"Welcome Home!" Greetings from a New Mailbox with Personal History

I recently bought a house. I recently bought my Grandpa’s house. it's not just the house he lived in for 60 years, until his passing at the age of 95, but the house that he built with his own two hands. 👐 A house that I knew has “good bones,” despite the daunting deferred maintenance and much needed updating and repairs. A house I was emotionally invested in buying (house buying no-no #6). And in doing so, I chose to take on the responsibility of making sure the person who bought the house respected it and would tackle the long to-do list with quality work, as opposed to a quick, likely corner-cutting “house-flipper” strategy.

Yes, the house buying process was full of stresses, frustrations, trying of patience, worries, and at times, anguish. But I am thankful and grateful to have purchased my Grandpa’s home. Now, let the work begin!

My first project to undertake and complete: installing the mailbox! 📬

Thus…

How-to install your own street-side mailbox, full of your own style and panache

You may be thinking, “how did this house not have a mailbox?!” Well, it did, but according to USPS, upon change of ownership, the mailbox needed to be relocated from the front door to the street edge due to the mail route being considered a “rural route.”

There are specific parameters to follow for mailbox installation, according to USPS. My meticulous-self was happy to oblige. But in true Marlesha-style, I could neither choose a forgettable nor pretentious mailbox, mundanely added to the road’s edge with a boring, run-of-the-mill post. I had to tackle this project with meaning and purpose in every step. They say “the devil’s in the details,” but I would argue it’s not the devil, but rather the love, homage, pride of work, and personal style. In everything you do, give it your all and make it your own.

Thinking all-sides of the Box 📪

I carefully considered the mailbox options, and settled on a bright white, quirky (almost comical) oversized “traditional” mailbox. For practicality, this Architectural Mailboxes 6300W-10 Oasis 360 is a locked mailbox. This is incredibly helpful since its location is closer to passers-by than the front door. I feel this is well worth the investment (yes, read, “more expensive!”). And yes, also in Marlesha style, I absolutely opted for the “gently used” product option for the roughly-half-price discount! (It’s a mailbox, it’s going to get weathered! Might as well pay half for a head-start!)

The Post’age Situation 💈

There are 4x4 wood posts, metal poles, wrought iron decorative options, … what to choose?! And (more importantly) how to install?!

Lo’ and behold, as if my Grandpa said “let me help,” tucked away in a forgotten corner of the garage was the perfect solution: an approximately 3-ft tall, industrial steel pole set in concrete in an old truck-wheel (sans tire). Atop the pole was a heavy duty, half-inch thick steel plate with four holes. I have no idea what my Grandpa had used this for – he was a master craftsman of both wood and metal and everything in the garage and basement had been his tools of the trade – but this was now to be my mailbox post.

After a determined afternoon of drilling new holes in the bottom of the new mailbox (it would have been too-perfect had the pre-drilled holes aligned with the steel plate’s holes) and hunting through Grandpa’s buckets of hardware for a suitable set of nuts and bolts, it was time to dolly the new mailbox up to the curb.

Just one thing left…

The Necessary Numerals 🔢

Do we go generic? Or do we go all-in, way-too-much-time-and-energy Marlesha-style? The latter, of course.

I wanted to pay tribute to my Grandpa. In fact, it is very important to me that I incorporate his memory throughout the many updates, repairs, and changes to the house. So I was determined to display the house numbers in his handwriting. ✍

I had found an old ledger in the basement, from what year is not-known, but detailing that two 3-foot 6-inch square windows cost $5 and a 2-foot 4-inch door cost $7.21. 😶 This was exactly what I needed!

I photographed and extracted the necessary digits: 3, 7, 6, & 5. Then enlarged and re-printed. Traced over (to “smooth” the pixelated edges). Scanned again. Enlarged again. Uploaded to my tried n' true, gen-1 Silhouette Cameo cutting machine software. Created the digital “cut lines.” And finally cut the adhesive vinyl. This detail-work took as long as the physical-work of constructing the mailbox and stand. But it was worth it!

The Complete Package 📦

 

Adding the house numbers to the mailbox post was the crowning glory. To anyone else, it looks standard, though not mundane. To me, I think of my Grandpa every time I pull up to the house. Every time I see those digits, I think about the determination, skill and hard work that went into the construction of the house. I think of my Grandpa's generosity and matter-of-fact persona. I think about how proud he would be of me for taking the plunge, buying a house, and lovingly and diligently working to improve it and make it my own.

One project at a time, Grandpa. Just wait to see what's next.