HGTV 2020 Dream Home

A Bedroom Tweak after the Flood…Wrapped in Happy Tears.

We had a Bathroom Flood that didn’t stay put in the Bathroom. Oh No. Water traveled under the wood floors into an adjoining Bedroom. The Wood Floors began to Heave and Ho in Waves. Testing confirmed Black Mold. A Major Clean Up was Done. One Month to Completion. The WET Floor was Cut Out and …

A Bedroom Tweak after the Flood…Wrapped in Happy Tears.Read More

5 Tips for a Fun Bathroom Remodel – While Still Keeping Your Sanity

This sad story (with a Sure-to-be Happy Ending) begins with plumbing leaks in the bathroom. A steady, drip, drip, drip of water, that over time, got under the floor and behind the wall tiles. The water then eased into the subflooring, lifting the hardwood floors into wavy lumps, and single-handedly creating the Perfect Storm for …

5 Tips for a Fun Bathroom Remodel – While Still Keeping Your SanityRead More

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A Tale in 100 Words. Care to give it a try? Presented by Friday Fictioneers. Every Word Counts. Here is this week’s Photo Prompt Challenge. And My Story. PHOTO PROMPT – © Jennifer Pendergast Uncoupled. State College, 1973. Meeting from opposite ends of New York. Biology Boy and Elementary Education Girl. Sprinting to Graduation with …

Staying Home. Staying Safe. The Road’s been tough, but We’re doing this All Together. And I’ve Discovered, Staying Home has Some Advantages. Are You Finding Outdoor Jobs Screaming for that Long Awaited Makeover? Yes. Me Too. And Being at Home Gives Us Time to Tackle Some. For My First Brilliant Idea…We Need Bricks! Mr. Doodle …

A Magical Tale…Tail…in 100 words. Hello Friday Fictioneers! PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays My Story. A Tale of the Turks All the Blues are captured here. Indigo Deep Water Blues. Seafoam Reef Blues. Translucent Shoreline Blues. Nothing escapes the Blue. Even the underbellies of the jets flying overhead are bathed in Blue. She fiddles …

A moment to let my heart soar and let my fingers race over the keyboard to conjure a compelling story. The Friday Fictioneers 100 Word Story Challenge is on. Today’s inspiration photo – a working paint palette with glops of all the necessary colors. And my story. En Plen Air. Don’t Care. She so wanted …

On Line Learning. Kids in their Bedroom/Classroom for the First Quarter of the School Year. Maybe Longer. Computers Up and Running and Ready. My Heroes Made the News Giving Their Take on this Brave New World… Albuquerque Charter High School Returns to School On Line Click on the Link Below and Wait till the End: …

The 2020 Summer is proving to be Quite a Bust. On so many fronts. Trying hard to shake it up, but it continues to border on scary and falls flat. The Restaurants are once again, shuttered. Sigh. Now we look to the Garden for Mealtime Inspiration. One First Attempt at growing New Mexico Chile. A …

Friday Fictioneers 100 word story challenge. This is the Photo Prompt…and my story. PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays Just Keep Breathing We must do what the doctors say. It’s the only way to kick this crap. The delivered antibiotics, administered thrice daily for two ghastly months, are housed in an ingenious medical invention – …

Just Pile it on. That’s Right. Triple Digits for the Past Week. With No Relief in Sight. With No Air Conditioning, We’re keeping Cool, Old School Style. Sheers to Shield the West Windows. In this Era of the Pandemic, there are No pools for sale anywhere…Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco. My latest Invention to Beat the …

Write a complete story in 100 words or less. Beginning. Middle. End. Make Every Word Count. The Photo Prompt: PHOTO PROMPT @ A. Noni Mouse Left Handed The castle door reluctantly opened. Icy rain glistened from golden tresses and porcelain cheeks. Wary glances. But dinner was lovely. Their son was lovelier. Off to sleep in …

