As most of you know, when we moved to this state, the house we moved into was very small. It also required some very necessary and immediate home improvements. So, we decided to try to save money by taking care of multiple things at one time, and while we were pouring new cement walls, we decided to pour the foundation for an addition to the house. Now, not only will this provide us some much needed space, it will also provide me with the ability to use my opinion and special touches to really make this 'our home'.That is really exciting to me, because this is the first home Hubs and I have ever moved into together.In the old state, I just moved into Hubs’ home that he had already owned.
A couple obvious things we will need are flooring and carpet. Not only will I want the master bedroom carpet to be soft and beautiful, I will also need to replace the guest bedroom carpet, since it is stained and has snags in it.Oh, and I’m dreaming of some beautiful laminate flooring in the kitchen, while Hubs wants ceramic tiles in the entrance way.We’re going to be living here for a very long time, and we want to be proud and comfortable in our home.
I'm sure most of you have seen the Empire Today Commercials. You know the jingle... "800-588-2300 Empire!" They have been the leading provider of installed home furnishing and improvements for over 45 years, and with their in-home shopping and demonstrations, you'll definitely see why. They definitely make it easy to pick the perfect carpet and flooring for your home!In my experience, it has always been difficult to pick out furnishings or colors for my home while being in the store.I would get home, and then realize that it didn’t really match the colors like I wanted, and I would be disappointed.
When you hear "Empire Carpet", don't be misled! They provide not only carpet, but also hardwood, laminate, and ceramic flooring. They even go beyond floor improvements and offer window treatments and bath & shower linings. I absolutely love hardwood floors and think they are beautiful.So, naturally, we will have lots of hardwood flooring in the house.Oh, and the window treatment services really caught my attention, because NONE of the new windows in this house are finished.In addition to selling you the products to beautify your home, they also provide complete, customer-satisfaction guaranteed, installation services. Here is a link to some of their Empire Today Bath Stories so you can see for yourself.
So, when you want to beautify your home and receive top-notch customer service, remember this...
One of my favorite bloggers, Skittles has started a Tuesday meme. It is LOTS of fun-so you'll wanna join us right away! If you click on the Heads or Tails logo - it will take you to the post to tell you more about the meme.
This week's topic is Heads - Any part of (or place in) a house.
This post probably won't be what you are expecting. You'll be required to use your imagination in order to fully appreciate this post. You see...
This will eventually be my new kitchen (complete with dishwasher)... And this will be my new bedroom (Yes, I can call it mine, because my husband doesn't usually sleep in the bedroom). Now, as I said, you must use your imagination. It really will be nice. My kitchen will have cornices over the windows (My daddy made the cornices for me), and they will be covered with a wallpaper border featuring a cow/barn/silo scene. I also purchased for my husband, the collection of Bonnie Mohr dairy cow collector plates - she is an amazingly talented artist. So, those plates will be displayed and tie in wonderfully with the border on the cornices.
The bedrooms' cornices will have a wallpaper border featuring a sunset scene with sheep in a pasture. The bathroom, which I couldn't get a photo of, will have the most awesome curtains. You see, before we moved, my dad's girlfriend surprised me with these curtains. They have lily pads, cattails, and dragonflies on them. They were intended to remind me of fishing with my dad, and that is exactly what they do each time I see them. Since she made them, we've been collecting little fishing/dragonfly/etc items to hang from the curtains' tiebacks.
So, that's the addition I keep referring to. Excuse me while I get technical... I've been checking my performance management software, and I've concluded that at approximately ... ummmm. Eventually, my bathroom will have four walls and heat again (I hope)... we'll have closets (wooohooo)... we'll have the proper insulation and doors (and our electric bill will go down - serious woooohooooo)... and... well, you get the idea. :-)
As much as I wish I were on a royal caribbeancruise right now,I'm not, and I'm just going to have to accept that. It's cold and windy. The wind is making it feel so much colder than what it actually is. This morning, before I even had my coffee, I had to help Hubs unload a one-piece bathtub and surround off of his flatbed trailer. It turned out to be much more heavier than I thought.
I was holding it the best I could, and we made it just a few steps before I started yelling "Wait!", "Hey!", "Hang on!". Unfortunately, he had started his truck to let it warm up, so he could not hear my yelling (that and the fact that he is half-deaf). I was wearing gloves, and they were sliding off, which caused me to drop my side to the ground. Not good! So, I took my gloves off and tried again. Still didn't have a good enough hold on it, and it was determined to go back down to the ground again, with the fiberglass ripping into my fingers and palms along the way. Ouch! Razzlefrazzin! That hurt. Well, at least you won't be able to see the blood when it is installed.
Yes, we managed to get it inside. It was much more of a chore than I had imagined. I guess I'm just not as strong as I like to think I am. But, hey, if you need someone to wrestle a sheep - I'm your gal!
Here I sit... in silence... well, other than the swish, swish... whirl, whirl... whoosh, whoosh, I keep hearing in my ears and head. I feel like I'm on some kind of hallucinogen. You should see me when the phone rings... swish, whoosh, brrrring, whooooooooosh... What the heck was that? Oh yeah, the... whooosh, swishhhhhh, brrrrrring.... phone! Try to set laptop down... head is swirling... don't fall over Misty... whatever you do, Misty, do NOT drop this laptop... swishh.... whooosh. Then again, if you drop the laptop - the one that has left permanent burn marks on your legs... then, you may be able to convince others that you need a new one... swish... brrrrrring.... whoosh. WHAT the HECK? Oh yeah, the phone. Don't fall over Misty... steady now.
