I haven’t been doing Lottery posts in a long time. The main reason is that The Company has major firewalls up and I can’t visit my favorite lottery site, USA Mega. But it’s Saturday, I’m at home, and on weekends I CAN visit the site, which tells me the Mega Millions jackpot is up to $150M for Tuesday drawing which means $69,750,000 to the lucky solo NJ winner.

A house in Chapel Hill, NC – be sure to take the virtual tour. I’m IN LOVE with this house and everything about it.
Sheer austentation in Colorado Springs, CO – I’m not saying I like the house, I’m just suggesting that if a house is gonna be 11,000 sq ft shouldn’t it be a bit more classy?
A nice pool in Phoenix, AZ although I’m surprised the house is “only” 3850 square feet.

But that Chapel Hill house – that’s my favorite and I’m most likely going to print out pictures if I can to put in my “dream house” notebook that I’ve started. The transom doorway leading from the living room to the family room is fantastic, and don’t get me started on the kitchen, great room and bedrooms.

Someone emailed me asking me how I plan on FURNISHING all those homes and apartments I plan on buying if we win the MegaMillions.

Well, since the take home in NJ is now $123M because the main prize is over $290M (instead of $280M), I’d used the extra $7M to further invest and to furnish the homes.

And I don’t mean I’ll be going to Ethan Allen for all my furniture – I won’t pay out the yin yang for furniture that my two kids are gonna muck up in a heartbeat. No, my furniture – while tasteful – will be serviceable. Meaning – it can take a licking and keep on ticking. Because a two year old has no concept of value, only a concept of FUN. And sometimes pouring grape juice on a cream chenille couch can be fun. And sometimes a dog just can’t hold it any longer and HAS to pee on that rug worth 1000s of dollars. And cats – forget about the cats – they’ll hack up a furball on ANYthing, including that gorgeous antique mahoghany dining room table that seats 16 people comfortably that was originally made for King Louis IV.

So no, no expensive furniture for me – at least not until my kids are less messy (post-college?), and not ’til my pets can learn to pee or vomit in the toilet. ‘Til then? I’m all about Levitz, or JC Penney, or even Ikea. Even Pottery Barn would be considered post-lottery, where as now I wouldn’t even DREAM of shopping there because it’s so expensive. Besides, that’ll make my visitors feel a bit more comfortable – I hate going into houses that are furnished too fancy – I feel like a bull in a china shop. My mom’s house is fancy, but I know she’s a frugal shopper and doesn’t pay exhorbitant prices for the nice things she has. So I feel less bullish around her stuff. My house? My house is kind of a Target/Kmart kind of house – my kind of house! =)