So, y’all now know that I have changed my plans for the kitchen of the Cross House. Rather than install a huge island with sink and appliances under, I am going to do a soapstone sink in what I believe is the original location: smack up against the huge south window. The sink will have…

For a while now, I have been rethinking my plan for the kitchen at the Cross House. When I purchased the house I had no idea of where the sink was in 1894. After some sleuthing, the evidence suggested that it was, however improbably, right in front of the huge south double window. I have…

Yesterday, I arrived at the Cross House. The temperature was in the 20s. It was windy. I prayed the boilers were working, as I had not been at the house the day before. Unlocking the front door, I stepped inside. The boilers were clearly off. Oh dear. Although the house did not seem cold. Quickly,…

In 2013, I began a major renovation of the house I’ve lived in since 1996. I began to transform one bedroom into a huge en-suite spa-style bathroom. The old 1-car garage into another huge spa-style en-suite bathroom, and with vaulted ceilings. And a total redo of the kitchen. While all this was underway, in early…

In a time far, far away time, a time before life-as-we-know-it collapsed, I purchased a lovely bedroom set for the Octagon Bedroom suite. This was in January, which feels 594 years ago.       There was a lot of discussion about getting a mattress for the bed, as vintage beds are normally an odd…

    FUCK! I am soooooooooooooo sick of shingling. I have been putting off this very minor amount of work for days because I got nauseous just thinking about cutting more shingles. Today, I procrastinated yet again, finally arriving at the house at 5PM. Getting out of the car, I felt my energy deflate. By…

Last night, late, we had a windstorm! With winds up to 45MPH! I kept running outside to check out the cat fence where I live. Was it still standing? It was! Then I began to worry about the wood scaffolding at the Cross House. HOW could it and the tarp survive all this?    …

Yesterday, I arrived at the Cross House and a package was sitting on the front porch. Curious, as I do not use the house as a mailing address. Taking the package inside, I opened did, and revealed something gorgeous:     A note was included, and John was gifting me the book. John lives here:…

                                      I am thrilled this vital work is completed. I have spent four years thinking about it and planning it. Will all my cunning work? A big storm will let us know. Pray.    

In 2017, I did a post about the tragic discovery that I was missing 21 Yale & Towne Austerlitz sash pulls. Oh, the horror. The horror. Recently though, the ever-intrepid Cody contacted me with a Red Alert! He had found something. Scroll down…                          …

In January and February of this year, my sales were way up from the same time period in 2019. The first two weeks of March were also way up. Then, in the middle of March, the country shut down because of Covid-45. And my sales tanked. As April unfolded I was terrified. TERRIFIED. Sales were…