Category Archives: Uncategorized

It’s frigid in the Old Lady this morning. The snow is falling outside, and it’s beautiful. But I’m inside, huddled around a space heater, waiting for the delivery of my plumbing fixtures sometime between 7am-10am. (*eyeroll*) It’s quiet and still, other than the white noise of the space heater; a perfect time for reflection. She’sContinue reading “Mine again.”

Stripping paint can be meditative. It doesn’t require a whole lot of active brainpower, so my mind is free to wander while my hands are busy with the repetitive motions of heat, scrape…heat, scrape…heat, scrape. Usually the house is quiet. Sometimes I pop in AirPods and listen to podcasts or music (it’s really the onlyContinue reading “It’s all blue. Until it isn’t.”

Wow, guys. It’s been a minute. Or a couple of months. It’s not that things aren’t happening at the Old Lady; it’s just that the things are kinda boring. Things like plumbing. Electrical. Not HVAC, cuz those people won’t show up. All very necessary, just not super-compelling. But she’s coming along. I can see howContinue reading “Lady in Waiting”

This one’s for you, Megan. 🙂 I was gently reminded that I haven’t done a great job of giving an overview of how much the house had already changed. I’ve shown bits and pieces, but not large, full house pictures. So thanks, Meg, for the reminder that while I see all that has to beContinue reading “Past & Present”

Of all the things I thought would delay this renovation, a global pandemic and subsequent quarantine was not on my radar. Yet, here we are. First and foremost, the health and safety of our community will always and forever take priority over things like home renovations, though my heart goes out to those that haveContinue reading “Hitting Pause”

To be honest, the front of the Old Lady was always a bit…off. Those upper front windows are just…wrong. I assumed it was because the aluminum storm windows are ugly. But also necessary due to the, um, loose fit of the casement windows behind them. But then demo happened. And… That’s exterior soffit. Just insideContinue reading “A Balcony?!?!?”

I’ll admit, the “office” has been the most underwhelming room in the house thus far. I mean, it’s perfectly pleasant, light and bright. But it had so obviously been altered, and not well, that it was just kind of “blah.” So “blah” that I don’t even have a before pic. Oops. But the room neededContinue reading “Every Wall Tells a Story”

After weeks and weeks of small projects, wonderful discoveries, structural adjustments, and lots of planning, the renovation officially started this week with professional (read: contractor-led and -performed) demolition! Nathan and crew have been busy this week! Not only with the fun stuff (demo) but he’s also getting in bids for all the house “guts” –Continue reading “It’s Starting…”

But they like it! Handing children demo tools seems like it could be a recipe for disaster. But when disaster is what you’re looking for…why not? So my niece, nephew and son wielded a sledgehammer, crowbar, and hammer to bash and smash their way through the back deck. Which is a disaster and must beContinue reading “Child Labor”