Monday, March 29, 2010

Preserving flowers

Today in a complete impulse-buy I picked up some tulips while in the checkout line at Trader Joes. (Better than buying a bar of chocolate, right?)

 
I'd like them to last a long time, so I looked up a receipe for a flower perservative

 

 
 

- 1 tsp bleach
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp lemon or lime juice
- Water

 
I hope it works! For now I'll just have to enjoy waiting for them to open.

 

 

Friday, March 19, 2010

Today I love....

Mantel Mania over at The Lettered Cottage.

DYI Built-ins at Thrifty Decor Chick.

Spring Cleaning with Organizing your Way.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Knock it off!

Recently a new blogger has taken the world of home bloggers by storm. Knock Off Wood is chock full of plans and designs to build your own Pottery Barn style furniture, right at home, and without paying the Pottery Barn prices. (I'm on board with that!)

Some of the plans are very elaborate, some look really easy, but the magic of this blog is you look at the plans (of any difficulty level) and think "Yeah! I could do that!"  And then you probably don't, but it sure is fun thinking you could.

Until last week this "Alaskan housewife" as she calls herself, was using PB images and furniture names to illustrate her blog, but then things got mean and nasty when PB's parent company Williams-Sonoma sent a cease-and-desist letter.

While I understand the reasons that WS has to defend their copyright, they certainly didn't win any fans by this maneuver, and definitely got the blog lots of extra attention and fans. Everyone loves a good David and Goliath story.

Anyway head on over there to see the amazing furniture building that is going on, thanks to Knock Off Wood.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Somebody wants what you have

It seems to me that while there is a lot of talk about "gratitude" it can be hard to remember what it means exactly to be grateful for our blessings in life. But Amy over at Amy's Finer Things really put her finger on it. Go read it - you'll feel about 150% better about the things in your life.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

It all makes scents

I have this need to have my house smell good. I don't want it to smell like cooking, or like our 3 cats, or like feet (now, thanks to the boy) or diapers (back in the day).

I don't want my kids to invite friends over, and all that their friends remember is the house smelled funny. (I admit it, I remember thinking this about a friend's house in 4th grade. Robin, I'm sorry.)

Bargain Hunters is talking about this topic today, in a discussion titled "How do you make your house smell yummy?" and I gleaned a few ideas. I already do the simmer-cinnamon-sticks-in-apple-juice bit, but I love the idea of filling my sink and dumping in a cleaning product to make the house smell like I've just mopped the floors. Since I never actually mop this is even more clever!

Like me though, most people use candles or plug-ins, and a few mentioned Scentsy, the first time I ever heard of it. (Really. If they paid me right here is where the disclaimer would go.) A few people said they just bake a lot, but of course that has it's own hazards.....

About a year ago the amazing folks over at Young House Love had an easy DYI Reed Diffuser that I've been  meaning to try out. Maybe this will inspire me!

Mostly though I'm glad to know I'm not the only one obsessed with having a good-smelling house for guests to come in to.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Living room mood board

Inspired by the mood boards over at Young House Love (Have you seen them? So amazing.) I tried my hand at doing a mood board for our living room. My mood board looks like a sick dog compared to slick and polished ones YHL does (did I mention I have love for them? Love.) but it was fun to give it a whirl.

Our walls are Sherwin Williams 50% Blonde already, and the trim is all pure white. We have new wall-to-wall and I think won't put a rug over it. The fabrics in the mood board are by Waverly, the rest of the stuff it just to get the feel, not necessarily the specific items.












 
 
 

Next up I think I'll try some more World/Ethnic looks.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas Crafts

Two easy and adorable crafts, via CentsationalGirl.

Love this one:













You can create these with some $1 dollar craft store letters, craft glue and soft peppermints. To create, simply cut peppermints in half, shave with fine grater to make perfectly flat on rear, then secure with craft glue for a whimsical monogram.


Also like this one:













To create, paint craft glue onto inexpensive set of cookie cutters then shake inside a plastic bag filled with colored glitter.

If these turn out even half as adorable as they look in her photos they'll be amazing!