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Blogs I’ve Just Discovered

Blogs I’ve Just Discovered published on 1 Comment on Blogs I’ve Just Discovered

Better After is a blog that asks readers to send their before and after shots of furniture and renovations. There some ab fab pieces on there that make me miss my furniture upcycling days. The room redos are ta die for too! Most are not even full renovations, just some paint and good taste. Love it!

DIY Showoff similarly posts before and after shots sent in from readers. It’s, dare I say, more mainstream, less precious-crafty. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! The site was started by Roeshel who has been restoring her own 1927 farmhouse. She has frigawesome taste. I was salivating at her marble subway tile backsplash.

Shabby Blogs is another blog that relies on reader participation. Actually, it’s more than that. It’s like a prettier version of Houseblogs. No, it’s more than that. You can create your own blog with their design templates. All for free! And they’re quite purdy too.

DIY Insanity asks “Is it nuts to design, permit and build an addition to your house by yourself?”. I saw the header and thought “No biggie” but when I started reading the posts I realized this was a huge job they undertook. Like big cranes and shit. Yikes! I like the “Gardening with a Sawzall” post. Good idea!

Country Dream Homes Under $300k

Country Dream Homes Under $300k published on

Staatsburg. $185k. Nice detail in this 1900 Craftsman on a quarter of an acre. 1764 finished square feet and I can’t figure out if the extra 906 unfinished is the attic or basement.

Oh, my. Hyde Park. $240k. It’s a short sale, meaning it may be a pain to get a loan. If you have $200+ floating around in your pocket, you could make a sweet cash offer. The Culinary Institute is located in Hyde Park. Also, an antiques center and a drive in.

Red Hook. $299k. 8 acres. Need I say more? Oh, the house is cute too.

Red Hook. $299,900. You think the house is nice? Check out the in ground pool. All this on 5.9 acres. I’ll go in with you.

Backyard Deck Styles

Backyard Deck Styles published on 2 Comments on Backyard Deck Styles

I believe it’s been about a year since we decided to build a deck off of our parlor floor. The plan was that I design it, my husband does the measuring and drawings and our architect neighbor files the plans.

The problem is, I’m stuck on step one.

At first I wanted something industrial. Because structural engineer hubby is a bridge guy, I though it would be really cool to have it look like a bridge. He told me that fabricating something from scratch would be pricy, but there is a way to make the posts look bridge-like. But that’s just the base. Do I really want the railing to be thick and industrial too? I don’t know. Do I?

Nice Balcony

The other option is fancy wrought iron. I’m picturing a Venetian balcony. When I googled images, I was impressed by the French Quarter balconies of New Orleans. This style would go with the house more than industrial, but I worry that it may look too messy because I think I would prefer to go with salvaged materials and we may not get enough matching pieces to go all the way around. What if it’s hodge podge? Could that possibly look cool too? I don’t know. Maybe.

Why is steel base with wood railing not an option? Because it’s just not. I’m not envisioning it at this moment in time. It’s a Brooklyn brownstone, not a country home overlooking a meadow. Not a Hamptons home on the beach. Yeah, I know most people just do wood because it’s simple (we built our own in our first house) but I’m just not feeling it. We will install FSC Ipe tiles on top of the steel “subway grates”, but that’s it. Ipe, like any other exterior wood, starts to look crappy after a few years. IMHO.

BTW, I do like that window in the deck floor in the first photo, don’t you?

Once we figure out the railing, we have to decide what to do underneath the deck. The goal is to be able to let the pets exit through a dog door when we are not around and keep them and the house safe. This means that under the deck will basically be a cage. We don’t want it to look like a prison though.

If modern industrial, we could go with some kind of hard mesh or to make it more interesting, a “lace fence” like above. That would probably cost more than the house itself, plus it’s a little too pretty for my taste.

Or…the antique industrial look could rock. It might be a perfect mix of both. The above photo is Kilmainham Jail in Dublin. It’s now a museum that I’ve visited many times and I love the aesthetic. Hmm, maybe I DO want it to look like a prison.

At this point, perhaps I shouldn’t go crazy over the design and just do a functional, inexpensive deck so we can enjoy it this year.

Oh, I don’t know. What do you think?

A Midwood Street. The Bruckner Way.

A Midwood Street. The Bruckner Way. published on 2 Comments on A Midwood Street. The Bruckner Way.

