May Randomness
“We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work”
― Thomas A. Edison
Memories - Past and Present
Shopping the Thursday Garage Sales was great. Beautiful sunny morning. Friday, on the other hand, not so sunny. Still I managed to spend a few hours with friends and score a few treasures.
Garage sales always remind me of my Grandma Miller - a woman who enjoyed shopping and valued a sale in any store. I don't recall ever attending a sale with her but she hosted many. She lived in the sleep little town of Osgood and I was usually allowed to run around the block (sometimes with cousins) looking at what the other houses had. After exploring, I'd run inside and get a drink of her unique well water. It would be hot outside but her kitchen always seemed to be cool thanks to the giant shade tree. Her garage sale lunch always seemed to feature bright red strawberries and her good cookies. Most of my memories of my Grandma Miller involve her kitchen.
The first photo below shows the set of glasses that reminds me of Grandma. Next is a flower press (with bonus, pressed pansies in between the sheets of cardboard). My major score was three brand new packages of magnetic curtain rods for $2.00 each. I actually NEEDED these and would have purchased them for $10ish in the store. So I was pretty happy about that. At St. Pauls garage sale I purchased a steel lock box for $0.50 (it even included the key) and somewhere else I bought the broach for $0.25. Finally a shot of my fresh cut flowers in a glass from Thursdays shopping (psst, the "vase" only cost $0.05)
I was sad to miss Saturdays sales but was very happy to attend the bridal shower of my husbands-cousins-finacee, named Cristina. What a beautiful shower! Her gracious family hosted us at the lovely Lindey's Restaurant in the German Village section of Columbus. We enjoyed a delicious champagne brunch and played the cutest game. We all got little bride and groom clothespins that we attached to our shirts. If we saw anyone crossing their legs we were allowed to take their pin. The person with the most at the end of the shower was the winner. I worked hard to keep mine because it was so cute. They were made by a friend of Cristina's family in Laredo, Texas, Martha Parker. Martha and her assistant Olga hand-painted them. (see photo below)
The first photo is a shot of the bride Cristina (second from the right) with her soon-to-be "new" sister-in-laws. The last photo is of me with my "old" sister-in-laws. (a big haha to Annette and Dianne - though technically Dianne is much younger so I shouldn't joke).
Finally my latest news regarding the store - we have a new back door! Plus I took a few more updates photos of the outside. (since the sun is actually shining today)
Garage Sale Time
If the New Bremen Garage Sales sold beer I'd consider it a town festival. I don't generally go to garage sales the rest of the year. I prefer thrift stores or antique malls. But the town garage sale is a great time to get out, see people and buy their junk. This year, like last year, I am on a mission to find unique things to use to decorate the store. Some of the stuff I purchased last year is still in storage. It's going to be like Christmas when I start unpacking.
Day 1 (and $31 dollars later)
The Eyes of the World
Recently the village of Minster put out their newsletter with a gentle reminder to folks to keep their property looking nice. This typically isn't a problem in our lovely little towns but there are always exceptions, hence the gentle reminder.
I cringed a little, hoping that no one reports or complains about our property. After all the building is located right along Route 66 and is plenty visable. Believe me - I KNOW it looks bad. However, the brand new windows look fabulous!! Hopefully anyone who might be irritated with our eyesore can be patient just a little longer. Paint chip samples reside in my purse, desk and online pinterest board. Decision are being made and when the weather breaks we'll hopefully be jumping on the paint project and replacing the doors. The door that already has the stoop with be the main entrance (with a new and improved stoop) and the other door will be converted into something clean and decorative.
The particular window featured below is the last one replaced. It's larger than the rest because it used to be a display window for the cobbler that once did business here (once upon a time anyway). That corner of the building that seems to be sagging so this window is tilted and looks like a quizzical eyebrow being raised. Dad had a heck of a time dealing with these guys but I know they are now "perfect" and straight. "We" will be trimming them out and painting a clean white. The sash (probably not the right word but oh well) above and below will be painted the shade of the building to blend them in better. Then later window boxes will appear along with other nice decorative elements.
I know it will be worth the wait.
Easter Recap
Susie, Annette and Miss Mya
The front of the building facing Route 66. Still needs to be trimmed out.
