End Table Bookshelf

My sewing room looks like a wrecking ball hit it. Me being me I don’t want to install any old set of shelves. This room is my creative space. I want something fun. 

Designer Isabel Quiroga created a bookshelf from old end tables. Floor to ceiling bookcases get my organizational motor running. The high gloss purple speaks to my quirky side.

All photos courtesy of Stichting Art Eko

The website featuring Isabel Quiroga is in Dutch but it isn’t too hard to figure out how to do something like this yourself.

Garage Workshop Transformation – Replace the Garage Door Opener

Normally I’m a fix it instead of replace it kind of gal. Except when it comes to my garage door opener. I’ve had issues with it refusing to close and the door popping open after tinkering with it for years. 

The break in last summer was the last straw. I’m giving in to my geek side instead of my green side. I replaced my old garage door opener with an uber sweet Craftsman Assurelink Garage Door Opener that allows me to open and close the garage door with my smart phone.

I was so excited about having a garage door opener that works 24/7  I hugged the box after the UPS man delivered it. Blitzkrieg will recreate that scene for you now.

The things I do for this woman. And treats. Lots of treats.

Even though I was excited at the prospect of having a garage door opener that worked, I had a few reservations.

One Small Green Change: Buy Shoes that Fit

Hi name is Lisa and I am a shoe gal, shoeaholic, shoe crazy, avid shoe shopper or whatever you want to call it. It’s genetic.

 These are two of few pairs of shoes that I kept that  fit.

Vowing to only buy shoes that fit my small and wide feet may seem like I’m reaching for a March One Small Green Change.

Not if you saw the large number of shoes on my shoe rack. 

Or saw the blisters on my feet from a day of heavy walking in shoes I bought that are the perfect width for the ball of my foot but technically too big in the foot bed or for my narrow heel.

There are many wasted resources in my closet. I have ill fitting shoes I settled for because I needed a dress shoe or whatever and was fed up shopping two malls and half a dozen shoes stores in between. I also have a big box of insoles and doodads to try to make those shoes fit my wonky feet with varying results. High end, low end, green materials, and not I have ‘em and I’m not wearing a bunch of them. Or I regret it when I do. This starts the shoe search all over again.

Make a Mini Wood Pallet Butterfly

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing everyday that scares you.” Today that challenge came courtesy of Scribble Shop on line craft shop. No, they didn’t challenge me to DIY with a chain saw, or fire, or anything mildly explosive.

 Pity.

Scribble Shop asked if I wanted to participate in an Iron Chef type of craft challenge. Except I didn’t have to go to Japan or compete against Masaharu Morimoto.

Double pity. The original Iron Chef is tops in this house!

ScribbleShop sent me and a group of bloggers a mystery box of supplies from their shop. They challenged me to use everything in the box to make one craft project.

Bitzkrieg helped me open the box.

It's Amazing What a Difference a Gallon of Paint Makes!

When I talk about painting, instead of replacing my kitchen cabinets everyone tells me painting kitchen cabinets is one of the most pain in the patoot DIY jobs ever.

That's why painting kitchen cabinets is near the bottom of my DIY To Do List. I'm waiting for them to magically transform themselves overnight.

Then I saw Mandy's kitchen cabinet transformation. With paint. From a painless to paint kit. It gives me hope peeps. Hope for my bland builder grade cabinet

Photo courtesy of  Suger Bee Crafts

Festive Fabric Plate

What a treat do I have for you! My friend Amy from Mod Podge Rocks is sharing one of her amazing transformations. What this gal can't do with a thrift store plate and a bottle of 'Podge is, well, why don't you keep reading and find out?

This is Amy from Mod Podge Rocks, so pleased to be here at Condo Blues today! I have been blogging for almost four years at MPR, and I am (as you can guess) addicted to crafts and DIY. I love creating, but I also love writing. I co-own Decor Hacks with Heather Mann, and I contribute to Babble.com's The New Home Ec. Not to mention that I have a new book coming out this June called Mod Podge Rocks. You could say I keep busy.

