The Joy of Remodeling May 8, 2008

Filed under: Contests, Life — Just another writer... @ 10:51 pm

It’s amazing what you find when you get down to the nitty gritty of preparing a house for occupation. The nice white blinds that I saw when I bought the house are covered with dust and mildew on the other side, which became apparent when I turned them down. I immediately took them all down, and was surprised to see that a vine had grown inside the window. Upon closer inspection, I saw tracks that indicated that vines had previously grown all the way up the wall and onto the ceiling. I’m trying to put a romantic spin on it and pretend like I’m a princess trapped in an ancient castle with a spell on it instead of a worn out teacher painting the walls a color that turned out to be pink rather than beige. Oh well, pink walls and white trim. Those are princess colors! Too bad the room is for my 17 year old son.

At any rate, I forgot to submit my story of woe to Renuzit TriScents “Transform Your Home with Tanya Memme” promotion and get in the running for a home makeover. As it turns out, however, that’s okay, because I don’t have a thing on the semifinalists over there. They can sing, they can shoot cool videos, and they can have triplets.

Take a look for yourself in their entertaining
semi-finalist gallery.

I did, and now I don’t feel so bad about the my own situation. One of the videos features a house similar to my own in style, including a few rotten boards here and there. In fact, these people have it way worse. At least my appliances and fixtures have been updated. And of course, I don’t think I would be painting any trim if I had triplets. I think I would be lying in bed crying, instead. Instead of becoming a sobbing mess, someone in this household took it upon themselves to make a cute video featuring their three year old. The three year old, of course, is what probably prevents this family from sleeping when they get the occasional opportunity, so hey, maybe they had plenty of time to make the video. Its a good way to keep the kiddo from waking up the babies, anyway. I’m just amazed anyone was coherent enough to do it.

I think if anyone deserves a $20,000 home makeover with Tayna Memme, it is these long-suffering people. You can
vote for them or any of the others you like once a day until June 7th.

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Contest: Transform Your Home April 23, 2008

Filed under: Contests, House — Just another writer... @ 12:27 am

I’m pretty happy with the new house. There are a few issues that need to be addressed, however. The photo above is the master bedroom. I’m not sure why it was called that, as it is the only bedroom that has low ceilings, and it is the farthest from the bathroom. You’ll notice the track lighting located directly above the bed. It really makes you wonder if this room had quite the colorful history, you know? At this point, it should be noted that the bed above is not mine. These photos were taken before the prior owner moved out. My bed is a mod piece made by my grandfather. That one above is so not my style. Also not my style are the stains on the not-my-style ceiling tiles. The stained Berber carpet has to go as well.

This room has more than style issues. It also has scent issues. Remember the rotting meat? The smell lingers. There is also a faint smell of mildew, most likely coming from that horrible carpeting.

I wouldn’t mind a big redo. The former owner had plans to square off that bedroom with the rest of the house, creating a very large and quite masterful bathroom.

I can imagine what it would look like with vaulted ceilings, a huge comfy bath, and polished wooden floors. A coat of paint wouldn’t hurt it either. And to top it off, the smell of vanilla would replace the mildew/rotting meat smell. That would be nice. Very nice, actually. I mean, what do you notice first in someone’s home–how it looks or how it smells? What do you remember after you leave? I like for my house to always smell welcoming–I figure it helps me get away with more clutter. Renuzit TriScents has a couple of selections that definitely fit the bill–Morning Meadow and Seaside Breezes. Unlike my candles, these offer the opportunity to adjust the amount of scent that you want to have. In other words, if the dog’s been in the house all day, turn it up!

At any rate, I don’t imagine that I’m going to be doing any remodeling soon, since I still need to put in central heat and air. Still, if I happen to win the $20,000
Transform Your Home promotion, it could become a reality. If you’re interested in getting a room makeover, you should enter as well. To be eligible, all you have to do is embed an original photo or video of the space you want to change in a post that tells about why your home needs a makeover. Tell how Renuzit TriScents can help you accomplish this goal. To have the best chance,
be sure to follow the official rules.

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Surprise Your Kids With A Trip! April 20, 2008

Filed under: Contests, Life — Just another writer... @ 8:15 pm

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a spring vacation. You know that you’ve gotten older when you refuse to go places during Spring Break because there’ll be too many people around celebrating Spring Break. Actually, it has been so long since I’ve been on a vacation during springtime that the last one I remember was one I took when I was still living in Phoenix.

What we did has not tell our six-year-old that it was Spring Break. We loaded up the car at night, and then, the next morning, did everything as usual and set off for school. Supposedly. We had been in the car for about half an hour when Sky realized we weren’t going to school. So we told him we were going to the beach, which is one of the many
things to do in Los Angeles. We got to the beach and had a fantastic time. Although I grew up on the Atlantic, it was my first time experiencing the Pacific Ocean, which is a whole different ballgame!

After the beach, we were tired, and went to the hotel. The next morning, we grabbed some donuts and headed down the street to…Disneyland! The expression on Sky’s face was just priceless. He’d had no idea that we had planned a trip to Disneyland. That is one of the really awesome things about that age–kids don’t know enough geography to ruin a surprise!

