About to leave for my last sewing class...I have learned so much and am really excited to keep on sewing. Of course, after I finally set up Turtle's mother's machine.
I bought the fabric for the quilt backing today, and some for the binding. Now, to sew up the backing (it's going to be 2 or 3 separate pieces) and to repair the front. Then the real quilting process will begin. The lady at the fabric shop was super nice and gave me some tips. Funny, it's right near my office, yet I never went there. They give discounts when you pay in cash, which is wonderful :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
I've never done one of these before (7 quick takes)
(I think you have to link up somewhere, but I don't really know the "rules," so just bear with me.)
Most of these thoughts came to me over the weekend or in the shower this morning.
1. I've never seen The Wizard of Oz. Even though I know the story line. Even though I played Dorothy in a summer camp play. It's like, why bother now?? I didn't see it because my mom was terrified by the witch as a child, and figured my brother and I would be too.
2. On Saturday, I bought a lipstick for the first time in....years. I think I bought one before my wedding (3.5 yrs ago) but the makeup artist picked it out. I hadn't purchased one for years prior to that. I am in a wedding in April, and needed something besides Burt's Bees for my lips for pictures. I wore it to Liturgy yesterday and am wearing it to work today...it's feels strange. Like my lips are STICKING OUT. I'm not a huge makeup person, and if my skin were a bit clearer, I wouldn't wear any at all. But it is a pretty color and looks nice.
3. We used to have like 5 or 6 travel coffee mugs/cups in the house. Now we have 1. I'd like to thank Turtle for losing them!!! =D No, really, he did. We bought a bunch at IKEA last year...and now they are gone. I am sure there's at least 1 in the depths of his messy car (I don't clean that) and a few at work. Sigh. When the ONE cup is not clean (I'm the only one who uses it), it's Dunkin Donuts, which means I end up getting a "snack," which does not bode well for the wallet nor waistline.
4. Lent is coming. I'm not giving anything up. I want to DO something. Need to think on that.
5. My birthday is also coming up--which is good that I'm not giving up anything for Lent. Actually my birthday has ALWAYS been during Lent, as are most of my family's, so any type of giving up of sweets fails, ha.
6. I don't want to go to work today. Yet, it's almost 8, so I should go. I know I should be thankful for having a job, but I don't like being reliant on 2 incomes. I even wish I could be a housewife, before having kids. That's kinda sad, no? There's SO MUCH that needs to be done and I'm always squeezing things into my lunch 1/2 hour, breaks, the way home, etc. I know a lot of people are like this, and I'm not the only one, but it would be easier if I didn't have to rush around ALL of the time. I haven't stopped working since I was 15. Well, I didn't work during the school year in college, but I had a scholarship to keep so I couldn't fool around then even if I'd wanted to.
7. I need to have my taxes done. I've had the stuff together for weeks, but procrastinate on calling the accountant. I usually have them done near my birthday (one year I went ON my birthday) so this year proves to be no different!
Most of these thoughts came to me over the weekend or in the shower this morning.
1. I've never seen The Wizard of Oz. Even though I know the story line. Even though I played Dorothy in a summer camp play. It's like, why bother now?? I didn't see it because my mom was terrified by the witch as a child, and figured my brother and I would be too.
2. On Saturday, I bought a lipstick for the first time in....years. I think I bought one before my wedding (3.5 yrs ago) but the makeup artist picked it out. I hadn't purchased one for years prior to that. I am in a wedding in April, and needed something besides Burt's Bees for my lips for pictures. I wore it to Liturgy yesterday and am wearing it to work today...it's feels strange. Like my lips are STICKING OUT. I'm not a huge makeup person, and if my skin were a bit clearer, I wouldn't wear any at all. But it is a pretty color and looks nice.
3. We used to have like 5 or 6 travel coffee mugs/cups in the house. Now we have 1. I'd like to thank Turtle for losing them!!! =D No, really, he did. We bought a bunch at IKEA last year...and now they are gone. I am sure there's at least 1 in the depths of his messy car (I don't clean that) and a few at work. Sigh. When the ONE cup is not clean (I'm the only one who uses it), it's Dunkin Donuts, which means I end up getting a "snack," which does not bode well for the wallet nor waistline.
4. Lent is coming. I'm not giving anything up. I want to DO something. Need to think on that.
5. My birthday is also coming up--which is good that I'm not giving up anything for Lent. Actually my birthday has ALWAYS been during Lent, as are most of my family's, so any type of giving up of sweets fails, ha.
6. I don't want to go to work today. Yet, it's almost 8, so I should go. I know I should be thankful for having a job, but I don't like being reliant on 2 incomes. I even wish I could be a housewife, before having kids. That's kinda sad, no? There's SO MUCH that needs to be done and I'm always squeezing things into my lunch 1/2 hour, breaks, the way home, etc. I know a lot of people are like this, and I'm not the only one, but it would be easier if I didn't have to rush around ALL of the time. I haven't stopped working since I was 15. Well, I didn't work during the school year in college, but I had a scholarship to keep so I couldn't fool around then even if I'd wanted to.
7. I need to have my taxes done. I've had the stuff together for weeks, but procrastinate on calling the accountant. I usually have them done near my birthday (one year I went ON my birthday) so this year proves to be no different!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Bathroom update
The wallpaper is GONE and the ceiling has been treated with 2 coats of Kilz, as I posted last week.
Yesterday I painted the ceiling, and will do another coat today.
HOPEFULLY I can start the wall color on Tuesday? Maybe??? (Monday is my last sewing class :( ) I am SO excited to crack open that can that's been sitting in the bathroom for a week now.
The trim is troubling to me though. I'm not sure if I should prime it. It's dusty rose or pink or whatever heinous color. So is the door. I want those to be white. I'm wondering if the white paint will "lay" better on primed materials...hmm...
Thoughts?
Yesterday I painted the ceiling, and will do another coat today.
HOPEFULLY I can start the wall color on Tuesday? Maybe??? (Monday is my last sewing class :( ) I am SO excited to crack open that can that's been sitting in the bathroom for a week now.
The trim is troubling to me though. I'm not sure if I should prime it. It's dusty rose or pink or whatever heinous color. So is the door. I want those to be white. I'm wondering if the white paint will "lay" better on primed materials...hmm...
Thoughts?
Monday, February 21, 2011
It's over
For this bathroom at least.
