PW Home and Garden

The Bathrooms. Need Consultation, Please.

Pioneer Woman — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:35:09 +0000

The thing that blows my mind the most about a remodel project like the gargantuan monstrosity going on at The Lodge is that as soon as you make a decision in one area, there are five more areas clamoring for a decision the second you turn around. The head spins. The mind boggles.

This week, it’s the bathrooms.

The bathrooms at The Lodge are pretty simple and straightforward:

Lovely, eh? Well, okay…they will be. Someday. To enter each bathroom, you slide open two barn doors. And when you walk in, here’s what you see: Two sinks straight ahead, with a vanity top that’s open underneath. To the right of the sinks is the shower. To the left of the sinks is the toilet (it’s behind a door.)

It’s crunch time on the showers, and we have to select the tile both for the floors and the walls. For awhile we were looking at marbles like this one, which I think are all gorgeous:
But I finally decided yesterday, in a fit of psychotic, hormonal, 39-year-old rage, that this looks too much like something you’d see in a luxurious hotel.

See how shiny it is?

So immediately after I threw this piece of marble against the wall and broke it, I decided that The Lodge is not supposed to be a “luxurious hotel.” It’s supposed to be a lodge. A relaxing, cozy, Zen-like Lodge. That’s a category of design, isn’t it? “Zen-Like Lodge”? Yeah. I think it is. The deerheads on the wall are all doing yoga. Or something.

And I didn’t really throw anything against the wall. I haven’t done that since…well, since yesterday. And I wasn’t really in a fit of hormonal rage. I just dreamed it. Rage is not my default emotion. Unless I’m hormonal, then look out.

Anyway, after I threw the marble against the wall, here are the other materials I started flirting with:

What do you think?

These would be for the shower: the tiny tiles on the floor, the 6 x 6 tile (butted up really close together) on the walls. I’m drawn to this color range: it’s ultra-neutral, but richer—more khaki—than many of the beigy-off-white tiles I saw. (This is in bright natural light; in the bathroom, it’ll appear darker.)

Now. My thinking is to go with a neutral shower in all the bathrooms, then change the marble/limestone pattern on the different countertops from bathroom to bathroom. Of course, they’re all in the neutral range, too…but I like them:

This might be my favorite. It’s a limestone called “Lagos Azul” and it reminds me of a cross between slate and concrete. It comes in slab, which we’d need for the countertop.

Here’s a honed (not polished to a shine) marble called “Cafe Pinto”. It’s prettier in person.

Believe it or not, this is the exact same pattern—”Cafe Pinto”—except it’s polished instead of honed. I like this one much better.

So here I am—back in the Land of the Neutrals. I want the bathrooms to be calming, soothing, with hints of Zen, but still true to our rural locale. Am I playing it too safe? Or am I heading in the right direction? Was I right to steer clear of shiny, hotel-style marbles? Is it okay to do all the showers in the same materials, then change up the slab patterns on the countertops? Should I paint the walls Cyndi Lauper Pink? Should I do a wallpaper border of Scottish plaid and golf clubs as a nod to my country club upbringing?

(Post Script: Not really on the pink and plaid.)

I’d love your thoughts. My mind is shot. I’ve lost the will to make smart choices. “I’m a pool of mushy goo.”

(Name that 80’s movie.)

Thank you…as always.

Love,
P-Dub

Refining…Refining…Refining…

Pioneer Woman — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:52:19 +0000

I’m not indecisive. I’m just carefully considering. And believe me, it’s not lost on me that not everyone who sets out to completely remodel an old guest house on their ranch has the luxury of a group of knowledgeable, engaged people by whom to run home improvement ideas, dilemmas, and decisions. I shudder to think of the different directions I might have headed by now without you s guys to keep my eye on the big, longterm picture. The kitchen is one example. Here’s where I am right now:

Well, first, let me jabber for one more moment. When Marlboro Man and I set out to remodel The Lodge, the kitchen was always meant to be the primary focus. I have lots of interesting and wacky things planned for the finished Lodge, and it’s important for the kitchen to be able to accommodate them. And as far as looks go, here was my approach: when I walk into the finished kitchen at the Lodge, I don’t want to think to myself, “Oh! What a pretty kitchen!” I want to walk into the Lodge and groan with primal pleasure.