The Easter egg garland was a hit - mostly with the "older" girls. Meaning my sister-in-laws. We had fun chit chatting and crafting paper eggs long after the kids bored of the craft.
As for my recipes. I made a loaded baked potato salad which was a disappointment. I think I put too much potato and not enough "stuff". I served it cold and wasn't impressed. I've been eating the leftovers. Even heated it's nothing to write home about.
Now the Bacon Pops were another story. I had my doubts but I figured with the main ingredients being bacon and cream cheese it couldn't be too bad.
The recipe also called for goats cheese which I'd never tried before and I found it added a perfect tang to the dish.
Bacon Pops http://www.thekitchn.com/bacon-pops-goat-cheese-balls-w-82974
Now for a store update
Dad's been busy replacing window. Beautiful clean, non-paint gunked windows. Two windows are left and them we're on to the doors!.
A few new invites
In a bind for time? I can mail the invites for you.
Front of the envelope, Addressed with a little scalloped and hand graphic.
Easter Fun!!
Easter will be celebrated Pinterest-style. After worship comes family time, crafting and food. The little gals in Adams family will be making easter egg garland. They are always so cute. The older girls always ask, "how many are we allowed to make." Then they race to make as many as possible. The little girls take their time. The boys sometimes participate and sometimes not. (well, except for the one who NEVER does - one day he will shock me and grab a scissors.)
As for food, I will be bringing bacon pops to the Suchlands and a Loaded Bake Potato Salad to the Millers (mom's side). Fingers crossed. If the food turns out I'll post the recipes.
Happy Easter To All!
Got a New Look
I'm getting myself Spiffed up for Spring!
Check out the new website www.sarapaper@yahoo.com
The whole thing is still a work in progress. I plan to include a lot more information in the coming weeks. But I'm so happy to finally be able to easily upload photos. Especially for the brides who really need to see examples to decide if they want to book an appointment. I knew that was badly needed.
Most exciting of all - I can now have a shopping cart! That portion is still not ready but I think it will be a wonderful addition when available.
Happy Easter to All!!
Update
This photo pretty much sums up why I need a bigger office. This was taken at 4:00 on a busy Thursday afternoon.
Have I mentioned that we haven't eaten at our dining room table since October? I can't wait to have a "back room" to hide this craziness.
As for 55 North Main, lots of things have been happening. We've had crazy shopping sprees, dropping money on windows, insulation and wiring. Adam and Mike have been working on wiring. I've been working on figuring out where outlets are supposed to go (not fun). Dad has been working on the archway, tinkering in masonry and probably doing all sorts of other things I haven't noticed.
The photo below shows Adam (looking cute) standing in front of the old door frame. They removed the wood frame, took out some bricks and put in a new brace for the top of the door. You'll notice the wet bricks that reach the ceiling. This used to be a hole and since I really wanted to keep an exposed brick wall "we" had to do something with it. Dad did an excellent job of filling in the hole. When it dries and is cleaned up no one would ever know.
The months keep flying by faster and faster! I hope to have a revamped website soon as well as several new invitation lines. Can't wait for spring.
Smart Phones Rule! Now . . . what to do with those old watches
Having a phone in my purse means I always know the time, even if I do not wear a watch. In fact I never bothered to replace the battery of the last watch I used. A photo on pinterest inspired me to do a little crafting.
I visited my favorite thrift store (Link to Agape in St. Marys, Ohio) and purchased an old watch (only $1.00)
I popped of the back and took out the guts of the old gal. I cleaned her up real good. Thrift store watches tend to have dirt everywhere so I used an old toothbrush.
Then I sized a favorite photo of my hubby and I and printed it out on regular old paper. This one was taken 10 (yes, TEN) years ago.
I inserted the photo into the glass, stuffed a little cotton behind it to keep it in place. The back was snapped into place and BAM - sappy, romantic bracelet.
You could put wedding photos, antique photos of grandparents (a copy - not an original please), baby photos, a current family photo or just a photo that makes you smile. The watch above was sort of large. I bought a few extra watches that are a bit more dainty and I'll probably put something more vintage-y in them.
. . . . . . . . . . . . Cheap Wedding Decor at AGAPE . . . . . . . . . . . .
