Home Fancification

Improvement #1:
For Christmas, my mom gave Greg and I a big check and said Buy yourself something pretty. Well, no. Actually she told us it was for a new living room rug. Four months later and we've finally committed to one. And look! It is pretty.


I want to find burgundy and deep red throw pillows for our couches. I might even try to sew a few of them myself.

Improvement #2:
When we moved into our house in October 2005, we had to immediately replace the leaking kitchen faucet so we chose and painfully installed this $90 Kohler model.


About a year and 2 months later, two months after the warranty expired (naturally), the handle broke off. It was still functional so we kept using it until recently when it started leaking as well. Is it unreasonable to expect a kitchen faucet to last longer than 2 years? Apparently Kohler thinks so.

Last week-end we bought a new one. A $230 Delta! And went through the contorting and swearing necessary when attempting home DIY projects. Or rather, Greg did. I was his assistant.


And taa-daaaa! It's so purty - actually a little too purty for our ugly counters but that will have to wait a bit longer for an update. This one has a much higher faucet to fit the big pans in our sink. There's a sprayer and a below-the-sink soap dispenser.

If this one poops out after 2 years, I may just kill someone...

Improvement #3:
I've heard a few horror stories lately about houses being ruined due to water leaks. So many, in fact, that I've become completely paranoid about it. Today Greg and I bought new hoses for our washing machine and toilets. They have a special valve in them that will cut off the water supply if there is a leak anywhere in the downstream process. If we ever had a burst pipe or whatever, these valves would minimize the potential water damage. We're installing them tomorrow.

Improvement #4:
We spent a small fortune at Home Depot this week-end on deck supplies. Since we moved in, we've done absolutely no maintenance on our huge, beautiful deck in the backyard. It was high time we got off our butts and did something about it.

This process is going to be long and tedious. First we strip the old stain, then treat for mildew, then wash and neutralize the chemicals. The next day, we paint with a new stain and sealant. Sounds like fun, right!

The week-end was supposed to be dedicated to that process, but with impending threats of thunderstorms that have yet to appear (man, these meteorologists do enjoy their 15 minutes of fame...), we decided to hold off. All I can say is that it had better rain tonight or tomorrow...