same link as above but an easier name to remember- solutionsforyourlife.com This site does not work like Google. Use nouns and just two or three. Flip the words around and sometimes you get different results. When you read a page, hold your cursor over blue words. These are often links. When you click on an author's name it will pull up more articles written by the same author. Sometimes it is a matter of terminology. Try using the word turf instead of grass. Or use the word insect instead of bug.

I was just thinking about writing a post about some of my best finds, but it seemed a little self congratulatory, but since you asked (heh)... Craigslist and eBay are obvious but I have actually made out like a bandit on these sites. My personal favorite on eBay is the lockset discounters and faucet discounters 'stores' which are actually liquidation channels for the manufacturers of Price Pfister faucets (and hardware) and Kwikset door sets. I bought 1 faucet, 1 shower set and 1 bath drain from the Faucet discounters all for crazy cheap. Shipping is a bit steep ($10) but it's brand new sealed in box stuff that has been discontinued (or is liquidated for another reason). I bought two Kohler sinks for $45 each of eBay. They were regularly $100 at HD and I have no idea why the guy was selling them cheap, but I got 'em. I bought cabinet pulls from eBay from YourHomeSupply, and paid about $2.75 for cup pulls which seem to run $3-$5 other places (like overstock.com). On craigslist, I'm currently trying to finish a sale with a guy for 3 boxes of 6 ea. of recessed lights (these ones) for $25 per 6 pack. I've also gotten an old sink to refinish and an old dresser to turn into a vanity from CL. I found a contractor who is dumping left overs from a job for very little that I keep meaning to go check out but he's 3 hours away and our build is not yet to the point where it makes sense. In general Google shopping has been one of my best tools for getting deals. I find something I like, pop it in Google and see if I can't beat the price or get free shipping or whatever. For sinks try: M R Direct I just got ORB door knobs for $7 each from True Value (with maybe $10 shipping?) these ones here: Bronze Privacy Door Knob I also bought one of the passage ones from them. For light bulbs, I was at HD the other day and noticed they have really cheap halogen bulbs for recessed lights in contractor packs (not with the usual light bulbs) but I don't know about flood CFL bulbs. And that's about it. I will definitely be back if I think of something else, but I'm looking forward to what others have found.

Hi Coysmum, If you are free this weekend there is an open house at the 'Covington'. :) I have posted the link to the listing. If you want to check out MLS#7084117 (you could use the same realtor site that I linked to), I believe that is the Leesville, but there are no interior pictures. The Great Room in the Covington felt really nice, but you do need keep in mind that the stairs are behind the fireplace so you will have a traffic pattern there. Hope that helps! Here is a link that might be useful: Listing for Covington

VCT = vinyl composite tile. AKA "schoolhouse tile". That swirly stuff most of us remember from schools and hospitals. Cheap, surprisingly attractive if you avoid the pea-soup green they always used in the schools ;-) and wicked durable. Tina, one of the few MCM things I've ever liked was the tree-slab tables, but the bases usually spoil them for me. (I keep telling Housevixen that I'll gladly take custody of that "tree table" her DH adores and she dislikes. So what if it's literally on the opposite edge of the continent? LOL) I'm sure you MCM fans would plotz at the handed-down stuff I've put out by the side of the road at the first opportunity I had for replacement. :-) I'll be honest, I just like things a bit fussier, I'm more William Morris than Gustav Stickley. I've actually drifted away from American Arts & Crafts furniture and a LONG way away from most Mission... it's mostly just too spare and angular, a bit too much Asian influence for my tastes (especially the Prairie School and the Greenes), while I've fallen in love with things like barley twists and "carved to death". :-) I've got a couple of nice Mission pieces I would love to get rid of if I weren't going to get completely screwed on the money end, but 10 cents on the dollar is just painful. I can appreciate the craftsmanship on the nicer MCM pieces, like say Nakashima, and I can see why other people like it, it's just not me, that's all. Robinco (BTW, is it Robin Co or Rob In Co? I can't remember) thank you so much for the compliments! I don't think I deserve them at all but I'll slurp them up anyway. :-) I've really only "publicized" the two good rooms, the bathroom (and for what we got screwed into spending, it dang well better be good) and the living room which is pretty good but still has two chairs I hate, and cheesy pine trim and mantel that I dream of replacing with oak like in the bath. Folks are wearing me down on those floral drapes that everyone hates but me, too, tired of hearing people b*tch about them just about every time I post a picture of the room! The color of the library was a mondo mistake and I can't get past the heinous melamine bookcases... but, they hold up the books, and even if we could do Ikea (which would be tricky) it would be close to $1500 for the ones I actually like or $700 for the bare minimum. DH gives me the hairy eyeball if I even mention repainting. Let's not even talk about the upstairs or the siding, either! :-)