Tiles from Heaven?

Last week we got Windows from Heaven, looks like this week it may be the flooring tiles?

So many of you responded about how the Window Story brought you smiles. This one is equally as amazing ….

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I have searched in dozens of stores as well as on the internet for “just the right floor tiles”. There were about 10 requirements that had to be met. After many, many months of searching, “the right one” was finally found and it came in five colors which I liked. Somewhat of a slate / sandstone texture. The samples of the five colors have been on my living room floor for the past few weeks. One small problem … our budget is around $1.50/sf and the tile is $3.50/sf. Another note was that one of the five color options is Outback red clay dirt and the color is great, but the intensity is a little too strong.

Soooooo…. this week I talked to the Angels. “How about finding a similar slate tile for half the price and the Outback color tile for half the color intensity?”

Today Doc and I drove to Home Depot to get boxes of ledger screws for Danny the Framer. It was a new Home Depot for me. We had already paid for our merchandise and left the store. There were some tiles on display outside. The one tile was the red clay color I was seeking! And it was 99¢ per sf! Awesome! Back in the store I went to take a closer look at the supply, specs, and other size options for it. It looked OK so I grabbed one tile to purchase.

And next to that tile was a slate-looking tile which seemed similar to what I had at home. Only problem - the sizes were 16 x16 and 6 x 6. For my current designs, I need 12 x 12 tiles. But I took one of each size in hopes I could get creative with them and the color would be fairly close to what I had already chosen.

NOTE: I carefully checked each of the three tiles to ensure its bar code was clearly legible. I wanted no glitches at check out. We even put two tiles back on the shelf for better coded ones.

We took the three sample tiles to the register to pay for them. I could not get the scanner to work at the Self-Pay station. Rats. Glitches after all. I asked the attendant for help. He also could not get the tiles to scan and said, “Take them - a gift for you”! Huh? Doc and I looked at each other. FREE?? That is a GREAT price! Was this an omen? Were the angels saying, “Here is the product you asked for at the price you requested”?

When I got the samples home they were almost identical in color and texture to the tile I had already selected! All afternoon I tried to come up with creative ways to use 16x16 tiles instead of 12x12 tiles for my designs. No luck. Doc and I were out running errands and were near another Home Depot. I was “nudged” to inquire about the availability of 12x12 tiles in this series. As we drove past the entrance to the store, Doc drove over a very shiny penny which I retrieved before entering the store. I yelled back to Doc, “we will have this tile, I just KNOW it!
I can feel it!

The store did not have 12 x 12 tiles on display in that series, so I asked about them. The sales rep came back and said, “No, we don’t carry those and they are not even made in that size by the manufacturer.” I was so disappointed. That just could not be correct!

I went home and did a Google search for Marazzi Terra tile and the VERY FIRST link which flashed in front of me was for 12 x 12 tile of that size and color! Guess what …. it is priced at $1.48/ sf (meeting our $1.50 budget) from the Home Depot website with FREE shipping!

Is that just another “coincidence”? Lesson: ASK --The Universe delivers.