UPDATE: Fireplace front refinishing

Hello.

When I moved into my home, many years ago, one of the first things I fell in love with was my fireplace.  It had the Santa bricks (that's what I call them).  They are the red, lined bricks.  The front of the fireplace opening is very small, unlike what I had in my other place, which was so huge that I could sit inside it!  The fireplace didn't have a mantle on it so that was one of the first things we purchased.

We went to Kent's Building and looked at fireplace mantles.  They were very expensive.  The service guy who waited on us said for us to wait a minute.  He came back and brought us to a complete fireplace mantle and outside closure.  It was unfinished so we could stain it or paint it whatever we like.  The price was only $150.00 dollars but the actual price was $650.  The person who ordered it special, didn't come back for it so Kent's sold it to us.

We brought it home and pushed it up against our own fireplace with our bricks already in place and it fit perfectly as if it was made for our fireplace.  We couldn't believe it!  We decided to stain it with a cherry red stain, to match our existing furniture at the time.  So I sanded and then stained it myself.  I usually don't do well to paint or stain anything, because I paint everything in my way!!!

Later years, my cousin Richard, put a back on the mantle, which didn't come with any.  I lost many things down the back of the mantle.  The back was stained the same colour and no one ever could guess that it didn't come as one piece.

Throughout the years, cracks began going across the red, lined bricks, leading upwards.  The crack became longer and wider.  I knew it was time to call in a fireplace guy to see what could be done and if I could afford it.  There was a huge gap between the fireplace and the walls so I wanted this to be fixed as well.

I made a number of calls and left messages, but you know, it amazes me how few called me back.  One person actually came out to my home to give me an estimate.  The other company called but never came out and none of the other companies I call, ever called me back.  I guess it does pay to do your research.

I had an idea of what I wanted, it was rocks or stones.  The man came out and looked over the fireplace carefully and quoted $1500.  Well, I couldn't afford that.  We discuss it for a while and he finally came down to $1200.  I agreed.  We sat down and picked out what type of fireplace I wanted it to look like.

I ended up with Sandstone.  It has a tinge of green in it, which would go with all the colours in my living room.   Prior to this, I didn't have a hearth but I wanted one.  He was able to raise the flat hearth that I had up to about 5 inches and he put two huge sandstones on it for the hearth.  He made the hearth even with the actual inside of the fireplace.  He also did over the inside bricks.  He said I shouldn't use the fireplace as a shredder and to not burn Christmas and other papers in it.  Actually, I don't use it all that much anyway and I do get it cleaned every two years.  He inspected it and said it was pretty clean.

These are pictures of my Santa brick fireplace and as you're looking at it, the large crack
goes up from about the 4th brick over.  I loved these bricks but I need a change. My fireplace guy
said they don't even make these kind of bricks anymore.  Too bad, they are nice with the lines through them.  They look or remind me of Santa bricks.

While he was doing this, I was getting ready to have my wood floors redone & the walls painted.

The light spots are the sandstone beginning to dry and it will brighten right up!

You can see the two huge slabs he put down for the hearth.

This was the artist who brought new life to my fireplace!  He really knew his stuff.

See how lovely the sandstone is and how it brightens up the fireplace.

I really love it!  I'm so happy I did it and you are thinking of changing your fireplace, don't hesitate, you'll love it!!

I loved this colour for many years, but now I want to paint it an antique white.  I placed a colour block up against it and the sandstone came to life!  I'll post his name on an update.  So folks, if you think you WANT to fix your fireplace, I'd recommend doing it.  It will make a big different to your room and your comfort.  Thanks for your time reading my blog.
Debbie

Movie - The Black Knight Arises

I picked the little guy up at day camp, after he returned from a hard, long day at Ross Farm.  He reminded me that I was going to take him to the show to see the Black Knight Arises.  Actually, I was going to take my nephew but he and his family left for home in Toronto today.  I wasn't going to, but then decided, yes I will.  So I surprised him by driving towards the movie theatres.

He asked where we were going and I then said to the movies.  He was excited.  Unfortunately when we arrived at the theatre, it was only about 4:35 pm and the movie didn't start until 6 pm.  We got food stuff and waited.

Finally we went in and picked our seats (not too many there at all since the movie was out for a little while now) and had to watch all the pre-showings, way too many!  Then finally the movie came on.

