My earphone cases are long gone. I need replacements. Yes, replacements.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
20 DIY Earphone Cases
I’m more likely to listen to music on my phone if I have earphones with me. Unfortunately most of my earphones sit all by themselves in a drawer. Even the cute painted earphones I made over (read the tutorial here.)
My earphone cases are long gone. I need replacements. Yes, replacements.
My earphone cases are long gone. I need replacements. Yes, replacements.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
DIY: How to Decorate and Paint Earphones
Back to School season is a great time to buy office supplies. It is also a tempting a time. Sometimes the logical The Greenest Thing is What You Already Own side of my brain and the computer IT geek I Don’t Care This One is So Much Cooler Than What I Have side of my brain do battle. Well, not exactly battle but more like I end up buying something cute that’s not on my shopping list just because it is a cuter version of what I already have.
Now in the case of something small like earphones, the purchase won’t break the bank or anything like that but it will clutter up my house. Especially when I found several pairs of very good ear buds while cleaning and organizing my desk. It was a good surprise because I can keep a pair in my gym and dance bag, in my purse, my desk, etc.
So why am I tempted in the store while staring at a rack of cheapola 5 dollar ear buds that probably sound worse than the good ones I love and use?
I’ll tell you why. The cheapie headphones are in pretty and cute colors. The spendy and great sounding earphones are plain Jane black.
Now in the case of something small like earphones, the purchase won’t break the bank or anything like that but it will clutter up my house. Especially when I found several pairs of very good ear buds while cleaning and organizing my desk. It was a good surprise because I can keep a pair in my gym and dance bag, in my purse, my desk, etc.
Keep reading for my step by step painted earphone tutorial!
So why am I tempted in the store while staring at a rack of cheapola 5 dollar ear buds that probably sound worse than the good ones I love and use?
I’ll tell you why. The cheapie headphones are in pretty and cute colors. The spendy and great sounding earphones are plain Jane black.
How to Make Cute Earphones
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7/28/2015 08:00:00 AM
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Sunday, July 26, 2015
Landscaping Budget Hack: Use a Tool Lending Libarary
It seems strange to start a landscaping project in late July instead of May but Mother Nature isn't giving us much choice. Ohio has the opposite water problem California has - too much rain.
The number of days in a row Columbus has not had any precipitation this year?
Four.
This we're lucky if we get a 24 hour period without rain once every couple of weeks. If the sun decides to visit us after a 15 to 19 day rainy stretch we learned to drop everything to do outside chores just in case it rains later in the day.
The number of days in a row Columbus has not had any precipitation this year?
Four.
This we're lucky if we get a 24 hour period without rain once every couple of weeks. If the sun decides to visit us after a 15 to 19 day rainy stretch we learned to drop everything to do outside chores just in case it rains later in the day.
Posted by
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
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7/26/2015 09:44:00 AM
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Thursday, July 23, 2015
7 Back to School Craft Projects
I always think of Back to School season as an unofficial New Year's Day. It is full of new possibilities and new school clothes, shoes, and supplies. My parents bought me new consumable school supplies like pens, pencils, and notebooks but for the big stuff like lunchboxes, binders, and backpacks they had a One and Done policy. I had to take care of it because I wasn't going to get another for the following school year if I trashed it that year.
Looking back, it was a great green lesson about taking care of what you have so it will last. It was also a lesson in creativity. Sometimes I jazzed up last year's school supplies makes them feel bright, shiny, and new for the new school year with a craft project like my washi tape USB Flash drive.
Them: "Hey, where did you get that cool Flash drive?!" Me: "Oh, I made it."
When you want to be crafty for Back to School season it helps to start early. Especially if you have a student going back to college since most college start before summer officially ends.
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7/23/2015 08:18:00 AM
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015
DIY Downton Abby Doorbell
Sometimes putting a bit more effort into the design of the day to day functional bits of your home pay off in unexpected ways. For example, doorbells.
Most people, including myself, take that plain Jane button beside the door for granted. As long as it connects to a functional door chime unit inside the house doorbells are something you typically don't think about replacing until it breaks.
That's a shame. Especially if you are lucky to have a period home.
Most people, including myself, take that plain Jane button beside the door for granted. As long as it connects to a functional door chime unit inside the house doorbells are something you typically don't think about replacing until it breaks.
That's a shame. Especially if you are lucky to have a period home.
Is it possible to fall in love with a doorbell? I think I have.
Photos courtesy of Home to Cottage
Posted by
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7/21/2015 08:00:00 AM
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Sunday, July 19, 2015
Cheap and Easy No Slip Tool Chest Organizer
After I built my recycled pallet and cabinet workbench, I needed to organize and load in my tools.
The power tools were easy to organize. I already keep my power tools in their cases. I stashed those in the workbench cabinet. Boom. Done.
The power tools were easy to organize. I already keep my power tools in their cases. I stashed those in the workbench cabinet. Boom. Done.
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7/19/2015 09:30:00 AM
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Thursday, July 16, 2015
Tiny Treehouse House Tour
Tiny houses are all the rage. They are cute, twee, and have a ridiculously small carbon footprint.
What could be better?
