Hey, what kind of pervert are you anyhow? Did you really think I would put those kind of pictures on my blog? Well, yeah, I see your point. I mean, with a title like that, what should I expect, right?
Just kidding my blog friends. I thought I would share with you what I got Emily for Mother’s day while at the East End yard sale last weekend. Yes, you read that right, I got her Mother’s day present at a yard sale…the day before Mother’s day. I am that kind of guy.
I have mentioned before that our house was built in 1939. A lot of the house is still reminiscent of 1939 but the main bathroom screams 1985. It was a good year, no doubt, but as bathrooms go, it was not a bright age. There is a gawd-awful garden tub that we can’t even fill with our hot water tank (let alone afford to fill it)! There is way too much wood and a good heaping scoop of ugly on top just to tie it all together. We started tearing into the bathroom just because we were sick of looking at the ugly (plus I accidentally drilled a hole in the waste pipe from the upstairs bathroom that ran through this bathroom…but that’s another story). Anyhow, we have plans to modernize our bathroom in an old fashioned style. The garden tub is out of the question. The ugly bits everywhere must go. We hope to make it similar to how it might have looked when it was built. But before I can fix up the bathroom, I need to jack up and level the floors, install new windows and do all sorts of work on the floor below.
Ok, so that’s a long-winded way of saying that the bathroom is on the list but won’t be getting fixed super soon. Imagine my surprise as I walked down Quarrier Street on Charleston’s East End and saw a glorious claw-foot bathtub out in a front yard. I have seen all sorts of claw-foot tubs around with crazy prices and lots of dents and bruises. I was certain that I was going to have to settle for a beater or else spend thousands of dollars to get a new faux-antique tub which sort of ruined my idea of old and cool (and it especially offended my sense of thrift). I tentatively approached this mirage-tub. Surely my eyes were deceiving me. The price…too good to be true. It’s condition…in need of a new finish but without structural blemish. Did I mention the price? I didn’t want to look too desperate, hoping to get a deal. I ran right up to the homeowner and fell at his knees, begging him to let me buy his tub. He smiled and chomped down on his cigar, preparing to deal. We came to an agreement and I came back later with 3 men and two small boys to help me load this widow-maker into the back of my man-van. If it weighs 5 pounds, it weighs 400.
We managed to get the tub back out of the van and into my front lawn (in perfect style!) where it will have to sit until I get the main bathroom in such condition that the floor will support the weight and there is room to install the tub (i.e. we get that garden tub out of the bathroom and into the front yard). In the meantime, we’ll enjoy our front yard tub and rest easy knowing that we scored the coolest claw-foot tub in the United States!
Excellent!
Happy Mother’s Day… and what mom doesn’t appreciate a nice soak on her special day?
That is an AWESOME mothers day gift. Great score!
farm mom’s last blog post..Late to My Own Party
Nice tub!
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That’s a beauty!! Good score!
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What did the kids get her? a toilet?
You should get many points for this.
We have an outdoor shower which is WONDERFUL at night when the stars are out! I don’t see why you can’t have an outdoor bathtub! Just put one of those circular shower curtains on it, fill it, lean back and gaze at the stars!
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I usually don’t appreciate what Warren brings home from yard sales. I think I’ve changed my mind after this find. I can’t wait to get it refinished (and the floor supported, and the old shower out, and the floor tiled, and…..). Any bets as to whether I’ll get to take a soak in it before the end of the year?
I love claw foot tubs, we had one in our basement bathroom growing up.
It’s so great that you found such a great one at a great price. We’d love to find one to use when we finish our upstairs bath. Let me know if you ever find another 🙂
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Great present, I’m impressed. I wanted a dishwasher but didn’t get it. Oh well I still have a birthday and x-mas.
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I usually get stuff for Emily that is somewhat (!) less than sensitive or loving. I guess I am a jerk…so when I saw this one, I was pretty thrilled! The kids didn’t get her a toilet for mother’s day but it is on my list…though I think I have a problem buying a used toilet. Not sure why but it bugs me more than the tub. Anyhow, I can’t wait to give it a try!
We used to have one…nothing better for a long soak. I have never tried one in the front yard though.
You know you could plant pumpkins or something vining in it just for the summer, now that would be fun. Fill it full of those little bitty pumpkins for the kids! kim
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How cool! We have 2 old tubs as water troughs for animals, and are on the lookout for more. That will be great when the bathroom is done.
Kris
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Kim – I want to put fish in ours!
Kris – I always laugh when I see tubs round the barnyard…cracks me up!
Great Mother’s Day gift!
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SCOOOOORE!
Cool tub! I’d love one.
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