One final renovation in the library

 Kassandra called me up this morning so I would come help her with some flooring issues.  Good thing I am on vacation and I have some free time!

"What is it that you want to do?", I asked when I arrived there.

"I got rid of the stairs; they took up so much space off the living room."

"Yes, I already know that".

"Well, we need to close up the ceiling of the living room.  Or the floor of the library, however you prefer".

"Oh, my.  Does this mean we have to rip up the library floor?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

And so we did.  We took off all the wood flooring and procedeed to close up the gap in the floor.  My coworker Carlos was able to help with that.  He cut up for me a piece of wood to insert in the gap.

I only needed to sand the edges a bit so it would fit on the gap.  When we were sure the piece fitted, we glued it and let it dry.

Meanwhile, Kassandra showed me another new floor she had acquired.

"Marble?  Well, it will look very pretty for sure."

"Do you not recognize it?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"My dear, this floor comes straight from the Opera Garnier, in Paris.  You surely know that is the place that Gaston Leroux used to set up the stage for "The Phantom of the Opera"?  I love that book!  I would haved liked more a different ending, but I am happy to enjoy some of Erik's floors in my house."

"I see.  Well, it seem very fitting to your tastes, for sure."

Trying on the floor...

... and getting it installed!

"Well, I must say, I like the library much better now!  Before seemed so dark, with all that dark wood..."

"I know.  Veroniqué, the lady that designed the floor, is very talented.  I may redo the floor of the ballet studio with another of her designs..."

"Oh, Kassandra, another floor change?!"

"Well, do not take it like that, I have still not decided.  Is it my fault if I find things I like better?"

"I guess not..."

"It's looking good!"

"Yes.  I still have some things to put up in the walls, but I may order new furniture, and I won't do it until then..."

A long time postponed project: The Phantom of the Opera shrine

It has been literally years since I have been planning to do this.  But for some reason or other, it was something that always got pushed to the back burner.  These days of quarantine were the push I needed to finally do it.

The Phantom of the Opera shrine:

The truth is, the glass domes I had bought were not big enough to accomodate this display, so I finally caved in and bought this kit from Art of Mini, as well as a set of Venetian Masks.  I substitued the enclosed papers with some sheet music, printed at home, from Vectoria Designs.  In one of them you can see the title "Don Juan Triumphant" - the opera score Erik was composing.  Then I included the Phantom's mask and a a red rose.

It was super simple and easy to make, and I am very happy how it has turned out.  Now, I face a problem: it does't fit the place where I wanted to showcase it.  Either I have to find somewhere else to put it, or it will have to go to the new house (in time).