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The 9/11 Diaries

September 11, 2009 RH 3 Comments

**Reposted from 9/11/2008**

For the entire week of September 11, 2001 I kept a photo and written diary. Some of the images were exhibited in group fund raising shows at the time and I believe a couple got published in books. I never showed the diary to anyone. I stuck the photos and journal in a drawer and haven’t looked at them since.

I’m posting these now because the reason I made the initial effort was to document history. I’m putting this out there today and then they’ll go back in my drawer.

The day the planes struck, I was in shock. I kept thinking everyone was evacuated and I remember wondering why there were no helicopters to pick up people from the roofs of the towers. At times of great sorrow or fear, the one thing that puts a shield between me and the outside world is my camera. You may think it was insensitive of me to grab my camera, but it was my protection.

If anyone recognizes themselves in these photos and doesn’t want to be out there, please contact me and I’ll take them down immediately.

September 11, 2001
September 12, 2001
September 13, 2001
September 14, 2001
Flickr

Everybody’s Fleaing for the Weekend

September 11, 2009 RH

Adorable gossip bench with storage under seat. $110

After a long summer hiatus, I’ll be back out there selling my wares once again. The schedule for this weekend is Brooklyn Flea in Ft Greene on Saturday and Park Slope 321 on Sunday.

The new game plan is to shed the bulky furniture and deal with smaller inventory. I still have at least a season’s worth of large items, but I hope to lose the $200 per month Brooklyn storage space and gain some garage space in Beacon. Plus, it will be soooo much easier to work! And load the van! And schlep!

Furniture? What was I thinking?

Anyway, come and say hello!

Testing out some photo transfers on various surfaces. Not sure how I feel about them yet. $20

Antique level with 5 coat/hat/leash hooks. $50

Good Day to Trek Upstate

September 11, 2009 RH 1 Comment

There’s a whole load of stuff going on in Dutchess County on Saturday. I won’t be around, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be hating myself for having to work.

Mario is holding an estate sale in Fishkill on Saturday. It’s an elderly woman’s house clean out, which means….lot’s of old stuff! Looks like this woman had some decent mid century thang going on. Wacky website. Click on the calendar/image to the left for more photos.

The Beacon Citizen’s Network is calling this month the “most action packed Second Saturday ever”. A couple of cool events: Etsy’s Handmade Cavalcade will be up here and Common Grounds Farm will host “Brunch in the Field”.

Fugly Chic Houses

September 10, 2009 RH 1 Comment

I thought it would be funny to do an ugly house post, but when I started searching I discovered these totally rad homes that people labeled “ugly”. Is it me? Do I have yucky taste? You can tell me.

Come on, who doesn’t want to live in a house that looks like the Partridge Family bus? I think it’s swell for a raised ranch. The flag clashes though.

The photographer (Chad Miller) created a Flickr “ugly house” group because of this photo. Dude, this house is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!

I like the way this flows. Why do homes always have to be boxy?

The Hundertwasser House in Vienna is one of Austria’s most visited buildings. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Not in love.

Madoff’s NYC Penthouse = Eh

September 9, 2009 RH 3 Comments

Gorgeous bones

What’s that saying? Money can’t buy taste? We’ll, I’m not all that inspired by Bernie Madoff’s penthouse apartment, which will be listed for about $10 million. I don’t mean the apartment itself. It’s the extremely expensive decor that leaves me unimpressed. Ok, so perhaps I’m the one lacking in taste. I would just do something awful like paint the walls purple. But this place is just a snooze fest! What gives?

You know what this looks like to me? It looks soooo put together. So balanced. Like nobody actually lives here. Boringly perfect. Like it makes me want to vomit. Maybe because I know an asshole lived here.

Ah, and here we have more beige. Come on, if you want a boring color on the wall, at least do a shade of white. Brighten it up a bit! Beige is just depressing. And ok, I know that all of the expensive tshcotkes and artwork have been hidden, but stage the friggen joint! That table is screaming for some wax fruit. (That’s a joke. I’m not THAT tacky.)

OMG, dated!! My BFF had this decor in her bedroom during junior high. It looks like Holly Hobby puked. What’s wrong, Bernie? Too busy ripping people off to update your house?

Visualize: Scarface snorting coke off that counter top. Need I say more?

CNN Money

Reuters

Is My Husband Building A Bomb?

September 8, 2009 RH 5 Comments

He says it’s a zoned heating system. He’s been potchkerring around down in the basement for months now. I don’t know from plumbing, so I have no clue what’s going on. If he’s trying to kill me and collect insurance money from the house burning down, a bomb would be the way to go. Right?

Well, let’s say I’m just being paranoid. So, here’s what we’ve got….Beacon house. Six zones on a 3 BR, 2600 square foot house. Overkill? Our bills are $250 per month. We only use half the house and the rest is for “guests” whom we never invite over. Call it trying to save money. Call it saving the planet, but it’s silly to heat rooms that don’t see use.

