Fancy House Road » Keighley

Controversy, Drama and Cat Fights

debbie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:49:58 +0000

{The FHR Girls: Jamie, Debs, Ashley, Camberley, Kiersten, Keighley}

Since I’ve been absent from Fancy House Road for such a long time, I considered reintroducing myself. {Some of you may have been wondering if the FHR girls really did have a mother.} However, I’m boring. Exposing my daughters is far more fun and entertaining. And it might even create something on this blog that my son in law has said our blog is lacking. Controversy. Drama. Cat Fights.

Hopefully I can create a little of all these elements by writing a straightforward, honest post that shares with our blogger friends what these girls are really like behind the scenes. And I’m going to do it by describing each girl using only ONE word. Pretty risky if you ask me. However, for the sake of the blog I’m willing to forsake the great relationships that I have with my daughters.

Camberley, Kiersten and Keighley

Kiersten’s descriptive word would be “raw“. Kiersten is always so well put together. She looks, acts and dresses immaculately when she’s out in public. She’s the perfect lady. However when you get her alone with her sisters and the jokes start up, Kiersten tops everyone in the gross or slightly suggestive department. Don’t turn your back on her or you’ll be the victim of her infamous “hook”. And I’ve seen her do some dance moves that could earn her a good living should she choose to go down that path. She’s the queen of funny in our family because she will always take things one step further in order to make us laugh so hard our sides ache. However, she didn’t start out being so funny. When she was little no one in the family thought she had a funny bone in her body. Everyone ignored her jokes. So that’s when Kiersten took it upon herself to make lemonade out of lemons and set a goal to become the family clown. And she’s succeeded.

I decided last year that the perfect word for Keighley is “quirky”. She hates it when I call her this. For her it conjures up images of people who wear mismatched clothes, use pocket liners and only do their hair once a week. But I think of it as someone who strives to be an individual in the midst of so much of the same. How many of my other daughter’s label their food when they have a food war with their hubbies {and then write about it} or consider diet Coke and Goldfish Crackers comfort food? We all love the way that Keighley thinks and acts outside the box. She’s everyone’s best friend. I think in part it’s because she’s set herself apart from the other girls with her uniquely fun style and we all want to experience it. But then again, we hardly ever get to because she doesn’t answer her phone. Why? Because this quirky girl doesn’t believe in using the ring-tone feature on her phone. Definitely a quirk.

When I thought about coming up with a controversial word for Camberley it wasn’t easy. As the middle child in the family she has inherited the perfect middle child who wants to make everyone happy gene. So how do you describe someone like this in one word? You make up a word like… “Flexstinate” {definition: someone who is emotionally flexible 90% of the time with an occasion bout of being obstinate}. Most of the time Cami compromises and lets the rest of us have our way-unless she feels really passionate about the situation. Then Cami will stand firm in her conviction without wavering. She actually has an opinion and will express it clearly and directly. And that’s when things get fun. Phrases like: “Oh it must be your time of the month” or “Excuse me, but why are you in a bad mood. Don’t you know that you’re not allowed?” are just some of the comments that we have been know to direct back at her. But in true Cami fashion she always remains calmly “flexstinate”-even if it really is that time of the month. A real talent.

Next Up: The Other FHR girls: Jamie, Ashley and Debs

Keighley Dear

kiersten — Tue, 17 May 2011 04:49:28 +0000

Sunday we celebrated the birth of Queen Keighley Anne…

And while she graciously said she would not mind skipping her birthday highlight on Fancy House (we wanted everyone to have the chance to see the post announcing our contest), it just didn’t feel right doing so. She’s obviously more important than a contest.

Here’s to singing trashy rap songs to Debs, being hypochondriac together, and allowing all of us siblings to call you to vent about our problems.

Being closest to me in age, I’ve given you no choice but to be my strength during the trivial and even the toughest of times. You have been my rock. I know you feel that you chose all of us to be your siblings and that it didn’t just happen by chance…

Well guess what, we chose you too.

Happy birthday our Osgood-Schlotter, SKNB limbed and gorgeous, historical guru. WE LOVE YOU!!!

Personal Tales

keighley — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:28:41 +0000

Lately, its been difficult for me to post. I realized yesterday that I haven’t posted a “personal tale” for months! Funny and crazy things happen to me all the time that would make great blog content; however, I can’t get myself to actually sit down and type it out. Although my hesitancy to share too much personal information is a large factor in why I don’t post about my hil-ar-ious life, the bigger factor is… my carpal tunnel! I am in constant pain and dream of arnica salve, ice, and massages.

Another reason that I refrain from weaving together stories is because I have just too many projects going on. My life is full of halfway completed projects… its frustrating. When something comes up that I think to myself, “This is fantastic! I have to post about this!” its only a matter of minutes until my thoughts turn to the 1000 things that need to get done. Despite all that I need to finish, I keep adding to the pile.

My sister Ashley (the sister who doesnt blog on FHR… even though she should!) graciously let me steal this chair from her garage on Sunday! I love the structure of the chair but a lot of TLC is needed. This makes it the third chair/stool that I own that needs to be refurbished. Oy vey.

Life is well. I may not write all the funny & witty tales I would like to but the blog will go on. For now, my focus will remain on carpal tunnel, home repairs, work, and beautiful discoveries. I will however refrain from starting anymore projects unless its 100% necessary.

I’m not sure making a glass mobile with my recently rediscovered stained glass will make the list… its pretty to stare at though.

Do any of you suffer from Carpal Tunnel? If so, how do you treat the pain?

