stripping.... brick that is...

now that Ive gotten your attention...lol.. I have a brick fireplace in my home that has been painted over the years.. I was wondering if theres anyway I can remove the paint other than sandblasting it off.. Im planning on redoing the living room from floor to ceiling and figured this would be the place to start.. I realize its gonna take a ton of labor but one thing I do have is time..Id really like to get it back top its original state

thanks a lot
kathleen