Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Etsy Vintage Discoveries - Spring Gardens

Since spring seems to have finally arrived it's time to garden with some great vintage discoveries!

Antique Spoons Garden Markers Set $32
from Hammermann

Vintage RRP Co. Aqua Mint Green Jardiniere $32
from Haven Vintage


Herb Garden Pots with Wooden Tray $34.95
from 8point8

"If you'd have a mind at peace
A heart that cannot harden
Go find a door that opens wide
Upon a beautiful garden."

Monday, April 12, 2010

Our house... but not yet.

A few weeks ago we were told that the bank had unofficially accepted our offer on the house and that we just had to wait for them to send over the paperwork so we could close. That was three weeks ago and we haven't heard from the bank since and things haven't moved any further on the house.


I did get into the house a couple weeks ago with our floor guy and got to do some inspecting of our own. Since the last time we were there many of the things (but not all) from the closets and cupboards had been dumped into the trash can out back and it remains to be seen if anyone takes it to the end of the drive to be picked up. The yellow plates from the kitchen walls (see here) have been ripped down and we assume disposed of.

The bad news was that there was new damage to the house. Someone (we're unsure if it was the bank or a break-in) popped out the lock on the side door to the garage breaking the door, the frame, and part of the garage wall in the process. The bank put up a padlock so fingers crossed it doesn't happen again. When they finally winterized the house in early March, after winter was pretty much over, they removed the water meter which is par for the course, however they did not cap the pipe or even put a bucket below it to catch dripping water so there is now a king-bed sized puddle of water across the basement floor. Once we get in and get the water turned back on we'll see if any of the pipes burst during our long and cold winter.

The water in the basement coupled with the old couch that seems to be soaked in cat urine do not bode well for the clean-up process. We had really hoped to get in before it got too warm so the stink wouldn't be magnified. At this point we'd really just settle on closing before the end of April so we can take advantage of the tax credit. If it drags on much longer than that I don't really know if house ownership will be for us. We may just have to settle for continuing to rent where we are or renting somewhere else.