The wallpaper in the half bath has been removed. What a mess that made! Who knew that a few feet of border would come down in teeny little snowflake sized pieces? Or that they'd "travel" all over the house on my feet? That's always fun...
I don't think I shared this project here--I might have alluded to it here, but here's the story. I wanted to re-do the half bath that's just off our kitchen. Like the eternal procrastinator that I am, I waited forever to do it. Finally on Saturday, I started.
The ceiling was first, since we'd had some leaking in the fall due to a clogged gutter, which left some fun looking pond ripple-like stains. The two coats of Kilz that was applied covered the stains very well. If you look closely, you can see a bit of the ripples, but the ceiling paint should cover that without a problem. There were also some taping issues, but I was able to smooth those out with some spackle.
Then came the wallpaper border removal, and like I posted yesterday, it was not pleasant. Took longer than I'd ever imagined. Growing up without things like wallpaper, sheet rock, and paint, this is a whole new world for me. Turtle just laughs when I get SO EXCITED! about a project, then 20 minutes into it, I'm regretting starting it. He grew up with having to help paper and paint; he knows how badly a project can be.
After I paint the ceiling (which should have been done today, but that didn't work out), I will move on to the good stuff. THE WALL COLOR. I ended up going with California's Floating Feather, which was a good match to Glidden's Dapper Tan. We don't mess around with paint here, while there are cheaper brands, we prefer to spend a little more to get a better look. We like California because despite their name, they are a New England company and are low VOC. Plus Turtle's mom swore by them, and since I know nothing about paint, really, I'll defer to her (via her son) for this stuff.
Oddly enough, when I googled "Floating Feather" to see if anyone else out there had used it, I found an entry about this painting on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Floating_Feather
While that's interesting, it looks NOTHING like this Floating Feather, and our half bath will look NOTHING like this painting!
Then when the walls are done, it's back to the (boring) trim and door. Bye bye pink, hello crisp bright white! Then up goes the new curtain, out come the new towels, bring back the trash basket and pictures...and the mirror. I'm not thrilled by the mirror--it was left with the house, so I might be on the lookout for something new, soon. I'd love something very simple--a rectangle shape with a white frame. Maybe I can thrift hunt for this and paint it myself?
This is the mirror we have now. No thank you. It's frosty and flowery and just not us, nor will it look right in the bathroom once the rest of the re-do is complete.
Now I'm kicking myself for basically wasting my day off when I could have been painting the ceiling and getting ready to do the walls. Procrastination rears its ugly head yet again. (At least I got dinner made and dishes done though. Be thankful for small miracles, haha.)
The wallpaper in the half bath has been removed. What a mess that made! Who knew that a few feet of border would come down in teeny little snowflake sized pieces? Or that they'd "travel" all over the house on my feet? That's always fun...
I don't think I shared this project here--I might have alluded to it here, but here's the story. I wanted to re-do the half bath that's just off our kitchen. Like the eternal procrastinator that I am, I waited forever to do it. Finally on Saturday, I started.
The ceiling was first, since we'd had some leaking in the fall due to a clogged gutter, which left some fun looking pond ripple-like stains. The two coats of Kilz that was applied covered the stains very well. If you look closely, you can see a bit of the ripples, but the ceiling paint should cover that without a problem. There were also some taping issues, but I was able to smooth those out with some spackle.
Then came the wallpaper border removal, and like I posted yesterday, it was not pleasant. Took longer than I'd ever imagined. Growing up without things like wallpaper, sheet rock, and paint, this is a whole new world for me. Turtle just laughs when I get SO EXCITED! about a project, then 20 minutes into it, I'm regretting starting it. He grew up with having to help paper and paint; he knows how badly a project can be.
After I paint the ceiling (which should have been done today, but that didn't work out), I will move on to the good stuff. THE WALL COLOR. I ended up going with California's Floating Feather, which was a good match to Glidden's Dapper Tan. We don't mess around with paint here, while there are cheaper brands, we prefer to spend a little more to get a better look. We like California because despite their name, they are a New England company and are low VOC. Plus Turtle's mom swore by them, and since I know nothing about paint, really, I'll defer to her (via her son) for this stuff.
Oddly enough, when I googled "Floating Feather" to see if anyone else out there had used it, I found an entry about this painting on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Floating_Feather
While that's interesting, it looks NOTHING like this Floating Feather, and our half bath will look NOTHING like this painting!
Then when the walls are done, it's back to the (boring) trim and door. Bye bye pink, hello crisp bright white! Then up goes the new curtain, out come the new towels, bring back the trash basket and pictures...and the mirror. I'm not thrilled by the mirror--it was left with the house, so I might be on the lookout for something new, soon. I'd love something very simple--a rectangle shape with a white frame. Maybe I can thrift hunt for this and paint it myself?
This is the mirror we have now. No thank you. It's frosty and flowery and just not us, nor will it look right in the bathroom once the rest of the re-do is complete.
Now I'm kicking myself for basically wasting my day off when I could have been painting the ceiling and getting ready to do the walls. Procrastination rears its ugly head yet again. (At least I got dinner made and dishes done though. Be thankful for small miracles, haha.)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Wallpaper...
Should be banned.
That is all.
(One more thing--I'm just really glad it's ONLY border, and ONLY two rooms in this house. I don't know what would have happened if it were more...)
That is all.
(One more thing--I'm just really glad it's ONLY border, and ONLY two rooms in this house. I don't know what would have happened if it were more...)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sneak peek at what's next...
Here's a look at the quilt that I mentioned a few posts ago. I found it in a trunk of things belonging to my great-grandmother. (That line sounds like it was pulled from a book, but I swear, that's where I found it!)
It's pretty big--probably full or queen size? I couldn't fit all of it into my shot, so what you see is what you get! :-)
This is the back side. No batting, no backing...just the front part was completed.
Well, almost completed. A few of the pieces disintegrated or ripped--my sewing teacher couldn't figure out what happened. I removed those pieces and will be adding some other old fabric I found into the holes.
Hopefully I'll be posting updates sooner rather than later!
ETA: That's my left hand in the picture. I just realized that I do have a "band" from my rings. I'm so pale and never tan, yet the skin where my rings lie IS a bit lighter! Funny ;-)
It's pretty big--probably full or queen size? I couldn't fit all of it into my shot, so what you see is what you get! :-)
This is the back side. No batting, no backing...just the front part was completed.
Well, almost completed. A few of the pieces disintegrated or ripped--my sewing teacher couldn't figure out what happened. I removed those pieces and will be adding some other old fabric I found into the holes.
