Month: May 2011

Problem: Deciding what stays and what goes
Erin and Mike Garcia have lived, with their two children—Elias (4) and Charis (2)—in their 1950s Fry’s Spring home for a little over a year. Their relocation from Crozet was prompted by the desire to be closer to town and their offices (Erin is a local Realtor and Mike is a psychologist). Surprisingly, the size of their new Charlottesville house (1,800 square feet) is slightly smaller than their previous townhome. Despite the expanding needs of a young family of four, the Garcias are able to make the most of their space by, as Erin puts it, “down-sizing our mentality.” 

“The idea is that we’re keeping things we actually use, and things that we really like,” she explains. “Not that we’ve arrived at this goal; [it’s] a work in progress.”

It appears that they are well on their way to meeting their objective. The children’s rooms blend seamlessly with the aesthetic of the rest of the home (no glaring colors or piles of toys here). Their son’s bedroom, for example, contains simply a classic antique four-poster bed and dresser. The color scheme is made of chocolate browns and creams. An artistic black and white photographic portrait of Elias as a newborn is neatly framed on the wall. The room is timeless, honest and quite cozy. Absent are stray Hotwheels and dirty shirts: the typical detritus of most 4-year-old boys.

The family den is where all of those missing toy cars, books and blocks can be found. Tucked away in a large closet are several clear plastic bins that house the children’s playthings. A corner bookshelf has grown-up reading material on the higher shelves and the lower ones are full of well-loved picture books, easily accessible for smaller readers.

Parents and children alike have agreed to dedicate this room to play and messier family time. As a result, the rest of the house remains calm and open for more focused activities, such as enjoying a fire in the living room fireplace or having unexpected guests drop in for a glass of Chicha Morado (Mike’s family is from Peru and this sweet purple corn drink is a family favorite).

When I visit, Charis is busy opening and closing the sliding screen door, happily coming in and out. Elias and his papi are working in the garden, digging and raking. There is an ease of pace, a sense that the activity going on is about living, not a frantic race to stay ahead of the mess and the stuff.

It’s not all carefree. Keeping a handle on the clutter does take some vigilance, as Erin explains. “We’re in a constant state of assessing what we need,” she says—“versus things we’re holding onto because we spent money on it, might need it again, or because someone gave it to us.”

Just like parenting, “It’s an ongoing exercise of discipline.”

Mini storage

Off the hook
Small drawstring fabric bags make tidying up a cinch! Perfect for small toys, these eco-friendly batik Wrap Sacks come in various colors and sizes at Integral Yoga ($4.99-6.99). Hang them from a row of funky or sophisticated wall hooks (Anthropologie carries a diverse assortment, $8-48) and de-clutter with style.
 

Spring siren
The strawberry is a sign of spring in full swing. Her neat appearance, modest curves and sweet, enticing aroma create quite a stir at City Market—everyone wants to smell, and touch, and move closer to this bright berry. Children cannot be called off. She catches your eye, peeking out from beyond the spinach and between the leeks. You push forward, elbowing innocent bystanders, stumbling against a stroller, anxious now that she may be disappearing before your admiring eyes. Perhaps you notice her adornment of a simple white flower, a delicate stem, an emerald leaf that perfectly sets off her ruby red complexion.
You draw closer, anticipating the rows of pint and quart containers, knocking aside the last apples, the bunches of kale and chard, even the upright, rigid leeks lined up like sentries. Her intoxicating perfume reaches out for you like beckoning arms, drawing you past the price tag and deeper, deeper, deeper into her beauty. In a moment she presses against your lips, her tender texture yielding, melting, collapsing into you. This kiss is the kiss of a springtime lover, returning year after year for a brief liaison that leaves you momentarily satisfied, and longing for more.

Today’s cultivated strawberry was hybridized in Brittany, France in the 1740s. It combines the large and abundant fruit of Fragaria chiloensis (native to South America) with the superior aroma and flavor of Fragaria virginiana (native to North America, and still present in the woods and fencerows of Central Virginia). This diminutive foremother blooms and bears fruit in the spring as well, and should certainly be sought and exalted—but the pithy consistency is a drawback, and one could spend all day wriggling underneath shrubs and fences to collect enough to make a single jar of jam.

Modern science to the rescue! Nowadays there are hybrids to suit many different purposes—not all of them noble. For instance, there is a variety that’s a heavy bearer of very large fruit that can be harvested underripe, and then shipped to ripen along the way.
Meanwhile, most U-Pick strawberry operations would choose an array of varieties in an attempt to prolong the season. For instance, including a portion of a Short Day bloomer would indicate an earlier start to the season; including a June Bearing variety would provide quantity in the late spring weather, when folks are ready to pack up the kids and make a day of it. Home gardeners and diversified family farms usually select one of several Everbearing varieties, which stay viable from spring until fall but tend to produce the most in the mild weather that accompanies spring and fall.

Kitchen skills

Berry wise
Strawberries are susceptible to fungus and mildew, but require copious amounts of water to produce fruit in quantity. Ideal berry days will have some rain and plenty of sun to dry the leaves and fruit before they begin to rot; berries picked when they are wet will begin to degrade very quickly, even if refrigerated.

