Parade of Homes 'n Stuff

Do I think NSYNC should tour without JT? Uh, YES. I'd rather them tour with him, for the sake of completeness, but without is fine as well. They do have another lead singer, yes? :p

So J and I went to College Station for the weekend last weekend, just for funzies. Stayed at The Stella. Always lovely.

We did to the Brazos Valley Builders Association Parade of Homes, which was really fun! Very different from the high-brow Greater Austin Parade of Homes, where you tour multi-million dollar homes wearing hospital booties over your shoes. In College Station, it was model homes and spec homes ranging from like $150,000 to $750,000, all over town and the surrounding areas. We liked so many of them.

The biggest current building trend is the utility room off the master closet, in a

master bedroom>bathroom>giant closet>utility room 

arrangement. So you just walk from your closet through a door into the utility room to do laundry! NICE. Several homes even had a laundry door in the closet, so you can just dump dirty clothes through a little flap, directly into a laundry basket or hamper in the utility room on the other side of the wall. No need to walk all the way into the utility room from the closet. (#firstworldproblems)

OMG. I'm making mojo sauce for the first time and there wasn't a warning that the entire house would smell like garlic. WOW-WEE. *cough*

Anyhoo... I went with Scott-n-Kerstin to a storage locker auction on Tuesday! Very interesting. It was the fastest 25 minutes ever. Walked to a locker, had about 30 seconds to look into it, then a brief auction, then moved on to the next one. Zippity-zee. You could tell there was a group of regulars, and a few of us newbies. One of the Texas Storage Wars guys was there, although I don't watch that show, so I didn't know him. Lockers went from $5 to $500. Keep an eye on your local newspaper for the next locker sale in your area.

Read more...

Design Home by Crowdstar

Design Home (available on iOS and Google Play) is Crowdstar's new, super-fun, highly addictive game made in association with HGTV. You are the designer and you shop from actual gorgeous furniture and accessories you can buy in real life, in order to compete in design challenges, to win more furniture and accessories, to decorate more rooms in more challenges.

You are also a judge for the challenges, for the designs of others playing the game.

OMG SO FUN! Where has this game been all my life?!

Here's an article about it at HGTV.

I've been playing a little over a week, and as cool as it is, in-game money is a limitation. There just isn't enough to do what you really want to do.

Can we just take a moment and pay our respects to the dying breed of game which gives you everything for your one-time purchase cost? $79.99 for Super Mario Galaxy and I never had to pay another penny to finish that sucker. Not. Another. Penny. Everything I needed was provided (except the skills to complete the Lava Spire Daredevil Run). No nag screens or annoying ads. Just game playing awesomeness.

Ahhhhh.

Anyhoo.. the money supply problems:

1) Items are expensive compared to the amount of game money available to you. Or, game money is scarce, compared to the cost of furniture and accessories. It's an imbalance.

2) The maximum number of uses (in my play so far) is only 1-5 for any furniture and accessory piece you purchase.

3) Purchasing game currency isn't a good value. For instance, $1.99 real cash buys you 3000 diamonds, which gets you a couch. Not necessarily the one you want, but it will get you a couch. That's a lot of real cash for a couch that can only be used 5 times. $100 real cash gets you 187,500 diamonds, which will buy you a lot of pretty things... that can be used 1-5 times before you need to pony up again.

To fix the widely perceived income/expense inequity (bloggers agree!), they could make items cheaper or raise the amount of game cash players get for challenges. I just feel the biggest drain of the tight game budget is the limited use of items. This is the one simple change I would make, to make the game infinitely more enjoyable, while maintaining cash flow for Crowdstar. If I could keep the items I bought, those in-app purchases look a lot more fairly priced.

It would also be nice to build up your personal inventory with no maximum number of uses, to be able to, say, remember that one orange chair you liked that would go perfectly with this new turquoise couch.

Another benefit of making a little more cash available for players: There are a bajillion items for sale in the game, but I haven't even glanced at anything over $2500, because I never have more than that to spend. Most of the time, I'm more in the $1100 range, because I need to get two things, like a chaise and a side table. I would enjoy looking through the store to see the supercool, expensive stuff I could save up for, or spend actual money to purchase game money for. Or even something I might buy in the real world.

Every day there are new items added to the store. I would love to look at the new things available each day and plan to buy them, by saving or spending real life cash.

That all being said, I'm obviously enjoying the game a lot. Here are some tips to maximize your in-game cash:

1) Don't squander your initial in-game cash and diamonds when you first start playing. I can't remember how much I got, but I paid no attention to how much my items cost. I just bought what I liked. You should purchase your first items with flexibility and budget in mind. Colors that go together or match lots of things. Styles that are not too "out there" so they match more things. Items that are cheaper, so you have lots of them.

