I’ll start with my favorite area of the house, the kitchen/den (we have no idea what to call this area) space. It’s basically a large room at the back of the house looking out towards the back yard. It’s completely open and includes the kitchen and a living space with a fireplace and built in book case on one side. It’s all tiled. It could use larger/more rugs, but that’s not a priority right now. Medical bills are…
Looking towards the front door, into the “main” living room/dining room area and hallway. The high-back chair is my favorite one to sit in with my cashmere blanket and look out towards the back yard. Incidentally, that’s the chair I tried to catch myself on to not fall, and the area next to it is where I fell 🙁
Fireplace area…
About the blue dog pictures I have hanging there – they are actually Neiman Marcus “The Book” catalog backs and fronts from the late 90’s my step-mom collected for me and had framed as a gift. They’ve been with me for nearly two decades and are a prized possession.
Sitting in my favorite chair…wearing ES Florence pants and AllBirds. Looking out towards the back yard. The pillow is by Caroline Z Hurley (sold out – I bought mine via Garmentory several months ago) and I love it, I think it goes beautifully there in that chair. I would rather look at it than use it in the chair I prefer to sit it LOL
Pretty much where Dagny is most of the time! Either coming or going outside. This is our kitchen nook and I LOVE It so much. A couple weeks ago I pulled out a rose bush that was growing wild and out of control there in front of those windows by the kitchen table and am re-doing the flower bed to just be a bird/butterfly garden. So far I have one platform bird feeder there, but am getting a second feeding “system” and will plant lantana and butterfly bush in the spring. yay 🙂 The yard is frankly out of control, and so many errant trees/bushes need to be removed, but I’m trying to focus on one area at a time.
Kitchen area – this is the largest kitchen I’ve ever had – seriously, we’ve had very very very small kitchens forever and this is such a wonderful place to cook and visit in. We’re both so happy with it. And most of all I love all the light and windows. I think I could fit a few more plants in though, no? 🙂 (so far I have 21 plants in total in just the kitchen/den area)
Recovery: I had the surgery yesterday to wire my jaws shut and it went well. I was home by noon and agreed to take pain medication as prescribed (tylenol w/codeine but I’m taking the lowest dose and going 5-6 hours in between, being aware that I should stay ahead of the pain – thanks for the advice!). I’m on an antibiotic as well. I’m mostly just uncomfortable from all the stuff in my mouth and I feel pressure from not being able to open very far. And I guess during the process of getting all that shit in my mouth, the surgeon cut my lips up pretty badly so I’m slathering them all over with rosebud salve constantly.
I definitely look like I have stuff in my mouth, so I’m really not in a hurry to get out looking like this, so I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. It’s not too difficult to talk, but not that comfortable either, so if I don’t have to talk, I’m not. I’ve got wax to put on the wire bits that protrude and I’m getting used to eating/drinking everything through a straw. I’m over it already though LOL and it’s only just begun!
Anyway, I’m in good spirits, and generally feel well. I always feel great in the mornings, but I also think it’s the lack of pain, and taking the pain medication as I should. I’m not excited about it – I’m highly medicine averse anyway – but I can see how helpful being free from pain is right now.
Thanks everyone for the well-wishes and the smoothie/soup recipes! Once I’m feeling more adventurous I’m going to give them a try. For now I’m sticking with my favorite smoothie recipe, miso soup, tomato soup by Imagine, and a chocolate milkshake using nadamoo chocolate coconut ice cream and coconut milk as a treat 🙂
Sending you good vibes for as easy a recovery as possible and for patience with yourself and the process. It stinks, but you will get through it– you have a great perspective on it.
Keeping you in my thoughts and hoping for a uneventful, quick recovery.
You can DEFINITELY fit more plants! Your home is so bright and airy. At least you’ve got a good spot to recuperate.
Best wishes for a quick recovery!
Your house is gorgeous, by the way! I’m so envious of all your plants; try as I might I can’t keep mine alive very well.
Best wishes for a quick recovery!
In a house my dad & stepmom had in Park City in the late 90s/early 2000s, they had a kitchen with attached relaxation space, including a lovely fireplace. They called it the “keeping room” (as they already had a living room and a den/study in the house. The house, being western traditional and a bit lodge-y, took well to that title, and I really like its old-fashioned appeal.)
