NeenieTam's Profile

Fabric.com is horrible. They never update their inventory, so they wait a week to tell you something is out of stock and they won't backorder items. The last four times I have ordered sale items they were mysteriously out of stock a week later every time, even though they had plenty of inventory at the time I ordered.

We have never done cat DVDs, but my husband plays video games and our little tortie loves to sit on his lap and watch the computer screen or tv when he is playing. She even tries to "help" by hitting the space bar or controller!

I second the recommendation for Restor-a-Finish, especially if you do not do a lot of woodworking. I have used this on both solid and veneered pieces several times and it is a miracle worker.

Just lightly sand the affected areas, wipe the whole piece down, and apply Restor-a-Finish over the whole piece. Then make sure you wax the whole piece with a beeswax like Feed and Wax. It does wonders to smooth and even out an older finish with light cosmetic damage, especially on scratches and water rings.

You do NOT want to remove the old finish and restain it! With those doors, it will be a pain in the butt and unless you are meticulous it will not turn out well.

I actually started in June, but 90% of the gifts we give are homemade, and I work for a museum that is absolutely batsh*t crazy from October to January. I know from experience I need to have everything that is non-perishable completed, wrapped, and tagged by November 1 or my life is hell. We both work and go to school full-time, so money is tight. My husband and I were both the oldest grandchildren in each of our families, so we give practical gifts like warm blankets for dorms, hats, and mittens to our siblings and cousins. The adults all get homemade confections with festive mugs or plates, which I buy on 90% off clearance in January.

As someone who works in the museum field, I can definitely agree with the OP! Every time we open a new exhibit, I see myself influenced by some artifact or staging in my own home. An exhibit of Alexandrian artifacts from Cleopatra's time found me bringing in more metallics and works with intricate details, while a dinosaur exhibit enticed me to include natural colors, fossils, and oversize geodes in my library. Museums are homes to works of both great beauty and great importance, so it makes sense that our design aesthetics would be influenced by them.

Don't forget your reuse centers. My local Habitat for Humanity ReStore made my kitchen renovation possible almost two years ahead of our projected schedule. I bought an almost new black GE double wall ovens, an almost new black Jenn-Air downdraft cooktop, a new Moen faucet, and a floor model granite composite sink for under $600, not to mention spending less than $30 on all the hardware for my entire 200 sq ft kitchen. All the money goes to a great cause, and they will come and take all your old cabinets and appliances for free!

The best way to save money is to plan. Figure out what you want, and start watching the ads cycle so you know when those items go on sale and what a good deal looks like. Ikea traditionally has kitchen sales in the spring and fall, and you can save a bundle. The sale we purchased are cabinets in (which, btw had better ranking in Consumer Reports for function and durability than most of the cabinets that cost 2-3x's more) allowed us to purchase solid granite countertops for less per sg ft than it would have cost us to tile the countertops our selves. You can also get some major appliance bargains on Cyber Monday. We bought our dishwasher on Cyber Monday and saved 45% over the normal cost.

Owlgirlo,

Lowe's and Home Depot both sell them, as well as Walmart and Krogers.

Well, I was looking for a smallish (1000 sq ft) outdated, structurally sound home in a good neighborhood with good schools close to work with two bedrooms, a decent yard, and a good size kitchen. On my dream list was a full basement, a garage, and two bathrooms.

I ended up with a good size (2000 sq ft) outdated structurally sound house in a good neighborhood with great schools five minutes away from my job, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a huge kitchen, a garage with a full workshop, a basement, and space to add two additional bedrooms and one other bathroom. I also ended up with a gorgeous fireplace, which I didn't even put on my wish list!

The only things I compromised on were the size of the yard, the second bathroom, and the distance from public transit (three blocks away instead of one). We also bought a corner lot, which helped our money stretch a bit further.

The major problem is most people don't look realistically at what their budget will buy them. I researched our area for over a year before we went house hunting, and knew that I couldn't afford the fully renovated house in the neighborhood I wanted. So I bought a house with great bones that needed a facelift (the kitchen and the bathroom were both done in 1949, plus the entire house was covered in gross green carpet covering up gorgeous heart of pine floors) in the neighborhood I wanted. The house was livable with no major flaws, and we have been renovating to our tastes slowly.

If you can read instructions, swing a hammer, and use a level, I would recommend finding a neighborhood you love, selecting a house with good bones, and turning it into your dream house. My in-laws told us we were crazy when they first saw our house, and now they constantly tell us how jealous they are of our home!