Now, that’s not to say I want to pull out all the stops and just see how much money I can spend on the kitchen—on the contrary. I’ve seen kitchens that clearly cost an absolute fortune…that don’t make me groan with primal pleasure when I see them. I want to walk into the kitchen at The Lodge and feel at peace and at one with the materials and colors, and I want to groan the whole time I’m in there because it just feels so good to be there.

So basically, I’m making no sense.

Because of the myriad colors and materials available for kitchen designs, I started out thinking I needed to pick pick pick, and have a stack of different things going on. Here’s where I was a couple of weeks ago:

Remember? Three different cabinet colors (the two browns and the green, which admittedly made many of you hurl), a limestone backsplash (for the range), and both butcherblock and travertine countertops. Whew. I get tired just looking at it.

You all told me what you thought.

And here’s where I am now:

I nixed the limestone backsplash. It was ill-conceived, considering the amount of grilling and frying that will go on in the area. Though I liked the idea of the limestone (which is actually not quite as light as pictured), many of you said “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” And I wound up taking that to heart. Durability will be important.

I nixed the travertine countertops. Many of you had gone as far as emailing me, screaming (politely, of course) “DON’T DO IT! DON’T DO IT!” Apparently, one lemon half or a stray cup of coffee would leave its mark forever. I don’t want this to be a museum kitchen. I don’t want people to be careful. I want people to cook. And slop their coffee all over the place if they want. So the travertine took a hike on down the road.

I nixed the green that made many of you hurl. I actually liked it, but began to wonder if a green cabinet would contribute to any primal groans that might come out of my body. My verdict was no. While it might be interesting and maybe a little fun, I determined I could always find a pitcher or bowl this color…and display it on some open shelves.

I’m learning. I’m learning.

This leaves two subtly different wood tones for the cabinets, of which we have quite a few. Again, this is tricky: do I want to have contrasting runs of cabinets? Or…would the more medium/subtle/lighter warm tone ALONE be the best approach?

I know I like this color. It’s warm, it’s inviting, it’s almost neutral in that it doesn’t clash with anything. It’s like a perfect pair of distressed blue jeans.

I also know I like this European Walnut butcherblock. I like it because while each piece of wood is different, it doesn’t have that striped/variegated effect that some butcherblocks have. Plus, it has different shades of brown—even the brown of the cabinet color I like—running throughout.

So here’s where I am—and I’ll really be paying attention to your input. What do you think about my sticking with one cabinet color throughout—the subtle, medium brown color above? The countertops would be different in different areas of the kitchen: a combination of the butcherblock (above), possibly some stainless, and this concrete, which causes primal groans to exit my body:

Countertop/sink by J. Aaron. (Pay no attention to the tile and cabinet color—just the concrete.) This makes me groan.

The end result, I’m hoping, would be a kitchen that’s elemental, that’s easy on the eye, and that, most importantly, can be adorned, need be, with brightly colored pottery, etc., as the mood dictates.

Are you feelin’ me? Are you groaning?

Or are you crying?

Talk to me.

Choreganizer Winners!

Pioneer Woman — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:18:50 +0000

Okay, so it’s no Zune or KitchenAid mixer or Amazon gift card. But it’s fun, lots of fun, and may very well be the thing your chaotic household needs. (Read more about Choreganizers here if you missed the description.) I was trapped under a herd of cattle this morning—I’m sorry I’m just announcing these now. I have scolded the cattle and they have given me their assurance that they will never again get between me and my important work of announcing contest winners.

I told (asked nicely) Random.org’s Integer Generator to choose ten numbers between 1 and 3308, the number of entries received by 7:00 pm Pacific Time Friday. Here are the winners it chose:

#2563 TERENA BLAINE
#555 Shana R.
#278 CeeJay
#511 Rob N. M.
#2508 Diane
#1818 Nic
#222 Amber
#178 Lindey R.
#2670 Madonna Bevan
#2768 Isabella

Congrats, guys—email me at ree@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your copy of Choreganizers!