WELL, I can tell you it wasn't a disappointment!!!!  It was so engrossing that I don't think I blinked for a while.  Little Rialey said his eyes were dry because he couldn't even blink.  The movie was that good.  Really, I didn't expect that it would be that exceptional.  They did it more than justice.  I don't want to give anything away here, but I can tell you I usually can figure out plots in movies, but this movie, I couldn't.   I actually couldn't imagine what was coming next and next then next.  It kept me awake and on my toes.  It was exciting, fast-paced, great acting and action.  I don't think that anyone who is a follower of these types of movies will be disappointed.

I can't wait for more of these movies to come out and I know they will!!  But that's my little secret until you see the movie.

Nite for now!

Mandy's Little Art

Hi everyone.  My daughter Mandy started her own jewellery design company.  She has made some wonderful jewellery.  She is so artistic!  She can sing like no tomorrow and she paints as well.  She had made lovely paintings.  She is brilliant in cartoon art and she loves to paint pictures on rocks.

I'd like you to visit her site and if you are interested, please give her a call or contact her through her contact page.  Thanks for taking the time to help a struggling artist.

Kitchen cabinets refacing

I am in the process of deciding if I should reface my kitchen cabinets.  I can't afford to replace them but I don't think I would want to because I have old kitchen cabinets that are about 75 years old.  The cabinets have the old Boston trim and they have solid doors, but they are in bad shape.  Since I can't afford to replace them, I then decided to look into refacing my cabinets.

I started requesting quotes from different suppliers.  I first started looking on the interest. I like to read reviews from people who used the services of various suppliers.  One supplier I found had an advertisement on the TV channel, Atlantic Kitchen Refacing, so I left a message to call me.  Their price was very high I felt, but the end product would be awesome.  Their price didn't include the door knobs or handles or slow close doors.   I decided to get a few more quotes. I contacted various companies and Kitchen Refacers from Middle Sackville came and quoted me.  This was the lowest quote.   I received his quote a few days later.  I have one more quote to get tomorrow from Cabinet Works, then I'll have to decided if I can do the refacing at this time.  Cabinet Works came and later sent me a quote.  He was the middle of the other two quotes.  However, his price included all the knobs and handles.  I have to find the money to send the little guy to the special academy school for September and that will cost quite a few dollars.

One thing Atlantic Kitchen Refacing in Halifax, Kitchen Refacers of Sackville and Cabinet Works said is that if I can get someone to sand and paint in between the cabinets and above and around the doors, then it would cost a lot less to just replace the doors with the soft close hinges.  I brought my son-in-law in to access if he can do it since he a paint.  He said he could do it, no problem. 

So this is one way to save money for those of you who can get your projects done much cheaper than to go full into service product.

I have to say that when I put up the antique white sample cabinets to my old cabinets, it was amazing and brought the kitchen into a lighter, more brighter space and it also brought out the antique white colour in my counter and floor tiles.

Remember, get more than one quote, compare prices, ask questions including how can a job be done cheaper but with decent quality or do they have insurance in the event some accident happens in your home, and what accessories are included.  You can even ask if they are prepared to a discount and how long the quote is for.  Cabinet Works said his quote is good for up to a year.

One more ironic thing was when I took the sample of the cabinet (antique white) into my living room and put it against my dark stained cherry red fireplace, it brought it to life!  I am going to have my fireplace done in antique white now and my son - in - law is willing to do it and I'll pay him.  I'll post some pictures later.

Stay tuned.

Bath Fitters

Hello Folks.

I had a serious situation in my bathroom.  The ceiling was pealing, the grout was old and pealing as well and I didn't know what to do.  I got some quotes on refinishing the old tub, then I called Bath Fitters.  I am so glad I did!

They came in and gave me an estimate for the job; they would put in a new bathtub insert with wall replacement and ceiling cover up.

The day they came in, my installer was Stan and he was great.  He really knew his stuff.  He was able to bend the ceiling insert to be somewhat round because my ceiling was part way rounded.  I have a marble beige sink and toilet and I wanted the tub and walls the same way.  I changed my mind because that would have been too much "marble", so I went with just beige on the walls and ceiling but the marble look for the tube.

The finished product, to this day, still makes me proud every time I enter my bathroom.  The look, the colour, the work is awesome and it was money well worth spending.  It only costs about $3000 plus tax.  To tear out my old tub and fix the walls and ceiling would have cost a lot more.

I believe Bath Fitters did an outstanding job and I do wish it was cheaper in costs but I'm so glad I did it.  It's now about 2 years old or almost and I love it everyday.

