Semi-Serious & Rustic-Chic in Waitsburg, WA

A GASTROPUB OVERVIEW - THE JIM GERMAN BAR

Just outside of Walla Walla and nestled among rolling hills of peas, wheat, and wine lies the small (SMALL) town of Waitsburg. Word had reached Walla Walla that a new gastropub had opened on the town's dusty Main Street and was a must-try. So on word-of-mouth alone, we visited the Jim German Bar (named for the bar's owner) for cocktails and appetizers before walking across the street to the old classic, "Whoopemup".


I had a less than stellar experience at our chosen dinner venue: unrelenting air conditioning coming from all angles including at your feet which is cold and distracting if you are wearing shorts; an order for a medium-rare steak presented as "well-done"; but FANTASTIC deserts!

The beverage options and ambiance at the Jim German, on the other hand, left a lasting positive impression. Jim and his wife are aware of the true meaning of aperitif, and the drinks menu pays homage to many alcohols from around the world. I was particularly excited to see a plethora of Pastis beverages as well as various versions of Vermouth. Additionally, the mixed drinks were delightful and deceptively stiff. Trevor ordered a Mint Julep and I ordered a Pineau des Charents blanc, which was served properly chilled.

We also had the chorizo in red wine ($8) and Claire's Cornucopia Antipasto  ($15-25) - Somewhat small portions for 3-4 people, but the "Etruscan Snacks"  were served unpretentiously and tasted delicious.

The fare was fantastic and gave me a rosy demeanor in which to walk around and explore the space. This is the real reason why I decided to write about the Jim German here.

The space has high ceilings and a rustic-chic air. Overall sparsely decorated, the tables and stools were simple constructions from natural, light wood (after my own table-building experience, I tend to notice the dining furniture wherever I go), which provided a nice contrast to the dark wood floors. The natural hues were  humorously punctuated with a bright blue entrance and a goldenrod-yellow slat ceiling.

A few details stood out most of all:

[1]

Jim is growing hops outside to block the evening sun of his west-facing building.

Although they aren't fully grown, it's a beautiful start and I found them to be really pleasant to the eye against the backdrop of his blue door.

[2] 

The clever menu-display which was floor-to-ceiling brown roll-up paper (I can't wait to do something like this in my own house- if anyone knows where to find this sort of thing, let me know!!):

[3]

The long and light-filled communal dining space, called "Heaven" in reference to the Talking Head song, is adjacent to the main room and accessorized by the owners' artwork, a rolling barn door, and a heartbreakingly perfect architectural brick wall at the end of the room (not pictured very well since I was taking pictures with my boyfriend's phone):

 
[4]
 

And, finally, I was beyond giddy with delight to find a tree- a live, large TREE- in the bathroom!

True to the rest of the building's theme, the bathroom was bright and sparse, with classic colors, a few meaningful details and lovely architectural features.

Bengal Cat: Jungle Cat

All exploration was courtesy of Meri and her garden in Walla Walla.

The Animal prowled through the tall grasses:

She climbed trees on the hunt:

And practiced her camouflage: 

Cat Tree - An Update

While visiting Walla Walla, I had the joy of exploring the Meri's near-acre garden. She generously let me run loose about the yard and have access to all of her tools. In my explorations, I found a large, dead willow branch with the most beautiful bends and folds.

This, I decided, is to be the Animal's new cat tree; I finally (not to mention, legally) found an inexpensive solution to a cat tree that she and I can both find attractive!

I stripped and sanded it, and then used some of the steel wool restoration techniques I picked up from an article on Apartment Therapy.

I also rubbed a light finishing oil already prepared by Meri.

1/3 Tung Oil
1/3 Lemon Oil
1/3 Polyurathane



RESULT:

I'm not quite sure how it will ultimately fit in our space, but currently it is acting as a "staircase" up to the Animal's plush spot on top of our bedroom cabinet.

The Bird Feeder Where Every Bird Finds His Perfect Perch

(AND EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO BUILD IT)

We have all seen the garden bird feeders that get hung by a black rod iron pole.

It is functional, but not particularly eye catching or attractive. Furthermore, if there are a lot of birds in your area, all of them have to compete for a roost.





As many of her family and friends are aware, Meri in Walla Walla created a practical, attractive and organic solution that resulted in, what I think to be, the most beautiful bird feeder I've ever seen:

This has been a labor of love, crafted from the branches of her generous, ever-producing curly willow in her yard.

A few more images:

Thank you, Meri, for allowing me to post this and also for allowing me to cut my own curly willow branches as a souvenir!

Girl and Horse Acrylic Painting

I am that girl who always dreamed of being around horses and that hasn't changed into adulthood. Last year I was playing a lot with acrylics and this appeared on the canvas. Thought I'd share...

Bengal Cat: The Animal Versus the Window Washer

We had our first (and probably only) window washer clean the windows of our apartment today, and the Animal was pretty disturbed to see a person hanging outside our six-story window.

Trevor and I love natural light and rarely draw the living room blinds, so she knew something was about to happen and, curious as always, had to get a closer look.

Her first suspicion that something entirely new was going to rock her world occurred when the foot appeared outside the window...

... Followed by a bucket and some legs...

 

And then she started to become really alarmed! 

Always the curious one, she leaned in for a closer look...

 

By now the cat was meowing like crazy!!

The window washer was bemused.

Eat: Recipe of the Week - Marvelous Meatloaf

05 June 2010

A loaf of meat.

It doesn't sound very appealing, especially if it elicits memories of an overcooked, dry hunk of ground beef  swimming in gravy.

I came across this delicious and SIMPLE "marvelous meatloaf" recipe in Home Hacks on Apartment Therapy. The reason why I knew it was great on sight is because it's wrapped in bacon.

Not you're average loaf of meat.



I've posted some pictures of the process, and I'll let you visit the site yourself for the recipe:

This recipe is not only a tasty rendition on a classic dish, but it's practical, too:

After you've packed and wrapped the meet in the tupperware, instead of dumping it in it's new form on parchment paper, simply add a lid and put in the freezer until the day you feel like meatloaf for dinner- then just thaw in the fridge while you're at work and Voila!

Project: To Build a Table (another one)

After my first experience with building a workbench/table, I've refined my needs and tastes and am now brainstorming several other ideas.

I've come across my new favorite blog, Knock-Off Wood, that's all about Ana White and her endeavors to create furniture and supply free plans. It is seriously cool.


Perusing her site gave me a couple of great ideas, one of which is a "knock off" of her secret-storage desk:






However, I want the table to be modern & sleek and huge. I'm not sure yet if I'll endeavor to create "secret storage" like the desk above, but I'd like to create an industrial hybrid of Ane White's desk with this kitchen storage (I think the old file cabinets not only look cool but they make for incredibly dynamic, flexible, rolling storage!):

A quick sketch resulted in the following:

(Like I said, it's a SKETCH only)

Not sure of the dimensions yet.

I'll also probably buy some industrial stools- I've always loved the style of Tolix and found some similar stools- the Tabouret on Overstock.com that are closer to my budget:

* I'll post my progress once it gets up and running *



I also found these links to other people's projects that are pretty cool:

Marybicycles

Last Night Of Your Life (LNOYL)