Posts Tagged ‘athens ga’

shelter

homes and habitats

March 10th, 2010

it is called shelter.
first published in 1973, it has historical images, photos, plans, diagrams, instructions, and words that share how to build everything from bucky balls to tents, to onion domes to adobe and beyond. there are images from every continent, all different types of people & communities, images taken indoors, outdoors, things made of wood, stone, thatch,bamboo, how to build a windmill, and a shout-ou the watts towers- you name it.
it is great.
we found this on the proletarian gardener blog,

garden on the mind

garden to table

March 5th, 2010

i have always appreciated and enjoyed freshly grown food.  for 3 years during and after college i worked on an organic CSA farm in wisconsin, called elsies.  i was a sponge to learning about growing, harvesting, and cooking with fresh ingredients.  it was hard work and long days, but i loved every second of it.

the most important thing that i learned was how good food tastes when you grow it yourself.  it hasn’t sat on a truck for days, or been picked before it was ready, you can eat the freshest food strait from the garden.  i also think there is something to be said about putting a seed in the ground, nurturing it, and watch it sprout and grow.  it gives you sense of pride with every bite.

every spring, i wait like a young child on christmas morning, for the last frost day to pass, and get the garden prepared for growing.  now that we are getting some spring-like weather we are starting to plan the r.wood studio garden.  within the next couple of weeks we will be able to plant…..and begin to watch things grow

our friends in atlanta are planning their garden too, visit their blog to take a look at their ambitious plans and enjoy their great southern gothic pic above.

winter dyeing day

homes and habitats

March 3rd, 2010

i think we all end up spending a little more time at home during the winter months.  every year i end up picking up a new indoor craft to get me through the cold days.  a few weeks ago, a few friends gathered and spent the day dyeing.  we shared fabrics, dyes, books, and ideas and enjoyed a winter day indoors.  our friend rene, a local textile artist helped guide us as we tested various methods of dyeing.

with spring on our mind we chose the colors peacock blue and wisteria.

here are some photos from our inspiring day…..

eating good, clean, and fair

garden to table

February 22nd, 2010

this past weekend, athens hosted the annual georgia organics conference.  the event invited thousands of farmers, novice gardeners, and organic enthusiasts together for educational seminars, farm tours, food, and entertainment.  on saturday night there was a farmer’s feast which featured foods and wines made by 25 georgia chefs and of course using organic georgia ingredients.  the keynote speaker of the event was carlo petrini from italy who is the founder of the slow food movement.
while i enjoyed chowing down on the food and drinking a couple of glasses of local wine, i left the feast completely inspired and reminded of the many ways to help our troubled food system.

i wanted to pass along some quick things that i took from the feast:
-keep food clean;  grow, eat and support chemical free food
-good food costs more; it is NOT more expensive.  you are investing in a future for yourself and others
-support locally grown food;  it helps your local economy, uses less resources, and tastes better
-cheap food is hard on our bodies, soil, and local/national economy
-start a garden and visit the farms where your food is produced
-be a co-producer of your food, know who is growing it and how it is being grown, and get involved
-get imaginative with and eat your left overs
-encourage others to eat SLOW!
-southern soul food is something we should be proud of!!

finding flora in the winter

instant inspiration

February 5th, 2010

even though we live in the south, it still gets cold here.  right around this time of year it becomes a little harder to find colorful flora.  you might find a few a few camellias here and there but that is about it.  i decided to take a walk in our state botanical garden’s indoor garden.  it was so nice to see some flowers blooming and take in some of the colorful beauty. sometimes it is just what you need to get you through the long winter.

homemade hot cocoa and marshmallows

garden to table

February 1st, 2010

weather in the south is quite unpredictable.  you’ll have  a 70 degree day, go for walks and see the daffodils starting to come up, and then next day you’ll wake up to freezing rain.  this winter we have had more below freezing days than i have ever remembered in any other winter.  this past saturday, flurries were in the forecast….and we all had our fingers crossed.  i found myself wanting to curl up with some hot cocoa, marshmallows, a book, and dream of a snow storm.

the recipes follow after the jump!