Hopefully I'll be posting updates sooner rather than later!
ETA: That's my left hand in the picture. I just realized that I do have a "band" from my rings. I'm so pale and never tan, yet the skin where my rings lie IS a bit lighter! Funny ;-)
Finished my apron...
And here it is!
I laid it on the dining room table, then stood on a stool to get a good "aerial" shot. (Wow, my table pads actually don't look so bad from this angle. I'd pulled back the tablecloth since it was kind of dusty and furry [yay cats] and laid the apron on the pads.)
And here's a close-up of the fabric. The main part is green with watermelons and black dots. The pockets, trim, and ties are a "hot pink" with white polka dots but it's not THAT hot of a pink.
I did press it in class, after I finished it, but it got a bit wrinkled on the way home, while it was tucked in my sewing box.
Next up--the quilt!
I laid it on the dining room table, then stood on a stool to get a good "aerial" shot. (Wow, my table pads actually don't look so bad from this angle. I'd pulled back the tablecloth since it was kind of dusty and furry [yay cats] and laid the apron on the pads.)
And here's a close-up of the fabric. The main part is green with watermelons and black dots. The pockets, trim, and ties are a "hot pink" with white polka dots but it's not THAT hot of a pink.
I did press it in class, after I finished it, but it got a bit wrinkled on the way home, while it was tucked in my sewing box.
Next up--the quilt!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
2011 Goal Update
Tomorrow is February 10...so I figured I'd finally get around to giving an update on the goals I listed on New Year's Eve. Initially, I wasn't planning on posting updates, but I thought it might be fun. Updates will be in italics.
Personal goals:
1. Like everyone and their mother, work on exercising more and getting healthier.
Haven't gained, but haven't lost.
2. Enjoy my free time more, by working on hobbies, taking classes, etc.
YES! I'm taking a sewing class, I've been putzing around the house more. We were signed up for a ballroom dancing class taught by the couple that helped us get ready for the wedding (we could not dance!) but with the bad weather and Turtle's schedule changing, we had to withdraw.
3. Make more of an effort to be social.
I'm trying...?
4. GET OUT of my hellish job that I've been at for over 4 years and MOVE ON with my life.
Applied to 4 or 5 jobs, had an interview. Need to keep looking and applying.
5. Keep improving my relationship with Turtle.
Things have been good, especially with his newly improved work schedule.
6. This goes with #4 but find a new job that allows me to shine and share my talents with others; where I am appreciated for who I am and what I contribute. Also, one that is family-friendly and has great benefits.
See update for #4
House goals:
1. Really finish fixing up and getting settled into our house.
I think we have finally unpacked all of the boxes. Almost everything has a place now.
2. Getting this house PAINTED top to bottom. I can do a lot myself, but for some rooms, I will need to call in the pros. The kitchen and our bedroom need to be done by pros b/c I take a long time, and we kinda need those two rooms to live in.
Like I posted the other day, I have a color picked out for the half bath, almost set on a color for the kitchen...now just colors for the hallway, the dining room, our bedroom and our bathroom. And I still need to call for estimates on our bedroom, the hallway, and the kitchen. The rest I will tackle myself.
3. Start our garden in the early spring. We're already looking at seed catalogs (DORKS).
To add to our dorkiness, not only did we look at seed catalogs, we purchased from them! Seeds, starting kit, grow light, etc. Getting ready to set that up in our basement in a few weeks.
4. Buy new doors for the two bedrooms where the previous owners' sons bashed them in.
Not yet.
5. Paint our basement hatchway door.
Haha, in 3 ft of snow!? See you in the spring!
6. Figure out a new/better method for firewood storage.
We're debating what to do. The first big blizzard--right after Christmas--blew off the tarps that we thought we'd carefully secured to the woodpiles. Ever try to wrangle a tarp in 60 mph winds? I don't recommend it! We're thinking about constructing some kind of lean-to or rack for the wood.
7. Possibly build a shed in our backyard.
Hopefully we can do this.
8. Continue to keep things neat!
Depends on the location, but it's better than it was.
9. Put up some kind of tile/backsplash behind the stove. It gets messy back there and what's the sense in painting it if it's just going to keep getting gross?
Rabbit: aye, Turtle: nay. To be continued...
10. More planting! Especially some trees.
Again, see you in the spring. But we're thinking fruit trees to replace the maples that the previous owners had planted...then let suffer. They are still alive, but horribly stunted, compared to our neighbors' maple trees planted around the same time.
Financial goals:
1. I've been trying to put away ~$500/month into savings, and I'd like to keep that up, if not increase it.
So far so good. We did get a few big bills in January (not holiday related!), so we might not be putting in as much as we'd like over the next few weeks, but we'll see.
2. I've been socking away ~$150/month for a vacation, which I'm still going to do. We were going to go on a "big trip" in 2012/13 for our 5th anniversary, but I think instead we're going to try and go to Maine this summer. Besides a long weekend in Philly for our 1st anniversary, we haven't been away ANYWHERE since our honeymoon. We can still go away for our 5th anniversary, but not a "big trip." Maybe another small one. Who knows where things will be in 2 or 3 years?
I must have been on crack (Kidding! I've never done drugs, not even smoke a cigarette!) when I wrote this, because I NEVER put away $150/month. Maybe $80. I had to tap this fund to pay those pesky January bills, but that's OK since I didn't touch the savings. We're not going to Maine this summer, we are going to my aunt's house on Cape Cod. Our big trip will be next year, probably, to the Florida Keys.
3. Get Turtle enrolled in his 403b or whatever it's called. His company matches!
YES! And oh yes, they match quite generously!!!
4. Get us in to see a financial planner and have him help us make the best of our money.
Not yet, maybe after we have our taxes done.
5. Keep avoiding credit card debt. We've done GREAT with this for years, and I just want to keep it going.
I am so proud of us! As much as I'd like to just buy stuff when I see it, I don't like to pay for it. So I/we do without, and just save up for things.
6. As I'm looking for a new job, I hope to be making more money (don't we all!). I want to increase my retirement contributions AND sock more into savings instead of going crazy with more money. Of course, then I'll be too paranoid to spend the money, haha.
I did get a slight raise this year (just under 3%), so I will be increasing my 401k contribution by 25%, which sounds funny, but that increase covers how much my raise was. It will be like that extra money was never even there.
Personal goals:
1. Like everyone and their mother, work on exercising more and getting healthier.
Haven't gained, but haven't lost.
