Saturday, December 15, 2007

Places in my neighborhood: Cafe Grumpy's













So I am a coffee fiend, particularily esspresso. I gave it up mostly when I got pregnant, but I just couldn't give up my morning fix. One of my first missions when moving to Greenpoint was to find coffee!!!!!! Yes I could make it at home, save myself money, but the walk to get coffee is part of my morning ritual. I've been doing it almost every morning for more than 10 years now, and without it I feel like my days don't go quite right.
My wonderful downstairs neighbor pointed me to Cafe Grumpy, and I love it. It's not exactly on the corner (it's a ten minute walk, brisk, nice) but I don't mind, their espresso is strong, it reminds me of the coffee from Heine Brother's in my hometown, Louisville. The baby likes it too, and the art is nice, interesting, I want to buy some.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Bathroom: Before (sort-of)




So in typical me fashion I started the bathroom 2 days before the baby and I left for New Orleans and, of course, could not finish it. So we came back yesterday to a bit of a mess, but hopefully I can finish it this weekend. I also finally emptied out my camera and realized I had not taken before pictures of the bathroom--though I had a gazillion of the rest of the apartment. So these are pictures about halfway through the process, i.e. after a coat of primer. half of a first coat, some spackle and caulk, removing the broken medicine cabinet, and cleaning up the mold left by the previous tenants. Your not getting the really dirty and yellowing color of the 80s drop ceiling, but please note the hideous floor-tile, the crumbling tub surround, and the florescent light (which does not work, it just flickers, there is an electrician coming to fix that.) The walls are actually 1970s wood paneling, with wallpaper on the bottom, all of which has been painted several times (probably an improvement over the original.) I would love to gut this and start over, but alas it is a rental and my little renovating heart will have to live with some paint and wallpaper magic....I might have to replace the sink down the road though. I could live with the peeling enamel, or the crumbling pressboard cabinet held closed by a screw, or the fact that it is only 30" high (or as my husband calls it "dick-height") but all 3 is just beyond my ability to overlook. Besides I really want to try this grey-water flush system, (thanks materialicio.us) However, such an ambitious (and expensive) project will have to wait until I am at least done with the painting and have some bookshelves.
We are leaving again on Tuesday for a 3 state holiday tour; hopefully I can finish the painting at least and post some more photos.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Empty Apartment















We are finally out of my apartment. These are pictures of what, empty at least, looks like such a huge space. I left behind some things for my subletter. It is her first apartment in New York; I hope she loves it. I worked so hard on the space, I've redesigned it so many times for different times in my life. There it is, sad and lonely, with empty shelves, the shelves that were the first thing I ever built by myself, and the beautiful Osbourne & Little wallpaper that I craved, but then found in every decorating magazine, after I hung it.....Well it is done, and it is silly to be so maudlin about an apartment I never really loved anyway.
I'll post the before pictures of my new apartment soon....I don't really know exactly where I am going with this blog, but I think I want it to be about discovering my new neighborhood, and about creating a home for my family. I'm off to paint the really gross bathroom...hopefully I can get a coat on the walls before the baby wakes up.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Paint on the Walls...finally



I finally finished painting a room!!!!
My husband and son are asleep, and I am so exhausted I can barely see straight, but after a rather horrendous week, culminating in an ER visit last night to reattach the baby's pinky finger (a story I don't have the energy for right now) I just couldn't go to bed without finishing something!!!
Tomorrow I'll clean-up and begin to notice touch-ups that are needed and all the little imperfections, but for tonight I just want to exhault in the finished project.