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February 3, 2013
One of my college courses was a fun mix of IT and history. We learned about computers and specific online tools that could be useful in presenting history in a more modern and visually interesting ways. We could pick any historical topic with which to practice using these tools. Having just moved to Centreville, I opted to kill two birds with one stone and learn the history of my new home AND earn a grade. I did all this on Wordpress but took it down when I needed that account for another class.
Here is what I ended up writing and creating for the course! (This was not a course for historical accuracy, but I tried to be as accurate as I could! I may have misunderstood a few things or not found enough information to be truly correct in the time I had. If you have more data, links, or corrections I will be happy to make changes.)
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The town of Centreville was officially formed in 1792 by the former community of Newgate, which had been situated in the same location since approximately 1725. The town got its name because of its central location at a crossroads. Mountain Road, now called Braddock Road, is the blue line. The red line is the Fauquier/Alexandria Turnpike, which is now Lee Highway, or Route 29. It’s considered the halfway point for quite a few other towns, like Warrenton and Georgetown, Alexandria and Middleburg, Chantilly and Manassas, and Gainesville and Fairfax.
Many people passed through Centreville and stopped at one of its taverns, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The town remained small partly because it didn’t get railroad traffic when the rail lines (in grey) were built.
Click here to view an interactive Google Map detailing of some of the historic buildings in Centreville. The yellow house markers are buildings, the green arrows are sites where buildings used to stand. The brown square indicates the town boundaries as described in “Centreville Virginia, its History and Architecture,” by Eugenia B. Smith. The blue line is where Braddock (or Mountain) Road used to run through the town. Clicking on each marker will give you an image of the building, if available, and a link to web sites with a brief history.
An Ngram chart mapping out the use of the name Centreville between 1700 and 2000. Use of the name spiked dramatically around the time of the Civil War. Centreville became an important landmark in Civil War history due to three different battles that took place in its immediate vicinity: The 1st and 2nd Battles of Manassas (or Bull Run) and the Battle of Chantilly.
Centreville was occupied by military forces three different times during the war. Union General McDowell occupied it briefly before his defeat at the 1st Battle of Manassas in 1861. A few months later, Confederate General Johnston securely fortified the town, and then left it in the Spring to follow Union forces to Yorktown. The Union army eventually claimed it for their own and settled in for a while to try to deal with Mosby and his Raiders, and also participate in the 2nd Battle of Manassas in August of 1862, where they were again defeated but retained their position in the town.
This map outlines the approximate locations of the forts and earthworks surrounding the town. Built by Confederate General Johnston and his men. (Source: Centreville, Virginia: its History and Architecture by Eugenia B. Smith)
Because of the town’s strategic location at the crossroads, and its excellent vantage point on a ridge, Centreville was the ideal spot for defense. Most of the defenses are gone now, although there are remnants of the earthworks still preserved off of Wharton Lane. The site is marked by the top historic marker indicator. Click here for an interactive map.
Johnston and 32,000 men settled in Centreville during the winter of 1861. Besides the forts and earthworks, the soldiers built 1,500 log cabins. Centreville had perhaps 3 dozen buildings in it, and an estimated population of about 250, and the sudden presence of so many soldiers was daunting. Many of the residents fled for Alexandria, or sought refuge with distant relatives.
This is a wordle based on a narrative account of the 2nd battle of Manassas, or Bull Run, written by ‘Shotgun’ of www.civilwarhome.com. You can see the generals who participated, some of the towns, some military maneuvers, and a few concerns, like the railroad. Incidentally, Lee took one look at Centreville’s fortifications and decided that attacking it was not a good idea, which is why the 2nd battle took place west of the town.
This chart illustrates the number of people in the Centreville area in late August of 1862. Just try to imagine a tiny little town that’s self supporting, minding its own business, and all of a sudden it has 112,000 additional people, all trying to kill each other. Fortunately the tide of war eventually took the soldiers elsewhere, and Centreville saw no more major action after the Battle of Chantilly in September of 1862.
The town was devastated by the war. Most of the trees had been cut down, the creeks were polluted, the roads ruined, many buildings and both churches destroyed, and most of the livestock and food supplies had been taken. Centreville had a lot to recover from, and many believed that the town was dead.
Fortunately, Centreville did NOT die out, and once again it was due to what created the town in the first place – the roads. Today there are four major highways that run through or near the town: Route 50, Route 28, Route 29, and Route 66. Centreville has the additional benefit of being only a few miles away from Dulles International Airport and a mere 30 miles from Washington, DC. The battles that nearly wiped them out actually helped help to save them as tourists began visiting the battlegrounds. Today, over 71,000 people live in Centreville, and take pride in their heritage.
Sources for presentation:
http://www.novahistory.org/Centreville_History.htm
Smith, Eugenia B. “Centreville, Virginia: Its History And Architecture.” Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning, in cooperation of the Fairfax County History Commission. 1973.
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The town of Centreville was officially formed in 1792 by the former community of Newgate, which had been situated in the same location since approximately 1725. The town got its name because of its central location at a crossroads. Mountain Road, now called Braddock Road, is the blue line. The red line is the Fauquier/Alexandria Turnpike, which is now Lee Highway, or Route 29. It’s considered the halfway point for quite a few other towns, like Warrenton and Georgetown, Alexandria and Middleburg, Chantilly and Manassas, and Gainesville and Fairfax.Many people passed through Centreville and stopped at one of its taverns, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The town remained small partly because it didn’t get railroad traffic when the rail lines (in grey) were built.
Because of the town’s strategic location at the crossroads, and its excellent vantage point on a ridge, Centreville was the ideal spot for defense. Most of the defenses are gone now, although there are remnants of the earthworks still preserved off of Wharton Lane. The site is marked by the top historic marker indicator. Click here for an interactive map.
