It's a Sheep!

This is Sheep No. 1/2. The one you see in all of the TV commercials with the braces. He is just the cutest little thing and I've been stalking him for weeks in all of the Mattress Warehouse circulars.

You might have guessed by now that we went out looking for a mattress today. Our beautiful new bed frame has been sitting empty for over 2 weeks. Boscov's sent a circular with Sertas so we went there this afternoon in hopes of finding a mattress. The beds were ok, but the sheep were non-existent. (Bonus points to Kevin for actually having the nerve to ask the salesclerk if they gave away the sheep. She had no idea what he was talking about and gave him the strangest look. I just love him!)

Despite horrible reviews on consumeraffairs.com, we went to Mattress Warehouse Outlet. When we walked in we saw a giant plush sheep on the bed, certainly a good omen. Then came the shark, er, I mean salesman. He even had a line, [Insert fake laughing here] "So what can I get you today? A big screen TV, a jacuzzi?" [Insert forced laughter from us.]

Fortunately, we were expecting this. He fleshed out our wants and needs and led us right to the perfect mattress. We laid down and decided we really liked the mattress. Then we saw the price tag, and well, maybe we didn't love it that much.

After laying on better and better mattresses that we loved more and more we came back to the original. We, or maybe I should say I, am not the most clued in buyer. I'm indecisive and usually just want to go home and think about things. This seems to drive salesman into a frenzy and then it starts the wheeling and dealing. Well, if we didn't mind the color, we could get us a deal on last year's model.

That's when Kevin asked, "Do you have any of the sheep left?" He had two and he opened his desk drawer to show us and there was the cute little sheep with braces that I had been coveting. I was sold, but I wanted to hear Kevin's opinion sans salesman.

Kevin assured him we would think about it and we walked out of the store. After a 30 second conversation about how there were only two sheep left, there were only a few of last year's model left that was actually under our budget and hopefully having learned from the previous night's debacle (a story for tomorrow) we decided couldn't pass up the sheep, er, I mean mattress.

And thus we went back in and bought it. We are the proud new owners of Sheep No. 1/2. And oh yeah, the mattress will be delivered on Wednesday.

Tiger Stripes or Ground Nutmeg?

This is my dilemma: Tiger Stripes, Ground Nutmeg or starting over again. I just cannot decide. First I wanted to paint the cabinets - all of the cabinets - Italian Olive. (See the photo)

But then we had that whole debacle with the bathroom cabinets, where I sanded, cleaned, primed, painted and they looked horrible! Then I learned some more and I used a roller this time (after I resanded everything -ugh!) and they look fabulous.

However, during this debacle the entire audience of this house told me that painting the cabinets, which are solid oak, would be a crime. I'm told all they need is to be refinished. This threw off my entire plan for the kitchen which had been the 'Italian Olive' cabinets with the 'Opulent' (a mustardy color) walls. 'Opulent' would never go with oak colored cabinets so I was back to square one.

My latest inspiration came from my brother who during a conversation about matching the living room/entryway color to the kitchen (as you can see the kitchen from this room) said, "It's not like you're going to paint it orange or anything." And that got me to thinking, "Orange, mmm, sounds good."

The next quandary was that I'm painting the Library downstairs 'Falling Leaves', would that be too much orange in one house? I'm happy to report, no it isn't. I picked out a much lighter, brighter orange called 'Tiger Stripes' for the kitchen, so I think it'll look completely different. Or at least I hope so...

Electrocution Festival

The title definitely drew you in, didn't it? Well, I'm happy to report after changing six electrical sockets, 4 two-way light switches and 2 three-way light switches I am still alive and unelectrocuted. I know my Dad was thinking that I would have smoke coming out of my hair the next time he saw me, but I actually did turn off the right fuses this time.

However, I have a bone to pick with George. I only know one George, so if your name is George and you know me, you're it. George told me that changing out sockets was a breeze. His estimated time to change a socket or switch was 5 minutes. I have to disagree with you and say that it takes at least 15 minutes for an easy socket. And when you mentioned this, you never told me that I would be sweating and wrenching my arm out of socket as I tried to turn nasty screws that haven't been moved in over 15 years. Not to mention the cobwebs, dirt and bits of insulation falling from the switch as it's removed and disassembled.

Today, my hands are throbbing and I feel like I competed in a marathon using my wrists as feet. But the living room is a little closer to being done, I haven't toasted myself with electricity and I now know I don't want to be an electrician in my next career. Oh and George, you owe me a beer for misleading an innocent new homeowner!

[The photo today is of the 12 discarded sockets and switches.]