2) Also on your first room... I read somewhere that you should take any items they give you for free. I can't remember what was available to me for free, but if they offer it, take it. Don't need to use it right away? Doesn't matter. Take it in whatever manner you can during that first room you decorate.

3) Do the daily challenge every day. There is $2500 in it for you upon completion. This is the biggest lump of game cash you can get, as far as I've played. If your daily challenge room isn't your best design, but it meets the requirements, that's ok. Submit and receive that $2500. Then go buy a couch or whatever you need.

4) Buy couches. I ran out of couches once and had to sit out (ha!) an entire day of challenges because you need a couch in almost every single living room challenge. The vast majority of challenges are living rooms.

5) If you can only create some lame-o mismatched garbage room for a challenge (other than the daily) with the pieces you own or have money to purchase, skip it. You may win a piece or two later in the day that you can use to make a great room. Most of the regular challenges only pay $500, so I'm really only doing those to try to win the item up for grabs. Those rooms should WOW, so you can win the prizes.

6) Buy items that go with things you already own, so you have some cohesive looks to put together.

Read more...

Austin Parade of Homes Fall 2016

Went with Jeff, Julie and KathyL to the Parade of Homes today in Dripping Springs. This year there are four homes and also several new homes open for viewing in the rest of the Caliterra neighborhood. The Parade homes are very pretty and we got a ton of ideas there, as usual. My favorite was a tub with an entire wall length cutout for shampoos and such, rather than just a rectangular cubby. This wasn't from the house we saw, but just as an example...

Cool, eh? So much space for products!

Our other fave- residential artificial turf. It was SO nice. Who knew? $12-14 per square foot installed. No watering, no mowing/edging, no weeding, always pretty and green. Check it out.

Next HBA Parade of Homes is in May!


Interesting Questions Part 1

1. If you could have the chance to make out with 5 celebrities, who would you choose and why?
George Clooney
Adam Levine
Joe Manganiello
Gerard Butler
Colin Farrell

Because... have you seen them?

2. If you had to be straight/gay for a day (whichever you’re currently not!), what celebrity would you most like to take on a date?
Jennifer Lopez. She's so gorgeous and seems really fun, too.

3. What is the biggest injury you’ve ever sustained and how did you do it?
When I was 5, I was walking along a 2x4 in a pile of construction debris at our apartments, and stepped over onto a nail, sticking up through another plank. It went through my shoe and almost through the top of my foot.

4. What is the most unusual food you’ve ever eaten?
gator

5. What is the most unique animal you’ve ever touched?
stingray

6. What are the top 5 most contrasting songs on your iTunes?
"Whip in My Valise" Adam and the Ants
"Just Can't Wait to be King" Aaron Carter
"Alcohol" Brad Paisley
"Knights of Cydonia" Muse
"Missing You Now" Kenny G and Michael Bolton

7. Which 3 countries would you LEAST like to live in and why?
Of course, I wouldn't want to live anywhere that is war torn or impoverished, like Afghanistan, Mozambique or Haiti.

8. If you could make just ONE change to this world, what would it be and why?
Give a living wage job to everyone who wants one. I think this would significantly reduce terrorism (less disenfranchised people joining those groups), poverty, and a whole lot of other world ills.

9. If you could wake up tomorrow and be fluent in 3 additional languages, which would you choose?
Spanish, German and French

10. Which would you rather out of these 3 options? A- Be good looking and extremely intelligent but so poor you live on the streets. B- Be extremely intelligent and a millionaire but what society classes as ugly. Or C- Be good looking and a millionaire but extremely academically challenged? Why?
B- Being financially stable would be my first priority. Then I would rather be smart than pretty, so I understand the how the world works.

Read more...

Storing Home Paint

Saw this idea on Pinterest a while back. We have had cans of old paint in the garage forEVER, and they get yucky. Who even wants to open them to touch up something?

Well, here is the answer. Keep mason jars full of paint with the paint info on top or on a side label. Note where the paint is used. Kitchen walls- Sherwin Williams 5402 "Precious Pink" or something like that.

Here are the paint leftovers from the kitchen/utility/breakfast area remodel...

Hmm. It's sort of Nine Shades of Gray, isn't it? (That's probably about right for me. Fifty would be a stretch and would require a basement.)

Anyhoo...

That way:

1) You can store them indoors neatly, for easy access and to keep them more fresh than they are in the heat and cold of a garage. Try storing them in that useless cabinet above the fridge! That's what we did.

