Home & Garden – Page 3

spring spruce-up

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I am craving a spruce up in my kitchen. I’ve spent too much time looking at photos of great DIY projects and now I’m itching to start one. You see, April will mark 8 years since we moved into this house. Eight years! That’s the longest I’ve live anywhere except for the house in which I grew up.

But now the wood moulding, the builder’s cabinets, the gray speckled Formica… it’s starting to get a little boring to me. Of course, with three small kids there is NO WAY we’re investing any real money in a kitchen update. So I’m thinking about some small changes, starting with the curtains.

I’ve always like roman shades, but we don’t get enough sun through those windows to really warrant them, so I’m looking for new valances. I just can’t find anything I like. (Always my problem). Still, it’s the quickest and easiest change to make at the moment. Hopefully I’ll find something I like, or maybe my mind will just wander to another project!

tired of the clutter

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Source: houzz.com via Carol on Pinterest

I’ve been on a purging/organizing kick lately. Maybe the mild weather has shifted my brain to spring cleaning! At any rate, my big weekend project was reorganizing my closet. Someday maybe I’ll have a super-beautiful, insanely organized closet like the one pictured above, but… surely not anytime soon! Though we do have a large walk-in closet, so I really can’t complain.

Taking everything off the hangers, deciding what to keep, and what to give away, and trying to figure out better storage solutions took a good bit of time, but it’s so nice to walk into a clean closet that makes sense! It’s much easier to decide what to wear, and now I only have clothes that fit me. (I’ve lost weight, so there were quite a few items that just made me look frumpy.)

Now that my closet is squared away, I’m thinking about bedroom vanities… currently my sewing machine is on my desk but I wonder if I could work a little magic and turn it into a great place to do my hair and makeup. Well, I think the bathroom will continue to suffice for now, but it’s an idea.

sunday visitors

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Three woodpeckers decided to have breakfast in our front yard this morning!

red and blue vintage circus bunting tutorial (sort of)

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Yesterday I completed the one project I wasn’t sure I’d complete in time for Laura’s birthday party — a fabric pennant/bunting/whatever you want to call it. These have been all over the web for a while now, and on my “to do” list since spring. I kind of made up the instructions as I went along. All I knew was it had to meet these requirements:

Easy to do. I do not have the time right now to be all fussy with things like this.
Look old and vintage-y. Fraying? No problem. Uneven lines? Hey, that’s okay! It just makes it look more handmade.
Be multi-purpose. I need to use this for more than just one event.

So, the color scheme I’m using, as you know, is turquoise and red. Well, it’s lapsed into various shades of blue and red which is perfect since the party is also Memorial Day weekend. I will be able to use this bunting for years on the 4th of July as well, so I will definitely get a lot of use out of it.

First, I chose my fabrics. I just bought a bunch of fat quarters in patterns that I liked. Then I ironed them flat, then folded each in half the long way (with right sides facing each other) and ironed it again. I used this template from Cicada Daydream to trace triangles on the wrong side of the fabric. Because I wasn’t going to be turning my triangles inside-out, I cut out my triangle pattern on the dotted (sew) line. I used pinking shears because I like that look. It looks old. It also makes me think of my grandmother 🙂 Then, I sewed a straight stitch around the two long sides of each triangle. I didn’t go across the top.

Then I took some navy blue bias tape that I had in my stash, snugged a triangle up inside, and sewed it. Repeat until you run out of triangles or the bunting is as long as you want it. And let me warn you: if you decide to have a little glass of Tia Maria and milk while you sew up your second bunting, chances are you will mess up a few triangles and then your husband will ask why you’re cursing so much. 😉

In hindsight, a smarter thing to do would have been to take fabric glue (personally, I like Fabri-Tac) and glue each triangle into place on the bias tape, and then sew one single line across. It would look a lot neater and save some time. But I’m still happy with the way this came out. I’ll be sure to take a photo of it “in action” at the party on Sunday!

not-so-organized

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I haven’t been doing so well on my big plans to get organized this year. The last two weeks have been crazy and I haven’t completed a single project. But I’ve got one in the works for this week: tackling my home management binder. It is in need of some serious updating. I’d love to get my hands on a velobind machine, but for now I’ll make due with my standard binder. I am going to make it a priority this week to spend some time going through my paperwork and figuring out what worked (and what didn’t) the last time I worked on this.

