Sunday, July 7, 2013

Everything a Girl Could Ask For...

For our twelfth anniversary, I asked Jeff for a hole in the wall. A literal one, not a reference to a dive or some smoky joint!

It's been twelve wonderful, exciting, adventurous, fulfilling years of matrimony on July 8th. We talked about a trip to the shore or some other vacation destination, but in the end, we preferred a quiet holiday at home. We are blessed with so many opportunities to travel and see and do that sometimes being in our cozy home is the best treat. We did do dinner (fabulous, fabulous restaurant!) and dancing last week, so we can count that as our romantic outing. And I finally got the present I've been really hoping for: a masonry chisel and a hole in the wall!

Before:
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(You can see the strange peach colored hearth plate on the floor, and if you look hard, you can just make out the patched plaster.)

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(Who knew the plaster would be well over an inch thick in places?!)

I've had two lovely, antique mantels waiting in the shop for over two years. I bought them even before we officially purchased the farmhouse, that's how long I've been hoping to do this project.

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The study and the downstairs guest bedroom both have old fireplaces that have been long ago bricked up and plastered over. It's been my dream to open them back up and install the mantels, and Jeff took the first steps toward that! First with an exploratory hole, then with a fair amount of pounding and plaster dust, Jeff was wholly (ha, ha ;-) on board with my scheme. No better way to say "I love you" than a little house wrecking!

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2 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Can't believe it's been 12 years already.

    I think that's a perfect anniversary gift. :) Will the fireplaces be usable?

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  2. Yes, time really flies when you're having fun!

    My plan is to have a gas line run and install ventless gas logs in the study. We already have one in the living room, so that would provide two working fireplaces. The guest bedroom is a little trickier and I need to check codes on vent free logs in sleeping areas. The chimneys had been taken down to the roofline, so a full restoration is out. But even decorative logs and candles for the guest room firebox could be pretty!

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