Now that was easy ...

This is cool. Guy turned his staples "easy button" into a switch for his garage door.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommybear/sets/72057594093761486/

We have our own easy button, of course, courtesy of Scott and Julie. Maybe once the house is done we can find it new life too ...

To mix or to match, that is the question ...

So last summer when the home expo jason's mom was working at was closing (in aurora), I swung by for the last few days of the sale and found some sconces I totally loved. They weren't a matching set, but they were from the same series. They were 70% off, and I had to buy them. So I did, and then set them aside for later. Lo and behold, in December there was a sale at homedepot online and I was able to pick up the mates to each sconce for roughly the same price I got them at expo! Here they are ...

As you can see, they are rust-colored with frosted glass and a satin nickel tip. We're putting the single ones in the bathroom, each flanking the tub, and the doubles are going into the bedroom, each flanking the entry area.

But here's the dilemma .... do we have to match our faucets to the fixtures? While a rust or oil-rubbed bronze would match nicely with these fixtures, I'm afraid they are probably going to be out of our budget, considering we have to purchase not only the sink, but a separate tub fixture as well as two different fixtures for the shower (one for the showerhead, and a different one for the shower sliding bar thingy (dontcha love my pro terminology? sorry, I lose nouns a lot). I'm thinking brushed nickel would be a lot more affordable, but is it taboo?

DIY Appraisal

I like knowing about real estate appraisal, and the tech tools appraisers use, like this new website:
www.zillow.com

While the price for HumphreyHouse (in its current condition) seemed too generous, the trend graphs and data available here is truly amazing. It even lets you select your comps and make adjustments (like for a finished basement, for example) just like a real appraiser. And integrating hi-res satellite imagery as an overlay was a neat bonus!


Reposted from WSJ's Real Estate journal:

There's a new, well-designed, free online service for finding the value of a home that doesn't require you to identify yourself or to communicate with an agent or broker, and provides heaps of information directly to consumers. It's called Zillow, and it is launching today, in beta, or test, form at zillow.com.

Zillow uses data such as tax records, sales history and the actual prices of "comparables" -- homes in your area that are similar to yours -- to come up with an estimate, which it calls a "Zestimate." It backs up the estimate with lavish data -- aerial photos and maps showing prices in a neighborhood; loads of charts and graphs displaying historical data and price movements, as well as details on the size and room totals of a home. It even allows you to enter information, like the types and prices of recent renovations, that might change an estimate.

Dreams of Bungalow Color Schemes

Photoshop knowledge, in the wrong hands, can be a very dangerous thing. But we only use our powers for good, at least today. And so ....



Been playing with color schemes lately, can't you tell? Wanna see more? Click Here ...

Energy level is running low, so brief update: mucho thanks to Scott & Julie & Sandy & Mike & Sara for all their hard work this past weekend. We all came together to totally turn Humphrey House into the best haunted house ever! Too bad Halloween is so far away ... maybe we'll just have to bring a lil punkin fun to Chi-town a wee bit early this year . ... say Memorial Day?

More to come, and pix too!

"Om was yesterday's mantra. Today is more along the lines of 'grrrr ..." :) - Gutted: Down to the Studs Of My House, My Marriage, My Entire Life, by Lawrence LaRose

I WANT ...



http://www.handcrafttile.com/FPpage-Klinker.shtml

Pretty Tiles.

Also want:



Arts & Crafts wallpapers from www.bradbury.com - these look pretty cool. I ordered a bunch of samples ($22 just for SAMPLES - so yeah, this is a pricey route) and we've got them pinned up all over the house. Actually, it's a wee bit silly - the house is torn to shreds and dainty little handpainted wallpaper samples are littered about. YEEHAW.

Wanna see what I mean?

CURRENT HUMPRHREY HOUSE PHOTOS Current as of April 22. Enjoy.

And if anybody's in the market, our condo is still for sale - now at $224,900.

I'm gonna miss this joint. Lots of good times here, and it's been so good to us. I've discovered my inner neat freak the last few weeks - having the house clean by 8:30 am every day is really getting to me. And Jason too - I think if he has to hear one more time about his apparent inability to successfully clean out the bathroom sink in the morning, he may go ballistic.

Oh well. :) Later - Jennifer