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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Painting the Deck

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I've been really busy doing not fun projects. And by not fun, I mean repainting our deck in 85 degree weather. It really wasn't fun, and it's probably not that interesting, but just to prove to you that I have, in fact, been busy and not neglecting you, here's some pictures as evidence.

Before: the deck was white. Which sounded like a great idea until you factor in our four dogs and their footprints. Not cool.


Two of my pooches. On the left, Lola the Pomeranian, on the right, Bridgette the lab mix/pound puppy. Lola tries to copy everything Bridgette does.


Midway through painting.


Finished product. I might go back through and paint the cross rails red, too, and touch up the pickets. We'll see how hot it is next week. 


Also, for some reason, the red is scraping off in a few places. Not sure what's up with that. The hubs thinks it may sink in better if we use an oil based paint. I used an acrylic solid stain specifically designed for outside surfaces. I should figure it out and fix it, but it's really hot, I'm a little sunburned and covered in mosquito bites. I would have so been the first one to die in The Hunger Games.

Speaking of T.H.G., who went to see it this weekend? We went to a 3 a.m. showing on Friday morning because all the midnight screenings were sold out. It was totally worth it. I'm a HUGE fan of the books, and enjoyed the movie. Probably would have preferred a few things done differently, but that's just because my imagination is better than any movie!

For now the deck works for me! I think I'll figure out a solution later. Unless any of you have suggestions? In the meantime, I'm ready for summer barbecues and pool parties!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Repurposing for a Purpose

Today I want to talk about repurposing items. I am not talking about items in your house that you no longer use, that you turn into something else, although I do love that. I'm talking about items that you buy or acquire with the intent of using it for another purpose from the get-go.

I do this a lot around my house. So much, in fact, that I actually had problems figuring out what to take pictures of in my house because I have used these things for unintended purposes so long I forgot that they weren't originally created for the way I'm using them. And then I re-read that last sentence and realized I confused myself. Hopefully you're still with me.

I've got some repurposing ideas that I think are pretty crafty - and useful - to show. Maybe they'll inspire you.

First up, window finials! You know, those cute little curtain rod caps that add flair to window coverings? 

Curtain rods with finials from Pottery Barn
In an effort to change things up (and to avoid excessive holes in our freshly painted walls), we opted out of traditional curtain rods in our formal dining room and my hubby's office. 

Instead, we found some finials on clearance at Lowe's for a couple of bucks each. They already have a screw on the back side, so we just screwed them right into the wall a few inches above the window. 


Note: if you are placing the finials into a stud, you may need to pre-drill before screwing it in. Also, unless you're sure you're hitting studs, you will either need to use sheetrock anchors or use a lightweight curtain, like the sash I used.

And now, moving on to decanters. You often see these things on wedding registries or in nice housewares stores, but honestly, I don't know anyone that uses them. Usually made of crystal or a less expensive look-alike, they are pretty but not super practical. 

Lenox crystal decanter

I found a monogrammed decanter on clearance for $7 at Tuesday Morning. I had been looking for an olive oil bottle, but the decanter is so much more fun! Plus, with the stopper, I don't have to worry about bugs or dirt getting down those oil pour spouts.

If you've got a decanter laying around your house, why not put it to use with olive oil, vinegar, or some other liquid you use with frequently, while displaying it on your counter?


On the other side of my kitchen, I've enlisted the help of Realspace DVD/CD storage bins from Office Depot to hold recipes and coupons. The embossed pattern of the bins matches the damask print of my floor rugs, and the teal and black colors look good with both the rug and the glass bottles I have behind my glass cabinets.



In our master bathroom, I took the idea from the DVD/CD storage bins, and picked up some fabric lined baskets from Target that are also meant to hold DVDs. The hubs and I each have one, and they serve to hold all of our toiletries so they counter stays clean. Whenever we're getting ready, we just grab our basket, and then put it back on the shelf above the tub when we're done. 


All of these items are cute, functional, and being purposely repurposed!

Be inspired! Go forth and repurpose something today!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Ikea Medicine Cabinet and First Aid Kit

I finally finished my Ikea medicine cabinet/first aid kit. If you remember from my initial post about it, it was a salvage from the "as-is" corner of the store, and therefore it had no internal shelves or shelf pins. Simple enough fix, right? Ha. Not so much.


I figured I'd pop right down to Home Depot and pick up some shelf pins. Well, it turned out the shelf pin holes were a totally non-standard size. Shocking, considering this is a piece of Ikea furnishing, right? They were a way, way small size of 1/8". 

