Every time we open up a wall, we’re secretly hoping to find a big wad of cash – or at least some fun little trinkets. Obviously, I’ve watched too many episodes of “If Walls Could Talk” on HGTV. When we started busting open the master bathroom walls this afternoon I was really optimistic. Alas, we came up empty handed yet again.

We did find something else in the walls, though. Or many things, I should say, that explain why the bathroom has always had a funky smell despite a few detox cleanings.

First, we found a birds nest. It was packed in there so nice and tight we thought it might be some type of primitive insulation. Right up until we got to the top and saw the poop and feathers….

Next, we unearthed what appears to be a squirrels nest. Some of the fillings, and the (quite different, equally pungent) smell gave it away.

But the best find was the last one. Because when we went to unlodge an old and intricate wasps nest from another wall cavity, we saw two small field mice scurry out of it. It appears they built a nice warm bed for themselves on top of the wasp nest. My first comment was “Well, at least they’re the cute kind!”. Teague was not nearly as amused.

We think they might be entering through an old vent hole in the exterior wall, since it was covered with DUCT TAPE. Yeah…. duct tape. A single layer, with a hole in it. They didn’t even bother finding an old tuna can lid!! I don’t know how we managed to miss seeing this patch job when we were up there re-roofing, but it gave us a good laugh.

Though it needs a railing, newel post, trim, and some touch-up drywall, you can now see where we’re headed with the stairwell project…

Here’s the new view from the dining room:

And here’s the new view from inside the stairwell:

When you compare it to a photo pre-removal, you can see how much more open it feels. It was a nice improvement since the stairwell is very cramped and steep. It’ll also make it easier to get our clawfoot up there.

Now, if only we had a straighter ceiling………. but wonky lines are part of that old house charm, right?

Removing this section of the wall took a few hours, about as long as it took me to fight my way through Home Depot this morning. Because, of course, we needed supplies on the craziest shopping weekend of the year. And as usual, I ended up in self-checkout behind someone who clearly shouldn’t have been allowed near that particular aisle, or even an ATM machine. Yee-freaken-haw.
In other news, we decided to have the tub professionally refinished. We found a local guy who will do it for $400, inside and out. We’ll drop it off at his shop, and he’ll have it back to us in about a week. We’re going with an all white finish, and he’s going to smooth the exterior because the original cast iron finish is quite rough. By the time he’s done with it, he says it’ll look like a brand new tub.
For the amount of money we would have spent on a kit and cleaning supplies, plus the time and energy it would have taken, this is one I’m very happy to hire out for. I wasn’t totally convinced that the DIY kit was a good idea, and not having this on our to-do list means we can spend that time on other bathroom projects. Which means we’ll be soaking in a nice relaxing bubble bath that much sooner!

Did you ever think you’d reach a stage in your life where Home Depot felt like Toys-R-Us? I never would have guessed it, but I find myself wandering through the aisles eyeing all sorts of unnecessary (but oh-so alluring, just look what it can do!!! or lives would be so much easier!!!) tools and tool accessories. But I’m a frugal gal and always aware of our bottom line, so I rarely buy something we don’t really need. I save the “fun” tools for holidays.
Here are a few goodies that any DIY’er should appreciate in their stockings this year:

Magtite 25 Foot Magnetic Tape Measure ($23)
How many times have you gotten up on a ladder, roof, or otherwise inconvenient location only to realize you forgot your tape measure? And how many times have you’ve lost it mid-project in the same black hole that takes all your pencils and masking tape? Well, problem solved….

This belt clip keeps it the tape measure right on your hip without adding extra wear and tear to your belt loops the way that little metal clip does. Hurrah!

VETO Pro Pac Tool Bag ($94)
This bag isn’t cheap, but it’s made to last forever, gets great reviews from the pros and has a pocket for everything. Over 60 pockets of varying sizes, infact – enough to hold over 75 hand tools. It’s also got a padded strap and grippable handles in case you’re lugging it around alot. It’s the Rolls Royce of tool bags!