Johnston and 32,000 men settled in Centreville during the winter of 1861. Besides the forts and earthworks, the soldiers built 1,500 log cabins. Centreville had perhaps 3 dozen buildings in it, and an estimated population of about 250, and the sudden presence of so many soldiers was daunting. Many of the residents fled for Alexandria, or sought refuge with distant relatives.
Fortunately, Centreville did NOT die out, and once again it was due to what created the town in the first place – the roads. Today there are four major highways that run through or near the town: Route 50, Route 28, Route 29, and Route 66. Centreville has the additional benefit of being only a few miles away from Dulles International Airport and a mere 30 miles from Washington, DC. The battles that nearly wiped them out actually helped help to save them as tourists began visiting the battlegrounds. Today, over 71,000 people live in Centreville, and take pride in their heritage.
Sources for presentation:
http://www.novahistory.org/Centreville_History.htm
Smith, Eugenia B. “Centreville, Virginia: Its History And Architecture.” Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning, in cooperation of the Fairfax County History Commission. 1973.
U.S. Census
Other resources of interest for Centreville History:
http://www.seln4u.com/Local-History
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/GMP/MG_CLRPRV_CH2TXT.pdf
http://www.genealogycenter.info/view_centreville.php
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102904197/HISTORY-OF-CENTREVILLE-AND-VIRGINIA-RUN
http://nvrha.com/news/story10.htm
http://www.centrevilleva.org/index.cfm?action=a109&id=109
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centreville,_Virginia
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/GMP/MG_CLRPRV_CH2TXT.pdf
http://www.genealogycenter.info/view_centreville.php
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102904197/HISTORY-OF-CENTREVILLE-AND-VIRGINIA-RUN
http://nvrha.com/news/story10.htm
http://www.centrevilleva.org/index.cfm?action=a109&id=109
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centreville,_Virginia
February 2, 2013
I'm not sure when my organization OCD began to develop, but I suspect it might have been while watching episodes of Mission: Organization. I learned to sort. I loved to sort. I . . . got carried away with sorting.
Especially now. Stuff is everywhere, but I keep trying to put it in neat, similar piles. I emptied three shelves of books from the craft room and carted them upstairs with the rest of the books. (I had a reason, I needed those shelves downstairs and there was an empty bookcase upstairs!) I began shuffling kitchen related stuff back to the kitchen, even if it'd been put into the storage area (by me!) because we weren't using it. My miniatures got sorted and sorted and resorted and then carefully packed in random containers, then in bigger containers, taped up and then in boxes. I made a pile of those 'dangerous' items we couldn't take with us. I bought ziploc bags. Soooo many sizes of ziploc bags. Even teeny tiny ones to stick my jewelry in. My main excitement about finally getting a smartphone was the ability to scan books and collect them in a database. I was having a blast.
Brian eventually caught me making careful piles of picture frames (full and empty) in the craft room and told me it wasn't necessary because they'd pack things up by room. "But this is more efficient!' I exclaimed. "They can just set up a picture frame packing station and zip right through . . ." but by then he'd rolled his eyes and left the room.
The thought rather upset me. I didn't want things packed up by room! I didn't want to be forced to use the same decor in the same room in some future house! In reality I kind of squeezed myself in here wherever I could claim space without overly upsetting Brian's order and ability to find things. It hasn't always worked, and rearranging wasn't really an option or worth the effort of justification. For example, while my adventure guest room theme was fun, I'd really like to try it out in the living room, where I can regularly see photos from our trips and the little elephant.
I'd really much prefer to have all the wall hangings brought to the new house and put in one place so I can see all of them and decide for myself which ones would best work in whatever rooms our future house has. If none of them worked I'd have to cart them down to the basement anyway, so they might as well start there until I'm ready for them!
Of course, This is my first big move, and I could be totally wrong. But it's not likely to stop me from sorting!
February 1, 2013
In anticipation of having to find a new place to live, Brian and I began discussing what we wanted in a house. It's hard to immediately say, "oh, I want a house like THIS" unless you've actually lived in it. Lots of houses are pretty, but not necessarily easy to live in.
There's so many options for house styles and features! I began looking at floor plan sites for ideas, and thinking about what I liked and disliked about our current townhouse. I was surprised to realize that there were actually features about this house I liked!
One night, after a marathon internet search frenzy, I made a list.
Features I like:
- Kitchen being secluded/separated from the rest of the house
- not having to walk through kitchen to get to other rooms
- not having to walk through laundry room to get to garage or other places
- second bathroom being right outside the master bedroom, or a master bath big enough to separate into two little baths
- master closet not in the bathroom
- I really don't feel we need a living room AND family room, and a largish dining area in the kitchen is quite sufficient.
- covered front entrance, although a big outside covered patio area is nice
- basement!
- workshop area
- basement with walkout also nice. could easily turn into workshop
- coat closet by the front entrance. (You'd be surprised how many floor plans I've looked at that didn't have that.)
kitchen islands, but a long unbroken, well lit expanse of of counter space would do
Features I could do without:
cathedral/vaulted ceilings
skylights
walls that are mostly windows (reduces furniture placement options)
open floor plans
layouts that force you to walk through rooms to get to other rooms, or that land you in the kitchen first
I realize my list goes against the latest in housing design, but I have good reason for each.
First and foremost is the issue of noise. When you've got a big open area and you're cooking in the kitchen, with water running and things frying and pans clinking, and people are talking while the television is playing in the next 'area' and the washing machine is chunking away and all the noise is getting amplified by the high ceilings, you're going to go to bed with a headache. That was one nice thing about the townhouse - there was enough of a separation between the kitchen and living room that noise was cut down. (It didn't help at all for the washer and dryer, which was on a lower floor but the noise comes right up the open stairwell!) I need quiet. I want my house to be relaxing, and reducing the noise as much as possible means no open floor plan.