2. Enjoy my free time more, by working on hobbies, taking classes, etc.
YES! I'm taking a sewing class, I've been putzing around the house more. We were signed up for a ballroom dancing class taught by the couple that helped us get ready for the wedding (we could not dance!) but with the bad weather and Turtle's schedule changing, we had to withdraw.
3. Make more of an effort to be social.
I'm trying...?
4. GET OUT of my hellish job that I've been at for over 4 years and MOVE ON with my life.
Applied to 4 or 5 jobs, had an interview. Need to keep looking and applying.
5. Keep improving my relationship with Turtle.
Things have been good, especially with his newly improved work schedule.
6. This goes with #4 but find a new job that allows me to shine and share my talents with others; where I am appreciated for who I am and what I contribute. Also, one that is family-friendly and has great benefits.
See update for #4
House goals:
1. Really finish fixing up and getting settled into our house.
I think we have finally unpacked all of the boxes. Almost everything has a place now.
2. Getting this house PAINTED top to bottom. I can do a lot myself, but for some rooms, I will need to call in the pros. The kitchen and our bedroom need to be done by pros b/c I take a long time, and we kinda need those two rooms to live in.
Like I posted the other day, I have a color picked out for the half bath, almost set on a color for the kitchen...now just colors for the hallway, the dining room, our bedroom and our bathroom. And I still need to call for estimates on our bedroom, the hallway, and the kitchen. The rest I will tackle myself.
3. Start our garden in the early spring. We're already looking at seed catalogs (DORKS).
To add to our dorkiness, not only did we look at seed catalogs, we purchased from them! Seeds, starting kit, grow light, etc. Getting ready to set that up in our basement in a few weeks.
4. Buy new doors for the two bedrooms where the previous owners' sons bashed them in.
Not yet.
5. Paint our basement hatchway door.
Haha, in 3 ft of snow!? See you in the spring!
6. Figure out a new/better method for firewood storage.
We're debating what to do. The first big blizzard--right after Christmas--blew off the tarps that we thought we'd carefully secured to the woodpiles. Ever try to wrangle a tarp in 60 mph winds? I don't recommend it! We're thinking about constructing some kind of lean-to or rack for the wood.
7. Possibly build a shed in our backyard.
Hopefully we can do this.
8. Continue to keep things neat!
Depends on the location, but it's better than it was.
9. Put up some kind of tile/backsplash behind the stove. It gets messy back there and what's the sense in painting it if it's just going to keep getting gross?
Rabbit: aye, Turtle: nay. To be continued...
10. More planting! Especially some trees.
Again, see you in the spring. But we're thinking fruit trees to replace the maples that the previous owners had planted...then let suffer. They are still alive, but horribly stunted, compared to our neighbors' maple trees planted around the same time.
Financial goals:
1. I've been trying to put away ~$500/month into savings, and I'd like to keep that up, if not increase it.
So far so good. We did get a few big bills in January (not holiday related!), so we might not be putting in as much as we'd like over the next few weeks, but we'll see.
2. I've been socking away ~$150/month for a vacation, which I'm still going to do. We were going to go on a "big trip" in 2012/13 for our 5th anniversary, but I think instead we're going to try and go to Maine this summer. Besides a long weekend in Philly for our 1st anniversary, we haven't been away ANYWHERE since our honeymoon. We can still go away for our 5th anniversary, but not a "big trip." Maybe another small one. Who knows where things will be in 2 or 3 years?
I must have been on crack (Kidding! I've never done drugs, not even smoke a cigarette!) when I wrote this, because I NEVER put away $150/month. Maybe $80. I had to tap this fund to pay those pesky January bills, but that's OK since I didn't touch the savings. We're not going to Maine this summer, we are going to my aunt's house on Cape Cod. Our big trip will be next year, probably, to the Florida Keys.
3. Get Turtle enrolled in his 403b or whatever it's called. His company matches!
YES! And oh yes, they match quite generously!!!
4. Get us in to see a financial planner and have him help us make the best of our money.
Not yet, maybe after we have our taxes done.
5. Keep avoiding credit card debt. We've done GREAT with this for years, and I just want to keep it going.
I am so proud of us! As much as I'd like to just buy stuff when I see it, I don't like to pay for it. So I/we do without, and just save up for things.
6. As I'm looking for a new job, I hope to be making more money (don't we all!). I want to increase my retirement contributions AND sock more into savings instead of going crazy with more money. Of course, then I'll be too paranoid to spend the money, haha.
I did get a slight raise this year (just under 3%), so I will be increasing my 401k contribution by 25%, which sounds funny, but that increase covers how much my raise was. It will be like that extra money was never even there.
How I spent $22.30 on $174.93 worth of bridal shower gifts
My friend's bridal shower is less than a month away and I needed to get her a present. She and her future husband are registered at three stores, one of them Macy's. Macy's was having a huge sale on their home stuff, so I figured I'd do a little online shopping last night. I had $90 worth of Macy's gift cards left from my own bridal shower.
Which was in June 2007.
I told you I'm not big into the mall shopping thing. :-) Or when I was at the mall, I forgot them at home.
Anyway, I figured I'd spend somewhere around the total of the gift cards, and give her a REALLY nice gift. Typically I spend ~$50 for shower gifts.
What did I get her? Well, since some people (ahem, one being my very own mother) already went nuts on this registry and bought the bigger ticket times, my friend will be getting a few items from me.
Cast iron chili pot (yes, it's Maaaarthaaaa's)
Original price: 109.99
Was: 64.99
Sale: 48.00
8 cup coffee press
Original price: 39.95
40% off Coffee, Tea, Espresso, Single Serve & Pods
Discounted price: $23.97
At this point, my subtotal was $71.97, plus tax. There was a deal for free shipping on orders over $99. Since I had $90 in free money, I figured I could add another item to my cart, use up the gift cards, get free shipping, and just pay a very small amount out of pocket. Pretty cool, right? Yeah, I thought so. (There's a moral to this, just wait...)
What was roughly $25-30? Aha!
Paper towel holder: 24.99
Not on sale, but that's OK! I have gift cards and free shipping!
I add everything to the cart, and start the checkout process. I notice that the free shipping isn't coming off of my total. I think, I have over $100 in my cart, why isn't the $8 shipping coming off of my checkout form? I enter my gift cards, and then my Macy's credit card for the small amount that is left. I enter my work address (who doesn't like getting "gifts" in the mail!?), I check everything over and that stupid $8 still isn't coming off.