Commercial berry producers have come up with a system called plasticulture that is observed by the U-Pick producers here in Central Virginia; plasticulture relies on a barrier of black plastic on top of mounded rows of berry plants. The plastic suppresses weeds, and covers irrigation tape or tubes, meaning the roots get the moisture they love, while the berries will only get spritzed by Mother Nature (who also has the ability to dry them). Berry crops are almost always treated with fungicide of some sort, while smaller growers might be more likely to go organic on berries and leave the yield up to chance.

The best berry is not refrigerated. I repeat: The best berry is not refrigerated. Eat it immediately, or store it at a cool room temperature—but still eat it immediately. If the berries are for a dessert or a salad, squeezing some lemon over the cut pieces will heighten flavor and draw out the juice of the fruit—or try an aged balsamic vinegar.

Our kitchen columnist, Lisa Reeder, is a chef and local foods advocate and consultant. Read more about her at http://alocalnotion.word press.com.

Recipe for success

Easy strawberry cake
Ideal for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, or Father’s Day.

1-2 quarts fresh strawberries, room temperature
1 tsp. sugar, or 1 tsp. honey
2 pints whipping cream, plus salt and vanilla and strawberry liquid
1 8" roundcake (any white, yellow, or sponge cake of good quality will do)

Set aside a few perfectly cute berries to garnish the cake. Hull and slice the remaining berries in half or in quarters, capturing all of the juice that you can and dropping them into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add sugar or honey, and swirl gently in the bowl to combine. Keep this at room temperature for a few hours before preparing the cream.

Using a chilled bowl and whisk, or an electric mixer (if you must!), add to the whipping cream a scant pinch of fine salt, plus a few drops of vanilla. Drizzle the juice from the berries into the cream, then whip cream to soft peaks, and return to refrigerator.
To assemble the shortcake, first cut your cake of choice in half HORIZONTALLY. This will take a long knife and some patience; the intent is to use the soft “inner” cake as the vehicle for the strawberries and cream. So, the bottom piece remains the bottom piece as it is. Spread about half of the whipped cream on the cake, then about half of the strawberries (including some juice).

Flip the remaining layer of cake so that the fluffy “inner” cake is on top; plop the rest of the whipped cream in the middle, then squoosh it so that it barely begins to slip over the sides of the cake (and the soft middle section will begin to ooze out as well—this is a good thing). Add the last of the berries on top of the cream, and drizzle with any remaining liquid. Some shavings of chocolate, or a grating of nutmeg or of a chocolate espresso bean, will only improve the celebration.

This cake is best about two hours after assembling it; protect from tiny fingers, but leave it at room temperature.  

In the past couple of years, condominiums have suffered the most severe blow in a real estate market that’s struggling overall. Although all signs point to a slowly stabilizing, what experts call “saleable,” market—evidenced by fewer days on the market and more activity in both Charlottesville and Albemarle—the health of our condo market still lags.

The main reason behind it is, simply put, the difficulty of getting a loan. Since securing financing is the most important step in becoming a homeowner, making prospective buyers jump through impossible hoops can only hurt an already weakened market.

According to Jeff Johnson of local lender MetLife Home Loans, “Any time real estate goes down in value, condominiums are the first to be hurt. It’s because condominiums have to adhere to certain rules and regulations and restrictions.”

In fact, the trick about condo financing is that finding a mortgage lender who is willing to finance a loan will not depend solely on the usual stuff—the borrower’s portfolio, liquidity, down payment and credit score. The status of the condo development itself will also play a role. A complex can either be warrantable—with a much higher chance of being financed—or nonwarrantable—meaning it’s not eligible for financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and is subject to strict guidelines.

If the ownership of the development is still in the hands of the developer, it’s nonwarrantable. If the development is multi-use, with commercial space and residential units, it’s nonwarrantable. If an individual owns more than 10 percent of the total units in the development, it’s nonwarrantable.

“The biggest thing you are looking at is the owner-occupied units compared to investment units,” says Johnson. In fact, if less than half of the condo units are owner-occupied, which leaves the majority of units rented out, it’s (you guessed it) nonwarrantable.
Although some lenders refuse to finance condos, Johnson says it can be done, albeit with great difficulty.

“You can get a loan if [the development] is nonwarrantable, but the bank would have to portfolio it, [meaning] they are going to hold it within their portfolio; they are going to use their own money,” he says.

There is another obstacle to condo financing. “If the condominium is nonwarrantable, or warrantable for that matter, and the HOA fees are more than 15 percent delinquent, the loan cannot be obtained,” says Johnson.

Another option would be to have a private investor add the loan to his or her portfolio. “Those are your only options.”

Know that the condo market here isn’t as bad as it could be.

“A lot of people [around the country] are losing their shirt, but some condominiums are in a desirable area and they are still bringing out a pretty price,” says Johnson. In Florida, for example, “you can buy a condominium pennies on the dollar,” but it’s practically impossible to find financing.

