Choices, choices, aaghhh!

I need your help. Which granite do you think would look best in my kitchen?

Tuscan Brown

See my kitchen in previous post, have glazed off white cabinets, will be installing stainless appliances and a light color hardwood floor.

I can't make up my mind.

Help, help, me bloggers!!

Melinda

Renovation Reality has set in!

Let's see today is Wednesday, work was suppose to start on Monday. Has it? Heck no, nobody has bothered to show up. Guess once you make the committment to the contractor he takes his sweet time.

I am sooooooooo frustrated. It's been two weeks and the roof is not completely repaired much less new shingles installed. Monday and Tuesday were absolutely beautiful days here in Birmingham, but no roof work was happening at my house. Builder promises they'll show tomorrow if it's not raining, guess what, weather forecast is rain. Wonder if they can work inside when it rains, hah, I doubt it.

I think I'll take some advice from Bear, just go back to bed and CHILL!!!!!

Melinda

Bye bye 1970's kitchen!

Tomorrow the builders will start renovations in my kitchen. The bar will be removed to make way for a center island. I will be getting all new stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and hardwood floors. I am so excited and confused and worried. Am I making the right choices for my countertops and floors? I have looked online, offline, snooped in new houses, gotten opinions, but when it comes down to it, it's my choice.

The one major change I am sure of, this wall is coming down!!! At least the part between the blue tape. That will open the kitchen to the den and make it more of a cohesive place.

So these are the before photos, can't wait to show you the after!

Melinda

Love this arrangement and color scheme!

This is from Southern Living. I love the browns, and blues onthe sofa and pillows. Plus the prints with the white platters hanging with them are calling my name.

I am trying to figure out how to incorporate blue back into my house. Years ago the entire house was blue and I have spent a lot of time changing it. Now I want to go back? Are you kidding me? The new aquas hues mixed with the browns are catching my eye lately.

Since I'm in process of redoing my kitchen, if I incorporate blue in there, in means I will have to rethink the rest of my house. Fortunately, my basic furniture and walls are neutrals, so I'll have to ditch the greens and start moving in the aquas.

I want to give a special thank you to my sister-in-law, Sallywhite at http://brickhousebrownshutters.blogspot.com/, she's the one that gets me started on all these changes. Geeez Sally!!!!

Guess it's true when you update one room, you mess up the rest of them.

Melinda

Cosmetic Class Action Suit

In order to settle a class action lawsuit for overcharging on cosmetics, Macy's is giving away $175 million in free cosmetics.

You have to go into the store in order to receive yours, but they are giving away good stuff.

Boucheron, Chanel, and Ralph Lauren perfumes, Clinique Moisure Surge, Estee Lauder Advanced Night repair, L'Oreal mascara. Go to http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com/ for full list.

These are not sample size, they are full size. It also applies to Dillards and Nordstroms.

Check it out!

Melinda

One Nation Under God!

Dear Lord,

Please lay your loving hands on President Obama's heart and lead him to make the best decisions for our country. In God We Trust!

Melinda

Be still my heart!

I covet this rug from Pottery Barn so bad for my family room. I just love it!

Melinda

Today's Quote!

If you don't have the time to do something right, where are you going to find the time to fix it?

Stephen King

This definitely applies to me now. I am impatient to get my roof replaced and move on to my kitchen remodel. Yesterday I went to pick out the roof shingles, and I was torn between Heathered Wood or Driftwood. Think I'll go with Heather Wood because my house is yellow brick with brown tones, and it has more of a brown tint. The Driftwood is more gray.

I've been planning these changes in my head for years, and I'm having trouble being patient, now that it's time to implement them.

I will be posting photos of the current kitchen and of the remodel as it progresses. My big issue now with the interior will be what color to paint the kitchen.

Have a good day!

Melinda

FREE BOTTLE OF SUAVE SHAMPOO

Hurry, you have to register before midnight tonight.

http://www.suave.com/nomics/index.html


Melinda

Much needed laugh!

The talking dog.