I just love shopping at thrift stores. I'm not afraid of things that are stuffed into a corner or have a little dirt. If you aren't scared either you could find great things at a thrift store - especially with the trend right now of rustic chic decor.
The Agape in St. Marys (1220 East Spring Street) had tons of little glass compote dishes - which I thought would be perfect for multiple centerpieces. ($0.59 each). They also had TONS of vases, glass dishes, sheer curtains, vintage books, ribbon. I so wish I could redo my wedding reception right now.
I meet so many brides who are creative and love pinterest inspired ideas. If anyone is looking to save a little moolah on decor I'd suggest a visit to pinterest followed by a visit to a thrift store. Soap and water and maybe a bit of paint can turn $50.00 worth of "crap" into something beautiful. I didn't ask but I bet you could even check with the saleperson to see if they can cut you a deal. After all, they receive constant donations and need to move merchandise or they would overflow.
Aside from the money saving aspect, you can feel great about shopping at places like Agape. All the money that isn't spent on operating costs goes right into the food pantry or in some way assists people in need. You are recycling materials, giving new life to unloved items and helping the community. Plus, when you are finished you have the option to donate it all back and repeat the cycle.
DIY isn't for everyone. But if you have the vision and want to save money, find a crafty friend and start looking!!
Happy Shopping!!
Putting up Walls
Yeah, I did it. I put up a wall. Okay, maybe I was only conveniently there at the right time and maybe I really only "helped" (i.e. touched the wall) as Dad and Mikey put it into place - but still.
The Dads and Adam have been working each night to frame out these walls. I'm told things will go faster at this point and I'll be surprised at how quickly things will take shape.
Even though walls are going up we plan to keep a wall of exposed brick. Adam has been cleaning the wall little by little. Unfortunately the only wall we wanted to keep exposed also had a hole it in. We have plenty of bricks to fill it in. Below that hole is a small door frame that will have to be enlarged to a normal size so who knows how "we" will deal with it. It may end up being too awkward to keep exposed but I'm hopeful the guys will try to keep it.
While the guys have been working hard I've been going through the motions of engagement season! I tried out a new booth display at the WSCM Bridal Show and was pleased with how it looked.
This past weekend I visited the "$1.00 a Bag" Book Sale at the Minster Library. I scored 32 books for $2.00! (you can't beat a $0.0625 cost per book) True a few of them were childrens books that may or may not be a hit with the kids. A few were old books that I just liked the way they looked and plan to use them as decoration in the store. But I have a large stack that looks like promising reading material. Also included in the mix was a 5-inch thick Webster Dictionary.
While I hate the thought of dystroying books I know these circa 1964 pages will lend nicely to a few pinterest projects I have my eye on. Let's face it. Not too many people would buy this book for it's intended purpose So this book will get a new lease on life and provide entertainment for myself and other crafters.
Have a great week! Can't believe Lent will begin on Wednesday.
What happened to January???
The New Post Card Stamp . . . ohhhhh
Stamp prices have risen again. (boooooo). Bad news for people who plan to mail out 150-200 invites. Probably 150-200 rsvp cards. These same people will likely mail about 150-200 thank you cards to their wedding guests, not to mention the 30-40ish shower thank you cards. Let's not forget the extra mail for sending deposits and payments for wedding services.
A note about the post card stamp. As many know it's more affordable to mail an RSVP postcard rather than a traditional card and envelope. Reason number 1 is because you don't have to pay for a envelope and pay for your address to be printed on the envelope. Secondly you only have to apply $0.33 postage instead of the full first class postage of $0.46. If you mail out 150 invites this saves you almost $20.00 - not a huge amount in the grand scheme of a wedding but if you are counting pennies (and many are) this $20.00 could instead be spent towards your head piece or a more special cake topper. Whatever floats your boat.
Another thing I like to discuss is the design of the post card stamp. While you can purchase many, many first class forever stamps - we are at the mercy of the postal system when we buy that $0.33 stamp. This year the post card stamp is a pretty apple.
Okay, so that isn't going to suit every invitation style it's far better than the polar bear that was available several years ago. Gals who graduated from ONU were happy to use it since their mascot is a polar bear. Others had to suffer.
