Home on the Range

The Bionic Man did a very nice, award-winning husband type of thing right before Thanksgiving.  Two words:

New Stove

Yep, the Bionic Man suggested that we get the stove we've been meaning to get BEFORE I cooked Thanksgiving dinner.  Before I tell you the story of how this came to be, allow me to introduce you to my new friend, Julia.  (Her namesake?  Julia Child, of course!)

Just for the purpose of comparison, let's view a picture of the old stove (nameless, I only name things I like) and bid it a polite farewell:

Technically, there was really nothing wrong with the old stove.  It just never performed like the stove I had in our Connecticut Cottage.  It also didn't match the rest of the appliances in the kitchen.  (Note the white microwave.)  When we moved into our current home, literally every appliance was a different color: white, bisque, black, and stainless steel, to be exact.  The Bionic Man, bless his heart, can't stand inconsistency.  So, along with replacing all the household doorknobs and light fixtures so that they would all be the same type of metallic finish (oil rubbed bronze), he planned to replace the kitchen appliances, too.  Appliances cost more than doorknobs, so we replaced them as they wore out or when we had money saved up.  Appliances do not, unfortuanately, come in oil rubbed bronze (at least, not in our price range), so we have gradually replaced the old kitchen appliances with new, white appliances.  After five years, this stove was all that was left.

We started stove shopping last spring, when we had to replace the broken microwave.  I didn't have a clear direction, other than it had to be white (of course), it had to have a glass top (I don't do coils), and I thought it would be super fun to have two ovens.  

After shopping at our favorite bargain appliance source, the Sears Scratch 'n Dent, I discovered that even scratched and dented glass top stoves with two ovens were going for over $1000.  Then, I had to think to myself, "How often do I need two ovens?"  My answer was, "Maybe twice in the five years since I've lived in this house.  And even then, I found a way around it."  So, the list of requirements was shortened to two requirements: white, glass top.

We had a busy summer, and I really don't bake very much in the summer, anyway, so we kind of forgot about the stove.  Every so often, the Bionic Man or I would take a look at Craigslist, looking for white glass topped stoves.  You see, the microwave and stove we had in our Connecticut Cottage were used.  We found them in the for sale ads of the local paper.  (Connecticut friends, can I hear an AMEN for The Reminder?)  Someone was getting rid of them to make way for a kitchen remodel.  I swear, that sweet convection-capable oven had never even been used, and we got the set for $225.  A steal.  

Well, I'm not sure if he was trying to reward me for the fantastic kitchen transformation I made with the new paint, or if it was the paint fumes themselves, but the Bionic Man woke up three days before Thanksgiving and decided that his wife should have a new stove for Thanksgiving.  He immediately began to go through Craigslist with fine-tooth comb, and called me from work to let me know he was taking me stove shopping that very evening.  

What the Bionic Man had discovered, on Craigslist, was that there was a little mom & pop shop downtown that sold remanufactured appliances.  The word remanufactured doesn't scare me.  My kitchenaid mixer, that I love dearly (his name is Mike) was remanufactured.  I'm down with that.  So, off I went with the Bionic Man to bring home a new (to us) stove for Thanksgiving.  

At first, we had some difficulty finding the address as it was listed on Craigslist.  It wasn't in a part of the city that we were familiar with.  In fact, it was what you might call The Wrong Side of Town.  The very wrong side.  But we didn't let that stop us, if a deal could be found!  After driving around a little, getting a feel for the local flavor, we saw a fading sign that said, "Appliances  Furniture  Mattresses  Water Heaters".  Thinking that must be our destination, we parked the Sienna and marched in.  Inside, we were greeted by a guy who never mentioned his name, but I'm guessing goes by "Meaty."  Meaty grunted when we asked about glass top stoves, and told us they'd all been sold earlier in the day, but he had plenty of stereos, if we were interested in those.  

Uh huh.  We hustled back out to the Sienna.  At this point, I should probably mention that the Bionic Man's father, Duane, had accompanied us on this little adventure.  Welcome to Indiana, Duane!  I'm sure that by this point, he was thinking that his son and daughter-in-law were out of their minds, and who would raise their children?  We drove down the street a little further, with the Bionic Man wondering why they didn't tell him the stove was already gone when he'd called.  Duane asked casually, "Are you sure we went to the right address?"

I replied, "C'mon, how many of these little remanufactured appliance shops can there be around here?"

Apparently, more than the one, because just down the street we saw a sign:  Lady J's Appliance.  Words can't do Lady J's justice.  You have to see a picture.  Not knowing that this adventure was going to be blog-worthy, I hadn't brought my camera with me, so Google Satellite is going to have to do the honors.  (In hindsight, it was probably a blessing I hadn't brought the camera.  I'm not sure if Lady J would have taken kindly to me asking her to pose in front of her store.)  

