Hey all!  Andie here.  Please pardon my absence on Room to Talk lately (Although most of you probably didn't even notice I was gone because Kerry is so awesome! Isn't he great?!) The past few months have been insane.  We did something crazy and wild and scary and awesome.  My husband and I packed up everything we own and moved our little family across the country!  Eeek!  I still can't believe it's real.  We will be living in Washington D.C. for the next couple of years while my husband attends graduate school here!  It's been a wonderful and difficult transition, but we are loving this opportunity and hope to make the very most of this unique experience. Now that we're pretty settled into our new life & routine, I'm going to get back into weighing in here on Room to Talk with a new East Coast living perspective.

Okay, so today I'd like to discuss one of the hottest design trends of 2015: free standing bathtubs.  Humor me for a moment.  I feel like there are two kinds of people in this world.  People who are totally into taking baths, and people who balk at the thought alone.  Am I right?  Personally, I'd probably rather rip out my eyelashes (okay that might be a tad bit of an exageration) than spend 30 minutes soaking in a tub.  I don't find it relaxing, I get way too hot and start feeling like I'm going to pass out, and I'm sicked out at the thought of stewing in my own juices.  Can somebody please help me understand the draw?!  

With all that being said, I am kind of obsessed with these beautiful free standing tubs I'm seeing everywhere these days!  They are so pretty, and feminine and lovely! Is breaking up with my shower for a tub purely based on 'cuteness' shallow? (Pun intended!)  Really though, they might not be super practical, but you can't argue with the fact that they are gorgeous!  

via HGTV

 
via pinterest

via pinterest

via pinterest

 via pinterest

 via pinterest

via pinterest

via apartment therapy

via apartment therapy

via lonny mag

via lonny mag

via lonny mag

via houzz

via houzz

via houzz

via houzz

via houzz

What are your thoughts on the free standing bathtub trend?

Like it?  Hate it?  Love it?

I really love checking in on our social media pages, especially Instagram. It's cool seeing how much fun people have in RC Willey and also how cool their rooms look when they bring home that special piece. I did a quick Instagram roundup today and I think you will enjoy the pics as much as I did. If you are on Instagram please share your home with us, whether it's a piece you already bought from RC Willey or a piece you want to buy from RC Willey! At the end of the day we are all better off getting ideas from each other and many of you are top-notch designers. Just use the hashtag #myrcwilleyhome and we will all be able to see your home, your way! 

Hi, my name is Kerry and I have a drainage problem. It has taken me 4 months to admit this problem but I am ready to come clean and take care of it. Essentially one side of my house doesn't have decent irrigation which has led to a sideyard that looks like a forclosed home in a Mad Max movie. Luckily it's small, and we have a tall fence so the only people who have to look at it is my family, but it's time we take care of the issue and beautify the yard in the process! So, I am starting to take advantage of the cooler August nights and I am grading the land and installing a dry creek bed. As I have mentioned before, my wife and I are slowly xeriscaping our yard. As things need to come out, we replace them with water-wise plants and landscaping and this dry creek bed will eliminate about 150 ft of land that would have needed watering. I think we have settled on something like these designs from Bear Creek Landscaping, Wooly Blue & Hawks Landscape Inc. 

Now, I'm going to need a few things. Before you start a project like this make sure you call 811 and get your yard staked for underground utilities. This way you don't blow up a gas line or fry yourself on an electrical cable or even worse, knock out your underground DSL line. Then how would you read the Room to Talk blog?!!?!? Once your yard is safely staked it's time to dig. You can do this a number of ways. Hire people. Rent a trencher or tiller. Or just be a complete sadist like me and start digging with an old shovel you bought at a yard sale. Here's the 45 second version of what is going to take me weeks!

So I called American Stone, a local landscape rock provider, and I got the following cost estimations. For a 4'x25' dry creek bed I am going to need the following:

• 1 ton of 1" river cobble (nice round river rocks) $120/ton
• 1 ton of 3/8" gravel (I'm going with Montana rainbow) $200/ton
• How ever many I want of 6" & 12" river cobble $5-$10/piece
• Quartzite Boulders $25-$30/piece
• 2' long flag stones for stepping stones $20-$30/piece
• Landscape fabric $25

So material-wise I'm looking at about $500-$600. This is just me, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. Your costs will obviosuly vary by size and design style. Once the dry creek bed is complete, I will still need a hundred or two for mulch and plants but I won't do any of that until next spring. If any of you have done this project and have tips for me or the RC Willey community, please share in the comments below! And if I ever finish this project I will be sure to share photos with you.