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the bryant home

homes and habitats

December 30th, 2009

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David lived around the corner in the late 80s, when the house was still occupied by members of the family that built it in 1903. When David set out to buy a place of his own years later, he remembered the little cottage on Pulaski Heights that he had always thought ideal. It had since become a rental so he found the owner and after a surprisingly brisk and successful negotiation signed a sales contract without even having been inside. Naively, he took three weeks off work to “fix the place up,” but it wasn’t until many years later, under Cassie’s influence, that the table saw finally disappeared from the of the living room and hammers and drills from the kitchen counter.

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The house sits very near the street, so we installed the shutters you see in these photos to maximize privacy while preserving ventilation.   French doors lead from the front porch into the library and we are able keep the house open to the outside for three seasons of the year.

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Most of the art in the house is by local artists and friends. The blue bird was painted by Andy Cherwick.

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make it a handmade weekend

instant inspiration

December 4th, 2009

rwood_holidaysale-email

this weekend, the athens area is celebrating handmade with a handful of holiday markets.  skip the mall and visit and support your local artists.  here is a list of some of the events…..

FRIDAY  december 4

railroad arts district holiday market, 2-9    **visit here to see a list of artist participating and having open studios

also the farm 255 cart will be selling dinner from 5-9…  get some organic-locally grown grub!

THIS WEEKEND   dec 5 and 6

r.wood studio holiday sale, saturday  9-4

athens indie craftstravaganza saturday  11-7,  sunday  12-5  ***rain or shine

283 bar holiday market saturday  12-5

trace studio collective friday-sunday  2-7

OCAF holiday market saturday  and sunday  12-5

farmington pottery sales saturday  9-5 and sunday 9-5

**click here to see flagpole’s full schedule of all holiday markets happening this season

jamie and aarron. craftsman style

homes and habitats

December 2nd, 2009

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jamie and aarron have both had a close relationship with r.wood studio for years.  long ago, jamie worked for rebecca before starting her own studio and aarron has been the brains behind our website for the past 10 years.  their home has a great mix of old and new, local art, colors, patterns, and collections flowing throughout……..it is a perfect example of an athens styled home.  thanks for sharing….and enjoy!

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***the master of the house, our 20 1/2 year old cat, Opie

how long have you lived in your home?

we moved into our house in april of 2005. a local historic preservationist bought the house the year before and restored it to its original splendor before we moved in.

what does home mean to you?

we think of our house as a member of our family and we feel honored to care for such an old timer. when we saw our house for the first time, we knew that it was the right place for us. we could envision a sleepy child dragging his or her blanket down the stairs with thumb in mouth to discover the christmas tree sparkling in the living room window.  no where else we have lived has inspired such excitement about the future.

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***the nursery story nook. the tree collage painting* doubles as a night light.  *made by jamie and aarron

what is your favorite thing about your home?

craftsman style homes have great flow. The flow makes our house such an easy place to entertain, inside and out. from a small family brunch, or the bi-monthly knit nites to blow out birthday bashes or sit down dinner for 20, some how the rooms feel cozy but not cramped for small gatherings, and  yet spacious enough for a crowd as well.  from the deck to the patio to the lawn there is always an easy way to spill into the next space.

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***coffee bar with lou kregel plate and soup studios cup

what were/are your inspirations in decorating your home?

it all starts with making each space very functional, and flexible for daily living. though our house is of the craftsman era, our design aesthetic is an eclectic mix of pieces from the 1900s to the 1970s. we love being surrounded by objects that have a story, a sense of history, or a connection to friends and family.

each room in our house features art, textiles, photos, and furniture created by our talented friends and artists that we admire or items that were passed down by family.  we believe that living with things that we have such a personal connection with is what makes a house a home.

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***upstairs bedroom with print by Angela Nichols and iron bed frame from the turn of the century

do you know anything about the history of your house and/or neighborhood?

our house was built in 1932 by the foreman of a small cotton mill that was once just down the street. he bought the house and the land for just $3000 dollars.  he and his father built all the stone walls themselves.  three adults and 2 children lived here then.  there was only one full bath at the time.  the upstairs room we use for storage was originally used as a sewing room.  the room we use as a pantry was originally the father’s office and their pantry is now our smurf bathroom.

a neighbor stopped by shortly after we moved in, and shared with us that her grandfather built it. She gave us old photos of the family posing in front of the house, and a copy of the original deed.  she was tickled to walk through the house again, and reminisce, and we were delighted to hear her story.

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