Wish List - Part Deux..................

Good morning!!!

In between packing now, I find myself all over the net looking for inspiration.

Remember when I mentioned that I would love to have French Doors in the new dining room?

Well here's a pair I'm in love with - from Home Depot

Now any set of French Doors that I've ever had installed have always had the multiple small panes of glass but I have to tell ya - I'm kind of loving the clean look of all glass -   plus it will show more of the " view " of the garden I'm sure.................
This is only on the list for next summer - so plenty of time to change my mind - but it's kind of where I'm leaning

I've also decided that the room to the left of the hallway ( left in the photos - but actually to the right when standing in the entrance way ) will have french doors installed - to replace those horrid panes of interior windows that are currently there - and allow easy access to the room  ( it currently has a door around the corner )
Originally I thought of just dry walling it - but french doors will work much better - and will look pretty from the living room - AND will allow more light into the living room -

In our last home we had 6 french doors installed - all in solid oak - they cost a fortune - and lesson learned -
after about a year or so I wanted to paint them and John went ballistic because of the cost involved in buying oak - and he had a point -
Soooo - it will be a cheaper version this time around - something I'll feel no guilt at all about painting!

Since the opening is wider than 2 doors - I may have a panel on either side like the photo below - I absolutely LOVE that these slide - especially for a small home where doors opening and closing can become a " space " issue

source

Did I mention that I'm taking my 3 chandeliers with me?  You were supposed to remind me NOT to take them ( HERE ) but no one did - and I forgot - and well, they're coming with me - so one of them will reside
over the dining room table once again

 I may have to have them shortened slightly - although the ceilings in the new house are taller than average - they are in no way as tall as the windows in my Victorian Flat...................

Oh and I've lost my purse - seriously - don't know if it got accidently packed at this point - but can't find it anywhere - and we're off to the notary today - where I have to show identification - and which is all in the missing purse :)
So far it's not in the entry way

or the dining room

or off the hallway

I'm thinking " Waldo " may have slipped in and stolen it because I seriously feel like I'm living in his world right now

Where's Suzan today?
At the hairdressers getting this mane of hair completely cut off

Because I don't see me having any time to take care of it in the forseeable future

Oh and at the notary - without any indentification - other then John saying - Trust me - it's her - there's not another out there ( hopefully )

Have a wonderful weekend everyone -
Much love,

Adding Value to your home..................( cheaply )

Good morning everyone!!!

I don't think I've ever shared this story with you - but a long time ago ( when the Earth was green and there were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen )

We lived in a home prior to the one that most of you know by now..................

It didn't have a fireplace - and as much as I wanted one we had already spent a LOT of money on renovations and just couldn't justify having one installed.

( Oh how I wish I had started blogging then - what stories and makeovers I had back in the day )

Anyway on a business trip to Toronto - I took some time off to go " antiquing " with a very dear friend and came across an old - 150 years old - fireplace mantel - it was a double one and my heart stood each time I walked back into the shop - which was probably 4 times that afternoon.

Finally - I couldn't fight it anymore - and bought it - with absolutely no way of getting it home ( Toronto is roughly 550 kilometers or 325 miles ) The purchase price finally agreed upon was 150 dollars.

I didn't mention it to John for over a week because I was sure I could get it delivered for a reasonable price and once it was at the house he'd realize how perfect it was and how the living room had needed it all along!

Well to make the story short - the prices I was quoted were so over the top ridiculous that I had to come clean and beg him to pick it up the next time he was in Toronto on business ( he went quite frequently at that time )

When he got it home - my son and he both agreed that it was horrid - John was furious with me - my son thought I was nuts - I can distinctly remember John saying it was going to end up in the garbage because it was such an eyesore .....................

But I sanded and scraped and sanded some more and scraped some more - I gagged working on that piece because to tell you the truth it WAS pretty bad - but in the end I had a magnificent mantel -
I then purchased a piece of mdf - and had it cut to fit the insert - with an opening in the middle to insert an electric fireplace.......................

I'm so sorry for this photo - preblogging days remember ( and to tell the truth I'm not much better today lmho ) but it's the only one I can find...................but doesn't it look like it was meant to be there?

Anyways - all this to say - that the total cost was
150 for the Mantel
100 for the Electric insert
10 for the piece of MDF

260 dollars.....................

And when the evaluator came in ( when we were selling the house ) we were told it had added 5000.00
dollars to the value of the house.

Sooooo - if you don't have a fireplace - get on Craigs list and buy a mantel  ( I would suggest getting one in your own city mind you )

I just purchased this for 50.00 myself -
I don't think it's going to add any value LMHO - but it may help keep the 3 season porch a little warmer in the new house :)

on cold winter days - it'll be nice to have in here

Have a great one all!!!
Much love,