A guy is driving around Wadsworth, Ohio and he sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog For Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a Labrador retriever sitting there. "You talk?" he asks. "Yep," the Lab replies.

"So, what's your story?" The Lab looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running."

"But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired."

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. "Ten dollars," the guy says. "Ten dollars? This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheaply?"

"Because he's lying, he never did any of that stuff."

Melinda

Sounds awful, but taste yummy!!!!!!!

Deep Fried Ham instead of turkey!

Trust me, this is absolutely delicious.

Not a fresh ham, but a regular old cured ham, or honey baked ham, even sliced hams work.

Ingredients
7 to 10 lb ham
marinade, (optional, anything injectable)
peanut oil (for your deep fryer, aprox 5 gallons, less for a larger ham)

Directions:
Thaw ham completely and pat dry

(When deep frying moisture on surface will cause a lot of oil popping and splatering, be careful)

Place the hame in the steamer basket that comes with turkey deep fryer and carefully and slowly lower the basket into the hot oil. 350 to 375 degrees

Stand back, there is a lot of moisture in the ham.

Cook the ham about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per pound.

If the oil cools down, just watch the temp and adjust your cooking time.

WORD OF WARNING, this looks like a big deflated black tire when it comes out of the oil, but not be scared, the inside will be pink and luscious!

This was so good, all of this ham was eaten.

Melinda

A very special thank you!

Thank you Joanna Brittain a Southern Girl Blog Designs for my new blog design.

You'll never know how much I appreciate this gift!

If you're interested in having her help you, please give her a visit at http://momof2andwife.blogspot.com or http://thissoutherngirlsnest.blogspot.com

Melinda

God's Sense of Humor!

Somehow I know that God is on this one!



We have been in desperate need for a new roof and I was planning on buying one as soon as I sold my Mom's house. As you know, I now have a contract on it and are planning to close on 1/15/09. Being that the roof was a major priority, I had started on Monday calling roofers to drop by and give me estimates. I've been praying for a major hail storm so insurance could buy me the new roof, but no such luck.



January in Alabama is usually one of the coldest months, but last Tuesday the temp here was 69 degrees, which means storms are headed our way. True to form they arrived at 3:13 Tuesday and huge Hickory tree fell on my house.

I had also been planning to renovate my kitchen, which is the room right under this tree. So not only did God answer my prayer about the roof, he also is helping me out with the kitchen. But he's doing it his way.

So although this is going to a major hassle, it's also a double blessing, and I recognize it when I see it.

Melinda

How do I let go?

I am in the process of cleaning out my Mom's house, as it appears this sale is actually going through. My husband says I cannot bring anything else to our house!!!

However, I'm having trouble letting go of things that generate memories of my parents lives and our childhoods.

Dishes, I do not need anymore dishes, but I have boxed up Mom's wedding china, the clear glass party plates she so adored, her iron skillets that produced such fabulous cornbread. I cannot and will not let someone else take these items from me. I can remember all of the wonderful Thanksgivings and Christmas dinner that we served on her china, all the times we used and loaned out the clear party plates, and the iron skillet produced wonderful cornbread on almost a daily basis. I am not capable of making her cornbread, there was no recipe, she just made it. Hopefully, the iron skillet will magically produce it for me.

Then there is her fur coat. I know fur is not politically correct, but in her eyes, having a mink coat was one of the best things that ever happened to her. I cannot wear it, neither can my daughter, but I guess I will keep it and when I'm missing her, wrap myself around it.

She apparently saved every card that her children and grandchildren gave her for the past 20 years. Throwing them away seem so callous. They meant so much to her, shouldn't they mean the same to us?

Somehow having these things will comfort me. But I think my daughter summed things up, pretty well.

She said, "Mom, when you take all of this stuff to our house, I'll just have to go through it in 30 or 40 years". She's right, she will, but I hope she has as much trouble letting go as I'm having. It means you had a wonderful, loving family, and you're full of love because of these memories.

Sorry, Lindsay!

Melinda