Debbie

Nikon Canada has the Best Customer Service

July 30th.  Update again:  I found the camera, it was in the bottom of my laundry bag, go figure!  I contacted Future Shop where I purchased it at Bayer's Lake Park.  I spoke to the manager and he confirmed that they had to send the camera away AGAIN!  This would be the 4th time in a year.  However, he said he will replace my camera with an equal or better camera.  I brought the camera in and a wonderful lady named Melanie had my new camera waiting for me.  It is a Nikon Coolpix S6200.  My other camera was a Nikon S6000.  It has a better zoom 10x instead of 7x.  I was very pleased that Future Shop kept their warranty word.  Nikon is a fabulous camera maker but sometimes a lemon can be purchased and that's what I got.  Unfortunately the pictures we needed taken were back in Dec 2010 when we went to Rome, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Crete and Malta.  Those are the pictures we missed getting good shots of.  When the camera took good pictures, it really took good pictures, but if it didn't, gosh it was horrible.  I don't have great pictures when we sailed into Valletta Grand Harbour in Malta.  You will never see a harbour like this and all I had was a store bought throw away camera.  What a disappointment that was.  But at least now I can take some really great pictures.  But I still can say, that Nikon is a great company.  Thanks Paul!

July 16, 2012 UPDATE:  Unfortunately, my camera is what they call a "lemon".  If it has been sent for repair more than twice and it is still not fixed, you will get a return on your purchase.  It is under the Lemon Clause.  I purchased the extra warranty when I bought it Dec 2, 2010 before we left for our cruise and it has never worked properly since.  Now the problem is, I can't find it to return it!  Can you believe that!?  I can see it in my mind, but can't find where it is.  Once I find it, I can return it back to Future Shop.  I haven't contacted Nikon regarding it yet, but I will let them know.  They were so awesome in how they treated me and I appreciate them for that.
Thanks for listening!
Chow for now.
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Hello Folks.

Have you ever dealt with a company and got nowhere? I have many times. It can be very frustrating when you either purchase an item or are given an item and come to discover that there is a major problem with your item. Now you have to get it resolved. It can be a nightmare and more frustrating than you'd like it to be.

When your product needs to be repaired, replaced or returned for refund and you come up against a wall, your frustration level and blood pressure can sky rocket! This happened to me.

Before our big vacation travel last year in December, I purchased my granddaughter, Layla, a beautiful Nikon camera with a 7x zoom. We wanted to take really good pictures of all the ancient things we would see on our trip like the Pyramids, Rome and so much more. To be able to zoom in for fabulous pictures when we finally had our dreams come true. I even purchased the 2 year extended warranty.

What a disappointment when we finally got to Egypt and our new camera started to give a Lens error and start to take blurry pictures. Eventually Layla wasn't able to use the camera at all. Thankfully I had another camera with me, a Canon Sure Shot and it took pretty good pictures but this camera was on its last legs as well. We missed some really great pictures because of this.

When we returned home on Christmas day. I reminded Layla to return the camera to Future Shop where I purchased it on December 2nd. It was her responsibility. If she wouldn't return the camera back to Future Shop, then she would be without one. She was almost 17 and like all teenagers knew everything. Needless to say, the camera was never returned within the one month grace period (Jan 2nd) for a full refund or exchange.

As the months went by, I realized she didn't return the camera. I needed to use a camera for my upcoming trip to Vancouver and later for my Hawaiian vacation with my five friends. I returned the Nikon camera to Future Shop. It was about the middle of June and I thought it would be repaired before my trips in July. Future shop couldn't say when it would be ready.

Well, July came and went and the camera wasn't ready. I went to Vancouver and Hawaii. I inquired what and when I could expect the camera back and was told by Future Shop that they were waiting for a part. August went by then September came and finally the camera came back. I asked what was wrong with it and Future Shop looked further into it for me and found no parts were replaced and there wasn't any word on what had been wrong with the camera. I was perplexed but took the camera back home, anxious to use it for the many trips I was going on.

The camera started doing the same thing as before, blurred pictures and lens error. I was really upset and contacted Nikon Canada personally. I spoke to a customer service man Paul, who put up with my somewhat harsh tone as I explained the problem and the frustration I had to experience on our expensive Mediterranean cruise. Thankfully, he kept his patience with me and gave me instructions on how to return it to Nikon through Future Shop so I would still secure my two year extended warranty for a replacement camera. I took it back to Future Shop again with instructions from Paul at Nikon Canada, to send the camera to him directly and he would send me a new camera.

