HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGETY-JOG

    We've just returned from a 4 day trip from Warren Road to Chicago and back in order to pick up some vintage lighting and furniture we had purchased for this Hawthorne house.

Stopping in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to eat

Staying overnight in Elkhard, Indiana

Eating in some diners and dives

Perusing some salvage shops

    I have to say my favorite parts of the trip were being with my husband and daughter,  watching Billye swim for the first time without her life jacket (she was SO VERY proud of herself), stopping on the way home to see our son (he is living away from home for the first time and we miss him), and seeing my husband be so eager to return home to check on the foundling kitten we'd left behind.  The kitten, however, was none too excited to meet our dog for the first time!    

STUCCO REPAIR CONTINUES

   

   Last week the man we contracted to do the stucco work prepped the house for the stucco by attaching metal mesh to the sides of the house.

Yesterday he applied the scratch coat and part of the brown coat.

The north side of the house is where the electrical box will be mounted to the plywood surface.

   The final coat is the dash coat. We will have what is called heavy dash .   I'm eager to see the finished job.   

THANKS MIKE AND BEN !

    Before we purchased this house, we knew it required air conditioning.  Shortly thereafter we determined that we would convert the heating system to a combination of gas and heat pump.   This means we will not be needing our radiators.  

(as beautiful as some of them are)

During the demolition process back in March,  all the radiators (of which there were 4 different styles) were disconnected and removed from the house.  Given that there were several TONS worth of radiator,  most of them made it no farther than the front porch!  Two of the largest never came down from the 2nd floor.

One pair of radiators made a sturdy set of saw horses for several weeks.

A low radiator made a bench seat on the front porch

   Just a few weeks ago we had Caravati's , a local architectural salvage company, remove the radiators when they came to pick up our claw foot tub and my little sink to be refurbished.

Since I could not stand to let all the original radiators go, I am having Caravati's sandblast and clear-coat the smallest of the scrolled radiators.  We will tuck the refreshed radiator in a nook and, topped with marble, it will become a plant stand or a spot to stash keys, loose change, and mail.

Thanks Mike and Ben for building the 'sled' to get the monster radiators off the 2nd floor and spending the time and effort to help us.  We really appreciate it.  We are your newest loyal customers.

A-HHHHH ! THE SMELL OF NEW WOOD

  Perhaps insignificant to most, but the smell of new wood is a delight to me.  A fir is especially nice and we have recently put up new fir rafters on the 3rd floor which will remain exposed against the dry-walled and painted surface.

(new fir tongue & groove flooring)

   Today Donnie and I will finish replacing a section of porch flooring with new tongue and groove fir which we found to match the existing flooring.

And I get to use the nailing gun again!

LET THE GLAZING BEGIN

Before

After

SUMMER'S BOUNTY

  

Anyone have a good recipe using figs?  

About 4 weeks to go and  I'll be needing one.

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK

    Wallace and I opted for a break today and made a road trip to Covesville, Virginia to what I will from now on refer to as my FAVORITE antiquing spot.  I thought fondly of my mother-in-law as I know how much she would have adored just "banging around" (which is what she used to call shopping with no real purchase in mind).   (I love you B)

    Our loaded down Ford today reminds me of an antiquing adventure Wallace and I went on with his parents 

25 years ago.  

We 4 came the 1 1/2 hours home in the Oldsmobile station wagon ...

Charlie driving, me sitting on Wallace's lap (newlyweds), 

and B lying in the rear happily snuggled up next to a couple of painted benches and a blanket chest.

    We, however, were not just "banging around."  I was on a mission in search of an antique twin bed for my daughter's new bedroom.  Well guess what!?!  We had enormous success.    I found not only an antique rope bed (already set up with L-brackets on the side rails), but also assorted Windsor and plank-bottom chairs (late 1700's & early 1800's) for the dining room, an early 1900's Bar Harbor wicker rocker ( back when wicker was really wicker, not rattan, rolled paper, or plastic clad aluminum) and an old painted industrial boot rack.  If that is not grand enough....we got everything for less than Wallace and I we paid for a small pine table and jelly cupboard back in 1987.  Yay us!

Bolt covers on the rope bed

Blue painted table - 1800's

Chairs galore!


Oh yes, I mustn't forget the leather-topped Hepplewhite desk and antique ice cream parlor chair (future plant stand)!

THE STUCCO COMES TUMBLING DOWN

    In order to make necessary stucco repairs and build a spot for a newly located electric box, a large section of stucco had to come down. 

Next, the original siding was removed and saved for the screened porch area.

Finally, we put up plywood to which the new stucco will be adhered.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

  Next year this time....oh what an interesting comparison it will be. 

Happy 4th of July!

TOILETS AND TUBS AND TILE, OH MY

    We've spent some time recently concentrating on bathrooms.  So many decisions to make!  

Nickel vs. Chrome

Vintage vs. Modern

Round bowl vs. Elongated bowl

Tile vs. Bead board

    Somehow my husband and I are finding some common ground.  Just 2 days ago, a local salvage company came by to pick up our claw foot tub and antique sink.  They will be sandblasted and powder coated and  brought back to life for another 100 years.

 While contemplating bathroom decor, I must take into consideration the tiles I created in the studio.  

   

They will be cut and arranged as some type of tile mosaic in the master bath.  Though originally inspired by Matisse, I'm still waiting to 'feel' in which direction this will go. 

     

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

    This morning a man riding a Harley pulled into the driveway.  He introduced himself as Beau W. and told us he grew up in this house in the 60's and 70's.  While he has not lived here in over 30 years, he has sometimes driven by when he has been in town just to check out his childhood home and neighborhood.  For numerous years he has been saddened by the house's neglect and disrepair.  
    That so much work is now being done on the house encouraged him to stop.  As we walked him through the house, he shared memories of growing up here on Hawthorne Avenue.  The occasional tear brimmed his eye as he spoke of his deceased parents, however he left with a smile on his face and a promise to bring by some photos of his years here.
     One thing in particular he told us is that for most of the years he lived here, the stucco on the house was PINK!