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It was about a year ago that Saul Bruckner passed away. If you’re not an Edward R Murrow alumni, that name probably doesn’t mean much to you. To anyone who spent time there as a student or teacher, the man is a legend.

Bruckner founded Murrow in 1974 and remained principal for thirty years until his retirement.

Yesterday, E. 17th Street was renamed “Saul Bruckner Way”. The ceremony was held outside the school with Mrs. Bruckner, Marty Markowitz (of course), current Principal Anthony Lodico, City Councilman Michael Nelson, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, HS Superintendent Aimee Horowitz and retired teacher Frieda Jones in attendance. Murrow’s chorus sang. The band played. And the street sign was unveiled. Senior Man La painted an oil portrait of Bruckner that was also unveiled in time for the opening. Being that she never met the man, it’s a pretty good likeness.

Refreshments were served in the school cafeteria afterward, so myself and about seven other alumni made our way inside. We walked every floor of the school. It was exactly as I remembered it. Kids hanging out on the floor. People dancing in the hall. A teacher reprimanding his students.

Ah, high school.

*Flickr images

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Red Hook and Rhinebeck for Under $210k

Red Hook and Rhinebeck for Under $210k published on 1 Comment on Red Hook and Rhinebeck for Under $210k

$189k. Village of Red Hook. It may not be an ideal country home because of the lack of property, but it’s perfect if you want to go out and get drunk and not have to worry about driving home. This is right in town! You can always take a drive to the nearest hike. Who needs to maintain property anyway?

Rhinebeck. $149k. Ok, so it’s a 1042 square foot vinyl sided POS. Try to find something in Rhinebeck on 1 acre for anything close to that price. I dare ya. Location, location, location! Right near the Performing Arts Center. Never underestimate the value of being able to walk to your destination in the country. I don’t want to hit a coyote at night. Do you?

$209k. Rhinebeck 1910 farmhouse. The drawback of old farmhouses is that they sit right near the road. The interior of this baby is not to be overlooked, though. It sits on half an acre. If you have dogs, you can always fence in the back yard. Um, have you realized yet that I’m looking at these for myself?

Click on the pics for more info or twist my arm to drive up and show you myself.

The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace

The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace published on 2 Comments on The Pet Guy of Windsor Terrace

Shayna

After losing our beloved Lola to Lyme disease, we gave ourselves only  a week to mourn before looking for a companion for our depressed Pitbull, Greta.

On Sunday we wandered over to Sean Casey Animal Rescue after hearing they have about sixty dogs up for adoption. I don’t know why I expected to walk in and see a bunch of happy dogs roaming around free. They were in cages, some happy but some looked as if they had given up on life.

The most impressive thing about Sean Casey‘s shelter is the volunteers. When we walked a few dogs around the area, neighbors knew each dog by name. People were lined up outside waiting to give walks. In this Windsor Terrace neighborhood that borders Kensington, it seems the shelter IS the community.

As much as I wanted to save a dog from death row, I just couldn’t handle going into a kill shelter. The beautiful thing about this rescue group as well as many others, is that once a pet is adopted, it frees up a cage so they can pull animals out of Animal Care and Control.

And it’s not just cats and dogs. There are exotic animals on hand for adoption as well. Huge turtles. Huge! Some crazy vocal parrot or macaw. Snakes.

Frosty

Casey likes to take on the “unadoptable” pets. There was one dog I liked who was full of scars. Frosty was hit by a car and left for dead on the street. The vet fixed her up and she’s good to go now! She’s full of life and you wouldn’t even know it’s her second chance.

Tails

When I saw Tails flopping around as if he was drunk, I started to cry. He was born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia which causes him to have a lack of balance and coordination. When we asked about him they told us to bring him for a walk and see what we thought. He’s happy and adorable alright, but unfortunately, he would have been too much for us to handle. He needs to be held up so he can walk without falling. I just imagined going on a hike with him and him flying off a cliff, maybe pulling us along with him. Tails would probably work best as a single dog with someone who has time and energy to give him the extra care. Everybody is in love with him, but it will take a special person to look after him.

Dana

We thought Dana looked sad and sweet, sitting there quietly in her cage. We decided to walk her to see if we bonded. Oh. My. Gawd. Dana was a handful! She actually IS very sweet, but just needs some attention and training. Again, too much for us to handle. We saw a teenage volunteer running her and they were perfect together. She is a ball full of energy.

