Daughter Sally is working for GreenRose Enterprises, a rehab and design firm in Glen Ridge, NJ. She wears a number of hats on the job; GreenRose's blog, CominUpRoses, is one of her tasks. I'm so happy Sally is going to contribute her brains, creativity, good taste, and hard work in the cause of (re)creating lovely, comfortable old houses. Speaking strictly as an amateur, this is one of the best jobs in the world. I "fixed up" a couple of old houses to make them more liveable for the family. The tasks were impelled by necessity but wound up giving us pure delight. I didn't do all of the work--only some. There were carpenters and plumbers and furnace men and electricians and chimney sweeps around the house, too--in various combinations and at different times. I also made numerous trips to the DCRA (for the endless permits), the bank, Home Depot, Restoration Hardware, and other fleshpots.
If you click on the blog link above, you can read some of their first posts. It's all very exciting! Congratulations and good luck to Steve Moran and Ken Malian on their fine endeavor! And congratulations for being smart enough to hire Sally!!
I can't think of anything I'd love to do more as a profession than fix up hold houses. Like you, I've done some amateur stuff -- mostly painting, sanding and staining floors, etc., but nothing like the work being done by CominUpRoses.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to your daughter Sally in her new endeavor!
Diana: Thanks on behalf of CominUpRoses and Sally. Amazing that you, too, like to work on houses. Both Sally and her sister Peggy do, too--as well as their mother. It's such satisfying work. One thing I've never done, but which I'd love to take a crack at is installing a wood floor. People who have done it say it's the easiest task of all. I have a friend who installed a new wood floor in her entire second floor--yanked up the carpet and went to work. Bliss!
ReplyDeleteI would bet installing new floors is easier than sanding and staining old ones.
ReplyDeleteI do love the work. It's very satisfying.
Sally is a smart, creative lady, and the company is very lucky to have her.
Makes a mother happy and proud, eh? :)
That sounds like a dream gig and awesome for Sally for doing that! I really love home makeovers and such :)
ReplyDeleteCharles, you're right...it's a dream job. There is something quite magical about renovating a house. When I bought my apt in 1999 or so, i also bought the one right next door and combined them. Absolutely fun! I am no good at construction (I can't measure to save my soul), but I loved the DEstruction part--tearing down walls, etc. Had a wonderful big crowbar thing called a GorillaBar. You can't imagine how much fun it was to open up the wall between the two apts.
ReplyDeleteDiana...it IS indeed lots easier to lay a new wood floor than to sand & stain an old one. Sally worked one summer doing that. You doubtless know that the secret is to keep the sander from sanding a hole right through the floor. I would never be brave enough to do that. Hats off to you!!
Sooooo cool. I wish I had read the blog before seeing Sally today. Hats off!
ReplyDeleteCat