Just chugging along with a few bite-sized projects........
Basement
Pete replaced the subfloor at the top of the basement stairs and installed a door we got for free on Craigslist back in 2021.
This door needs some serious work, I would like to install a key hole escutcheon above the door knob to cover those covered up holes where locks used to be. The glass is beveled and really thick.
Kitchen
Pete and Joe worked on replacing the back wall and the windows in the kitchen.
Here's the before picture. It looks ok from afar but it's pretty messy. The window used to be a door.
The inside was looking pretty rough, very shanty shack-ey.
This was the first cut, the perfect time to finish painting the radiator.
I was so happy to see it all painted! Half finished jobs really irritate me.
Pete wants everyone to know this is not his ass crack.
Here's two of the new Andersen windows installed.
The second two windows were installed on the south kitchen wall.
The kitchen is finally insulated, making the room feel less like a garage.
The two doorways from the fern room to the kitchen were framed to accommodate doors we had purchased in 2016. With the house being so big there's a lot of decisions as to how to keep the spaces as warm as possible. Plan A was installing these doors.
Once we began to fill the kitchen with the appliances and furniture we purchased, it became clear that these doors were getting in the way. So we removed them and decided on more of an (barf, I hate this term) open plan.
The side board tables jutting out at the doorways really annoyed me, so Pete made them narrow, to help with the (barf) flow.
I envisioned years of bashing into these in the dark.
As a teenager I heard about a woman who was injured by a nail gun to the head. I don't know the circumstances of the incident, but that solidified my fear of nail guns.
Flora and Fauna
Pete removed the fake flowers from the flower boxes and planted some real ones.
Here's a better view!
Once again Mrs. Robin laid her eggs in one of the window boxes. Its still exciting even though we've seen eggs here before.
This bee was pollinating our window. Wires were crossing in his little bee brain. Was he hoarding it? Does this have something to do with the recent bee crisis? Maybe he's a sleazy low level pollen dealer.
"Whatever they ask for, you do it."
Although its gotten better, we do have our share of douche-ey neighbors, so we are especially appreciative of our lovely next door neighbors Kevin and Nicole. At one point the were threatening to move away, then to our relief, they started some big home improvement projects, extending their deck being one.
"You need to do whatever he asks, Pete. We absolutely can not have them moving away. We run the risk of having some random scumbag buying their house, then we will be absolutely surrounded by horrible people" To help Kevin save money, Pete helped with digging these post holes. Although they look like aggressive gopher holes, Pete described it as one of the most difficult physical tasks he's ever done.
New Acquisitions
I bought these postcards in Rhode Island on a trip with Pete's band in April.
This is the Edgar Allen Poe shrine and museum. It was founded in 1906 and its still open to the public.
There was quite a collection of disaster postcards at that one junk shop we patronized in Rhode Island.
This 1911 postcard reads "Dear Friend, I will send you this postal card showing you I have not forgotten you. Give my best regards to your family. -Paul"
The postmark pre dates World War 1 by three years, so I'm not sure what war the man in the picture is coming home from.
I bought these while visiting relatives in Florida.
I bought this book mostly for the snotty teenager inscription,: "Ms. Julia A Park's book of 323 W Van Bruen Ct. You can read it but please know it isn't your book."
I guess its obvious, but I've really gained an appreciation for old printing techniques. I love the images in this little book!
I found sheet music with some noteworthy titles
I think this is the third sheet music book I found about dying at sea.
Wow, this could be a song written now. Some subjects are timeless and universal. Was cat fishing a pen pal common 100 years ago?
I don't know why the publishers felt they needed to tell their customers that the song was "sung with success" or "successfully introduced" by whoever. I guess this phrase was eventually replaced with "smash hit single"
This was at the local Goodwill in Tampa. It's a tilting pitcher, the beverage can be poured into a glass without being removed from the base. We were on the fence; it was $20. and has a dent on the top, but its got a couples name and date engraved on it. I guess it was used at a wedding reception, or given as a wedding gift.
Will and Bessie
October 15, 1891
I had to restrain myself from buying all of the ornaments sold by Le Puppet Regine at an upstate New York gift shop. I'm not sure how the artist transfers the images on to glass, but I want one of every piece she has to offer.
I don't think Ill ever get tired of these sweet children's books!💕💕💕
This unopened box of powdered ginger was in pristine condition, which is really impressive considering how old it probably is.
"Should I taste it?" Pete asked, with his pinky extended, ready to dip in, like a movie drug dealer about to taste test cocaine.
"Are you crazy?!" I replied.
Like wholesale drug kingpins today, food manufacturers were cutting packaged foods with all sorts of cheap toxins to save money in 19th century America.
I got this La Vie Parisenne magazine reproduction print from Ebay . It's hit or miss with reproductions, but I'm really happy with this one.
Found
Pete found four of these old folding chairs in Manhattan. They are in perfect condition.
Pete found this thread cabinet while cleaning out an old carriage house he and Joe were working on.
The owner wanted everything thrown away, so now its mine.
Its gonna be perfect above my antique Singer sewing machine!
This newspaper was found in the carriage house as well.
Inspiration
The Bartlett National Bank
Bartlett, Texas
Bartlett, Texas is about an hour north of Austin. Nope, I'd never heard of it either before reading about this renovated bank. With a current population of 1633, its just a hair above a ghost town. Someone is trying to revitalize the town with the Bartlett Lumber Company loft apartments, but from the one photo I found that building looks like the local motor lodge. Real estate agent Jennifer Tucker bought the Bartlett Bank in 2019 and restored it into an Air B & B. As a business decision it seems pretty risky, there's not a lot going on in this town, but the bank has 200 reviews on Air B & B so it seems like this was a sound business decision.
The bank was built in 1904 and closed in 1931, two years after the stock market crash. I guess everyone was so broke by then the need for banks was pretty minimal.
The bank has a history of intermittent openings and closings post 1960s. It was used as a set on the 1998 film The Newton Boys.
This screen grab from a low resolution You Tube video of the bank blowing up was all I could find without owning a copy of the film. I don't think CG technology could have produced a convincing explosion like this in 1998. I know nothing about motion picture pyrotechnics, but I assume this was a huge mess to clean up.
I couldn't find any photos of the renovation, but it appears the interior is all original.
Behind the teller's windows is a perfect place for the kitchen!
Did that ceiling need to be repaired? Its in such pristine condition!
The dining room is behind the kitchen
There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor. They were originally offices so they are plain compared to the rest of the building.
I appreciate the owner putting all the effort into restoring this structure into something usable. She really did a phenomenal job.
Sterling Collection
Peruvian Tumi Ceremonial Knife
Poetry Corner
From the romantic collection left behind by the previous owner....
