bits and bobs: A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things
The Girl and I were SHOCKED to see London fog latte on the menu at Cutter’s Point Coffee shop {a local place} the other day when we went in to use a gift card she had. I’ve never once seen a London Fog Latte on a menu before and suddenly, I feel like a total hipster. Hmmm… Maybe I need to change drinks now.
Sometimes I wear my coat in the house. Okay, actually, I’m pretty much always wearing my coat in the house. Don’t you this time of year? Because really, paying for more heat than you have to, is just silly.
What I’ve been up to all week…
Dyeing over 150 yards of wool… and I’m still not finished.
My project for next week….
Refinishing this Windsor chair the HH found. I think I’m going to go for an aged black finish. Does anyone have any good paint recommendations?
You know you’re getting old when you don’t even want to leave the house because of the traffic. It’s like seriously, where did all these people come from? I counted 47 groups of people walking downtown the other day. And that was on a totally overcast weekday around 10 am. 5 years ago, maybe you’d see 10 clusters of people out running or walking their dog this time of year.
Small towns are wonderful… until everybody finds out about them and decides to move there.
And last but not least, anyone own a riding mover? I’m still in the “research phase” and wondering if there is anything special I need to look for when it comes time to buy one. I don’t want to be raking up grass, or hauling bins of grass either for that matter. Is there some sort of term I need to use to tell the riding lawnmower salesperson I want my clippings chopped up into teeny tiny bits? Or do these machines just do that anyways? Are there settings for grass clippings or am I over thinking this one? Help!
Have a great Thursday everyone,
~Mavis
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Gwenn says
You would want a “mulching” mower or just tell the sales person that you don’t want to rake or bag your grass clippings and they’ll get the point. Some mowers give you the option of bagging (to be used for FREE mulch) or mulching the clippings.
StephanieZ says
Most riding mowers have the option to get mulching blade attachment to replace the regular blades.
I recommend a zero turn mower as it saves time.
When we first moved out to the country from a big city my dream was to be able to ride a mower; well that didn’t last too long. Because it takes 5 hours to mow a 4-acre property. Then we started to pay our kids to do it!
Anita says
The tip re: zero turn mower is an excellent one to consider!
FarmGirl says
This is an excellent tip!! If you have any lawn at all at the new place and lots of trees or anything you will have to trim around…BUY A ZERO TURN MOWER!!! It will save you hours and hours of time. The very best lawn invention ever!!!! This is from someone that lives on a farm and has a very large yard. I used to have to use a regular old riding mower and then have to go back and weed eat around everything, but no more!
Amy says
I agree, we finally got a zero turn mower last year and I cut our mow time in half. Mulching is also the way to go, add those nutrients back into your soil, no need to throw the trimmings out just to turn around to have to add more fertilizer.
Amy says
BTW, ours is a Kubota, love it!
Ani says
Mulching, is the term you’re seeking for the mower. Love that chair!!
Teri says
That chair looks too pretty to paint!
Karin Carson says
I think so as well, it’s beautiful.
Lauralli says
Agree! Don’t paint the chair! I know it’s the “in” thing to do right now, but please reconsider! It is fabulous as is!
Julie P says
I agree don’t paint the chair you will regret it, it’s beautiful as is.
Anita says
Mavis, you want a riding lawn mower that mulches the grass clippings (chops them up into teeny tiny pieces). BTW, we have a Poulan and are very happy with it, although it is a little louder than our previous riding lawn mower. Also, you can ride over the leaves in the fall and mulch them into the lawn – saves bagging them and is good fertilizer for the lawn.
Teresa D says
We’ve had a MTD riding mower for 20 years. Bought it from Sears back in the day. Check Consumer Reports to get the low down. You don’t necessarily need to buy a big brand name. Make sure you change the oil when you’re supposed to and put stabilizer in the tank (or run it dry) over the winter. Store indoors as the sun can eat the paint and seat covering. Keep the blade (mulching) sharp. Check the air in the tires too! Just like the car the tire pressure need to be right. My husband does the edges (push mower) I do the big stuff takes 40 minutes to do 3/4 acre. OH!! Be sure to wear ear protection, they are LOUD!
