Monday, April 27, 2009

(A Completely Different Kind of) Help

Still no word on what went down the night before last. If anything. But I am choosing to believe I was a hero and that the night was a sign, visions of grandiosity and meaning where there is nothing but stars. Because, that's why.
Yesterday we signed the final paperwork on our house. Sold! To the highest bidder, sign here, initial here, andhereandhereandhere. Come Saturday we will no longer live behind the high school, (we will live behind the memory of once having lived behind the high school). Unfortunately, we can't move in to the new Casa Petunia Face until June 1, so we have a month long layover at Bryan's parents' house. In the meantime, I am busy nesting in my head, placing side tables in corners that I think I remember, pouring over the photos I took and wondering what goes where. And this is where you come in. I need help. This is our front door:

Please note: all decor belongs to current tenant, although we're keeping the flanking buddha statues. Anyhoo, I LOVE the cut-out door and the glass side panels. Bryan, however, is worried about privacy. Without covering the detail and the light, how would you recommend I maintain some privacy/hide from the Jehovah's Witnesses?
To give some perspective, here's a photo of the entire front porch. The house is set back from the street a bit, so I'm partial to leaving the door and glass as is. Would you? If not, how would you cover them? Thoughts?
Anyway, that's what I've got for you this Tuesday. What can I say? I'm surrounded by moving boxes.
xo,
Susannah

24 comments:

Jessie said...

What about 'frosted' contact paper. A temporary fix in case the landlord would object to a permanent frost. You could even do a design... I think I saw a DIY tutorial on D*S not that long ago.

Or you could just let Z go to town with a bunch of Dora stickers. :)

Kwana said...

Big congrats on the sale. The frosted paper is a nice idea or small sheer panels. Yes, you need some privacy.

krista said...

one whole wall of our new place is paned windows (it's a building built by the studios in the 40s to house the actors) and our wall faces the street. we don't want curtains or blinds or any of that because we like the light and openness so we bought privacy window film at home depot. it's gila brand, in frost. it will opaque the window yet still let in all the light. (um,i don't have any pictures because we haven't done it yet...still waiting for the landlord to fix some cracked panes) but it's a great non-permanent solution for us renting folks.

and i was telling my bryan about your post and he was vehement that you did the right thing. he's a big believer in getting involved, helping. and we realized that there probably won't be any mention of the incident in the paper if both boys are minors.

Petunia Face said...

I love the idea of the frosted window film--that sounds perfect! Thank you! Now I don't have to curb my bad dancing in the living room when no one is home :)

Aartee said...

I think the forsted contact paper or even a sheer curtains would work :) although I like the idea of letting zoey loose with Dora stickers!

amber {daisy chain} said...

CUTE!
I like the frosted paper idea, but you could also get a cute dishtowel from Anthro and put it up with velcro (not showing, of course).

Patti-atti said...

I was thinking of the frosted contact paper, also - there was a WONDERFUL DIY post at Design Sponge, Jesse was right:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/03/diy-project-window-films.html

I love love love it!

Regardez Moi said...

I say the leave the door exactly as it is and just crawl around your house. Or install a peep hole at the bottom of the door so that way at least, if you hear the door bell ring and weren't expecting visitors? You can crawl up to the door and see who is out there. Hopefully you can identify people by their footwear.

It's a small price to pay for aesthetics.

Amanda said...

Frosted is good,. but I don't think you will really have a problem with the privacy. You are set so far back, even if you DO walk by nekkid, all anyone would see is a figure passing and there will be no way to tell if you had clothes on.

Judi said...

ooh, the new house is CUTE. Congrats! Also, I think you should totally embrace the joys of being a renter over a homeowner (such as, if something breaks someone else has to fix it. Yay!)

You can do some pretty sheath curtains for the door glass. Personally, I like that the jehovah's witnesses can see in. You can just stand there, looking at them, shaking your head "No."

Heather said...

We have a similar window which went uncovered for a year before I made sheer curtians that attached at the top and bottom. It was really easy I used rods but velcro would probably work too. I love it. It lets in light and I no longer have the neighbor kids pressing their noses up to the window when they come to sell me things.

Aunt_B said...

This is so not going to help one bit, but my Zoe and I had to do the army crawl past our floor to ceiling front window once in order to hide from those damn "Jay-Dubs". Why is it that we think we need to hide from them? Oh, maybe you can wallpaper those two side windows with the Watch Towers that they will surely leave behind???

Anonymous said...

http://www.etchedclingdecals.com/

Easy peasy!

Annie Crowninshield said...

I helped out a guy who's girlfriend took "something" and was unconscious on a sidewalk in Boston years ago. I called 911. I still wonder what happened to her. I hope your wait isn't as long.

On to windows! I say leave them. If there is any way to secure the property before the porch that would be ideal but even if there isn't let 'em be. Unless you are terrified by the public and pesky Mormons. If so, no guilt from here. I get scared when I hear the wind blow.....

Anonymous said...

May a complete stranger jump in here?

How about a reflective film? You can see out, they can't see in. You still have light and the charm of your little oval window and privacy too.

Try here-
http://www.technologylk.com/product/1491/Mirror-Privacy-Window-Film/728/PRS369/36-x-9-ft-Mirror-Privacy-Window-Film.html

I ♥ You said...

what a cute house!!! i love the window and wouldn't cover it unless you think people can see all the way through and it makes you uncomfortable. You could get a wavy glass and replace the pane probably inexpensively. It would still let in light but blur you and your bad dancing to passersby. :)

Patois42 said...

Ah, yes, the reflective film gets my vote, too.

Congratulations!

Katie said...

I wouldn't cover those awesome windows up unless someone held a gun to my head. They are awesome.

I'd plant two tall evergreen plants outside to cover them a bit.

Or you could grow somekind of flowering viney plant and have it grow up the sides? Might be hard finding that type of plant to grow in full shade...

meinkc said...

..what if you got a piece of glass cut in a circle - the same size as the window, had a hole drilled in the top of it that you could thread wire or string through to hang it over the window opening. Before hanging it, you and Z could glue clear pieces of glass or clear marbles onto it or maybe rose-colored ones. It could be pretty. And portable (okay probably really heavy too). But! You could then see potential salespeople or stalkers through rose-colored glass. Plus they'd be all distorted and stuff. Wait. This could make them look creepier. We may want to scratch this. :)

benson said...

I think once you're in there and living in the space you'll realize you probably won't need anything. Live with it for awhile and then decide. Blow me some petunia face dust on my house that we're trying to sell (one week and I'm wondering why mine hasn't sold like yours in 24 hours?!) so I can have the same problems :)

Author said...

Why don't you make that crazy flour and water paper mache paste from Mr. Allen's 8th Grade art class and let Zoe go to town with colored tissue paper? Of course, you'll need an entire sleeve or razor blades to remove it when you leave, but what the hey?

Lolo said...

I miss reading your blog for a few days and you fall off the creativity wagon? I fully expect for all three of you to wear tinfoil hats and tiaras that have been made by Zoey. They will be your special "Hello Witness" headgear and then you can describe how you all belong to your own religion.

jen said...

NO CURTAINS! That porch is enough privacy isn't it? I would love that swath of light coming in...

Petunia Face said...

Author--
I must know--what is your nom de real plume that you know about Mr. Allen's 8th grade flour water paste?
xo,
S