Another year means we've started more improvements. . . this year, it's a new deck for the front.
Not bad, if we do say so ourselves. My husband did almost all of the work and he'd never done one before- his brother the contractor would be proud.
		Well, this is where everything started. . .front view.
Side view that doesn't have the door (note the "clapboards" in the back-- those are 2x6's)
		This is where the side with the door and the porch started. . . of note is more of those 2x6's. . .
The starting interior view from the side door.
		Looking around to the right. . . get a good look at that wall now. . . it's leaving!
This itty bitty doorway (just two feet wide) leads to the changing rooms (we've kept those for now. . . but that may change in the future).
		The original "doors"-- they were more like really big shutters. . . Also of note, there is no display space in the corner-- just a small railing on either side of the corner post.
So, after thinking about how I wanted things to finish, I drew a picture in my head- then got at least one other person to see it. Then we started ripping it apart and making it match what I envisioned. . .
		yet more destruction. . .
and made a BIG mess
		and here's where we left it after the first weekend (see, I told you that wall would be gone. . .)
And, thus, starts the second weekend. . .
		The duke contemplates just HOW are we going to take the ugly door down?
Right! Brute force works best. . .
		This is how we pretty much left it at the end of weekend 2. . . still a big mess. . . but the wall that I hated is gone. . .
Here's the front just about finished (needs some stain and paint)
		The view as seen from the road in the front- losing the wall opened up the space immensely (can you tell I was fixated on losing the wall?).
The view as seen from the road in the front, looking toward the storage area (this will be drywalled in to hide the sewing machine and other business things).
		The front corner between the doors-- small items will be displayed here in baskets hanging from the wall (this is where the railings and lone corner post stood).
The view from the side doors, which is our handicapped entrance.
		Well, we've gotten to the inside. . . can you say "spackle"?
Keith was nice enough to get dragged out. . . and we put him straight to work. Colleen and Rowan were trying to help. . . ever done construction with a 4 and 9 year old underfoot?
		Well, except for the half-timbering, the front is done. We got to the eaves and stained the doors-- boy, was THAT messy.
Got the side done too. .
		The changing rooms still need a bit of work-- mainly some paint and some touch-ups. The pink stripe is the spackle. . . since when did it start coming in PINK?!
Took a bit, but I found pretty much a perfect door. . . gotta love architechtural salvage. . . The loft area just needs a curtain on the top and a panel behind the ladder.
		The changing rooms still need a bit of drywall work- but I don't have time to finish that before my first show. But the back wall looks spiffy, don't it?
Scanning around to the left. . . Looks nice, right? Good thing I thought to put up the brackets beforehand-- that way I just have to find the holes. . . (drew myself a map too. . )
		Well, this corner, at least is DONE. It was nice to be able to say that . . .
Here we are, our first show at the new site- boy, was I nervous!
		The view from the changing rooms has sure changed. Also here is Piers in his fancy new look, and Elspeth, my manager.
And here I thought I wouldn't have enough stock to fill the place. . . . . did mention I need another rack?
		Well, it's simple, but there. The front as it may well be for the faire. . . Although I still have to find SOMETHING to do about the lack of landscaping (dirt is really ugly).
Still needs the bench on the side porch, but it's getting there.
		As you can see- it's not nearly as fancy as the neighbors. . . but I'm going to work on that!
OK, so I had to work on it sooner than planned. . . I'm thinking it needs rondels with the new logo in the centers of each top section. What new logo, you ask? Keep an eye on the site. . .
		Now I just need to get the bench out here and spiff things up a bit.
Well, we're looking more like the neighbors now.
		This is the only side not finished-- I need to find a way to get the ladder safely to the back corner. . . or learn to fly. :)
From the start to the finish-- it took a lot of work, but I think I got to where I had envisioned. I'm sure it will need some fine tuning on the interior (as I go through my first season of the faire and find out where I need to make the changes), but for the most part it's done. . . Gads, was it a LOT of work. . . but I think I have reason to be proud of where it got! Thanks to the volunteers as well, Ellesbeth, Elspeth, Gavin, Minerva, Tiernan, Pisanello, and. . . I know I'm forgetting someone. . . right! My husband. .