Secondly is the issue of layout. I saw one floor plan where, from the front door, you walked through the formal living room, into a less formal living area, through the dining room which was open to the kitchen, and then into the family room before you could get to the bedrooms. I feel it was meandering and clumsy, and adds unnecessary foot traffic and the potential for more of a mess in every room.
Other floor plans required you to walk through the kitchen to get to the master bedroom. I don't want to come out of my bedroom every morning and look at the kitchen! (I don't always get to the dishes. Maybe this would actually help, but sometimes you just want to close the kitchen off til later. Thus the 'secluded kitchen' wish. I love that our current kitchen can be totally ignored/avoided until needed.) A kitchen is a messy, noisy place, and I don't feel it should be a showcase. I'm a messy cook, still learning, and though I try to clean as I go along, I don't want to be a performance act.
Many floor plans pop you from the garage directly into the kitchen and/or laundry room. For us, the garage is our main entrance. We rarely use the front door, so every time I come home, I have to look at the washer and dryer and the lint bunnies that always elude my broom. Ideally, my dream house would have both the front door and the garage open up into the same area, so all the coats and boots and such could be removed and stored at the same location, and if you're making plans with visitors you can roughly leave the house from the same area.
My husband and I don't share a bathroom. You may laugh, but in a house with four bathrooms and only two people who are a bit OCD about territory, we figured we don't have to. Bathrooms need to be used or they develop problems anyway! We both think it's weird that master baths are designed with double sinks. Just how long do 'normal' people use a sink in the bathroom that they can't share? It's really toilets that should be doubled, if anything.
We also dislike the feature of putting the master closet IN the master bath. Won't the humidity hurt the clothes? And if someone's in the bathroom and taking their sweet time, you're not going to be able to get to whatever you need. I realize that some people are perfectly OK with walking into the bathroom while someone else is using it, but this is not going to be happening for us.
Skylights are OK for the most part, but definitely not in the bedroom. I am not a morning person, and blackout curtains are my best friend. After having to get up at 6am on a Saturday in that hotel room with the skylight and the morning sun so disgustingly cheery, I hope I never encounter a skylight in a bedroom again.
After living in a basementless house and tripping regularly over random items we had to keep but not use, I hope to always have a storage area in future homes that isn't meant to be a regular room. And Brian really, really wants a workshop, which I'm perfectly content to have. I have two dollhouses that need messy work done!
What else? Covered front entrance? Always loved having a place to shake off the rain or stand and watch the thunderstorm without getting wet. It's more welcoming to visitors for the same reason.
While I would prefer not having to continue hauling our laundry up and down two flights of stairs, it's something I can continue to do if I have to. But if you can put those appliances near the closets, please do!
I haven't really thought much about the exterior of the house, or the decor features. I figure if it meets the other criteria, it doesn't matter if it's Craftsman, Colonial or Modern.
It should be interesting to see how many of these features we can meet in our search for a house.
January 31, 2013
We first ventured into Colorado for my husband's in-person interview in late November. We felt it important that we tested the waters before making any decisions. Check out my Picasa album to see the photos I took during the trip.
Now, before we went, I did my research. I did a lot of travel research when I worked at NWF, so I was very familiar with how to get a feel for a place before ever setting foot there. I had the added bonus of the awesome Street View feature in Google Maps, so I was even able to 'drive' around the streets of Boulder from Virginia!
I have a list for what I want in a new hometown. I want fabric and craft shops, yarn shops, miniatures shops, thrift shops, a Dollar Tree, and groceries that carry gluten free and specialty peanut free/soy free items are at the top of my ideal list. While Boulder may not have had them all specifically, they were in the Denver/Boulder area. I had to remind myself that in VA I drove to different towns to get to certain shops. The problem is that in Northern Virginia all the towns drift together and sometimes it's hard to tell which town you're actually in. There appears to be a wider gap between towns in Colorado!
If I couldn't find a chain, I could still search for the type of shop I wanted, and was relieved to discover all the same things. (Except for Don Pablo's. I shall miss Don Pablo's!)
Northern Virginia is gently rolling, with big, tall trees lining many of the streets to block the sun's glare. Buildings block the rest of your views so it's rare to see anything at a distance unless you're up high. Green is a prevalent color. Colorado was more sandy colored, and felt so big and empty. Empty areas in NVA soon fill up with houses, as though they'd been planted and watered. Subsequent Google image searches have shown that CO is greener in the summertime. I had to keep reminding myself that it was winter, because the weather was in the 60's while we there. (Keep in mind we didn't see the ENTIRE area, so this might just be an anomaly!)
The drive to Boulder was leisurely, and while we did encounter some traffic, it actually moved instead of crawling at 5mph. There were a lot of bicyclists, and not one was wearing a helmet. This made me very uncomfortable, but maybe the cyclists in Boulder aren't the entitled asses they are in Fairfax and actually obey traffic laws?
The airport is in the middle of nowhere. There's NOTHING around it. You go for miles and miles after passing the airport signs and begin to wonder if maybe you missed it. And then . . . you see a giant circus tent. Oh. That IS the airport!
We stayed at the historic Boulderado Hotel, all decked out for Christmas. I wrote a review on Yelp. It was pretty, but noisy and oddly designed. It was also in a great location for exploring downtown Boulder, but not so much for the rest of Boulder.
Downtown Boulder was a bit like Alexandria. Expensive, trendy, unique shops, lots of people walking about, fancy restaurants, and an historic feel. There was a bizarre mix of Yoga pantsed moms, activists, and, well, bums. Actual ones, begging for money and food, playing musical instruments, or just huddling and staring at nothing. I saw a LOT of beards. It was disturbing. I hate beards. I feel like the guy's trying to hide something. Obviously his chin, but what if it's more?