Once I had a bride who confided that she was disappointed that I used the above post card stamp on her very elegant invites. I'm glad she spoke up! I visit the post office daily so I know the selection of stamp. I failed to realize that most brides have no idea that there is ONLY ONE post card option (save for using a more appropriate, but more costly, love stamp.) This was a lesson learned and now I make sure to educate people that they have a choice. It is cheaper to go the post card route but we have to live with whatever the post office selects for us. Hopefully this year everyone likes the apple!
From the United States Postal Service Link
The price for First-Class Mail single-piece letters will increase by just a penny when prices change in Jan. The new 46 cent Forever stamps will allow customers to mail letters to any location in the United States. Forever stamps are always good for mailing a one-ounce letter anytime in the future regardless of price changes.
Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 27, 2013 include:
- Letters (1oz.) — 1-cent increase to 46 cents
- Letters additional ounces — unchanged at 20 cents
- Letters to all international destinations (1oz.) — $1.10
Postcards — 1-cent increase to 33 cents
Miscommunication and Decoration
A hurdle has been crossed in the communication between myself and my husband.
Once upon a time when I worked retail, I spent a great many days behind a wrap desk. I'd work the register, bag up merchandise, give the customer her change with a smile. Since my new store will undoubtably have customers, and merchandise I decided that I'd certainly need a wrap desk of my own.
So I went about thinking where in the store I would locate a wrap desk and what I'd stock in it's shelves and drawers (kraft bags, pretty tissue paper and of course ribbons). When the dreaded day of discussion arrived Adam and I found ourselves in arguement.
I told him I wanted a wrap desk and I told him where I wanted it.
He agreed that I should have a wrap desk if i wanted one.
The conversation continued. Soon it became clear that he wasn't getting it. In frustration I'm waving my arms pointing at the torn up area where this wrap desk would eventually live. Still nothing. Auuug, it looks perfect in my head. What's the (blanking) problem?
Finally, with great patience, Adam tells me he "GETS IT" but he doesn't understand where I plan for the short end of the desk to go.
SHORT END? There is no short end on MY WRAP DESK!! Seriously
Well, it turns out that my husband, who hasn't worked at ElderBeerman or Maurices didn't know that the cash register counter can also be called a "wrap desk". He though a wrap desk was a basic desk that WRAPPED AROUND things. Like an L shaped counter would have a long portion and a short portion.
WOW.
And here we both thought the other was an idiot. Luckily we were able to laugh it off but it certainly reminded me that sometimes definitions are required to avoid a ridiculous convervsation.
The decorations in my shop will have a rustic flair. These are ideas from a fabulous place we visited in Columbus. This store is geared towards folks commited to true period restoration. But if you need something for a pinterest inspired project this is the place to shop. http://www.columbusarchitecturalsalvage.com
It's being to look a lot like . . . something
The holidays came and went and we just keep moving along. Luckily Dad hasn't moved on and he's still plugging away at the building. Life has been busy and I haven't posted in awhile. Some of my regular followers have been asking for an update.
Over the last month or two we ("we" mostly meaning Adam, his dad and my dad) ripped up the flooring in the entire place. I'm talking "down to the floor joist and standing on the dirt underneath" gutted.
{ This is the front room which faces 66. I'm standing in the "kitchen". }
After carefully examining the joist and cleaning out the old ductwork and debris, we made time to search the ground for treasures. I'm looking for that million dollars we keep expecting to find. Well, we found some money. Dad and I agreed that we were going to tell people that "weren't comfortable sharing the amount with others". Instead we'd just tell people we found some money.
OKAY, it was only a handful of pennies, nickles and dimes.
and a pen
and a dead body
DEAD BODY????
Adam and our brother-in-law Rod P found the remains of a rather large animal body. Far too large to be your run of the mill rodent. Possibly large enough to be a decent sized dog and we're puzzled on how it got under the building. It was "long gone" but very intact. Luckily I wasn't present and only heard about it after the fact.
So we moved on . . .
{ The next step was to lay down plastic to control moisture. }
{ Then insulate }
And then new flooring. Our original plan was to save the wood floors. So "we" removed the tongue in groove hardwood - plank by plank. In the back room (which we refer to as the brick room) dad reinstalled the wood.
