Home | Carry Corner
 

I'm Back

I've gone back to school to prepare for a new phase of my life. The workload has kept me from attending to a lot of things that I need to do, like to do. But now finals are over. FINALS ARE OVER! And just when I think I can take a break, I lie back on my couch looking up at the white ceiling. There it is, a hairline crack, running about 4 feet long. Which brings me to plaster; the good, the bad and the ugly.

More link:
<

I Hate Borrowing Money

I hate borrowing money. Of course, I’ve had a mortgage with each home I’ve owned, doesn’t everyone? My most recent home required a complete remodel, inside and out. I just wasn’t in a position to do what needed to be done without some financial help. Someone suggested a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). I had always heard about them, but wasn’t quite sure how they worked. This HELOC would make funds available to me, as I needed it, up to a pre-approved amount.

More link:
<

ReModeling

I’m not certain when it started, but at some point in my life I became fascinated with construction and restoration. Be it homes, furniture or clothing, I loved being involved in the transformation of forgotten, abused and dated objects. 

More link:
<

Mending Fences

My mother has an adorable beach house.  I call it The Hobbit House. There was a cute and very original picket fence surrounding it. Termites had gotten to the fence, and it was on the verge of collapse. Mother’s Day was approaching and, as is custom in our family, labor is the best gift ever.
 
My brother and I had had a falling out several months before, and we hadn’t spoken for much of that time. I knew that I couldn’t do the job myself, so his help was vital.
 
More link:
<

Paint: I Love Color

My current house is modern, with lots of windows and lots of light. The walls were white. It made sense when I first bought and remodeled it. After almost three years, I needed color. Nothing a trip to Lowe’s couldn’t solve.
 
More link:
<

Bad Decisions on Kitchen Cabinets

If you’ve ever knitted a scarf, you know where each and every missed stitch is. Many of your less crafty friends are impressed with the fortitude it took to take on something that appears to be arduous and time consuming. Most will never see these flaws unless you chose to share them.
 
More link:
<

The Right Tool for the Job

The compound miter saw in the cart is mine. It is just before Christmas and the sale makes the purchase a no-brainer. The buff construction man behind me remarks, “Some man is going to be very lucky.” I point to myself and say “Yes, this man.” I take joy in his impressed look.
 
 My first house was an experiment. I was 23 and the house was nearly 60 years old. It was a perfect specimen for my first attempts at do-it-yourself remodeling.
 
More link:
<

Closets: My Big Opening Act

In 1942, the year my third house was built, most people’s wardrobes were quite small. The U.S. had entered World War II the year before, and clothing was was officially rationed starting in June of 1941.
 
Most people had six or seven changes of clothes as well as a few other special-occasion pieces. Because of that, the closets in homes built at that time were very small by today’s standards.
 
More link:
<

The Joy of Demolition

My first home was a 1933 bungalow that had some interesting features. It had a vintage stove appropriate to the home’s age and a toilet whose tank was mounted up high--you had to pull a chain to flush.
 
More link:
<