Marcie22's Profile

As a kid I used to be embarrassed that my dad liked to visit thrift and salvage stores. It wasn't trendy then. It wasn't until I discovered thrift shopping myself and the thrill of finding a great bargain that I understood his delight in a finding a great deal. It can be addictive though, so I have to restrain myself. I love being able to decorate my house for a fraction of what it would cost buying new. Plus my house doesn't have that generic cookie cutter look. People love to wander around and look at my things and are always amazed when I tell them almost everything came from thrift stores.

We always shut off the water and the water heater when leaving on a vacation of more than a few days. I also put all my houseplants in the bathtub, water them well and create a "greenhouse" with a sheet of plastic over the top.

I agree with some of the others who think the tiles should be arranged straight rather than diagonally. Also have you considered painting your laminate countertops? It can be done successfully. It would certainly update things and since your landlord let you paint the cabinets perhaps you could get permission to do the counter tops as well.