The wool stash is yummy!
Karin Carson says
Good morning Mavis and Lucy , that chair looks great as it is, Love the patina maybe just a light sanding where needed then wax finish , the seat looks fabulous.
For the London Fog not sure if it’s just me but I would think it’s a regular London Fog Tea and not Lattee as it doesn’t say lattee by it ?
Our lot is a 1/3 of and acre and we have a 48” cutting ride em and I cut every 4 days or so and I don’t have to rake etc but inquire about mulching blades it there is an attachment that plugs the shoot so it just goes around, get one with more then 1 blade ours has 3.
my hubby was very lucky this past November and won $10,000 off our local radio station and there was 10 sponsors to choose from we chose Rona ( CaNaDiaN Home Depot) and we got a new ride em mower and after much research we went down to a 38” cutting swath ( bigger is not always better as our lawn is not as flat as it used to be and the smaller cutting with give a smoother and better cut on ground that is not supper level and a tighter turning radius , hope that makes sense, also sit in the seat for a bit and make sure you can comfortably reach all pedals and levers , I would also recommend one that can rotate on a tighter radius , ours both have Briggs & Stratton motors which I highly recommend and you can get snow blades and blowers , thatchers & wagons with certain models they can do so much more then just cut the grass.
Janet says
Get a cart to tow behind. They are so useful to move things from one area to another. We actually built sideboards for our cart so we can haul more branches, etc. Also, headphones with music are great for hearing protection and to prevent boredom on big mowing areas.
Connie says
The chair is beautiful, as it is!
Bonnie Schmidt says
Don’t paint the chair!
Marie says
considered a tractor with attachments?
Annett says
Don’t paint the chair! It will be ruined forever, just stain it. It’s an antique chair-preserve it. Please.
Cat says
My parents had riding mowers for years and finally went for john deer tractor with a bunch of attachments. They love it more than anything else they’ve ever owned. WE use it for everything, hauling dirt, rocks, mowing, rota tilling!
Something to consider maybe?
Bobbie says
Cub cadet zero turn with a very large deck! We have 5 acres and I swear by it. You can buy all the extras later as you need them. We have a zero turn as well as a regular Cub cadet lawn tractor with trailer (GREAT for cleaning out chicken coop or hauling mulch around the property!) We are in Virginia.
Don’t paint that chair. So gorgeous!
Carole says
If this mower is for the new place you probably will need a tractor vice a mower. You for sure will need a dump trailer to haul stuff around a larger place and if you will be getting snow you will want to be able to add a blade to clean all that fluffy white stuff off the drive. Hence a tractor needed, bigger engine for all that stuff that is not mowing. Recommend Husqvarna with a wide cutting blade like 54 inches or so because you get finished faster. We love ours. It does everything. The dump cart is a lifesaver for sure. We haul dirt, firewood, raked up leaves, stuff for the compost bin, you get it right? A work horse you will need. Those little riding mowers at big box stores can’t do the job. Money well spent on a bigger engine.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Count me in with Marie and Cat… we have a John Deere garden tractor with a 60” mowing deck, a towable cart, a lawn sweeper (think leaves), a snow plow, and a snow blower, and they all get extensive use. Yes, you feel like you’re paying a lot for that green paint, but they are *so* reliable and hard working. It is also powerful enough to tow a larger utility trailer around the property for moving large amounts of wood or stone, or to move our camper short distances. We can’t even imagine life here without our green buddy. If you’re going to live in the NE, you need to think about how many tasks you can cover with the least number of devices, i.e. leaves & snow are going to be part of your lives now (Mulched dry leaves can be bagged and used through the winter for chicken coop bedding!) A curiosity question — how many generations are making the move with you and HH?
