Cedar chest phase 1

Today I completed phase 1 of the cedar chest project! This included:

• removing the casters (one was broken)
  
• fixing the broken hinge
  
• removing the piece of brass that used to hide the lock mechanism (the lock is no longer there anyway, and some of the tacks holding that piece of metal were missing, so the edge of metal was sticking out)
  
• replacing the old wood handles with new "antique brass" ones, after discovering one of the wood handles was broken
  
• wiping the dust out of the inside
  
• cleaning the outside wood with Murphy's oil soap
  
• gently scrubbing the brass fittings with vinegar and salt,
  
• and lightly sanding the interior to freshen up the cedar smell.

The brass looks so much better, rosy and glowy. But the wood finish still looks a little beat up. And I realized that underneath the handles, the wood is unfinished. So the next phase will involve (1) putting a new coat of wax on the wood and (2) going back over the brass with a toothbrush to get off some more of the tarnish. So far, so good.

DMV photography skillz

Not too long ago, I had to get my driver's license renewed. I just got my new one in the mail yesterday. In the picture, I look like I am smelling something rather unpleasant. (Which, given that I was at the DMV, I realize is entirely likely.) It's still better than the pic on my old driver's license, which was one of the most unflattering photos I've ever seen of myself. So, at least that's progress.

My passport photo, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. For that one, I went to a little film developing place on 23rd St, and the guy had a small studio set up at the back, with different lights and props and stuff like that. Oh, what a difference good lighting makes!

Cedar chest

We recently acquired this lovely cedar chest as a hand-me-down. It's sturdy (solid wood) and I love the color, the wood grain, and the brass fittings. And the interior is in great shape. But the chest needs a little TLC. One hinge is broken; one of the four casters on the feet is broken; the top is discolored; and some of the brass tacks are missing. So one of my current projects is to fix it up! I don't want to refinish it, but I am going to give both the wood and the brass a good cleaning, remove the casters, replace the hinges, and replace the missing tacks, then see how it looks. It's a work in progress. Here are some more before pics:

About projects and this blog

I like projects. I like having stuff to do. If I don't have anything to do, I invent things. It's a sickness, I know.

Until a few months ago, my major project was the wedding and all the stuff associated with that. Once that was over, I welcomed the break. But now it's time to get back to projects. Currently I am working on our wedding guest book. We have short notes from our guests along with Polaroids, and I'm putting them all together scrapbook-style. I'll post pics when I get a chance.

In addition to projects, I like to cook. So I'll probably post stuff about food, recipes, stuff I make for dinner, etc, too.

Deathly Hallows

I preordered HP7 from Amazon, and it was waiting for me at home when we got back from AC. I just finished it, and was really pleased! I laughed, I cried (yeah, I'm a wuss, what can I say?) and really enjoyed it. Score a big one for J.K.R.

AC, baby!

Sean and I went to Atlantic City for my birthday! We had a great time. Here are a few pics; there are more at flickr...

Go Irish!

We got tickets for the season opener against Georgia Tech! Woohoo. South Bend, here we come!

Got some new ink

... a few weeks ago. Yes, it hurt.