I definitely need to take more vacations, and that is probably true for a lot of people. Whether you are looking for
things to do in Las Vegas, or want to walk the hills of San Francisco, Trusted Tours & Attractions has
sightseeing tours that will be sure to show you a good time. If you’re not sure what you want to do, sign up for their
newsletter. By doing so, you have the chance to win a handheld GPS. This offer lasts until Monday, April 30, 2008, so if you don’t like getting lost, get to it! Also, GPS systems are great for geocaching–so fun, and a guaranteed way to see out of the way places on those vacations.

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How Does Your House Smell? Win $20,000! March 24, 2008

Filed under: Contests — Just another writer... @ 3:01 am

My mother is convinced that my dog needs to have her teeth cleaned. It is because the dog has bad breath, and my mom likes a house to smell pretty. Since I have allergies, I never know what my house smells like, which can be both a good and bad thing, depending on the circumstances. Last year, she kidnapped the dog and took her to the vet to have the teeth cleaned. That’s how much my house smelling good means to her. She told me in no uncertain terms that I had better not move into my new house until I get the dog’s teeth cleaned.

Okay, Mom.

I think Mom would be delighted to know that I am entering the Renuzit
TriScents $20,000 home makeover contest. First of all, it means I am thinking seriously about how my house smells. Well, as seriously as I know how to be. Secondly, there is some horrid orange linoleum from the early seventies in a room that was not pictured in my house post that needs to be dealt with firmly. Of course, there are a few other things, like sanding and refinishing the wood floors, painting the exterior of the house, replacing a wall of windows…that kind of stuff. So a home makeover would come in pretty handy. As long as they leave the original chimney that is so sweet.

The contest is pretty straightforward. You simply upload a video of your home (no longer than two minutes) and a short essay (less than 250 words) to their site.

See official rules here, and if you think you need a $20,000 makeover (your house, not you!), then go ahead and
enter to win. Remember to explain why your house needs the makeover and how Renuzit TriScents can help. Please do not steal my stinky dog teeth idea. I know you are all considering it, since it is so brilliant, and I think you should put that thought out of your mind. I’m sure you have your own smelly house challenges, like overflowing trash or something. Also, while you’re on the site, you can print out a Renuzit TriScents Starter Kit coupon that you can use at a store you normally shop at. The products have really changed over the years and have a nice upscale feel to them.

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The Winner of the House Contest! March 18, 2008

Filed under: Contests — Just another writer... @ 11:20 pm

Well, okay, no one actually won a house. Now that would be nice, right? But, someone did get pretty darn close to the price of my house, which is….

$67,000

Everyone guessed too high. Maybe you were afraid of being insulting. Or perhaps you’ve just never experienced a town like Nowhere, Texas before. The thing is, you can get houses even cheaper than this one not too far away from here. My town has a university, which drives up prices. The towns in these parts with no university have very, very low real estate prices. As in the same house would go for $40,000 or so. No joke.

I do feel like I got a good deal on the house–of course! Coming from Austin, this is peanuts. I can’t imagine what it must seem like to you folks from LA. Don’t feel bad, though. There are no beaches here, and we have crime anyway.

At any rate, the astute winner is…Tina Kubala from The Creative Nerd. I really like her post Reduce and Reuse Failed. Tina will be getting the grand prize of $10! Yea Tina!

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A House, A Contest, Some Pictures March 14, 2008

Filed under: Contests, Life, Love — Just another writer... @ 4:17 pm

So, here it is! The house that I have been doing all this writing for! In a way, it doesn’t even seem real. It is definitely a commitment to stay here in Nowhere, Texas, which has its charms at times. One of those charms being this house.

I’m having a little contest. Tell me how much you think the house cost in the comments. The person who comes the closest wins $10 in their PayPal account.

I didn’t think to take a pic of the outside of the house, so here’s one from the realtor’s site.

Here’s a partial view of the living room.

My favorite room is the kitchen. I love the colors, and check out that old chimney! The house was built in 1920, by the way. A cool thing is that I can see the brick streets of historic downtown from my front porch.

The bathroom, although small, has a clawfoot tub that looks like a well-kept original.

Here’s a partial pic of the dining room. The house also has three bedrooms and a sunporch. I’m not posting all of the pictures. The sunporch needs work, though. It opens up to the backyard, coming up soon… I’m wondering how much the guy would take for the piano. It’s got to be a hassle to move that thing.

The backyard is a landscapers dream. It has a fountain and bamboo! I love the patina on the old bricks. It is so shady. The seller strung party lights between the trees as well.

So, what do you think? It is within walking distance to my job and Sage’s school. Facing the house is a city park–the same one they set off fireworks in on holidays. It’ll be a great show from the porch! It will need central heat and air at some point–window units aren’t my favorite thing, although I do like old space heaters.

I felt pretty nervous putting down the earnest money. This means that I’m not going to Portland, anywhere in Mexico or the American Southwest. This is where Sage and I need to be right now, though. I can be at peace with that.

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I Took That Final Step… March 14, 2008

Filed under: Contests — Just another writer... @ 4:02 pm

I bought a house! Well, officially, it’s not mine yet, since the closing is on March 31. I’ve been too excited to sleep, though. I’ve decided to share my excitement with others. When I post the photos of the house, everyone can take a guess at the price, with the person coming the closest winning ten bucks. Why only ten dollars? Well, because I’m broke due to buying the house. One thing that helps out right now–my renewed PR. So bear with me, I’m going to share a bit of the wealth by Monday!

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