Condo Blues

Thursday, February 2, 2012

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.)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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!)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

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.

Friday, January 20, 2012

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.