Laundry lines

laundry is something that we all do. Most people look at doing laundry as a chore that can’t be avoided. I enjoy laundry. I like the  fresh smell of clean clothes. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment of having stacks of folded shirts and underwear. I get a certain thrill when I have removed an especially difficult stain. Call me weird. Go ahead, it wouldn’t be the first time…

I have posted about my laundry room in the past. Check out the  floor cloth I painted here.  There is more to my laundry room than just a pretty floor.   This may look like an ordinary cabinet.  You may think that I keep cleaning supplies in there. You may be right but there is also a secret behind those doors.

Check this out! I can hang and dry a full load of laundry on my retractable clothesline. I can also hide the line to tidy up before company comes over.  I rarely use my dryer anymore.  I feel good that I am being a good citizen by saving energy.  When I hang clothes in the winter, I appreciate the added humidity from the drying clothes.  During good weather, I open that window and enjoy a fresh breeze to help dry the load. I have tried using a collapsible wooden clothes rack but it takes up so much floor space and doesn’t really hold a full load of clothes. This works much much better. Here is the clothesline that I use but there are others out there that would work too. I replaced the plastic piece that pulls the lines out from the wall. I made a wooden one that is sturdier and can hold the weight of wet clothes. Make sure that you anchor both ends of the clothesline into studs in the wall. A load of wet clothes is heavy. I hope I have inspired some of you to put up an indoor retractable clothesline. It’s a good thing.

As an aside, I found these clothespins at an estate sale. I imagine that a very kind man painted these for his young wife.  She thought of him every time she  washed his overalls or her children’s dungarees. Her laundry line was between his vegetable garden and her flower garden, near the barn. He was the kind of husband who helped his wife with household chores. He washed windows. They probably held hands on walks together.  He brought coffee to her each morning  in her garden. He was a sweet, sentimental man. They both died within 2 weeks of each other,  happy and content after 60 years of marriage.  It is my honor to take care of these clothespins.   Happy laundry!  -Peg

Big Sur California

Jay and I continue our 2 month winter escape trip to California and we find ourselves along the beautiful rugged coastline of Big Sur.  We checked into our home for the week and are settling nicely into a quintessential California spa like cottage/cabin called Glen Oaks.  I quickly took photos before we moved in so you can see how it looked in its pristine condition. It has some nice  details that I noticed right away. I think about my real home and how I would like to tweak to make it more spa like. Here are the photos, let me know if you like it. Oh, to add to the spa like feel, I am playing my sister Barb’s CD of relaxing music as I write this…I feel so calm…

Our cottage in the Red woods

The photo above shows our  sitting area and redwood door.

Very earthy and warm yet modern

Liz, you will like the orange chair.

The door to the bath has real twigs pressed between two pieces of frosted glass.  The stone floor is heated and the vanity is laminated wood – very serene.

The Buddha Board is like a grown up etch-a-sketch.

I love the gas fireplace on the wall!

A close up of the twigs on the bathroom door.

the communal firepit

 

Next up, our day at the Alemeda antique fair. Liz posted some of her finds already and I will get posting soon. I just had to share this special spot first. -peg