My dad suggested buying a steel or aluminum rod and cutting it, but neither HD or Lowe's carried those small enough. My hubby suggested cutting pieces off of a wire hanger. Too small. Back to the store I went. We finally found some nails with a 1/8" head, and I decided I could make those work. I don't know what kind of nails these are, but they have a little white "top hat" at the head of the nail. It worked out perfectly, because it extended the amount of the nail that was 1/8" so, put in head first, they fit securely in place.


Now that my shelf pin problem was solved, I set out to change the doors. They opened from the right, yet, with the location I was hanging, I needed doors to open on the left. After careful inspection, I noticed that Ikea had cleverly left spaces on both sides of the cabinet, so you could configure the doors however you wanted. I found holes on the exact opposite side of the cabinet from where the hinges were currently mounted. You can see (circled below) that they are bigger than the shelf pins, which is how I knew what they were:


I easily unscrewed the hinges where they were attached to the side of the cabinet, pried out the plastic insert using a flat blade screwdriver, stuck it in the other side, flipped the door, and screwed it back in. I then repeated with the top door. With this one I had to make sure there was a spot for the lock to swing into, and luckily there was, otherwise I would have had to get the hubs to route out a spot.



I then used a very legit measuring device to determine my shelf placement. 


And, using needle nose pliers for leverage and grip, I shimmied the nails into place. It was a pretty tight fit, so I don't think I'll be adjusting the shelves anytime soon. I used 4" wide, thin pieces of aspen (probably about 1/4") to create shelves. 

I found a first aid kit at Sam's Club for under $20, and removed the contents to put into my first aid kit. I put loose items like the individual antiseptic wipes, q-tips, gauze, single packets of things like pain reliever, antibiotic ointment and burn relief cream into Really Useful Boxes that I got at Office Depot. I LOVE Really Useful Boxes because they are cute, durable, and come in lots of sizes and colors. I also picked up some cork tiles for inside the lower cabinet door. The cork board can be used for emergency numbers, or important instructions or contacts for the kids, or a pet or house sitter (or a baby sitter for those of you with little ones). A Command hook holds scissors and tweezers.




Again, since this was an as-is item, it did not have any hanging hardware, but it did have two nickel sized, metal-reinforced holes in the back, through which I guessed it was supposed to hang. I picked up some toggle bolts, and washers (since the holes were WAY bigger than the heads of the bolts), and drilled holes into the sheetrock (after using a stud/electrical finder to determine there was nothing of importance behind where I was hanging). Toggle bolts are good when you can't mount something to studs. Just follow the instructions on the packet or - thread the bolt through the washer, then through the hole inside the cabinet, then screw the toggle on the bolt (behind the cabinet). Squeeze together the toggle, insert into the hole in the drywall all the way, then tighten the bolts.

Since the top locks, it's the perfect place for cold medicine or prescription medications. My cabinet is high enough that any little hands that might be over can't reach it anyway, but just to be safe, it's there if we need it. I positioned the cabinet in the laundry "room" - which is really a closet - since it's centrally located between the garage, kitchen, and backyard/pool - where most boo-boos tend to happen.




Seeing it next to my white laundry cabinets, makes me want to paint it and get matching knobs for all the doors. Hmm...

Matzo Ball Soup

Since our NYC trip (and the subsequent deli meals) last fall, I have been craving Matzo Ball Soup. Unfortunately, my favorite grocery store does not have a Kosher section, so I couldn't get any matzo meal. There are areas of town with Kosher markets, but I try to avoid traffic if at all possible, so I just had to fantasize about some soup.

Until Friday, that is. While grocery shopping, I noticed an end cap full of Kosher products for Passover. Naturally, there was my matzo meal I'd been dreaming about.


I used the Betty Crocker app on my phone (a lifesaver sometimes, if you haven't seen it before!) to find a base recipe. I say "base recipe" because I made a few changes to it - like I always do. I followed the instructions, but changed up some ingredients here and there.

I didn't have any parsley, so I interchanged with 2 teaspoons of McCormick Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil). I used baby carrots, that I sliced up julienne.


For the 1" matzo balls, I just scooped up the mixture with a small spoon, and rolled them into balls between my palms. Some of mine were slightly smaller than 1" so I ended up with more than 15 matzo balls the recipe indicates. That's okay, because they will expand once cooked anyway.


For the broth, I didn't use onions (the hubs hates onions, and I don't care for them in soup, but I like the flavor), I used about 2 teaspoons of onion powder. I also added a few ingredients to liven up the taste of the broth. Add several dashes of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. About a teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt adds some zest. After you add these seasonings, stir well, and then taste to make sure it's up to snuff.

