Pam of the fantabulous Retro Renovation shot me an email the other day announcing her latest venture with Dishmaster faucets. She has launched a sales site called Dishmaster Living where you can purchase your retro faucets.
What is Dishmaster you ask? Well, I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s not quite a dishwasher yet it’s more than just a faucet. The circa 1948 faucet has a rotating brush on the hose and the contraption releases suds, so it makes dishwashing fun and easy! Ok, not as easy as sticking it in a modern dishwasher, but more fun than doing dishes by hand.
But wait! There’s more! The Dishmaster conserves water and detergent by dispersing only what is needed.
I wonder if one of these would work in my mother in law’s house. She’s in the “old country” (Ireland) and still fills a 20 year old disgusting plastic bin with soapy water, swishes a brush around, then dries the dishes with a towel. No rinsing! She hates when I do the dishes because I insist on rinsing and then I splash water all around the kitchen. So….perfect for her. Or rather, for me when I visit.
First the faucet. Next, I work on her installing a heating system.
They tried to sneak this one past us. I seem to recall restaurant week being in the summer, but Open Table is sponsoring the pre-Thanksgiving Appetite Stimulus Plan.
From November 17th-21st, participating restaurants will be serving up three course dinners for just $35 per person. Lunches are $24. See the list of restaurants here and be make sure your pick is participating when making a reservation as not all Open Table restaurants are involved. When you arrive at the restaurant, you should let them know you’ll be looking at the Stimulus menu. Then there’s some kind of point system that my pea brain cannot comprehend. Points? I just want to eat.
This is taking place in multiple cities, not just New York. So, gutten appetit! Buon appetito! Bon appetit! And enjoy your meal!
I love Neatorama. They’re creepy and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky. And now they’re having a mystery sale! Those wacky kids! For $9.95 you’ll receive something worth at least $9.95. And act quickly, the sale may end mysteriously as well.
Remember my blue Bed Stuy living room? That post was back in July. Here we are four months later and I’m still stripping the wainscoting. Cut me some slack. I think I’ve actually worked on it twice since then. Half the room is stripped and we’ve encountered some problems along the way.
Like most everything else in this God forsaken house, the wainscoting was in bad disrepair. As I started taking off the paint, the caulk and plaster holding it together came along with it. We need to replace about 1/3 of the panels.
It was easier than I thought. Especially because it was Hubby doing it, not me.
First “we” took a piece of plywood and cut it to size. Best thing to do is get the measurements off the original piece. They’re inset, so you want it to overlap (or rather, underlap) enough to glue the edges. Those boards across are just holding it in place until the glue dries. There’s nothing to screw it into on the inside.
Next “we” had to recreate the groove design. We did this with a table saw. Adjust the blade to the proper height so you’re not cutting the whole damn piece in half. Then just guide it through. Measure twice, cut once!! *Please note the safety gear: gloves, goggles and earplugs.
So, there you go. Clean, straight lines with a table saw. You can use a variety of tools, but this was fairly easy as the straight edge was in place. If you don’t own a table saw, you can always rent one.
And PS: Don’t cut your fingers off.
Am I pushing the gift giving thing too early? Well, excuse me. I’m just looking at all the things I want.
Our pal Jean at Renovation Therapy just opened an Etsy shop. She has all of 8 items so far but they are adorable, reasonably priced and would make awesome gifts. This coffee cup cozy is $8 and would make a great stocking stuffer or part of a coffee lover’s gift basket. I’m into gift baskets these days. It’s all the rage! According to me.
These pigment prints from Fields of Color ser are perdy. They would look great hanging on my walls. If I had finished walls. Most of the prints are under 8″x8″ and are priced at $25 apiece. They’re done on acid free water color paper or canvas.
OMG, I love this idea! A great gift if you’re invited to Thanksgiving, especially if it’s a vegetarian meal. 18 bucks. M n M Treasures means business. They have 140 items for sale in their shop. I probably have under 25, so non-lazy go getters like this piss me off. But, we should support them anyway. Even if it does put people like me to shame. Viva La Lazy!