Mimi says
Old Village paint. I prefer oil base. Latex is easier clean up but oil base will hold up just about forever. Great vintage colors too. I’ve tried lots of newer milk and chalk paints and they just don’t measure up to the tried and true.
Mary3M says
Leave the seat not painted.
Make sure your mower can handle a plow. You will need it in New England. Also if you want to collect your leaves hen get the leaf basket (for lack of a better word) – or make sure it is mulching.But you might want to ask the people in your new town what they recommend. What you buy in the PNW might not be suitable for New England.
Andrea says
Mower brand suggestions: buy a John Deere for a traditional riding mower that you can use in other ways by attaching a cart to the back or a blade to the front. If you want a zero turn, buy an X-mark or a Bad Boy. And purchase at a locally owned company, not a big box store.
Cher says
The grain on the chair is so pretty, have you considered a black stain instead of paint? You will still see the grain.
Emily B. says
Love this suggestion.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Cher! Do you have a brand you can recommend?
Cher says
I’ve used the Minwax kind on furniture– but never on true antiques. They have a nice selection of colors.
There’s probably nicer alternatives, heck you could even use your own brewed tea or coffee, and then wax it or put on a a few coats of poly or shellac.
erin in ia says
Minwax ebony, jacobean, or espresso are the darkest colors they have on hand in most stores. Then use a good oil (not water) based polyurethane. I finish the cabinets/furniture my husband builds for a living.
Emily B. says
I’m SO with you on the too many people. I live in MN, and work in DT Minneapolis. The Super Bowl (and all it’s accompanying shenanigans) have begun already. Too. Many. People.
It is giving me a rash.
Lea says
I’m in the Twin Cities too. And – GAH – the Super Bowl. A friend who lives downtown is leaving town for a rural cabin for the entire 2 week hype and come-down. I totally think she has the right idea!
🙂
Lea
Beverly Cluff says
Where do you buy your wool?
Sherry says
Hi Mavis,
We have a little less than 8 acres and after years of different riding mowers getting chewed up by our rough lawn/fields/pasture areas I caved in. We went to our local John Deere dealer and purchased the JD 750 model with 54” mowing deck and she’s a diesel! We got the mulching blades and haven’t looked back. She’s the envy of every guy at the local shop where I have her serviced. We did the free interest loan five year repayment plan because she is pricey, but worth every nickel.
Now that you are graduating to a farm, hurry down to the county extension office and register as a farm. With that ag number, you can write off your equipment on your taxes. Visit a good accountant ASAP. We are small market growers who mostly donate to our local food pantry. Would be happy to chat if your interested.
Have fun shopping!
RebekahU says
Mavis – I am very thrifty, and for years we purchased the cheapest mulching mower we could. We currently live on almost 9 acres, and I’ve learned a couple of things. First, purchase a mower that is rated for the number of acres you think you will be cutting. The larger cutting deck makes a massive difference. I was always too cheap to consider purchasing a John Deere. Well, when my aunt moved to assisted living, she asked if we wanted her beat up, sad looking, but large, John Deere. We said OK – never expecting it to last one season. OH MY GOODNESS! That thing is the BEST EVER!!! Our mowing has NEVER BEEN SO GOOD! It is fast and does such a great job. I can only imagine what it would do if it was new. So! If you can find a used John Deere – go for it! I’ve never had a zero turn, but when the John Deere dies, I might look into that… we have 22+ fruit trees on our land!
Thanks for still blogging while you prepare to move. We’ve moved a LOT, and the thought of all the move prep, plus dyeing 150 yards of wool, AND blogging… WHEW!
Dawn says
You can generally get mulching blades for most any mower. I highly, highly recommend a zero turn mower. I will never mow with a regular mower. I use our zero turn at our house and to mow a nearby cemetery. Mowing with a zero turn can easily cut your mowing time in half. It allows me to get close to things to cut down on use of the weed eater.
Sarah says
I totally understand the too much traffic/people thing and not wanting to leave the house. I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for 25 years. My husband grew up here. We hate how it’s changed. His career limits him to basically SF, PDX or Seattle so we feel stuck until retirement. I’m grateful to at least love my little home and my neighborhood because I don’t venture beyond unless I absolutely have to.
