“Dream lofty dreams, & as you dream, so shall you become.”
– John Ruskin (1819-1900) English writer, philosopher & art critic

RANDOM MUSINGS

This is the junk drawer of the blog. It’s the miscellaneous stuff that defies categorizing, but seems too important to discard.

BEFORE YOU HIRE AN OLD HOUSE CONTRACTOR

BEFORE YOU HIRE AN OLD HOUSE CONTRACTOR

Once upon a time, I was standing in line at a Japanese take-out (great place!)& stepped back when I noticed the grungy guy in front of me. He was wearing a t-shirt that had seen 1,000 better days. It was a bit hiked up in the back, & I could almost see his...

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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF RESTORING AN OLD HOUSE?

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF RESTORING AN OLD HOUSE?

Long ago, when feebly attempting to restore a Folk Victorian, I discovered that the biggest challenge of restoring an old house is battle fatigue. It’s extremely easy to get disheartened. I know I’m not your mother (Disclaimer: I think I’m everybody’s mother.) but I...

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HOW BUNGALOW AUTHOR JANE POWELL CHANGED MY LIFE

HOW BUNGALOW AUTHOR JANE POWELL CHANGED MY LIFE

Into every life walks a handful of people who impact your life profoundly. Jane Powell, bungalow  author, restorer & advocate, was one of them for me. In the winter of 1998, I walked out of my 1966 MCM house in Pasadena where I had lived as a renter for 8 years...

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OLD HOUSE RESTORATION VIDEOS- the Menu

OLD HOUSE RESTORATION VIDEOS- the Menu

This post is an overview of my videos, arranged by subject, with a link that will take you to the various topics with a brief description of each individual video. Each one has been thoughtfully chosen to provide the most information, best images & most charming...

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A VERY MERRY BUNGALOW CHRISTMAS

A VERY MERRY BUNGALOW CHRISTMAS

My first bungalow Christmas, in The Hare House, my 1910 Craftsman was a year in the planning. Built before electricity came to that part of, what would be, Los Angeles. I moved in in December of 1998 & started thinking about the next Christmas. I had been living...

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