Yanita, Oh, wow, I collect English porcelain, too! I have brown and white transferware that's about 140 years old, from what I've been able to learn. I don't know what the pattern is called, but it shows a gentleman playing a lute while a couple of ladies swoon, LOL. I found it at an antiques mall a...

Are you against window shades? Even cheap roller shades would help out with the heat gain through your windows. http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X3.aspx?DeptID=60156&CatID=60194 Um, no. I have both shades and drapes on my windows. They don't help much. What I need is shade over the windows. When the...

Yanita, You go, girl!!! I have to say that the dining room has been my favorite room of the house. The furniture and accessories I brought from my other home fit into this room PERFECTLY and, once we installed the parquet flooring, I had EXACTLY the look I wanted! When you come in the front door, th...

Hi Katie, Actually, Armstrong has a black and white diagonal pattern in their sheet vinyl. I looked at it in their room function and it made me dizzy, LOL! I crossed it off the list. Luckily, my existing vinyl is just so entirely neutral that it's fine for now with the "new look" and I'm n...

I've been thinking about awnings, too, for my front windows. Our summers are brutally hot and my front rooms get the strong afternoon sun, grrrr. (It wouldn't be a problem if they just placed the home with the front of the house facing the street instead of the side. The lot is wide enough so I don'...

I'm redoing my cabinets right now! I honestly don't know what kind of material it is, LOL. Some kind of wood with some kind of varnish and then a clear protective layer on top. I found the paint guys at Home Depot to be a lot more helpful than the ones at Lowe's. They listened and helped me choose t...

Yanita, I totally know what you mean about decorating. It's always a process, LOL. It sounds like you've got the touch! I'm good with the big stuff, choosing colors, hiring guys to install what I want, etc. but I'm not good with crafts and flourishes. My hands are very swollen and don't work well do...

Thanks, Yanita! You've given me a lot to think about! I'm disabled and am very limited in my mobility -- heh, y'all wouldn't believe how long it's taking me to paint but I'm very determined and do a little bit every day. It's a huge sense of accomplishment! The existing vinyl is in good condition --...

Hi all! My Spring project is giving my kitchen a new look. One of the few things I didn't like when I bought my home was the wallpaper on one wall in the kitchen and the "box" (on the other side is a built-in bar in the living room) which was painted light blue with a border. Thanks to the...