2) You only keep what you need for touch ups. You don't have to hang on to 3/4 of a gallon of touch up paint. It's easy to open up and grab a small brush and do your touch ups without having to deal with prying off a paint can top and all that.

3) If you need more paint down the road, you have the info to buy, or you can simply paint a new sample to match.

Ta da!

Saturday 9: Mr. Boombastic (1995)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is a rather shameless come-on by an accomplished ladies' man. Do you enjoy flirting? 

I'm rarely flirtatious, but it can be fun, depending on the situation.

2) Shaggy sings that he's like a turtle coming out of his shell. Do you think turtles, snakes and lizards make good pets? Or would you prefer a companion animal that has fur or feathers?

They're just a different type of pet. I do prefer the more cuddly, furry variety though.

3) He also sings that if you don't feel like driving, you should hand him the keys. Are you comfortable letting others drive your car?

Sure.

4) He tries to woo the girl with the promise of a bubble bath. Do you enjoy relaxing in the tub? Or do you view baths and showers as simply part of your hygiene routine, like brushing your teeth? 

I'm not big into baths, but I enjoy taking a long, relaxing shower every now and then. I'll take a bubble bath, but it's more of a hassle than it's worth, most of the time.

5) Born Orville Burrell, Shaggy took his stage name from his shaggy hair. Using your hair as inspiration, what would your stage name be?

Rebellious

6) Sam admits she hadn't thought about this 20+ year old song in years, until she heard it on a Chase Bank commercial. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, check writing dropped more than 50% between 2000 and 2010. Who received the last check you wrote?

kitchen general contractor

7) Which would you prefer to receive in a birthday card: a $25 check or a $20 Target gift card? 

$20 Target gift card!

8) Sam's mother refuses to pay bills online. All the news stories about data breaches scare her. Have you ever been hacked? If so, did it take long to get the situation resolved?

We haven't ever had an online account hacked. We've had our credit card stolen a few times. It takes a call to the credit card company, and the time to receive a new card in the mail, and the time to re-do all your online account payment info and auto-charge bills.

9) In 1995, when this song was popular, Michael Jordan "unretired" and returned to the Chicago Bulls. Tell us about a decision you made that you wish you could undo.

I wouldn't change any of the big decisions. I do wish we would never have tried to repair our gutters, and just gotten new ones. Over $1000 wasted having them cleaned and "fixed." Grr!

Read more...

Who Uses their Vent Hood?

Well, in packing up the kitchen last weekend, I learned something about over-cooktop vent fans. You should use them every single time you sauté or fry.

I thought it was just for smelly things like fish or bacon, or for things that got too hot and smoky. Turns out, if you don't use it each and every time you cook something in a pan, a layer of grease slowly coats EVERY TINY CREVICE of your cabinets and the items within them that don't get washed at least once a week. Especially those things on the top shelves that never get used in twenty years.

Twenty years of greasy residue is pretty icky.

Can't wait to get those items back into refinished cabinets, all clean and sparkly! I'll use the new cooktop fan more often.

So demo was completed yesterday- took two full days. Electrical work and cabinet priming began today. Tile comes tomorrow!

I had the hardest time finding pretty pendants for over the island, but I've decided on these:

Kichler "Silver Coral." Pretty!

Read more...

Outdoor Repairs- Check! Kitchen Remodel Beginning

My outdoor repairs are now completed, by the original guy, surprisingly. I was just about to make a call to #2 when I received his bid. It feels GREAT to have everything fixed out there!!

On to the kitchen! We've signed the contract. Monday, I'll start working with the designer. We'll be deciding colors and materials. She will even shop with me, like they do on HGTV. Fancy!

Since we are refacing existing cabinets, sadly it looks like we'll have to forego the darker stain and have them painted instead. It turns out, oak grain shows through even dark stain, and it won't match my new cabinet doors ('cuz I am NOT getting oak doors). How much do I hate white kitchen cabinets? They are by far the most popular kitchen cabinet color. It's always been very cold and commercial looking to me. Hopefully, the designer can help me learn to love them next week.

I've looked at painting them another color, but most other colors make kitchens look very country cottage, which isn't my style.

So. White cabinets. Do you match the cabinets to your white trim? Go for a completely different white than the trim? Go off-white so they don't match at all? *sigh*

On the bright side, my kitchen is dark and could use the lighter backdrop.

Here are a couple of white kitchens I like:

All white cabs with black quartz, dark floor, beige backsplash

Dark island with white quartz, other cabs white with black quartz, dark floor

All white cabs, black quartz on lowers, white quartz on island

I'm leaning towards the last one at the moment.