Check back on Friday for an update on my progress!

Read about the organizing projects of other bloggers and join in the fun at Organizing Junkie.

organization challenge: week 1

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Carol — 4 Comments ↓

Today is a snow day. Although there wasn’t much on the ground when we woke up this morning, the snow is now coming down steadily and I’m sure the roads are slick. A snow day beats worrying about whether or not the bus will make it home safely in case of an early dismissal! Anyway, with three kids running around instead of just one, I figured I’d start with a manageable organization task: re-organizing the kitchen “desk drawer” which had become a junk drawer. Check it out:

This is where we keep all the basic office supplies, but no one could ever find a pen or a pencil. And no wonder! They were hidden under all this stuff:

There were note cards with pretty designs of art prints that I ended up throwing away because they were dirty (from stray pencils and crayons). We had three staplers in there. Three screwdrivers. Who knows how many screws, nuts, washers, and nails? It was just so much junk that I couldn’t stand it. It probably took me about 30-40 minutes to whip it into shape. Aaah, much better:

I told the boys where everything is supposed to go, and I hope they don’t just start throwing things in there. This is one “hot spot” I really need to stay on top of, but having completed this one project is a huge load off my mind!
Read about the organizing projects of other bloggers and join in the fun at Organizing Junkie.

2011 goals: organization

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Getting organized seems to be a continuing goal — something I’m constantly striving to achieve. And just when I have things in good order… BAM! Something (like a holiday and school vacation) comes along and throws my system all out of whack. And not that I’m blaming my little one, but a certain curious, active toddler doesn’t make things easier. At the moment I feel completely overwhelmed by all the projects I have going, so when I read about Laura’s year-long project, 52 Weeks of Organizing, I knew I had to take part in it. Small projects, manageable chunks, little by little… Yes, I can totally do this!

I’m starting by making a list of — you guessed it — the 52 organizing projects I plan to tackle in 2011. Off the top of my head I know I want to work on my craft cabinet, my bow-making supplies storage, the “junk drawer” in the kitchen, my desk, the Tupperware cabinet, and my closet. I don’t think I’ll have any problem reaching 52, LOL!

What about you? Do you have any organizing puzzles you want to solve this year?

reality check

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

One of the things I’ve learned about blogging in all the years I’ve been doing it, is that it’s easy to think people are perfect. Sometimes you get the impression that a writer just has it all together because let’s face it — as writers we pick and choose what we write about. It’s not difficult to sculpt a personality that resembles your true self, but is maybe just a little bit more organized and together. So. Lest anyone think that of me, allow me to present you with the current state of my kitchen. Take a deep breath and don’t let the little ones around. It ain’t pretty:

My husband has been working on painting the kitchen at night after the kids are in bed, so everything has been pulled off the counters and the tops of the cabinets. As you can see, I’ve started putting a few things back up. But naturally, I decided to switch things around and quite a few of the tchotkes up there used to be in other parts of the house. I’m taking this opportunity to do some rearranging, as well. Until now we’d kept the chips on top of the refrigerator (and I’ve always hated it; while convenient, it’s very ugly). So I’ve put my canisters up there and I’m going to find room in a cabinet for the Doritos you see on the kitchen table.

