Claudine's

11/17/2025

A fun little story that some of the "older" set might appreciate...

My daughter and son-in-law are trying to earn extra money to save for a house. They tried to qualify as Amazon Influencers so they could earn commissions for reviewing products on Amazon. To qualify, you need to submit a social network account to Amazon so they can determine if you have enough followers and engagement. They did not qualify.

I spent 15 years building this page locally and organically...no paid followers here! So, I submitted this account, and guess what...Claudine's qualified! This middle-aged mama is now the reason my kids can earn extra money doing review videos!

Here is a link to the Claudine's Amazon Storefront - www.amazon.com/shop/claudineserie

My daughter has done most of the reviews, but her husband and I have done a few too. Such fun raiding my house for items I've purchased on Amazon. There are sooo many more than I thought! I promise not to bombard you with Amazon product links, but I may share my faves!

10/28/2025

Spent the day cutting back all the plants in the yard. This one single hydrangea was hanging on, so I had to bring it inside to appreciate it a little bit longer!

09/08/2025

My current view...

I am THE person, that one person in every family that somehow ends up with all the printed family photos. I have my pictures, my ex-husband's parents' photos, my father's photos, and my mother's and stepfather's photos. They go back 5 generations. A few are almost 100 years old!

I have tried to tackle this photo organization project on 2 prior occasions over the last decade, having given up each time. The third time is a charm. I am currently 3 weeks into this last attempt, and I am close to getting Stage 1 done (Tony Soprano has been keeping me company while I sort 😀)! The key was cutting my sorting categories down to only 10. I can then tackle another sort of each broad category.

It has also helped to keep in mind the goal of eventually passing these photos onto my daughters and nephews. I'm trying to curate a collection that is meaningful for them. I have committed to writing the names of everyone on the backs of the pictures too. Out of thousands of pictures, I am proud to say I only have about 25 pictures I can't identify!

Thank you to my husband for stepping over and around my piles. It won't be for much longer!

Any tips anyone would like to share? There are still 10 more shoeboxes full in my basement. 😜

08/20/2025

Last but not least, the Emerson Hideaway bathroom! Be sure to look at the Before pictures, especially the last one. I took the shower down to the studs for a complete overhaul. I reused the old vanity from my other tiny house and added a laundry center. I did keep the floor tile, but I had to scrub it for hours with a small, steel bristle brush followed by a steam cleaner. 😝

08/18/2025

Bedroom at the Emerson Hideaway! This small bungalow is so much more spacious than it looks. The bedroom includes a king-size bed, a vintage wardrobe, and a dedicated workspace. I repurposed an old door I found in the basement for the headboard.

08/15/2025

Before and After pictures of the Emerson Hideaway kitchen! Knocked out a small divider wall to fit in a dishwasher and got new cabinets, countertops, and backsplash. I also found the perfect narrow console that has two tilt-out trash cans. The kitchen is open to the living room so it feels pretty roomy for how small the house is!

08/12/2025

After photos of the Emerson Hideaway Living/Dining Room! I love that there was enough room to use an old rustic mantel that I kept from my prior property in Mayville, NY. It just adds a little coziness and architectural detail.

08/08/2025

Before and After pictures of the sun porch of the Emerson Hideaway! There was a railing in the middle of the room for the basement hatch, the floors were peeling and chipping, the window tracks were caked with mold and dirt, and the trim around the windows were all raw wood. Hours and hours of scrubbing and an amazing painter made all the difference! Sitting out there on an Erie summer day with all the windows open is just glorious!

08/06/2025

The Emerson Hideaway is the name of my latest short-term rental. With this little bungalow being located on Emerson Ave, I knew I was meant to have it! (My last name is Emerson if you didn't know. 😜)

I'm going to spread out the posts of the interior After pictures over the next week or so. (See previous post for the Before pictures.) To start off, here is the exterior!

08/05/2025

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had purchased a second bungalow and completed a 6-month renovation. Here are some of the Before images. This little diamond-in-the-rough is just a bit bigger than my Bitty Bungalow (600 sq ft versus 400 sq ft). It has 1 bedroom and 1 bath, but it includes a small enclosed sun porch as well. Every surface was filthy, there were several holes in the walls, and there was mold in the basement. Despite all that, I could just SEE it's potential. What do you think? Was I crazy?

06/27/2025

Anyone remember these? (Circa 1987, I think.) Family wedding this weekend. My daughter wanted to practice her updo, so we brought out my high school rollers for some curl action...

06/14/2025

I know it has been forever since I've posted here. Even though I'm retired, it has not been all play. Remember this little tiny home of mine? Well, I recently completed a gut renovation! I took it down to the studs, and it turned out great! Shout out to Solid State Construction and Tracy at Home Outlet for helping my vision come to life.

I also bought another small bungalow not too far from this one. That one was a 6-month renovation. I'll be posting about that project soon!

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