And thanks to everyone who shared their least favorite household chore. Makes me feel slightly better about my laundry pile.

Choreganizers: Motivation for Helping Around the House

Pioneer Woman — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:07:48 +0000

Note: This product, like many of the “homeschooling” materials I highlight here, are definitely not just for homeschoolers. This particular item works for any household full of kids.

One of the hardest things about homeschooling, for me, is not necessarily the work of teaching school and making sure lessons and homework get done. That’s actually the fun part. Neither is it figuring out what to teach, as there are so many quality programs and resources available now, and there are plenty of things to choose from. No, for me, the hardest thing about homeschooling is the fact that there’s never “that day” when the summer ends and the kids go to school and you’re in the house all by yourself and the house actually has a chance to recover. Around our house, we’re all here most of the day, most of the year, and if I don’t really stay on top of things, the house can quickly spiral downward into a pit of books, papers, toys, filth, and squalor.

A few years ago I found a really nifty tool to help with the wrangling of household chores, and I’ve been using it, off and on, every since. What I love about it is, it’s totally flexible and can be used in different ways to achieve the objective you want. It also teaches the punks valuable lessons about contributing to the machine of a household, as well as the value of saving (vs. spending) money.

It’s Choreganizers, created by The Steward Family.

Truth be told, I have no idea who The Steward Family is, but let me show you how it works:

Inside, there are several pages of chore cards. They’re perforated, and it just takes a few minutes to pull them all apart.

Each card represents one chore. The chores run the gamut from vacuuming to putting away laundry to helping with younger sibs to clearing the table after meals.

On the BACK of each card is a detailed description of how to “properly” execute each chore, though that’s really just meant to be a guide.

Personally, if my kids accomplish even one of the steps listed on the back of each card, I feel like a smashing success.

Inside the book are six chore charts, which tear out and expand to hold five chores. Each child in your family has his own chore chart…unless you have more than six kids. Then, bless your heart, you’re on your own.

I kid! I kid! You can either get an additional copy of Choreganizers (you’ll probably need the extra cards anyway) OR you can make your own homemade chart.

Okay, so here’s how it works:

You’ve got a chore chart (left) and the chore cards (middle). (I hang our charts on the inside of our school supply closet.) Each kid gets his own chore chart.

First thing in the morning, I stick five chore cards (of my choosing) in the bottom pocket of each kids’ chore chart.

And the are a bunch of blank chore cards, so you can make up chores to suit your crew. “Clean Manure from Porch“, “Clean Mud from Boots“, and “Give Mommy Hour-Long Pedicure” are some of the cards we have in our house.

Oh, stop. I’m just kidding on the pedicure part. Maybe.

So (pretend my hand is a lot smaller and covered in frog mud) how it works is, the kids look at their five cards in the morning to see what their chores are. Then, throughout the day, as they complete each chore, they stick the corresponding card into on of their chart’s slots.

In our house, this card means to vacuum the disgusting play room.

This means wash dishes after dinner.

This means make your dadgum bed.

And DON’T LAUGH.

But sometimes the younger boys need a little motivation.

So here’s the kicker:

Inside the book are perforated sheets of “Mom Money” and “Dad Dollars”.

As you can see, they modeled the mother precisely after me.

So here’s how I do it (and again, you can figure out your system): If all the chore cards are completed by the end of the day (and completed semi-well), the kid gets a dollar (either the Mom Money or Dad Dollar.) Each of the chores is not assigned a value—it’s either all or nothing. This prevents the little hooligans from picking and choosing their chores. If they got a “dollar” for every chore they completed, they might be tempted just to blow off the last two or so.

The kids spend the week accumulating (hopefully) their bribe money.

Then…

Every week (we usually do it on Sunday night), THE CHORE STORE opens for business. What I do is attach this “storefront” to a plastic storage box, which is our Chore Store. Inside the Chore Store are items ranging from pieces of gum to chocolate-covered granola bars to gummi bears to small stuffed animals to a set of magic markers to books to Rubik’s Cubes to Power Rangers figurines…all the way up to really sweet items, like an American Girl nightgown or a cool set of Legos. Everything is priced appropriately (not necessarily reflective of the retail price) and remains in the box until someone buys it…or I eat it, which has been known to happen.

