BRRR it’s Colorado Cold outside, but not inside thanks to the government!

The Obama Administration is dolling out $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and energy conservation projects in states and cities across the U.S., moving that portion of the economic stimulus money a bit closer to your home.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program will fund new and existing programs in states to promote home energy audits, weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades, replacement of outdated appliances and other similar initiatives. The Department of Energy had previously estimated that the average qualifying home could benefit from $6,500 in improvements. Each program differs by state and city, so look to your local agencies or energy.gov/recovery for details. While home improvement initiatives are likely to help individuals most directly, the grants cover a broad array of potential initiatives.

You need to do your research & most installers are up to date on the lates info so If yo uneed a little help check with one of your local energyor window companies to see if you qualify. If you do jump on in now! My mom actaully qualified & they blew in insulation, replaced windows, & more all while she sipped tea on the front porch. Cost to her $0.00!

It is hard to believe but my theroy is we are  paying for it anyway, why not use it!

There are a lot of concerns about toxins these days. One of which is the vapors left behind after you spruce up that back room with a fresh coat of paint.  I am not an expert here, but of course less toxic is best, but they are very pricey! Check out this artical on the values or non toxic paints to see for yourself.  http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

One thing I learned from all my years of fixer uppers, is that before & after pics are a must have. Often times I did a project & had nothing to show how much work was really done because I didn’t take the time to snap  quick before shot.

I love others before & after pics too. I am a visual learner & I think it helps to inspire. If you see some one elses before pic that is similar to your space it helps to visualize the possibilities.

So don’t for get to snap a shot or ask to see others so you can create a space just as amazing.

In my opinion there is nothing  more beautiful than a classic wooden stair case. Some day I hope to have a dramatic country stairway that Scarlet O’hare would be proud of. But for now I can only dream & supply you with some great pics of inspiration if you are considering a stair case in your home, or maybe you have one that you are thinking of reconditioning?

Here are some of my top pics for stair case design

Boared with your decor? Paint!

Painting is a wonderful way to spruce up your room & your mood! It is my favorite waty to add life into a room for cheap!

Happy Painting

I wanted to pass along this link to one of my favorite magazines for natural design and decorating.

If you want to live a little closer to nature, you’ll like it. It’s called NaturalHomeMagazine, and it’s filled with ideas for”living wisely and living well,” whether you want to bring a little of the outdoors in for spring…or design an entire new wing!

I just enjoy thumbing through it for inspiration, or even if I want to take a mental break to dream (wouldn’t it be great to live in that window-filled house on the side of a cliff, surrounded by nature preserves?!) . Pick up a copy and you’ll see what I mean.

My husband is a total bargain hound, and it’s a good thing because we’ve gotten incredible deals on stuff for our house that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.

Our biggest tip is to shop for clearance items and floor models at the home improvement stores. Sometimes they really just want to get rid of items to make room for more, and will let you buy them for even less than the sale price. Ask to speak with the manager, and don’t be afraid to negotiate!

Also go in and ask if they have anything “out back” that they want to get rid of. Oftentimes they do. It may not be exactly what you were looking for, but keep an open mind.

We got our bathroom vanity for next to nothing–it was a return and some of the cabinets needed to be repaired, which was an easy fix. It’s oak, and I originally wanted white, but now that it’s installed I really like it.

Our bathroom tiles were closeouts. Now, they weren’t exactly the color and style we wanted, but the price made it worth it and they turned out looking great.

We have a brand-new jacuzzi tub that was a floor model, normally going for $1,000, and we got it for a couple hundred! We also have a one-piece “designer” toilet that was practically free.

Our dishwasher was only $100 because it had a couple scratches on it, which aren’t even noticeable.

All it takes is a willingness to spend the extra time visting the stores often, shopping around and hunting for deals, and a lot of flexibility on design.

My husband finally finished tiling the bathroom floor and tub surround yesterday (a project which has taken several days), so the exciting moment arrived where he and my father-in-law could install the sink, cabinet and vanity.

They carried it in, put it up against the wall, and woops, turns out it’s too high–the backsplash on the sink covers the two junction boxes for electrical outlets–so actually it’s the junction boxes that are too low. But moving them would require moving and recutting holes in the wall, which has already been sheetrocked, plastered and painted.

This sent my husband into yet another state of stress, and he spent the rest of the day shopping at Home Depot and Lowes for ideas to fix the situation. He found nothing that would work, which means he’ll have to chop down the bottom of a cabinet so it’s lower than normal to fit into the space.

If I had my way, we’d put in a pedestal sink and the problem would be solved–plus it’d look so much nicer. But the bathroom is so small (and so is the house) that we need the storage provided by cabinets and drawers.

This is just one of the many unanticipated situations you run into when doing it yourself. I wish we were featured on “Flip That House” because it would make for several entertaining episodes and examples of what not to do (or what to think about in advance). But unfortunately every house is different and presents these little surprises and challenges, no matter how much planning and thought you put into it!

Okay, I didn’t win this year’s HGTV Dream Home Give Away (even though I should have–I would have been much more excited and appreciative than the woman who actually did!), but now we all get another chance at a great place to live.

This house suits my style more anyway, because it’s designed to be eco-friendly–which I’m totally into.

Check out the site. Even if you decide not to enter or don’t think you’ll win, there’s lots of great ideas for organizing, decorating and renovating that have minimal impact on the environment.

For those of you who’ve been following our “extreme home makeover” and so-called “flip” that’s been going on for the past 3 years, finally–our flooring has arrived. And that’s a big step toward moving in and eventually moving on!

A large truck pulled up yesterday and delivered stacks and stacks of wide pine that we have to let sit for 2 weeks to acclimate before we can sand, stain and install it.

Does anyone have an opinion or pointers on installation, what color to stain, how to care for wide pine floors (how to best get the dirt out from between all those little cracks if the boards spread) or decorating advice (what goes best w/this type of flooring)? We have a tiny Cape built in 1800 but most of it has been modernized. I’m not a big fan of cutesy country but I do like the cozy look.

If you’re huge fan of wide pine, post or send me your pix!