Via Kinetic Carnival
Memories of the M Train
Marty held a mock funeral for the M line. What a schmuck. But in a lovable way. Service on the M line has been cut back to next to nothing, but it’s not gone altogether.
When I was a youngin’, I was all about the M train and it was a totally different route back then. It ran along the current B/Q line in Brooklyn, the local to the D express. I lived in Midwood on a local stop and the M was all I had.
During my senior year of high school I worked at Le Croissant Shop near Park Row and I had to catch the M every day after school. It took about 45 minutes from Avenue M to Fulton Street and it. stopped. at. every. single. stop. That same year, we moved to Coney Island, land of a thousand train lines, but I was stuck taking the M to school.
Come to think of it, the M sucked. I switched for the express at Newkirk any chance I got. So what’s the point of this post? I don’t have a point. I’m just running out of things to write about.
FDNY Photo Exhibit
My friend Ben is a retired firefighter and working photographer. In the last few years, he’s had the coolest job in the world, working with the FDNY photo unit. This exhibit at St. Johns features Ben’s work as well as others. It’s in chronological order, starting with images dating back to 1869. The opening is February 10th.
Your Old House Contest
This Old House is having a contest again! Write an essay and send in your renovation photos for a chance to win a $5,000 grand prize or $1000 runner up prize. There are nine categories and six chances to win. I can’t find the deadline. Am I stupid? Can someone help me out with that?
Have Fun for Charity
Just because the whole country is in the crapper doesn’t mean it’s ok to ignore the less fortunate. You still need to treat yourself right and you can help others while you’re at it. Here are four fun things you can do to clear your conscience.
Get drunk for the animals! Tonight at Angels and Kings in the East Village.
Super Vegan sponsors the monthly Vegan Drinks. It’s a chance to promote and discuss your animal rights agenda. Not a vegan? Then you really need to get your ass over there! You’re sooo 2008. What are you waiting for?
Get creative for the elderly! Spread that Valentine love around.
Etsy is teaming up with Citymeals on Wheels to bring handmade cards to seniors around the city. No, they don’t really have to be handmade or even vintage. You can buy cards. What’s in it for you? Well, if bringing smiles to lonely old people isn’t good enough, you’ll get some free Etsy publicity out of it. Deadline: February 2. Hurry, no time to waste! PS: How cute is the woman with the “So many men…” shirt?
Shop for culture! February 5th.
A bunch of independent fashion designers have formed a group called “Fundraising in Style” and their very first event is to benefit FABNYC. Portions of every purchase will be donated to Fourth Arts Block in the East Village. More info on their site or Facebook. Shout out to one of the designers, Miss Wit, a Brooklyn Flea neighbor.
Laugh for the Children! February 9th at the Gotham Comedy Club in Chelsea.
The “Comics Care” event will benefit several organizations that help underprivileged children, such as The Fresh Air Fund and NY Yankees Foundation. Your host for the evening will be Michael DeStefano, big macher accountant at Ernst and Young and comedian extraordinaire. I went to junior high with him and haven’t seen him since. Ah, what did we ever do before Facebook? Anyway, he was kind of a jerk back then so I might have to heckle. We’ll see.
Playing with Dolls
I was looking for vintage doll parts. Now I have so many dolls I don’t know what to do with them all! When I started out this morning, I really wanted to alter the Barbies, but then I realized I had to figure out how to sew to do what I wanted to. So, I skipped that and started with the easy stuff. Drillin’, screwin’ and gluin’.
Baby needs a collar. I liked the height that the wood added, but I’m not grooving to the wood. If it was a bit shorter…
Nothing like a naked redhead for the table top.
Painted salvaged parquet tile. Ready to hang.
Since I don’t advocate smoking, let’s call this a jewelry holder instead of an ashtray. Actually, it probably shouldn’t be near heat anyway since the sides are plastic.
Tuesday Linkorama
This blog is getting really lame, huh? Well, some of us have to work, ya know!
20 Ways to Reuse Egg Cartons: Cult Case
The Boiler Man on LEED: Beacon Artist
Pensione Flatiron? Curbed
Valentine’s Day Crafts: Craftster
Win a Victorian: Holy Hudson
How The White House Became A Green House: Make Green Come True
Hello Freebies!
