How the Half Bath Lost its Marbles

How the Half Bath Lost its Marbles

The first time I used the half bathroom in our new home, I brought a scraper. Not for me, for the wall. I’d been itching to scrape the walls from the moment I first saw the bathroom, so I figured, this was the perfect opportunity. The previous owners had hot-glued marbles to the walls, and to say I have texture issues is putting it mildly. I really hate bumps. They make me itchy. So… I sat on the potty and took my first swipe with the scraper. A cascade of marbles hit the floor. It felt wonderful. I took a …

Home Sweet Castle?

I recently heard a comment that 20 years ago doctors bought 3,000 square foot homes and today they are buying 10,000 square foot homes! I know American’s have gotten fatter, but seriously, what are they doing with all of that space? I actually know some people who own a home that approaches 10,000 square feet and the truth is, they just never go upstairs. They live in the living room, kitchen, and their bedroom and the rest of the home is just for show. To me, I can understand that size home if you have a lot of company, but …

Budgeting for A New Home

As I write tonight I am faced with a quandary. I know that many of you have gone back and read my early blogs on setting up a budget and have a budget in place, but I also know that there is a lot of information there if you haven’t already read them. When my book is completed I will have an easy solution to this dilemma. I will simply say, go read chapter “whatever” in my book 🙂 However, my blog is not as concise as my book will one day be, so… for today I am going to …

Owning the Process… and then Owning Your Home

Buying a home is such an exciting adventure, but it can also be one of the most stressful times of your life. Amidst the paperwork, and house hunting, and sudden immersion into the totally foreign world of mortgages, and realtors, and escrow accounts, and down payments… it can be very overwhelming. I am not promising to be your comprehensive guide through the jungle this week. There are very thick books that have been written on this topic… and I don’t feel like another writing one 🙂 However, I do want to present you with some thoughts that you may not …

Castles in the Sand

I have always loved making sand castles on the beach. From my earliest memories, I remember making sand droplet castles with my Mom and Dad and brother. My Dad would always build these lovely castles with deep moats that would fill with water. But being made of sand on a beach with a strong tide is a very precarious predicament for a castle. We would always search for yesterday’s castles the next morning and there would be hardly a trace. I guess if you really want a lasting castle you need a better location, a stronger foundation… and it would …