The idea is, each week when the Chore Store is open, the kids have to decide whether they want to blow whatever chore money they’ve made that week…or save it and let it accumulate over a period of weeks in order to buy one of the nicer items in the box. It’s always fun watching the minds of my four children churn each week as they internally evaluate whether to give in to the immediate temptation of the candy and gum, or save their shekels for something better. It’s also fun to watch the progression of the kids’ decision-making process over time: five-year-olds care much less about a future CD player and much more about how quickly they can shove the gummi bears in their mouths.

(Note: this doesn’t necessarily replace or preclude any real-money allowance system you might have going in your house. It’s just a fun way to tie chores to rewards.)

I think Choreganizers is a cool system. It’s one of the few thing that has lasted in our homeschooling household through the years, and while my kids (like all of us) are still works in progress, I think it has helped them to see that when everyone does a little bit around the house, Mom drinks a lot less.

Just kidding! I think it has helped them to see that when everyone chips in, the house is a much more hospitable and harmonious place. Plus, it eliminates the nagging; it doesn’t take long for one of the kids to watch their sibs buy things at the chore store before they get with the program. I don’t like to nag. I try to avoid it at all costs. And Choreganizers helps me achieve that.

Today, because I like you, I’m giving away 10 (ten) copies of Choreganizers. To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

What is your least favorite household chore?

C’mon! Misery loves company! So spill the beans. Submission period will end at 7:00 Pacific Time Friday night, and winners will be announced Saturday morning.

(Choreganizers can be found at Love to Learn, CBD, The Book Peddler, and many other online retailers.)

*This is not an advertisement. Remember, I don’t know The Steward Family. I just like their program.

I’m sure they’re very nice people.

Transformation

Pioneer Woman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:58:45 +0000

The deck, in all its wood and stone glory, is just about complete, and I’m so glad we didn’t wait until the inside of The Lodge was finished until we started on it. Because now, when we first drive up to The Lodge, we can immediately see the fruits of our (and the contractors’) labor over the past five months…and are able to forget for one brief moment and time that there’s still much left to do. So let’s take a walk down Lodge Deck Memory Lane, shall we? It’s a fun place to visit.

This was the very nondescript lodge, after we’d ripped the old deck, which consisted of about three feet of walking space down the entire length of the house.

Here’s the old deck. Whoa, Nelly. That thing had really spiraled downhill, hadn’t it? But this was The Porch—the same one referenced in the most recent chapter of Black Heels—so I’ll always get goosebumps looking at this photo. I might also start sweating and fanning myself. But that’s another story for another time.

First, we (I’m using the term “we” very, very loosely here) dug large square hole for the stone columns.

Then we got ten inches of rain that afternoon. It made the workmen very, very happy. Or not.

Call me crazy, but I think The Lodge looks a little naked.

That’s the house where Cowboy Josh grew up. He doesn’t live there now; no one does. It’s a little uninhabitable, and on the next rainy day we’re going to burn it to the ground.

That’s what you do when you live in the country and you don’t need a house anymore. You burn it down. They never did that on the golf course.

Before too long, they’d started in on framing out the new deck.

And within a week or so, they’d made tons of progress. I was amazed at how fast the boogers worked. Made me tired just watching them.

But not my boy—suddenly, he had a brand new jungle gym on which to terrorize me.

Before too long, the rock guy started wrapping the cinderblock piers with rocks from the hillside.

Our land is really rocky. Have I told you that before? It’s good for the horses’ hooves. Bad for Suburban tires.

Between the fireplace and the stone columns on the deck, our rock guy has about had it. I think he’s in Tahiti as we speak.

Or maybe just the lake. But wherever he is, I can tell you this: there are no rocks anywhere in sight.

But I loved watching the columns go up.

And the deck really began to take shape. Marlboro Man added those two little elevated “lookout” points, and I’ve already claimed one of them as my own. They’re cozy and nifty.