A plate like this can be made for a party – or any festive occasion! You can place treats on the top and then reveal the design as you eat everything (and then blame the eating everything on your guests). Just be sure to Mod Podge on the bottom of the plate, and always handwash as it’s not dishwasher safe. Here’s how I made it.

How to Recaulk a Bathtub or Shower

I solved my bathroom mold and mildew problem with a permanent non-toxic solution. I installed a larger bathroom exhaust fan.

The new fan made a world of difference! My bathroom doesn’t smell like a locker room two days after I clean it like it used to.

The photo isn't out of focus. That's drywall dust and a 

shining example of why I should have worn a dust mask.

Unfortunately, the caulk around the shower is stained. I scrub it with hydrogen peroxide based bleach. It doesn’t help much. It still looks gross.

   You don’t know how embarrassing this is for me to show you. YUCK!!!

Removing the caulk and caulking, the shower with new caulk is the only solution.

How to Deodorize a Smoky Cell Phone

For some crazy reason, as much as Husband and I love technology and gadgets, we are not quick to upgrade our cell phones. We were early adaptors when it came to being a cell phone only family. Our phone bill when down when we dumped our landline because we didn’t have to pay long distance charges to call our families. We waited for the free weekend calls instead. Best of all, no telemarketers!

My new to me phone!

We keep our phones until they are ready to gasp for air, but not for the greenest of green reason you think. Truthfully, we hang on to our phones for so long because comparison shopping cell phones and features are frustrating, almost impossible, and make me stabby. I wish I could research and buy the phone I want independent of the service, like they do in Europe. 

For many reasons, it’s time to replace my four year old Blackberry (or run over my Curve’s teeny tiny always full memory with my car in frustration.)

Husband and I trooped to the store to change our plan to their current special that gives us more features at the same cost as our current plan and to price new smart phones.  We left because the staff pushed what the carrier told them to sell, which wasn’t what we wanted – to change our service plan and buy a phone outright. The store staff tried to push into a “better” plan that cost more for the services we were already using and make small payments for the life of the plan on the phone plus pay extra for a warranty. Husband and I hate making interest payments unless we can’t help it like with our car. We left empty handed.

Glitter Tennis Shoes

 For Valentines Day I got:

• A dozen sustainability grown roses 
• A half dozen Godiva dark chocolate covered strawberries as big as a baby’s fist 
• And a kidney stone 

That explains why I’ve been carrying this kidney infection around like luggage for the last month. It won’t be gone in time for my Blissdom conference trip.

 Boo.

Needless to say, preparing for this conference is a little difficult because I feel like I’ve been kicked in the kidneys all day every day.

On the upside, it has kept me from being too nervous about my Newcomer Community Leader duties and the session discussions I will be leading for the Food niche bloggers.

I'm trying to conserve my personal energy to try to be well enough to be at my very best for Blissdom. I don't want to let everyone down! To reduce my running around, I shopped my closet for clothes to wear to the conference.


I still needed some cute and comfortable shoes to wear because the Gaylord Opryrland Hotel is ginormous! It's about the same size as an airport terminal. I don’t want to relive last year’s blisterfest which left my feet covered in swag SpongeBob Squarepants band aids. Which I rocked, of course :)

Board and Batten Waincoting

Kids rooms are one of the few rooms you can go nuts with colors and themes.

Until you move.

Or you buy a new house with a football themed bedroom and you have to put your not football room loving daughter in it,  like Alison from House of Hepworths.

I wonder how many coats of paint and primer Alison needed to cover that football field? Photo courtesy of House of Hepworths 

My Homemade Green Cleaner Labeling Privileges Have Been Revoked

I make homemade green cleaners. I know exactly what is in them, making them takes a few minutes, and they are less expensive. For the most part, my homemade cleaners clean the same or, as in the case of my homemade daily shower cleaner, better than their store bought counter parts. Woot! Woot!