Finally, Charles, the shelter’s people person, took Tina out. She was shivering with fear. Not really our type of dog. She is pretty and quiet and not an uncontrollable Pit, but maybe we need to balance Greta’s crazy Pit energy. So we walked her and tested her with Greta and gave her a home. Tina is now Shayna and she’s not so demure after all. The cats are keeping her in her place although Greta is a bit intimidated by her.

Adoptions and donations info on the SCAR website.

DIY Appliance Repair

DIY Appliance Repair published on 7 Comments on DIY Appliance Repair

Hey, all of you weekend warriors, here’s another notch to add to your belt. Appliance repair. Unless you really know what you’re doing, you probably haven’t been messing with that, have you?

Well, the fine people over at PartSelect have done up their website to make it easy on you. The Virtual Repairman walks you through the entire process. Here’s what you do….Just punch in the model number of your sick appliance and a whole bunch of symptoms will come up. Click on symptom and a-ha! There are the replacement parts listed in order of fix-it-percentage.

Now, your like “So what? I still don’t know how to replace it.” Fear not. PartSelect has an entire YouTube channel with idiot proof instructional videos.

Nothing is built to last anymore in our disposable society and it’s often costlier to have an appliance professionally repaired than to just buy a new one. Instead of throwing those big ticket items into the landfills every few years, give it a shot and see what happens.

You might even impress yourself.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.

Brooklyn Crafts in Dumbo

Brooklyn Crafts in Dumbo published on

Brooklyn Craft Central is holding their first ever outdoor market. The curated fair will play out tomorrow under the arch in Dumbo, hence the name “Shop the Archway”. There will be something for everyone and I swear I’m not just saying that.

Shopaholics!

Gawgeous handmade jewelry by Victoria Stevens . That Lego ring is ta die for!

Witty witticisms by our favorite t-shirt gal, Miss Wit. She’ll be set up right next to us (oh yeah, Reclaimed Home will be on the job) and we’ll entertain you if you stop by. Promise.

Marlene’s Lost and Found will have their decoupaged antique postcard boxes on hand. Love.

Animal Peeps!

Money raised selling raffles to win items donated by vendors will go to Ready for Rescue, an organization that helps pets in kill shelters.

Foodies!


Yeah, don’t worry. They’ve got you covered. How does lunch by Hermelinda of Puebla sound? Followed by chocolate truffles from The Chocolate Swirl? Mmm, chawcolate!

Music Lovers!

Bands will be holding acoustic performances throughout the day to help promote the upcoming Brooklyn Indie Music Fest in September.

Kids!


A crafting table will be set up for the little ones to enjoy their day while you’re eating your food, bopping to your music and buying yourself little gifts. Kiddie crafts brought to you by the fine folks at Poloppo.

All this fabulousness takes place on May 21st from 11-6, rain or shine.

So. Tomorrow. Dumbo. Arch. Be there.

Country Homes Under $100k

Country Homes Under $100k published on

Want a weekend house but think you can’t afford it? Let’s see how low we can go. These homes need TLC, but I chose only desirable areas. What’s the mortgage on a $100k house? Like a dollar per month? Come on, you can do it!

The wreck above is located in Highland, NY within the New Paltz school district. Yes, it’s just short of being a tear down, but it’s $74,900. The home is less than 1000 square feet but sits on 1.7 acres. Interior shots here.

A small cabin in the woods of Kerhonkson, NY has access to the stream in the above photo. The 594 square foot home is quaint, but not much to look at. It sits on one acre. Price? $69k.

Ok, so this house isn’t too impressive. The 600 square foot vinyl sided POS has been renovated in Home Depot style. Here’s the thing….For $99,500 you got yourself a house in Milan near Red Hook, NY. 2.26 acres with access to a stream at the edge of the property. Suh-weet.

A Good House is Hard to Find

A Good House is Hard to Find published on 3 Comments on A Good House is Hard to Find

The great Brooklyn house hunt continues. So, I’m helping this chick find a house, right? She’s got a decent amount of change in her piggy bank. She’s open to somewhat of a fixer upper. Open to a few different neighborhoods. You would think it would be easy, no?

WTF?

Personally, I’m not one to look at houses for an entire year. That would drive me nuts. But the gal in question is no Prima Donna. I mean, I’m right there with her looking and I wouldn’t have gotten into a bidding war over any these places either.