And I think the scale of the deck really makes it seem as though we’re in a different place than we were before.

Once the rockwork was done, it just left all the wood boards. And as of yesterday, that’s done, too. I wasn’t sure I’d like the angled jobbie they did with the boards on the lookout points, but I think they turned out just fine. And besides, we’re not talking about bringing about world peace here. It’s just a deck.

We still need to stain it and seal it, but we’ll wait a little while for that.

I love the deck because it’s multi-faceted. It’s not just a boring, flat surface.

Also:
(Before)

(After) Also, wet stone, blue tarp, and overgrown grass aside, I think the deck just gives The Lodge more impact when you first drive up.

Call me crazy, but I just can’t wait to invite 100 friends over, have a party, and sit out there with my acoustic guitar playing John Denver songs.

But first I need to get an acoustic guitar.

Then I need to get some friends. Some friends would be good.

Anybody like John Denver?

The Story of the World

Pioneer Woman — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:55:33 +0000

If you’ve read anything I’ve written about my homeschooling journey to the center of insanity, you’ll know that when it comes to homeschooling materials, I’m…well, I’m the fickle type. I still haven’t figured out whether or not being a homeschooler is really just a strange opportunity to express some latent need to shop, but over the past five years of schooling my kids, I’ve ordered—and subsequently replaced—enough books, workbooks, and reference materials to educate a small island nation. On one hand, if I ever allow myself to think about the different programs I’ve blown through—and then blown off—I start spiraling downward in a pit of shame and despair. But only for a second or two. Because in a way, this has been a good thing, as I’ve been able to sample all of what’s out there and really nail down the things my kids and I respond to, i.e. things that don’t bore us.

The Story of the World, a four-volume history program intended to be read aloud to elementary-age children, is one of the few programs that has stood the test of time through the ebbs and flows of my curricula choices.

The Story of the World is written by Susan Wise Bauer, who was homeschooled by her teacher-mother back in the seventies, back when homeschooling was even weirder than it is now. Bauer’s also the author of The Well-Trained Mind, which I read when trying to decide whether or not to homeschool my punks in the first place. By page ten, I was sold. And while I don’t follow the Well-Trained Mind method/materials to a T (taken as a whole, it can seem a tad daunting), I agree with its basic approach of teaching history, literature, and other subjects in an interrelated fashion, rather than keeping all the subjects separate and isolated from one another.

Der…Huh? Never mind.

The Story of the World is split into four separate volumes:

Volume I: Ancient Times - From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emporer
Volume II: The Middle Ages - From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance
Volume IIIi: Early Modern Times - From Elizabeth the First to the Forty-Niners
Volume IV: The Modern Age - From the Victorian Empire to the Fall of the USSR

The idea is to cover the major periods of history chronologically, rather than in random chunks or units, so punks can learn major historical events within the context of other things going on in the world prior to and after that time. Ideally, one would start in first grade with Volume I, second grade with Volume II…then, by grade four, you will have covered the entire history of the world, in chronological order. Then, in fifth grade, the cycle begins again with Ancient times, and you take on more complicated materials. That way, the kids will have already learned the basic structure of each period of history, and they can concentrate on learning more detail without getting mired in the basic facts.

Each volume covers a surprising number of different historical events:

Every year I’ve used it, I’ve picked up a new fact (and then some) I never knew before. It’s not just for small kids. And it’s definitely not just for homeschoolers; The Story of the World books can be read aloud to your kids after school or at bedtime. Or in the car, though you probably shouldn’t drive and read at the same time, from what the sheriff told me. (Incidentally, there’s an audio CD version available.)

The Story of the World does have accompanying workbooks and student pages, which I have used and liked through the years:

These provide comprehension questions, narration exercises, supplemental reading suggestions, and map, drawing, and craft activities that correspond with the chapter you’re reading.

However, I’ve often relied just on the book alone, picking it up and reading it to the kids here and there, then checking out extra books at the library that support whatever area we’re reading about.

I’ve enjoyed the elementary history education I’ve received from The Story of the World through the years, as growing up, I always learned my historical events individually, rather than chronologically. As I’m reading it aloud to the kids I often stop and say, “Oh, NO WAY were those two things going on at the same time! How totally awesome!” Then my kids look at me and say, “Duh.”