See, that’s what I’m talking about! This set of antique brass tongs has been reincarnated as a toilet paper holder. Antiques 2 Uniques is in the trash to treasure business. This design is $27 and perfect for the bathroom obsessed person in your life.
My Living Room! 
How did this happen? How did the tschotskas eat my house? I keep buying all these wonderful smalls for the Flea and I’m not selling them as fast as I’m purchasing. They are taking over!
My Dining Room table!
So you know what I’m doing this week? I’m putting together some vintage holiday baskets. I took some less expensive items and I’m making theme presentations for the holidays. Although I took the time and effort to carefully construct each container, I’ll allow shoppers to substitute items because I don’t want them giving me tsoris.
“The Victorian” consists of a vintage bear wearing some antique lace attire, a figurine, 2 framed ballerina prints (not shown here) and 2 photos in a sewing basket that’s 1940′s but looks old. I have this priced at $65. That basket is what makes it pricey.
The Man Box is $40. This has a timer (maybe from a darkroom), a manly ceramic figure (ARRG), a drunk guy ashtray, a bell and an antique planer. All in a manly Herman Munster lunchbox.
This is The Patriot. Vintage flag pin and scarf, plus a shower/window curtain set. I’m throwing in a spare Obama/Biden sign. Well, that’s not vintage but goes with the theme. And it’s free. I haven’t found a container for this yet so it might just go in a basket. $35.
I also put together a toy one, a camera one a New Years one, a cooking one……I did twenty! I hope they sell. :0
Open Green Map is an interactive mapmaking resource for all things green. Google Maps are mashed with Green Map Icons and mashed once more with local knowledge. You can research the site all you want, but you should register to add businesses and create your own maps. The international site is still a work in progress, but already features some local maps including Manhattan compost and Rockland County.
Go play.
It’s been awhile since I raved about Green Demolitions. But guess what? They are having another sale! And this time it seems like they’re loaded up with inventory. So if you’re doing a kitchen or bath or in the market for upscale appliances at discount prices, check it out!
C.M. Coolidge was the legend behind these dog paintings. Born in 1844 in Upstate, NY to abolitionist Quaker farmers, he did not have any formal training as an artist.
This Velvet Lady above is mine. I found her at a garage sale. The big velvet painting boom took place during the 70′s. Most of the paintings were made in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Elvis was amongst the more popular subjects, but Jesus and John Wayne were up there too. Black velvet paintings are still being produced to this day. Check out the bozos they’re painting now!
Jeff Koons is a well known and much respected artist, but I’m lumping him in here with the velvet painters because he is The King of Kitsch. From his inflatables to his statuary to his prints, it’s all tacky good fun, baby!
In recent years (like the past 20) people have started to collect thrift store paintings. What used to be a $15 find can now cost $75 and up. Portraits especially are really hard to find these days. The Museum of Bad Art in Massachusetts glorifies such paintings.
Margaret Keane was the Queen of the big eye paintings. For years, her former husband claimed credit for the work. They are divorced now for obvious reasons and she is alive and well in San Fransisco and accepting commissions. Keane wasn’t the only sad eye painter. There’s an entire website devoted all big eye masters.
*Ok, the Big Eye link was working last night and it’s not up this morning. Keep trying.
Coupons and Ebates: Renovation Therapy
Pillows for Puppies: Living Well in Westchester
Salvaged Door=Dressing Vanity: This Old House
Honoring: Shore House Chic
Nov 22 FreeMeet: Sustainable Flatbush
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Saving money. That’s wonderful – just what I need to do…everybody else. I seem to remember Restaurant Week in the summer too. Is there more than one maybe? Yummm….
Comment by Donatella — November 18, 2008 @ 5:30 pm
I’ve done well with their point system. I have a $50 “check” coming to me soon. Yeehaa!
Comment by Renovation Therapy — November 18, 2008 @ 8:32 pm