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Renovation To Do List

Renovation To Do List published on 2 Comments on Renovation To Do List

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Make hole in floor go away. Check.

I’m trying to get some real work done today (like the type of work I make money from) and I have writer’s block, so to feed 2 birds with one scone, I’m just printing my renovation to do list for all the world to see. My mom booked her summer visit for July and our goal is to have our Bed Stuy apartment finished before then. And have Beacon somewhat under control by Memorial Day weekend.

Bed Stuy

1. Desmond the Floor Guy coming to save the day.
2. Glue missing wainscoting in place (Hubby)
3. Sand all wainscotting (me)
4. Finish plaster repair (me)
5. Replace rotten window trim, molding (Hubby)
6. Hook up radiators (Hubby)
7. Radiator covers and salvaged marble window sill (Both)
8. Paint entire room (me)
9. Paint shutters (me)
10. Install said shutters (Hubby)
11. Strip and finish front doors. (me)
12. Hang doors (Hubby)
13. Resin counter top for kitchenette sink (me or Emilia)
14. Paint sink cabinet (me)
15. Hang light fixture (Hubby)
16. Get some furniture in there! (Both)

That’s just the apartment. Massive work needs to be done on the front and back exterior. Stoop needs total repair and the pitch of the ground needs to be changed in the back to keep water away from house. Fun stuff!

Beacon

1. Finish nightmare porch project (Both)
2. Rip up pet den floor and install sanded plywood (Both)
3. Decorative paint on plywood floor (me)
4. Seal floor with gymnasium quality poly (me)

That’s just to make it safe and unsmelly for weekend guests. The bigger picture means skim coating the dining room, painting the entire exterior, rebuilding the garage, updating and maybe extending the kitchen, redo 2 bathrooms and dealing with a damp basement.

Oh, and I better remind Hubby before winter to finish that zoned heating project he started.

I Got Me A Bat House!

I Got Me A Bat House! published on 3 Comments on I Got Me A Bat House!

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Yesterday I found myself in a garden supply shop and I passed the bat house collection. I figured, hey, why not give it a shot? After my mosquito control post last year, I thought I should practice what I preach.

There were only three to choose from at the shop, but since it was an impulse buy, that was good enough for me. Upon doing some research when I got home, I didn’t make the wrong decision, but I kind of bought the single family of bat shelters as opposed to the luxury condo development.

I ended up with the Audobon single chamber cedar house. It has a wooden landing platform already built in and it does look well made.

A few tips I picked up when researching where to install this thing.

1. Ok, makes no sense if you don’t live near a water source. This is for the Beacon house. We live within 10 blocks of the Hudson. We really wanted one for Brookyn, but Bed Stuy may be too far from water.

2. The home should be placed at least 15-25 feet above the ground to keep the bats safe from predators.

3. Mounting the box in a tree may not be the best idea as the home should be in direct sunlight.

4. No shade means not under eves or in the shadow of your home.

5. Here’s the paradox. Ok, so you want it in direct sun, but you should not put it near any lights or reflective surfaces. I get that the sun is for heat, but if lights bother them, why is the sun ok?

6. Keep it away from air conditioning or any vents that may blow air or smoke.

7. Likewise, keep it away from noise. Not close to the road or loud, barking dogs.

8. Bats and hornets do not get along. The shelter should be inspected at least once a year for hornet nests. Um, protect yourself when doing this. I’ll do so by sending my husband in.

9. It may take up to 3 years to attract bats! They do sell bat guano, which may or may not be a gimmick.

10. Bats are cool as shit, even though they scare the bejesus out of me. You can adopt a bat from the Batworld rescue site.

Renovation: Things To Be Thankful For

Renovation: Things To Be Thankful For published on 5 Comments on Renovation: Things To Be Thankful For

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There’s always something. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Either your toilet has sprung a leak or it won’t flush.

All I wanted to do was chase some cracks yesterday. Did I want to take the all the plaster down to the scratch coat? No! But the plaster had something else in mind. What really sucks is that I’m terrible at plastering. Not my forte. So this is going to be a project. Nah, it’s not. Because I’m just gonna get it done and not worry how it looks or how long it will last. Sorry, but I’m tired of living in the bed room already.

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So, it got me thinking. “Phyllis”, I said, “Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.” Here’s a list of things that we should be thankful for.

1. All the plaster came down?

Hey, at least it didn’t come off down to the lath.

2. Your roof leaks?

At least you have a roof over your head.

3. Noisy heating pipes?

You’re warm, aren’t you?

4. Your bathtub is clogged?

People bathe in the Ganges. Deal with it.