I did want a warm, red/orange/dark green sort of backsplash. With white cabinets and a high contrast backsplash though, all you see when you look at the kitchen is the backsplash. It's not great. I think a beige backsplash is actually the one I like best with white cabinets. It's not white to blend in with the cabinets, and not contrasting, so it doesn't draw your eye directly to it.

We'll see what happens when we talk to the designer! Could be totally different next week when we actually start shopping.

Read more...

Remodel

Well, my outside repairs still aren't done, and I've now had our master bathroom contractor out to make a bid on my kitchen remodel. Looks like I'm going to have to go with my second choice on the outdoor repairs, since the first choice is flaking on me. GRR.

But... excited for the kitchen! I want something like these two examples:

Ha! I didn't realize they were so similar! I must really like this color combo. I like the light countertops better, I think. We meet with the contractor again next week.

Saturday 9: These Boots Were Made for Walkin' (1966)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song/video, Ms. Sinatra's boots make a serious fashion statement. Do you choose footwear for comfort or fashion? 

Gotta have both.

2) This is by far the biggest hit of Nancy Sinatra's career, which includes 6 top ten hits. Can you name another? 

The only other one I know is "Wishin' and Hopin'."

3) Nancy recorded it on Reprise Records, which was founded by her father, Frank. Did your parents give you a leg up in your chosen career?

No. Although I originally wanted to be an aerospace engineer, which my dad could have helped me into, I ended up taking a completely different path.

4) Professionally Nancy has been involved in espionage, singing the theme to a James Bond movie and appearing in an episode of The Man from UNCLE. Do you enjoy spy/secret agent stories?

They're ok. It's not my favorite genre.

5) Nancy maintains the official Sinatra family website, which includes a link to the site of Mia Farrow. Ms. Farrow was, briefly, Nancy's stepmother, and obviously they are still on good terms. Do you have a big, extended family?

No, which is funny, considering my mom is one of five kids and my dad is one of three! Between those eight aunts/uncles from both sides of the family, there are only six of us cousins, and there are just two kids between the six of us. Jeff has a lot of cousins!

6) Nancy's music -- and posters -- were very popular with the troops during the Vietnam War. Nancy continues to return their loyalty and affection with her efforts on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Here's your chance to promote a cause that's near and dear to your heart. What charity gets your support?

MD Anderson

7) Nancy hosts a Sirius radio show devoted to her father's music. Do you have a subscription to a satellite radio or podcast network?

Jeff got me satellite radio for my birthday this year.

8) Nancy has said that she and her sister Tina had a more comfortable relationship with their famous father than their late brother, Frank, Jr., did. Do you think it's easier for mothers to get along with their sons, while fathers have an easier time with their daughters?

No, I think it's completely based on personality and family dynamics. There are moms/daughters and sons/fathers who are closer as well. I was always closer to my mom, even before my parents split up.

9) Random question: Tonight's dinner is on us. Would you prefer to eat at a casual restaurant with exceptional food, or an exclusive restaurant with so-so food but a celebrity clientele? Definitely a casual restaurant with exceptional food. That is always my preference.

Read more...

Sunrise Saturday

I'm UP at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday. (Gah. Really?) So I'm watching Nate Berkus, and this amusing exchange just happened... 23-year-old Kathy is moving back home after college and her childhood bedroom needs a makeover. Nate wants to replace the flooring and asked what her parents are going to do with the room when she eventually moves out.

Kathy: I don't know. They haven't done anything with my brother's room and he moved out a few years ago.
Nate: What are their names?
Kathy: Jim and Brian.
Nate: Jim and Brian?
Kathy: Yes.
Nate (to the camera): Well, Jim and Brian, when you eventually redo this room...
Kathy: No, those are my BROTHERS.
Nate (as the audience is laughing): Hey, this is a judgement free zone. That's why I asked twice! And I'm the last person who should be questioning! What are your PARENTS' names?
Kathy (blushing): Chuck and Sally.

Too funny!

Speaking of moving out, Lauren is moving up north (to north Austin, not Montana) in a few weeks. Today we're hitting IKEA for her living room furniture. Why is it so much fun to walk around there?! The only thing that makes me crazy is when people are walking the wrong direction. If you need to go back to see something, just finish the path, exit the store and come back into the entrance again. It sounds like a pain, but returning backwards down the IKEA path is like fighting a salmon run.

When I have some time to get bedroom furniture and decor, I'll set up her empty bedroom as her "bedroom at home." (For now, we have a guest bedroom for her to stay when she's here.) And I'll just continue to use the "video game room" as a workout space, I think. She's taking back her desk, which I've been using as my desk, so I'll need to do a little rearranging in the office space upstairs.