View Larger Map

When I say the Bionic Man and I will do almost anything to get a good deal, I'm not kidding, am I?  We actually got out of the Sienna and went inside Lady J's, in search of a white glass top stove.  Lady J herself, cigarette dangling from her wrinkled, red lips informed us that "uh, yeah, the glass top sold earlier today."  But she did have some real nice stereos, if we were interested in those.  

There was a door off to the side of Lady J's fine establishment with writing on it.  This is exactly what was written, in black permanent marker:

"REST ROOM"

pLEasE kNOCk FirST

Just for future reference, I think it is good practice to be cautious of doors marked this way.  Especially considering the use of quotation marks.  "REST ROOM" as in: it may or may not be a restroom?  this is what we call our restroom, but it has no toilet or sink, only a drain?  this could be a restroom or it could be the entrance to our meth lab?  

Needless to say, I didn't investigate the quoted claims any further, nor did we purchase anything from Lady J's.  The Bionic Man said, after we were safely several blocks away, "I don't think I could bring anything home from that place without sending it away for complete fumigation, first.  How do we know those stoves weren't being used in a meth lab?"  (Or, for that matter, a "Rest Room".)  He considered these possibilities for a moment, with a shudder, then turned to me and said, "How about we go take a look at the Sears Scratch 'n Dent store?"

That was where I met Julia.  White, glass top, five burners, and fully equipped for traditional or convectional baking/roasting, she's even more than I was hoping for.  Admittedly, her price wasn't quite as low as Lady J's remanufactured "stoves", but she was still a bargain with no visible flaws and a price 60% off of retail.  We packed her up, brought her home, plugged her in, and she proceded to bake some of the best pies in the history of my kitchen, not too mention the rolls, ham, and pumpkin bread pudding.

The moral of my story:  it never hurts to shop around for a bargain, but you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em, if  you know what I mean.  

And a question:  do you think that the Bionic Man took me to Meaty's and Lady J's first on purpose, and only pretended that the trip to the Scratch 'n Dent store was a spur of the moment idea?  I'm beginning to wonder.....I really am.

P.S.  If anyone in the midwest is looking for a black and bisque glass top range in fairly good condition for under $200, email me: triptoholland (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thrifty Outfits

Anyone out there remember me mentioning how I'd had a highly successful thrifty shopping trip?  I enjoyed wearing some of my finds while we were in St. Louis.  I feel kind of silly posting pictures of my outfits, because I make no claims to being a fashionista.  But I do love a good bargain, so I'm here to prove that you can find gooooood stuff if you just sort through all the really awful stuff at your local thrift shop and if you hit the clearance racks at the Bullseye Boutique.  Talk about cheap thrills!

Um, can I just provide the disclaimer that when I appear in a photo, it is because the Bionic Man has the camera and has given me no warning, so you see me as I really am.  I guess.  

Outfit #1(at the City Museum):

 brown cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, bought on clearance last year

white v-neck tee: Banana Republic, thrifted for $2

jade green scarf: Mossimo, bought on clearance at Target for $2.49

belt: ?, thrifted for $1, has lots of fun colors including the green in my scarf

chinos: Banana Republic, thrifted for $3, hemmed by me

Outfit #2 (at the St. Lou zoo):

cashmere sweater (and the only part of the outfit you can really see):

J.Crew, thrifted, $2

white tee: Mossimo (Target), thrifted for $2 (looked brand new)

brown jeans: Coldwater Creek, thrifted for $3

cute purse which you can't even see: Mossimo (Target), thrifted for $2 (still had the $14.99 tags!)

Outfit #3 (at the science museum):

sweater: Daisy Fuentas (Kohl's?), thrifted, $3

layering tee: Downeast Basics, bought a couple years ago so I can't remember price!

jeans: Gap, thrifted for $4, hemmed by me

shoes: probably Target on clearance?  

My feet were so sore from all the walking around the two days before, they demanded flip-flops.

pedicure: OPI "Baguette Me Not", Bionic Man's treat after I ran the half-marathon!

brown leather purse (hard to see under my right arm): thrifted for $2 last year

And, yes, my hair is not blonde anymore.  Don't ask.  The point is, my outfits were under $10 each. 