Materials cost us $1000 to date and that doesn’t include the 6 thermostats we’ll need or the hours of labor. I can’t wait to see if there’s a difference in our bills.

Has anybody done this before? I’m curious to know what plumbers charge.

Labor Day Linkorama

September 7, 2009 RH 2 Comments

World’s Best Handyman. Renovation Therapy

One Man’s Trash. Brooklyn Modern

Library Events. Bed Stuy Blog

Urban Farming. Newburgh Restoration

September Halloween. Shore House Chic

Free Labor Day Stuff. The Skint

Pimp My Kitchen

September 4, 2009 RH 9 Comments

When reader Amanda wrote to me asking for recommendations on what to do with her 1950’s kitchen, I said “Let’s see some pictures!” So here they are. Leave your own ideas in the comments.

Here’s my input:

I still dream about those cabinets from this post and I think Amanda has to go PINK, PINK, PINK! Whatever color you choose (PINK!), I think the “Rick Wrench $50 paint job” are some of the best tips on the internets.

And don’t forget the pink fridge to match from this post. Ok, if these are too pricey, get an old fridge and paint it along with the cabinets. I’m not sure how I feel about vintage fridges though. Energy wasters, ya know?

Throw in a splash of blue for the counter top. See this post.

Vintage linoleum from Second Hand Rose. Kind of expensive. Hmm….how creative are you? I’m seeing painted floors.

Do you know about Retro Renovation? You can spend hours on that blog!

I’m done. Ok, your turn!

Thursday Linkorama

September 3, 2009 RH

Julia Child’s Kitchen. Retro Renovation

Woody Allen’s Brooklyn. Huff Po

Shabby Chair DIY. Queen of DIY

Solar Shanghai CD Case Pavillion. Inhabitat

Free “No Impact Man” Tix. Treehugger

Last Days of Summer

September 2, 2009 RH 2 Comments

Can we all agree that summer sucked arse this year? It’s over now. I have my windows closed overnight and I’m wearing sweaters. It’ll be time to crank up the heat by next week.

Summer ’09 brought us some cool events, though. And we still have some things going on, even if you have to sport your Carhardt to enjoy.

Tomorrow at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Butch and Sundance. 6pm

Warriors, come out to play-ay with Ferris Bueller and Molly Ringwald! Dreamland Roller Rink, Coney Island. Warrior party Sept. 5th. Month long John Hughes marathon (ugh, I missed Pretty in Pink!). Sept. 6th is Ferris, Sixteen Candles on the 13th and so on.

Another year has gone by since tragedy struck the city. There are many events taking place on September 11th. Some reflective, some having nothing to do with the towers. The big news is the Jay Z concert at Madison Square Garden. Sounds like it will be a big deal.

On September 12th, Christie’s is hosting a complimentary champagne brunch. Just in case you plan on freeloading, this is for registered wine sale bidders and you are encouraged to bring a bottle to share. Doesn’t say you can’t bring Night Train and start bidding at $2.

Do You….Caulk?

September 1, 2009 RH 3 Comments

Top half of trim, untouched. Bottom, caulked.

Picture this: You’re all finished with a major renovation….demo, wiring, plumbing, plastering, blah, blah, blah. You’ve done a meticulous paint job and now you’re ready to kick back, pop a beer and relax. But you’re not finished, are you?

I know. I’ve been there. I get lazy and quit mid job. But you’ve gotta find the energy to caulk! It really makes a difference, as seen in these before and after photos below. No, you won’t do it months from now. Just do it and get it over with.

Now, I know I don’t have to do a DIY instructive on how to caulk.

Do I?

Oy.

Ok.

1. Buy the right color and type. There’s caulk for molding, tubs,doors, windows. Don’t be cheap. Get a good brand. No, the color won’t match your paint exactly. That’s why you buy paintable.

2. Remove any dirt in the area.

3. Cut the tip on a slight angle with a blade. Not a huge hole. Not so small that it won’t come out. Like you can fit a baby pea through the whole, but not a big pea.

4. Oh, tools you need to have….a caulk gun. You knew that already, though.

5. Um, have some water, sponge and paper towels handy too.

6. Ok, so hold the caulk gun at a 45% angle and apply pressure while you’re moving it along. It may come out in spurts and that’s ok. They call this “beading”.

7. After you do your “beads”, go back and smooth it out with your finger or a sponge. They actually make tools for this so you don’t have to use your finger.

8. The paper towels are to clean up your mess.

9. The caulk will shrink, but you don’t want to apply it too goopy. Less is more. You can always go back and hit it a second time.

10. Don’t fear the caulk. It’s the easiest thing in the world. You oughta be ashamed that you’re even reading this.

Before

After. Unpainted, obviously.

Before

And after.

And before.

After. The end.