Friday Fictioneers – giving us the challenge to write a story in 100 words or less with a photo prompt for inspiration… PHOTO PROMPT © Na’ama Yehuda And Suddenly it’s October Remember July? Yeah. Hot and Sticky. Everyone wearing masks. Ok. Almost everyone. But there was hope that this would be over by October. Right? …

Let me put this in perspective…in the olden days…or more accurately, in 2019, getting ready for a New School Year meant shopping for school clothes or new uniforms, new shoes, backpack and school supplies. A hair cut. Maybe some cool highlights. Done and Done. But not this year. At this juncture the Plan for The …

We bought our Vacation House on the Internet. In 2013. Check out the Saga Here…We have a House in Florida! We Never Set a Foot Inside the House Until after the Closing. Crazy, maybe. But it worked. No Regrets. Except that We Could only spend a Few Days each Year at the House. Life got …

Friday Fictioneers has a Fun Prompt this Week…All about Eggs. And Here’s My Story. PHOTO PROMPT © Todd Foltz Eggs?!? A Brooklyn girl moved Out West to practice Indian Law. The Tribe promised her an insulated house. And a goat. Black Angus cows are the neighbors. Pink dawns in lapis skies – the new forever. …

Are You Keeping Up? I’m trying, but the Craziness seems to just keep coming. There are moments where I want to fall in a heap and cry. There are times when I do an “Out of Body” experience and Watch the Grocery Shoppers around me. All in Masks. All trying their best to make this …

Is it Friday already? It’s nice to take a break and let your creative self soar… And Only with 100 Words and a Photo Prompt…Create a Story. PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Should We Call 911? Emily, can you hear me? What?!? There’s a guy outside my window. He’s on a ladder. I can feel …

Tomatoes and Bell Peppers. New Mexico Chile. Artichokes and Edamame. All tucked into Bed in Organic Bedding. With Sun, Shade and Hose Water. And occasionally, a bit of Rain. And This Year I get to Watch Them All Come to Life. In this Skinny Sliver of a Raised Bed Garden. At Home. My Day is …

A story in 100 words. A challenge worth taking. Writing Lifts Soaring Hearts from All the Craziness that is Our New Norm. Thank you Friday Fictioneers! PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio In My Own Backyard Pitch Black. Crack of Dawn. We’re Up. Shiver into Down and Cowboy Boots. Makeshift Signs direct Balloonists to the …

She hoped the celebration would be the same as all the others. Early Morning. The House is decorated with Paper Streamers. Breakfast Burritos. Mini-donuts. Watermelon. Coffee for Mom and Dad. But Not a Present in Sight. Time for the Birthday Scavenger Hunt! A Family Tradition! This Year. 15 Gifts for 15 Years. All Wrapped and …

A Photo Prompt to Tell a Snippet Tale. From Friday Fictioneers. Tuna on Rye…Really? My cellmate was tired. His gait had slowed. His eyes watered with a mix of allergies and sadness. His shoulders hunched, ever so slightly, but I saw. We rarely spoke. When we did, it was in whispers. Maybe he ran out …

Enough with “Bored in the House and I’m in the House Bored”… Let’s Bake Cookies! But in All this Summer Heat? Help!…Ugh!…No! What if We created a Summer Oven??? Outside Under the Trees! We Get to Work setting up an Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Oven on Saw Horses and an Old Wood Table Top. Outside. Doesn’t …

No one could have imagined. Who would have thought. High School Graduation. Usually So Ho Hum. Speeches. Scholarship Winners. And the endless droning of names with dutiful students standing up, walking across a stage, hand shaking and the final presentation of a diploma. For Years and Years. Always the Same Ceremony. But Now it is …

A Story in 100 Words or Less. This is the Photo Prompt. My girl. I can hardly imagine the thought. But here she is. Giggling. Reaching out to touch the sprays of water. Dark Eyes filled with diamonds. Closely cropped raven hair. New Clothes. First Time in Shoes. Shy smile. China is losing a beauty. …