5. Front door hanging of the hinges?

Ok, you should really fix that sh*t before you get broken into. But the good news is, it’s an easy 1 day job.

6. Paint peeling?

Oh, come on. It’s just paint. Please see plaster photos.

7. Frozen pipe burst?

Well, you’ve learned a valuable lesson here. Turn off water to hose in winter and insulate your pipes.

8. You’ve discovered wood rot when taken up a floor?

Good thing you uncovered it so it can be dealt with!

9. Boiler died, huh?

Well, that sucks. But you’ll get much better energy efficiency with your replacement boiler.

10.Your cats pee everywhere but the litterbox and your house stinks?

I do love them. I do love them. I do love them.

Got any of your own? Come on, share!

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Beacon’s Retro Arcade Museum

Beacon’s Retro Arcade Museum published on 1 Comment on Beacon’s Retro Arcade Museum

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The Retro Arcade Museum opened up about a month ago on the west end of Beacon, NY’s Main Street. OMG, OMG, OMG, you have to go!! We’re talking completely cool arcade games from the 50’s-80’s.

Here’s how it works. It’s $10 per hour and then all the games are free. No quarters involved. Pinball machines from the 60’s and 70’s, back when they were good. Speed racing. Shooting games. Awesome.

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But that’s not all folks! The digital juke box has every imaginable forgotten band of the 70’s. Oh yeah, other decades too, but I’m focusing on my own childhood. David Soul’s “Don’t Give Up On Us”! John Travolta’s “Let Her In”! Cher’s “Bang Bang”!

And there’s video too. You can put on old Lucy or Honeymooners episodes while playing. Or Chips or Starsky and Hutch. It’s pretty much like taking a step back in time.

We spoke to Fred, the owner while we were there. He’s originally from Canarsie, then Manhattan, and is now living in Hopewell Junction up here. He started collecting 6 years ago and already has a warehouse full of stuff, plus all the games in the shop. He restores them himself. I’m, like, totally jealous.

Retro Arcade can be rented out for parties. There’s a 50’s era kitchen in the back. It’s just too much fun! Forget DIA. Just go to the arcade!

Brooklyn Flea Starts Saturday!

Brooklyn Flea Starts Saturday! published on

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The Brooklyn Flea Dumbo pop up lives on, but the outdoor Ft. Greene market is bouncing back for it’s second season starting this Saturday. Yes, it was Sundays last year. No, supposedly, it has nothing to do with THE MAN.

I’ll fill you in on new vendors later this week, but the girl’s gotta sell her own stuff first.

“Dirty Barbie” is a filthy crack ho. The first in my series of Barbie alterations. I have many Barbies and zero time. It may be my last in the series. She’s even got a hook on her back so you can hang her like a mezuzah. 25 Bucks and she’s yours for keeps.

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You’ve seen this coffee table as a work in progress before. If you’re a regular blog reader, that is. Well, four months later, I finally finished! It was a light weight piece of crap, but I spent a lot of time making it fabulous. $265

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I started the little orange table back in January also. Then it sat in my living room with the coffee table. Gold detail and poly protection and call it a day! 60 bucks.

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I’m kind of torn about selling this table. It’s just too perfect for a small Brooklyn apartment and we’ll be needing something like this IF we ever finish our renovation. Measures 35″ wide x 19.5″ depth but opens up to 61″ with the leaves. Yeah, I know, right? I’ll stick $435 on it and if it doesn’t sell, I’ll be happy to keep it. It is missing the 2 leaves though. I see that you can buy blanks for as low as $30 or get custom ones made for $500. Which do you think I’ll do?

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Construction Fun at Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Construction Fun at Brooklyn Children’s Museum published on

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Skanska is the company behind the new green renovation of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, making it the first green museum in NYC. It’s also the company my husband happens to work for. They’re big on team building and safety and they do cool things like sponsor events at kid’s museums.

April 18th is Skanska Day at the museum. Kids (and adults) can try on construction gear, check out recycling and energy exhibits and build a marshmallow and toothpick bridge.

To back up my point about Skanska being all unicorns and rainbows, check out the “morning stretch” photo below.

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Earth Day Events ala Con Ed

Earth Day Events ala Con Ed published on

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Hey kids, when I was paying my bill online this morning, I noticed that Con Ed is sponsoring a bunch of Earth Day events throughout the city this month.

Events take place in just about every borough, plus Westchester. There are activities in parks, zoos and museums for youngsters and adults.

Check it out! Should be oodles of fun. And who doesn’t want to save the planet?

