Where do People from Vegas go on Vacation?

This post brought to you by Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.
We go to Branson, Missouri of course. My Bing lives near there and C, the kids and I are planning a trip. I asked Mandy what was the best place to stay that had great packages. Mandy said the Hilton Promenade at Branson Lading. So, me being me I went on their site and checked it out. I was amazed and delighted! I want to go right now! They have a package called the Bed and Breakfast. It features breakfast for two that is decadent. That's one of my favorite words. Mandy has stayed there and has great memories of giant bathtubs, luxury pillow-top mattresses, and a friendly staff. I can't wait to go. Vegas is a crazy fast paced town where most people work two jobs. C works between 50 - 60 hours a week and I have a 40 hour work week as well. I also go to school and raise the babies .We are tired and need this! Branson is exciting but also has a laid back vibe to it. It will allow the family and I to relax and just enjoy each other.

Of course Branson, is known as the Vegas of the Midwest (we can't pass that up can we?) It's like we can go on vacation but still be at home. Minus the 100+ temps outside.

We are going to take a day and go see some of the sites like Lake Taneycomo, Branson Landing, and we can't miss the theater district. I want to go to the Charlie Daniels theater and hear him play "The Devil went Down to Georgia".

I'm excited it's going to be spectacular. Don't believe me check out the the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing or their sister hotel Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel.
 Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel
Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing 


 hhttp://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=6882&oid=2205132  

The Weekend in a Nutshell!

I was very busy this weekend. First I have saturday and Sundays off. C has Thursday and Sunday off. This saturday I set to pulling up the pull and stick tile in thr front room. Now I know what your thinking, Why not just leave it in place? That's a very good question. We are using the same laminate flooring in the front room as we used in the kitchen. The rooms are connected through a small hall. The kitchen was taken from ceramic tile down to cement and if we were to continue the line and didn't take out the pull and stick there would be a slight bump when we got to the tile part. So it had to go. I know what you're going to ask now. Why didn't you just use a transition molding on the floor in between the hall and the front room? I tell you someone else did the floor in the kitchen because when I went to do it people objected strenously because I was 8 months pregnant and on bedrest. I know pregnancy isn't an illness! That's what I said but I was vetoed! Anyways the person that did the kitchen started the hall and pulled up the tile in it so I thought that I needed to finish the hall and a transition piece would look weird right there.

So I pulled up the pull and stick. Six years ago when we put it in we were told by several people how dumb it was and that it would never stick. Well, I have got to tell you that little Gouda was helping me. When I say helping what I mean was she was sitting in front of me poking the floor. She got bored and went to crawl away but discovered that the sticky worked so well her pants were stuck to the floor.

I ran across a Great Article

I ran across this great article in Desert Companion magazine. If you've never heard of it, that's okay. It's a magazine that's a guide to living in Southern Nevada. The Article was titled "Interior Monologue" and was about a designer named Roberto Leyva. He is a high end designer and when I say high end I mean this is the type of guy that sees a $10,000 lamp and thinks "Wow that's cheap". He has amazing taste and I wouldn't want him anywhere near my Chateau Ghetto! I'm pretty sure it would kill him anyway, like Superman with Kryptonite.

In this article he gives some advice to the homeowner. I'm a Homeowner (or a slumlord I'm not sure which). Or maybe his advice was to people with style. I don't have style but I try to fake it! He gave three tips.

1.     Live well - and pass it on. "We should all begin our own family traditions of living well. Just like a good watch, a sofa can be handed down to our next generation" I agree here totally! I have a desk we use as our dining room table. It was hand made by my Great-Great Grandfather in Denmark. It is beautiful and timeless. One of these days it will pass on to Goo or Baby Gouda depending on who loves it the most.

2.     Make a statement. "There are items to furnish your home - and then there are items that define it."  My house makes a statement. "Kids live here with construction workers!" I'm working on changing this one.

3.     Spend now - or spend later. "Quality is unmistakable. A quality product is created to last you for many years. Fabrics can be removed and replaced if (you) need to, materials used are of the highest quality possible, the finished details are obvious in the way the items are stitched and put together. Cynical, vulgar, mass produced merchandise has poor finished details altogether." This one I learned from my mother and have been trying to teach C this for years. That conversation goes like this…

Sher: No we are not buying a couch from the thrift store!

C: Why not?

Sher: Because people give the crap they really want to throw away to thrift stores because they are dumb enough to think they are gonna get a tax break.

C: Do you think you're too good for thrift stores?

Sher: YES! If I make money and want to spend it on a new couch I want one I can guarantee no one has peed on!

That usually ends with us not talking, but I clipped the article and am gonna give it to him. Maybe it will carry more weight coming from Roberto Leyva?

