Bills Fan!

Ok, if you're from Buffalo it's a requirement: you're a Bills fan and you like to talk about the Bills. Unfortunately for you, this post has very little to do with the Bills, however, and EVERYTHING to do with a fan. My little trick to draw you in...

The fan I am talking about came from one of the walls at the ReSource (298 Northampton). I was walking through the other day, searching for inspiration, when I saw it; the fan was prominently displayed in the front of the store, calling to me. I asked Peter, the assistant store manager, what the plan was for the fan...was it for sale? was it for show?

Peter told me they had scrapped a similar one earlier in the day, thus this one was equally up for grabs. Who would want/need an old industrial fan? ME. I wanted it. How could something so cool be scrapped?? Using sheer strength and determination, I lugged the giant fan back to my newly laid patio and took a few moments to brainstorm.

I came up with the idea of converting the fan into a table. Slapping four legs on it, placing some glass on top and calling it a day. Well, not so easy as that, but that's the general idea. It turned out SO cool! Now I am evermore inspired to create furniture, sculptures, bins, etc. out of recycled materials. I'm convinced it's the way of the future. So if you're driving around and find a cool object, DON'T throw it out! Think of how it could be used as a neat centerpiece in your living room, or a new addition to your house's artwork. OR...give it to me...I'll find a use for it!

Garden Creations, Reusing Concrete

Back in November, my heart sank a little when I discovered that the house I had just bought in the October foreclosure auction had a gigantic slab of concrete hidden underneath a thin layer of soil. Think of the soil as icing on the thick concrete cake and you get the idea. Yuck, right? I felt as though all my plans for an amazing garden had just wilted and withered away.

Well, come April I had the concrete removed thanks to Matt and the trusty skidsteer that ripped it up...making way for my ambitious garden plans! Only problem was, I had a sky high pile of concrete in my backyard that I had no intention of using. My initial thought was to get rid of it ASAP. It was an eyesore, a constant reminder of the garage that had once stood but had since rotted away, but the environmental policy major in me challenged that initial thought. Why couldn't I find a way to reuse it? Couldn't it function somehow in my plans?

After thinking of all the things I wanted to include in my garden and the materials needed, I thought of using the concrete pieces to build an herb spiral. If you're not familiar with an herb spiral, don't be ashamed; most people have no idea what I'm talking about when I mention it. Basically what it aims to do is to conserve space in a garden and also provide the perfect climate for each herb that is planted. With the way water reaches each portion of the spiral formation, dry loving herbs like rosemary go on top and herbs loving a more moist environment go on the bottom. It is a very effective and beautiful addition to any garden.

So I built the herb spiral out of concrete pieces, but I still had too much left over, so I lined paths and garden beds with it! In addition, it is going into the foundation for the new earth oven being built. By taking my time and brainstorming ways to reuse it, I have successfully avoided the need to rent a dumpster to cart away the concrete. All it takes is a little patience, creativity, and willingness to experiment and look at the result! Not only did I reuse materials, I created something beautiful. I hope this inspires folks to build an herb spiral in their garden...I can tell you it is well worth it. Use whatever materials you have lying around that you can stack on top of each other and then fill it with a mixture of topsoil and compost. Also, you don't necessarily have to fill it with herbs; it could just as easily be a flower or veggie spiral!

Composting with seatbelts

Compost bins are essential to any garden. I had long ago decided I was putting in a three bin compost system, but I had been hesitating for a while, wondering what I should make it out of. Wood was fine, but boring. Brick? Too time consuming. I wandered over to Buffalo ReUse and asked Peter, the assistant store manager, what ReUse had a lot of that they needed to use up. Peter jokingly suggested the enormous box of seatbelts that someone had donated. It was all in jest, but then I thought, "why not??"

After a few trial and error sessions, I figured out how I could use the seatbelts in my compost bin design. The majority of my compost bin is woven seatbelts...The outer sides, the back (seatbelts woven into a chainlink fence), and the front doors are all made out of seatbelts. The middle dividers are made out of tree trunks that we cut out of my backyard and sunk into the ground. Talk about material reuse! The best part was that it took less than a day to create, is functional, and looks super cool! If you'd like to learn how I made my compost bin, come and talk to me about it at the next workshop (Glass Block Windows, Tuesday June 9th at 6pm).

A lot of progress has been made in and around the house, so be sure to come and check it out! The garden is growing rapidly (I need to harvest the lettuce) and the inside rooms are being tranformed! All with the help of a group of awesome City Honors kids and some wonderful volunteers. An especially big thank you to Vince and to the kids who worked on the compost bin; it looks amazing.

Hope to see you all at a future workshop...

Fondly,
Megan

Earth Ovens, Glass Block Windows, Mortar, and a BBQ!

Last week was a busy week--there was the ReUse Open House on Saturday where Matt and I gave a demonstration on earth oven building and cooking, and then an impromptu workshop on planting/preparing a garden for the growing season. On Sunday was a demonstration on installing glass block windows which was a little rough throughout the process, but turned out beautifully!

Saturday's Open House was SO much fun. Folks were in and out all day, enjoying the nice weather and eating some of Matt's delicious pizzas and breads. Watch out folks, he's gonna become the bread master of Eaton St...get your orders in now! We had never fired up the earth oven before, so we were nervous about the outcome, but no need to worry. Everything worked out wonderfully, and we even were asked how much we would charge to build one in someone's back yard! Sorry, we aren't hiring out, but if you want to learn how to make your own, we will be building another oven May 26th through 28th, 8am-12pm daily.