I've only been willing to look in thrift stores for my clothes in the last year.  Here are a couple of things I've learned:

• Goodwill stores located near malls generally have the best selection of clothing, and--in my experience--offer the most shoes and purses.
• It takes time to thrift shop, since thrifting is like playing hide-n-seek.  You really do have to go through all the racks to find the best items.  I plan on 60-90 minutes per store to find a selection of things I want to try on, and another 30-60 minutes in the fitting room.  I don't go into the fitting room until I have a huge pile.  In the fitting room, I look at things very carefully.  For instance, the ultra-flattering pair of corduroy pants I found, that didn't even need to be hemmed...ended up being very worn through the inner thigh area, upon closer inspection.  I didn't buy those.
• You'll have a better chance of finding items that are less worn (or new) or that are designer brand if you visit the thrift stores near wealthier areas.  I drove for 45 minutes to get to the north side of our city (considered the swanky side of town), but found some incredible stuff.  (Hello, J.Crew cashmere!)  Therefore, my savings definitely made it worth the drive. 

I'm linking this post to The Pleated Poppy's
What I Wore Wednesday.
Go here to read an explanation of what WIWW is all about.

Date Night Deals

90% off at Restaurant.com

Today only!

The Bionic Man and I are really trying to fulfill our goal of at least one date per month.  I try to keep an eye out for cheap date night ideas.  The dates have to be inexpensive, because let's face it: babysitting is what makes dating your spouse expensive. 

Rare footage of the Bionic Man and I in the before-we-were-married days of dating.

So, I was grinning from ear-to-ear today when I checked my email and found out about a great deal from Restaurant.com.

Restaurant.com sells discounted gift certificates for restaurants all over the U.S.  To be frank, these "gift certificates" are a bit more like coupons, due to the restrictions that most restaurants place upon them.  Typically, you can get a $25 gift certificate for $15.

So here is the today only deal I am sharing with you:

90% off

your Restaurant.com purchases

using promotion code WOW

Let me tell you how:  

Go to Restaurant.com.  Do a search for restaurants in your area, or one you are planning to vacation in soon, or one where you have family members that need Christmas gifts....

(I did a search the the Salt Lake City, Utah, area, since I have lots of family there.)

A list of restaurants will pop up.  (Over 75 in Utah.)

Find one in the list you are interested in.  I picked La Caille, since I'd heard my photographer sis-in-law, Kris, raving about the gorgeous setting.  

Next, look to the right of the restaurant listing and read the fine print about the restrictions on using a Restaurant.com gift certificate there.  These are the restrictions for a $25 certificate at La Caille:

Minimum 2 entrees. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Excludes: Alcohol, Holidays/Special Events. Valid 1 per party. Excludes: Fridays and Saturdays in December.

If you can live with those restrictions, click on the ADD TO CART button.  Normally, the $25 gift certificate would cost you $15, but when you apply today's promotional code (WOW), you will be able to purchase this certificate for $1.50!!!

All that is left to do after that is enter your payment info and print out your gift certificate!

Granted, I didn't look at the menu for La Caille until just a minute ago.....and I discovered that $25 won't go very far there....so scratch that recommendation for a cheap date night if you live in Utah.  If, however, ordering fine french cuisine at $55/plate is your thing, then enjoy the bonus of $23.50 off your very swanky date night, there.  

For the rest of us, there are plenty of other restaurants to choose from....some in your area, I'm sure.  

Keep in mind that from what I've seen, typical restrictions are that you must have a $35 minimum purchase and dine-in dinner only.  Still, for that price you should easily be able to eat a nice, sit down restaurant meal for $10, using your gift certificate--not much more than you'd pay to go through the drive-through at Mickey D's.

As of today, I have scored three of gift certificates for nice restaurants in my area.  I spent a total of $4.50, so that leaves money in the date budget for a babysitter!  Talk about cheap thrills.  Now, go out and plan a few budget-friendly dates for yourselves!

Note:  I am not affiliated with or being compensated by Restaurant.com.  I receive an alert on this deal from CouponMom.com.  The only benefit I receive from sharing any of the above information is the satisfaction I get from sharing a good deal with my friends.  Enjoy!

My Slip is Showing!

Got your attention, didn't I?

I now present....the slipcover project!

 There is a corner of my family room that needs a chair.  Not wants a chair, needs a chair.  Otherwise, it is just a strangely empty corner that throws the balance of the whole room.  Because I'm too cheap to actually spend money on furniture if I don't have to, I've had a wing chair from our front parlor filling the hole.

It's part of a set: two wingbacks and a sofa.  They are the best furniture purchase we never made.  We got them for free from friends in Connecticut who were ready to set them out on the curb.  Would I have made that fabric selection if I'd purchased them?  No, but I am not one to say no to free furniture that looks like it has never been sat upon.  Does that complicated floral pattern match my family room?  No, but I needed a chair and that one had to do.