I walked all up and down Pearl Street while my husband was at his day-long interview, looking at everything and trying not to get lost, accompanied by a stuffed longhorn cow that jumped out at me at the Tough Luck Cowboy shop and insisted that it had to go live with my mother-in-law. There were several book stores, some new, some used, and one even had both! (And then there was the Left Hand. I had hoped it was something to do with being left handed but it turned out to be so political that they kept the front door locked!) It was interesting to visit, but too fancy for my tastes. I did manage to get into one 'requirement,' Gypsy Wools yarn shop. It was, small, well organized, and alas, mostly wool, but I picked up some non baby colored place markers and some superwash that I hope will work for me. The fun part was that she also sold unspun wool and lace bobbins.
I wish I had had time to go through the 'regular' parts of town, but only managed to get to a shopping center on Broadway in my search for bagels.
I hate the greasy breakfast food most places serve, I just want a bagel or toast in the mornings, and there were no bagel or sub places that I could find in the Pearl Street Mall. Not even in the mini-mart! (P.S. Be careful when searching for pharmacies in Boulder. You'll get more than you expect!) The woman in the cowboy shop told me there was a bagel place up Broadway, so I headed that way, admiring the Victorian houses and the fascinating modern style office of M. Gerwing, Architects along the way. And trees! Yay for trees! I soon found Moe's Bagel and got excellent service as they offered to give me my cream cheese on the side so I wouldn't have to buy an entire container for three bagels.
Pearl Street is also very active at night, as we discovered one night in particular. We were barely able to get in and out of our hotel due to a parade! We wandered through the crowds and checked out a Tahona, a fancy tex-mex restaurant (too fancy, we had to pay for the chips!) and the Absinthe House, which had a HUGE dance floor and house music every weekend. And also varieties of Absinthe served authentically. We somehow made friends with the bartender, who kept chucking free stuff our way. I left with a candy necklace and a glow stick bracelet, Brian got a water dripper!
On Saturday, a beautiful sunny day, we took a long drive down 119 to see the sights. Those are most of the photos in my album! We went through Black Hawk, a town that suddenly pops up in the middle of nowhere with a brand new casino, and also Nederland, which we had been considering as a place to live. We also stopped by Eldora which was a pretty sorry looking ski resort, mostly due to the lack of snow. They had piled/made as much as they could on the bunny slope, but they just hadn't gotten that first storm of the season yet.
We ate at The Red Lion restaurant, German themed and the fancy place to go to for special events. They had a wild game menu, and while Brian tried every sampler he could, I tested out the rabbit. So very good! The place is just outside of Boulder, and terrifying to try to find in the dark due to the mountainy rocks being right against the road. Luckily it was well lit, as we had to drive across a teeny little bridge to get there. (I just saw a news article, they've replaced the bridge!)
On our way back to the airport on Sunday we made detours through several neighborhoods to see what they were like. It's quite a mix! Some new and craftsman style, some 1980's Colonial, some 1950's brick ramblers, some neighborhoods had all of these! We went through a model home for Boulder Creek Builders in Louisville, advertising patio homes for those who don't care about having yards and want 'low maintenance' housing. It's essentially senior living style homes without the age requirement. I loved it, but not sure if it was the house or the earth tones they used to decorate it. Such vivid colors! And so much sunshine streaming in the windows! I had always wondered why people would want to paint their walls in rich primary colors, and it was in Colorado that I figured out why. Paint your walls white out there and you could blind yourself unless you put up heavy curtains!
So, I feel I learned quite a bit about the area.
One, the area is not too fond of bread, and all the bread I had there was pretty mediocre.
Two, I love earth tones and have 'plans' now for whenever we find a new house.
Three, my shopping habits can stay the same, and might improve because I don't have Tyson's Corner to deal with for the shops I really want to visit (Like the Container Store!)
Four, traffic isn't so bad,
Five, the weather is pretty much the same as it is in Northern Virginia.
six, permanent water restrictions means no fancy gardening, so yards are pretty small or sometimes grassless, which means not so much yardwork, which I'm fine with although I still want my vegetable garden.
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| I think this was the largest amount of traffic we saw. |
The airport is in the middle of nowhere. There's NOTHING around it. You go for miles and miles after passing the airport signs and begin to wonder if maybe you missed it. And then . . . you see a giant circus tent. Oh. That IS the airport!
Downtown Boulder was a bit like Alexandria. Expensive, trendy, unique shops, lots of people walking about, fancy restaurants, and an historic feel. There was a bizarre mix of Yoga pantsed moms, activists, and, well, bums. Actual ones, begging for money and food, playing musical instruments, or just huddling and staring at nothing. I saw a LOT of beards. It was disturbing. I hate beards. I feel like the guy's trying to hide something. Obviously his chin, but what if it's more?
I walked all up and down Pearl Street while my husband was at his day-long interview, looking at everything and trying not to get lost, accompanied by a stuffed longhorn cow that jumped out at me at the Tough Luck Cowboy shop and insisted that it had to go live with my mother-in-law. There were several book stores, some new, some used, and one even had both! (And then there was the Left Hand. I had hoped it was something to do with being left handed but it turned out to be so political that they kept the front door locked!) It was interesting to visit, but too fancy for my tastes. I did manage to get into one 'requirement,' Gypsy Wools yarn shop. It was, small, well organized, and alas, mostly wool, but I picked up some non baby colored place markers and some superwash that I hope will work for me. The fun part was that she also sold unspun wool and lace bobbins.