Then I deck ‘em.

________________________

The Story of the World programs are available at Peace Hill Press, Amazon.com, Rainbow Resource Center.

Refining Color Choices

Pioneer Woman — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:42:28 +0000

(For winners of The Home Depot giveaway, click here.)

Based on your perspective and advice the other day, I continue refining the color choices for the kitchen at The Lodge. While I’m still drawn to the ethereal, subtle tones I showed you at the beginning of the week, some of you challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone a bit. And I realize many of you are looking at the photo above, thinking, “Um…aren’t those the exact same colors you showed us before?” You’re saying it! I hear you!

But they’re not the same…I promise. They’re ever-so-slightly different. Kind of.

So here’s how it plays out. The large piece of wood represents the chopping block countertop, and the stone to the left of it represents the Travertine countertop, which some of you warned against so I need ot get more information about it. The light-colored stone above it is limestone, which we’re thinking of putting on the backsplash behind the range. The two wood swatches are the two different colors of cabinets, although I’m thinking of ditching the darker one in favor of the lighter one across the whole kitchen.

I like these colors. For a lodge kitchen, they seem appropriate. And safe.

But what if I did something crazy…like this? There are a couple of end cabinets on opposite sides of a window—they almost look like end tables—and I was thinking it might be groovy to get them in a beat-up, painted color. Does this green make you want to sing?

Or does it make you want to hurl?

Here’s the same color scheme under a different light. And here’s a fun fact: the dining table on which they’re sitting looks almost exactly like the floor we’re putting in The Lodge.

I’m predictable, if nothing else. It’s a terrible curse. I like beat up, imperfect things. I think it makes me feel better about my own flaws.

This green is different. What do you think? Which green makes you sing? Which green makes you hurl?

If I throw a painted cabinet color into the mix, do you like the green direction?

If not, what’s a bold, exciting color that would still look at home in a rustic lodge? Mustard yellow? Bright gold? Coral?

What am I missing here? It’s getting down to crunch time.

And your input—more than you’ll ever know—is immensely helpful to me.

Love,
Predictable P-Dub

Home Depot Gift Card Winners

Pioneer Woman — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:00:19 +0000

I still really, really want a pressure washer (above), but since I’m the one holding this silly little contest, I’d better not get my hopes up since I’m pretty much not allowed to enter any of my contests, to which I’d like to strenuously object at this time.

*Strenuously objecting.*

*Still strenuously objecting.”

*Getting over myself now.*

Okay, I’m back. And I’ve selected the winners of yesterday/today’s Home Depot $500 gift card giveaway!

In case you’re interested in how I choose the winners of these contests, I’ll let you in on this one:

First, I asked Random.org’s Integer Generator to select two numbers between 1 and 9560, the number of entries received by 12:00 noon Pacific Time Thursday. Then, because I was feeling particularly feisty, I clicked “Get Numbers” to…well…get the numbers.

Here are the numbers it spit out.

Let’s see to whom the numbers belong…

Congratulations, Caroll!

Congratulations, Laura Hanna!

We’re all happy for you! Especially me. Just think—the power washer above could be yours! And then you could send it to me and it could be MINE!

Sorry. Got a little excited. Go ahead and email me at ree@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your prize.

Thank you, everyone, for entering!

Love,
P-Dub

What Would You Do With a Home Depot Gift Card?

Pioneer Woman — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:56:07 +0000

Me? Well, I’d tell you but it would take over an hour. Things at The Lodge are getting really exciting. The plumbing is completed, the electrical work is done, and sheet rock is bustin’ out all over. It’s amazing what a difference sheet rock makes. I can actually look around The Lodge and see what it might some day become. If we don’t go crazy first. Actually, I’ve already gone there, so never mind. Here’s a peek at the progress:

Thank you so much for your great advice regarding paint, cabinet, and material colors for our kitchen. I’m still reviewing everything you wrote and it’s been really helpful in helping me refine things. We have much work left to do, though: paint finishes and colors for the rest of the house, molding styles, sinks, faucets, cabinetry…even what kind of switchplates to use! As such, Marlboro Man and I have actually had to venture away from the ranch a few times to browse the aisles of the Home Depot, searching for the materials or products we need. And what does it say about me, a woman, a former L.A. resident, a middle child loon, that home improvement warehouses are among my favorite stores in the world? Aren’t women supposed to roll their eyes in home improvement warehouses? I heard that somewhere once. But not me—I love them. And I’d like to spend the night in one sometime.

