Photo taken by Captain W. F. Wood of the S. S. Etonian on April 12, 1912 (via Bidtracker)
I saw this photo a few days ago when a coworker linked to an auction of the original, and I can’t stop thinking about it. The iceberg depicted is the one that would sink the Titanic three days later! Isn’t it amazing that such a thing has survived—or even that it was taken (and recognized for what it was) at all? Yes, I suppose it’s a bit of a sad, morbid way to start the weekend—but on the other hand, when this photo was taken, it was still just an iceberg. The photo is beautiful, ensuing tragedy aside.
Anyway, this post has nothing to do with that photo (um, at least I hope it doesn’t!), but it does have everything to do with motivation. I have been talking about getting moving with my kitchen renovation for years now, and this weekend I’m actually going to start digging in. I went ahead and bought the Karlsson Big Flip clock after a bunch of you assured me the Amazon reviews are bunk and it works just fine, but that’s the sum total of my “progress” thus far. I think it’s time for me to start making lists and checking them twice…after all, it is December!
Take a shower, then do this stuff:
✚ Rake leaves in front and back of the house
✚ Go through clothes and see if I own any sweaters without holes (I don’t)
✚ BUY SUBWAY TILE (and order more if they don’t have enough)
✚ Buy thinset and grout and a decent sponge and a couple of small buckets
✚ Box up non-essential kitchen stuff, store in basement
✚ Take down shelving over coffee station, patch holes
✚ START TILING
✚ Eat decent food and drink lots of coffee
If I wait until we can do the whole kitchen renovation at once, it’s never going to happen. As much I’m not looking forward to living in a renovation zone for months on end, that’s just how it has to be. Our bathroom renovations (which were much more extensive since we actually had to remove walls and floors—all of that stuff is already done in the kitchen) took more than six months each—we are slow and careful and we want to do a good job.
So? Tiling this weekend. It’s happening! Finally. I’ll take photos to prove it.
16 Comments
Go Anna! In a weird way, I wish we could trade chores — I’m on a writing deadline, chained to my laptop for pretty much the whole month, and I would so much rather just clean my neglected apt instead! Always searching for balance, right? Love the iceberg photo, the gorgeous writing on top makes it.
kitchen tiling for the win!!! go, go, go!
So excited for you Anna! There is nothing more rewarding than DIY renovations. We started a full gut job on our master bath in January. Completion is very soon, we took our time.
Save your pennies now for a Vipp kitchen trash bin 🙂
YAY! I’m so jealous, I want to tile! It’s going to look so great.
Maybe I’ll just…buy it…so it’s ready to go…no harm in that, right?
Hi, Anna – your new blog mini-lift looks great! Love the new logo and format. I’m excited for your new kitchen remodel!! I’ll have to live vicariously through you as this is one of my MAJOR dreams for our house. 😉
Also, I am in complete love with that iceberg image. A perfect album cover, I say.
xo
cortnie
Can’t wait to watch this project take form! Subway tiles in a kitchen always add the perfect little touch.
Can’t wait to see it all, especially the triangles wallpaper — it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Randomly: Have you seen these decorative nails? They looked very Anna to me. =)
http://winsomebraveshop.com/product/equilateral-nails-bronze
I have, yes! They’re on my wish list. 🙂
Have you seen this pendant on Ebay? Maybe it would make a nice companion to yours?…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-40cmCecilie-Manz-Caravaggio-Pendant-Lamp-Suspension-Light-Chandelier-L43-/221136578486?pt=US_Chandeliers_and_Ceiling_Fixtures&hash=item337cc467b6
Completely unrelated to kitchen renovating (we’ve got our own nightmare to face in Helsinki in a few days so I am avoiding thinking kitchens at the moment), but I saw a fascinating documentary about that iceberg in which scientists were able to track it from where it was “born” and cracked from the ice shelf, was forced violently into the sea, and floated on currents (narrowly avoiding falling into the “melting lanes” several times) to eventually wind up, smack dab, in front of that ship. Eerie. The hundreds of variables that could have completely altered the berg’s course, or shape, or melted it completely but didn’t almost makes you think Mum Nature got a little miffed at all the “unsinkable” bravado and decided she’d show us a thing or two.
Er. Yes. Basically I like iceberg documentaries. And not kitchen reno work.
Cough.
Forget icebergs…Helsinki? What? I guess I need to get caught up on your blog!!
Anna, I’d love to know how you learned how to tile. I’m dying to takle my kitchen and really don’t want to pay for labor.
The same way I learn how to do everything, the internet! Seriously…we just Google whatever it is we’re trying to do, and we take it from there. I don’t really have a specific resource to point you toward, but there are lots of tiling tutorials online. The forums at John Bridge are great for advice, and they’re searchable so you can see if someone else has asked the same question already.
That photograph is so ethereal, I love the dreamy quality of old photographic prints.
A few years ago I had a moth infestation and nearly all of my favorite sweaters grew holes. I had a few re-woven, just the really favorites. Somewhere (maybe Miss Moss?) someone posted a sweater patching kit that is simply a felting needle and wool, and that could actually be pretty cool looking for casual sweaters.
Oh, I think I remember seeing that somewhere, too! Thanks for the reminder, I’ll see if I can find it again…