How about a tiny house built in a tree that's a little B and B? That was originally built to be a tiny tree house brewery until the owners converted it into a rental cabin?
What could be better?
How about a tiny house built in a tree that's a little B and B? That was originally built to be a tiny tree house brewery until the owners converted it into a rental cabin?
I am completely smitten with the gorgeous arched stained glass window!
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7/16/2015 08:00:00 AM
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Tuesday, July 14, 2015
DIY Fire and Ice Fire Bowl
The first time I saw fire stone was in a gas burning fireplace on HGTV. When they lit the fireplace it looked like the cheery orange flame danced above a field of clear ice shards.
It was just the thing I wanted to replace the ceramic fake logs in my gas fireplace.
I put the fire stone idea aside when my research told me I'd have to replace the entire gas fireplace insert to a specific insert that works with fire stone. I put the fire and ice desire on the back burner since it wasn't the quick fix I thought it would be.
Until I read Kim's tabletop fire bowl idea on her blog Today’s Creative Life. She made a fire stone fire bowl for her deck in less than 30 minutes.
Just look at that blue! It looks like ice from the Caribbean ocean is on fire.
Which is a pretty good trick since the only ice I ever saw in the Caribbean has been in my drink from the hotel ice maker.
I can totally do this!
So can you. Read Kim's tutorial
on Today's Creative Life!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
It was just the thing I wanted to replace the ceramic fake logs in my gas fireplace.
I put the fire stone idea aside when my research told me I'd have to replace the entire gas fireplace insert to a specific insert that works with fire stone. I put the fire and ice desire on the back burner since it wasn't the quick fix I thought it would be.
Until I read Kim's tabletop fire bowl idea on her blog Today’s Creative Life. She made a fire stone fire bowl for her deck in less than 30 minutes.
Just look at that blue! It looks like ice from the Caribbean ocean is on fire.
Which is a pretty good trick since the only ice I ever saw in the Caribbean has been in my drink from the hotel ice maker.
I can totally do this!
So can you. Read Kim's tutorial
DIY Tabletop Fire Bowl
on Today's Creative Life!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Posted by
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
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7/14/2015 08:00:00 AM
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Sunday, July 12, 2015
15 Non Alcoholic Cocktails for Summer
After the gray winter days, I dance with joy when the sun shines bright in summer.
Except this summer. We had 19 straight days of rain in June.
We are following that trend this July. We're lucky if we get one day a week that it isn't raining. When that happens, it is more likely to be overcast rather than sunny.
As a treat, I mix up a pitcher of liquid sunshine - a fancy pants juice drink that's alcohol free. A mocktail! It's the perfect refreshing drink when you want something a little more than water and not as sweet as pop.
I'm sharing 15 of my favorite mocktail recipes on my food blog Lazy Budget Chef. Click here to read:
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Except this summer. We had 19 straight days of rain in June.
We are following that trend this July. We're lucky if we get one day a week that it isn't raining. When that happens, it is more likely to be overcast rather than sunny.
As a treat, I mix up a pitcher of liquid sunshine - a fancy pants juice drink that's alcohol free. A mocktail! It's the perfect refreshing drink when you want something a little more than water and not as sweet as pop.
I'm sharing 15 of my favorite mocktail recipes on my food blog Lazy Budget Chef. Click here to read:
15 Summer Mocktail Recipes That Will Make You the Queen of the Cookout on Lazy Budget Chef!
What is your favorite summer drink?
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Posted by
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
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7/12/2015 10:18:00 AM
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Monday, July 6, 2015
How to Repair a Quad Camp Chair
One of Husband’s coworkers has a HUGE Fourth of July parade party and cookout.
Food was made. Watermelon cut and cubed. Coolers were washed and ready. The one thing we didn’t double check were our first generation armless folding quad lawn (camp) chairs. (aff link)
We discovered one of rivets holding the chair legs to the seat broke after we set up the chairs at our parade viewing encampment. Whoops!
Replacing a broken rivet on a folding quad lawn chair is a super simple fix. It takes barely any time at all. If you have a jar of odd nuts and bolts laying around, it could be a zero dollar repair. What’s not to love about that?
Food was made. Watermelon cut and cubed. Coolers were washed and ready. The one thing we didn’t double check were our first generation armless folding quad lawn (camp) chairs. (aff link)
We discovered one of rivets holding the chair legs to the seat broke after we set up the chairs at our parade viewing encampment. Whoops!
Replacing a broken rivet on a folding quad lawn chair is a super simple fix. It takes barely any time at all. If you have a jar of odd nuts and bolts laying around, it could be a zero dollar repair. What’s not to love about that?
How to Fix a Folding Lawn Chair
Posted by
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
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7/06/2015 04:51:00 PM
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Wednesday, July 1, 2015
12 Favorite Summer Craft Projects
Summer is in full swing. I am loving it! Warm summer days are excellent DIY and craft project weather. Here are a few of my favorite summer craft projects that are not only clever but useful too!
DIY Personalized Insulated Wine Glass Tumblers – Fun and reusable!
DIY Personalized Insulated Wine Glass Tumblers – Fun and reusable!
Posted by
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
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7/01/2015 03:23:00 PM
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