Pyrex Reorganization.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Now we are stuck in the cold, dreary month of January. Yuck! January and February are my least favorite months of the year.

This year's resolution is to continue my quest to pare down my hoard. Which, this first post of the year makes it look like I am just expanding my hoard but really I just want some form of organization for it! I have Pyrex stuffed everywhere and getting more for Christmas made me realize my poor cupboards may collapse if I stack more onto the top shelf. Plus, I would like to rotate it out seasonally on my buffet which is tough to do when I have to get the ladder out and sift through the cupboards and pantry shelves then dig through the buffet, well, you get the idea! I was inspired? by this photo:

Wouldn't it be fun to open a door in the basement and see this!? OK, I would not be keeping stuff on the floor because my husband and/or dad would be wanting to get to that electrical box. The cat would be running through. I would trip into it. But having it neatly on shelves definitely would brighten my basement.

I had my eye on my shelving under the stairs in the laundry area where I keep my paint hoard. I have never cleaned these shelves so that was my first priority. (one shelf is cleaned in this photo) There was 30+ (80?) years of dust, spider webs and some weird dead bug parts. I also am forbidding myself to go to free paint day at our salvage store for a while yet I have to get a couple of these paint cans there on one of those days, hmm. The broken fan also got set by the trash and someone took it before trash day so I did get rid of one hoarded item during this project!

I was also excited to spot this writing on the shelf. (yea, I'm a nerd) It's hard to read but it says North & Co. Lincoln Nebr. North were the original builders/owners of the house. They never lived here so I'm guessing it was some sort of investment project. They ran a printing company (still in business today) so these shelves must have been built from packing crates. The boards are thick and have been holding my paint but I didn't want to take any chances with my Pyrex so I added some support in the middle. Continuing the tradition by also using scrap wood.

A few of the Pyrex pieces I received at Christmas. A "Daisy" from my brother and a "Friendship" from my mom.

 

I never seem to find anything unusual in the wild or at antique malls but my mom always is finding crazy patterns. She doesn't spend more than $1 for anything without asking me. I know, because she will call me and start the conversation with "I found this piece of Pyrex but it's $3...." The Blue Horizon (on the left) I see at the antique stores but it is usually more than I want to pay. The other pattern is unusual and is a promotional from 1965 appropriately named "Golden Bouquet"

 

Hey! My paint hoard doesn't even look that bad anymore! Now I can start digging out my cupboards and stacking my Pyrex here. It will definitely be easier to access for use and display rotation. Added bonuses: it might inspire me to do laundry so I can look at my Pyrex. Also, I might find someplace for the potato chips and bread to live in a cupboard and free up counter space. 



Nerdy Staircase, Episode II

I thought this project would keep my dad entertained for a while but about a week after we had finalized the design, he showed up and installed my new staircase insert. I'll stain it to match when I work my way around to that section of the room...in six years?

He copied the dimensions and construction of the 1918 version at their house. I tried finding more photos of these staircase screens? Inserts? (Maybe if I knew their proper name it would be easier to find images!?) I checked out this book at the library as it had 2 photos on the cover kind of what I was looking for but those were the only 2 photos inside as well. Still a fun book to look through.

 

 

A couple of in progress shots. The wood slats slid into slots and after they were all fitted into place, another board was secured across the top. The space is fairly square but it is a little taller the further towards the center of the house you get (no surprise there!) so he did do some cutting and adjusting here. (yep, the circa 1993 curtains still continue to hang in my windows.)

Here is a little before and after. No one will be falling off the side of the stairs now! Yay!

 

 

Good news? I can also now use this as a shelf since the cat will not be sliding through and knocking everything off. For non-breakables, at least, as she might seek revenge by poking things off between a slat. She has been taking this all rather well by spending more time getting onto the kitchen counters and the dining room table. Yes, I deserve that response, I suppose.

 



 Giving the stink eye from under the Christmas tree

Mystery Items

I've been going to garage sales and antique shops since before I was born so it takes a lot to stump me. This first item has me completely stumped as not only do I know nothing about it but I can't tell how old it is. 1930's? 50's? 80's? 2014?

The main design looks Art Deco but that gold splatter top makes me think 50's/60's but then again, the vase has no aging whatsoever so it makes me think it is new.

Someone had glued foam to the bottom and I was hoping to answer my questions by peeling it off, but nope. Nothing.

It was only $1 and it is very nicely painted so I'm enjoying it on the mantle. Though it kind of bothers me every time I look at it because I may never solve the mystery!

The next item cost me $2 and it looks like it belongs with the Pyrex Drinkups.

But it appears they came with a more standard shaped coffee pot. Mine also has no markings so it's probably just a Pyrex wannabe. It looks cute with my avocado Pyrex though!

Water got in between the plastic and glass when I washed it so they only way I could figure to properly clean/dry it was to unscrew the handle and take it apart. A little ridiculous if one had to do that everyday!

Emerald green is trendy? Really?

This project happened before it got chilly out.

I was going to change out the ripped up weather stripping and decided first I had to fix Bernie's (the previous owner's dog) scratchings.

Real classy Bernie. Real classy.

I filled in Bernie's scratches with exterior wood filler and sanded - though it still looks rough in this photo. Then scraped and sanded the rest of the door.

