My New Craft Room!

Sorry I haven't been writing or giving things away but I was in the midst of renovation last week AND managed to get sick for about 4 days leaving me with "medicine head" and very unclear thoughts. So, I'm back in the swing of things and want to get you caught up :)

Here is a picture of my former classroom for the kids:


I had already taken out all the books, furniture and stuff before I remembered to take the Before shot! First, let me tell you how my kids had begged for a room to do their studying in. I even put a loveseat in there for them to lay down and read so they could be comfy. They had been using the dining room table for schoolwork, but kept griping about someone making noise, or humming, or clicking, or kicking, or singing, or whispering, you get the picture. The classroom was my solution. Two non-fighters could study in there while the other 2 stayed at the table. Um, I think that worked for 2 weeks. Over the past year, it has turned into Max's study room/trash can to dump all books not being used.

During that time, as my dedication to crafting has picked up, my dining room was slowly being taken over by piles of fabric, trims, scraps, half-completed projects, a sewing machine and the new serger. If I was heavy into a project, we would have to go out and eat because I didn't want to disturb all my hard work going on at the table. It soon became clear to me (as my husband was picking pink thread from his stew) that The Trash Can would be better utilized as a Sewing Room. So I started laying down plans. I was going to need new flooring - can't have threads and fabric scraps on carpet. I would get rid of the posters and paint a different color. The couch would have to go so I could have room for the ironing board and a sewing table. Oh! 'Sew' much to do!

After 2 days of moving, sanding, ripping up floor, put down floor, painting, moving, and reorganizing - here it is:


Now you can imagine me crafting away here, slaving over my hot iron making beautiful handmade aprons and accessories for you, my lovely customers, dear friends, and fabulous family! You are all worth it :)

Natural ingredients for Chemical-Free Cleaners

My super-savvy, trying-to-jump-on-the-green-wagon, husband sent me this article from Yahoo! Shine last night. I have condensed it for you, but here is the important stuff:

1. Baking soda: Acts as a scrub to remove hard water stains; polishes metal; deodorizes pretty much anything it touches (try stashing some in the fridge).

2. Borax: Mixed with three parts water, it makes a paste for cleaning carpet stains; mixed with ¼ part lemon juice, it cleans stainless steel and porcelain. (Note: although borax is a natural substance, you still shouldn’t eat it—and neither should your kids or pets.)

3. Lemon: Deodorizes and cuts grease on counter tops; rubbed on cutting boards, it bleaches stains and disinfects; combined with baking soda, it removes stains from plastic food storage containers.

4. Salt: Another natural scrubber—sprinkle it on cookware or oven surfaces, then rub; add citrus juice to turn it into an effective rust remover.

5. White vinegar: Deodorizes and disinfects; combine with water (and a little liquid soap—I know, it feels like cheating) to clean windows, mirrors, and floors; use at full strength in a spray bottle to fight mold and mildew.

6. Olive Oil: Mix two parts oil with one part lemon juice and use as a natural wood polish. (Save the really good stuff for dinner.)

One added bonus of using natural cleaners: as part of your spring cleaning regimen, you can now clear out all those bottles of specialized (and possibly toxic) potions.

For more tips on rounding out your eco-friendly cleaning closet, see Christina Strutt’s cleaning-pantry-checklist from her new book, A Guide To Green Housekeeping; for a video demonstration of how to mix up some natural cleaning solutions with these ingredients, watch this clip from Decor It Yourself.

So you probably knew that those ingredients did some kind of cleaning, but it's nice to know what combines with what. So go empty all those spray bottles, thoroughly rinse them, soak off the labels, mix your green mixes and label your bottles with a Sharpie. I suggest also writing what it can be used for right on the bottle. Happy Spring Cleaning!

Why can't you test-live a house?

Why?! Oh WHY?! Can you not test-live a house? You can spend an hour with a car, drive it around, maybe even keep it overnight to see if you want to spend $40,000. You can taste every meal from a hotel's catering department and never book with them, taking your $15,000 reception elsewhere. But we are expected to tour a house for 30 minutes or less and make a 30 year/several hundred thousand dollar commitment based on that those 30 measly minutes.

Why can't I say, "Hey, I like your house. Before I spend half a mil and eons of heartache and buyers remorse for the next 10 years; could I pay you -let's say $150 a night for the next 4 nights, to test it out?" I want to know how long it takes for the water to get hot; does the floor creak; can I hear every sound between the walls; how weird are the neighbors; what's the traffic like - you know all those really important daily living issues. I want to start a revolution in realty - TEST LIVE YOUR NEXT HOME!

Oh, and by the way, don't ever buy a split foyer. You have to step out for solicitors, guests have to make an instant decision when they come in - up or down; and you can't close the frickin' door while all of this is going on.