He quickly found that all the boards are of different thickness and width. Hardly an easy job to reinstall. The wood, with all it's layers of dirt and grime, was not ideal to refinish. And not likely to make a suitable base to put fresh flooring over it. Plus the process killed his knees. In the end "we" decided that the time and effort it was going to take to "save" the flooring was just not worth it. He finished the brick room flooring and I'm opting to leave it exposed in all its rustic glory. I may get creative and paint it but likely it will be sanded smooth and left as is.
{ As for the rest of the place . . . }
We're happy to have a consistant subfloor. The view above is a look at the bathroom from the kitchen area. It's not all nailed down properly since our plumber and hvac guy will still need to get into those areas. But atleast we can now walk confindently throughout the place.
Our plan all along was to gut the building and do a proper and sensible job of renovating (to the best of our scope of knowledge anyway). We also wished to maintain the charm of this 1837ish structure and honor the work of the original builders. While this building is old, it's not necessarily historic so we're not taking extreme pains to keep it all as it once was. For instance, we purchased brand new Anderson windows but selected the 6 pane look of the original windows. Also Dad carefully pulled down the window trim to reuse. He'll have to adapt it to accommodate the new window but the appearance of it will remain. I feel this is a happy medium of upgrading to energy efficent new windows but with most of the original trimwork intact.
We don't need to restore the building to what it was in 1837. An 1837-quality building doesn't serve the needs of 2013. We simply need to restore the building to a comfortable, safe and attractive structure. (which I'm sure the town of Minster agrees)
So with a 2013 mindset of conserving money, and the materials in our enviroment, we proceed. Even the wood that was pulled up and not reinstall has been saved and will go to good use. We may use it as the baseboard trim or a chair rail. If I can get dad interested enough he could make some interesting tables out of it.
All that being said, we did had to buy new wood to stud out the walls. That was delivered on Saturday and should be the next stage after the utilities are completed.
I hope everyone is having a great start to 2013!!!!
Update
More photos of the wreakage.
The most recent project - the flooring we're taking out near the back door.
We're lucky that the boards are coming up easily. We'd love to save them.
Before we do we need to clean out under the house, fix the floor joist,
figure how to best insulate and then pick the new flooring.
. . . . . . . . .
{ August 2012 }
{ End of October 2012 }
{ First New Window }
. . . . . . . . .
{ Bathroom - August 2012 }
Small, quaint, disgusting . . . Yeah, no one is fooled by the "marble" walls
{ Bathroom - November 2012 }
Bright, Open, Airy. I'm starting to like it!
. . . . . . . . .
{ Kitchen - August 2012 }
A tight hallway. This view is from the bathroom.
To the left is a disgusting utility closet. To the right is a disgusting regular closet.
{ Kitchen - November 2012 }
. . . . . . . . .
In the photo below I'm standing where there used to be a wall
separating the kitchen from the front room.
Directly ahead is a slim wall - to the left are the two front rooms.
To the right is the rest of the kitchen and the bathroom.
. . . . . . . . .
{ More Court Yard }
This time I had help from Tasha. To be continued next year.
. . . . . . . . .
In the three-ish months we've owned this building I'm already having fun looking back at the before and afters. In October of 2011 who knew my future included me buying a 175 year old piece of poo and polishing it into a gem.
Seriously, If anyone told me last year that my husband and I would be going on double dates with my parents - to Menards - to shop for roofing - I'd say they were crazy.
And let's face it - If I knew that in a years time I'd be carefully posing a Batman doll and taking multiple photos of it (AND posting them online - geez) I would have guessed I was the crazy one.
Just goes to show you - what a difference a year can make!
History of Another Kind
Recently, while scanning old family photos for my mom (yes, mom it's finally done) I found this photo.
This is the grocery store/filling station started by my grandfather, Vincent Schmidt in 1947. It was located in Macedon, Ohio. He sold it in 1951 and a long list of owners followed. The building itself was moved even.
The building is now located in Coldwater, Ohio and serves as a restuarant called Southside. A full history can be found at www.insidesouthside.com/history/.
