piano!

My friend Marybeth gave me her awesome old piano.  It didn't work anymore and couldn't be saved as a piano.  I did a little jump for joy when she told me she was just going to junk it.  I have some big plans for this beast!  So, being naive and innocent about dismantling a piano, Marybeth and I showed up bearing 2 screwdrivers and a lot of goofiness.  The top and outside pieces came off fairly easily.  Then we realized we needed to lay the thing on it's back so we could get to the screws underneath.  That was when two sweaty women wearing flip flops should have just taken a break and waited for the menfolk to get home. 

Being the ever impatient determined women that we are, we figured if we lay blocks down at the back wheels, we could just tip the thing back and lay it down all gentle and nice.  Unfortunately for us, it weighs about 700 lbs!  We almost dropped the thing.  I was pretty  certain that if it fell, I would lose all my toes.  So, I rested it on my thigh til I could scoot my feet out.  I ended up with some gorgeous new skin colors as a result! 

Anyway, we dismantled a bit more and then got really tired decided it was time to clean house or make dinner or something.  It took me 2 more weeks to get back over there to do some more demolition.  Today we were able to take everything off of the piano except for the steel wire frame.  That is what weighs a ton.  There are only 4 cursed screws left that neither of us can get out.  We are going to have to hire some young men to help haul the thing to the truck.  It may just end up in the dumpster if we can't get the frame off. 

I also refinished this chandelier I got off craigslist.

I took off the glass "bowl" shades, painted it black, put in actual chandelier bulbs, removed the hideous one out of the front room,

and hung this one.  I am going to get small shades to cover the bulbs and try to get them to match my thrift store lamp.  I am also waiting for the house to burn down since I did the install myself!