Finally, one day, after searching online for inspiration, I said aloud, "I CAN MAKE A SLIPCOVER FOR THAT."

And then I nearly passed out from the effort of just saying I could make it.  After reviving myself, I decided that attempting to make a slipcover would be waaaaay more fun than helping the Bionic Man clean out the garage.  Besides, I had plenty of cheap canvas from dropcloths that I could use, without feeling too badly if I messed up and wasted a bunch of fabric.

So, I just kept referring to this picture from the Nester, and reading her blog post about slipcovering throughout the day for encouragement.

By Saturday night, I'd used every pin in the house, nearly said some bad words, had pricked my fingers mercilessly, and had talked my 11 year old into making dinner.  But I'd also made a slipcover!

It really was easier than that description makes it sound, just nerve-wracking for a novice like me.  I laid my oh-so-forgiving canvas over the chair, cut pieces out to "match" the various shapes of the chair, pinned those shapes together on the chair, basted the shapes together just in case the pins fell out, then took the pinned-together cover off the chair and sewed all the seams.  The beauty of the canvas is that there is no wrong or right side, so I could just flip the sewed pieces right-side-out, and throw it on the chair.

The Bionic Man was very impressed.  

As you can see, it's not quite done.  I haven't covered the seat cushion, yet.  I ran out of canvas. 

I need to decide on the length for these curtains in my dining room, so I can cut off the excess and use it to cover the cushion.

 Also, I didn't finish sewing up a couple of the seams before I tried it on the chair.  I was worried that it might not fit.

And, I'm definitely not done with the hemline.  I'm thinking a ruffle would be just the thing, there.  But hey, I've made enough progress now to know that I can do the rest.  I feel like such a smarty pants!

In fact, I'm pretty confident that I could make a slipcover for the other chair and it's matching couch, which live in our front parlor.

What do you think?  Should I do it?  The whole project has me thinking of creamy white board and batten and chocolate brown walls for this room.  Like in this room I found:

mckevitts

Let me know if you are interested in getting more detailed instructions with pictures if/when I slipcover the other chairs.  I didn't have a camera available while I was working, so I have no photographic proof that I actually did this.  Or a means of showing you how, for this post.

Okay, so remember how I told you the waterproof camera died?  Well, like Lazarus of old, it is back from the dead!  Actually, unlike Lazarus, the camera was not actually dead.  We had a package of defective batteries, apparently.  While this means, unfortunately, that I still stuck taking photos with a dumb ol' waterproof camera, it also means that the Bionic Man has started shopping for the kind of camera I want.  Probably because he's so impressed that I made a slipcover.

Details on the Goodwill Makeover

As I promised yesterday, here are some of the details on my master bedroom makeover.

This makeover began after a lucky day at Goodwill.

I found all of these lovely things at one of the three Goodwill thrift shops that I like to frequent.  Most of them were new.  Good etiquette would be to not tell you how much I paid for things.  But this is a makeover--a bargain makeover--so I'm going to tell you.

Notice how many new items I discovered at the thrift store?  This is not uncommon.  Many stores will take damaged items from their shelves and donate them to places like Goodwill, so they can get a tax break.  I could find no damage to any of the linens, other than the fact that they weren't in their original packaging.  The lampshade was only slightly damaged, not enough to stop my from loving it and bringing it home.  Here's a handy tip I learned: at Goodwill, items donated by stores are marked with a gray tag. 

Let's talk makeover, now.  I was happy with the parts of my room that would have cost the most time and money to redo: the furniture and walls.  The walls are a custom color of Behr paint.  Custom because we tweaked the original color to make it work for us.  I call it Creamy Tan.  The furniture was our very first furniture purchase that wasn't a)used b)damaged c)unfinished d)particle board.  It's pretty matchy-matchy, and I know some of you are screaming a your screens, "Paint it white!" but Bionic Man loves natural wood, and I love the Bionic Man, so it's not going to get painted white.  I was also happy with the silk coverlet we have on the bed.

After making sure that the new bedding fit my bed, I switched out the curtains.  Um...the fitted sheet actually didn't fit.  I think it was twin sized.  No problem, it actually matches the bedding in my girls' room, and I had a fitted sheet already that matched.

I removed the old Waverly Vintage Rose curtains that had been on this window since the previous homeowners put them up.  The only new thing I purchased for this room went up next: a set of sheers from one of my all-time favorite discount decor stores, The Christmas Tree Shoppes.  They cost me a whopping $4.99/panel.

