As you’ve no doubt noticed, there’s not much going on at the Fixer-Upper worth bragging about. I’m enjoying the much-needed break. Instead of charging ahead on renovations, we’re working on paying our remodeling bills off (I absolutely despise credit card debt) and squeezing in as much outdoor time as possible before the snow flies. Never […]

I complain about this place pretty often, but the truth is there’s plenty to love about Central New York. Like, for instance, the beautiful and historic town of Ithaca – home to a great non-profit salvage store, the Ithaca Hour currency system, and as of a few months ago my brother Cody. Whenever I get […]

When we got a letter in the mail telling us to sign-up online for our NYS Middle-Class Star Rebate,  a property tax relief program, I marched straight to my laptop to fill out the form. I mean, how often does the government throw us a bone and admit that maybe, just maybe, New York State […]

Anyone close to me knows I have a real thing for dinosaurs. Blame it on the Advanced Dinosaur class I took while at RPI – a stellar science elective. Definitely more interesting than Geology or The Physics of Computing. So if I ever win the lotto and can afford cool wallpaper, I’m doing a “feature […]

I can’t live in my world of denial any longer…. it’s fall here in Central New York. The leaves are turning. Mornings are frigid. Fresh apple cider and craft fairs abound. It’s my favorite time of year, but with fall comes the threat of winter and  a list of chores that prepare our house for […]

If you’re picky about color, it pays to “testdrive” a few different selections before you slap something on the wall. If you don’t, you just might end up painting the same room twice. Or, if you’re super anal, three times. Hypothetically speaking of course. Every paint site seems to have their own tool, some more […]

My friend Joe and I were walking around town the other day, snapping pics of my lovely little neighborhood. We just happened to notice this crazy old air conditioning unit outside of an apartment building on our main street. It sits upon two extra-strength, extra-fancy brackets – and as you can see, it’s a battle […]

TA-DA! A great and powerful light should be shining out from within that closet, because this is truly a hallelujah-worthy moment. We have a closet in the master bedroom! No more running from room to room to find my clothes. (Note to Dad – that’s Cody’s flag up there, he left it at our house. […]

When one stops mowing due to no-motivation-syndrome, marvelous things can happen. Your neighbors might despise you, but beautiful things will pop up all over your yard. Use this as an excuse to put off weed-whacking for a few more days: Whatever that thing is, it’s cool – and about 4 feet tall at the moment. […]