"Preserving the Preservation Experience" - FYI

Just in case you haven't picked up the February 2008 issue of Victorian Homes Magazine, I thought I'd let you know that quite a few of my favorite houseblogs are featured in this issue. Yes, that would also include The Devil Queen. I'd link to the story, but they don't appear to have an online edition of it. Sorry.

There is no need to fret, it is a very nice article. It is nothing like the infamous Wall Street Journal article of last year; no orgies with a bottle of Jack and a chainsaw.

The superstar of the article is Mindy over at Fixer-Upper. Kristin at 1902 Victorian gets a good bit of copy too. Other favorites mentioned are: The Petch House, This Old Crack House, Casa Decrepit, This Decrepit Victorian, and Victorian Restoration.

If you haven't seen the article yet, swing by your local big-box bookstore and find a copy. I don't care what anyone says, there is something really gratifying about appearing in old-fashioned print.

Gonzo, That's What We Do

Apparently, our 2006 Halloween Sabbath was quite a success; we've been informed that we will be having another one this year. Scarlet and I weren't satisfied with the level of fear we were able to achieve last year, so we are trying to think of things we might do to terrorize our friends and acquaintances. Suggestions?

Costumes are concern as well. To further my goal of becoming the Hunter S. Thompson of home improvement, I think I ought to devote some serious time to the full immersion approach to touch my inner Gonzo. Specifically, with Halloween just a few short weeks away, I think that I will become the man himself for the duration of that one hallowed eve.

Really though, houseblogs almost have to be Gonzo, don't they? From the ever dubious source of factual information, Wikipedia:


"The word gonzo was first used to describe a 1970 story written by Hunter S. Thompson, who later popularized the style. The term has since been applied in kind to other highly subjective artistic endeavors.
Gonzo journalism tends to favor style over accuracy and often uses personal experiences and emotions to provide context for the topic or event being covered. It disregards the 'polished' edited product favored by newspaper media and strives for the gritty factor. Use of quotes, sarcasm, humor, exaggeration, and even profanity is common. The use of Gonzo journalism portends that journalism can be truthful without striving for objectivity and is loosely equivalent to an editorial."