November 11, 2009
Even though I may have thought of myself as a Bargain Hunting Expert it feels good to have someone else call me that. I was interviewed for an article with Digital Trends, a technology news site with 50 million unique views a month. Reporter Nick Mokey asked me questions about how to find great bargains in retail stores– especially when it comes to gadgets and tech items. Take a look at the article and let me know what you think!
And since I am now officially a bargain hunting expert, consider coming to my free coupon class on Monday, November 16 from 7-8pm at LifePoint Church in Greenville. LifePoint is located at 25 Woods Lake in the Green Gate Office Park in unit 8. It’s something that God laid on my heart a while ago as a way to help others give more, help more, and do more with their money! I’m really excited about this opportunity to encourage and teach others about something I’ve got a passion for. It’s hard to believe that you can serve God with coupons, but you really can! So come to the one hour class and you’ll leave feeling that grocery shopping is not a chore– it’s an opportunity to bless others.
November 6, 2009
It’s not completely my fault that it took more than a year to get curtains up in our living room and dining room. Do you know how hard it is to find curtain rods and curtains on a budget? With six windows to do up it was not an easy task but I’m happy to say I accomplished it for just over $200– that’s $33 for each window’s hardware and curtain. We ended up finding the last six of these Crate and Barrel curtain rods for just $13 each. My inspiration for the curtains were these lovely two-toned pieces from West Elm. They’re $100 each for the size I would have needed:
Beautiful West Elm Curtains
I bought the light gray fabric at a really cool sale in Iva, South Carolina that happens once a month. It’s at an old textile mill and they’ve got thousands of kinds of fabric to choose from. I think it was only $5/yard. They dark gray velvet portions of the curtain (at the top and bottom) were curtains I found on clearance at Target for $13 each. I was only able to find three of them (despite enlisting every family member around the country to search their local Targets) so I cut them up so that I could include a velvet section on each curtain.
One of Six Curtains in the Living Room and Dining Room
I’m just so happy that this big sewing project is complete and that we finally have a little more privacy from the outside world.
November 5, 2009
I have a dream that one day my attic will no longer be a dusty haven for squirrels. The smelly insulation will be gone. The bathroom will be complete. And I’ll have the biggest walk-in closet I’ve ever had. But right now that’s a dream. Here’s what our attic looks like at the moment:
The Attic: Before
The bathroom was roughed-in when we bought the place. But there’s still a lot to do before it will be the relaxing retreat we have imagined.
This is Where our Vanity Will Go
We are making some progress though. The electrical work has been started. We had 15 canned lights installed so there will be recessed lighting in the bedroom and bathroom. The walk-in closet will have a chandelier.
Progress! Canned Lights are In Place
Today we’ll get all of the old insulation sucked out- goodbye dust! Goodbye squirrel poop! Goodbye nastiness! To get ready for this to be done we had to clear out some old junk including this giant attic fan that sat where our walk-in closet will eventually be. We did make some interesting finds including an old oil lamp shade, a bed frame and about two dozen printing plates from 1939 issues of The Greenville News. Maybe we can sell some of this stuff to pay for part of the project. 
Getting Rid of the Giant Attic Fan
So stay tuned for more progress in our great attic renovation adventure!
November 3, 2009
I realized I have not formally introduced the newest member of our family. Here she is– Ruby!
She literally ran into our lives back in October. I was heading to Walgreens on the Vespa to buy a newspaper on a Sunday night and she ran in front of me. I quickly pulled over and managed to persuade her to come out of the street, but only after two other cars nearly hit her. I promptly scooped her up since she had no collar and she was happy to be held. Nobody recognized her despite going door-to-door and driving around the neighborhood. She has no microchip and no one answered our posts on three different lost and found websites so I guess it’s official– Ruby is now part of our family. It’s funny because this is very similar to how Bruno came into my life nearly nine years ago.
She loves to sleep and won’t get out of bed until Tim starts making his oatmeal which he shares with her every morning. She’s now started doing what we call “the oatmeal dance” because this seems to be one of her favorite parts of the day. She adores walks and riding in the car and laying next to you on the couch. We love her huge velvety ears and thick neck and the fact that she snores. The Humane Society estimates she’s six-years-old and a mix between a Chihuahua and a Daschund. And the best part of all is that Bruno seems to think she’s pretty cool, too.
October 26, 2009
Since we moved into our house about a year and two months ago we’ve been doing tons of projects. One of the biggies was working on our home’s curb appeal. We took out a bunch of ugly bushes both in the front and back. We planted lots of new shrubs and flowers. And last spring we sodded the yard ourselves (not something I recommend after going through it). Earlier this month we also got a little help from one of our good friends, JJ. He recently started his own pressure washing company, Hydro-Shine and pressure washed our front walkway and our driveway. I highly recommend Hydro-Shine for your pressure washing needs! Just take a look at our before and after photos:
Before: During the Sodding Process
Some Improvement, But Still Dirty
After: What a Difference!
Before: The Dirty Walkway and Stairs
After: Nice, Clean and Inviting!
September 2, 2007
