Condo Blues: June 2017

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

How to a Make Tomato Cage Plant Stand

This year’s Tabasco and Habanero pepper plants aren’t doing as well as they could planted discretely in our front flower bed as they could on the sunny backyard patio. They only way to do that is to eek out space for two more plants on my small patio container garden with  four plant stands.

Which was a fantastic excuse to check out our new IKEA store! I saw a self watering planter and stand on the IKEA website that would do the job nicely.


Until I got to the store and an associate told me they were discontinued. *sad face*

No worries! I swung by Home Depot on my way home to buy tomatoes cages to make into a quick and easy modern plant stand.

Quick and Easy DIY Modern Plant Stands


Pin this idea for later and to share with your friends!

You will need:

Sunday, June 25, 2017

How to Make Compost Tea Fertilizer

Every evening as part of my post dinner cleanup,  I try to dump our kitchen compost collector into the big tumbling compost bin outside to keep the little guy from stinking up the joint.

This particular evening I gave the compost bin a crank like I have done so many evenings before only for the half full bin to suddenly become much easier to turn, like it was practically empty – because it was.

The hinges and latch on the door to the compost bin failed and dumped compost all over the yard.
For the third time.

I didn’t have enough finished compost to fertilize my garden but instead of singing the Condo Blues, I used it to make compost tea. Compost tea is an excellent plant food and fertilizer and well earns its nickname – Black Gold.

How to Brew Compost Tea Concentrate the Easy Way

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Thursday, June 22, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 377

Wahoo! Yesterday was the Summer Solstice and the Official Start of Summer!!!!

As I was running errands yesterday, I popped into a nearby craft store (as one does) to find the employees putting out aisle upon aisle of Christmas supplies and decor where I hoped to find Summer stuff for First Day of Summer project inspiration for you.

*sigh* 

Let's party!

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Sunday, June 18, 2017

Mod Podge Wallpaper Update: How Does it Last?

Shortly after buying our condo, I used Mod Podge to wallpaper a bathroom with old book pages.
I frequently get email asking me how using Mod Podge as wallpaper glue holds up after the 10+ years I used it to remodel my bathroom.

I thought I’d give you an update.

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Thursday, June 15, 2017

Chemical Free Sunblock Hack and Friday Favorites Linky Party 376

I'm very good about applying sunscreen before I spend time in the hot summer sun. (My current mineral sunscreen favorites are Goddess Garden Sport, Bock Island, and Jason Sun Sport. (aff))  Unfortunately, I am rubbish about replying sunscreen throughout the day, especially when I'm having fun at an outdoor festival or street fair - which happen almost weekly in our fantastic city.  Which means it doesn't take long for my prolific perspiration powers to blow through my screen screen and allow me to fry like bacon in the sun.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Easy DIY Camp Chair Makeover

I used a fun nautical fabric to make replacement camp chair carrying bags (read the Condo Blues tutorial here) to go with my blue camp chairs. Unfortunately while there are many shades of blue in my fabric, the exact color of the chair isn’t in the fabric - and it bugs me.

A lot.

Putting an anchor on the back of my chairs would tie them in with the anchors in the fabric chair tote bags. I’m not a great painter so painting is out.

But sewing?

Sewing I can do.

How to Embroider a Folding Chair

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 375

Hello Friends! Do you have plans this weekend? If not, GO SEE WONDER WOMAN! Husband and I went to see it opening weekend and IT WAS AWESOME!

I see folks talking about the Wonder Woman movies as some sort of statement or Thing which I suppose it can be if you are looking for something like that. (Although I almost fell out of my chair when I saw frail little Princess Buttercup from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movie The Princess Bride plays the Amazon general that trains Wonder Woman because she is their best fighter. Also they cast a ton of female champion athletes to play the Amazons who are also drop dead healthy and gorgeous,)

In all honesty, this is the first DC Comics superhero movie in a long to,e that makes me WANT to cheer for the hero. She's not there to be all "statementy", she's there to fight the bad guys and save the day - and she does.

I gotta say, I was scared Warner Brothers was going to mess up the Wonder Woman movie and make it deep, dark, depressing, broody, and totally unlike the character I like and remember as a kid. You, know, just like they did with the recent Superman and Batman movies. I felt like I lost several hours of my life I cannot get back after I watched those poor excuses for superhero movies.

So yeah, I totally recommend this movie. Best of all it is kid friendly! This isn't a sponsored ad or anything. I just really, really like the movie and hope everyone sees it, especially men and boys so movies studios will get over "this type of movie does't make enough money to make female lead character movies" because Husband is totally ready to movie to Thematically if they'd let him!

Let's party!

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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

How to Make a Hanging Self Watering Herb Garden

Husband and I like to cook with fresh herbs and the easiest and cheapest way to do that is to grow them on the patio off our kitchen. Unfortunately for my herb garden to be, most of the patio space has already been claimed by tomato and pepper plants.

No problem -  if you can’t go out, go up!

I made last fall’s hanging flower pots into a self watering hanging herb garden. I hung them on hanging plant pulleys I bought from Amazon here so I can water then more easily using the pulley to lower the pots to Lisa height and then raise the planters so no one else bonks their head on a low hanging plant. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience)

Easy DIY Self Watering Hanging Planter



Pin this post for later! Share this clever planter idea with your friends! 

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Easy DIY Captain America Wreath

I want a new patriotic wreath to hang on my front door for the Fourth of July. I grabbed various bits and bobs from around the house (I always shop my house first so I don’t potentially buy stuff I end up not using for the project) and started to play with layouts and designs.

The design I kept coming back a floating star in the center of the wreath form which reminded me of Captain America’s shield. I wasn’t quite sure how to make the floating star work and joked it would be easier to hang Cap’s Shield on the front door and call it a Fourth of July wreath.

Then I thought why don’t I?

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 374

I can't wait to see the creative DIY, home improvement, and craft projects, and yummy recipes you have to share with us this week!

Let's party!

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Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
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Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
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Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL


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If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
 
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!