 I store my cleaners in empty and repurposed spray bottles. I finally got around to making labels for the bottles  I worked too hard on my half bathroom remodel to ruin the granite counter tops with a homemade vinegar based cleaner from the other bathrooms by mistake!

I gave up printing designs in super cute and colorful ink because the cartridges in my inkjet dried out. AGAIN!

I went with black laser print ink that never runs dry instead of plunking down $80 for color ink cartridges to do a whim project. Since I could not do super cute and colorful label designs, I went with decorative fonts.

Should I Repaint My Kitchen?

Husband and I like to paint rooms with deep and saturated colors. I think it comes from renting white walled apartments for so long.

I did something a little different when I painted the kitchen walls. I went with a muted green/white wall color because my overall plan is to paint the kitchen cabinets a bright cheery red instead of replacing them. I want to play with deep and light color tones in this room. 

I’m not sure but I think I went too light on the wall color in this room.

Husband is taking advantage of this and pushing for an orange room. Especially after I took the personality and color quiz on My Colortopia. Based on my answers, My Colortopia gave us an orange paint color scheme we both like. 

Del Mar Ceiling Fan Giveaway!

I'm still feeling under the weather.

Do you know would make me feel better?

Hosting an awesome giveaway! 

Remember when my snarky little self ranted on about how much I loathe ceiling fans with lights and the nice people at Del Mar Designs changed my mind?

I personally haven't bought or installed one since then (small house, etc.) but I don't think ceiling fans with lights are the big black ink stain ruining the white couch of design anymore.

Let's face it, ceiling fans are a very effective and energy efficient way to cool a home in summer and to reduce your heating costs in winter by reversing the fan blades. You know how much I like energy efficiency!

Del Mar Designs asked me if they could sponsor a ceiling fan giveaway on Condo Blues. I can't think of a better way to say thank you to Del Mar Designs for changing my design mind and for a chance to thank all of you for reading this little ol' blog of mine.

How would you like the chance to win either one of these fabulous ceiling fans from Del Mar Designs?

Free Hugs T Shirt

Learn how to make this shirt!

My big 2011 blog goal was to speak at a blogging conference. I have been working my tail off. There many talented speakers and not as many blog conference speaking slots.

I did back flips when I got the notice Blissdom 2012 selected me to be one of the Newcomer Community Leaders!  

What does a Community Leader do at Blissdom? This year, Blissdom changed their session format. Instead of doing a panel discussion with Q and A at the end, each session will have one speaker. Then we will divide into groups by blogging niche. The Community Leaders will lead discussions about how to translate the speaker’s information to fit each blogger’s situation and specific niche needs and quirks.

You can read my bio here. They make me sound very smart. 

(Smart like I know stuff, not smart as in Alec.)

Hanging beds – Yay or Nay?

Hanging beds are on design trend for spring. This time the hanging bed moves indoors to the bedroom from the covered porch. Need proof? Anthropologie has a hanging bed in their Spring line.

Photo courtesy of Anthropolopie

If Anthro does it, many will follow. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. I likes me some Anthro too.

To put hanging beds into design context, here is how the TheNovogratz’s (love them!) used hanging beds in The Pioneer Woman’s house (love her too!)

Stitched Love Note

Valentine’s Day gifts for Husband are hard. I use all my good gift ideas for Christmas.

 Husband usually gives me candy or flowers. I don't do that in case I duplicate. Although for our first Valentine’s Day, I gave him an anatomically correct chocolate heart.

18 years later it’s still in the box in the back of our refrigerator.  I’d show you the real thing but I’m too afraid to open the box.

 I told Husband he had my heart - and gave him this

 

Garage Workshop Transformation: Insulate the Garage Walls

Fiberglass insulation has the reputation for being a pain in the itch to install. Fortunately, I had a better experience than I expected with fiberglass insulation when I insulated the garage door.