I’m super duper excited to follow along in your dream home and location adventures!
David says
Hello!
I have bought and sold probably thirty riding mowers within the last few years, and my advice would be to not spend money on a new riding mower. The new mowers that are built usually only last a few years and then their engines blow. I would definitely stay away from a Briggs and Stratton engines made after 2008; they are built in China. Zero turn mowers are amazing and chop the grass into little bits, but those can be $1500. If you are only going to need it to mow, that would be the way to go. They save a lot of time!
If I could only get one riding mower, I would get a Craftsman garden tractor that is 15-20 years old. You can usually find one for $600. They work well and are very reliable. You can also get just about any attachment for them. It would chop the grass very small if you got mulching blades for it.
If you get a zero turn mower you can’t use many attachments that you could on a garden tractor.
I have had a lot of problems with Yard Man riding mowers but, not to many with Craftsman.
Hope that helps!
Christine Hagen says
We finally broke down several years ago and bought a zero turn mower. My word do I wish we had done this sooner. What used to take about 6 hours takes about 2. I never wanted to pay the extra cost but it is so worth it. We have a Kabota Bad Boy.
Mrs. C. says
Kubotas are great and hold their value.
Zero turn mowers are also great UNLESS you have a hilly property. Ask me how I know.
Mrs. C. says
Oh, and I vote for NOT painting that gorgeous chair!
Nancy D says
Loving Lucy’s perch atop a pillow adorned moving box to watch out the window! I’m thinking she’s going to love the long drive! That chair looks really old…be nice to keep that beautiful grain showing! Can’t help but think it might have originated on the East coast! Perhaps a stain?
Nancy D says
Could this be a chair like yours?
http://www.jamesdewandsons.com/chairs/1027-windsor-chair.php
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
WOW. That’s a pretty amazing find by the HH.
Mavis Butterfield says
Actually, it is a D.R. Dimes Wallace Nutting Arm Chair. It retails for around the same price. $1,100. My husband only paid $100 for the chair. It is a lovely chair but there is a lot of deep scratches on one side of the seat and by sanding it down and staining it or painting it with a black crackle finish I hope to bring it back to it’s glory. It’s too nice of a piece to let sit damaged the way it is.
Here is a link to what I’d like it to look like when I am finished.
http://www.drdimes.com/catalog/collections/windsor-chairs/bowbacks-sack-backs/wallace-nutting-windsor-arm-chair/
Lolly says
That wood on the arms is GORGEOUS!!!! The very idea of you painting it hurts every part of me!!!!! And a “crackle finish”, omg, is this 1997?!?! So what about the scratches….sand it, and coat that wood with some wax. But omg, that’s it! I would get a serious second opinion before painting it.
Mavis Butterfield says
Did you click on the link above? It has a photo of the crackle finish. Not 1997. 🙂 More like 1700’s.
Anne says
John Deere mower only way to go /I’m on my second one first one lasted 30 years! And I use it every week .”nothin runs like a Deere”
Melissa says
Mavis you really are Ove! Counting groups of people walking downtown
And wearing your coat in the house – who needs heat?
I can’t do it – I could wear a coat but my hands, feet, and nose just get too cold – our solution to using less heat is just staying in our very small house instead of heating a big one ♀️
Nicole says
You should be able to get mulching blades for almost any riding mower.
Jennifer says
You posted so many times about the London Fog so I tried one at Starbucks and WOW! I immediately became hooked! I figured out how make it at home and it’s just as good, if not better than Starbucks. Not to mention cheaper. It helps to warm me up on these really frigid days on the east coast in Pennsylvania.
Mavis Butterfield says
Wahooo another convert!!! 🙂
Diana says
Don’t do a thing to that chair without talking to a vintage/antique furniture professional. And then, don’t do a thing to the chair. Period. If you don’t like it the way it is, pass it on to someone who does appreciate it for what it is. Use your time and energy on something else, that you won’t devalue in the process.