I shouldn't fail to mention the business history in my husbands family. His grandparents, Harold and Helen Suchland, owned a popular flower shop in New Bremen for many years. Many people still remember and comment on it and them.
I guess I have to put Southside on my list of places to visit. I hear the food is good and I'd love to see if the building even remotely looks like the photo.
It makes me feel proud to learn that a little business started by my grandpa 65 years ago changed so many lives and still exists. I know he only owned it a brief 3 or 4 years and the many owners after him made it their own and the current owners of Southside made it what it is today. But still.
ei ei ei O
It finally feels like fall!
The town of Minster, where my new building is located, has a rich German heritage. It was founded in 1832 by Francis Joseph Stallo and six other men acting as agents for a group of ninety-seven young German settlers. We celebrate the first weekend in October with an Oktoberfest.
{ My store sign reflects the German spirit. }
{ Here's Adam with his lovely mother, enjoying the festival }
Our little store is just down the path from the festivities.
Also down the path is beautiful St. Augustine.
(click on the link above for a history and photo of this landmark)
This unique double steeple church fuels daily life in this small town.
{ View from the path }
{ And up close. See I told you - impressive! }
. . . . .
Was also lucky to connect with family over the weekend.
{ My grandparents Elvira and Vincent. }
Married April 10, 1937. Now gone, but not forgotten.
And I love having their wedding photo hanging in my office.
. . . . .
Finally, some photos of what Sara Paper is all about - Invitations!! This package is one of my favorites! It features different papers and textures, a popular chevron pattern, and twine.
. . . . . . .
Happy FALL to ALL!!!
And the walls . . . come tumbling down . . . and the walls . . .
This weekend walls came down and the ground came up.
When Adam and I met with our dads on Tuesday and I saw this . . .
well, I gulped hard and thought, " this ISN'T what I want? How is this going to be anything at all? How stupid were we to spend the money (and three weekends) installing a roof on this dump" But at the end of the visit we had a vision again.
Fast forward through the rest of the week, a week where Adam and a handful of guys put in some time and muscle, and things look decidedly different. I arrived on Saturday just in time to capture Adam and his dad tearing down a wall (video to be uploaded later, when I have Adam figure it out for me)
Still, here's a photo of the new area. I'm standing at the back door (in the kitchen). To the left used to be a wall that separated the front room from the kitchen.
And it didn't freak out one bit.
Our plans right now include building a bar and kitchenette to the right. To the left will be tables for people to relax as they look through albums of invitations.
On Sunday I intended to work a few hours. Just picking up random pieces of shingles, moving all the bricks to one pile. I began by moving the trash cans and sweeping off the back stoop. According to the historic documents, at one time there was a bricked courtyard at 55 North Main. So here and there we see bricks in the yard. It's a real conversation starter.
. . . .
"wouldn't it be awesome if we could uncover the bricks?"
"could you imagine this ALL being brick?"
"what if the whole property is bricked? You'd never have to mow the grass - cuz, there wouldn't be grass. It would be BRICK"
. . . .
So I'm sweeping the stoop and the random bricks around the stoop. The loose grass moves easily and suddenly I'm seeing a LOT more of the bricks. After all, this is the first time I've swept the stoop. It was looking pretty good. I thought I'd pull a few weeds around some of the bricks to get back a little of that charm. One thing led to another.
Seven hours later I went from this . . .
to THIS
If you notice in the picture above you'll see white material near the bricks. This paneling came from inside the house and was laid over the grass to catch all the roofing refuse. Since the roofing project took three weeks the paneling stayed in the yard for three weeks. Well, the paneling not only did the intended job - it kept the grass underneth stagnet and moist which was the perfect condition to scrape away the ground from the brick. By the way I did this using only a plastic dustpan, occasionally a crowbar (and plenty of trips with the wheelbarrow).
The beauty of this is that the guys laid the pieces of paneling in exactly the same path of the brick. It couldn't have been planned any better. The path is edged with the brick set in a different direction so I know that there is a definate path and the whole yard it's not entirely brick. Believe me, I was pretty happy when I hit that edging. I was worried that I was going to have to keep going, and going and going.
The path leads to the summer kitchen, though things start getting spotty near the end. There seems to be a good amount of brick around the back of the house so potentially the brick extends back there as well. I probably won't get to that before the snow flies but it's a good future project for me.
