Home Stuff: Tile Ideas

More likely than not, any kitchen I own will need to be gutted. I'm thinking of incorporating decorative tiles.

Here is a beautiful medallion from Terrapin Tile. I used to collect an old china pattern from the '60s by Noritake called Cielito Lindo. I still have it and have considered bringing it out again. This might go well with it, if I could get blue. Green is nice too.

Today I seem to be leaning towards greenish bluish tiles for some reason. I don't know why. This Morning Glory tile from Earth Song Tiles is another possibility.

I love the designs at Ravenstone Tiles. This one is called Windswept Tree. I think it comes is different sizes.

TilesandTiles.com offers free samples! Must investigate them more.

Vacation. What will I do?

I think this time, I'll have plenty of opportunity for quiet reflection, since I'll be spending a week Up North taking care of my Grammy. She likes Scrabble, coffee with Irish whiskey and a DROP of heavy cream, and Cobb salad with Roquefort dressing. I like Scrabble and coffee. And I don't mind a drop of Irish whiskey, so I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time.

Last time I was there, I was able to get her to give me some of her old recipes. I treasure them! I think this time, I'm going to borrow a camcorder from one of my aunts so I can record her telling some of her favorite old stories. She loves to tell stories with no real point. That must be where I get it from. But still, I love them all. There is one she likes to tell every time anyone brings up the subject of donuts.

"Ooooooh JesusMaryandJoseph child, how blessed we were when Momma found an extra few pennies for us, before we lost her bless her soul I miss her like the dickens what a good woman she was and my lovely granddaughter reminds me of her every time I see her beautiful smile she does.... where was I? Anyhow darling, Mamma would give us a penny, and I would take the twins over to the bakery, you don't know what a luxury it was back then to live near a bakery where you could get the freshest bread for nothing. And Lord forgive me for it but oh how I did love to eat the donuts and the cake that you could buy for just a penny! Bless her soul, she had such a good heart, much like my beautiful granddaughter before me today, and oh! She gave me the best gift a mother could give a daughter, my dear. My child-like faith in God, MH. I have always had a child-like faith, I'm sure you know, and it was herself who gave it to me, yes it was. Anyhow my dear, by and by there was no more coffee and not a penny for that, not to mention bread. And it was oh such torture living near such a thing as a bakery then. But when we did have that extra penny again, why do you think we relished such a thing as a donut? Because we were lucky to have our lives. The Lord rewards gratitude and punishes arrogance, MH, and that is why there but for the Grace of Him goes me. "

Can't wait!

Couches!

I need to buy a couch for the new house. Or whatever it will be. I already know sort-of what I want, and it probably won't match my old stuff. Oh well. I've learned that comfort is important. As previously complained about, I have lived without a couch for YEARS, and I'm getting quite sick of sitting on the floor every time I want to watch a DVD.

The ad I have tacked to my fridge with a pizza hut magnet is this one from Pruitt's. They have it listed at the furniture company's website as being on sale for $798 but my ad is from the big "7-7-7" sale, in which it was only $777. I'll try to get that price if I choose to go over there. I don't like pillows for backs of couches, but hey. It's cheap. er than the other sectionals out there. I've saved this same couch ad I don't know how many times over the past year or so. It's always a different price.

I would go to Ashley Furniture, but they are notorious on complaints.com so I'll just go on to the next big retailer.

Thomasville offers what they call the MetroSectional but I don't know what the price is. I like it because it seems just the right size for little old MH who won't need much room at all!


Wow! JCPenney has furniture! Who knew? Their prices aren't half bad, either.

This one is called the Kelsey and it's on sale for $899. If you want the ottoman, it will be an extra $199 though.

Murphy Bed, Wall Bed for office / guest / sewing rm

First thing's first. I received a quote from the Murphy Bed Company. Very pricey for what I wanted, which was a wall unit with book shelves and just a couple of little drawers. I guess when your NAME is Murphy bed, you can do that. But it did cause me to consider doing a bit more research. Not saying the pricing is BAD, because it isn't that bad. I guess.

FlyingBeds.com has some wonderful options and from the website, a bigger selection. I'm considering the SmartBeds because I want to use a spare bedroom for additional things besides being a guest room. I have not been able to tell which beds are absolutely *not* standard mattress sized though. Looks like some of the mattresses pictured are too thin. They have a link to the Twirly Bed, which is definitely something I'd like to have. But dang, the prices!

I checked out the specials page of Wilding Wall Beds. Eh. Nice beds but can't they do any better when the stuff is damaged? Sheesh! I have to admit that these prices are generally better than the rest from what I've seen so far. And it isn't much.

I can only find one place in AZ that claims to have them. Classy Closets in Scottsdale or Chandler. No price lists.

I'll add to this post as time goes on because I want to keep the info organized!

A new home for MH? Could it be?

I'm VERY happy: copied from my other blog...



So I've moved on to what I want. I want a house of my own!

I called a mortgage place yesterday to see how many decades it will be before I will actually be able to buy a home on a FIXED rate. And surprise! When they called me back I was tentatively approved for over TWICE what I thought I would ever be able to spend. This is thanks to all the raises I've been getting lately I guess. Plus my credit hasn't been completely wrecked by the divorce. Wow. Do I deserve a stroke of good luck? Crap, I know I just jinxed myself with that last sentence.

So now the search is on for a new home. I took some time while not being able to sleep last night to write down my must-haves:

• AT LEAST washer/dryer hook-ups. No more coin-op or take-out laundry for MH! Yay!
• Area for a dog to run and play. Grassy area. So I can have a dog. Plus I need at least a container garden.
  
• BIG kitchen (or at least room to enlarge kitchen) because I have three awesome metal cabinets from the forties that NEED to stay in the kitchen.

IF it's a condo or townhouse:

• Lots of storage
• Two bedroom w/ at least 1.75 baths
• Private outside area for my morning coffee
• LOW HOA
• Nice neighborhood to preserve my morning run.

IF it's a house:

• It CANNOT be newer than 1960 (unless I just go with brand new, which I doubt)
• Fence
• Two baths or room to grow
• Original kitchen and maybe baths
• Must not add up to more than I can afford INCLUDING extras

What I will need to buy: I need a couch. I have not had a couch for three years.

I want to buy a Murphy bed for the guest room/space so I can also use it as a sewing room and office. There is an awesome Murphy bed that has a desk top on the outside, which gently floats down when you pull the bed down. It probably costs around $3 grand though. I could frickin' make my own for that kind of money! But that's what I want.

I NEED to get a new bed. The last time I had a brand new bed, it was when my parents bought me a daybed when I moved out. That was, let's see, 17 years ago! I slept on the daybed for 10 years. Then I bought an old full-sized bed from craigslist for $40. It is from the fifties. I don't recommend sleeping on a mattress from the fifties, even if it is from SEARS. When my sister came to visit, I broke out the air mattress for her. It's a queen size! She raved about how comfortable it is "for an air mattress." After she left, I thought it would be fun to try it out and I have been sleeping on it ever since. It's SO much nicer than that crappy old thing. So I need a new bed. I might upgrade to a queen size too. Not sure.

That's really all. Except for appliances if the "new" place doesn't have them. But I sincerely hope it does. I want AUTHENTIC appliances. I want the counter-top RANGE and the WALL oven.

I think I'll copy most of this post to my other blog and try to keep all of this boring house crap over there.