Here is my Pop’s sister’s house. My aunt Holly. She lives here in Chico, Texas, not too terribly far from Mither’s and Pop’s house in Decatur. The population of Chico was 947, in the year 2000. Just think, there could be actually over 1000 people living there, now. A thriving metropolis.
Memorable quote alert!
While we were visiting Holly, she was lamenting some plumbing problems she had been having and fixed herself. Either Mither or I one, said something to the effect of “Well, good for you. No plumber needed…”, or something like that. Holly responded, “All you need to know about being a plumber is payday is every Friday and shit runs downhill.”. I don’t think truer words have ever been spoken.
Now, where was I? OH YES! I love Holly’s house and want to show you around it! (She said I could. Thanks Holly!)
Here it is from one side.
And here it is from the other. See the ivy on the chimney? Apparently, when it reaches the top it becomes too heavy to support itself and the whole thing, in one big sheet, will fall away from the house and roll up down at the bottom, where it will be chopped off and thrown away. Then the thing will start growing again. This happened three or four years ago and the silly thing has pretty much fully recovered.
Here are some of my favorite shots from inside the house. Isn’t that tin ceiling cool?
And here is Holly and Mither in the billiards room.
Here’s a wall in the billiards room.
This fireplace is in one of the parlors.
This is in the butler’s pantry.
Look how neatly she did the floor in there.
Here we are in the downstairs bath. There is a potty behind that little wall of shelves.
Didn’t she do an outstanding job with the Victorian decorating? And not just in here, but all over the house!
And here we are in her adorable little kitchen. I never did step back and take a shot of the entire thing. We were in a hurry and for some reason I kept just getting close ups and areas. This kitchen was built on and you can see the painted stone in this shot, where it used to be the outside wall. I think it was probably a porch.
It’s really a small kitchen but it has lots of windows and she’s painted it in fresh bright colors, so it really doesn’t make it feel crowded in there… Unless there are two people at the same time trying to do something.
Here are her cabinet door handles. Cool idea, huh.
And here we have one of the many counter top culprits that reside with my aunt, trying to look innocent, all the while plotting to destroy something, or attack somebody. It’s anyone’s guess.
Here we have Holly and some of the outside “innocent bystanders”. This is part of the back porch.
At the other end of the back porch. I have no idea what they were talking about. Probably me, my ears were burning.
Here’s something kind of strange. Take a guess at what this is. Go ahead and try. It’s out in her back yard and has vines and trees and plants growing all over the top of it. It’s not a root cellar, either. It’s a bomb shelter. Built sometime in the 50’s I’d guess. How bizarre is that?
Here’s her house from the street. You can barely even see it’s there!
Sorry, I never made it upstairs! Maybe next time I go to visit Mither I will!
And that’s all from my Aunt Holly’s house in Chico, Texas. Bye, ya’ll!
15 comments
Comment by Chief on September 3, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I love this house! I would totally have to wear a victorian corset and drink tea if I ever stepped foot inside it though. (can you imagine my ass in a corset)
.-= Chief´s last blog ..Watch tomorrow’s newspaper headlines =-.
Comment by Ree on September 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Will she come decorate my house?
Comment by Kori on September 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I have to say I am not a fan of the decorating-too fussy for my taste sorry) but I LOVE the house itself. I have house envy (NOT to be confused with penis envy), and I do love that floor you showed.
.-= Kori´s last blog ..Swine Flu, Lice, and Coffee =-.
Comment by Roger on September 3, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I love what she did with the place. 🙂 How long has she lived there? Thank Holly for sharing her home with you and by extension, all of us.
.-= Roger´s last blog ..Mwahahahaha!! =-.
Comment by Hyphen Mama on September 3, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Seriously? Do you have the most fabulous family EVER or what? You all (y’all?) are what I always wanted when I used to cry and tell my mother I wanted to be adopted by people and move to Texas, because I was SURE there’d be big houses and horses. Your people don’t have horses, too, do they? Because THAT would put me right over the envy edge.
Thanks for the tour!
.-= Hyphen Mama´s last blog ..Where I bitch and moan about my Endocrinologist’s office thinking it’s inappropriate talking about HORMONES =-.
Comment by Serendipitous Girl on September 3, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Um, okay … SSG NEEDS a butlers pantry. And a billiard room. AND to look super cute in white pants and a patterned tunic.
.-= Serendipitous Girl´s last blog ..Just Peachy =-.
Comment by Betty on September 3, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Found you from my sis, Chief. And I want this house. For no other reason than it has an actually BILLARDS room…like on Clue “Col. Mustard, with the Wrench, in the Billiards room”
.-= Betty´s last blog ..SYB Challenge Day 1 =-.
Comment by Hyphen Mama on September 3, 2009 at 7:34 pm
OMG… please tell me what the Maine Coon “poly female” and “poly male” cats mean. I cannot figure out how a cat can be a “poly” anything.
.-= Hyphen Mama´s last blog ..Where I bitch and moan about my Endocrinologist’s office thinking it’s inappropriate talking about HORMONES =-.
Comment by witchypoo on September 3, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I like the New Orleans style balconies. What are they called, jalousies? And who has a butler’s pantry? Isn’t it lonely without the butler?
.-= witchypoo´s last blog ..Grace the Fourteenth =-.
Comment by Nicole on September 3, 2009 at 11:19 pm
LOVE IT! What a super cute house. I love, love, love the tin ceiling – I have always secretly wanted one, but don’t have the faintest clue as to where I would put it. Thank you for sharing!
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..It Matters To Me =-.
Comment by Nan on September 4, 2009 at 4:18 am
Bead handles! How cool!
I bet the butler likes his pink throw cushion…
.-= Nan´s last blog ..A Quiet Moment =-.
Comment by noe noe girl on September 4, 2009 at 9:50 am
I just love the whole place! Please take me next time!
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Comment by Jennifer on September 5, 2009 at 10:21 am
Hey there… Long time since I have made the blog rounds but I’m so glad I was able to today! I love these two homes!! So amazing. I think your aunt’s saying about “A fine line between stupid and stupendous” is my new favorite! It works in so many situations.
Good to see you ;o) Looks like all is well.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..Kinda Cool =-.
Comment by Kelley @ Magnetoboldtoo on September 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Oh I love that house! Might decorate a little bit differently, but my GOD it is a lovely place.
Comment by warriorwitch on September 7, 2009 at 9:39 am
the downstairs bath – that’s my favourite room. but i love bathroom art.
thanks for the tour, i didn’t know houses like that existed outside a restored-part of a tour-historically correct museum idea.
thank you.
.-= warriorwitch´s last blog ..dec 31 =-.
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