Bedroom Woodwork (with Regency Fashion!)

One of the last rooms to be finished in our fixer-upper is the master bedroom.  We had wallpapered the walls years ago (20 years?!), and that is in need of an update.  Paul had added window and door casings (we had the original design reproduced in oak).  But we didn't have baseboards in our room since the original pine ones (that were in horrible shape) were removed - 30 years ago - when we had gutted the upstairs.  Finally though, this summer, Paul installed the baseboards!  They are beautiful.  And this week the wallpaper is being changed.  So I am happy.

I happened to be dressed up for Book Club the day Paul finished them.  I was dressed in Regency for our book choice: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.  I wore my Michaelmas dress, that I finally finished (when I wore it for my Michaelmas Party, the "innards" weren't finished (seam finishes around the armholes, tacking down of the back fastenings, etc. and the hem was atrociously put in - I literally machine basted the worst-hem-ever.  Now all is finished and properly hemmed.  It was nice to wear the dress again, with my short stays, and have it be complete.  I also wore my Regency slippers from American Duchess.  I posed my foot by the new baseboards!

Northanger Abbey Dress

"Dashwood" Regency slippers from American Duchess

Close-up of the baseboards, with the outer corner blocks

A Small Collection of Minerals from the Urals (in a Wooden Box)

I liked the book Doctor Zhivago.  At times, it got a little long, and I must admit - the politics got somewhat tiresome.  But it has to be said that the descriptions in the book are stunning. The way the author described food (especially the food), sunrises, landscapes, etc.  Truly poetic.  One part that caught my imagination early on was a part when one of the characters, Misha, an eleven-year-old boy, was on a train where a tragedy had occurred (a suicide). "Misha was examining a small collection of minerals from the Urals in a wooden box - the dead man's last gift."  This little boy made me think of Tyler, and I set out to find one small wooden box of Russian minerals; this would be part prop for Book Club, part gift to Tyler.  I found a lovely wooden box on Etsy.  Perfect: small, six little compartments, beautifully made.  

Then the real fun began at Dave's Rock Shop in Evanston.  The people there are very helpful, and did not seem to mind my rather odd request: six minerals from Russia, that will fit in this box, very pretty ones if you please.  So, I searched through and found some gorgeous specimens.  The only hang up was the last one.  I wanted to have a bright color, but there were no other colorful Russian minerals that I liked.  I broke protocol, and substituted a nice Orange Calcite from Mexico to liven it up.   

To complete the box, I found an old-fashioned looking map of the Urals, copied it and secured it to the inner lid of the box.  I made a key listing the minerals, may eventually put this in place of the map.  But I wanted the Russian map because I brought the box with me to Book Club, where we discussed Doctor Zhivago, on loan for a day prior to being given to Tyler, who will be the new curator of this tiny collection.  

Little Boy's Baseboards

Tyler's bedroom has been missing baseboards for more years than I care to admit.  Other projects budging into the line have prevented this project.  Time and money have also been in play.  Over the years we have put up the window woodwork, and his closet woodwork and doors.  But the baseboards have been patiently waiting to be installed ever since we found them on a great sale ("Such A Deal!") and refinished them.  I am chagrined to admit that it has been almost seven years.  How is that possible?!!  Here are some of the work-in-progress photos, from those two "warm" days this month, only two more small pieces until all is complete:

Long piece, ready to be cut to size

Paul loves this saw - a Delta Compound Mitre 

- he has gotten so much use out of this saw

Southeast corner, note the window woodwork above it

Shaping the profile to fit - intense work with a Dremel saw

Northeast corner with shaped profile to meet properly in the corner

Playing on Megan's Harp (Surgical Procedure for My Harp)

A description of a harp repair in nursing terminology (similar to this post from 2009):
My harp needed to go to the hospital (Lyon & Healy harp repair department) for some major surgery. There is a broken bone (small attachment in the mechanism that came loose, causing this awful buzz while I was playing) requiring orthopedic surgery (repair in the framework of the pedal mechanism). The break is small, but requires a long, involved surgery to repair.  The problem is that the harp needs to be prepped (entirely unstrung), the mechanism removed and opened up, in order to fix this small problem.  I have been putting this off for over 18 months ($$).  My poor baby has to stay downtown for over two weeks.  A few days for the repair (surgery) but then another week and a half or so for the technicians to tune and re-tune the new strings (recovery room and rehab).

In the meantime, a fellow harpist, Megan, who is very busy with her life and not able to play much at all right now, agreed to let me rent her harp for the duration.  Her harp is a Lyon & Healy Petite pedal harp.  Although smaller than my harp. the string spacing is the same.  So I will be able to practice on my pieces while my baby is away.  I had to make one adjustment: Paul cut a piece of plywood for me to set the harp on and bring it up higher.  The pedals on this harp are lower to the floor than on mine, and I want to have it as close to mine as possible, so that the adjustment back to my harp is less difficult.

A harp mechanism removed (photo courtesy of Lyon & Healy)

Inside the mechanism (photo courtesy of Campbell's Harp Service)

Megan's Harp 

Note plywood square underneath, and ignore the wood stacked against the wall (wood for kitchen and dining room baseboards, too long to store anywhere else!)

Such A Deal!