Insulated garage wall

The Owens Corning Garage Door Insulation kit I used was not made with the recycled content and no itch Owen's Corning EcoTouch insulation. The door kit insulation made my hands itch mildly when I pulled the rolls from the box without wearing gloves but nothing like the persistent itch-fest I experienced after doing minor DIY jobs involving the brand my builder used.

My good experience with the fiberglass garage door insulation kit made me think differently about fiberglass insulation. It also made me want to try the EcoTouch insulation I read about while researching garage door insulation options. I agreed to join Owen’s Corning’s EcoTouch DIY Review Panel and blog about my insulation adventures. 

 My insulated garage door. It looks like pillows, doesn't it?

Hot Dog Pinewood Derby Car

This project is not mine but it’s so awesomesauce I must share it with the entire Internet. Yep. That. Cool.

Mr. G is racing in his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. With a little parental help, the kid needs to turn a block of wood, a weight, and some wheels into a car for the BIG RACE. 

It sounds fun. I wish Girl Scouts did something like that. Even at a young age, I'd use any excuse to break out the tools, ya know?

When his mom told me Mr. G wanted to go for style instead of speed, I expected Mr. G to make a car looking like the Batmobile (a thumbs up choice because we share the same taste in superheroes) or an ice cream truck to go with his career goal of being an ice cream man.

Clear Your Clutter: Five Temporary Garage Organizers

I’m participating in the Clear Your Clutter Challenge because my garage workshop project is making nothing but clutter in the garage.

I know things will get worse before they get better but I need a temporary fix. I have a big fat bruise on my arm (OW!) when a couple of tool cases leapt from a shelf and cannon balled onto my arms and head during a I-swear-I-put-it-in-the-garage type search. 

A garage clean up and temporary reorganization should put the workshop project back on track. It is either that or post Beware of Falling Power Tools signs all over the garage. Oh, heck I still might.

I want to spend as little money as possible on this project because all of my organization and storage will change in a few months when I build the new garage storage system. My repurposed freebies may not be the prettiest but they are doing the job for now. 

 This is my working plan for final garage project.

What is the Strangest Thing You Do to Save Money?

I watched the Extreme Cheapskates special on TLC. True to reality TV, they presented and edited the people featured as weird in the lengths they go to save money even though I read many of those tips, like washing and reusing plastic zipper baggies (heck! I do it myself) on blogs and in The Tightwad Gazette books long before this show was a twinkle in a producer's eye.

Our green and frugal ways mean the amount of our weekly household trash is usually one small plastic bag of trash. 

Frugality, just like green living, is all about balance. What works and is normal for some, others just can’t go there. I’m all for boxing up and taking my restaurant leftovers home with me (a quick, easy, and cheap lunch option for the following day!) but I personally draw the line at asking other people for their leftovers at the restaurant, while one guy on the show does it all the time – to his wife’s embarrassment which makes good TV.

If I left these amazing homemade tortillas at the restaurant it would have been a crime!

30 DIY Goals for 2012

I learned early on that it’s better in the Spousal Management department if I give Husband a head’s up on a major DIY project. For some crazy reason, the man doesn’t like to come home to surprises that look like this:

Surprise! I’m painting the kitchen! Doesn't it look GREAT?!

The Nester is holding a Home Goals party. In the interest of holding myself accountable for actually doing a planned project instead of plunking my tush in front of DIY Network and only dreaming about it, I made a list of DIY project goals for the year.

Husband, consider this list your head’s up for 2012.

Garage

Yeah, I know I said 2011 was going to be the Year of the Garage Workshop. It accidently turned into the Summer of the Remodeled Garden and Porch which had yummier results than accidentally ingesting sawdust. Although I reserve the right to ingest sawdust at any time in the future because who couldn't use a little more fiber in their diet? 