Replacing Tongue and Groove Sections

Replacing Tongue and Groove Sections published on 2 Comments on Replacing Tongue and Groove Sections


 

The previous water damage to the front of the house (and the back, but that’s finished) rotted the floor about 5 feet into our living room. We want to rescue the tongue and groove flooring, but need to replace the front pieces. Here’s our first DIY video. Sort of unedited. Director’s cut. I know, I know….very professional and informative.

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FYI: Reclaimed Amazon Store

FYI: Reclaimed Amazon Store published on 4 Comments on FYI: Reclaimed Amazon Store

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Always looking for new ways to make a buck, I put together an Amazon store. This was a fun task as I was able to “shop” for inventory without spending a dime.

The store has four categories so far: books, tools, pets and products. I’m not in control of pricing or shipping, so I don’t know how it compares to others.

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I pretty much chose items that are consistent with this blog. Many I’ve used myself and some I wish I owned. Tools I’ve raved about in the past, like the Silent Paint Remover. Lazy people’s pet products like the indoor Pet Loo and treadmill. There are books on New York, frugality, design and restoring old homes. Green products include things like milk paint and furniture restore. Ok, the furniture restore isn’t green, but saving the old pieces are! All in the name of preservation, hon.

Check it out! Give me some feedback. Purchase a bunch of crap you don’t need so I can make money. Thank you. Have a nice day!

Related:

Silent Paint Remover

Lazy Pet Owner

The English Beat for a Good Cause

The English Beat for a Good Cause published on 1 Comment on The English Beat for a Good Cause


 
The English Beat is on my top 5 list of favorite bands ever. So when I saw that a Facebook buddy linked to a concert they were playing locally, I jumped at the chance to get tickets. Never mind that I initially purchased tickets for the wrong night and had to exchange them. It’s all good now.The Beat (as my Irish husband insists on calling them) is playing 3 nights at Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ. The first night, May 13th is a fundraising event for the Five P Minus Society, an organization set up to help support families of children born with this rare genetic defect.

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Jude Chavez was born with 5P- Sydrome aka Cri du Chat. Fortunately for him and others like him, his parents are taking positive steps to educate the public and increase awareness about the disorder. So, how did they get The Beat to play their benefit? Jude’s mother, Barbara, a long time fan, just approached the lead singer, Dave Wakeling and asked him after a concert last year. And he said yes!

Dave Wakeling will be on hand for photos and autographs for a donation. You can also bid to perform with the band! How cool is that? Tickets are $75 for this event and $25 for the regular concert on other nights. But I know you’ll splurge for this because you’re not selfish bastards.

So come, see a great concert (They are terrific in concert!), meet the band, dance, nosh, schmooze and do it all in the name of a good cause!

Front Porch/Back Porch Works in Progress

Front Porch/Back Porch Works in Progress published on 4 Comments on Front Porch/Back Porch Works in Progress

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While I was off gallivanting around the flea market on Sunday, the husband was hard at work on the front porch. The thing is a mess and needs some serious structural care. We took out work permits nearly two years ago when we started ripping it apart and they’ll be expiring this July.

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What needs to be done, you ask? Um, well, I guess the whole thing is getting rebuilt. New foundation needs to be poured, the columns were collapsing due to foundation and wood rot, floor joists should be repaired and leveled and did I mention wood rot? New deck flooring. The staircase and bannister will be replaced, the shingles will be taken down and ballusters will be put in to open up the area. Then we’re going to screen off the area on the side so the pets can participate in the fun.

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All this before we paint the exterior of the house by autumn. Think we’re delusional to expect it will get done this year? Yeah, you’re right. Who am I trying to kid?

What hubby did this weekend was more demolition and some temporary support of the roof so it doesn’t collapse. Our house looks lovely from the street right about now.

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But our real handy work was on the back porch! See, I don’t trust the cats to stay outside on their own for too long without adult supervision. One of them eventually chews his way through the fence in system. Plus there’s the matter of all those birds, snakes and rodents I’ve had to save.

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We’ll be ripping up the floor in the “cat den” and they’ll all need a place to stay for at least a week (or a year, considering how long it takes us to do things). The kitchen isn’t quite enough space, but it does lead out to the back porch. So we made a temporary safe haven for them while the work is being done.

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The original idea was chicken wire. But then I came up with the lattice screen figuring it would be easier to install and look less prisonish. When we got to Home Depot and saw the plastic shit that we didn’t have to paint….well the rest is White Trash history!

Our lovely WT porch enclosure goes really well with our lifestyle, including the front porch, 3 cars in the driveway, dog poop in the yard and piles of broken furniture in the dilapidated garage. Yee-haw! Y’all come back now, y’hear?

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