I wish I had had time to go through the 'regular' parts of town, but only managed to get to a shopping center on Broadway in my search for bagels.
 |
| Very eye catching, and M. Gerwing also specializes in LEED certified buildings |
Pearl Street is also very active at night, as we discovered one night in particular. We were barely able to get in and out of our hotel due to a parade! We wandered through the crowds and checked out a Tahona, a fancy tex-mex restaurant (too fancy, we had to pay for the chips!) and the Absinthe House, which had a HUGE dance floor and house music every weekend. And also varieties of Absinthe served authentically. We somehow made friends with the bartender, who kept chucking free stuff our way. I left with a candy necklace and a glow stick bracelet, Brian got a water dripper!
On Saturday, a beautiful sunny day, we took a long drive down 119 to see the sights. Those are most of the photos in my album! We went through Black Hawk, a town that suddenly pops up in the middle of nowhere with a brand new casino, and also Nederland, which we had been considering as a place to live. We also stopped by Eldora which was a pretty sorry looking ski resort, mostly due to the lack of snow. They had piled/made as much as they could on the bunny slope, but they just hadn't gotten that first storm of the season yet.
We ate at The Red Lion restaurant, German themed and the fancy place to go to for special events. They had a wild game menu, and while Brian tried every sampler he could, I tested out the rabbit. So very good! The place is just outside of Boulder, and terrifying to try to find in the dark due to the mountainy rocks being right against the road. Luckily it was well lit, as we had to drive across a teeny little bridge to get there. (I just saw a news article, they've replaced the bridge!)
 |
| This neighborhood, north of Boulder on 36, was crazy. McMansions on the outer edges, and increasingly smaller houses inside til you got duplexes and townhouses. Probably apartments, too. All stacked on top of each other as if there weren't miles of nothing in that field over there. |
So, I feel I learned quite a bit about the area.
One, the area is not too fond of bread, and all the bread I had there was pretty mediocre.
Two, I love earth tones and have 'plans' now for whenever we find a new house.
Three, my shopping habits can stay the same, and might improve because I don't have Tyson's Corner to deal with for the shops I really want to visit (Like the Container Store!)
Four, traffic isn't so bad,
Five, the weather is pretty much the same as it is in Northern Virginia.
six, permanent water restrictions means no fancy gardening, so yards are pretty small or sometimes grassless, which means not so much yardwork, which I'm fine with although I still want my vegetable garden.
January 29, 2013
I grew up in Northern Virginia. So did my parents. And most of my grandparents. Some of my great grandparents moved here all the way from the Shenandoah Valley during the Great Depression. I can trace relatives in Virginia back to the 1620's, so my Virginia roots are rather deep.
In my lifetime alone I've seen a ton of changes to this transient area. It's gotten more crowded and less friendly. Traffic is an absolute nightmare, and the cost of living painful. So when my husband was contacted by Google this past fall, with me finished with college and looking for work, I thought "Since I can't make everyone else leave, I guess I should!"
Once I accepted the possibility of my living elsewhere, it was easy. I couldn't even get an interview, let alone a job here. Most of my friends have vanished or moved out of the area. My family was busy and distracted with their own projects. The thought of moving someplace with less traffic and potentially nicer people gave me hope. Getting out of this bizarre townhouse and neighborhood with no parking and loud neighbors was delightful. Perhaps I could fit in better, something I've never managed to do here. Perhaps I'd make friends. Perhaps the anxiety I struggled against daily would ease. Maybe my allergies would go away. Hope gave me courage.
I haven't traveled much. I've only been in different time zones twice, and I've never crossed the Mississippi River. Yet Boulder, CO is our new destination. I have the feeling I'm in for a bit of culture shock!
I plan to use this blog to record my explorations of my new home, and perhaps the craziness of moving. I have specific needs for both myself and my husband, and I hope to meet all of them!
December 27, 2012
Grandpa Leitner made these toys some time back. Aren't they awesome?
We would like to pass these toys on to someone who can enjoy them. Most just need a good cleaning and perhaps a fresh coat of paint. The wooden dump truck needs repairs to the handle and steering wheel, and the crane needs a little repair work too.
There's also a large red wooden wagon. I had to be really creative to be able to fit them all into the room, and I haven't extracted it yet. There's at least one other rocker and a bunch of metal/plastic toy trucks, too!
We also have cargo style furniture to pass on!
Measurements:
Twin Bed (with toddler rails and storage drawers): 80" x 42"
6 Drawer Dresser: 32.5"w x 20"dx 48h"
Bookcase (non adjustable shelves): 36"w x 12"d x 47h"
Twin Bed (with toddler rails and storage drawers): 80" x 42"
6 Drawer Dresser: 32.5"w x 20"dx 48h"
Bookcase (non adjustable shelves): 36"w x 12"d x 47h"
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| the toddler rails slip into the vertical slots about 4 inches from the edges. |
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| books and accessories not included. |
October 27, 2012
Having used my bags repeatedly now, I've come up with some alterations.
Too small, which is frustrating, especially after looking at this photo and thinking how big it looks. IT'S NOT! I think I can fix it by adding fabric to the bottom, and I actually have fabric that will work with this. So . . . I'm going to take it apart and do so. Fortunately I don't have to take apart the difficult bits at the top.
The Hip BagHaving used this on two cruises now, I love it. It's not quite big enough for everyday use, though. I'm trying to come up with a small list of alterations. This WAS, after all, only supposed to be a prototype. However, I'm not going to alter this bag, but just make a new one in nicer fabric. (and I found some nice, nice fabric. I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
First, it needs a proper belt that's a little easier to remove. My biggest problem was trying to get out of the silly thing when I needed to run it through the security machine whenever reboarding the ship. I simply had it strung on a cord with one of those squeeze pins to keep it around my waist. I had thought my design would allow me to use the bag as either a shoulder or a hip bag, but I found I much preferred it as a hip bag. I was considering parachute clips, but I'm not sure how easy those are to find in the size I want them to be. I think if I add two rings to the bag and get some swivel snap hooks, it will work just fine.
It needs to be just a LITTLE bit wider. A little annoying since I'll have to cut a zipper down to size, but I just can't fit a full passport inside it.