GUESS WHO CAN'T READ FINE PRINT NOR ADD UP NUMBERS?
Yes, me.
Yes, I called Macy's 800 number. Yes, I waited for the next available agent. A very nice woman patiently explained to me that the free shipping was on merchandise totals over $99. My merchandise total was $96.96; the tax made it go over $100.
Ooops.
"Thank you for your time and for explaining this to me. Have a nice evening."
So, in the end, I put $22.30 on my Macy's card, instead of the $14.30. Oh well. It's still a great gift, for VERY little money!
And the moral? READ EVERYTHING. Multiple times. You might have to pay $8 for shipping, but at least you won't spend over 20 minutes waiting to find out that you should have paid more attention!
Which was in June 2007.
I told you I'm not big into the mall shopping thing. :-) Or when I was at the mall, I forgot them at home.
Anyway, I figured I'd spend somewhere around the total of the gift cards, and give her a REALLY nice gift. Typically I spend ~$50 for shower gifts.
What did I get her? Well, since some people (ahem, one being my very own mother) already went nuts on this registry and bought the bigger ticket times, my friend will be getting a few items from me.
Cast iron chili pot (yes, it's Maaaarthaaaa's)Original price: 109.99
Was: 64.99
Sale: 48.00
8 cup coffee pressOriginal price: 39.95
40% off Coffee, Tea, Espresso, Single Serve & Pods
Discounted price: $23.97
At this point, my subtotal was $71.97, plus tax. There was a deal for free shipping on orders over $99. Since I had $90 in free money, I figured I could add another item to my cart, use up the gift cards, get free shipping, and just pay a very small amount out of pocket. Pretty cool, right? Yeah, I thought so. (There's a moral to this, just wait...)
What was roughly $25-30? Aha!
Paper towel holder: 24.99Not on sale, but that's OK! I have gift cards and free shipping!
I add everything to the cart, and start the checkout process. I notice that the free shipping isn't coming off of my total. I think, I have over $100 in my cart, why isn't the $8 shipping coming off of my checkout form? I enter my gift cards, and then my Macy's credit card for the small amount that is left. I enter my work address (who doesn't like getting "gifts" in the mail!?), I check everything over and that stupid $8 still isn't coming off.
GUESS WHO CAN'T READ FINE PRINT NOR ADD UP NUMBERS?
Yes, me.
Yes, I called Macy's 800 number. Yes, I waited for the next available agent. A very nice woman patiently explained to me that the free shipping was on merchandise totals over $99. My merchandise total was $96.96; the tax made it go over $100.
Ooops.
"Thank you for your time and for explaining this to me. Have a nice evening."
So, in the end, I put $22.30 on my Macy's card, instead of the $14.30. Oh well. It's still a great gift, for VERY little money!
And the moral? READ EVERYTHING. Multiple times. You might have to pay $8 for shipping, but at least you won't spend over 20 minutes waiting to find out that you should have paid more attention!
I feel a little grumbling coming on...and gratitude, too.
Grumble: A lot of stuff is now blocked at work, so while I can read blogs in Google Reader, I probably cannot post comments. That means I can't post to my own blog either--not that I was keen on this in the first place. Going to have to start emailing myself notes about blog topics (or complete posts), if I'm serious about making more of an effort with the blog.
It also means that a message board that I've belonged to for over 5 years is now blocked again. There goes my bantering with friends during the day as I wrote about in the comments under this post: "I am a member of a message board that's been around a long time. Some of the people I have never met, but I talk with them almost daily and know more about some of them than I do my "real life" friends. Most of this socialization is done during the work day." Yup, EPIC FAIL.
Gratitude: Thank you for the comments on yesterday's post. That meant a lot, that people would weigh in with their thoughts, and it's interesting how we've all experienced this kind of feeling/situation.
It also means that a message board that I've belonged to for over 5 years is now blocked again. There goes my bantering with friends during the day as I wrote about in the comments under this post: "I am a member of a message board that's been around a long time. Some of the people I have never met, but I talk with them almost daily and know more about some of them than I do my "real life" friends. Most of this socialization is done during the work day." Yup, EPIC FAIL.
Gratitude: Thank you for the comments on yesterday's post. That meant a lot, that people would weigh in with their thoughts, and it's interesting how we've all experienced this kind of feeling/situation.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Where I go off on a tangent about friends
This is a spin off post from my previous post. I know that one sounded pretty chipper, so you might be surprised to read what you're about to read. This post might seem a bit strange, but really, I'm not thinking too negatively here, just being more...realistic?
I hate to be a quitter, but I don't think it's possible for me to meet new lady friends, or even couple friends for the two of us. I've decided that I'm going to not focus on this so much. I'm going to focus on what makes me happy--even if most of those things are solo activities--instead of being sad that I don't have a best girlfriend to get coffee with. I'm entering the stage of life where many of my friends have young children, but not all do. Many friends (both those with and without kids) have simply faded away. Some just live too far away to try and keep things going, which is ironic, given that we have so many ways to keep in contact. I might have touched on this before, but it's like those who have drifted away found new friends and don't have a need for the old ones. Maybe it's just life has changed and there isn't so much in common anymore? I don't know.
In a way, it's like being single again, when everyone else is dating or married. Through Facebook, I know that people who might have not hung out since high school are now getting together because they both have children near the same age. Facebook is a blessing and a curse. You can find out what some girl you had classes with in college ate for breakfast, but you'd never get together with her if she was in town on business. So strange.
I'm going to post a run down on my friends as it helps me to talk it out, to put things into perspective. Maybe I'm not seeing something that I should be seeing. I love all of my friends, in spite of our differences, even though in my comments to come, it might seem like I'm picking on them or something...
High School: I only talk to (as in phone calls, regular emails, visits) 2 people from high school. One lives about 3 hours away, and is my oldest friend (and my maid of honor). I'll be her bridesmaid in April. But, our keeping in touch is sporadic, and the distance is definitely a factor. The other friend lives nearby but has an infant and is pregnant with #2! :) She will be turning into a SAHM come summer, before baby #2 arrives. In my very limited experience with my ONE other SAHM friend, we'll drift apart. Even if you don't have kids, you still have work gripes, boss issues, etc. to chat about. What do you have when one stays home with two little ones and one works at a desk all day?
