The Bunny Bungalow: 2010

Friday, December 24, 2010

The Night Before Christmas

A tiny antique bronze mouse that belongs to Felix Hernandez of Behind the Garden Gate, a shop in the Houston Heights.

"...Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..."

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Beware of Severely Cute Dog

We don't worry about barefoot bandits at our house...not with Scooter on the job!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

It's a Boy!

Scooter

We have a new addition to our family. Tall Husband and I are no longer empty nesters. Meet Scooter, our black and white Maltipoo.

This eight week old, four-pound fuzz ball is helpful in fighting the autumn leaves...

...irrigating the lawn...

and just being the cutest thing you could imagine.

Note: Tall Husband found Scooter in our city, via the Internet...thanks Cathy. He's the smartest little guy! Also, thanks to Linda and Cute Husband for all the puppy advice gained via their adorable Yorkie, Alessandro.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Houston Loves Great Cars

Tall Husband and I headed out this morning to the new venue for Houston Coffee and Cars December show.

Marq-E is the new, larger venue. The show has become so popular, Houston Coffee and Cars had to find a new place for showing off the rides.

Today's was the largest show ever. There must have been at least a thousand cars on display today...

...from this vintage sweetie with a wind-up key...

...to this sleek Lambo with a large price tag!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

If You Can't Take the Heat...Build a New Kitchen

That was our kitchen on the right.

The framing carpenters are at work at The Bunny Bungalow today. They are preparing the back of the bungalow for the new French doors. The demolition crew had previously removed the door and three windows. Tall Husband is fearless; I'm not! I feel as though the bungalow is bruised and bleeding.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Saara's wonderful Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bungalow Demolition...or Don't Watch While They Make the Sausage.

Sometimes things have to get really ugly before you can make them beautiful...a concept that is frightening to me. Yesterday, a great crew showed up to begin demolition on The Bunny Bungalow's kitchen. I didn't have the courage to take a peek until today. Tall Husband keeps reassuring me that the entire process and the skill with which the job is being managed and executed is beautiful.

OMG!! I hope the cake didn't fall.

Decades of wall coverings are exposed during demolition. Walls do talk and they say, "Tacky, tacky, tacky!"

Our Crew:

Production Contractors

Houston, Texas

281-265-6671

Monday, November 8, 2010

Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead

Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, was celebrated in true Mexican style in Houston Heights last week. Día de los Muertos is observed by many Mexicans and some Mexican Americans. The procession, marigolds, incense, dancers, sugar skulls, food and personal altars to honor deceased family members were part of the Houston Heights celebration, organized and hosted by Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery.

A celebrant.

Día de los Muertos procession headed down 19th Street in historic Houston Heights.

Dancers honor the deceased on Day of the Dead.

A gigantic, colorful skull dominated the procession, then was parked outside Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery.

Day of the Dead altars honor the deceased.

Sugar skulls for adding to personal altars.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Walk On The Wild Side

Sometimes a girl's just got to be a bit wild and funky...

Kick her heels up...One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...they're still there!

Hey, looking good...still got all my toes.

Note: Tall Husband spotted these wonderful shoes by Vibram Fivefingers at our Houston Whole Earth Provision Co. and insisted I get them, plus the toe socks too. Glad he did!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Out on the Porch

These Adirondack chairs, on our second-floor-screened-in porch, are from Design Within Reach.

Don't you just love Adirondack style? Our new chairs are EC (ecologically correct), as each chair is made from 100 plastic milk bottles. I like to believe we're sitting on some of our old recycled bottles.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Never Say Never

Allegiance by Patrick Medrano

Tall Husband and I swore that we had enough art, that we would never buy another piece, however, we live dangerously close to art galleries...walking distance. We were out for an evening walk when we saw that the old Heights-Theater-cum-art-gallery was having an opening. What could it hurt to just look? Well, you are looking at our latest purchase, an edgy sculpture by Houston sculptor/painter Patrick Medrano.

There are additional photos at My Ranchburger blog of the piece after we installed it in the art niche in the garage/studio behind The Bunny Bungalow.

Welcome home, Baby!

Note: The piece is from Gallery M Squared in the historic Heights Theater. There is an interesting back story associated with the sculpture, which I'll reveal when I know the ending.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Moving In!

Architects: Rogers and Labarthe; Builder: DD&L Enterprises

It's finished! The garage/studio behind the Bunny Bungalow is finished and Tall Husband and I have begun to move in. Also, the hard scape, sprinkler system and French drains have been completed. Most of the landscaping is in. The new Adirondack chairs are on the screened second-floor porch. What a great place to sit and read or to chat with Tall Husband.

Gregory/Henry Landscape Design & Installation

The landscape architect had an antique-brick patio installed and our two crape myrtle trees moved...those trees are in their third location!

Jasmine is being trained to cover the fence and the old well is still with us. We are considering turning the well into a water feature and have inquired about an antique French pump.

See the back of the bungalow? The door and three windows on the right will be replaced by double French doors and a new porch. Oh, and that ugly gas meter will be moved.

Have a great weekend!

A big thanks to our friend, Mac (AKA Linda's Cute Husband) for moving all our boxes of books upstairs!!!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Bruised

A Pair of Old Pears

Last Thursday, Tall Husband was scheduled for a simple outpatient surgery on his elbow...an ulnar nerve release. His pre-op exam was normal, including an ECG; however, during surgery there was a problem. He developed atrial fibrillation for the first time in his life. I knew there was a serious problem when I was paged and a staff member met me, telling me that I was to go with him to the post-op recovery room and was to stay with my husband (no one is allowed to stay.)

We spent several anxious hours watching the monitors, which were not giving us good news. We waited for the IV medication to "convert his heartbeat to sinus." Finally he converted and everyone cheered. Then he was sent to the telemetry unit in the same hospital...I forgot to mention that his orthopedic surgery took place in the best heart institute in the country, so his care was superb. He was in the right place at the right time, as the old saying goes.

A member of the medical team made a little bed for me next to Tall Husband's. All night I raised my head to be certain that he was breathing, as I whispered to Taddie, his late mother...yes, I talk to dead people..."Taddie, I'm taking care of him and I'm frightened." I promised her before our marriage that I would never leave him and that I would take the best care of him. She extracted that same promise from me before she died. I'm big on promises to others, especially if I love them, as I do her.

So, we are back at The Bunny Bungalow now. We are both bug eyed but thanks to a great team at St. Luke's Hospital, he survived good as new. Thanks, everyone!

P.S. I left out the part about what a horrible patient Tall Husband was; however, I think it was a reaction to the morphine given post surgery.