House building, hair cutting, and Valentine's Day

Last night, we attended the Valentine's Day Dinner at Old Sturbridge Village, a present from Jon's mom.  We learned about the history of Chocolate, valentines, and got to eat a nice dinner!  I asked the presenter about hearth cooking, and she said the best way to learn was to take a class.

By the way, I plan on using a hearth to cook after we build our timber frame house.

Something like this.

I might actually be a little crazy.  But, I have my reasons.

1.  I hate central air heating, baseboard heaters, etc.  The only source of heat that actually gets me warm is a wood stove or fireplace.  We plan on having both of those.  I am currently huddled under a shawl (wearing long johns, too!) and freezing.

2.  Things baked over a flame or in a brick oven taste better.  Instead of going out for those fancy brick oven pizzas, I can make them right at home!  Along with bread, pie, cookies, anything else that I could think of.  My only limit is that I need to heat that oven with coals for 2 hours, clean it out, and then sweep it with a wet broom before baking.  I think of it as an extended 'pre-heat' cycle.

3.  Off-grid.  And we have access to wood.

4.  Turning meat on a spit or string.  Practically gourmet!

5.  Back to my roots.  People have cooked over fire for a long time and I feel like it is a very satisfying way to prepare food.

I do plan on having an electric oven in the kitchen, unless I do take lessons and don't completely stress out about a complete lifestyle change.  A part of me, though, really wants to take that leap.  We'll see where that goes.

Jon and I met with an electrician this morning.  We had spent HOURS on house plans, the model...and there were still things we hadn't thought of.  The electrician is going to allow us to work with him to cut some of the labor costs and will give us a good deal, though.  I'm not going to think of how expensive it is going to be yet.  If I do, then I will throw that idea out the window and start begging Jon to not use electricity at all...which would probably not be a good idea with my love for using the internet/computer related job...

We did pick out our light fixtures.  They are handmade and very pretty.  Not that much more than Home Depot for cost, either!  They are all from Williamsburg Blacksmiths.

Sconces for by bathroom mirrors

Sconces by front door, in hallways

Over kitchen counter and sink

Light fixtures from ceilings

Chandelier by stairs

Chandelier in master bedroom with cathedral ceiling

Outside lights, one by front door, one by back door

I am very excited about these fixtures.  Makes all those hours of planning where studs go, figuring out beam sizing, drawing and erasing over and over....somewhat worth it!  I plan to keep updating here when we figure more things out.  Feedback and ideas are appreciated about any aspect of the house.  I would love to hear about feasible ways of keeping to old traditions/styles.

Also, I donated my hair to Locks of Love again.  No big deal.

Free haircut with donation at Mane Element Hair Studio in Concord, NH.

And then it snowed, just missing my birthday.  This was very unusual, because major snow storms always happened ON my birthday.  So much for making solid plans!

Managing long hair on a budget

Sometimes, my hair get in the way of simple, everyday tasks.  Like sleeping comfortably, being warm outside in the winter after a shower, or having to wear a hat while baking...

I have extremely thick hair.

It sometimes entertains children.

Managing long, thick hair is a part-time job.  Especially when you don't have any extra money to spend on it.  I also don't like getting haircuts, ever since a hairdresser ripped out one of my earrings...

Occasionally, I chop it all off.

Which is really fun until I realize that I can't braid it anymore, and even ponytails are a hassle.

When my hair gets too long for me to stand it (usually 2-3 years, depending on how many trims I get), I donate it to Locks of Love,  So far I have donated three times.  This is quite wonderful, because some salons will give you a free styling if you donate hair with them.  So, FREE haircut!

I get my hair trimmed about once a year, by a friend or family member that I trust with scissors.  So far, so good.

I also don't use commercial shampoo anymore.

And my hair still behaves like it did here:

Fancy braid-ness.

After hearing about the bad effects of chemicals in shampoo and conditioner, I decided to find an alternative.  One friend suggested rubbing the scalp with baking soda, then a watered-down vinegar rinse.  This works for her, but it didn't for me.  Next, I tried the liquid Dr. Bronner's castille soap that Jon uses.  I had to use quite a bit of it, and I developed dandruff for the first time in my life, along with horrible tangles.  My last bottles of commercial soap were getting very low, so I planned to use a 'shampoo bar' that I had picked up at a farmers' market.  I was almost sure that it wasn't going to work...how could one bar do the job?  My hair tangles five minutes after brushing.  

My conditioner ran out first.  I stubbornly continued using the last of the shampoo until that was gone (my hair somehow didn't mind the lack of conditioner...)  My next shower, I tried the shampoo bar.  It somehow got a good lather with very little effort.  It rinsed clean.  My hair combed out nicely with only a few tangles.  It worked!

Now, several weeks later, I'm very happy, and need to go to Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, NH to pick up another bar (Meadow's Pond Farm Shampoo Bar).  My hair is shiny, my scalp is healthy, and the bar cleans and conditions better than commercial products.

I think that this spring would be a good time for another drastic cut, and subsequent donation.