornaments won't fit!

Improvised vintage Santa tree-topper.

Awesome wrapping paper from Target.

Holiday Tea crafting.

Holiday House.

Best attempt at a holiday dog portrait.

Have the happiest of holidays, all!

Catching up...

Where did October go?  We have been super busy around here doing neighborhood fall things.  I took a quick trip to visit a good friend who is in law school in Montgomery, AL, then there was our Northcrest Neighborhood Yard Sale, and of course Halloween festivities!  Oh, and did I mention sewing an army of felt-bots to prep for fattycakes 2 day stint at the Indie Craft Experience?!  The Holidays are officially coming, and I can't believe it is November! 

While I try to catch up on life...here are some great Mid-Century gems that I saw in Montgomery.  It was a great place to find reasonably priced Mid-Century Modern items, especially lamps.  I brought home a few trinkets and a cool lamp, all for around $75!



Here is the lamp I brought home along with that white candy dish next to it.



Northcrest Neighborhood Yard Sale Extravaganza!

This Saturday, October 16th from 8am-4pm!

Mid-Century Modern Neighborhood Yard Sale!

HUGE SALE, MULTIPLE HOUSEHOLDS!

Northcrest Neighborhood Yard Sale Extravaganza, featuring 40+ homes. Yard Sale Headquarters at Northcrest Swim and Tennis Club (3524 Bowling Green Way, 30340), get official Yard Sale Locator Map, buy snacks and refreshments, and use our restrooms. Vendors will sell at the Swim and Tennis Club too! Go to http://www.northcrestclub.com/ the day of for the map and listing of homes.

Come check out everything from clothes and household items, to Danish Modern furniture and vintage kitchenware!

AND....if you live in Northcrest be sure to come out to vote for the Northcrest Sign Design Contest!  The ladies of the Hoe n' Hope Garden Club will have a booth at the pool selling items and baked goods to raise money for our new neighborhood sign.  They will also have the entries on display and voting for households in the neighborhood!

Patio Living...

We worked hard on the basement workshop this weekend, which means we are rounding the corner to other projects!  We did lots of organization and thanks to a lucky find through our neighbor, we now have the perfect basement work bench (more on this later over on Home Sweet Split Level).  Having the workshop finally finished (2 years in the making!) means we can conquer other projects with much more ease.  We are finally focusing on finishing up the basement Rompus Room, which will feature our vast tiki collection, a new tiki bar, the Heywood Wakefield rattan set we bought a while back at Kudzu Antiques, and the WW2 bathroom.  It is so nice to have an end in sight on that project.....which means we are adding more projects.  Since fall is just around the corner, we are hoping to squeeze in a quick patio build for the next couple of weekends.  We bought an awesome vintage patio table and chairs (also at Kudzu) last summer and they are awaiting a good refinishing by me.  This will be the perfect time to get that project done.

Here is just a taste of some of the things we are thinking for the patio....

City Hall East Sale...

Last Monday was the first day of the City Hall East Sale.  It was a landmark day for all Atlanta junkers and history enthusiasts!  The city had the entire basement open with office furniture, cabinets, cubicles, chairs galore, and even saddles.  Furniture was lined up in neat rows, and there was plenty of Knoll and Herman Miller office furniture to be had if you were early and committed!  People swarmed, had friends staked out on their claim, and the check-out line was well, long to say the least.  We met our neighbor Ken there, and of course ran into a couple of other Northcresters, Eric and Rick.  We didn't see anything we just had to have, but it was a great experience walking around that giant basement, thinking about when it was a huge department store, and what it is slated to become.  History in the making I tell you! 

Eric and Ken browsing.

Rick in line with his treasure, shell chairs for $5 each.

Don't forget that this weekend Highland Row Antiques is offering 20% off for Labor Day!  Go buy something awesome, you deserve it!