Locally, although the condo market has declined, Johnson says it hasn’t been as bad as other cities around the country. “Charlottesville is holding pretty well,” he says. “We are in a unique market and we are doing a lot of loans for condominiums.”

Be prepared for the mortgage process to take some time, and hedge your bets. “What I would recommend doing is calling a reputable lender and look up to see if the condominium is approved by [the Department of Housing and Urban Development] or Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae,” he says. “You just don’t waste a lot of time and energy.” 

Rental Rescue

New leash on life
In 2008, I went to the Barracks Road Harris Teeter on a mission to buy some milk and fabric softener, and instead, came home with a 4-month-old puppy. Congratulations to whoever developed the pet-adoption marketing strategy of placing cages of cuteness between people and their Saturday morning errands—it works. As we prepare to celebrate the third birthday of Bodie, the beagle mix with the sad eyes I couldn’t live without, it has me thinking about how much our four-legged friends change our lives and our homes. Whether your dog has been a family fixture for years, or you’re making room for puppy, a few easy solutions can help you create a pet-friendly abode without sacrificing style or banishing Bodie to the backyard.

Floor plan
Dogs can put some serious wear and tear on a home (hence the reason many rentals that allow dogs require pet deposits). The floor is your dog’s main domain, so work from the ground up. Much like preparing for children or party guests, select floor coverings that can stand up to playing, paws, and the occasional accident.

If you’re house- or apartment-hunting with a dog, seek out those with easy-to-clean surfaces like hardwoods and ceramic tiles. Choose dark and patterned area rugs with a low pile to not only conceal messes, but minimize everyday damage to your floors. Consider modular carpet tiles to create a fun floor covering. Not only can you continually change your design, but if one tile gets damaged, you can simply swap it out. Try a vinyl mat or durable door mat under your dog’s food and water bowls.

Welcome waggin’
A comfortable and safe place for your dog to rest is a cornerstone of a pet-friendly pad. Place your dog’s bed in an area where it won’t need to be moved. Avoid high-traffic areas and hazardous rooms like the kitchen. A cozy corner of your living room or bedroom is a great spot, or if you have a smaller dog, place a bed under a desk or end table to conserve space.

With myriad stylish options available, your dog can be mod. Consider an affordable, eco-friendly dog duvet from Molly Mutt (www.mollymutt.com). Or make or recover your own dog bed with fabric that matches your décor from Les Fabriques (29N). I stuffed Bodie’s dog bed with old t-shirts, socks, and clothes of mine, so he’d pick up my scent and not fight me for my bed every night. Keeping your dog comfortable and close will keep you both happy.

Doggie décor
Prepare for daily life with a dog. Consider attractive slipcovers for your sofas and chairs. Slipcovers are not only durable but washable. If slipcovers aren’t in your budget and you’re worried about your sofa, canvas painter’s drop cloths can substitute. Run these neutral cloths through the washer and dryer, cover your sofa, and tuck the cloth into all of the creases and cushions for a nice, taut look. Rolled-up magazines tucked in will help hold the cover in place.

Invest in an attractive basket to hold all of your dog’s toys. As toys and bones start to wear out, replace them. Leaving chewed-up dog bones lying around can actually damage your floors and furniture. Keep some attractive canisters or tins for treats, readily available but away from temptation.

Placing a hook for collars and leashes by the door will keep you organized and help create a routine for your dog. An antique sailboat cleat from Artifacts did the trick for us.—Ed Warwick

Toolbox

Get a grip
If your toolbox consists of only one tool, make it a pair of locking pliers. These heavy-duty, multi-purpose pliers grip, clamp, bend, loosen, tighten and generally own whatever job you set out to accomplish with them. Originally branded as Vise-Grip pliers in 1924, their styles (and uses) have only expanded since their invention. Locking pliers have the gripping jaws of standard pliers with the feature of easily locking, thus maintaining pressure without sustained squeezing from the user.

For example, let’s say you have a bolt that is rusted onto your bicycle’s axle and no amount of WD-40 or wrench action is getting that sucker off. It’s time to get out the locking pliers. Clamp onto the bolt with the pliers parallel to the wheel spokes. If the pliers are not firmly locked around the bolt, remove the pliers and tighten the screw at the end of the handle and retry. The pliers should lock once you’ve squeezed the handle as far as it will go and the teeth should remain attached to the bolt, hands free.

Now, rotate those pliers clockwise (Remember, “righty, tighty; lefty, loosey”) and the bolt should come loose without a lot of strain. Once the bolt is loose enough to unscrew by hand, you are ready to remove your pliers.

Hold the handles gently and simply press a finger, or the palm of your hand, onto the end that sticks out of the third “handle” (it’s between the two outside handles). This should instantly release the locking mechanism and simultaneously lock in your amazement at this incredible tool.—Christy Baker 

What are you doing sitting on that couch? What’s with the overstuffed chair? who do you think you are, parking yourself at the dining room table? Get outside, for crying out loud! It’s springtime in Central Virginia, and it demands to be enjoyed. You can still sit down, we promise. And with one of these locally-sourced seats, you can sit in style too.