Sometime in Fall 2010, I received the replacement camera from the Future Shop. I picked up the camera with anticipated excitement for the pictures I'd finally be able to take. I brought the camera home and began to use it during my many trips to areas in the entire Atlantic and Ottawa. Then in December, the camera started doing the same thing errors it did with the previous Nikon camera. Since I was sick with a cold over the Christmas holidays, I was going to return it AGAIN to Future Shop, but decided to contact Nikon Canada directly to discuss the camera with the company.

My problems will be over soon. Nikon Canada is the BEST to deal with when it comes to resolving your camera problems. The service was and is exceptional and I highly recommend this company if you ever need to get your camera problems resolved.

Thanks so much Nikon Canada, especially you Paul, for having exceptional customer service. You're the BEST!! Happy New Year.
Debbie

UPDATE: Shark Pro-Steam Cleaner- a Euro-Pro product

Sept. Update 2012:

As I use my steam floor cleaner more now, it is giving excellent results!  I am happy to say that my floors feel so clean when I use it now.  Perhaps I just didn't use it correctly before, but I have to say it makes me want to slide across the kitchen, but if I did that, little Rialey and the cats would think I was crazy!

Debbie
I thought an update to my original post was in order.  Now that I have had an opportunity to work with the Shark Pro Steam cleaner, I have found a little glitch with the cleaner.

The last two times I used the steam cleaner, I found streaks on my kitchen tile and on my hardwood floors.  Perhaps it was a more dirty than other times due to Christmas and people coming in with shoes on, but I am disappointed in how my floors are looking.

What I think I'll have to do is to clean the floors the old fashioned way then clean them with the Shark Steam Cleaner.  If all is ok, then I'll be able to report it was just a glitch.  Stay tuned and I'll keep you up to date on what's happening with my Shark Cleaner.

Signing off for now,
Debbie
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Well hi everyone! 

I have an actual Shark Pro-Steam Cleaner as seen on TV.  This product's ability to clean our floors is astounding!  I'm taking the opportunity to do a complete review for you on this Shark Steam Cleaner, I will post it as soon as I am finished trying all the usage this Steam Cleaner can do.

Since I have a child with asthma and other disabilities, having a very clean floor can make his health better while providing me a clean home.  Presently I had a B a steam cleaner, but it leaves my floors wet.  I have a lot of wood floors, so this is not good for them to be wet.  My daughter Mandy was the recipient of the B steam cleaner.  She apparently loves it, so one never knows.

The Shark Pro-Steam Cleaner is so easy to use.  It glides over your floors.  The floors are not wet or soaked.  The buttons to use for either of the three settings are on the front of the Steamer and you just push once for dust, push again for mop and push again for scrub.  I have also used it over my good carpet.  It refreshes the carpet.  I have four cats so a refresher is really needed in my house. 

The cleaner flips over to the other side of the micro-fiber cloth, which is thick and soft, so I don't worry about scratching my floors.  Its ability to rotate and move all around comes in really handy when your cleaning under furniture.  It comes with extra clothes as well.  I washed the micro-fiber clothes already and they come out just like new!  The triangle cloth with the triangle casing is great for harder to get at sites.  But to be honest, I find I can get into almost anywhere I need to get with the regular micro-fiber rectangle cloth set.

The handle of the Cleaner is a large, round handle which is so easy to use.  I don't have to hold down any buttons to keep the steam going.  Once I press my button to where I want it to be, the steam begins and within a minute or less, I have the steam I need to scour my floors and make them sanitized and clean.  What a wonderful invention.  Usually you see an info-commercial and the doubt begins to form in your head but this Shark Pro-Steam Cleaner is all it says it is and does.

Since I have such bad knees now, I have actually sat on my sofa and cleaned my hardwood floors around me with the Steam Cleaner.  It is so easy to push and pull and clean my floors.

It has an exceptionally long cord, so it goes just about anywhere in my house.  When I unplug the Steamer, it cools quickly.  The water fill up is so easy to use.  The water lasts longer with this steamer than my other one.  I don't use tap water, so if you don't want to buy sterile water, then pour water from your tap into a container and let it sit for a few days.

Any way you slice it, this is a great product!  I'll post pictures later.
Debbie