Cool But Unaffordable Real Estate Listings

August 31, 2009 RH 1 Comment

You’ve probably heard by now that the skinniest house in NY is on the market. 75 1/2 Bedford Street is currently listed with Corcoran for $ 2,750,000. The 1873 Dutch row house in the West Village is only 9.5 feet wide. The interior doesn’t look extra cute from the listing, although it may be the terrible snapshot photos. You would think for a nearly 3 million dollar famous home, the agent would make an effort, but no. It is said that John Barrymore and Cary Grant lived here.

Oooh, I just love this one! It’s just soooo European, but it’s actually in New Jersey. Hoboken, to be exact. The octagonal cottage is listed with Liberty Real Estate for $849,000. Not a crazy price, but steep for a single family. Add close to 10k taxes on that and yer done fer. Plus, no parking. But it’s sooooo European!

Gotta say, I’m not really groovin to this one. Listed with Bond for $1,950,000 . It’s kind of like Westchester McMansion meets Superman’s Ice Palace. But it could be fun for a day. I’d imagine light wouldn’t be a problem. The elders in my family have a yiddish word for people who like homes like this. It’s called “galitzianer”, although I’ve always thought it was “glitzyaner”, which would make more sense. You get the picture. The definition of “galitzianer” doesn’t really match, so I’m thinking maybe my family is making it up as they go along?

Landmarking and Scavenging

August 28, 2009 RH 3 Comments

I’ve been hard at non-computer related work this week, so it’s been a struggle to keep up with fresh blog posts. Luckily, I have some fabulous blogger buddies who send me updates periodically.

One of them is my neighbor, Mr. “Save Bedford Stuyvesant” Morgan. He emailed about a new blog that will keep track of the landmarking of our section of Bed Stuy. Wanna know what it’s called? Bedford Corners. How “It’s a Wonderful Life” is that? (I know, I know….that was Bedford Falls)

Just so you know, Bedford Corners is not a new real estate term. It’s the area surrounding the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street. Bedford was founded in the 70’s (as in 1670’s) and later became “one” with Stuyvesant Heights. Bedford + Stuyvesant = You do the math.

Ms. Renovation Therapy Jean alerted me to the new blog, Scavenger List. They go around NYC taking photos of curb “trash”. You know what they say about one man’s trash?

Locations are posted and there’s even a google map of where these treasures are. I’d be worried that they would be gone by the time I made my way over. Did I ever mention the beautiful dresser I missed because I didn’t want to move my car on alternate parking day? It was either the good parking spot or that dresser and I chose the spot. Oh, what this city does to people.

Ted’s Legacy:NYC Housing Advocate

August 27, 2009 RH

Just one story of how Ted Kennedy touched a New Yorker’s life.

Jessica Katz was born in a Moscow hospital in 1977 with a nutritional deficiency that stopped her from growing. Without proper care, she would have died, yet she was denied permission to leave the Soviet Union because her father had been exposed to government secrets.

In September of 1978, Kennedy stepped in. After learning of the “little refusenik’s” struggle, he traveled to Moscow for a meeting with Brezhnev himself to ask him to let the Katz family leave the country for Western medical attention.

Long story short (but you should read it and watch the video), the Katz family were greeted by Kennedy when they arrived in Boston and they all lived happily ever after (except TK, RIP).

Inspired by Kennedy’s life of public service, Jessica Katz now works at the Department of Housing and Development finding housing for NYC’s homeless population.

From their website: “HPD is the largest municipal developer of affordable housing in the nation. They work with governmental, community, non-profit and for-profit partners to strengthen neighborhoods, increase the availability of well-maintained, affordable housing and enable more New Yorkers to become homeowners.”

“HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program provides financing to not-for-profit organizations to develop supportive housing for homeless single adults, including people suffering from disabilities such as mental illness and AIDS.”

Talk about paying it forward!

Fabulous Upcycled Furniture

August 26, 2009 RH 2 Comments

I’ve passed Fabulous Furniture on 28 in Boiceville a gazillion times, but last Saturday was the first time I pulled over. In a way, I wish I hadn’t, because I wanted everything in the shop and couldn’t afford a thing. If you’ve gone that route before, you know the place….with the car sculptures out front.

Steve Heller is the genius behind the metal sculpture, auto furniture and woodwork. His father was a junk collector/antiques dealer and he started working with reclaimed wood when he was 12. He opened shop in 1973.

Most of the wood used comes from fallen or rotten trees and other “misfit” trees that are unappealing to loggers. The defects are what create the intense patterns.

There are car bars and car couches and car lamps, but Steve also works on just cars. In fact, he won the NY Times’ Collectible Car Contest earlier in the year. Are you ready for this? He takes new cars and antiques them by adding old exterior parts. He’s currently working on a kick ass station wagon in the back of his building.

If you’re into collectible cars, you gotta visit this place!

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