2012 July | Olliebop Blog | Inspiration, Ideas and Information for Busy Families

Archive for July, 2012

Wardrobe Malfunction

Bit of a snafu this weekend: On Friday we were packing for the Adirondacks, while also coordinating with four construction guys in the midst of our kitchen renovation. One minute I was giving the OK for the plumbers to cut an unexpected 3′ x 5′ hole in the hardwood flooring and the next I was texting my sister that yes, I would bring mustard {which I ultimately forgot}.

By 3 pm we were on the road, en route to beautiful Saranac, NY. We had planned on island camping with a canoe — but when the weather forecast had a lighting bolt pictured on each day of the weekend we changed plans and reserved a boathouse condo at Amerpersand Bay. We were looking forward to a relaxing and fun-filled weekend with my parents, my sister, and nephews.

When we arrived, Ella — still wearing her pinnie and shorts from the morning’s soggy LAX camp — realized that her weekend bag was nowhere to be found. She had packed, but amongst the mayhem her bag hadn’t made it to the car. She was fighting tears, realizing that she had no bathing suit, no favorite stuffed animal, no cozy robe, no toothbrush, and no extra clothes for the weekend. Big bummer.

Our search for extra clothes morphed into a fun activity that was a big hit {and salvaged Ella’s mood}. We staged a forgotten luggage fashion show, with Ella as the model. Each of us put together a surprise outfit from our clean items in our own bag for her to wear in the show. The coffee table, complete with fish wallhanging as backdrop, became the runway. Hudson cued up some fashionista music, and we all took turns narrating the big reveal as Ella descended down the stairway with the next surprise outfit. She rocked a variety of looks, each drawing from a different person’s weekend wardrobe.

First was this ensemble, showcasing my nightgown, socks, bathing suit, and bathrobe sash:

Next up, Mr. BOP’s multi-dimensional lifejacket-inspired trend setter:

Cousin Emmett’s shorts and T-shirt, along with fuzzy blanket and toy orb inspired a spiritual and reflective vibe:

And Grandpa’s PJ bottoms, hat, and shirt — with this unique hairstyle — resulted in a decidedly old-world feel:

And then there was this inside-out creation…

Aunt Sarah was surprised when her robe and nightgown became a glamourous jumpsuit and headpiece:

And Cousin Daniel’s outfit made a statement in honor of models everywhere who might like to “Eat More.”

{It actually says “Eat More Kale.” If you haven’t heard about the Eat More Kale controversy, here’s the story.}

This activity was great fun. By the time the fashion show was over I think Ella was more than cool with forgetting her bag. Isn’t being the center of attention better than a toothbrush? And, the clothing problem was completely solved when I came upon this treasure on top of the condo’s washing machine:

How have I missed “LA’s Totally Awesome Laundry Detergent” before? Is this a common household item?

Upon this discovery all was especially well — and we were happy campers.

In the non-camping sense, that is.

Chaos in the Kitchen: The Renovations Begin

We’re in the midst of a kitchen renovation around here… exciting and messy!

This is what we are trying to accomplish:

make the kitchen feel more spacious
replace laminate cabinets and countertops that are falling apart {packing tape is holding counter edges in place}
create more counter work space
have an island where four people can be seated; ideally not all in a row {we want it to feel like a table}
have our kitchen feel more interesting and funky

Here’s the before view {the hole in the soffit is there because Mr. BOP was looking for the heating duct}:

The kitchen was like this when bought our house about nine years ago. We added this butler’s pantry on one side {through the doorway on the right} to create more storage and counter space. It was a great enhancement, and we decided to keep that in the same configuration, but with new cabinets and counter.

As we planned the renovation, we turned to architect Dick Robson {my step-father}. Here’s the concept drawing that he created for us, below. The area to the left of the present fridge has been open space for an eat-in table {earlier in our lives} and now, a couch. Using that wall for kitchen workspace gains the spacious feeling that we were looking for. Plus, the view from the sink will now look out toward the stream. The only loss here is that we really have enjoyed having a couch in the kitchen.

This plan accomplishes everything we were looking for — counter space, a seating area for the four of us {the island is 8 feet across} and space that is overall more interesting. The pantry will remain on the right hand side of this view. We have made a few minor changes, such as decreasing the height of the soffit above the island and also continuing the counter all the way across to the left of the new fridge. Although we like the breakfront look, we decided to sacrifice some style for function in that area. We also needed to replace four windows on the left side to accommodate the counter height.

So, this brings us to our current phase; chaos and demolition! We feel fortunate to be working with Joe Churchill of J&L Woodworking, as they create custom cabinetry and coordinate the kitchen installation. We highly recommend them. Joe and his right hand man, Ron {along with several electricians} got to work this week:

So that’s what’s going on here on our home front. Next week’s tasks; choosing cabinet hardware, painting, approving the concrete countertop sample, emptying the rest of the cabinetry, and coordinating with our plumber and taper. Oh, and packing for camping too! Although renovating a kitchen is challenging, confusing, and inconvenient — I’d say so far, so good. Stay tuned!

Welcome to The Hudson Hotel

Hello! I hope you’re enjoying summer. We’ve been on the go, in the sun, and generally not spending much time in front of the computer. As it should be!

I thought this would be a fun thing to share; especially for anyone else who — like us — does not have a beautiful guest room all made up and waiting for summer visitors. When we have company Hudson relinquishes his teen room with its queen bed, and it becomes the guest room. Not ideal, but Hudson and Ella recently made the accommodations surprisingly swish by creating “The Hudson Hotel” for the grandparents. Here it is:

The Entrance