And when it comes to home improvement, I don’t even know how to do anything. But there’s so much hope there in the lumber and the hardware and the power tools and the paint. There’s so much promise. And my goal, sometime in my life, is to learn how to use a power drill. After that? A table saw. I’d like to build myself a futon or an entertainment center or a stand for my twenty foot woofers for my sweet stereo system, man. Wait…never mind. This isn’t the eighties. I forgot.

But anyway, I love home improvement warehouses. And oh! I love you, too. So today I’m giving away 2 (two) $500 gift cards to Home Depot, where the winners will be able to buy molding, spackle, paint, or power drills…or lawn furniture…or birdhouses…or sinks…or faucets…or PVC pipe…or…a sweet POWER WASHER, which you’d better believe is next on my list. Yes, I want a power washer. Anyone got a problem with that?

To enter the contest, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

“If you could buy just one thing from Home Depot today, what would it be?”

One entry per person, please; no entries accepted after 12:00 noon Pacific Time Thursday. Winners will be selected randomly and announced Thursday night. Can’t wait to read your 1-item wish lists!

Good luck.

Subtle Tones

Pioneer Woman — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:18:19 +0000

We’re just about to nail down our kitchen design for The Lodge after much weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, Chardonnay, and Coffee Haagen Dazs, so the time has finally come for us to narrow down our color scheme for cabinets, countertops, etc. And during this process, I’ve discovered something about myself: When it comes to colors, I’m always—always—drawn to subtle, easy, slightly earthy, but always subtle shades. And the thing is, when I see rooms in magazines that are splashed with bold oranges and turquoises, I gasp with delight. I love color. But when it comes down to making choices, I have to whack myself with a broom to get away from the dadgum subtle tones. It’s becoming a problem.

My friend, Cathy, came out Saturday. She’s a designer. Those are her samples. And that is my foot, wearing shoes that were way too high and clunky for traipsing around a construction zone. I’m impractical like that.

Cathy and my girls rifled through the samples…

While my mother-in-law started pulling out things that made me go, “Ooooh! Ooooh! I like that one! I like that one!”

Before long, I’ll be darned, I had a pile of subtle tones. (The dark wood represents the floor.) Why do I keep doing this?

But I can’t help it. I like natural, dreamy, ethereal things. Problem is, I’m not sure if I’m headed in the right direction. The kitchen at The Lodge is big, and I’m wondering if maybe the subtle approach will result in a pallid, anemic kitchen. Conversely, since the kitchen at The Lodge IS big, would a subtle color scheme be smarter? Less glaring?

See the cabinet door? The color is “Buckskin”, which I found hilarious since Buckskin is my favorite color of horse. I even like horses with subtle tones. The universe just aligned perfectly. Groovy, man. The other wood color represents contrasting cabinets in the kitchen. That small, rectangular chunk of tan stone is Travertine, which I’m considering for the countertops, along with Butcher Block and stainless here and there. And the other stuff is just…stuff. Maybe for bathrooms, maybe for the bar, maybe maybe maybe.

When I look at all of these colors, my soul is pleased. I feel comfortable, at home, and right with the world. BUT…BUT…is that because they’re “safe” to me? Is that because they’re simply the default color scheme in my mind—the thing I fall back on when I don’t want to stretch myself and choose a completely different approach?

Should The Lodge’s kitchen have darker woods, bolder countertops, rich materials? Or should I follow my comfort zone and go for ethereal and Zen-like? Color is difficult. No matter which direction you head, there are millions of other directions to pursue.

Would love your perspective, advice, experience, two cents. What color scheme should we use in the kitchen?

That is the question.