We gave her some money to decorate her living room and kitchen, so she's enjoying picking out colors, etc. IKEA is a great place to get that sort of stuff, too. Especially large art for a college student budget!

Saturday 9: Walk This Way
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) This song is about a young man who takes advantage of his "big chance at a high school dance." Share a memory from your high school years.
Interesting- I think I went to every single high school dance we had while I was there, but I remember very little about the details of any of them! A high school memory- the day Grant and I recorded a song we wrote in his home studio. I had written the lyrics and he had composed the music. He played keyboards and I did the vocal track. The whole process was too cool! I still need to figure out how to get that recording from cassette to MP3.

2) Lead singer Steven Tyler is the son of a working mother (mom Susan was a secretary). Did your mother work outside the home?
My mom didn't work until I was in 6th grade. Then she got a part-time job at a print shop. When I was in high school, she took a position at IBM in their mapping division and worked there the rest of her career. She was also the accountant for our neighborhood homeowners association for many, many years.

3) Onstage, Tyler takes colorful scarves from around his neck and drapes them over the microphone. Do you accessorize your outfits with scarves and belts? Or do you prefer to keep things simple?
I keep things simple, typically, although this winter I wore some scarves.

4) Tyler confessed to having a massive crush on Jennifer Lopez, his fellow judge on American Idol. Do you think a coworker has ever had a crush on you?
Well, C called me her "girl crush" yesterday! Bwahaha!

5) Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry says seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 inspired him to go into music. How did you end up in your chosen profession?
Completely by accident. I took a job in clinical research to just give me something to do while I wrote my engineering Master's thesis. I loved the job so much and felt such a sense of accomplishment in contributing to the improvement of people's health and well-being, that I ditched the thesis and stuck with pharmaceuticals.

6) Perry's hobby, breeding horses, is very lucrative. What are your hobbies?
I like hiking and writing. I've also run my own website for 14 years.

7) Aerosmith performed before their biggest-ever TV audience when they played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2001. Are you a football fan? If so, do you prefer college football or the NFL? What teams do you root for?
I was a crazy Houston Oilers fan as a kid. Once I hit college, I became a college football fan and lost touch with pro football. I enjoy watching an NFL game, but I don't keep up with what's going on. I watch a lot of college football and we have Texas A&M season tickets!

8) Now that we're into summer, the days are longer. When is the last time you watched the sun set?
It's been a while!

9) What time did you go to sleep last night? 
11:00

Read more...

Flannel Sheets, Baby

I have a winter bedding tip for all of you. Get flannel sheets. I hate getting all comfy cozy and ready to get into bed, and then feeling the shock of icy cotton sheets. We used to have an electric blanket in winter, for the sole purpose of warming the bed before we got in, but this process requires forethought and most times, I was impatient and just got in anyway.

Flannel sheets were an experiment, a total shot in the dark, and they work perfectly! No wires to feed around your mattress and headboard, no time to heat up. They are warm the second you slide into them. They're probably the cheapest sheets you can buy, too. I got my queen set, including everything, at Target for $25. Ta-da!!


I got presale tickets yesterday for Matchbox Twenty!! Whee! Usually presale tix aren't that great, but these are. Even if they hadn't been, there isn't a bad seat in the house at ACL Live. It's all up close and personal there. My favorite concert venue by far.


Patrick's Sunday Seven
This week’s topic is about sitcoms that I just didn’t see the appeal of. I’m curious to see how many of them didn’t do it for you!

My 7 Least Favorite Long-Running Sitcoms

1. Married ... With Children- just didn't get it
2. Family Matters- Urkel is incredibly annoying
3. The King Of Queens- too much yelling and arguing
4. Friends- Cathy's gonna kill me for this one. I watch reruns now and they're funny enough for the middle of the night, but I never saw a single episode when it was originally on.
5. The Beverly Hillbillies - I just found it to be making fun of all kinds of people- uneducated people, rich people, pretty girls, older people... everyone was a caricature or stereotype
6. The Andy Griffith Show- I watched it sometimes, but I only really got a kick out of Don Knotts, the rest was sort of too "goody two-shoes" for my taste
7. Webster- I didn't find Emmanuel Lewis as adorable as everyone else seemed to

Read more...

Media Room Fail

I now have a REAL desk for the first time since college.

Ikea Malm (coincidentally mentioned on New Girl this week). I stole it from Lauren's room.