Ooh, look what I found! Over at the Refibered blog, Etsy seller Kelly has giveaways just about every day! All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.
Kelly works with reclaimed fabrics….hence the “refibered” term. She does children’s clothing, totes and other fabric goodies.
Ecobunga is “your guide to green giveaways and deals”. Explore the site!
Home improvement blog “One Project Closer” sometimes gives away tools and gift cards.
Finally, be sure to keep on top of Sam’s (aka Renovation Therapy’s fiance) Retail Anarchy. I hear from a good source that this guy is one cheap bastard, so learn from the best!
Lovin’ My Ebay Finds Today!
I’ve been rediscovering Ebay after a bit of a hiatus. Reason being, I need to come up with some smaller items for the Dumbo market since the larger stuff was not walking away with the Eurotrash shoppers. My lazy ass is too slow to come up with all of those upcycled Reclaimed Home specialties by next weekend, so I’m getting by with a little help from my Ebay friends.
I purchased three lots last week. Two of them arrived today. The dolls and the salt and pepper shakers. I’m in love with all of them! I don’t want to sell them.
How cute is this baby? I have to figure out if this stuff is worth anything before incorporating it into other pieces. Anyone know anything about dolls?
At least this one was just a head, so I won’t feel bad about ripping it apart. I wish they were all just heads. Less work for me.
The best part about the doll package was that they all came in this case. Am I the only one who’s scared of dolls? This bride looks like she’s dead in a coffin. Kids play with this stuff?
Ok, I might have to keep this one for myself or ask my mom if she wants it. My father did a mean Geraldine impression.
The flip side of Flip is Geraldine! Too bad the voice pull doesn’t work. That would be killer!
My favorite salt and pepper shakers are these clowns because it’s two sets in one if you turn it around.
I’m in love with the fawns as well. All of these were made in Japan.
Upstate Houses Under $200K
1940’s ranch that was completely rebuilt in 1994. Nothing thrilling about it except the New Paltz location. It’s 1/4 acre, 900 square feet, eh renovation. I’ve gotta say this though…IMO, New Paltz is one of those places that has it all, so you don’t really miss the city.
$199K Saugerties Mixed Use
Ok, this could be a cool loft like space. I can see myself filling this up with my junk. As if the buildings aren’t enough, it sits on 2.5 acres in Saugerties. Not bad.
$182K Newburgh 2 BR
You can pick up a shell on the wrong side of Newburgh for less than $50k. Not for the faint of heart, but this idiot would probably go for it if she had some extra cash. I chose this house because it looks like a clean-ready to go place in a nice neighborhood.
I know. This is hideous. I can’t tell if it’s a mobile home with an addition or a modular. I’m anti-mobile for obvious reasons (They aren’t real houses!). If this is something with a foundation, then we’re just talking cosmetics. It reminds me of our Kingston home we beautified. 2 acres in fabulous High Falls? I’m tellin ya….this is a dream!
$144,800 Beacon 3 BR
I’ve been in this house. It was a few years ago and the owner was embarking on a gorgeous restoration. I’m a bit concerned as to why it’s this price. I’m thinking foreclosure. Unless something terrible has happened to the house. No interior shots….hmm….something’s up. Anyway, right around the corner from moi. Walk to train and happening Main Street Beacon.
Plywood + Paint = Great Furniture
I took yesterday off and went over to my friend Melissa’s house to watch the inauguration. Turns out, she’s a DIY furniture maven. Most of these designs were made from pieces of new plywood, with the exception of the china hutch, which I believe she told me was a curb find.
I asked Melissa if this was one of those spools that everyone (well, me) had in their younger days. It’s not. She cut the top from plywood. You can grab one of those spools for a reclaimed version, but they are not one solid piece, so perhaps it wouldn’t work as well. If you put glass over the fabric as Melissa was planning to do, that would take care of the problem of uneven grooves. I love this coffee table!
The kitchen counter top, again, just plywood, paint and a bunch of creativity and skills. I forgot to ask whether it’s coated with poly or resin. We all know how expensive counter tops are (Don’t we?). This is a quick, easy, inexpensive solution. Even if you don’t have any painting skills, a solid color with a stencil or tape guided lines could be fabulously gorgeous.