Today I'm going to rest my body. I'm not used to such labor!
Of course Batman took most of the credit
(that jerk, he's starting to get on my nerves)
Yep, Another Dumpster
With Oktoberfest looming we decided to wrap things up as much as possible.
I figure our neighbors would enjoy hosting their Oktoberfest parties
and not have to subject their guests to views like . . .
{ This }
{ Or This }
{ Or Even This }
It's funny how the outside is getting better and the inside is worse.
I pull up to the place last night to see two guys hard at work
(well, not in this photo but still).
Adam, Mark and Tommy Walkoff pulled away layers of the wall
and exposed crumbling plaster and brick.
This is how the above room room looked before.
Below is the door that is visable from the outside but was
buried underneth paneling on the inside.
It, including the transom above the window, opened easily.
It's a short door though. Adam has to duck. I feel like a giant using it.
In other news . . .
A new printer arrived yesterday.
It will be very handy to have two printers in the new place.
It will make the current office a tight squeeze until moving day.
Pretty soon I will have to start posting photos of new designs.
There are some cute baby shower invites that I'm pleased with.
Elephants are the new owl (apparently). Owls are still very popular though.
A view (looking in) of my new favorite room in the joint.
More photos later!
And they all said . . .
"AMEN" (fans of Fr. Jim Trick will understand this one)
I'm so very happy to report that the roofing project is done! Dad and Adam still have work to do on the edges, gutters, whatever. But the bulk of the work is done!!
{ Even Batman is Happy }
We're so lucky to have had so many great people helping. I told our helpers that if we found a million dollars lining the inside of the roof - well, they'd all get a cut. Nothing exciting happened except for the hard labor of removing 5 layers of shingles (a total of 5.78 tons according to the Dumpsterman invoice I received today - yikes!)
SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO:
Dad Schmidt, Dad Suchland, my brother Steve, our friends Eric (a.k.a Partner), Justin, and Jeff. Brothers Munch, Bruce, Rod (Mr. Pleiman) Pleiman. Also, cousins Cory, Jace and Tommy Walkoff. Geez, I hope I didn't forget anyone.
Special thanks to the spouses of the above. I know it's not fun having your husband be gone two beautiful weekends in a row. We so appreciate the help and look forward to returning the favor someday.
But seriously - these guys worked really, really hard. And they loaned us tools, donated some of their old supplies and didn't grump once (to my face). It really meant alot to us that so many quality people were on hand to help.
{ Progression of the Roof }
Clearly there is still a lot of work to be done on the exterior. Fresh paint (very obviously), a spiffy door, windows with clean glass, an awning and window boxes are all on the list. The inside is still a mess. A big one. But we will have all winter to transform 55 North Main into something great.
More pictures will follow after I get my work caught up!! Special thanks also go to my fabulous clients who are being patient as I figure out how to balance everything.
What I learned.
First of all - the roofing is not done so I'm going to wait to show photos. If you want to take a look cruise by 55 North Main and check it out. Many people over the weekend did.
In addition to roofing we took down a wall in the back of the building and worked to expose brick walls in the new room. Super excited about this room.
{ Batman Helped }
Top Ten Things I Learned This Weekend
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Don't bother wearing lip gloss when you participate in a day of roofing. No one cares how you look and after the first wave of shingles flies your lips will be coated in gritty dust.
- 25 yard dumpsters fill up fast. Real fast.
- It's really not THAT big of a deal to see daylight through the roof - from the inside of your building. 175 year old buildings have seen worse.
- Hammering plaster is FUN!
- Carting away plaster is NOT.
- Our friend Eric is a squirrel. He zoomed across that roof like magic.
- I quite easily fall to prayer when I watched all these guys go up and down and do hard labor perched on a questionable roof.
- Cory really is a nice guy. A wall falls on his back and he doesn't sue. Thanks Cory!
- We have super HARD WORKING friends and family members. Seriously - roofing is hard but I suspect this roof was harder than most. 5 Layers of roofing in some areas. Yikes!
- Yup, we're really doing this. Nope, there is no turning back.
{ Here we are }
Adam with his 'stach and me looking like a hot mess!