This room, with my desk, is supposed to be a game room. We've talked about having a pool table in here or ping pong or something. So far, it's been a preschooler's playroom, a scrapbooking room, a rocketry room and an office. Now that I realize we'll be here for at least several more years, I thought it could be a media room. I drew this little napkin-style diagram (hey I'm not Candice Olson), basically facing 45° left from where I'm standing in the photo above:

There is a large opening to the room in front of me and three windows behind me. Those are the Broyhill film-reel tables from Homegoods on the third level, reclining leather movie chairs with drink holders on the middle row, and a long couch for lounging/snuggling/piling-lots-of-people on the front row. Second and third levels are raised, of course. Remote controlled curtains to block out all the light.

The scale is a little off. The distance from the couch to the screen would actually be about 2", so... I probably have to get rid of it. I know it would be more logical and comfy to get rid of the tables, but they're so cute. Come on now.

Notice the fatal flaw though-- my brilliant idea of having a retractable projection screen at the opening of the room falls apart once you are in the room watching the big game. NO EXIT.

Just don't drink too much. It'll be fine. We'll raise the screen for the halftime potty break.

Read more...

Interior Design Fantasies

Oh yeah, baby.

I had been in Homegoods one time before yesterday. My first visit was a colossal disappointment. The place reminded me of a garage sale, and I didn't see one thing that interested me. Why I walked in there ever again, I'll never know, but I did. I found the most awesome table! It's perfect for the media room I've been dreaming of for years, and if I had a place to store it, I would have bought it on the spot.

Eighty bucks! It's all metal, with a glass top. I picture it in the food/bar area, with a couple of regular chairs.

Someday...


Sunday Seven (because the Friday Five was too hard)

Name the seven worst candies or treats you hoped you never received on Halloween night.

candy corn *shudder*
Good & Plenty
Necco Wafers
hard candies
Dum Dums lollipops
Bit-O-Honey
those chewy peanut butter kisses in plain orange or black twisty wrappers

Read more...

Over-the-Range Microwave Height Problem

Like so many people online, we replaced a broken over-the-range microwave years ago, only to discover that the new ones are about three inches taller than the older models. Let me save you a ton of time and tell you that there does not exist an over-range microwave that is less than 15.5" tall, and good luck finding that, because I think there's only one that I located a couple of years ago. Almost all of them are at least 16". GE's new Spacemaker model (we replaced an old Spacemaker that I believe was 12-13") is almost 17" tall.

There is a minimum clearance between the bottom of the microwave and the burners of a stovetop. If your cabinet was cut for the old style, you will not meet that clearance with a new microwave by any stretch of the imagination. I can't really use my back burners for anything other than pans, because I can't see into pots or stir their contents. And you need gymnastics skills to see into a stockpot of soup or chili. Most importantly though, the short distance is a fire hazard, because heat and grease build up over the stove.

SO...

There are a couple of choices:

1. You can replace your over-range microwave with a hood and put a new microwave on the counter, install under-counter, etc. We may replace our double oven with a microwave/oven combo. I will miss that double oven though.

2. You can have your cabinetry adjusted to accommodate the new, taller microwaves. That can be done by either cutting or remaking the cabinet above the range, or by removing the existing cabinet and simply raising it up a few inches. It makes a bump in the cabinetry at the top, but that is common in kitchen design today.

Bumped up.

The best advice I can give anyone is to check and recheck the measurements above their stove before replacing a microwave. If the new clearance won't work, and it is possible to repair the microwave, just do that and save yourself a lot of money.

Hope this helps someone out there Googling short microwaves!

UPDATE: See our fix here...
http://talkingforfree.blogspot.com/2016/07/kitchen-remodel-before-and-after-photos.html

Read more...

Painting

Well, we painted Lauren's room. I got to a point where I knew I was going to have to get another can of paint. Our walls are more textured than we think and we always have to get more paint than they suggest. Since I get a lot more coverage with the brush than the roller, I started brushing the last half a wall with literally about 1 cup of paint. That includes what was lingering in the cut-in cup, the roller pan, the paint can and lid!

I finished that wall, people. I may have pumped my fists in the air at the end, when there was not a single drop of paint left over. My hand was cramping from stippling the brush to get into the texture with a tiny amount of paint at a time. So glad to finish that project without the dreaded second trip to Home Depot.

She has modern, espresso-finish furniture with a purple and green color scheme. It's looking really good so far! Next up... hanging shelves and the vanity mirror (get your mirrors at IKEA- her fairly large one was $10) and shopping for wall art.

