Study Chandelier

Life got in the way a bit today, so I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped. Got some of the plaster patches primed and that's it other than installing a new chandelier in the study. It's much more in keeping with the style/purpose of the room and throws better, warmer light.

Once again, you're never sure what you'll get when you get under the canopy. Every once in a while I have to channel MacGyver...

What should have been a five minute job took quite a bit longer and a bit of fabricating. Cut a little off this, thread it through that, and find that lock washer and nut that I saved from 3 projects ago. I've learned to save everything. I know I'll find a use for it somewhere else in the house.

And because the old chandelier's canopy wasn't removed for painting the last time, I know what color the ceiling used to be in this room... Nothing surprises me anymore. ;-)

Chair Rail - II

May dad came over to finish the chair rail this morning. We finished about noon. The chair rail has an "egg and dart" pattern above a bead. Getting the joints to mach up was a chore - we averaged about six trips to the saw for each cut. We got everything to match up and it looks really nice. The old plaster walls are a bit wavy, so the painter will have to fill the gaps to the wall in some places. That will be one of the next jobs. ;-)

Chair Rail

I took the day off yesterday to make a little more progress on stuff around the house. My dad came over to help install a chair rail in one of the kid's room. We have more than half of it installed, but we'll have to finish it today. In the picture you can see the chair rail on the right side of the window - none on the left side, yet.

I also made a little more progress on fixing the holes in the plaster from both the electrician and me; installed new light fixtures in the "family room" and laundry; and experimented with paint samples in a few rooms.

Tree Removal

Last fall we noticed...

OK, not really "noticed" so much as it was impossible to walk on the sidewalk in front of the house because of the stench. There are two female Ginkgo Biloba trees on the boulevard. They are beautiful trees, but the females bear fruit. You can see them on the sidewalk in the picture.

The fruit falls and stinks.

No, it really stinks. People out walking their dogs would cross the street when they got to our house.

It smells like a cross between vomit and dog feces.

Change that to: there were two Ginkgo trees on the boulevard. ;-)

Thanks to the guys from the city who did the tree removal. They did a great job.

Cass Gilbert's 150th Birthday

Cass Gilbert was the architect for our house and several less famous buildings, including the Minnesota State Capitol, the Woolworth Building, and the US Supreme Court Building.

The Cass Gilbert Society and Minnesota Historical Society are hosting several events next weekend, November 21 and 22, including a birthday celebration at the capitol and a champagne reception at the Gilbert Building.

Happy Birthday Mr. Gilbert.