Condo Blues

Monday, June 11, 2012

Tie Dye Drop Cloth Shoes

I lived in black cotton Chinese Mary Jane shoes in high school because:

  • I also wore them for my color guard uniform.

  • China flats are one of the styles that always fit my weird kid sized feet and don’t give me blisters.
I need some kick around summer shoes.  I figure I’ll pick up a pair of China flats in a cute color since I don’t need black as part of a uniform anymore and I’m trying to stick to my One Small Green Change of only buying shoes that fit.

canvas drop cloth tie dye shoes
I dyed these shoes with a Tulip Tie Dye Kit. (affiliate link) 
It was easier and less messy than that  fussy stuff in a bucket.  

I didn’t anticipate how hard it was going to be to find a pair of China flats! I finally bought a new pair off eBay for $2.99. The price is right but the color is a bore.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I'm in a Holding Pattern


It only took a few weeks after Blitzkrieg started chemotherapy to put his cancer in remission. Blitzkrieg still needs to keep his weekly appointments and daily medication to keep the lymphoma at bay. As we deal with side affects, good days, and meh days these last two months I didn’t dare utter the word remission because I thought I might jinx things.

Hi everyone.

Last week I started to feel confident about using the word. I was going to update the Blitzkrieg Cancer Treatment Fund page using Remission as the post title.

After Blitzkrieg’s Monday chemotherapy appointment, the oncologist said she wanted to talk to Husband and I. That’s never good.

Blitzkrieg’s lymphoma is back.

Monday, June 4, 2012

DIY Drop Cloth Grill Cover

If it doesn’t move, grill it. That’s my summer cooking mantra. Vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish are all fair game when it comes to grilling.

LOLCat grill cover
Learn how I stenciled this grill cover with help from my friends at Plaid Crafts.

A few Christmases ago, we got a gas grill upgrade and a cover to protect it from Ohio winters.

Two years later the grill looks great.

The grill cover does not. 


ripped grill cover
Mother Nature is the reason we do not have nice things.

Friday, June 1, 2012

How to Remove Furniture Marks from Carpet




I borrowed a steam carpet cleaner to clean the wet and explosive surprises Blitzkrieg left in his wake on an hourly basis when he had a bladder infection due to the chemotherapy.

Fortunately, Blitzkrieg is now back to his fine and fluffy self. My carpeting is another story. I spent an entire afternoon steam cleaning pet stains on the carpeting by the front door. I couldn’t move on to the rest of the living room or house like I normally do. We lived with the living room in the kitchen for several days. And then our bedroom in the computer room. And then the computer room in our bedroom. And then the guest/sewing room in our bedroom.

This is about the time I was considering maid service.  Or a box of matches. 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Bacon Candles


I cut the top off a beer bottle, ground the sharp edges, and filled it with phthalate free bacon scented soy wax and topped it with a lead free wick. 

Why?

  • I like candles.
  • Husband likes beer.
  • Blitzkrieg likes bacon.
I floated the idea of a bacon candle to my foodie friends during a Monday Foodies Nite In Twitter chat (Join us! Please?) They went bonkers for it. No surprise there because bacon always comes up during the chat no matter what the weekly party topic. I don't understand it, but people really love their bacon.  

I made soy beer candles, crème brulee candles, and campfire candles so my bacon candles would not feel lonely in our Blitzkrieg Cancer Treatment Fund booth at the Pet Promise Rescue Run. After the candles cooled, I realized I needed a label. Then I realized I needed something to put on the label. Think. Think. Thinkidy think.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Eat From the Pantry Month Challenge

Husband and I stumbled into May’s One Small Green Change by accident.  I am busy crafting for and building Blitzkrieg’s Pet Promise Rescue Run booth. Add to that Husband’s weekly choir rehearsal, Blitzkrieg’s chemo day, and now my weekly marching band rehearsal it’s been difficult to squeeze time in for grocery shopping except for a quick milk run. Husband goes through almost a gallon a week.

 I relive my high school color guard glory days by twirling flag in two parades each summer. Some things never change. I'm stilled placed by the tubas and am the shortest person in the band.
 
Fortunately, we did a big grocery shopping trip before Crazy Time, which should keep us in fish, meat, and fresh produce for awhile. We really need to work on eating the fresh frozen veggies, 17 cups ofhomemade chicken stock that keep falling out of the freezer and onto my head, and the backup bags of frozen vegetables to make room for this summer’s garden produce. When Husband and I bought seeds last January we bought with our stomachs instead of our heads because this year’s garden will be items I cannot can. I have to freeze whatever we can’t devour in our tiny freezer. Whoops!