College: We were a tight circle of 6 (me included), but I now only talk to 3. The other two--one of them has vanished pretty much. I mean, she's alive, but she only turns up when someone's getting married, and in the case of the last time I saw her, it was her being the bride. The other one...I don't know what to say about her.
So of the 3 who are left: One lives ~30 mins from me, which is great, but she is infrequent about keeping in touch. It's almost like she forgets about contacting people? We always have a fun time together and we're similar, personality-wise, but I can't put my finger on it. She's not married, still lives with her parents, is only on year 2 of her career, so we're living completely different lives, especially with work. I'm years beyond her with having worked since graduating college. Another lives across the country and is a WOHM. We probably communicate the most (via FB) but it's nothing huge, since distance factors in a lot. Not to mention, she had a baby around Thanksgiving so has been on maternity leave and enjoying her new son (which she should be doing!) and older daughter. The last one was my roommate for 3 years and my best friend while we were in school. While she got her masters and worked for a bit after college, she got married soon after that, had a baby within that first year, stopped working and is able to be a SAHM to her now-two kids. She lives about 3 hours away also, and again, that makes it so hard.
Post-college: I have made one friend, besides Turtle :) I met her while working at my first post-college job, but we actually connected on a message board and realized that we had a lot in common...including employer! (it was a large one--we worked blocks away from each other) We're still friends (she was in my wedding) but she also has a lot of "hometown" friends, the people whom she's known since the teen years, and since they live close by, it's easier for them to get together. She's single and searching, and we do have a lot of crafty things in common, but she has more of a "carefree" lifestyle right now because she lives with her sister who doesn't care about what's for dinner or needing "together time" :)
I don't know, maybe I expect too much? Maybe I don't know how to be a better friend? I don't call people up to chit chat about what's going on, which seems like strange for a woman (at least according to my husband!). I used to do that, when I was younger, but now I feel like I'm going to bother people or catch them at a bad time or I don't know when the family has bedtime...sigh. I am great at email and IM though! :) I'm not good at inviting people to do things--I often feel like I have so much other stuff going on that I neglect relationships unless someone pokes me.
Maybe I want people to be like me? I know that's impossible...but it seemed to be easier when we were all in similar life stages. And now that I'm in the post-wedding, pre-kids stage, it seems like there's no one else out there who I can meet. I've talked about this before, so if you're still reading, thank you for not closing the window. I know that there are lots of women like me (I follow their blogs) but why can't one of them live down the street or across town? Someone who doesn't really enjoy shopping at the mall, but loves a good antique store or yard sale? Someone who can dig in a garden without freaking out about dirt or doesn't think it's weird to buy an old mirror and imagines stripping off the old paint and refinishing it?
I just KNOW that the second I do get pregnant or if we adopt a child, there will be all sorts of invites to things from other women. Why is that the only time we feel like we can bond with each other? (Well, wedding planning can bring out this, too...) If you're not a bride-to-be or a mom, you can't connect? (What do women usually ask each other when they meet--how many kids do you have?) This all might be an oversimplification, and an overstatement, and I'm sure it is. It's just the best way for me to describe how I feel and what I see. I wonder what it is like for women who never had children at all--women like my aunt, who didn't find her husband until it was too late for babies? Like a former coworker, who from her hinting just couldn't have them and for whatever reason, she and her husband never adopted. They find their ways. I will have to find mine.
I'm not hating on my mom friends for giving attention to their children. I understand that their babies are their main focus, and I don't want them to be labeled bad mothers. I think I thought that as time went on in my adult life, and people drifted apart, there would be new people to fill those spaces. And that hasn't been the case, which leads to my disappointment and frustration.
Another tangent of sorts, but semi-related:
I was talking with one of my doctors about children recently, and how I'm nervous because I'll be 31 next month and we still don't feel ready, but we're starting to enter the beginning of the end of child-bearing spectrum. One of us doesn't make enough that the other could be the SAH parent, but we don't have enough to eek out ~$1,000 monthly for day care (what infant care costs around here), not to mention the increase in health insurance and all of the other necessities babies need. She asked me a few questions about my family and my in laws (mostly in regard to their availability to help)...and then she said something quite profound.
She said that when it was time, there would be a way to do it. She said that it wasn't my time because the way wasn't there. She didn't use God (I know she's a Christian, not sure which denomination) but one could put God into this context. I liked that. It felt right to me. Sort of along the lines of God not giving you more than you can handle. To me, it was like saying that you can't force something if it's not going to happen. Almost like when you're locked out of a room. You can rattle that doorknob all you want, you can try to break the door down, but if it's not going to budge, it won't open. Why waste the energy to keep trying when it's pointless? I guess worrying can be like that, too. All my worrying and thinking won't change the way things are or the way things will be in the future, so why waste the energy? Why I can't remember this when I start thinking in these directions? :)
I hate to be a quitter, but I don't think it's possible for me to meet new lady friends, or even couple friends for the two of us. I've decided that I'm going to not focus on this so much. I'm going to focus on what makes me happy--even if most of those things are solo activities--instead of being sad that I don't have a best girlfriend to get coffee with. I'm entering the stage of life where many of my friends have young children, but not all do. Many friends (both those with and without kids) have simply faded away. Some just live too far away to try and keep things going, which is ironic, given that we have so many ways to keep in contact. I might have touched on this before, but it's like those who have drifted away found new friends and don't have a need for the old ones. Maybe it's just life has changed and there isn't so much in common anymore? I don't know.
In a way, it's like being single again, when everyone else is dating or married. Through Facebook, I know that people who might have not hung out since high school are now getting together because they both have children near the same age. Facebook is a blessing and a curse. You can find out what some girl you had classes with in college ate for breakfast, but you'd never get together with her if she was in town on business. So strange.
I'm going to post a run down on my friends as it helps me to talk it out, to put things into perspective. Maybe I'm not seeing something that I should be seeing. I love all of my friends, in spite of our differences, even though in my comments to come, it might seem like I'm picking on them or something...
High School: I only talk to (as in phone calls, regular emails, visits) 2 people from high school. One lives about 3 hours away, and is my oldest friend (and my maid of honor). I'll be her bridesmaid in April. But, our keeping in touch is sporadic, and the distance is definitely a factor. The other friend lives nearby but has an infant and is pregnant with #2! :) She will be turning into a SAHM come summer, before baby #2 arrives. In my very limited experience with my ONE other SAHM friend, we'll drift apart. Even if you don't have kids, you still have work gripes, boss issues, etc. to chat about. What do you have when one stays home with two little ones and one works at a desk all day?