Curious as a Cat

1) Pick an event from your childhood that you wish would have gone differently. Explain what happened, and what you would change if you could?
A girlfriend who was maybe 12 when I was 9 convinced me it would be fun to take the mail out of people's mailboxes and go back to her house and read it all. So we did. Or actually, she did, and I was a very nervous but willing participant. There were maybe two interesting letters among all the bills and ads. When she threw it all in the trash, I asked if we should have put it back in the mailboxes. She said then we'd get in trouble.

That night, I was so upset that I told my mom what happened. She called the other girl's parents and made us get all the stuff out of the trash and bring it back to the neighbors and apologize to them.

(Did you know stealing mail is a felony? Just saying.)

What would I change? I wish I had had the courage at the time to say no. I said no a lot to her after that- not as much from newfound boldness as from fear of being arrested.

2) Who was the last person who maligned your character?
I don't know of anyone who has maligned my character since one really bad breakup in high school.

3) What's the nicest place you've stayed? What was the occasion? Did you do anything fancy?
The Phoenician in Scottsdale, on a business trip. I was speaking at an investigators' meeting for an upcoming drug study. There wasn't a lot of free time, so I didn't do any spa-type activities. I did spend some time lounging by the pool and there were a couple of fancy dinners. I remember calling Jeff as soon as I was in my room, just to describe the place. I wanted him to fly out and join me there (free room!), but he couldn't take off work. :(

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

 

Reminds me of the butterfly farm on St. Maarten. It was the typical beautiful island day when we went. There are bajillions of butterflies flying around us in the enclosure- all sorts of beautiful ones!

Read more...

Housewives on the RidicuList

LuAnn de Lesseps found her way onto AC's RidicuList the other day. Watch and cringe here. Who is telling these women they can sing? Who?! And LuAnn is unbearably annoying this season on NYC. That is one rude woman, particularly for someone always lecturing others on manners. No one likes a hypocrite, Darling.

My favorite moment of Anderson's segment:

That's exactly the face I make when any Real Housewives pick up a microphone and start singing.

There were not any fireworks in Austin at all this year, due to the burn ban and drought. Sad. We were very patriotic though and bought a large appliance at the Independence Day appliance sales! Our cooktop will be installed next week.

With that purchase, we finally made the irreversible jump to change the colors of our kitchen appliances from dated white to black and/or stainless steel. We'll replace things as they break, so it won't be a huge financial layout at one time. Got the black porcelain cooktop, because KathyL just did her whole kitchen and informed us that porcelain cooktops are much easier to clean than stainless. She kept her black cooktop and bought everything else new in stainless. I'm not big on stainless, but everyone else and their dog is. We'll see what looks good whenever we need to get the next appliance replaced- probably the microwave...

Read more...

I Should Have a Blog Label for IKEA

Lauren and I went to IKEA yesterday to look at desks for her room. Always so much fun to dork around there. She found a great one, and we have to go back soon to get a chest of drawers to match. I was going to refinish her current chest of drawers, but I already know how that would have gone: three long, hot days of sanding and staining, with a very undesirable result and the inevitable trip to IKEA to get the matching chest like I should have done in the first place.

Just saving us all some time! Plus- now I can take her old furniture set and put it in the guest room, which will then have matching furniture throughout, for the first time in 21 years. Whoop!

A tip for IKEA shoppers: Do NOT try to go back to something you saw earlier in the store.... against the flow clearly indicated by arrows on the floor. Just. Don't. Especially with a big ol' cart from the marketplace.

An old idea of mine came up again a few weeks ago. Jeff and I need to open a venue like those indoor kid places with ball pits and slides and pizza, only for adults. Of course the activities would be slightly different. Although, you have to keep the ball pits. Come on now. Beer and ball pits? Now that's a lawsuit waiting to happen fun!

Every time I tell someone about this dream place, I say, "I think we should open an adult entertainment venue."

Depending which friends I'm talking to, I get one of two reactions: wide-eyed astonishment or the grin and waggling eyebrows.

Oops. Not "adult entertainment." (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Entertainment for adults!

Read more...

Before They Were Stars

Lady Gaga before she was Lady Gaga (she was Stefani Germanotta), performing at a talent show while she was attending NYU in 2005. Lauren's friends think she looks just like Lauren here. She sort of does! This is a showcase of her talent, without all the makeup and costuming.



At the end, a judge compares her to Norah Jones. Ya' know, as much as some of you hate Lady Gaga, I hate Norah Jones. *shiver*

We changed out the lights in our bathroom from soft white 60W standard bulbs to "daylight" 75W fluorescent bulbs. The difference is incredible. I've always thought that room turned out more gold in tone than I had intended. In the whiter light, the color is more accurate and it looks brown. YAY. Plus, I can see in there now. Actually, I think planes are using that light to land at Bergstrom Airport.