I need more card storage if I want to use it everyday. I only had the very basics on the ship, but running around during the day, I'd need room for the additional store cards, library cards, insurance cards, gift cards, and the metro pass card I normally haul about.
My husband has been carrying around an aspirin tube in his pocket and just mixing all his pills inside. I'm thinking instead of installing a zipper pouch in the next one, I'll put in a little pocket in the inner corner to hold a similar tube. I've got one in there now and it fits OK. I can always pick up pepto bismol in pill form rather than the pre-wrapped chewables. Although a zippered interior pouch would be nice for loose change. Perhaps I should install an exterior one on the back?
The formal wristlets I just made worked fine, although they could probably stand to be a little wider, too. The owl already came loose so I'm going to have to reattach it in a new way.
Finally, I'm happy with the flap, but I need to attach it to the bag at both ends. Lots of choices for this. Buckles? snaps? a button? slot and tab? We'll see what happens.
October 5, 2012
Here's the next evening bag, made with leftover fabric from my clockwork doll. The pattern is based on Amy Cornwell's clutch tutorial.
The jewelry finding is an earring. It looked ridiculous in my ear. The other half is now a necklace.
Slippery fabrics are hard to sew. Must be more careful next time to lessen the sloppiness.
This was supposed to be a mockup. It became a monster.
I bought a pattern off of Etsy from Lekala of what I thought would be a cute, simple jacket with minimal fabric requirements, exactly what I wanted to make with the mere 2 yards of coral fabric I had. Since the fabric on the discount table at G Street Fabrics was cheaper than muslin, I grabbed a large amount of what I felt closest matched the type of fabric I had, and set to work testing out the pattern.
For all its cuteness and simplicity, this pattern was a bear for a beginner like me. It's a computer generated file customized to your measurements. However, the instructions were rather foreign to me, (I guess translated English? I'd never heard of a selvage being referred to as a 'beam' before.) and the printouts had the annoying habit of being JUST a little bit over the edge onto the next page, coupled with my printer's inability to print the last 3/4" inch of each page. And I had to add on the seam allowances myself, which was difficult due to the close layout of the pattern pieces. Fortunately I have a stash of large sized paper that I was eventually able to trace over.
Once I overcame those obstacles, I had to solve the problem of the huge sleeves. If I narrowed the sleeves, the armhole became too big. If I narrowed the armhole one way I got these awful pulls in the back. I eventually just added a big curve to the arm and that will have to do.
By this point I'm thinking this cheap striped fabric is pretty awesome and I actually DO want a 'real' jacket out of it. I decide I'm going to add cuffs. And pleats. And lace. And a button. I have no idea how to do any of this, but years of faking it in one inch scale gave me confidence to proceed in my insanity.
So, this was a real learning experience. And I'm still not done! I need to solve the droopy lining problem, most likely with hem tape. And then - make the coral one.
October 2, 2012
I'm slightly disappointed. I needed a BIGGER purse, not a smaller one! I can barely fit my basics inside. I do, however, like how nicely it fits under my arm.
I'm not sure I could have made it much bigger in any case. The brown corduroy is made from an old vest I found at the thrift shop. It proved to be a much nicer fabric for bags than vests! I have just enough left to make a wristlet.
September 29, 2012
My husband loved Chinese food when he was younger, but increasing food allergies and intolerances have made it impossible for him to eat it anymore.
I started with this recipe from Rock Recipes. I opted for baked both for health reasons and for minimizing the mess. I didn't actually have to change much. I used Splenda instead of sugar, and carefully examined bottles in the stores for possible allergens, and bought the safe ones. The results were delicious and very close to the restaurants we had eaten at in the past. I overdid the grated ginger, but know for next time to use less. There will most definitely BE a next time. Also for next time I will likely increase the amount of sauce, as there was barely enough. The chicken turned out more a golden color than the dark red in the picture shown on the web site, but the flavor more than made up for it.
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I know you're saying "but . . . soy sauce . . ." right about now. I'd been searching for alternatives off and on for a few years now, and my latest search turned up an awesome product. Check out this company: Coconut Secret. And specifically this product. Coconut Aminos! It worked perfectly, and produced an excellent sauce for the chicken. Previously my husband had tried fish oil, which gave me terrible heartburn, but this had no negative after-effects for either of us. I am really excited about this product. It opens up a whole new genre of food for home cooking that doesn't involve a lot of bread.
I believe lo mein is next on the list - using NoOodles!
September 26, 2012
I tend to lean towards bright, cheery patterned bags and purses, so the other week I went to a wedding, and realized that I didn't have any 'formal' handbags. I wanted something tiny that would hold only the very basics: cards, cash, cell phone, a tissue, keys and a few allergy pills. I ended up using the turquoise leather mini-purse I had bought to throw in my backpack for school.
I certainly looked at bags and clutches. I stared at simple little wristlets that had a price tag of $98 and wondered why $3 worth of materials could be inflated so much just by adding someone's name to it. Something in me also snapped. "I'm never going to buy a bag again! From now on, I'm MAKING them!" I heard myself say. Custom designed originals by Elaine!
It's all in the fabric choices, I realized. Buy a quarter yard of the nicer fabrics, raid the remnant bins, and invest in a few zippers and D rings and those magnetic clasps.
Fortunately I found a really cute pattern on Noodle-Head through Pinterest. They used cutesy fabrics, but I could see the potential for a more formal look. It was quite easy to do and customize to my own needs!
I had been hoping for more of a brocade, but could find none in black, so went with the black, silvery glitter knit. The owl was left over from the Owl Bag endeavor, and seemed to insist that it went perfectly. The interior is a satiny silver. I have enough fabric left over to make two or three more! Again, I made it JUST big enough to hold my passport, and once more, I have a hard time getting it through the zipper. Just a quarter of an inch more is all I need!
