Hello Blogland!!!

Here goes...my very first post on my new blog. I've been wanting to do this for a very very long time. There are many blogs that I read all the time and I wanted to have one too...unfortunately life kept getting in the way...and when I say life....I mean....my job. 

This weekend I was snowed in. I couldn't go anywhere and do anything if I had to....and I had the time....all to myself to just get 'er done. And when I say all to myself....I mean all to myself surrounded by four weenie dogs. One of which is always either wanting out...wanting to be picked up... or wanting to eat....so between entertaining the weenies...I started my blog.

So the reason for this blog is that I'm really obsessed about interior decorating and design and especially as it relates to historic homes. I've named this blog "Mod Vintage Life" because I'm all about vintage everything but usually, not super old things...more about things that were created in the period of 1920's - 1960's. I don't consider this antique but rather modern vintage. My home was built in 1931. It belongs to a neighborhood called "Edgemere Park" in Oklahoma City. Edgemere Park consists of about 300 homes built from 1928 - 1950's. But 80% of the homes were built between 1928 - 1938. You would think with the Great Depression going on at that time....there would not have been much building happening. But Oklahoma was experiencing a "Boom" during that period. It's economy was based on oil production...and it was booming. So there are lots of homes in this city built during the 30's. 

The homes in my neighborhood are mostly tudor revival style in many variations. Some with an English influence, some with a Spanish influence and some like mine...with a slight Italian influence. They are close relatives to the Storybook Style homes that were built after World War I. There are many of these storybook homes in California. But where the homes in California are stucco, the homes in Oklahoma are brick. Storybook home style was influenced by the movies, the travels of the enlisted men serving in the armed forces. They came back from the war telling of the buildings they'd seen in France, Italy and Germany and wanted homes that reflected the new world traveled aesthetic. People also wanted homes that looked like the homes they were seeing in the movies out of Hollywood. So, many homes during the 20's and 30's reflected this world influence. For more information on this...read the book.... "Storybook Style" available on Amazon.com. I have read and looked through this book over and over and found it a great source for restoration ideas for my home. 

Truly...this blog will mostly be about pictures of projects and resources for fixing up a Mod Vintage Home and home decorating ideas. I don't intend on talking too much but instead plan to show photos and art. Actually, I didn't even think I had a thing to say to start this post today....but look at me....I've talked and talked and have yet to post a picture of my house...geez.... so here I go...

Nita's House - summer 2009

I purchased this home in "Edgemere Park" in 2004. I've completed quite a few projects but there are so many more to go...I'll post them as I do them and a HUGE reason why I wanted to do this blog is that no one in my everyday life is as obsessed about home decoration, design and historical living as I am....so I really needed an outlet. Only in Blogland did I find like minded souls that obsess about every design detail. 

This is my little house as it appeared when I bought it in 2004...

Nita's House - spring 2004

Just for kicks...here is a picture of my home as it appeared in 1992...(these photos were left by the previous owner who had gotten them from another previous owner). These photos...truly look like they are from the 70's but the date on the back reads 1992 and the cars in some of the photos date from then...so it truly looked this bad as recently as 1992.

Nita's House 1992

I've redone all the landscaping in front myself...except for the yaupon holly tree...it was there when I bought the home. It did have a split trunk but I lost half of the tree in an ice storm two years ago. 

Nita's House 2009 - what a difference a little landscaping makes....right?

Since this photo was taken, I've added a few more small bushes and there are still many things I wish to do to the front yard and outside of the house. But actually, I'm pretty proud of myself for planting every tree. Well my Mom planted a Bur Oak Tree in the front..you can't see it in this photo but all other vegetation has been planted by just me. And although it still needs perfecting...I'm pretty happy with the direction it is going. For you see...I can't afford to purchase all the plants at once. So this has been done over time a tree here, a couple of bushes there....until it looks as it does today.

I have yet to really do much to the back yard....I'm hoping this blog will motivate me to work on it this year.

Here are a few photos of other houses in my neighborhood.....this will give you a good idea of the architecture in Edgemere Park and how my home fits. Most of the homes are small....1,200 - 1,500 square feet. Mine is 1404 to be exact. There are a few large homes sprinkled throughout and I've included a photo of a couple of them. I'm sure over time I will share many other pictures of the neighborhood. These photos were taken from the Oklahoma County Assessor's website for everything is covered with snow and I can't get out to take photos of the neighborhood at this time.

Well, that's a pretty good start to my new blog....tune in for more on projects developing inside the house. Next, I'll talk about the fireplace I designed and installed in the living room. Yes, my fireplace had been removed years and years ago...so I created a vintage fireplace that looks original to the home. I'll talk about that next among other things...