Neon Yellow is Not Clear

Over the past few months I've gotten a crash course in home repair and maintenance. All of these odd sounding items that I've never even heard of (hasp, compound miter saw, DAP sealant) have become part of my vocabulary. Despite my new vocabulary, every day I'm learning and yesterday was no different. Yesterday's Lesson: Clear is not actually clear it's neon yellow.

Ok, that sounds weird, but who was I to know what "clear" silicone sealant looked like when it dried? My Dad sent me out to buy silicone sealant for around our bathtubs and I figured no problem. I pictured Home Depot having a small section labeled "silicone sealant" with two choices. Yes, then I snapped out of it. This is America and this is Home Depot, why on earth would I think they would have only two choices? This is the home of consumerism, consequently there were dozens and dozens of choices. Silicone sealant for inside, for outside, for bathrooms, for kitchens, for windows, for cakes, for cracks in your shoes (ok, so I'm exaggerating).

The point is I was overwhelmed and a little harassed by the sheer choices. I wonder why every time I have to buy an item there are a hundred choices to choose from and whichever one I get isn't "exactly" the right one, but it'll do.

Saturday my Dad used the sealant around the Jacuzzi bathtub where there are very white tiles,with the very new, white grouting. As you can see by the photo they must have mislabeled the bottle, because this sure isn't clear...it's neon yellow.

Con the Buyers

In the last year, I've been watching more HGTV shows. 'House Hunters', 'Curb Appeal' and my personal favorite, 'Sell This House' or as I like to call it 'Con the Buyers.' Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy this show, but the more I watch it, the more I realize they have to be buying everything out of the back of someone's van in a back alley.

Let's take something that they always say on these shows when they tally up the price. "Paint and supplies: $20." How exactly are paint and supplies $20? When you go to Home Depot a gallon of paint costs $20! And then there are the supplies. The supplies cost you $5 for a roller, $6 for a rollerhead, bottom of the line paintbrushes cost at least $3 a piece, blue painters (and if you're non-skilled you need a lot of this) is $5/roll and if you want to actually paint the trim its $10 for another can of paint. I'm not an accountant, but that looks to be easily over $50 for paint and supplies and that's just the tip of the "Con the Buyers" iceberg.

I watch them buying decent lighting fixtures for $30 and I wonder where this guy is who sells light fixtures out of the back of his van for $30, because you're not going to find that anywhere else.

And then, there's my personal favorite. They create a giant, customized piece of furniture. "Wood and supplies $35." Clive, the host, clips this off with his chipper British accent insinuating, "Look what you can do with $35! You can have this awesome new desk!" Um, the guys building this are carpenters and they have expensive saws and nailguns. None of which you can purchase for $35, including the actual skill!

If you ever want to know how much things really cost or if you ever want to see what kind of job a non-professional can do, stop by for a tour, we're a classic example. Although, we do have a carpenter, handyman and DIY Man on staff (Thanks Dad!)

There's No Living in the Living Room

At least right now, there's no Living going on in the Living Room. Unless you count my sweating, stretching and contortions trying to sand, spackle and paint the trim. That's today's project, the trim.

The living room has one big thing going for it that all but one of the rooms upstairs did not have, no cathedral ceiling. Our Living Room has a normal size ceiling and I'm able to get to most of the crown molding with a simple step-ladder. I know what you're thinking, who would want a normal ceiling when you could have cathedral ceilings? Having painted all of the bedrooms and our master bathroom with these beautiful cathedral ceilings, I have to say the fun is in the looking and not in the painting.

All of that being said, the Living Room is a big room and it took me 3 hours the other day just to put the second coat of paint on the room. The trim is beautiful, but there sure is a lot of it to go around the top and bottom of the room and our picture window. In the photo above you can see the new wall color on the right wall and the old color on the left wall.

Holy Day

You heard correctly, yesterday was Holy Day at the house. There were holes made and filled all over the place. My Dad examined the giant gaping hole behind the doorbell and we could only figure that the old doorbell chime, which once upon a time had actually been hardwired to the doorbell had been ripped out of the wall (causing this gaping hole) and covered by this remote doorbell chime. With a popsicle stick, some wire and lots of spackling Dad managed to pull a Macgyver and fill in the hole.

He also tore apart the framing around the kitchen window where the ants had been coming in. By taking off the framing we were able to investigate the fine brown dust that had been raining down on the floor underneath it. For once, there wasn't a colony of ants, or a dead bird or anything scary back there at all. We found the frame to be well-insulated and built, the ants had just dragged in some dirt with them. Hallelujah!

In the guest bathroom, we took out the old towel bar, which no longer matched the room and wasn't big enough for our fluffy new guest towels. We now have modern looking hooks on the wall, which has really pulled the room together.

And finally worker bee Kevin spent the whole day grouting the master bathroom floor. Please call him for all of your future grouting needs as he is now an expert. Maybe I should have called today "Filling in the Holy Day."