College: We were a tight circle of 6 (me included), but I now only talk to 3. The other two--one of them has vanished pretty much. I mean, she's alive, but she only turns up when someone's getting married, and in the case of the last time I saw her, it was her being the bride. The other one...I don't know what to say about her.
So of the 3 who are left: One lives ~30 mins from me, which is great, but she is infrequent about keeping in touch. It's almost like she forgets about contacting people? We always have a fun time together and we're similar, personality-wise, but I can't put my finger on it. She's not married, still lives with her parents, is only on year 2 of her career, so we're living completely different lives, especially with work. I'm years beyond her with having worked since graduating college. Another lives across the country and is a WOHM. We probably communicate the most (via FB) but it's nothing huge, since distance factors in a lot. Not to mention, she had a baby around Thanksgiving so has been on maternity leave and enjoying her new son (which she should be doing!) and older daughter. The last one was my roommate for 3 years and my best friend while we were in school. While she got her masters and worked for a bit after college, she got married soon after that, had a baby within that first year, stopped working and is able to be a SAHM to her now-two kids. She lives about 3 hours away also, and again, that makes it so hard.
Post-college: I have made one friend, besides Turtle :) I met her while working at my first post-college job, but we actually connected on a message board and realized that we had a lot in common...including employer! (it was a large one--we worked blocks away from each other) We're still friends (she was in my wedding) but she also has a lot of "hometown" friends, the people whom she's known since the teen years, and since they live close by, it's easier for them to get together. She's single and searching, and we do have a lot of crafty things in common, but she has more of a "carefree" lifestyle right now because she lives with her sister who doesn't care about what's for dinner or needing "together time" :)
I don't know, maybe I expect too much? Maybe I don't know how to be a better friend? I don't call people up to chit chat about what's going on, which seems like strange for a woman (at least according to my husband!). I used to do that, when I was younger, but now I feel like I'm going to bother people or catch them at a bad time or I don't know when the family has bedtime...sigh. I am great at email and IM though! :) I'm not good at inviting people to do things--I often feel like I have so much other stuff going on that I neglect relationships unless someone pokes me.
Maybe I want people to be like me? I know that's impossible...but it seemed to be easier when we were all in similar life stages. And now that I'm in the post-wedding, pre-kids stage, it seems like there's no one else out there who I can meet. I've talked about this before, so if you're still reading, thank you for not closing the window. I know that there are lots of women like me (I follow their blogs) but why can't one of them live down the street or across town? Someone who doesn't really enjoy shopping at the mall, but loves a good antique store or yard sale? Someone who can dig in a garden without freaking out about dirt or doesn't think it's weird to buy an old mirror and imagines stripping off the old paint and refinishing it?
I just KNOW that the second I do get pregnant or if we adopt a child, there will be all sorts of invites to things from other women. Why is that the only time we feel like we can bond with each other? (Well, wedding planning can bring out this, too...) If you're not a bride-to-be or a mom, you can't connect? (What do women usually ask each other when they meet--how many kids do you have?) This all might be an oversimplification, and an overstatement, and I'm sure it is. It's just the best way for me to describe how I feel and what I see. I wonder what it is like for women who never had children at all--women like my aunt, who didn't find her husband until it was too late for babies? Like a former coworker, who from her hinting just couldn't have them and for whatever reason, she and her husband never adopted. They find their ways. I will have to find mine.
I'm not hating on my mom friends for giving attention to their children. I understand that their babies are their main focus, and I don't want them to be labeled bad mothers. I think I thought that as time went on in my adult life, and people drifted apart, there would be new people to fill those spaces. And that hasn't been the case, which leads to my disappointment and frustration.
Another tangent of sorts, but semi-related:
I was talking with one of my doctors about children recently, and how I'm nervous because I'll be 31 next month and we still don't feel ready, but we're starting to enter the beginning of the end of child-bearing spectrum. One of us doesn't make enough that the other could be the SAH parent, but we don't have enough to eek out ~$1,000 monthly for day care (what infant care costs around here), not to mention the increase in health insurance and all of the other necessities babies need. She asked me a few questions about my family and my in laws (mostly in regard to their availability to help)...and then she said something quite profound.
She said that when it was time, there would be a way to do it. She said that it wasn't my time because the way wasn't there. She didn't use God (I know she's a Christian, not sure which denomination) but one could put God into this context. I liked that. It felt right to me. Sort of along the lines of God not giving you more than you can handle. To me, it was like saying that you can't force something if it's not going to happen. Almost like when you're locked out of a room. You can rattle that doorknob all you want, you can try to break the door down, but if it's not going to budge, it won't open. Why waste the energy to keep trying when it's pointless? I guess worrying can be like that, too. All my worrying and thinking won't change the way things are or the way things will be in the future, so why waste the energy? Why I can't remember this when I start thinking in these directions? :)
Updates...
Wow, almost a month has gone by since my last post. I always post these types of things--I should post more, I've been so busy, etc. I love writing, so you'd think I'd be better at this? Oh, here we go, another beating up myself type of post!
The real story is that often times I'll think of a great topic, but when I have time to actually write it, the idea is gone, or the force behind why I was motivated to write said post is gone. It's sad. Or, I don't want to be on the computer at work. Or, I get home and I have things to do. Like endless shoveling. If you've been paying attention to the weather in the Northeast, we've been walloped with storm after storm. I haven't worked a full week in the office since before Christmas. If all things go well, this week will be the FIRST WEEK that I am in the office ALL FIVE DAYS! It's crazy. The best was the storm that dumped so much snow that it was over my knees...and I'm 5'7"!
Quickly here is what's been happening with me:
1. Job interview--while I liked them, they apparently decided to see other people. No second interview, no offer. Moving on...but I don't see much that interests me right now.
2. Work--I feel like they are not going to replace my boss. My coworker and I have been handling responsibilities for the department well, and I know my company really watches the budget carefully, so I would not be surprised if they decided to keep things at they are right now. I know there were a few "close" candidates, but obviously they didn't work out.
3. Turtle--he's enjoying his new schedule, although his workload has increased significantly due to a coworker leaving. He misses good weather and is in that strange quiet period between hunting and fishing seasons. He's planning our garden and is anxiously anticipating starting seeds in the basement.