Also, as a tip, scoop the matzo balls up with a ladle or pasta spoon and lower them into the broth slowly to prevent splashing.

It was so, so, so yummy! Great for a rainy, stormy weekend. It will also reheat well for leftovers later in the week.




By the way, I have no idea if the changes I made keep this recipe Kosher, so if that's of concern, you may need to make your own alterations.

Here is the original recipe and ingredients, and you can find the full recipe on the Betty Crocker site by clicking here.


 


Matzo Balls
2
eggs, beaten
2
tablespoons vegetable oil
2
teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4
teaspoon salt
Dash ginger
1/2
cup matzo meal
2
tablespoons water
Soup
6
cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
1/2
cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4
cup thinly sliced celery
2
green onions, sliced
12

  • In small bowl, stir eggs, oil, parsley, salt and ginger until blended. With hand mixer, beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add matzo meal and water; stir until smooth. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat all soup ingredients to boiling over medium-high heat. Lightly form matzo ball mixture into 15 (1-inch) balls. Drop matzo balls into boiling soup. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or matzo balls are thoroughly cooked.


  • Friday, March 9, 2012

    Collections

    Happy Friday! I finally (after a few setbacks) finished my medicine cabinet/first aid kit redo this week, and will get a post up about it this weekend, but in the meantime, I have to share something about myself with you.

    I am a collector. Don't be freaked out by that statement. Yes, I have seen the show Hoarders, and yes, it scares me, and no, I am not THAT kind of "collector".

    Now that we've cleared that up, let's get on with today's post. As I look around my house and try to think of new decorating or creating ideas, I have noticed that I have several collections, and I love coming up with fun ways to show them off.

    I have an extensive love of carnival glass - a collection that was started by my mother and that I have kept up with. My dad found an awesome antique china cabinet at a resale store several years ago. It had been badly damaged in a house fire and I think he picked it up for a steal, then lovingly restored it as a Christmas gift for me. Probably one of my favorite Christmas gifts ever. It proudly displays my carnival glass.



    I also love, love, love vintage cameos. My mother-in-law gave me her mother's (so my hubby's grandma) antique cameo necklace last year and it's by far one of my favorite pieces. I love wearing it and always get compliments on it.



    I was in love with Mickey Mouse as a kid therefore have a great mouse house collection. My favorite is a vintage Mickey doll that had a wind-up music box inside at one point (I broke it as a child from playing the song too much). He is literally in every childhood picture of me from about age 2 to 5.

    Grandma, me, and Mickey (of course)
    I'm picking up a theme in my collections - antique, vintage, old. I remember antiquing with my dad when I was little, something we still enjoy doing together. I told you I might secretly be a little old lady. Eh.

    What collections do you have? How do you showcase them, or do they sit in boxes in the attic? Are they things you can use, like my cameo necklace, or are they for looks? Please share!

    Wednesday, March 7, 2012

    Hairdo

    Good morning everyone! Today I'm trying out the Blogger iPhone app as a way to post.

    As promised, I've got some pics of my new haircut. To see my inspiration pics see my last post, "New Hair." I really hate taking pics of myself so hopefully this is quick and painless.

    One is a shot with my hair straightened. The other shows it curled under. I can't decide which I prefer, but I'm glad to have a cut that I can play with again.

    PS: this app thing is okay except I can't find a way to put the pictures where I want. They only seem to show up at the end. I'll have to double check how it looks on the computer. Oh well!


    Sunday, March 4, 2012

    New Hair

    I love a change in hair as much as the next girl. So Friday, I went to the hair school armed with two pictures. One for color and one for cut.

    Here was my cut inspiration:

    abeautyloft.com
    The cut Cameron Diaz rocked at this year's Oscars was stunning. Plus, I was ready for some short hair again. I don't know why I think I should grow my hair out, because it never works. It does this weird thing where it's straight and smooth on top, and then curly, kinky, and frizzy in the underneath layers. So back to short is. I think I lost about 3 inches overall length (more in the layered areas). I feel so free and cool, and ready for summer - which isn't too far off in this neck of the woods.

    For major color moves (like brown to blond) I like to use my Hair Extraordinaire, Kristal, which worked out really well when we lived in the same state, but since I moved, I have had to make sacrifices. Either I save up to fly out for a vacation and get my hair done in the process (which I did for a few years), or I go to the local hair school where the students are closely supervised, and it doesn't cost much - in case they mess up.

