July 21, 2003

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  Just hanging around waiting for this week’s eBay book auctions (books-2-read: see link in my left side module) to end.

  
  

  It looks like they are doing okay. I will probably be getting a whole new batch of titles to list before the end of this month, and restocking on some of these, too.

  
  

  Not bad for not actually doing much work on my eBay ventures lately.

  
  

  Sooner or later I have to get down to business and start listing auctions with my other eBay accounts again. I have boxes of used and vintage clothes, and some household stuff and collectibles to list in my “online yard sale” (adifrentdrumr on eBay - link on the left side module)

  
  

  I need to restock my eBay store – Natureannie’s Goods for Growth, and get some auctions listed on my natureannie account too. (that link is also over there on the left) ”Natureannies’” is where I sell lot of the stuff I used to carry when I had my store: incense, herbs, fragrance oils, body/mind/spirit gift baskets, symbolic jewelry, crystals, and lots of other goodies, currently waiting in various boxes, toters, shelves, and storage units all over my house…

  
  

  All good things in all good time, though. I really want to get my house in order before I go “back to work”. Yes, even when one is self employed and works from home, it is still “going back to work” when full time hours resume.

  
  

  On the Home Front

  
  

  The projects are not exactly slowing down, I am just getting down to the smaller, more tedious stuff. I have more or less moved out to the kitchen with the cleaning up and fixing up, since I am temporarily stalled on a couple of projects in the bedrooms (waiting for some professional help and advice, and for some work space in my garage, which has still got the new dishwasher sitting in the way)

  
  

  So far, I put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, (same pale yellow color as before) did some intensive cleaning, including my filthy ceiling fan and all the windows, and washed the (pale yellow lace) curtains. I also tossed out the old dusty mini-blinds that I have in the windows that get the bright, hot, afternoon sun, and replaced them with new ones ($3.99 each at Target, not worth trying to clean the old ones, especially since there is a smoker in the house and everything gets that nasty smoke film on it)

  
  

  Now I am working on the more creative projects for the kitchen. I am restoring the snackbar stools that are just about as old as the house, definitely at least 50 years old. They are the kind with the fold down steps, and are pretty comfy to sit in and fit well at our snackbar, so I am updating them rather than replacing them. I put cushy new padding on the back and seats, reupholstered them with heavy weight knit-back vinyl in a nice neutral ivory (because I still have no idea what color the new floor and countertops will be when we get around to getting them installed) I used a traditional brass nailhead trim on the backs, I think it will look really good with the overall look of the kitchen.

  
  

  Here are some pictures – before and after:

  
  

  

  
  

  The one on the right is finished, all but the new steps. I will be replacing the old black-painted wood steps with new natural wood steps. I got some stain in a color that will hopefully make the new pine steps match the aged pine of the kitchen cabinets. The kitchen floor you see in this picture is the original tile installed in 1950. It is desperately in need of replacing, as it is nearly worn completely through in some places.

  
  

  here they are with the steps folded up:

  
  

   

  
  

  The photo on the right is more true to the actual color than the other two, they got sort of “washed out” for some reason.

  
  

  I have the second stool’s cushions all stripped down and ready to put back together with the new padding and covering tomorrow. I still have to make the steps and clean and polish the metal frame. That is the part I don’t like to do, but somebody has to do it.

  
  

  And of course, the finishing touch is the new plastic caps on the bottom of the legs. I put soft rubber ones on the step part because they go BANG! whenever you put them down, and it should help cushion the impact a bit. I don’t know how many times I have awakened the whole household late at night flipping the steps down on the snack bar stool (they are great footrests while having a late night snack)

  
  

  When these are done, I have the 4 chairs that go with the kitchen table to do. I got the fabric and padding for them today. Thought it would be a good indoor project for this week, since they are predicting extreme heat and lots of rain and thundershowers.

  
  

  Well, I think my auctions have probably ended. Time to go back to work on eBay.

  
  

  I almost forgot to mention, I put a nifty photo show up on my header banner at the top of the page. It is the evolution of adifrentdrumr! When you refresh the page, it will show a new picture. All those photos are me, at various ages (beginning with the one of me napping in a freshly plowed garden at 5 years old!) I will be changing them a bit as I find and scan some more favorites. Hope you enjoy them!

  
  

  ‘bye for now!

  
  

   

  • 10:09 pm
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