Old World Charm in Le Chateau Ghetto

I went to college to study Anthropology with the goal of being a Archaeologist. I love old world things and have a touch of nostalgia for the design that I've never really seen in person or had a chance to experience first hand. When we bought the Chateau I decorated each room as though I was in a different European country. The Master Bedroom was an old Greek Ruin complete with columns, vines, and cracks.  Now, it is all coming apart and I still want Old World Charm. Before I was married my Dad and I made a 4 poster bed. I drilled holes into the tops of each pole and threaded rope through them. I used the rope to completely encapsulate the bed in sheer curtains. I was going for this look.

Doesn't this just look awesome? My old bed came close to this kind of nifty but not as much as I wanted it to. I'm working on redoing the Master Bedroom. I need to rip up the sub floor (it's in bad shape) and replace it before I can put down Laminate flooring. I'd like to do something like this and I have an idea.

Ceiling Mounted Curtain Rods. Here are two examples of them that I found. I guarantee you without a doubt that this will be the next big thing in Master Bedroom design. It's like when everyone was putting mosquito netting around their beds hung from those bamboo hoops. The second one is my favorite and I am leaning towards this. Amazon is selling the exact same ones as ABC Distributing. Amazon wants $60 for theirs but ABC wants $24.95.

I'm including a link just in case you want them.
http://www.abcdistributing.com/home/catalog/cat_item_pg.asp?G=914&P=66&Rec=11&Ntt=ceiling+mounted+curtain+rods&N=35&Nao=0&R=643082-1CLM---2

Hope that works!

I bought a new camera. This is a picture of it. Don't you love it? It's GREENNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been asked lately why I don't have more pictures on the blog. Simple Gouda ate the camera. She used it as a teether, which is funny as she had no teeth at the time.  Goo gave it to her as a present and to show her gratitude she slimed it and it stopped working. C tried to fix it but when a guy works 56+ hours a week and helps you remodel the rest it just doesn't seem fair to make him do silly repairs. Besides I got the camera for $65 + s & h charges from Amazon.com.

As soon as I get it I'll go on a picture taking safari of the Chateau Ghetto and let you see everything.

If it's clean!

How would you like this as a headboard?

How Romantic!

Sometimes I randomly google things, images that is. You never know what you are going to find. I found this electric fireplace by goolging "electric fireplaces". The Chateau always seems to be freezing and I've been toying with getting an electric fireplace. The problem is we have no place to put it.  Then I saw they have some you hang on a wall! That would be perfect. I got to tell you I'd love to go to sleep with this in my bedroom everynight. It's so cozy and romantic. I tell you I'd never stop making out with C if that was in the Ole Ghetto.

If you are interested the name of the company is on the picture. The website didn't list prices and I know not to ask on that kind of site. Oh heck maybe I'll fill in the "for more information" request part. Maybe I can find it cheaper…

The Neighbors put in a shower!

Shortly after C and I moved into the Chateau Ghetto he began saying how much he wanted to put a shower in the downstairs bathroom. The downstairs bathroom is really narrow and long. It has a gigantic vanity in it and a potty and that is all. Over the years it has also been three different colors and will soon be a 4th! C wants to paint it purple and since right now it is Pepto Bismal pink with yellow stripes (I added the stripes to detract from the pink) anything would be an improvement. That's what happens when you call your husband on his sarcasm and you got to live with it.

I keep telling C that it is impossible to put a new shower in that bathroom for our budget. Turns out our Neighbors did it and they spent just $4,000. Now C is begging me to let him do it. Based on our past mistakes I tell you this one has me nervous! I got to admit though it does sound really neat!

My Dream Home

I have this dream my book is done (yes the one I never let anyone read or probably ever will that's why it's a dream) and it has been published. It instantly goes to #1 on the New York Times best sellers list and C and I have enough money to leave our remodeling behind and start all over from scratch building a home from the ground up. C shares this dream and constantly asks me to let him read the book. Silly man!!! We plan the things we would like to have in our custom home, our little Shangri-La. We talk about giant bathtubs like in Harry Potter #4. We talk about stone walls, and fireplaces, glass mosaic backsplashes, and real wood floors that is all installed by skilled tradesmen.

I think I found a way to have my cake and eat it too. I think I'm going to buy a dollhouse kit and build it that way, just look at how awesome they are!!! I found this one at http://www.dollhousesfunstore.com/ it retails for $589.99. Okay maybe I won't get this one (C will be happy with that) but I'd still like to get one.

Heck, I have a daughter now little Gouda would love a dollhouse like this when she gets bigger. Maybe it can be a family Heirloom???

Yeah, I still can picture C grabbing his chest….

Something I like!

I love this tile and am thinking about using it to cover up the part of the drywall in the bathroom we had to replace. I am not good at drywall and this would make it so much easier. Tell me what you think!!