4. Sewing class--I LOVE THIS! The instructor is brillant--so helpful and patient. I am in a class with two other ladies--one is probably 10-15 yrs older than me, married, no kids of her own (she mentioned a stepson), and the other is in her late 50s/early 60s, she had grandchildren and one of her daughters was 2 years ahead of me in college, but I didn't know her. You might think "small world" but a lot of people from this area go to my college, even though it's in another state. (It's Catholic and shares its name with the city it is located in, which is also the capital of the state. And yes, there are two possible answers, haha!) So no real friend opportunities, but they are nice people, which helps.
Everyone works at their own pace, on their own projects and she's very good about incorporating lessons into each step of our projects. For instance, the apron I am making has very simple instructions. To help me learn a bit more, and to make the apron look a bit more polished, she is giving me other steps to master. After I finish the apron, we're going to work on a quilt that I found. It's not finished, it's just the top--no batting, no bottom side. Just the quilt pieces in blocks, all stitched together. I found it in a trunk of my great-grandmother's--no one knows who made it or when. There is hand stitching and machine stitching, so that makes it even more interesting. My teacher thinks that someone made all of the blocks, and then later on they were put together. I need to post pictures of this process. It will be amazing! I'm also thinking of making curtains/shades for our bathrooms. I have an idea in mind--it will be similar to a Roman shade, but not really. I came up with the design on my own, and sketched out my plan...and tried to explain it to Turtle. I think it'll work; I'm excited to try it out.
5. Projects--besides sewing that is. Back in January, I dropped off a bunch of things at the local Goodwill. This one was an actual store, not just a drop off trailer, and I was curious about what was inside. I don't think I'd ever been in one, or if I had it had been years. I was also inspired by what Sarah at The Strength of Faith found at HER Goodwill.
I found a mirror too. I got it for $7, it's wood, very old, but in great shape. It needs to be stripped of its old varnish and then refinished. I think it will look great in our guest bedroom, which has my grandparents' beds (yes, they slept in twin beds!) and a pair of dressers from the same era which my mom bought at an estate auction for $10 total, then refinished. She intended to keep the dressers (and the beds) at my parents' house, in my old bedroom, but she changed her mind and gave all of the furniture to me for my house. I also need to take pictures of these things!
I'm working on picking paint colors...it's a process! I've taped up the little cards that I'vestolen picked up from Home Depot and it has helped...a bit. I'm down to 4 colors for the kitchen--all lovely neutral beiges! I have a color for the half bath (a tan color, almost caramel?) and am now working on the master bathroom (probably a grey). What's throwing me off is the tile in the bathrooms, since they have patterns and it's hard to discern one color from them--pictures to come. In the kitchen, it's the countertop--it's mostly a greyish green, but there are flecks of brown and white and maybe beige? I'd really like to start painting. I think I'll do the half bath first, but there needs to be some demo work, including covering where the roof leaked with Kilz and ripping down the horrid wallpaper border!
There's always something to be done...if only I had more time! Which is a common refrain, or so I hear ;-)
The real story is that often times I'll think of a great topic, but when I have time to actually write it, the idea is gone, or the force behind why I was motivated to write said post is gone. It's sad. Or, I don't want to be on the computer at work. Or, I get home and I have things to do. Like endless shoveling. If you've been paying attention to the weather in the Northeast, we've been walloped with storm after storm. I haven't worked a full week in the office since before Christmas. If all things go well, this week will be the FIRST WEEK that I am in the office ALL FIVE DAYS! It's crazy. The best was the storm that dumped so much snow that it was over my knees...and I'm 5'7"!
Quickly here is what's been happening with me:
1. Job interview--while I liked them, they apparently decided to see other people. No second interview, no offer. Moving on...but I don't see much that interests me right now.
2. Work--I feel like they are not going to replace my boss. My coworker and I have been handling responsibilities for the department well, and I know my company really watches the budget carefully, so I would not be surprised if they decided to keep things at they are right now. I know there were a few "close" candidates, but obviously they didn't work out.
3. Turtle--he's enjoying his new schedule, although his workload has increased significantly due to a coworker leaving. He misses good weather and is in that strange quiet period between hunting and fishing seasons. He's planning our garden and is anxiously anticipating starting seeds in the basement.
4. Sewing class--I LOVE THIS! The instructor is brillant--so helpful and patient. I am in a class with two other ladies--one is probably 10-15 yrs older than me, married, no kids of her own (she mentioned a stepson), and the other is in her late 50s/early 60s, she had grandchildren and one of her daughters was 2 years ahead of me in college, but I didn't know her. You might think "small world" but a lot of people from this area go to my college, even though it's in another state. (It's Catholic and shares its name with the city it is located in, which is also the capital of the state. And yes, there are two possible answers, haha!) So no real friend opportunities, but they are nice people, which helps.
Everyone works at their own pace, on their own projects and she's very good about incorporating lessons into each step of our projects. For instance, the apron I am making has very simple instructions. To help me learn a bit more, and to make the apron look a bit more polished, she is giving me other steps to master. After I finish the apron, we're going to work on a quilt that I found. It's not finished, it's just the top--no batting, no bottom side. Just the quilt pieces in blocks, all stitched together. I found it in a trunk of my great-grandmother's--no one knows who made it or when. There is hand stitching and machine stitching, so that makes it even more interesting. My teacher thinks that someone made all of the blocks, and then later on they were put together. I need to post pictures of this process. It will be amazing! I'm also thinking of making curtains/shades for our bathrooms. I have an idea in mind--it will be similar to a Roman shade, but not really. I came up with the design on my own, and sketched out my plan...and tried to explain it to Turtle. I think it'll work; I'm excited to try it out.
5. Projects--besides sewing that is. Back in January, I dropped off a bunch of things at the local Goodwill. This one was an actual store, not just a drop off trailer, and I was curious about what was inside. I don't think I'd ever been in one, or if I had it had been years. I was also inspired by what Sarah at The Strength of Faith found at HER Goodwill.
I found a mirror too. I got it for $7, it's wood, very old, but in great shape. It needs to be stripped of its old varnish and then refinished. I think it will look great in our guest bedroom, which has my grandparents' beds (yes, they slept in twin beds!) and a pair of dressers from the same era which my mom bought at an estate auction for $10 total, then refinished. She intended to keep the dressers (and the beds) at my parents' house, in my old bedroom, but she changed her mind and gave all of the furniture to me for my house. I also need to take pictures of these things!
I'm working on picking paint colors...it's a process! I've taped up the little cards that I've
There's always something to be done...if only I had more time! Which is a common refrain, or so I hear ;-)
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