Let’s see…what have we seen? My favorite was 11th Street (above). Ok, so she was kind of scared off by the amount of work while I fell in love with the place. But hey, it’s not me buying it. Loads of detail on a great block. I’d say a pretty solid investment IF they would go down in price, because it will be a costly restoration.

Then there was that limestone on 9th Street that was TOO nice. Really. It was like a museum. Just beautiful, perfect detail but not I’d imagine an older, very refined person living there.

The Hoyt Street gut reno we saw on Sunday was great. The seller took a shell and gave it a fabulous modern makeover. Alas, something was amiss. The location wasn’t a match for Chickie and there were a couple of other issues she wasn’t crazy about.

We looked at a lovely place on 8th Street. Move in condition, but the configuration was screwy, so there would be work to do even though it didn’t need work. Know what I’m sayin’?

The Prospect Avenue 3 family had potential and is perhaps worth revisiting, but she would want to convert it into a 2 family, installing an internal staircase in the lower duplex . Again, a place that would have to be ripped apart even though it’s in perfect cosmetic shape. Seems wasteful to do.

Oh, then we saw an apartment on 13th Street. It was really nice, but I’m trying to convince Chickie that rental income is golden! I don’t see the point in paying a bunch for an apartment when you could own an entire house with income and total autonomy.

So, there you have it. Even if you have some money to play with, it’s never enough. If her budget was $800k, it would almost make the search easier. There would be fewer neighborhoods and more of an incentive to settle for something. Right now everything is at the top of her budget and needs another coupla hundred thou of work.

Poor girl.

Lyme Disease and Dogs

Lyme Disease and Dogs published on 3 Comments on Lyme Disease and Dogs

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When our old dog Trevor got Lyme Disease some ten years ago, it was easy to spot the symptoms. He became lame and lethargic. We took him to the vet and he was put on antibiotics that helped immediately. In fact, our ex-vet upstate doesn’t even run tests. He just prescribes antibiotics at the first sign of symptoms because the disease isn’t that serious in dogs.

Or so we thought.

We never saw this one coming. Over the weekend we had to say goodbye to our seven year old girl, Lola. No limping. No lethargy. We noticed she was eating a bit slower until one day she just stopped eating. That was the same day we took her in. It was exactly one week from her initial vet visit to the day we had to put her down.

If diagnosed right away, Lyme Disease is not life threatening for dogs. Once it gets to their kidneys and the functions start failing, it is irreversible and the fatality rate is about 90%. This is what happened with Lola, although it is fairly rare. The hospitalization and the fluids didn’t do a thing for her. We ended up bringing her home to spend her last night with us before meeting her fate the next morning.

What can you do to prevent your dog from getting bitten by Lyme carrying deer ticks? I wish I knew. We used Frontline drops and a flea and tick collar and we still had to pull ticks off of them whenever we walked in the country. We would spot them immediately on our tan dog Greta, but Lola was black and it was impossible to get them all.

There is some controversy concerning the Lyme vaccination. It may not work. There may be side effects. In retrospect, if someone told me that my dog would only live to see seven, I would have risked the vaccine.

Lola was a tough but timid chick. She sent two of our Pitbulls to the emergency room but she was terrified of getting a bath. She once stole a bagel right out of a stranger’s hand in Prospect Park. She was a rebel.

When a pet dies, there’s always the doubt. What could I have done differently? Is this my fault? Did I overlook something? I’m going through all of that at the moment. If we had remained in the city, she would still be sitting here by my side. On the other hand, she had six years of mountain hikes, huge backyards and river runs in the country. That’s heaven for a dog. And hopefully, that’s exactly where she is right now.

Weekend Events

Weekend Events published on

Nyack’s Famous Street Fair

Sunday, May 15th, 10am-5pm right in the center of Nyack. Can’t miss it. Reclaimed Home is signed up to do this! We’ll be on Broadway with all of the other crafty people. The weather is supposed to be beautiful rainy on Sunday. This event is rain or shine. : /

Veggie Pride Parade

Sunday, May 15th. Meet up in the Village and march to Union Square. Dress as a carrot. Or not. Speakers, exhibitions and probably lots of PETA activists.

9th Avenue International Food Festival

May 14th & 15, 12-5pm. 9th Avenue between 42 and 57th Streets. This ain’t no typical street fair. Oh, I’m sure there will be a few Italian sausage vendors, but this features 9th Ave merchants. Where do you go for the best variety of ethnic food in NYC? Thaaa’s right.

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