Hello Friday Fictioneers and the 100 Word Story Challenge. Here is the Inspiration Photo… PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr And My Story… But I Have a Pebble in My Shoe… If I squint my eyes and let the music in, I could be at The Garden. Maybe Next Gig. Or Next Year. Or Next Whenever. Oh …

The Friday Challenge. A Story written in 100 Words. Beginning. Middle. End. The Inspiration Photo of the Week… Mom and Me and Paradise The Beach is quiet now. Party Boats docked. Leggy Girls with Beer-Gut Boys trail off to the bars. It is only Mom and Me. Waiting for Seagulls to Swarm and Dolphins to …

A Writing Challenge. Write a Story in 100 Words. Beginning…Middle…End. Flash Fiction! This is the Inspiration Photo. A bit of fun in all the Craziness. Staying Home. Working from Home. School from Home. Home. Home. Home. I needed a tiny Break. I found a quiet spot and tried to write. Here is the Inspiration Photo, …

During these extremely trying times when we are all safely staying at home, I knew I had to change up the days to make life interesting. And to Ease the Scariness. Even though, in my heart, it is beyond Scary. We Tackled the Scariness, by Creating New and Exotic Meals. Together. Edamame Spaghetti? Cooking with …

Many Moons Ago I asked My Aunt for her Potato Salad Recipe. She Happily Obliged. She had been a School Cafeteria Salad Lady and made this Salad for probably 30 years. Side by side, I wrote as she explained the steps to making the best Potato Salad Ever. Of course My Mom would have disagreed. …

The Short Answer: Almost Impossible. The Story Begins Here. Waiting on a Long Line to Enter Costco. Carts Wiped down with Clorox. We finally get the Golden Ticket to Enter. Careful to Stay Six Feet Apart, We Navigate the Aisles. Select what food and paper goods are still available. And Hurry Home to Stock the …

The Fire Station sits quietly tucked away in my neighborhood. Fire trucks and ambulances come and go, day and night. When they leave for a run, they respectfully silence their sirens until they leave the neighborhood. Just for a fleeting moment, Flashing Red Lights fill our rooms, and then suddenly they are gone. Until last …

How Lovely is the Queen. So Solid. So Reassuring. Truly a Class Act. Her Historic Speech to the World on COVID-19 was Profound and Uplifting. Steady. Sure. And Heartfelt. She spoke of her Sister Margaret and the First Broadcast Speech that they made as Children during WWII when families were forced to be separated from …

Being Home. All Day. All Night. Going Nowhere. Staying Safe. With Everyone Home… Has Some Advantages. Like Taking Care of All the Laundry. Now there is Time to Hang Laundry on the Line. The Lovely Flap… Flap… Flap in the Breeze. The Delicious Smell of Fresh Laundry. The Rough Feel of Towels Dried in the …

How are you? I am thankful we are staying Sheltered in Place and we are safe and well. I hope you are too. I can’t think about all this for too long or I start to question the sanity of it all. But being Sheltered in Place is the right road to travel. So we …

We live on a busy street and sadly don’t really know our neighbors. There is No Community. Cars Wiz By and Neighbors Go About their Business. Isolated. Insulated. With Little to No Foot Traffic. It is pretty much a House to Car Out the Driveway and Work/School to House Back Up the Driveway Existence. Weekends …

Spaghetti. Meat Sauce. Salad. Prepared by a seasoned hand. All Photos and Text are by Miss Doodle 2. Mom is working…from the dining room…well, she is trying to work. The following commentary is by Miss Doodle 2 and she is loving it. All you need are these ingredients. Fast and easy to make! Seasonings bring …

I know you have these 3 Ingredients. Sugar. Peanut Butter. Egg. That’s It. Oh, and Parchment Paper. I was quite impressed with myself that I had Parchment Paper. The box was unopened. I have no idea why I have Parchment Paper, but Cool…we are ready for a Quick Bake. Ready to Make Cookies for the …

Just Like You, We are in Cook-What-You-Have-in-the -Cupboard Mode. In the Far Reaches of the Cabinet, A King Cake was Waiting. And there is No Better Day than Today to Bake a Yeast Bread that Guarantees Good Health and Happiness for the Year. It’s Not Too Late! This was our First Attempt at Working with …

