How to bust your remodeling budget unexpectedly

When my daughter graduated from middle school, our gift to her was to update her room.  To replace the sky blue ceiling with the cloud cut-outs and the bright green walls.  The room was decorated that way when we purchased our home, and she so excitedly allowed the room to stay as it was.  Until heading into high school, when we all realized she needed something a bit more mature.  Sounds easy, right?  Not really.  It took two years to chose the perfect shade of gray to compliment the perfect shade of pink.  And then it took time to coordinate the replacing of all of the switches and outlets (that had been painted bright green!).  The new painted covers finally were installed this January, and the poor windows are still waiting for curtains.  Overall, we were fortunate, the biggest obstacle we have run into is a teenagers inability to make up her mind on window treatments and lamp shades.

At least in the bedroom.  I made the decision to strip the wallpaper in my daughter's bathroom, because the custom made coordinating print shower curtain was falling apart, and paint it the same gray as the bedroom.  Seemed like a great idea, until the painter dropped the towel bar on the tile floor, cracking 3 tiles.  No replacements anywhere.  I am now looking at new flooring, which has exposed me to hundreds of bathroom pictures that I just ohhh and ahhh over.  I have an undeniable urge to replace the vanity top, frame the mirror, update the lighting and plumbing fixtures, and paint the vanity.  Thanks to Pinterest, I think I can pull it off with a reasonable budget.  And I have plenty of time to look for decor ideas.  My daughter has kindly asked me to wait until she leaves for college to redo the bathroom.

How to bust your remodeling budget unexpectedly...http://ow.ly/tNejs

An easy way to upgrade not only your kitchen, but your...

Backsplashes.  Once a staple for a kitchen, used to protect the wall behind the stove top from grease and food, backsplashes have now become a key design feature, fulfilling more of an aesthetic role in home decor.  No longer reserved for the cooking area, a backsplash often runs the full perimeter of the kitchen - filling the space between the counter top and the bottom of the upper cabinets.  The styles and products available for backsplashes are almost endless - tumbled marble has been a very popular option over the past decade, however glass, metal and granite are commonly used.  Ceramic tile can be easily painted - allowing for more customization than some of the other materials.

While still used prevalently in kitchens, backsplashes have ventured into other areas of the home.  Bathrooms are easily spiced up by adding a tile finish along the sink vanity in the bath.  Dress up your laundry room by adding tile to the wall above the counter or behind a utility in laundry room.  Be sure to scale the size of the backsplash foundation to the size of the room you are installing it in - use mosaic tiles, or smaller cuts of marble, stone or glass in the bath and laundry area.  One of the benefits to using mosaic tiles is that the design are usually pre-assembled and attached - minimizing the time required for installation.

An easy way to upgrade not only your kitchen... http://ow.ly/twnSW

Home sellers – the top 5 issues that turn buyers off...

Thinking of selling your home??

Buyers are picky.  Although, sometimes sellers make it easy to not be so picky.  If you are preparing your home to sell, you need to make it as appealing as possible to EVERY buyer who enters your front door.  That means clean, neat, and odor-free.  

http://ow.ly/tp1IQ

Where should I put this couch?

I grew up in a house where my mother was always rearranging the furniture.  It saved on traffic pattern wear on the carpet, gave the room a fresh look, and kept us on our toes. 

How about you?  Mental block on where to put that couch?  Or how to arrange your table and chairs?  What about the best way to set up your family room TV?  Better Homes & Gardens offers some quick solutions to common decorating problems, including sketches to follow the ideas.

Me?  I haven't changed any room since I moved into my house almost 8 years ago.  After reading the article, I am thinking maybe I ought to give it a try.

How to Arrange Furniture with Better Homes & Gardens

who wants to win a $50,000 kitchen?

Lowes Home Improvement Stores and Houzz on-line home improvement website have paired up together to offer a great sweepstakes.  On the line - a $50,000 combo prize!  Register quickly - deadline is midnight TONIGHT!http://www.houzz.com/lowes

are expectations too high?

Having been born in Denver, I am a Broncos fan.  Been one my whole life.  To say I was disappointed with the outcome of yesterday's game goes without saying.  During the post-game interview a reporter asked Payton Manning if he was embarrassed.  I loved his response - he told the reporter he was insulted by the use of the word "embarrassed."  Good for him.  Why, as a society, must someone who fails be embarrassed by their effort?  Seattle's defense outplayed Manning and his offense.  Manning's team got beaten.  And as severely as that beating was, it wasn't because Denver played poorly.  It was because Seattle played better.  Way better. 

The Super Bowl is about being a better team.  There is always a winner, and a loser.  Denver made it to the championship game.  They lost.  But at least they made it to the "big game."  How many other teams did not even advance to the first round of the play-offs?  I agree with Peyton Manning.  He should not be embarrassed.  And he has every right to be insulted by asking if he was.

And for those of you who really aren't into the football aspect of the game - the Wall Street Journal has put together a page with all of the Super Bowl commercials.  In case you missed them...Wall Street Journal - best-super-bowl-commercials-2014