I almost typed Bergstrom AFB. I've officially lived in Austin too long. Next thing you know, I'll be telling people about the "good old days" when Slaughter was a dirt road to a slaughter house outside of town. And whining that too many people have moved here.

Read more...

Reboot

After applying the latest Windows updates to my PC, various things went awry. My desktop toolbar wouldn't show everything I had running. My speaker volume controls stopped working. Four of my removable storage disk drives weren't recognized at all. I rebooted a few times and tried various things. Jeff told me that when hardware (like your speaker, disk drive) isn't working, you probably need to power down the computer, rather than just restarting. I tried that, and it worked. Your PC Tip o' the Day! (No, that won't be a regular feature a la Song Lyrics of the Day... I hope.)

One of the guard shows is to "Breathe Me" by Sia. Very pretty show. I can't remember the school that performs it. Oops. Anyway, I absolutely love the piano on the downbeats. It gives a lilting, floating quality to the overall sound. You can hear it in the sidebar>>>. Beautiful... sad...

I now have the most ghetto jewelry storage EVER, but it is perfect for me. Command hooks on the back of my bathroom cabinet doors for the necklaces, and a simple acrylic box for earrings in the drawer. I was having the worst time going back and forth pulling stuff out of my jewelry box in the bedroom closet, only to find the pieces weren't the right ones for the outfit. (If I had a giant closet with a dressing area, this wouldn't be a problem. *sigh* How I wish.) So I wanted everything right there where I put on my makeup. Ta-DA!

Read more...

Random Thursday

Who am I kidding? Unless I'm ranting or raving or rambling about something, it's usually random day around here. Put on your seat belt and let's go...

Lauren received both her credit card and her official driver's license in the mail yesterday. I figure she'll be off to Vegas by this afternoon. ;)

While Christina Aguilera was on maternity leave, Lady GaGa successfully usurped her look. I saw Christina on a Dish Network commercial last night, and thought she was Lady Gaga. You know, the gorgeous platinum blond hair and perfect, shiny makeup so heavy that practically anyone could be underneath. The only thing that threw me was that she wasn't wearing a rubber dress or a bikini made of pipe cleaners.

We deliberately did not put radiant heated tile flooring in our new bathroom, because it was deemed an unnecessary expense in warm climates. Well, let me tell you, it is cold now. I never thought I'd miss the carpet in there, but holy whoa. And I saw on "Designer's Challenge" a totally rad (rad--- radiant... okay moving on...) option I never considered- radiant heated shower bench! Now that would be nice. So anyone out there remodeling their bathroom, I definitely recommend doing at least the shower bench.

Song Lyrics del Giorno

...I carry spring rain in my hair
Weighted sorrow in perfect clouds
Bursting in the air
Wash away and drown
I am playing God
I am raising hell
As far as I can tell
I am all alone...

"Rooftop"  Melissa McClelland. So very sad and haunting. It's been on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Degrassi" episodes.

Read more...

1000th Post

Talking for free since February 2007. Whoa.

Bathroom spoilers ahead for those who are waiting to see it in person. Just a warning. :)

Song Lyrics del Dia

...You were just friends
At least that's what you said
Now I know better
From his fingers in your hair...

"Just Friends" Gavin DeGraw

One of the sweetest, most romantic things I have ever seen was during last week's wedding episode of "The Office," when Jim and Pam were taking "mental pictures" through the day of all the great moments. Awwwwwwwww! I loved that, and I'm still thinking about it. Bravo, writers!

I've been scattered lately on this blog. I guess I have one or two comments on a bunch of different things. (Or maybe I'm losing it.) When Eva does these sorts of random posts, she bullets each paragraph. Maybe I should do that.

And I present to you... bathroom photos!









Ta-daaaa! The colors are weird because some are with and some without flash. And the light is shining in. But the most accurate of the wall color is probably the w.c. pic.

Read more...

Here Comes the Sun

...And I say it's alright. More than alright!! Welcome back, sun.

QOTD: Thongs or boy shorts- which is better?
I think boy shorts are cute, but of course they do nothing for panty lines. I don't get the point of thongs really. I'd much rather wear nothing than have something wedged in there all day.

Auto-Tune the News. Watch it! So clever and well-done.

I was talking with Ginger about replacing master bath carpet with tile. She said she thought it would be cavernous in her large carpeted bathroom, but she really wants to replace hers. I told her it's cavernous in our small bathroom. Nice echo, too. But I would rather have that than the carpet. The window covering people did not show up yesterday. This afternoon...

Read more...