Brooklyn in the Springtime

it's spring in brooklyn! we've been spending lots of time outside:
 soakin' up the sunshine by prospect park's magnolia trees...

spying cool old utility covers in prospect park's long meadow...

admiring multicolored town homes in park slope...

feeling excited that spring is snowball season...

planting lots of greenmarket herbs...

swimming at the dog beach on propsect park's peninsula (which we finally found!)...

making difficult hot dog decisions at the brooklyn flea...

sharing snacks with nico and yaya...

bringing home the sunniest of daisies from seaport flowers...

ogling the mystic whaler (parked at the pier 5 soccer fields on a rainy sunday)...

hiding and seeking...

taking windy walks around brooklyn bridge park's piers...

flower gazing at the campus-like gardens of brooklyn heights' plymouth church...

 home touring in the neighborhood...

 spending more time in the lake (its never enough!)...

smelling lilac everywhere...

sitting with seltzer on sarah's terrace...

splashing in puddles at the playground...

 and the most exciting thing of all: "BOAT!"

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It's Tax Day! How We Made an Extra $7000 With Airbnb

This year, when Sebastian and I did our taxes, we filed $7,000 in additional income. That income was generated by hosting strangers in our apartment when we went away, using the travel website Airbnb. 



Airbnb is a community marketplace aimed at connecting people who need a place to stay with those who have unique and desirable space to rent. The service offers travelers an alternative to hotels and traditional bed and breakfasts, while giving hosts the opportunity to make money off of available property. Using the site, one can list a couch to sleep on, spare bedroom, full home, even a tree house or boat, as a bookable rental. The company will send a professional to photograph a space for free, and the photographer’s visit earns the listing "Airbnb Verified" status (a stamp of legitimacy), so it that can be trusted by wary renters.



Since listing our three-bedroom Brooklyn apartment on Airbnb (as a two-bedroom rental– we keep one room private) a year ago, we have rented our home to 12 different groups of guests for a total of 31 nights. We have an "Overall Guest Satisfaction Score" of 5/5 stars, and have collected a nice set of positive reviews to support our listing. Each positive review improves our apartment’s ranking in Airbnb search results, which prompts more reservation requests and bookings.



Because we use the service so regularly (we host almost every time we go away, which is often), we are regularly asked for advice. The following is a list of some of the extra things we do for our guests, as well as a few tips for streamlining the hosting process.

Happy Birthday Michelle!

my sister michelle has the most amazing group of college girlfriends.

for her 24th birthday, they came to visit and celebrate her special day.

because large groups can be a challenge in brooklyn restaurants, 

michelle asked if i would host a birthday brunch at our apartment. 

we had monkey bread, quiche, and of course mom sent her amazing 

birthday cake (which she mails to us every year, no matter where we are).

happy birthday, sissy! i love you!

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Christmas Cocktail Party

 

 

a few months ago (you know, around christmas time)

we had our friends and family over for a little holiday celebration.

bow ties and cocktail dresses were encouraged, and plenty 

of pups attended in their party clothes as well.

a belated thanks to ryan for snapping off these photos with my camera,

grace for gifting me that amazing red vintage tulle holiday apron,

and to the joy of cooking for its dependable, 

highly alcoholic and caloric eggnog recipe.

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Apartment Tour Continued: Bedroom

last october i did a little tour of our apartment, which  mainly highlighted

the living area and kitchen (look how tiny poppy was!)  i had always planned on 

doing some more rooms, but never quite got around to it. then, we decided to 

post our apartment on airbnb, and i finally  tidied up my bedroom:

this room is teeny tiny. dont be fooled. but there are closets on either side of the
dresser, which span the full length of the blue wall-- 40 square feet!

the bedspread is a pendleton throw, lamp is restoration hardware. 

the poppy print behind the bed  is one i did in an intaglio class in college. 

the dresser and stool are from  yesterday's news, my favorite spot

for scoring cheap, well-made vintage furniture.

obligatory frame cluster, which is on wall next to bed.

ladies are an old french clothing ad, a gift from a friend's trip to france. 

dog on the top left is another print i did in college.

behind the dresser on the bulletin board are my favorite words from a  

vintage vis-ed box set. (the inspiration for this blog's header image).

 stanley thermos as vase. little tin robot michelle brought me from england.

and an old found note in the frame, which says:

"i'm sorry to appear insistent, but i must have my trinkets. this is the last chance."

 the corner desk was my first craigslist buy when i moved to new york.

it is still one of my favorite pieces-- always squeezed into the most awkward spots.

i stripped down its ugly green shiny coat and gave it a spray of brown.

the suitcases are used to file away papers and old notes and cards.

the map is a sheet of wrapping paper from paper source.

the chair i found on the street and reupholstered with a military blanket.

the yellow mirror is framed in old rulers.

and on the little shelf, (which is a cheap floating shelf mounted on anthropologie 

brackets)  the piece of iron that looks like a "j" was found on a railroad up in vermont. 

the little etching of the three dogs is from a printmaker's shop in toulouse, france.

my mom found me the tin panel when she came to visit brooklyn.

next up, michelle's room!

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