Switchblade Screwdriver ($20)
How McGyver will you look when you whip this puppy out? Push a button, and the blade flips out. It’s smaller than a 4-n-1 and carries 5 tips in it’s handle. Cool and handy!

The “Slanket” ($50)
Our house, like every other old house in upstate New York, is uncomfortably cold from November until late March. As soon as day light savings hits, we dig out the extra blankets, fluffy slippers, and long underwear. Even with added layers and blankets, I always seem to be cold. This blanket is genius – it comes with sleeves, so you’ll stay nice and wrapped up without having to readjust things every time you shift on the couch. And crafty people ought to be able to make something similar for about 1/5 the cost!

The Silent Paint Remover ($400)

I have spent many an hour laboring over paint removal. I’m a heat gun devotee, but I’d surely be an SPR addict if it was anywhere near our price range. It uses infrared heat to soften paint and varnish, and their scraper tools are supposed to be better than any you get from the hardware store. If you have large paint removal projects in your future, it’d be worth the investment for all that time saved. Or, if you’re feeling super DIY, you can try making your own!

iPod MP3 Player ($100 – $250)
Ok, so it’s not exactly a tool. But having music keeps my mind from wandering when I’m doing the mindless projects, to the point where I can happily spend hours removing wallpaper with my fingernails. It’ll increase your efficiency and keep you happy. That’s what tools are for, right?

In order to get our rather large tub upstairs, we knew we’d be doing some finagling. Our stairwell is tight, to say the least. It twirls to the right the minute you enter it. It’s steep angles and uneven steps are not for the faint of heart.

We’ve had a number of run-ins with large furniture and this tight space. We *used* to have an ok time, because an oddly-placed doorway leftover from the houses’ duplex days gave us some extra wiggle room. The door, however, was not safe, well insulated, or useful (except on rare moving days) so when we gutted the stairwell, we took it out.

Now that we’re planning to lug a big clawfoot tub upstairs, we’ve decided it’s time to knock out some wall and open up the space a bit. Below is a diagram showing what we plan to remove:

The shiny green insulation board you see back there is covering what remains of the old doorway. See how the first step you take in would put you about halfway between two curvy stairs? That’s what I meant when I said it was unsafe. You literally fell into the house when you tried using this door.

Here’s what it looks like from inside the stairwell:

Anyhow……. over the holiday weekend, we hope to take out the section of wall that is grayed out, along with the makeshift door that hangs there now. We’re not gaining too much width – about 8 inches – but combined with the extra height I think it’ll make a huge difference. And we’re reinforcing the header so we won’t need a column there.

Here’s the inside of the doorway; we’ll be cutting back to the stud on the left, where the pretty new drywall ends.

I’m excited about getting started. It seems we’ve been crawling at a snails pace lately; the bathroom remodel is so overwhelming, and will be so disruptive, it’s been hard to put a stake in the ground. But we’re finally ready to just do it!

Black Friday is upon us, which means……… ’tis the season for frantically running from store to store in search of the perfect Christmas gift. I love giving presents, but I hate finding them; the perfectionist in me is never quite happy with what I find. In the back of my mind, there’s a little nagging voice telling me that something even better awaits at the next store. So I shop, and shop, and shop…….. and end up procrastinating and debating over things until finally I give up and “settle” on something that, in my minds eye, isn’t quite right. Maybe this year I’ll just do gift cards ;)

To get myself in the holiday spirit, I thought I’d share some gift ideas for the fixer-uppers in your life over the next few weeks. It’ll give me something to do with the giant list of bookmarks I’ve been collecting all year.
Part 1: Magazines!

I love giving magazine subscriptions as gifts, since it lasts all year. And everyone love to get mail, especially when it’s a well-designed and inspiring magazine. It’s an easy gift to find, and you don’t have to worry about sizes. What’s not to love?
For the restorationist: