Andrea,

The big vice--is that a vice grip? You may not need it now, but they are a very handy item to have in a house. If you're thinking about selling, it might be a good thing to leave. When I built the new garage (7 years ago) I wanted it to look like it had been here for a while so I took apart a weathered (and dog-chewed) redwood picnic table and framed it out then used a remainder from house remodeling as the top. And a few months later at an area garage sale I found an old vice for $10 and I brought it home, used WD-40 to get all of the parts moving again, and I fastened it onto my workbench. It doesn't get used often, but when I need it for a task there is simply no other tool that would work as well for stability sake.

My mantle has been evolving. Right now I have a leaded window with some colored panes in it propped up there and some flotsam my mother picked up over the years. It will be the central area for holiday decor soon. Good job in clearing your mantles. I don't do a fire in my fireplace often, mine is filled with a mirror and a bunch of candles sitting on a board across the top of the fire grate. It doesn't draw well but the candles look very cheerful without causing the smokey effect of a dying fire puffing into the house.

SRS