I shopped my house for the next layer of curtains, and stole these from my dining room:

Amanda from Serenity Now had told me about some similar curtains that she made from canvas drop cloths, too.  I copied her idea in my bedroom....it will be easy to get another set of drop cloths for the dining room!

After decluttering and vacuuming, I shopped my house for a few accessories, and changed up a few of those with a little spray paint.  I also spray painted my brass lamp from Goodwill.  I used Rustoleum's Painter's Touch in Green Apple Satin for all of these projects ($3.49/can).  I especially love the way the lamp turned out.

 

 

I got the idea to paint that old, ugly, brass lamp from Melissa of 320 Sycamore.  Thanks, Melissa!

Then I added a little to this space, with some stars I've had for a while.

Eventually, I'll get the Bionic Man and a tall ladder to switch some of the things on that tall shelf.  the barn stars will go up there, and I'll hang the plates I found above the dresser.  But that's a project for another day!

The armoire in the corner also needed a little TLC.

I'm really, really happy with the way everything turned out!  Admittedly, the Bionic Man was a little skeptical about it, when he came home to a new bedroom.  However, by the time he climbed into bed last night, he had to admit that he liked it.  He especially like that I pulled the whole thing off for under $100.

Here's my cost breakdown:

New Bedding: $53.94

Lamp & Shade: $9.48

Sheers: $9.98

Spray Paint: $3.49

Total: $76.89 for a new room!

It amazes me what a little imagination and a willingness to shop at a thrift store have done for my blah bedroom.  Complete transformation!  My most recent Goodwill shopping trip was inspired by Shelley over at House of Smiths.  Thanks, Shelley!

What's the best thing you've ever found at a thrift store?

I'm linking this post to:

Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap-Up Party

 

I'm not Being Paid by Goodwill

Earlier today, I left my local Goodwill thrift store with quite a haul.  I was so thrilled by what I found, I hurried home and posted a very excited blog entry.  

Well, I spent the remainder of the afternoon redecorating our master bedroom with my finds--in between trips to the physical therapist and various schools.  It was a busy afternoon.  (Oh, and my sprained elbow is healing nicely, thank you for asking.)  

Here's a sneak peek at the project.

First, a display of what I found at Goodwill today:

    Sorry about the big, blue date in all these pictures.  I haven't had time to do any photo editing yet, today.

See all of those linens?  They are new!  They were damaged/opened packaging from Target and Pottery Barn!  We're talking sheets for $4.  Pillow shams for $3.  The lampshade is also a slightly damaged cast-off from Target.  It's canvas!  The plates were just too pretty to pass by, and the lamp--well, let's just say that i was sure the lamp had potential.

Here's a close-up of the linens.  I don't know if the computer screen does the color justice--they are the prettiest shade of apple green, with tan and white accents.  

Now, here is a picture of my bedroom in its natural state.  The before, if you will.

Don't you just love how I've decorated the bedside tables with piles of JUNK?  Just to keep it real, I will disclose that I made the bed and moved the laundry baskets right before taking this picture.  (Proof:  circular shapes pressed into carpet at the end of the bed!)

Thanks to a fruitful morning of shopping at Goodwill, tonight I'll be climbing into this:

Buh-bye, bland....hello, serene color!

I love the new bedding, but my favorite element of the room is the apple green lamp.

I told you that ugly, old brass lamp had possibilities!  All it took was a can of spray paint and a fresh, new lampshade.

It's been such a busy day....I can't wait to flop down on my newly dressed up bed and get some sleep!  You can see more details about my bedroom makeover here....I'm excited to show you the curtains.

I'm linking this post to:

Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap-Up Party

Goodwill Strikes Again!!!

Friends, you are not going to believe what I just stumbled upon at Goodwill, today.

I repeat, you will not believe it.  I don't believe it, and I just lived it.

Good stuff, ladies, good stuff.  So good that I am now completely redecorating my Master Bedroom.   

A total re-do for less than $100!!!

Bedding, lamp, knick-knacks, draperies....the whole she-bang.  

I'm so excited, but I don't have time to download pictures or even take pictures, yet, because I have to do the redecorating before the Bionic Man gets home.  It's one of those, "Honey, I know I didn't talk to you about this beforehand, but doesn't it look fabulous?" type of projects.  He'll totally go for it once he sees the finished product.

Don't worry, I'll wash everything before I put it in my bedroom.  But let me just say this: IT'S ALL NEW!"  We're talking damaged packaging from Target and....wait for it...POTTERY BARN just sitting there in my local Goodwill.  

Anyone who lives within a two hour drive of Indianapolis should jump in their cars now and speed their way to the Goodwill just south of the Greenwood Park Mall.  I left some good stuff behind. 

P.S.  This color is a hint.