Sunday came, and it was another gorgeous day! Unfortunately I had mis-measured the window space, so I had had to build up the frame before installing the glass block. No worries though, I just built it up a bit, let the frame dry, and then fit the pre-made window into place (Whitney and I had made it the previous week). Once the window was in place, I finished it off with a bit of mortar and voila--it looks so much better. Of course everyone was ragging on me, saying I should have measured better...geez! It was all in good fun though, and I think the workshop was definitely a success. Can't believe how much light that one window lets in...I barely need the basement lights on now! We will be offering another glass block window lesson for folks who missed it, coming up some time in June or July. So you don't miss another class, take a look at our May calendar.

As always, the workshops are 100% free and open to anyone, so just show up and be ready to participate! We love newcomers and of course we love our regulars...it's a great chance to meet people, learn something new, and have fun! There is a workshop TODAY (5/5) on Mortar at 6pm. If you can't join us tonight, we're throwing a Cinco de Mayo BBQ tomorrow (5/6) from 6-8pm (free food, pinata, food from the clay oven, music, etc) . Hope to see you soon!

Love,
Megan

March Workshops

A month of workshops later, things are still running smoothly! Since the time of my last post, we've held workshops on painting, doors, drywall, gardening, fixing windows, planning a garden, insulation and plumbing. WOW. I'm inspired and enthused just listing them all!

It would take too much time to reflect on all the workshops that have taken place at 153 Eaton in the past weeks, but here's a reflection on a few of them:

Drywalling--hanging, finishing and patching--is something that we will definitely have to offer again. Whether your plaster is crumbling in your old home or your son was horsing around and put his foot through the wall, sooner or later most people need to deal with drywall. So it's an important skill to have, and after watching instructor Adam demonstrating taping and finishing with joint compound, I've learned that it takes A LOT of work. Step 1: cutting the right size piece Step 2: screwing into wall with drywall screws Step 3: taping for reinforcement Step 4: making a smooth finish with joint compound (3 times!) Workshop attendees were given the chance try all four steps, and some left the workshop saying they felt ready to try it in their own home!

At the next workshop many people expressed their disappointment at having missed the drywall workshop, so our plan is to hold a repeat workshop in June. If you are interested, let either Whitney or I know what dates and times work best for you!

Things don't run smoothly all the time, I'll admit. The door workshop in the beginning of March was the first time the program had taken a slight misstep--we were unprepared when attendees began showing up, so we could only offer a quick explanation of "how to" instead of actually demonstrating installing a door. That workshop was a lesson for me to provide adequate time for set up. My pledge for the future is to make sure we providethe quality education that both Whitney and I are deeply committed to...

Just this past week was a plumbing demonstration on sweating copper, and it was received very enthusiastically! Of course people were intimidated by the propane torch, but with the encouragement of both Bob and I, most of the attendees were willing to give sweating copper a shot! The workshop focused mainly on developing this skill, while also spending time on a basic explanation of plumbing and how to fix leaks. The most gratifying part of the workshop was not using a torch, however, it was in the interactions between people at the workshop. I am finding that the more workshops that are held, the more there is regular attendance and more repeat attendees. I am getting to know some people extremely well and through talking with them am learning their stories and the story of the neighborhood I'm in. I even met someone who used to live in the house! How crazy is that??

Anyway, the workshops are going well. Some more than others. Most weeks I am scrambling to prepare in time, and the weeks where I am teaching I am especially nervous. But it's worth it. I am learning, people who attend workshops are learning, and I hope most people are (I know I am) walking away from each workshop with a renewed sense of competence, of ability to do things ourselves. Special thanks to all past instructors--Patrick, Adam, Bob, Craig, Joe--and can't wait for more workshops coming up!

This weekend: Laying Carpet Tiles (Saturday April 11th at 3pm)

It's a learning frenzy!

So it's been a while (actually forever) since we've reported on the actual progress of the workshops. I confess, posting on the blog is something I will have to train myself to do weekly because somehow it always comes up as the last thing to do on my list...

Here's a quick, no frills added update of the past month of workshops:

The first workshop we held at 153 Eaton was on floor sanding. And wow. It went SO well! Attendance was great, people were really enthusiastic about trying the two different types of sanders and we got some helpful feedback. Our floors are now sanded, but we need to clean them up a bit, stain them and then refinish them. I'm thinking future workshop, anyone?

The second weekend was not really a hands-on workshop, more of a learning experience. We had Joe Sievert come in and conduct a very basic energy audit, explaining the procedure to folks. Also what you can do to reduce your utility bills and which options are the most cost effective.

Trivia: Which energy saving technique gives you the quickest return on your investment?
a) insulating your walls
b)replacing all your old bulbs with CFLs
c)replacing windows

If you thought that replacing windows would give you the most return for your investment...WRONG. Actually, it takes more than a few decades for windows to pay for themselves. Of the three choices, b gives you the quickest bang for your buck! Although I would highly suggest insulation. Keeps your body warmer and your toes snuggly (and reduces heating bills)!

The third weekend of workshops tried a new approach: DIFFERENT subjects on different days! Subfloor replacement and window glazing. Saturday's subfloor replacement was very exciting--a woman tried using the circular saw for the first time! All were laughing while learning; it's fun to try new things and it's great to have people wanting to learn.

So far, conducting these workshops has been an amazing experience. The successes of the workshops every weekend are a constant reminder why I am doing this, why I took a semester off for it and why I am choosing to continue! The variety of workshops keeps things interesting...it's never a dull day at 153 Eaton. This weekend was workshops titled Painting Like a Pro, taught by Whitney and her father. Since I'm taking a vacation in sunny (warm!) California to visit my brother, I'll leave it up to Whitney to talk about how they went!

Workshops 2/28, 3/1

FREE WORKSHOPS!
AT

Are your floors buckling beneath you?

Replacing Subfloors

Saturday, February 28th
3pm

Trying to keep out the cold without the expense of new windows?
Window Glazing

Sunday, February 29th
3pm