Paul and I went on a woodwork hunt this past Wednesday. We were searching for Victorian-style baseboards for the Julie/Tyler room as well as porch railing to replace the rotting handrails on our front porch. In our new financial mode, we went to several places to find the best deal while still finding something we like and something Paul will find easy to work with on the porch.

As usual, the Home Depot in Glenview answered our need. We found a gorgeous baseboard that this store was discontinuing, and we found enough for the one room! In fact, the supply they had left was just a little more than we needed, so we bought them out (it never hurts to have a little extra, in case of mistakes). Usually oak woodwork such as this can sell for anywhere from $2.80 on up per linear foot. The price on this sale was $1.29 per linear foot. We looked to see if any of the other Home Depots in our area are also discontinuing this. Then we would have baseboards for our bedroom (oh delight!). But sadly, at this time, none of the others are discontinuing it, so their prices are $4.50 per foot. But no concern - we have so much to keep us busy, so maybe by the time we're freed up to work on our room another store may have a sale.

Today Paul worked on an icky window in our upper hall. It's way up high, not really functional because you'd have to stand on a stool to even try to get it open. But it lets in light, so is useful in that. Anyway, it has been sitting there, without any woodwork, the sash weights in view, and the old cracklin' paint right out there. Paul removed the sashes so they can be scraped and painted. He scraped the inner part of the window where the sashes slide, and he leveled off the side with some thin wood, so the new woodwork will lie flat when installed. Tomorrow is more scraping and then priming.

It's almost time to buy the paint! I decided that I really wanted a sort of cream yellow for the foyer, stairway walls and and upper hall. I have dubbed the color I have in mind "crellow", and I found my crellow on a paint chip sample from the paint store. This is all very exciting!

While Paul did that I took care of Tyler (Julie was at work). He ended up falling asleep, so I cleaned my dining room. Boy did it need it. I did a "deep clean", getting every part practically, dusting washing, vacuuming, mopping, and uncluttering. It took so long. But it looks divine.

My New Best Friends

Ah, Rubber Gloves

All I can say is - Eureka! The splinter has come out. After two weeks and two days, it finally, finally worked its way out. Now all that's left is for the wound to heal. But I was honestly starting to think that the pain would never go away, that the wound would never heal.

I employed my rubber gloves very well this weekend, cleaning up after Paul and Kristin bashed out the falling down plaster in Julie's walk-in closet. Besides moving Tyler's chest of drawers and a large number of his toys in the closet, we hope to have enough room left even for a little play area for him. This closet remodel is the first step in our aforementioned newest home remodeling project: having Julie and Tyler together in Julie's room. Julie is choosing paint colors for the walls. We have all of the casings, the plinth blocks, and the rosettes for around the doors and windows ready. We need to purchase and refinish baseboards and quarter-round for the edge of the floor. Paul is going to extend the cable for the satellite TV so they can watch in their room. The closet, of course, needs new wallboard to replace the awful plaster. And we are saving up for the bunk beds, with drawers underneath, so Julie has extra room for her clothes. I can't wait!

Various Things

I feel very scattered these days. I long for several days of not much going on just to get things accomplished. Here is what is keeping me so scattered:

• Motivating Robert, who is working to finish his Eagle Scout requirements before his 18th birthday - which is in April (gulp!). He's almost done, just needs the cattle prod to get him to finish up.
• A finger injury that has been incapacitating me harp-wise for the past 10 days. The moral of this story is - never, NEVER clean without wearing rubber gloves. I made this mistake and got two badly embedded splinters. I can't tell if Paul was able to get them all out completely. one area is doing really well, finally, but my index finger is still very problematic. I've been to the doctor and the orthopedic doctor. I'm on antibiotics now (finger ended up red, warm to the touch, and throbbing in pain on Sunday). The plan is to soak the finger in warm water, use vitamin E oil on a cotton ball covered by a band-aid, and to call if not better by the end of the week. In that case he may need to go in and dig it out (eek!). Needless to say, but harp is gathering dust.
• Our uncluttering of the basement and Julie's closet meant a lot of fairly good stuff that we decided to sell on e-Bay. I've had some good sales, some duds, but I have a whole batch of costumes and other sewing related things to put up for auction. The extra cash is most welcome!
• Sticking to our commitment not to incur any more debt and to live within our means. This is a challenge, but in a really good way. Being blind to one's financial state is no way to live. However, this means some needed creativity by the whole family and a willingness to eat pasta, beans, and rice those couple of days before payday when we run out of money.
• The next step in our home remodeling. This is a cheapie: we are painting Julie's room and our foyer and upper hall. We are also finishing up the woodwork in the basement to put up around the doors, windows, and floorboards. This will make the room very nice, and all we need to buy at this point is paint and bare wood baseboards we will refinish. Eventually, with our e-Bay money, we are going to buy bunk beds so Julie and Tyler can be together in the same room (instead of Tyler being in the over-sized closet/nursery that is really supposed to be mine and Paul's walk-in closet!).

The happy news is that I have two weeks vacation time coming in May. So that's a pleasant thought. Truthfully, I wish I could be home again full-time. That is a goal for me, once we are out of debt. I do long to be here, to spend my time being a homemaker, supporting the family by being here all the time, planing meals, gardening, making the house lovely, spending more time with spiritual devotions. I've started reading The Tightwad Gazette again for some ideas on cutting costs. The happy thought is that there is an end in sight, and I will be done with working outside the home in the foreseeable future.