Life Signatures

I want to thank you all so much for coming by to vote and leave such helpful and constructive comments. I feel like I’ve been empowered. And I also feel like you’ve stopped me from doing something I’ll regret.

Unlike our hapless politicians in Washington, I unabashedly admit that I am letting the polls sway my policy decisions. I won’t deny it.

Thank you to those who gave me some sympathy votes so it didn’t look like such a blow-out. And the four people from Switzerland who voted, thank you to you too.

I’ve decided to go with your suggestion and ditch the glass tile, therefore admitting that my husband was right by default. And he’s very pleased about it.

See the results of the vote here. I don’t know how to turn off the poll so as of today, as it stands, Yes – 25%, No – 67% and “I dont’ want to hurt your feelings.” – 8%.

I bow to the majority! So now…back to the drawing board…

Last week, my new man was back doing his thing in the bathroom. Now that’s a statement if I ever heard one.

This is how a pilot does tile, very precisely, very carefully, very anally, and with attention to detail; it’s almost second nature to them. It’s a matter of life and death and that sensibility is brought into everything they do, even laying tile.

This is what it looks like now, I love it! I just finished painting the wainscoting. (I’m not sure if that’s what it’s called. It’s the paneling that goes halfway up the wall.) The husband just asked me what color I painted it and I told him a very very light shade of lavender/gray. Or basically, white.

I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Here’s the new tub,

it replaced this old derelict thing. Ugh that was awful. So glad it’s gone.

Next thing to go is this wall paper. I painted over it with an awful yellow. The color looked great in the hallway but not so good in the bathroom where the light was different.

This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to tile over the entire wall above the wainscoting and the walls behind the bathtub – and I really need your help.

My question is: Do you like this tile?

Take your time. Be truthful. I can take it.

Here’s another look.

And another look still…

For the record – I like it, the husband doesn’t like it, the kids say “Yeah, I guess so.”

You are breaking the tie. My home is in your hands.

Update: Just for fun, I’m adding a poll…he he. Sorry for those of you who came already!

I want you all to know that I love my husband. But today, there’s a new man in my house. And he’s putting in my tile. The same tile that was sitting there since I wrote this post in February? Has it been that long? Since then the kids have been using the facilities in either the basement or waking us up at 5:30 am to take showers in our bathroom.

It can’t go on. I can’t go on.

I saw Kel at the 7th grade assembly yesterday and I said simply, “Kel I need you.” Bless his heart he had a concerned look on his face but he said, “Your tile isn’t done. I know, I talked to TJ yesterday.”

So now he’s here, right now. I love the sound of tile being moved around upstairs.

This is left over tile from our basement bathroom, I love the honey comb look.

And for today, Kel is my honey.

This is my very first financial post, I’m going to tell you what I made on the yard sale, but first…

Yard sales are a lot of work and to be honest – a crap shoot. You go through your entire home looking for potential sale items, clean those items, tag those items, have your very grumpy half-asleep son drag those items to the driveway, only to not sell it, and have him (more awake but not less grumpy) drag it back to the garage, or wherever it came from. That’s precisely what happened with Grammie’s wardrobe.

It is in bad shape, there is water damage, the top of it is snapped in half, the doors won’t close (therefore the pink hair tie) and the shelves were put there by someone who is not a carpenter. Possibly one of my nephews. People kept telling me it was in bad shape. I kept saying “I know.” It’s at least 70 years old. Lets see what you look like when you’re 70.

And not least is the fact that this sticker is still on the back of it. Someone offered me $25 for it. I declined and now it’s back in the garage. We’re going to put the fishing equipment in it.

This man bought (stole) my pretty swan head stool. Of course he’s smiling. Most thieves do when they get away with it. But as my friend Laura told me this weekend…just let it go. Now I’m going to need therapy.

Kelly’s husband (I forgot his name) is strangely attached to my headless baby…and I’m digging his tattoos. It seems to be a theme lately.

This lady was scared of it, which I believe is a more normal reaction.

And finally…a couch sale. Or rather, another steal. This young lady didn’t have a car big enough so she wanted me to deliver it. I’m such a sucker. Where do I get this from?

The low table didn’t sell for $45. It went for $18. The guy who bought it was a master bargainer. He asked me the lowest I would go. I said, “$25.”

He said, “Will you take $15?”
I siad, “How about $18?”
He said, “Okay.”

I gave him back his change and he went over to Neighbor Robin’s yard and spent the $2 there. The gall. I told him he should be glad that I brought it all the way from Japan for him.

My mother did her best to help me sell. She made this cute orange shawl for the girl. I has little pumpkin buttons on it. I sold a lot of sweaters that she made. I felt really guilty.