I have a lot of leftover orange silk from my Clockwork Doll project. Guess what I'm making next?
September 7, 2012
I ran into the same problem I had with the actual gown - I couldn't find fabric I liked! Instead, I found the most beautiful piece of lace on Etsy, sold by LaceBeauty. I had to write and ask her to sell me just a yard, and while she probably thought I was strange, she complied, and my lace soon arrived.
Then a few months went by as I struggled with trying to figure out how to turn this piece into a gown, until one day I finally just sat down and pinned it this way and that, until, suddenly, it all worked. It was like magic.
I'm still struggling with getting the gown to 'lay' right without anything supporting it, but am pleased that at least this much of it stands on its own. The sleeves also gave me problems, but these will do for now. The lace is the main attraction here. I love it. I also have enough left over for ONE more gown.
August 22, 2012
I came up with a little trick yesterday that made hemming pants easier for me.
I always had a hard time trying to figure out just how the fabric should be folded in order for the blind hem stitch to work. I knew it had to go a certain way, but folded the fabric in all sorts of directions before I got it right. I would pin it one way, fold around, pin it another way, remeasure, adjust, repin . . .
Eventually I was able to streamline the process a bit so that I no longer had to place and move pins repeatedly. I realize more experienced sewers are laughing at me, or know an even better method, but they weren't there sharing, so I figured this out the hard way and I'm going to write it down so I'll remember!
Step 1. Figure out how much you need to take up the hem. (In order for these pants to fit right, I need to fold them up ___ inches.). Pin here if you need to, but only enough to determine desired pant/skirt length and measure the amount you want to shorten the garment. (this is the 'Length of Hem' in the photo.)
Step 2. Figure out how high up you want your hem stitches to be from the desired new hem of the fabric. (I want my stitches to be ___ inch(es) above the edge of the fabric.)
Step 3. (I use my sewing gauge for this, mainly because it is awesome and I use it for everything.) on the INSIDE of your pant leg (or skirt), measure the amount you determined in Step 1, with that number on the outer edge.
Step 4. Now, fold the fabric of your pants up over the gauge until you reach the number determined in Step 2, and then fold back so a kind of pleat is created. Pin the fold down.
Step 5. Repeat all the way around the fabric. You're all set for stitching! You can trim off the excess here (all except for about half an inch at least to sew on). I prefer to trim after I'm satisfied that I haven't made any horrible measuring mistakes.
Step 6. Set up your machine to do a blind hem stitch according to directions. You will be sewing along the edge of that fold, with the fold on the right. (see photo.)
Step 8. When you finish sewing, flip the new hem to its proper position, and double check that it falls where you want it to before trimming off the excess. I suppose you could also opt to sew a zigzag along the excess before trimming to prevent unraveling. Press well!
August 20, 2012
After seeing a few sewing machines with very large platforms surrounding them, and seeing them in use, I had a major case of extension table envy. Everything's so neat and flat and glides so smoothly! I wanted one, but talking to the Husqvarna rep (did you know certain types of sewing machines have dealers?) revealed a price range of over $100 for varying sizes. Nope. Couldn't justify it. Want. Too expensive Want. It's just a flat piece of plexiglass with some markings on it! Whine. Wait, does it HAVE to be plexiglass?
My special stash of super-nice cardboard from Brian's diploma frame packaging slips into the front of my brain. "Makkkeee onnnneee" that increasingly large, encouraging, DIY portion of my mind whispers.
OK.
It's exactly what you think it is. Super dense, durable cardboard, Dollar Tree contact paper, and some temporary drafting tape with lines drawn on it until I can come up with a better idea. I used glue, a pencil, a metal ruler, and a boxcutter.
The complicated part was sizing it to the machine, but I was able to pull off the surround (I don't know its technical name, but it includes the compartment where you stash the extra bobbins and feet), and turned it upside down and drew around the hole on a piece of paper.
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| View of the underside. |
Update: 1/25/2013 - This has proven to be quite sturdy for sewing. Sometimes it slides a bit out of place but that is easily remedied. I also have developed the bad habit of using it as a temporary storage space, and it can hold quite a bit of weight! Just make sure you use something really sturdy!
Update 2: 5/16/2013 - I've just discovered illustration board, and think it might be a good recommendation in place of my cardboard. It's 1/16" thick, and can be cut with an Xacto knife. I found it at Michaels in the art supplies.
August 16, 2012
When I moved, I lost the horizontal storage needed to store my jewelry box, and had to leave it behind. My jewelry lived in limbo for ages. I eventually bought hanger storage, which was great for my pins and preventing necklace snarls,
The rings were another problem. I have lots of cheapy little rings, but they were too small to take up a single pocket, and I didn't want them all jumbled up together in one. It's hard to hang rings and yet make them easy to get remove!
So I was very excited when I first saw SellzCuteThings' DIY Ring Wall Holder Tutorial on Pinterest. Easy and cheap? EUREKA! I did mine a little differently, but the process is so simple that you can customize it in many ways. The foam doesn't NEED to be covered, but I wanted to see just how fancy I could make it.
The foam curlers are easy to take apart: just slide the middle bar to one side and pull the foam off. They could easily be cut to size if they don't fit perfectly in the selected box. (I tried just stringing them on ribbon, which worked, but I was afraid the rings would fall out the other side, so I had to go buy a box. I think a cardboard cereal box would have worked, but it takes us forever to finish ours and I didn't want to wait!)
I also found the pencil case at the Dollar Tree, and it was the perfect size for fitting 16 curlers at a good pressure for holding rings in place.
I used the middle bar as a stabilizer to keep keep the foam in a straight line, just ran a bead of glue down the plastic and along one edge of a curler and assemble. I measured out a piece of fabric just large enough to roll around each foam piece and glued in place.