I Love Everything about the Beach. The Smell of Salt Water. The Heat of the Sun on my Skin. The Coolness of the Water. The Rhythmic Sounds of the Waves. I Love It All. If I could have planned this, I would have happily Self Isolated in Florida. My Days would be at the Beach …

How are you holding up? Yes. I know. We are all doing the best we can. And hopefully it is working. For a Quick Break from being Inside, we walked the Irrigation Ditch. There were a few people with the same idea. We waved to each other and kept walking. Keeping safe distances. The sun …

One Week Down. Trying to Keep Spirits High. Home School and Work Flowing with Wonky, Slow Internet but We’re Making Due. Silly Meal Time gives us all a Lift. Today’s Adventure. Dining in a Scottish Cottage overlooking the Sea. How about a Cottage Pie? Well…what I think a Cottage Pie is. 🙂 Pork Mixed with …

Why are you Humans still Home? You’re cramping my Nap Time Style. Cooker Man is having Fun in the Kitchen. Trying to Make Egg Drop Soup. Wake me for Dinner. This is Cooking with What You Have. Let’s Make Soup! Frozen Vegetables? Check. Pour Chicken Broth into the Pot. Let it Get Cozy with the …

School at Home. Work at Home. All at Home. No Problem. The “Cooker Man” is on the Case. How about some Pre-Packaged/Frozen Irish Stew? OK. It’s a Go. Hmmm. This was pricey and looks mighty skimpy for a Family of 4. No worries. I’ll just Beef it Up. Maybe once it’s totally defrosted it will …

Home. At least 3 Weeks. School at Home. Work at Home. Crazy Yet? Let’s Give Dinner a Zing with some Magic. Tonight – Taco Crescents! Easy and Fast. If you don’t have all the ingredients…No Worries…Improvise! My favorite way to Cook! Let’s Go! The Star is Pillsbury Crescents. Preheat Oven to 375 F. Start to …

This is all very frightening, but I see people coming together to try to comply with all that is thrown at them. Schools. Local Businesses. Offices. Theatres. BioParks. Restaurants. All Shutting Doors. Everyone staying Home. Some Working from Home. Hopefully a Solid Plan. Cleaning and re-cleaning all hard surfaces is Number One on the Task …

Finally. After 2 Months. We Have Our House Back. The Nasty Mold is Gone. Major Tear Down Construction is Over. Everything is Clean and Sparkly. And We had a Great Opportunity to Change It Up. Just a Little. All this for a Bathroom! Crazy. After Numerous Trips to the Tile Super- Store, Floor & Decor, …

This Simple Fix to Popping Tile Needs 2 Things…Utility Knife and Grout. That’s It. But first a little History Lesson on this Crazy Bathroom. The Bathroom has seen 60 Years of Home Remodels. All DIYs. The 1940’s house still retains its original Tub and Toilet. In the 1980’s, before we took ownership, a Vanity Sink …

Phase 3 of Construction. Now To Put It All Back Together. If you need to get up to speed…Here’s Phase 1 and Phase 2. 🙂 Bathroom and Bedroom. A Month-Long Project and Counting. The Black Mold and Water Damage are Gone. New Bathroom Walls and Shower Pan Completed. The Bedroom has the Easier Fix and …

Phase 1 Mitigation Done. Black Mold Gone. We Had a Scary, Soggy Mess. If you missed it – Check Out the Phase 1 Mitigation Scariness Here. Finally – On to Phase 2 – The Construction. Completion by Valentine’s Day?? Mmm…perhaps not. But we can always hope. Here’s a Sneak Peek at What’s Going On Behind …

A New Year. A New Beginning. But the Same Old Household Tasks. What If You Could Change it Up and Get Some Jobs Done While You Did Other Things? In a law practice, this is “Double Billing”. At Home, it’s Magic! Tip 1: Laundry Done with Your Eyes Closed. Literally. I know you’ve been there…it’s …