Saturday, April 26, 2014

Bis Bald!

Tocco is off to Germany for the week... I wish I could have gone, but it was pretty last minute, the flights are so expensive and we have a lot to save up for (like a honeymoon... yes, eventually).

It's so strange being at this house alone. I know it's dramatic because he just left, but driving back from the airport and after running errands without him yesterday evening made this whole adventure feel like a whole lot less. San Leandro suddenly seemed so far away from family again, we don't really know the neighbors, and where are we anyway?! Maybe because we've not had years of family passing through this house yet, and it's still pretty new to us, but I realized this house is just a structure without him, and a whole lot less fun. I wouldn't need to keep it if he wasn't here. Tocco, you make this house my home.

Safe travels, Salty. Can't wait to see you on Friday. :)

Friday, April 25, 2014

A Door Story

Maybe less of a "door" story than a hood story, since this project actually was more about exploring the hood than changing a door. Nevertheless, its been a while since we tackled our last indoor project and - according to Megan's list, and my wish - we wanted to replace the door on the ground floor that leads to the basement and looks more like something is hiding behind it, with something that integrates our not-so-new-anymore refinished basement. Not like a wall that closes it off, rather a glass door or a door with a window, so it creates a better flow to the house and incorporates the basement into the living space.

However, it all started on a Saturday, a beautiful sunny northern California day. Right around the corner from our home we have a complex of "ReStore", "ReUse" and thrift stores that we've been meaning to swing by anyway, not really expecting to find something but to stroll around for a bit. And here we are, a new nook in our hood.



The ReStore store, at least one of them in this complex.



The door section, yes - they really do carry an entire aisle of old doors, who would have thought that. And even some pretty ones here and there.


As well as a couple of massive old and huge butcher blocks, or parts of an old massive wooden door, I couldn't tell, but beautiful wood though, I was tempted to buy them just to have them, but somehow I lost track of them. 

Next building, next store, this time building supplies only, and not just one aisle of doors, no, a dozen.




Including this beauty, that - as sad as it is - won't fit anywhere on the house - as hard as we tried to find an excuse or an idea of where to reuse this one, but, didn't happen, much to Megan's sadness ... ;-)