It went to the right person though. The girl wore this two Halloweens in a row…sigh…I’ve got to stop this.

The little drop table sold to this nice lady. Alright enough, how much did I make?

A grand total of $119.15. I guess it’s the economy. I don’t know how I got the 15 cents since nothing went for less than 25 cents. I must have given someone a dime instead of a quarter for change. I’m obviously as good at accounting as I am with crafting. A friend’s daughter graduated and I went to her party afterward and gave her a large chunk of the money. Hey, she’s starting her brand new adult life. Then my mother and I had a nice steak dinner. Lets just say that you don’t want me to manage your 401K.

Here’s my other two posts about this yard sale. I’m really milking it.

In Between The Rain Drops
The Mother Of All Yard Sales

The last couple of years, I was only able to drag out a few things to our community yard sale, then had to leave for soccer games/riding lessons etc and had to ask Neighbor Robin to watch/sell my things for me.

Last year the only thing I was able to get to the sale were the boy’s drums. He woke up and protested. Unfortunately they are still in the basement.

This year things went better. Here are some of the things that were up for sale.

Only kidding.

My grandmother’s wardrobe – please don’t think badly of me. I’ve had it in several homes and in at least three places in my current home and we just never clicked.

My really pretty but very impractical stool. One of the legs is broken, but I kept it all these years because the swan heads were so beautiful. Even though it’s been in the garage for a couple of years (therefore the really dirty fabric) I will still miss it. I bought it in Germany at a swap meet. Sigh.

My Japanese low table.

The couch was for sale, not my mother. The little baby next to her was going for cheap.

Lots of clothing – mostly the girl’s things. I’m not going to editorialize about how many clothes she has.

I opened up this tin and found these shell necklaces that I probably bought while in Hawaii in order to do some kind of shell project. Which of course, I never got around to doing.

Neighbors Eric and Liz went jogging by but never stopped.

They may have liked this table. I bought it at a Naked Furniture place in Hawaii and had them cut the legs down so I can sit on the couch and work on craft projects. I had grand visions of painting it, tiling it, decoupaging it and then just gave up…I am the queen procrastinator.

Neighbor Chris was attached to my dress form. He had all of three things to sell so he was out rummaging around in my things. I bought it on eBay with the thought that I could go to craft fairs with it to display all the wonderful things that I was going to make and sell on my table that I was going to paint/tile/decoupage.

I don’t know why I keep thinking that I am going to craft anything. I am a total crafting failure.

I have to get ready for church now. I’ll tell you how I made out tomorrow. I’ll give you a hint, after the yard sale, I went to a graduation party, then bought four big fat sirloin steaks and a bottle of wine for dinner. I’m not sure what Dave Ramsey would say about my stewardship abilities.

Today you can call me Julie of Hooked on Houses.

The husband and I were driving by this home last weekend and saw that there was an open house. We’ve always been curious about this house. I drive by it several times a week on the way to the farm where my daughter rides. I saw the construction start and finish. And the house remained empty. No a sign of life. It been at least a couple of years since it was finished.

So I made the husband stop when I saw the open-house sign.I forgot to take a photo of the front though…I think it’s of the McMansion period.

The realtor tells me that the house was built by a contractor who now has it for sale. It’s 7,000 square feet or more. It’s going for $2.5 million. (sucking molars) She actually told us it was overpriced so it not just me who thinks so.

The above photo is of the basement. It’s HUGE.

As we looked around we realized why it wasn’t selling. It’s big, that’s evident. It’s beautiful too, lots of extras.  But it didn’t feel like a home…it was so big that you would need a family of twelve to fill it up. This is the master bedroom suite which is on the first floor. Beautiful windows though.

It has a big two story living room, which, as Julie said, is beautiful but not very practical. And it has to be a nightmare to heat.

Is it me or are the columns in the hallway slightly pretentious?

I am jealous of this shower..

A gorgeous tub but it was in the front of the home which faced a busy main road where you can do some people watching. You can watch them watch you take a bath.

The balcony was nice but I don’t think it offered a lot of privacy. But I guess it’s good for catching teenagers who want to sneak off. There’s two bedroom back there.

I’m a sucker for beautiful kitchens. This one is very beautiful. But I like mine better:)

For such a big house, it has a relatively small and encapsulated kitchen.

Nice hood though.

I love the pavings on the back porch. And it has a circular staircase coming from the floor above. Maybe those teenagers can sneak off after all.

Those house has five acres and some landscaping in the front and on the side of the house. But you know what? No swimming pool! $2.5 million and no pool? Foul!

Posted on Hooked on Houses.