The fabric? In my stash. Isn't it pretty? It was actually a sample upholstery fabric swatch from JoAnns - a few years ago they sold off their old swatches for a dollar or two. It does compete with the rings, though, so I would recommend using a less busy piece if you want to showcase your jewelry.
I do regret buying a see-through case. I was in an inspirational hurry, and any box the right dimensions would do so long as I could get the project done right away. I had JUST enough fabric left to disguise the otherwise messy sides, which turned out quite pretty.
The box could easily be hung if I cut a small hole in the top for ribbon. I could also probably cut the lid off, but I rather like the added security of keeping the rings inside, because I STILL can't store it flat!
So, $2 for two packs of foam curlers, $1 for the box, and I probably paid $1 for the fabric 5 years ago. I'm pleased with the end results, and now that I can see and remember what I own, I will wear my rings more often!
Note: I have REALLY small hands, my rings are a size 4, which may throw off the visual dimensions. Two foam curlers side by side measure 4.5" if you are planning your own box.
August 15, 2012
DVD Gift Wrapper
Materials:
- Hook and loop tape, 4” strip
- Fabric, two pieces, measuring 7¼” by 22”
- Matching thread
- White thread
- Coordinating Ribbon, 1 yard
- Interfacing, useful for lightweight or see-through fabrics
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| Diagram, body measures 7.25"x22" |
Tools:
- Sewing machine
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Quilter’s ruler
- Rotary cutter
- Point turner
- ¼” presser foot
The Layout
The diagram on the right shows the layout and dimensions for the wrapper. It’s all one piece, but can be mentally divided into three sections, the flap, the pocket back, and the pocket front.
A typical DVD case measures 7 1/2 ”x 5 ¼” x 9/16,” and I used those dimensions for this tutorial. You may have to increase the length and width slightly for double case DVDs.
If you're using a fat quarter, be sure to double check its measurements before cutting. Different stores or clerks may cut them to a different size!Instructions:
1. Cut two 7 ¼” x 22” pieces of fabric, either from the same fabric or two contrasting pieces.
If you plan to use interfacing, follow the package instructions to iron on the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the pieces of fabric now. Interfacing is not required, but helpful if you find you can see your DVD through the fabric layers!
If you want to sew decorations to the outside of the wrapper, do so now.
2. Align your two pieces of fabric with the right sides (the sides you want to show) together on the inside. Sew ¼” from the edges of the fabric all the way around, leaving an opening roughly 2” for turning.
I left my opening on the lower half, as marked by the orange line on the diagram above. This way you won’t see it in the final product, and it will be sewn closed when the pocket is sewn.
3. Trim diagonally across the corners to reduce bulk, (avoid cutting the stitches) and turn right side out through the opening and carefully poke out the corners. Iron.
4. Pick one side of your piece to be the interior of your wrap. At this point I changed out my top thread to white to match the tape, but left the bobbin the original color. This way my stitches disappeared on the tape side, but weren't glaringly obvious on the red side! 
Sew the ‘soft’ strip of hook and loop tape along one short edge on this side of the interior side, ¼” from the edge, and 1 ¼” from the sides. Since this is the flap that people will be touching and handling, you will want the softer piece on this end.
5. Turn the piece over to show the outer side of the wrap. To place the ‘rough’ strip of tape, measure 1 ¼” from each side, and 3 ¼” from the short edge of the piece to the long edge of the tape. Be sure that you are measuring from the edge that does NOT have the ‘soft’ tape on it. Stitch in place.
6. With right sides out, fold up the bottom half of the piece 8 7/8” and sew ¼” from the edges all the way around. Repeat with a narrow zigzag stitch for an added touch.
7. Take your yard of ribbon and align the center of it with the center of the flap. Sew the ribbon to the outside side of the flap, either following seam lines or along the edges of the ribbon. After putting a DVD inside and closing the flap, bring the ribbon ends around to the opposite side of the wrapper and tie a bow.
The wrapper is done!
Variations
You can choose to forego hook and loop tape altogether and use buttons, snaps, or ties to hold your package closed. The ribbon is a great place to tie on a nice name tag. Alternatively, if you don't want to have to tie a bow every time, you can shorten the ribbon to 15 inches and sew a small square of hook and loop tape or snaps on opposite ends of the ribbon. A premade bow or other embellishment can be attached to the top ribbon.
Having to untie the ribbon and ‘rip’ the Velcro helps to give the giftee the traditional feeling of ‘opening a present,’ rather than holding a slipcovered movie. (Let’s face it, we all love ripping paper!) The main problem with this wrapper is that it’s OBVIOUS that there’s a DVD inside. Granted, that’s the case with any wrapped DVD. The idea here is to reduce waste, not truly surprise the gift recipient. With that in mind, an empty DVD case is a great container for gift cards, cash, and small pieces of jewelry, so you can still surprise your giftee!
August 1, 2012
I've been thinking about making this tie on pincushion for a while, because I never leave enough space between my sewing machine and the edge of the table for my magnetic pinholder, and fear dumping the thing in my lap. However, my machine is surprisingly bulky, and I had a very narrow option for tying around without interfering with any dials or levers.
So, I combined it with this idea for holding cords. I made a narrow pincushion, sewing the soft half of a cut to size piece of velcro to it, and then attaching it to the machine with the Command velcro strips. My only problem was deciding where to put it! I changed my mind after making the cushion, and so it's actually a little too long for the spot, which is why there's no picture yet. I figure it'll be easy enough to move if it gets annoying, or easy to make a new pincushion if I do like the spot!
UPDATE 8/11/12: After using it for a bit, I'm not happy with the results. It's a bit wobbly on the velcro, and the last think you want is for your pincushion to move when you're trying to jab it without looking. I may have to go with the ties around the machine after all!
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