Another Confession of a Remodeling Moron

I have another confession. You know that post where I showed pictures and bragged about my perfect grout lines in the new bathroom floor? Yes, the lines are perfect I didn't lie. However, I used an epoxy grout. I'd never used this before and most tile setters will tell you that it is best handled by pros. That didn't stop me from using it. It was the hardest grout to use I have ever encountered. It was super sticky and thick and it made my hands burn for days. It seems I took too much off of the floor and now there are holes in the grout lines!!!!

A little Known Disease!

I'm thinking about organizing a Tele-athon for a little known disease, maybe it's a syndrome? It's what I like to call Remodelers ADD. This is where in the middle of a project the person doing the remodel gets bored or distracted and moves on to a new project. This should not be confused with something catastrophic happening and your attention needed elsewhere. Say like in the middle of picking flooring to redo the upstairs the bathroom floor collapses. I used to think I suffered (or my house did) alone. However, I have discovered after countless hours watching remodeling shows that this is very common and I'm even starting to think that all remodelers have it.

So I Sher being of spongy mind and chunky body declare before the Blog world that I have Remodelers ADD. I will shout it from the roof tops (not mine of course it falls down to often). I will no longer be embarrassed about it.  I will even give you my readers a present day example.

   There is no sink in the bathroom and there hasn't been for months. We (yes C has it too) are down to a few final steps. The drywall has been cut and placed in the hole where we pulled out the damaged parts. It needs to be taped and textured. The walls need to be painted, the legs installed (oh and bought) and a few holes have to be drilled before we can install the sink. So what did I do this weekend you ask? Did I start any of this?

NOPE! I painted the front room! But it's really lovely!

Houses that Inspire Me!

Old Stone School Elsinore

My Grandfather was a Stone Mason as was his Father before him. I think there might be something genetic about that because I adore stone work. I would love to have something stone in my house and maybe I will someday. As for right now I am just inspired by pictures of Stone houses and buildings like this one in my Grandpa's hometown of Elsinore. I don't know if he and his family had a hand in building it but I know it is amazing!

What have we done to our little Goo!!!

My son Goo is three years old. I think he is the smartest toddler ever created. He was born into a house undone. The goal was to have the whole house completed before my due date. It would have been too if not for my water breaking and me having him a month early. Oh, and things keep breaking, collapsing, and getting moldy. So poor Goo has been remodeling besides Mom and Dad his whole life. It doesn't look like it will end anytime soon either. Last night while waiting for C to come home, Goo, Gouda, and I were hanging out in my bedroom watching the DIY channel! We were watching a show called Renovation Realities. This is one of my favorite shows because it is like this blog, renovation by people that are doing things they really don't know how to do and really shouldn't be doing. Yep, it's us! The difference of course is the TV cameras showing the world what morons they are (I just use this blog and a bit of anonymity) and they always have much better budgets than I do. Last night's kitchen had a budget of $7,000! Our budget was $2,000. I think our kitchen turned out nicer too! At least when I finish it, it will look nicer.

As we watched Goo was getting antsy. The gentleman remodeler on the screen was pulling a electrical line out of the wall. He had actually shut off one breaker. However, as C and I learned most kitchen have more than one breaker!!! So he couldn't figure out with the breaker off why there was still power to the line. He used a tester and it showed it was still live. He decided he would pull the line out anyway!!! Surprise surprise it sparkled and crackled with electricity on the floor. Goo grabbed his head and screamed "Oh no, Mom he didn't shut off the other breaker!"  I just sort of looked at him. Maybe I heard him wrong. "Oh Mom why he do that? Dumb man." Okay that I know I understood.

"He didn't know he shouldn't honey. It's okay see it's the next day and he's okay." I'm not sure how he didn't electrocute himself. That how we learned the 2 breaker rule. We electrocuted C… I don't recommend this way of learning and neither does C! Always shut off your breakers!

The next section of the show showed the installation of the cabinets. This C and I had learned via the DIY channel and YouTube. Sad but it's true….

The gentleman remodeler installed the base cabinets before the wall cabinets. This you shouldn't do. If you install the base first then you have to maneuver over them to install the wall cabinets. This one C and I got right!!!!

Once again Goo was getting upset "Mom he's doing it wrong. You do the top first not the bottom. He's just silly." with this Goo had had enough. He shook his head in disgust and left the room.

So I ask you folks out there in blog land, What have we done to our little Goo???

Vanity thy name is legs!

So, as we continue to work on the bathroom and the dresser to vanity conversion we have discovered a few unexpected problems. This is rule #1 when it comes to remodeling expect probelms you didn't count on. The vanity it too short. So we are going to add legs. Here are the choices. What do you think?

This one is nice and simple. I like it and so does C.

 This one has a slight angle and adds something I think.

This one is my favorite. It just looks nice.