Condo Blues

Monday, January 14, 2013

Ohio State Michigan Barn Wood Welcome Signs

My Texas brother in law has a house.  He and his family are very welcoming people they don’t have an official sign to welcome everyone into their home.

I decided to rectify that. I made him a University of Michigan welcome sign because my brother in law is a big Michigan fan. How I don’t know. He was born and lived in Ohio for most of his life where you are supposed to root for Ohio State University from birth. I guess he gets away with it because his family does not live in Ohio anymore.




While we are talking team rivals, I figure I should even things out on the sports front and make an Ohio State University welcome sign for Mother and Father in Law’s new house while I was at it.

How to make a Barn Wood Welcome Sign

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

How to Make Kitchen Sink Cabinet Storage Shelves

I don’t have a lot of storage room under my kitchen sink. A slide out trash can (love, BTW) fills the right side of the sink cabinet. The garbage disposal fills the upper air space on the left side of the sink cabinet. Soaps and cleaners, and extras on deck hang out on the left side of the cabinet and are in the line of fire when the garage disposal violently decides it doesn’t want to connect to the waste water pipe and floods the cabinet with water and food goo.

After trying to dry out a cardboard box box full of dish washing powder three times in two days, I figured it was time to install shelves under the sink to keep my extras high and dry.

Keep reading! I'll teach you how to make my wood crate shelf.

I couldn’t find what I wanted in a store. Then I remembered I have mad DIY skillz and a bunch of wood. DIY to the rescue! I designed and built a under sink shelf from an old hot sauce caddy.   

Husband likes hot sauce so much we got a Dave’s Insanity sauce gift pack like this as a wedding present. True story.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Nine Christmas Time and Money Saving Tips That Will Save Your Sanity (and Money Too)


During one of our first Christmas Eves I had a meltdown. Husband waited until the very last second to purchase and wrap gifts because we were waiting on payday (we run a cash only house with the exception of our mortgage and car payments.)

We stayed up until the wee hours of the night wrapping gifts. Wrapping gifts less than 24 hours before the paper is ripped off seems pointless. Not to mention, I try to keep Christmas Eve low key and chill time to gear up for the happy Christmas frenzy the following day. 




I knew things had to change unless I wanted to ruin every single holiday for the rest of our lives with an annual argument.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

My Top 10 DIY Posts for 2012


Wow 2012 you sure gave me some ups like appearing on Blog Talk Radio and in This Old House Magazine and in Beth Terry's book Plastic Free, and raising $1,080.00 for the Blitzkrieg Cancer Treatment Fund. Thank you thank you thank you again for helping our boy. It really means the world to us.

2012 gave me the the rock bottom of downs with fighting canine cancer and losing Blitzkrieg earlier to lymphona that we and his medical predicted.

Through the good and the bad. I did projects. Projects and keeping busy keep me sane. Well, as sane as anyone can hope for that is. From the looks of it, you like projects too! 

Here are my top ten posts of 2012 based on the mystical magical blog stats and algorithms. 

1. How to Make Dandruff Shampoo