This looks largely the same except I painted the wall blue.

How Do You Pick Paint Colors?

When we first bought our condo, I can’t tell you how excited I was at the prospect of painting the walls! After years and years of renting white walled apartments, finally, FINALLY I got to paint my rooms any color I want!

Condo Blues and Lazy Budget Chef World Headquarters and Thunderdome

I skipped down to the store and basked in the glow of the rainbow of paint chips before me in the paint department. 

Then I got overwhelmed. 

It’s one thing to say that you want to paint a room green because it’s your favorite color and certainly another when 100 shades of green paint chips are staring you in the face at the store. Not to mention, coordinating the colors of the trim work, curtains, floor, ceiling, and furniture with the wall so it doesn’t look like a hodge podge of stuff I like but doesn’t go together at all.

ACK!

Princess’s Tequila Snowman

I like to decorate with snowmen because they are happy little guys you can leave out after Christmas as a winter decoration. Well, that is, unless you are our Queen of No Property Manager who argued that the snowman I hung  on my door was a Christmas decoration and should be taken down last February (during a blizzard I might add when the real thing dotted lawns all over the neighborhood.)

Of course, I shot back it wasn’t right she assumed I even celebrate Christmas (although we do) because we live in a multicultural neighborhood (which I love!) and I don’t remember anything about a snowman crossing the dessert to visit the baby Jesus in the stable – who was really born in March, not December.

I left the snowman on my door until the Spring Solstice -which is in March for spite. Heh.

My Top 10 Project Posts of 2011

Happy New Year! 2011 was a busy, busy blogging year. I went to my first Blissdom conference. This year I am going to be one of the Blissdom Newcomer Community Leaders! Please come! (More on that in a later post.)

I taught a great group of momand dad bloggers how to use tools at the Craftsman DIY Blogger Summit.

Richard from Craftsman, Primer Magazine, The Gadgeteer, Backpacking Dad, CC Chapman, Mom Start is hiding almost off screen), Wiskey in My Sippy Cup, Busy Dad Blog, and Attack of the Redneck Mommy.

I Sorta Got Insulation for Christmas

Last year I asked Husband for garage insulation for Christmas  because I really want to get my garage workshop project moving after painting the walls Smurf Village blue. He thought I was being way too practical (again) and went in another direction.

I’ve been whimpering, or loudly whining and complaining if you want to believe (and you shouldn’t) the other member of my household, that I can’t spend quality time with my compound miter saw (last year’s Christmas gift) once the weather and garage grew cold.   

Lisa really likes this Pink Panther guy

Husband and I decided to bump this project up in priority on our (my) punch list. 

I did a bit of insulation research at the trifecta of home improvement stores (Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards) that are all so close to my house that I may never move for that fact alone. *happy sigh*

Here’s the wall insulation low down:

Make a Chainsaw Reindeer

Here’s a great idea if you have a bunch of tree branches and limbs cluttering your yard from a necessary trimming or a wicked storm – make a tree branch reindeer!  

 I like the little one best.

Floating Jedi Christmas Tree

Every single Christmas tree of my childhood was decorated with red glass balls and shiny gold tinsel garland. No deviation. At. All.

When I got out on my own I quickly changed that. Every Christmas tree I’ve ever had has been a collection of ornaments that coordinate but there was and is nary a shiny ball in the bunch.

Here’s the weird thing. I’m starting to jones for glass shiny ball ornaments.

When I saw not Martha’s take on shiny ball ornaments, I really wanted to run out and buy a set or seven.

Photo courtesy of notmartha.  

I Made a Gift Tag for Portland

I put a bird on it.

If you watch Portlandia you understand what I'm talking about. If you don't, watch the sketch below. Enjoy!


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How to Make Reusable Cloth Gift Bags

I usually like wrapping Christmas gifts. I have all sorts of tips and tricks to upcycle just about anything into gift-wrap, ribbon, and bows to make Pinterest perfect gift-wrap. My gift wrap turned art projects reduce waste while the recipient  is none the wiser. All they see is a pretty package and that’s the way I like it.