I am a firm believer in limiting the amount of white objects in my life with everything from walls down to clothing due to a klutzy dropping and staining disorder. I am also a firm believer blatantly 1990's style decks and patio doors shouldn't be added to the dining room of a 1915 house but that is a different rant. Back to this post, that weekend was also free paint exchange day at the Eco Store so I decided to see if I could find a replacement for that awful flat (yes, flat) white paint. I browsed the exterior paint pile, brainstorming what would match a dark red trim color and found this green. Hmm, I read somewhere emerald green and brass were popular so I thought I would give it a whirl.

It is impossible to get a good photo with bright sunlight streaming directly onto the door so the color is a tad darker than it is in this photo and to me it just looks circa 1993. Possibly because the door is circa 1993?? The red is dark enough so it doesn't look Christmas-y (my other concern) but this color still doesn't really do it for me. Wasn't it termed Forest Green in the 90's? However, it does look 100 times better than the white, especially with Bernie's markings gone. So it will stick around for a while. At least until I find a different can of free paint to try out on it! I have also confirmed that no matter what that article told me and showed me photos of, anything I do in this color combination is just going to look 90's.

Nerdy Staircase Upgrade: Part 1

My dad was looking for a new woodworking project and fortunately I am his victim. To prevent him from making another coffee table-sized boat model case, I am allowing him to do something which I am a little leery about as it will be messing with original house parts.

This is  my staircase. I apologize for the bad night shot which highlights the dingy carpet.

See the opening to the right? I'm sure it is grandfathered in, but having a large opening with a 7 foot drop, level with the stairs probably is not up to code. The cat loves it AND unfortunately the small child also loves it which gives me a heart attack when I am sitting on the couch and am realizing she snuck up the stairs as she sticks her head out over the side giggling.

My dad came up with the idea of vertical slats filling the space. Not uncommon to staircases of the time so I agreed to his design but wanted to take it a step further because, why not? Anything to keep him entertained longer, right?

These are the original 1918 slats on my parent's staircase:

(I had to confirm with my mom that she was decorated for Halloween. The doll head case is the normal décor though...)

 

See, they have funky tulips! I didn't want to copy their funky tulips but I could only find a couple other photos of staircases from this time period with the funky designs. I didn't find any which caught my eye so I decided to come up with my own. It had to look like it was from 1915 but being the nerd I am, here is my final design decision and the test cut my dad did:

 

I think it has a nice Art Nouveau flower look to it, right? Is it obvious what it really is when it is out of context? I hope no one shuns me for installing this design into my 1915 staircase! But, umm, I really don't care because I think it is going to look fantastic!

 

Until next time, may the force be with you!

 

Moist Boxes and a Halloween Costume

It was a week before vacation and I was going crazy. There were things to pack, a dentist appointment, laundry, shopping. But let us go back to the task of laundry. I walked downstairs to throw in a load of laundry only to discover the middle (not the edges) of the basement very moist.

Nope, this isn't an episode of Hoarders. This is what happens when I have to haul half of my stuff upstairs in 3 minutes flat, wait for the floor to dry out and then spread more stuff around to air out.

Anything on the outer walls is in plastic but I wasn't guarding the middle of the floor. I had to empty and spread out several boxes of things but everything seems to have recovered. Where did the water come from?? We had a freak 6" of rain the night before so it must have come up and out of one of the cracks in the floor? I'm just glad it didn't happen while I was out of town. I would have come home to a bunch of mildew covered toys from the 80's!

And since I have everything in disarray, I may as well vacuum out those little nooks and crannies (which I never have done), give the floor a good scrubbing (also never have done) and sort through some boxes to try and weed out my hoard (an ongoing process). So that has been my life the past month. I know, I can barely stand the excitement!

On the plus side, since I had a portion of the basement scrubbed and vacuumed I had a good backdrop for Halloween photos.

Why is it I don't think she is going to go along with my costume idea next year?? Come on, I thought a Tribble was an excellent choice of costume!

(I bribed her with candy in this photo.)

 

Easiest costume ever. I thought of the idea, went into a thrift store and there was a fuzzy vest a couple of sizes too big for her. I did sew up the little Tribbles.

The vest is also an actual piece of children's clothing. I can't imagine buying this for your 4-year-old child to wear out and a bout. It's so hairy!

What Have I Been Up To Lately??

I wish I could say something exciting! But Nope! Same old, same old. Trying to keep up with normal household chores, a job, a two year old and after that is all taken care of I can accomplish bonus household projects.

I'm still working on the other wall (I swear I only get about 30 minutes a week in, maybe, so don't judge!) It's getting close. The plaster is done and I have been working on lightening the woodwork from it's flat, dark 1970's hue.

I got my obligatory fall patch of grass planted! My crabgrass patches are lessening.

I've been trying to organize the garage (another reason my interior is slow is my time is divided with outdoor projects at the moment)

I was happy to accomplish getting a cupboard hung up all by myself (I guess the husband contributed 3 minutes of hoisting it into position)

This was originally (well, 70's? original) in the bathroom. I pulled it out and being the hoarder I am, decided it would be useful in the garage. It has been sitting in the corner, on the floor of the garage for going on 3 years now?
Here is how I originally met this cupboard. Hanging awkwardly above the toilet, hiding my clothes chute door.

Now it is holding my garden supplies. I cut a board where the clothes chute opening was in the lower right section. Tin cans fit nicely and they are free so my tools are hanging out in those.
Please Note: the DDT sprayer is for decorative purposes only and it is empty. I found it in my grandparent's garage with the directions carefully wrapped around it so I'm not sure it ever was used.

I have a small back log of posts stuck in my head so I definitely need to work on getting them out and onto my blog!