The Breakers in Newport RI

The Breakers in Newport RI , originally uploaded by sfinley_nh.

Here is another Vanderbilt home. This will be the last one I post on this site.

Beat the Block will be going back to tips for beating writer's block format. The Vanderbilt home photographs will continue, though, as I find them, on my other blog, Vanderbilt Family Homes.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion (demolished) from Library of Congress

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion (demolished) from Library of Congress, originally uploaded by whitewall buick.

Yet another photograph found on Flickr.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion NYC

I've been searching for some new links and photos while I watch "Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel - my power was out earlier so I'm catching the reruns.

Here's what I've found so far:

Vanderbilt 1

Vanderbilt 2 (scroll almost halfway down the page to view the picture)

Vanderbilt 3 (scroll down to post #5 by The Charioteer - has three pictures of the house)

Vanderbilt 4 (first pic is of a fountain with the Berdorf Goodman department store behind it (where the house used to be) and the one below it is of the house behind the same fountain)

Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion 5th avenue NYC

Mansion floor plan (Cornelius Vanderbilt II), originally uploaded by Chauncy.Primm.

Here is the floor plan for the house. Wonderful. I just love Flickr!

1925c - Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion; 5th Ave., bet. 57th & 58th

1925c - Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion; 5th Ave., bet. 57th & 58th Sts. (demolished 1927), originally uploaded by straatis.

If you like researching about the Vanderbilt's and their houses, you need to get your hands on a copy of "The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age" by John Foreman and Robbe Pierce Stimson. I was able to find a used (1st edition) copy on Amazon for $25 (with shipping) - finally getting my first glimpse inside this 5th Avenue mansion by Cornelius Vanderbilt II.

I've mentioned before I had a dream about this house. I've been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC enough times that I can easily imagine what the inside of this one would have looked like. But having not seen pics inside this house, I've often wondered why I would think this was the location from my dream? 

The pics inside are not really enough to determine if my dream actually matches the house itself. And since it was destroyed, there is no way for me to determine accuracy.

If you can find a copy, buy it immediately! You won't regret. I'm sharing a few photos of the inside. No copyright infringement intended.

 

the search for ideas

I spend entirely too much time on Flickr. It's almost unhealthy. LOL

I have lots of interests. More than what's good for me probably. But those interests can sometimes be the inspiration for ideas.

The photo to the right is (I think) page 3 of my favorites from Flickr. I have about 7 pages currently. I look for things I would like to make (one day) but I'm also on the lookout for images that inspire characters or ideas or anything.

Even looking at quilts and quilt pieces that people have completed or are currently working on inspire me. Has the quilting left a clue in the quilt as to who might want her dead? Maybe the sewer of the quilt top and the actual quilter are different people. Or maybe clues are hidden in the quilts by the pattern designs themselves like those telling slaves along the Underground Railroad which homes and families were safe. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I hope so.

vanderblt mansion 5th avenue new york city

I took a photograph this morning of a print I found on eBay. 

This was the home of  Cornelius Vanderbilt II, son of William Henry Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt and older brother to George Washington Vanderbilt, builder and owner of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

I'm fascinated by this house so I keep looking for articles and photographs of it to use as inspiration.

new format

I've neglected this blog for a few days. Trying to figure out a way to make it more interesting.

Lists every day are kind of boring. So I've decided to just post interesting items (and some lists too) to help those who have writer's block.

#29

carousel horses on life size merry-go-round

antique car with skeleton inside

sapphire and diamond ring

quilt with bloodstains

pair of reading glasses

sheets hanging on clothes line to dry

darkroom found during renovations

outdated maps

bloodstained tablecloth

#28

milk glass
cable modem
movie scores
stack of board games
unused computers
thread spools of various colors
chalkboard
DVD player
HD television
laptop bag
picnic basket
elementary school turned into apartments
frozen pond hides two dead bodies

haunting statues

Statues are a great way to kick start some writing. Whether they resemble children, angels, pets or something else, take a closer look at one the next time you come across it. You might be amazed at the ideas you come up with.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

#27

half finished love letter

army fatigues

silk scarf

apple trees

Scottish highlands

Tower of London

time travel

GPS unit

bicycle w/ basket

frog cookie jar

camping equipment

#26

embroidery thread

lemon pound cake

flute w/message rolled up inside

trumpet w/dent in bell

empty mason jars

chess set made of marble and sapphire

pewter letters

cookie cutters

stuffed animals

tower w/locked door

vintage magazines

tea cozies

surgical instruments

weather devices

sundial

barometer

rain gauge

silk sheets

cotton napkins

flower pots

#25

newspaper clippings of serial killer slayings

car wreck that wasn't an accident

family Bible that holds a few secrets

forged birth certificate

headstone with name spelled wrong

costume jewelry

pin pricks on envelope/piece of paper

missing newspaper delivery boy

#24

lawn mower w/blood on blades

lemonade pitcher w/matching glasses

antique wedding bands

antique engagement rings

vintage clothing patterns

printing press

alphabet books

murder victim w/clothesline wrapped around neck

Christmas cards

British coins in piggy bank

brown wrapping paper

toy cars

easy bake oven

maid uniform w/blood on it

globe w/secret compartment

#22 and #23

I have no excuse for missing Friday's post. Totally forgot. Guess I was too happy to have my internet and cable back up. LOL

Here is a list of possible character names I have collected over the years. I like odd names and plain names spelled differently. Some are names I've read in other books and some are names I've found in baby name books or online.

North

Peabody

Finn

Robert

Edward

Bella

Alice

Rosalie

Esme

Carlisle

Jacob

Jasper

Emmett

Arthur

Elliott

Peyton

Lula

Oscar

Edgar

Alaine

Laine

Alivia

Ziva

Reece

Rowan

Reta

Reva

Dixie

Tessa

Duke

Dutch

Daisy

Zero

Marcus

Sam

Inspiration

thread rack
Originally uploaded by mysterywriter

After I took this picture, I was carrying the thread rack to another room and was thinking to myself I hoped I didn't fall, because I had the pointed parts toward me. Then I thought what a great idea to murder someone with it! I can see the crime scene investigators now, scratching their heads as they try to figure out how all those little holes came to be in the murder victim. MUHAHAHAHA

Seriously, I liked this idea. Here I was, taking a picture to show a friend of mine something I had bought today (on sale, too) and the idea just hit me. Sometimes a writer doesn't need fancy tricks or writing exercises to get their imagination going. Just buying something for another hobby (or as a gift for someone) can spark your creativity.

#20 and #21

I missed last night because I had no cable or internet service. So I watched DVDs and knitted. Finally finished my scarf and wore it to work today. Here is the list for yesterday and today.

baseball bat

painting my murdered artist

recipe for moonshine

paintbrush

charcoal pencils

drawing paper

coffee urn

box of tea bags

iPod with missing songs

embroidered hankies

homemade jelly

character who talks to her computers like real people

golden ticket

camera w/undeveloped film inside

discarded pets

original Olympic gold medal

first edition library

unsolved bank heist

sidesaddle with girth cut to cause accident

blood splattered T-shirt

drained lake/reservoir

#19

missing church baptism records

snowball fights

ice storms

blueberry pie

birthday cake

turkey sandwich and soup

snow days

handknitted scarf