I save paper gift bags like these in our stash stored in an under bed gift wrapping storage box similar to this one) for Husband because he claims he’s not as good at wrapping gifts as I am. This may or may not be a spousal management issue on his part because it means I end up wrapping almost everything. (I am including affiliate links in this post for your continence.)

As our extended family has grown so large that it takes me days to wrap all of their gifts. After last year’s four night wrap a thon left me less than holiday cheerful (to put it mildly), I promised myself I was going to make wrapping gifts easier this Christmas.

With reusable cloth gift bags!

Pin this idea to your Pinterest Boards! Share it with your friends!

How to Make Lavender Sugar Scrub

It’s not all power tools with me. I have my girlie girl moments too. One of the ways I like to pamper myself is with a nice sugar scrub. When I found out that my favorite spendy sugar scrub was nothing more than olive oil and white sugar, I decided to make it myself.

I’ve been experimenting with sugar scrub recipes ever since.

 Pin this recipe to your Pinterest boads! Share it with your friends!

Lavender Sugar Scrub Recipe

Winter Outdoor Living Spaces an Interview with HGTV’s Dan Berger

HGTV landscaping shows make me jealous of big backyards because my tiny place will not hold a big deck, fire pit, or a little grotto with waterfall. I have a thing for gazebos too. *Wistful sigh*

To compensate, I designed our front porch to be as inviting as possible.

Now that it’s fall going into winter, my perennials are gone and my yard looks a little sad. I wish I had an HGTV designer on speed dial to help me make the outside of my Midwestern home as inviting and usable in the fall and winter as it is during the spring and summer.

I recently given the opportunity to interview Garden Designer and HGTV.com contributor Dan Berger and ask him all my questions about transitioning my outdoor spaces for fall and winter. Dan’s work is gorgeous! He really knows his stuff when it comes to landscaping and garden design. Dan is the owner of LandPlan Landscaping. He has appeared on numerous episode of the HGTV show "Landscape Smart." Dan has also worked with This Old House and been featured in Sunset Magazine.  

Make Christmas Shimmer Placemats

I’m using the holidays as an excuse to bling up the two tonecloth placemats I made yesterday with a little shimma shimma pizzazz..

Green and glitzty!

It's also an excause to play with the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets  and the Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Fabric Paint I got from I Love To Create.

I shy away from glitter because it's a hot mess to work with and often sheds from a project. Fortunately neither of these things is true with Shimmer products I used for this project. I rubbed the designs with my finger after the paint dried and the glitter stayed put!

If you do not sew, you can dress up a set of purchased placemats following the same tutorial.

You can also use the Tulip Shimmer products to give new life to thrift store or past its prime duds you already have by artfully covering a worn or stained area with a design cut from the Tulip Shimmer sheets or camouflaged with the Shimmer paints.

How to Make Glitter Placemats

How to Make Two Tone Cloth Placemats

I want to replace my placemats for the holidays. Me being me, I figure why buy, when I can DIY? 

 Learn how to make a nosew and sew versions of my Christmas cloth napkins here.

This project will also help me in my New Year’s Resolution to use my fabric scraps for impromptu projects before buying new fabric.  I made a deal with myself that I cannot start on the sewing room/guest room/room where-furniture-goes-to-die remodel I want to do until I do something with all of the fabric and supplies I’ve been hanging on to for Someday.

Today is Someday.

Make a Painted Snowman Candle

I did a little Small Business Saturday shopping at the thrift store and came home with a round candle. With a little Green DIY Diva magic, I turned it into a painted snowman candle in less than an hour.

 Hiya Frosty!

I wiped the candle down with rubbing alcohol to allow the paint adhere to the candle.

Since this is a petroleum based candle, I'm not going to burn it. It is for decorative use only.