Awkward Fancy Photos

camberley — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 01:18:45 +0000

Us Fancy Gals got together today to work on blog marketing and content. After today’s video taping and photo shoot, we’re thinking about submitting some of our snapshots to Awkward Family Photos. What do you think?

Which one would you submit?

Poor Kybug…Sick Again!

debbie — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 02:57:54 +0000

If you took a survey of everyone in our family and asked which family member was sick most often-or had the weirdest illnesses-it would “hands down” be Keighley. She has mastered this family label magnificiently.

So in true Keighley fashion, she introduced us to another mystery illness this week when she unexpectedly came down with a case of: Costochondritis which is an inflammation of a rib or the cartilage connecting a rib. This soft-tissue inflammation of the rib cage near the breastbone that can cause pain very similar to cardiac pain. Until Keighley had a doctor’s diagnoisis on Thurday she thought she might be having a heart attack on Wednesday. Or a collapsed lung at the very least.

Our Keighley has taught us once again about one of the stranger illnesses out there. We now get to add Costocondritis to her “mystery diagnosis” list that includes the lesser known hemorrhagic ovarian cyst and fungal cutaneous lesions. Thanks Ky for teaching us about another illness that we’d have never known about if it weren’t for you. {Yes, I’m trying to look at this from a positive angle.}

So to help Keighley get better I thought that I would turn to my “Healing with the Angel Cards” and pick a card for her by proxy. Hopefully she will do what it tells her so that she will heal faster and ward off any future illness.

Keighley’s card came up as: Surrender & Release.

And the meaning of the card is: “Let go and allow God and the angels to help you. Everything that you release will either be replaced by something better or will be returned to you healed. When you hold on tightly to a part of your life that’s not working, it has not room to heal. Whether you’re unhappy with your love life, finances, career, home or health, this card asks you to let go. If you hang on to these aspects of your life because of fears such as “What if I can’t find someone or something better?”then the situation will only worsen. However, if you’re willing to open your hands and allow the situation to be freed, one of two situations will occur: Either it will be washed away from you and replaced with a better situation, or the situation will heal in a miraculous way. By drawing this card, the angels ask you to try not to control the outcome of your troubling situation. Let go and let God help you!”

Okay-Keighley, your angels have spoken! You’d better do what they say. And in the process, I’m sure that you will start to feel better soon. It’s no fun for the rest of us when you are sick.

Post Source: Healing with the Angel Cards by Doreen Virtue

Rainy Day Fun in San Fran

debbie — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:11:03 +0000

When traveling to a city that’s fore-casted for rain during your visit, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan. So when the weatherman’s precipitation prediction came to pass while we were in San Francisco, we decided to head off to the Legion of Honor Museum to see the Pulp Fashion exhibit by Isabelle de Borchgrave. If you can’t shop than what would be better than spending an afternoon looking at fashion that’s art?

Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave

February 5, 2011 – June 5, 2011

Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter by training, but textile and costume are her muses. Working in collaboration with leading costume historians and young fashion designers, de Borchgrave crafts a world of splendor from the simplest rag paper. Painting and manipulating the paper, she forms trompe l’oeil masterpieces of elaborate dresses inspired by rich depictions in early European painting or by iconic costumes in museum collections around the world. The Legion of Honor is the first American museum to dedicate an entire exhibition to the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave, although her creations have been widely displayed in Europe.

It was very impressive to see how all the patterns were intricately hand painted onto the paper by the artist and her helpers. And then made full size replications of real dresses like the one below from the Medici era.

Pulp Fashion draws on several themes and presents quintessential examples in the history of costume—from Renaissance finery of the Medici family and gowns worn by ElizabethI and Marie-Antoinette to the creations of the grand couturiers Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel. Special attention is given to the creations and studio of Mariano Fortuny, the eccentric early-20th-century artist who is both a major source of inspiration to de Borchgrave and a kindred spirit.

Renaissance Finery: I felt like I had been transported back in time to Italy and was given a glimpse into the closets of the Medici family. All of the inspiration for these dresses were taken from actual portraits of the Medici family members including children.

During a visit to San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum in the summer of 2010, de Borchgrave was inspired by the portrait of a woman in Neapolitan peasant costume by Italian Baroque painter Massimo Stanzione. For this exhibit she spent as much time focusing on the detailing of the feathers on the rooster (being held by the peasant woman) as she did the costume.

The artist’s attention to details is incredible. Everything is made from paper- the trims, the jewels and the intricate lace. Even the sleeves have piping made from rolled paper. I can’t imagine how much time it took.

The lace pattern is made from lens paper which is handcut with a razor. Fine wire is thread throughout the “lace” to give it a 3-D look.

Here is one from the personal collection of Keighley’s historical heroine-Queen Elizabeth I. The dress, with an entire scene of every animal, fruit, and flower imagineable was very wide (a fashion that originated in Paris). Make you wonder how practical a dress this size could be.

This re-creation of the designer Fortuny’s Venice Workshop was incredible. The canopy-which filled the entire room was made from lens paper that was handpainted. It looked so much like gauzy fabric that I wanted to touch it. (Okay so maybe I did touch the bedding just to see if it was really paper-but I kept my hands off the dress and the canopy.) When I saw this canopy I couldn’t help but think “great wedding idea”!

There’s so much more to share but you’ll have to go see it for yourself if you’re making a trip to San Francisco anytime soon. It was a great way to get out of the rain, warm ourselves and to see some great artists. (Don’t even get me started on the Rodin sculptures, the Impressionists art and the Rembrandt.)

Sources: askastylist.com|Legion of Honor Museum|Flickr|IsabelleBorchgrave.com|fashiontribes.com