I didn’t ask, but it’s clear that this dining table is better quality wood than ply. With a bit of sanding and routed edges, it looks like a professional piece. You can do anything you want! A game board, an American flag (because I’m so patriotic now), fake place settings….
Melissa’s mom painted this furniture find. At least that’s what I think she said. Too much champagne yesterday. That cat is Melissa’s and she’s now close to 20 years old. Ok, so maybe you need some skills to paint this one. You want images but lack painting skills? Decoupage.
Free At Last!
Eight years and two months ago I loved my country. Sure, I knew we were flawed just like any country (except maybe Canada, but they’re boring), but things were running smoothly.
And then it happened. We all know the story of the last eight years. I won’t dig up bad memories because it’s time to move forward. It’s finally over! Let’s hope these schmucks don’t try to pull anything funny and may the door slam them so hard in the ass it hurts for years.
I’ve never called myself a patriot. I ran off to Europe after high school and again a few years later. It was the Reagan years after all. But I’ve gotta say, I’m feeling pretty proud of my country today. Today I am a patriot. And I hope this excitement lasts for the next eight plus years because it feels good.
I no longer have to make excuses when I travel abroad. Screw you, Europeans! Stop complaining about us and take a look in your own damn backyards! And Morrissey, I love you, man, but you owe us an apology.
I will no longer get angry when I see someone with a Jesus fish on their car. Everyone has a right to their spiritual beliefs, but the religious right is not running the show! And you know what? Screw you, religious right! I don’t know a thing about religion, but I know your intolerance has nothing to do with Christ.
I won’t freak out when I go to an all white neighborhood. I know that not every homogeneous area is KKK. I’ve met quite a few people during the election whom I consider to have racist qualities and yet they still voted for Obama. Ok, so they have issues (as do I, on the other end of the spectrum), but thank God they were open enough to pull the lever for a brotha.
I’m experiencing something I haven’t felt in eight years. It’s like…um…I dunno…a little flicker of light inside me. I think maybe the word for it might be “Hope”? I have hope for the environment. I have hope for gay rights. I have hope for world peace. I’m walking on sunshine and sliding down rainbows! I pray that Obama is everything we’ve dreamed he is.
Congratulations to us all! Mission accomplished. We’ve arrived.
MLK’s Birthplace = Great Victorian!
On January 15th, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr was born at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, GA. His grandfather purchased the 1894 Queen Anne Victorian for $3500 in 1909.
By 1941, the King family moved out of the home and it was converted into a two family dwelling. They kept the house in the family and rented it out. Dr. King’s brother, also a reverend, lived on the second floor with his family into the early 60’s.
The home was restored in the 70’s and is now maintained by the National Park Service. Period furniture was brought in to replicate how the family lived during the 1930’s. Tours are limited so the home can be preserved for future generations.
Photos are not allowed in the home, which is probably why I couldn’t find any interior shots online.
Brick and Brownstone Deals
Ok, I could totally deal with this! For that price, I’ll strip some more molding and mantles. This home is a bit far east in Bed Stuy (Bainbridge at Ralph) but the more desirable parts of the neighborhood are still going for about $200k more than this baby.
$495k: Mott Haven Single Family
This is looking familiar to me. I may have posted it some time ago. This house totally rocks! I’m not all that familiar with The Bronx, so maybe the area isn’t great. Also, with a single family, that mortgage is more difficult to cover. I always prefer a little help from the tenants.
This house has some sweet interior details. And who doesn’t love a front porch? Alls ya need is an American flag and some lemonade and you’ve got it made in the shade!
$699k: Bed Stuy 2 Family
Won’t you be my neighbor? They’re calling this “Stuyvesant Heights”. Well, Stuyvesant Heights it’s not, but it IS on my block. And FYI, that’s BETTER than Stuy Heights! No, not because you can come over and borrow my power tools. Because it’s one A Express stop closer to civilization.
Coolest Furniture Ever!
A hamburger bed even a vegetarian can love. Actually, it could be a veggie burger. Ya never know!
Just one of the many functional things you can do with an old suitcase.
This pinball table is a DIY job from Instructables. Oh, just wait until the hubby gets some spare time!
The peeing table is ha ha funny, but my cats produce enough of the real thing, so it’s no laughing matter in my house.
And what cool furniture post would be complete without an Obama high chair? From Etsy.