Shopping and Building on a budget

Howdy y’all!!! 🤠 Welcome back! Today I want to begin with the chandelier's new home. I promised I would show ya’ll a picture. Well, while I was using the beige paint in the office, I moved on to the Gazebo before having to wash my paint brush. I had already prepared the Gazebo for a fresh coat of paint. Saving time, I am. The chandelier hangs perfectly in the center of the Gazebo. See the pictures below. I took the round bulbs off. 🤔The Gazebo does have electricity, but I have decided not to plug the Chandelier in, at least not for now. 🤠

The paint came out great and the dining room set went right in its place. Just in time for Christmas. 🤠

My next project is the Kitchen project that I have always wanted for years. I just didn’t have the time. 

Let me share some pictures of the “before”. The BOSS had already made up her mind. She preferred black appliances over stainless steel. Funny though, the most updated appliances in our kitchen  search appliances at Home Depot  are a black Samsung refrigerator, a black wine cooler and a “stainless steel” GE dish washer. 🤠🤣 How did that happen?! I guess that stainless steel dishwasher was on sale or I just snuck it past the Boss.🤣 LOL! It’s ok, our son bought us this “touchless”  trash can from Amazon  it’s black and mostly stainless steel. 🤠

Here are the “before” pictures of the kitchen counter tops.

When the Granite is installed, I plan to cut the overhang of this bar area. The overhang on the Breakfast nook side sticks out about 11 ½ inches. 😮I have to share this story. Our youngest son could run around this kitchen and breakfast nook area faster than his older brothers. He was sneaky and smaller. One night he grew an inch or more, when he came running around, away from his brothers, he hit his head on the overhang. BOOM!😮🤣🤠cry, cry, cry, cry. 

I want to leave the Formica “back splash”. You can clearly see it up against the entire kitchen counter walls. I’ve seen the granite 1”x4” back splash and I just think it takes an inch away from my counter space. What do y’all think?

I’ve been spending time at Home Depot  search Granite kitchen counter tops and Lowes search Granite kitchen counter tops looking at the colors and designs of Granite. Also price. Y’all know me, I’m shopping on a budget. Speaking of “budget”, as I was asking about the back splash, ya’ll can see that behind the stove top, you really have to go all the way up past the hood or flush with the hood. Grease, grease will find its way. More Granite UP the wall means more money. 😮

It seems that this is going to be one of those BIG purchases. Y’all remember my 24 month, No interest financing on a big purchase from Home Depot? Well to be fair,  Lowes  offers the same or similar deal. Just read the fine print on either one. The amount must be paid in full by the deadline. It is deferred interest free. The minimum payments due will not pay off the amount in time. Don’t get caught paying that high interest amount. 😮 Remember y’all, “save money.”🤑  

See my Formica behind my old stove top. The new stove top will be black as well as the hood. I think I can find a Granite that will blend in with my Formica back splash. 

I’ve been eyeballing this “Santa Cecilia” Granite. It may be the one. 

I asked a lot of questions, from just about everyone. Since I wanted to keep my Formica back splash, there was not one Company that could guarantee the back splash would not break during the removal of the old Formica counter tops. Hmmm. I’m thinking again. 🤠 I did come up with and answer and I will share that story later. 

I shopped around for the right price and of course quality. Home Depot and Lowes still offered the best deals. I had a few other estimates, but they were either a lot more or were asking for half the amount down, Hmmm 🤔I don’t know about that. 

The porcelain white sink will be replaced with a Stainless Steel sink. Also the faucet. 

The built-in Oven combination with a microwave is black. That was a purchase a few years back. 

O.K. let me make a list of everything I will need with the new Granite Counter top. One black stove top, one black range hood, one stainless steel kitchen sink  60/40, 60 big basin to the right, 40 smaller basin, to the left, over the garbage disposal. One new Insinkerator / Badger garbage disposal and one new kitchen faucet. I think that is enough damage. 🤣

Let me add everything up. Oh my, yes,🤑 IT IS going to be one of those big purchases. 

Well, after finding everything I wanted, for the right price, I decided to go with Home Depot Home Depot  I went down to the store personally, since I had a plan of combining everything. Hello? Hello? Unfortunately I could not find anyone at the store to help me. I’m gonna “sits” right here at their desk and make a phone call. I’m sure I will catch someone's attention sooner or later. I called Home Depot from Home Depot. Funny, right? Well, a young lady named Shannon answered the phone. She was quite nice. I began to tell her my story. Then I got curious. I asked, “Shannon, are you here at the store? where are you at?” She politely said, “I’m in Arkansas.” LOL!🤣 Turns out Shannon is a Home Depot / Design Specialist, Counter Tops - Virtual Apron. 🤣🤠🤣 Oh well, she is helping me and listening to me. 🤠

I shared with Shannon all my measurements of the counter top. I gave her the total Square footage. She added up my measurements and she came out with the exact square footage I had.🤠 I let her know about the Santa Cecilia Granite. I answered all her questions. When it came to the edge cut, I said “Bullnose”. Turns out that decision will change after talking to the Boss. 🤠🤣 I also shared with Shannon my plan to combine the Granite Purchase with all the appliances, parts, etc. to take advantage of the 24 month free financing. She explained to me that she had never done that before, but she wanted to help me and started clicking away at her computer. I was able to share with her all the things I needed. I had already looked up everything on my list and had exact Brands, Model numbers, sizes and colors available to me at Home Depot check out the link here and search for all your needs  All my information made it much easier for Shannon. She went to clicking on her computer and was very eager to help me. She was nice and I had a great Salesperson experience. 🤠

Well folks, I’ve done enough damage for one day. “It's Miller Time!!!” 

Join me next time for the rest of the story. Don’t forget to click on my LINKS to save time and money. Tap the LIKE button👍, send feedback, ask questions and definitely SUBSCRIBE by placing your email on the home page, to receive a notice of NEW Chapters at the DURON RANCH. Until next time, stay safe, make good choices and we’ll see y’all soon!!!  🤠