But, the best part of the day... oh yes, the best part was when the darling Hubs came in and informed me that he needed my help. Needed Misty-who-can't-hear-a-darn-thing-and-can-hardly-stand-up-let-alone-walk-straight's help. What did he need help with, you ask? Oh well, he needed my help putting the final pieces of steel on the roof of the house. YES - this involved standing out in the cold... with the wind whooshing and swirling around me... WHAT??? Oh, help you carry the steel. WHAT??? Oh, hold it down so the wind doesn't catch it and blow me away with it... that would be nice right about now. HUH??? Climb the ladder? UP to the ROOF??? Clear up there? You can't be serious! Oh you weren't... you didn't want me to just climb that long... whoosh... ladder up to the very top (thank goodness)... oh - you want me to have your drill in my hand while I climb that ladder, which happens to be missing a rung halfway up. Sure Honey, anything for you and our home :-)
I'm going to lie down now and listen to the ocean in my ears. The college report, you ask? Oh yeah... that... Well, I'm almoststarting it finished with it. I keep trying to figure out why I just don't seem to care anymore - I'm seriously considering not finishing my degree. I know it's stupid, but it's just how I feel right now.
Oh well, I'm just going to leave myself alone with my procrastination and the ocean. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Forgive me for not visiting all of you today. I'm afraid that I couldn't even hear myself think.
* In defense of my husband - he wasn't intentionally coming to ask for my help when he knew I felt lousy. He had no other choice, because we have no one else available to help right now. Besides, if someone else came to help, we would have to pay that person. That's the convenience of marriage - free labor ;-)
Me: Honey, what are you doing with the light switches?
Him: I have to pull the wires out for these switches that don't work anyway.
Me: Don't you think you should turn the electric off?
Him: No, I'm pulling wires out that aren't connected to anything.
Me: Well, yes, but you're working at a double light switch, and only one of those switches isn't connected. The other switch is connected and runs our kitchen light. Don't you think you should turn the electric off?
Him: No. I'll be fine. I'm going outside to yank on these wires. You stand here and watch. When I come back, I need to know which wires moved.
He leaves, wires jiggle, he's back...
Me: It moved this wire that in this switch here that we don't even know what it's for. But, it also moved this wire here in the double switch
Him (Freaking Out): Don't be pointing in that double switch that one wire is HOT!
Me... smacking my forehead with the palm of my hand and walking back to continue working on homework...
as the lights flicker on and off and he fiddles in said double switch with a screwdriver.
Oh, the joys of home improvement with a husband who doesn't know what the definition of safety is.
With all the remodeling and home improvements that we have been working on so diligently, the checkbook has been taking a major hit. Every time I turn around, my husband is talking about something else that really needs done to the house. We knew when we moved here there were things that were going to need fixed, but we didn't realize they were going to have to be fixed immediately.
As if I needed more to stress about, my aunt called me yesterday and was so thoughtful to remind me that Christmas is only a few weeks away. I really wish she wouldn't have felt she needed to bring that up. I know it's only a few weeks away, but I was hoping that if I just ignored it, then it wouldn't come upon me so fast. Add the fact that we are driving the 750 mile trip back to visit for the Holiday. Have you seen the price of gas? It's going to be an expensive trip.
I wish I could find the magical money fairy, so I could ask for a time-extension or a cash advance. Unfortunately, I don't even know what that fairy looks like or where she lives. So, I guess I am out of luck. I wouldn't even be able to get a payday loan, because I'm self employed.
Right now, I'm hoping Santa will remodel my house for Christmas!
Last week, the guy who is going to pour our new basement walls comes in to 'inspect' things. He informs my husband that he needed to cut more of the basement floor away. There was a miscommunication between the two men (go figure - men not communicating). So, husband worked and worked to bring said wall-less basement up to wall-man's satisfaction.
Here's the conversation husband and I had: Me: "Is our basement going to EVER get finished?" Hubs: "Yes 'our basement is going to get finished'"(in a very mocking smart a** tone) Me: "Before Winter?" Hubs: "Yes, Wall-man is coming on Monday to get started, as long as..." Me: "As long as WHAT???" Hubs: "As long as it doesn't rain" Me: "Oh GREAT, now you've done it! You just jinxed us. Now it will rain. Quick wood... knock on some wood. Would you knock on some wood already?" Guess what happed half of the day Sunday and ALL Sunday night??? Oh yes, it rained... and rained... and rained.
Monday: Phone call from Wall-Man "I won't be able to pour the walls because it rained" Thank you ever-so-smart-one. I would have never figured that out! Hubs: "I will pump the water out and it should dry out rather quickly." Wall-Man: "Let me know"
Tuesday: Hubs calls Wall-Man Hubs: "We are ready to get started. It's dried out now" Wall-man: "Ok, I'll be there tomorrow" Hubs: "How long will it take? The reason I'm asking is because I was looking at the forecast and they are calling for rain again ALL DAY Saturday, Sunday AND Monday" Picture Me in the adjoining room freaking out... totally freaking out! Wall-Man: "I'll be there tomorrow
Wednesday a.k.a. Yesterday a.k.a. Day Wall-man would get started Wall-man stopped by around 4 p.m. after calling to say that he 'got stuck at another job' and that he would stop by to 'inspect' again UGH!!! Can you say UGH???
Me: "IS he going to do the basement walls? I mean really? IS he, or does he just like stopping by to look at our wall-less basement???" Hubs: "He's going to get started on it tomorrow"
This morning: Me "Where IS he???" Hubs: "Oh, I thought I told you. He won't be here until after Noon"
SCUSE me - it's 2 Freaking O'clock my time - NO Wall-man... not even a phone call???
I have no basement walls. I lie in bed and listen to critters playing in my basement... probably sorting through my stuff deciding what they would like to chew or poop on next!
Wall-Man... calling Wall-Man... come in Wall-Man... We have an emergency.
Did I mention that they are calling for three days of rain starting THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW??? Geesh.
