I’m in the process of simplifying and redesigning this site. It’s no small task, and the new layout probably won’t see the light of day for a few weeks yet. But before I finalize things, I thought it would be smart to ask you, my lovely readers, for ideas. What would you like to see […]

All us northerners are itching for spring. Technically, it started a few days ago – but should it really count as spring when it’s still snowing out? I think not. Every winter Teague and I ask ourselves why we continue to stay in this depressed area with such long, cold days. But then spring comes, […]

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we haven’t been too productive at the house these past few weeks. We’re still moving forward with the basement parging and jacking, but it’s not too thrilling to write about. We’ve also been busy with our other jobs – you know, those ones that pay all the Home […]

I have to wonder. In another hundred years or so, will a new breed of house enthusiasts be restoring contemporary-style 70’s homes and trying desperately to recreate looks like this to match? Interior Desecrations – Horrible Homes from the Brass Age of American Design Because that is a scary, scary thought.

Today, as I was walking out of my office to stretch my legs, I smelled a tinge of fresh cut lumber in the air. Our building is undergoing major construction, and a temporary wall had been framed up to keep us out of the action. Hence the scent of 2x4s. It got me thinking about […]

We received our Magnolia Hall catalog in the mail today. It’s sort of like touring the BMW dealership when you’re driving a rusted out Toyota Corolla. The furniture in the catalog is beautiful. It’s also so far out of our price range that we shouldn’t even be allowed to caress the pages with our grubby […]

In case you missed it, our hometown college basketball team went from “eh” to “oh my god, we all must watch the game” in about a weekend. After three nail-biting games in a row, they shocked everyone by making it to the NCAA Tournament*. If you’re the betting type, you can download bracket templates here. […]

Teague spent a few minutes last night adding a new corner-bead to a wobbley wall edge. Watching him work, I realize that my drywall finishing technique is truly horribly by comparison. I can’t feel too bad – he’s been getting lots of practice lately at his day job. Lucky for me, I got a play-by-play […]

I’ve been calling around to track down salvaged red oak for our floors, and got a bit of news that you locals might be interested in – Significant Elements, a nonprofit architectural salvage shop in Ithaca, NY, is having a sale all next week! From what I gather, it’s a sale on everything in stock. […]

All winter, I’ve been gazing at our lovely interior wood trim and moldings, debating whether I should start stripping them. It seems that all the cool kids have done it, and it looks absolutely beautiful. But it does take immense, heaping amounts of time and patience. Two things we’re usually pretty short on. Teague and […]