    I've been Cameron D. blond before, but since it's just a hair school, I don't totally trust them to bleach my hair all the way (I actually don't fully trust anyone other than Kristal), so I went with a color closer to my natural shade. For my color inspiration I went totally royal.

    celebritiesindisgrace.wordpress.com
    Kate Middleton's hair color is just so rich and beautiful, and let's be honest, who doesn't love her hair?

    I can't quite take my own "after" pictures yet, because as I mentioned, I was at a hair school, and they accidentally got dye on the skin of my hair line. After it fades in a day or so, I can style and take pictures.

    Anyone else rocking new hair for spring or summer this year?

    Thursday, March 1, 2012

    Linky Follower Par-tay!

    Happy March! In celebration of the awesome new tool I have - Linky Followers - I joined a Linky Follower Party over at It's So Very Cheri. As you can see, this blog is pretty new, and I would LOVE to have more followers. So what better way to do that than to go to a party?!

    You can join the party from here, or by clicking on this button:



    Here is some information about the Linky Party, borrowed from Cheri at It's So Very Cheri:


    RULES:

    1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

    If you see that your link has been deleted you need to add the LINKY FOLLOWER tool to your site and then come back over and re-enter your link
    {You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS toolto participate in this party hop.}

    2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

    3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

    4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

    You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER
    just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE
    Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.
    You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri
    You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

    5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
    –leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

    If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers(see rule #2)



    Teal Shower Caddy Repurpose

    Okay, so if you read my Linky post yesterday, you know I planned to have this little project all finished and ready for your viewing yesterday for Leap Day, but the weather wasn't cooperating (you'll understand why as you read on) so here it is:

    We've had this shower caddy hanging empty in our shower for about two years. We got one of those spring loaded corner shelves, and this one got left in the dust. Or water. And got rusty.


    I came up with a genius (at least in my mind) idea to clean it up, paint it, and repurpose it as a closet caddy, easily hangable on the inside of a closet door.

    You will need:
    A hanging shower caddy
    Spray primer suitable for metal (or whatever material your caddy is made of)
    Spray paint (I used shiny black and shiny teal)
    Steel wool, a wire-bristled brush, or rough sanding screen - I used the latter because that's what I found first in our painting supplies.
    Painter's tape (if painting with more than one color)
    1 Command removable hook
    Adhesive felt pads


    All of my paint is Valspar brand, because that's what I had leftover from other projects. Notice all of the lovely dust on the paint caps. They've been sitting in the garage a while. All of my supplies were found items, except the hook.

    Start by sanding the rust off of the caddy. Go ahead and sand the whole thing, in case there is any residue or clear coat on it that will hinder the adhesion of the paint. Make sure to check the top, bottom, side, insides, outsides and remove all the gross rust. It's gotta go.


    Once all the rust is gone, it will be preeeetty, and oh so shiny. Like this:


    Now prime your the caddy following the directions on your spray paint. I find thin coats work best.


    When the primer is dry, you're ready to paint. I chose the contrasting black and teal to match my stepdaughter's decor since I am going to hang it in her closet. I painted the back part that hangs against the door black, and the baskets teal. I admit, this sounded much easier before I tried it. I REALLY wanted two colors though because I thought (1) they'd complement each other and (2) it would stand out from the white door better and (3) it would be cuter, and cuter is better. I did the black first, then covered it with painter's tape and plastic and painted the teal. It only took approximately 1 million pieces of tape. No joke. Mostly.

    I also ran into a snafu with the weather that some of you may need to consider. The humidity this week has been 1000%, so the paint seemed to take a really long time to dry. By the time I got to the teal, I had become wiser. I opened the garage to paint (so I had plenty of fresh air). Then I closed the garage and turned on the AC to take the moisture out of the air, thus giving my little project a fighting chance to be done sometime this year. It literally took an entire extra day of drying to get the spray paint to set.

    Here are the two final products I needed to finish up:


    I used a white Command hook to blend in with the door. It holds 5 lbs, but I might add another on one of the lower baskets so she can hold more stuff. Also, I took one adhesive felt circle pad (the kind you put under furniture to keep it from scratching your floor) and cut it into strips and put them on the back of the black bars to protect the door.

    And now, drum roll, please...

    Here it is! The finished project! Too cute, handy, and resourceful! It's bins are the perfect place for girly stuff like nail polish, lotion, or hair products, and the hooks work great for necklaces, belts, or small purses. I hope she likes it!


    Voila!

    nail polish spot

    hang necklaces, belts, purses, or a Hawaiian lei!
    After doing all this teal painting, I realized this project coincided with my mom's birthday, who passed away from ovarian cancer. The ovarian cancer awareness color is teal. Please check out the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's website for more information by clicking on this ribbon:

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