Diana says
If I’d have known how my husband likes the temperature inside the house I might not have married him. We are in north Texas with freezing temperatures last week, but our thermostat had to be at a MINIMUM of 75 at all times. In the sweltering summer heat it has to be 70 or less. Uugghh! Makes me crazy. Also, he can walk out of the house without turning off the TV or any lights. Not. Kidding.
Leslie says
For the mower, you may way to also consider adding a roll bar if you have any hills to mow.
Leslie says
OH- and a seat belt!
leslie says
When I lived in Washington for almost 20 years, I always wore my coat indoors. In fact, 2 years later in Utah, I have to ‘free’ myself from wearing a coat indoors as people constantly make comments about it; and they comment about how many different coats I have. 🙂
Lolly says
A zero turn will cost more money to buy…but will cut your mowing time nearly in half! I hated the expense, but dh being done with the yard and front pasture and by the road in 2.5-3 hrs instead of 5-6 hrs….EVERY WEEK, it is well worth the expense!!!
I don’t know ANYONE who wears a coat indoors. And my people and dh’s people are from upstate ny, the midwest, upper west va, va, and nc. I’ve never heard of that before. We kept our home cooler and cracked windows for fresh air in the winter when we lived in Europe (2 dogs in a 2br apt!), but at most I wore a wool sweater over a long sleeved tshirt, wool socks, and clog slippers. We live in the deep south now….and 72-73* is about as cold inside as we can handle. I wear a ls tee, a cardigan, jeans, wool socks, and my clog slippers. I won’t turn the heat down more, except to 71* to sleep. Lol!
Pam says
Hubby and I just downsized from 10 acres to 1.5. We had a full sized Kubota tractor with a brush mower attachment for the old property and used a Husqvarna rider for the actual “lawn” portion of the property. Our new place has a few areas with some significant grade so the Husqvarna rider still worked but was NOT happy with the tighter turns and dips. So we went back to Kubota and bought a Z100 Kommander. It’s a zero turn available with several different deck widths (we went 48″). Mowing time was cut SIGNIFICANTLY. There’s still a few spots that require the week whacker but they’re areas that NO mower would be able to handle. If you have friends with different types of mowers, ask if you can take them for a test drive before you decide.
Love the chair – I find myself leaning toward the “stain don’t paint” suggestion. Wood grain is too pretty to hide.
I agree with you about the small towns. I live in a town with a population of a little less than 4,000. I moved here from a town of less than 2,000 because medical care was just too hard to find. I’m now about 10 miles from a town of 55,000 people that has everything I need or want. I’m much more a “let Amazon deliver it” rather than a “let’s go shopping” kind of girl.
Linda says
We had a Sears 8 HP mower when we moved here to what we thought was our dream house (I despise our HOA). We are on an acre, with a slope down to a lake. The first time my HH mowed, he almost went into the lake because the horsepower wasn’t enough to hold the mower back on the hill. He went out that afternoon and bought a Yard Machines 16 HP mower. This year (20 years later) we retired it and bought a 42″ swath Deere with about 20 HP, that will take a cart on the back and a plow attachment on the front. We haven’t bought the plow yet, but I think an Ohio Steel pull behind lawn sweeper is next on the buy list. We have just a few trees, so we didn’t feel we needed a zero turn, but our neighbor has many, many trees, and the wind blows this way. South- western Ohio doesn’t get that much snow, but I’m from Maine originally and in New England you’ll want a plow attachment, or a truck with one (a better option.)
Like everything else, lawn mowers aren’t built like they used to be, but Deere seemed to us to have the best quality of those we saw (we didn’t see Kubota)
And if you know the value of the chair and still want to paint it, you should do what you want to it. It’s your chair.
Laurie says
I don’t wear my coat indoors at home, but I often keep it on while at church & other large venues. I’m famous for wearing “double layers” as in thermal underwear or even exercise gear under regular clothes.