I really do love this coffee color, though. It sure beats the “builder’s beige” we’ve been living with for six years. (We’re not convinced it was even paint — I think it was just primer.) At any rate, I’m pulling out my blue, white, and yellow decor for the spring and summer. Maybe in the fall and winter I’ll go back to the gold, dark green, and burgundy. But for now I want to freshen things up. The curtains will be going. I found a couple fabrics that I like and I just want a second opinion before I make a purchase. And as much as I’d love to get the TV off the bar, that’s a battle that I’ll never win. I hate having the TV on while we eat dinner but… sometimes bribing the kids with a movie is the only way they’ll eat what I’ve made. It’s a small price to pay. At least we’re all still at the table, right?

I just hope that a certain baby will cooperate and let me continue putting stuff away. I’d forgotten how little you get done with a 10 month old (especially one who doesn’t like to nap). Wish me luck!

shiny happy washcloths

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

Hi. My name is Carol and I have an addiction to dishcloth cotton yarn. There, I’ve said it. I’ve come clean. But tell me — how can you resist picking up one of the wonderfully yummy, colorful, and cheap skeins of Sugar ‘n Cream yarn? Perhaps you’re a stronger woman that I am. But when I saw that Melissa was suggesting a washcloth create-along, I was pleased as punch to have a nice selection of yarn to work with! Washcloths are my go-to project. They’re quick. They’re as easy or challenging as you want them to be. And they don’t require expensive yarn or lots of concentration (necessarily). And wouldn’t you know? I need to replenish my stack! So for the next two weeks I’ll be working up these babies as well as finishing up Colonnade.

In fact, last night I started and nearly completed a washcloth while watching a couple episodes of Weeds. (We’re getting Season 5 via Netflix). See?

This is the pattern I’m writing up for you. It’s easy and it’s probably out there somewhere already because basically it’s just a crochet stitch, but that’s okay. Here’s a closer peek:

The yellow is a wee bit bright, but it’s very cheerful too. I think paired up with some blue cloths it’ll look great in my newly-painted kitchen. No, it’s not painted yet, but within a month it will be. And I think I’ll be switching the color scheme of all my accessories from burgundy/gold/dark green to blue and yellow. I’m going for more of a French country feel. I have a few things that we bought on our honeymoon in Bordeaux and they’ll all blue and yellow so I’ll be taking those off the shelves. And a while back my mother-in-law gave me some blue glasses she no longer wanted. Those will be perfect along with my white dishes. Voila! Instant kitchen makeover!

it’s up!

Posted on November 29, 2009 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Although our tree has technically been up for about a week, we didn’t decorate it until today. It’s such fun unwrapping all the ornaments, isn’t it? We don’t have a specific theme for our tree; we just have lots and lots of different ornaments that we’ve collected through the years, a few going back to the 1970s. (Drew’s mom gave him an ornament every year!) Whenever we go someplace on vacation or on any kind of special trip we like to purchase something to use as an ornament for the tree. Also, I admit to hitting the Hallmark Keepsake ornaments hard after Christmas every year when they go on clearance for 50% off!

This year we had popcorn garland, but we forgot to put it on until we were halfway-through decorating. So, it’ll just have to wait until next year. (Have you ever tried to put garland on a tree that’s already been decorated? If you can do it, then you are much more skilled than I am — of course I’m pretty klutzy all around so it’s probably that most people would have no trouble!)

Here’s a peek at the finished tree:

Yes, we do even have the train going around! A few years ago the boys received this Lionel train as a gift from Drew’s aunt. We’ll probably have to box it up for a year or two once this season is over, though. It’s quite fragile and once Laura is mobile, well… I’m not going to risk her damaging it. She’s already grabbing and going after things! Have you put up your tree yet? Be sure to post a photo when you do and let me know. I just love looking at everyone’s trees!

Our lights are also up outside. I will have to take a photo of the house later. Drew has these neat mounts that snap onto the gutters so he can put them up from the ground — no need to stand on a ladder. It makes it so much easier for him and I since he’s not 10 feet up, I don’t need to worry (or be outside spotting the ladder). I still have a little decorating I’d like to do, but it’s plenty early. I’m glad the big stuff is all set, though!