COUNTER OFFER

Today I flew home from my Grandmothers funeral in Michigan. As I settled into my seat, powered down my blackberry, pulled out my reading material and set my ipod to my favorite playlist, I was faced with every travelers nightmare...she was walking down the aisle heading straight for me. The chatty lady from the terminal, holding a McDonalds bag in one hand and an over-sized suitcase in the other. The woman I stood behind for 45 minutes in the security line as she removed 32 rings from her fingers, five necklaces, complained about removing her shoes and still set the machine off...was now sitting right next to me. Why me, I thought? Haven't I had enough grief in the last few days? Without skipping a beat she looked over at me and said, "whatcha readin honey? You some kinda designer?" Why she assumed that is beyond me (my magazines included Met Home, Elle Decor, Dwell and This Old House). Part of me wanted to jump out the emergency exit window but the rational part decided prison might be worse than sitting next to her for two hours. So, in an effort to avoid a turbulent flight, I engaged her in conversation...from push back to final approach. Somewhere over Ohio I began to feel like a jerk for judging her. Marge, my new best friend from "3F" was heading to her sisters home in New Jersey to help her pack. Forced to put her house on the market and downsize in these tough economic times, Marge had offered to help her paint and get the house ready for the market. The worst room, she described, was the kitchen. Built in the 1970's with puke green Formica countertops, her sister couldn't afford to replace them but was desperate to find a way to spruce them up. So, I offered a suggestion...Williams Sonoma carries some of the most beautiful (and durable) shelf paper on the market. One pattern in particular looks like painted tiles (sounds cheesy, yes, but looks quite nice when applied to the countertops). Marge promised to take photos and send them to me...hopefully she'll get an offer she can't refuse!

CAN'T TOP THIS TIP:

For less than $30 you CAN transform your countertops, believe it or not! Now, I wouldn't suggest doing this in a million dollar house but for a quick fix in a desperate situation, this will do the trick. My only suggestion..only use shelf paper from Williams Sonoma as it's more durable, better made and much, much better looking than other store bought options: http://www.williamssonoma.com/. Just measure, cut appropriate lengths (line up tile pattern) and peel and stick on top of the counters. Until Home Depot offers free counters, this is a pretty good solution!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 30 minutes

COST: $24.95/roll (covers approx. 30 square feet of counter)

STRESS LEVEL: LOW