Grechen, I’m glad your surgery went well and is over (yay!) and I hope you can recover soon.
Your home is lovely and I’m struck again by how similar it is to mine in some of the basic design. I wonder if the builder is the same or maybe these are common things in suburban Texas homes. We had that same tile throughout our house, though we have replaced it with wood now. We also have the 6 large windows in a zigzag at the back and a kitchen skylight, which have me so spoiled because of all the natural light. Our fireplace also has that tile, though it is ivory, and we don’t have built-in bookcases. Our house is one story, but our kitchen has pillars and is open to the living and breakfast areas. While I sometimes wish we lived somewhere more interesting, I love my house and would miss a lot of its details if we moved. And yes to more plants!
Take care of yourself!
Glad to hear your surgery went well although it sounds like the coming weeks will be a bit of a slog. Gorgeous house. You’re lucky to have so much light! Our house, which was built in 1932, is charming but dark. We are fortunate to have a heated sunporch — I too grow lots of plants (orchids). Anyway, wishing you a smooth and speedy recovery!
Your house is lovely and Dagny is such a cutie! I’m a sucker for the one ear up, one ear down look lol. I am glad to hear your surgery went well and hope the pain is manageable.
Just catching up here, but wow.
I had a gum graft back in June and got antibiotics, alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol (I took one norco at the periodontist’s office, and I think one that first night to make sure I slept), and they also gave me ice packs – since I had both areas done, one left one right, I alternated 20 minutes on the left, 20 on the right, etc. Did you get ice to help with swelling?
Smoothies make what you like – anything with raspberries or strawberries though maybe not due to the seeds possibly getting stuck. I also really liked that Pacific brand of boxed soups – they have a lot of pureed varieties. The red pepper tomato was a favorite, as was the carrot ginger (preferred it over the butternut squash!) I got cream of wheat, which reminded me of being a kid – I wonder if you could have that through a straw? Maybe a larger-diameter straw?? =/
And as I saw someone else say, I hope you got the mouth wash. What I got was quite nice and doesn’t burn like Listerine.
And finally, you can never have too many plants. 😉
Your new home is so bright and beautiful. I think you’re smart to take the decorating process slowly. I purchased too much, too soon and made some costly mistakes because of it.
I’m so sorry to hear about your accident and surgery. I’m just grateful that you got thru it all and are on your way to healing! Love and prayers!
thank you!!
i don’t really have any swelling at all…so no ice packs. i have ice packs if i need them, but haven’t needed to use them.
i can’t wait to try more of the imagine soups. they’re really great, and super easy since i don’t have to prepare anything LOL, thanks for your recommendations! i love carrot ginger.
i discovered yesterday that anything very thick (like cream of wheat would be) is tough because it takes too much “sucking power” and ends up being very painful afterwards…i made a smoothie with yogurt and didn’t add enough liquid to really thin it out. i paid for that later!
thank you!
i love orchids!! i have only one now, but am looking forward to adding more. i have generally had good luck keeping them alive and thriving –
thank you!
it could be the same builder, absolutely! i couldn’t ask for a better place to recover 🙂
my friend (who lives next door) calls this area the keeping room too! i had NEVER heard that term before, so it hasn’t really caught on with me, but maybe that is indeed, what it’s called?? anyway, i do love it…
thank you!
haha, yes, and some taller, bigger plants too. problem is, unless you grow them from smaller, the larger plants are very expensive. they would do beautifully in here though, and i’m so happy to finally have a home i can have a lot of plants in!
thank you! yes, here’s hoping for uneventful 🙂
thank you so much, i’m trying very hard to maintain my relatively positive perspective 😉
Hi Grechen – sending you all best wishes for a fast/full recovery. You have a very positive attitude; hard to be upbeat with an injury to your jaw/mouth!
Thanks for the house tour. Love what you’ve done so far and all the sunlight! We have been lucky to have frosty, sunny days here for the past weeks and our sun is a pale comparison to yours at this time of year! It’s so strange for me to see tile floors (make total sense in Texas) as that’s something you don’t often see in Canada as just too cool in the winter.
Best wishes always. Chrs
So sorry hear about your accident. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Sending positive vibes your way.
Love, love your space – Thank you for sharing. Take care
Pretty decor. Home tours are so fun. Looking forward to seeing more!