Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Now that I live in a bona fide suburban neighborhood (for the first time in my life), I’m enjoying the new sense of community.  So, when I saw the sign for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day event at the local community center, I was determined to be there.  The Pumpkin Festival was so much fun, that I figured this one would be great too!

As often occurs in the life of a new home owner bent on decorating and renovating, though, my Saturday quickly whizzed by in a whirlwind of visits to Lowe’s, Home Depot, and furniture stores.  Which left little time for Irish-themed revelry and merriment.

That being said, the day was a great success.  I found a wonderful outdoor furniture set (with green cushions, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day).  And the store was offering to put an extra 10% of the purchase price of a store card back on it.  A great place to hang out as the weather gets warmer, and free money to boot!  I must have the luck of the Irish.

Going, going…

Gone.  Lowe’s Black Friday Facebook event 90% off coupons were gone almost as soon as they were available.  Like 60,000 other home owners eager to score a mega discount, I waited fervently for the code to be revealed, and jumped on their homepage in a quest to be one of the lucky few.  Whether the goal is a major or minor renovation, getting 90% off would be amazing!

Unfortunately for me, all the other enthusiastic participants, and most of all, Lowe’s, the jubilation was a little too much for their system to handle.  We crashed their site promptly and summarily.  They sent assurances that although there was significant advance preparation, the response was well above what they would have expected.  I’m guessing there will be some pretty lively meetings taking place today.  But to make it up to all the forlorn customers who weren’t one of the fortunate few, a promise has been made that more discounts will be offered throughout the weekend.

It’s a fantastic idea, and it’d be great forother retailers to follow suit (with better preparation, of course).  Because at the rate I’m buying things for my bathroom renovation, every little bit helps.  Home Depot, the gauntlet has been thrown down!

A divine design of my very own

I love the input of dedicated designers, and creative contractors, and have greatly appreciated my conversations with them. They have great ideas, and certainly years and years of experience. So, though I may not be the next house featured on HGTV’s Divine Design (yep, one of the many shows I watch far too frequently), I am determined to have a divine design of my very own. Beautiful cabinets to replace the low-budget ones installed in the late ‘80s. Gorgeous countertops (marble, granite, ??) instead of plain old tile and whatever the heck that material is in the bathroom. Adios, fluorescent lighting. Sayonara, blah floors. I’m going glam!

I have the vision in mind of just what these bathrooms and kitchen will look like. No matter that I didn’t go to design school, and certainly am sans a contractor’s license. I’ve searched through Home Depot, Lowe’s, big stone yards, and small cabinetry stores. Though I haven’t found my dream pieces yet, I’ll know them when I see them. While I may not need a deisgner to pick them out for me, I will definitely need professional help in installing them. And then all that will be left is to find a landscaper who can plant a money tree to pay for it all. So if you know of such a landscaper, they’re hired! Maybe I’ll find one at the home show I’m going to this weekend…

I have a lot to learn

Alas, art does not always imitate life.  Or, TV does not mirror reality.  Of course, I know this.  But HGTV suckered me with their fabulous half hour shows, where everything gets wrapped up neatly at the end.  With very little drama.  And with projects that don’t break the bank.

Being a newbie homeowner, I’ve come to find out I have much to learn.  During years of being a rent-controlled apartment dweller, how to fix, upgrade, or renovate, and what those things cost, were not things I knew.  But I’m learning.  Watching yet more HGTV.  Taking lots of trips to Home Depot and the Do It Center.   And having conversations with costly contractors and divine designers.  A whole new, fascinating world is opening up to me.