Covered Kitchen Storage Boxes

My kitchen is shrinking.

Not really but it feels that way.

We have one cupboard we use to store food. The rest of the cupboards hold dishes, cups, and stuff we want  to keep but don’t use often. In my dream kitchen all of these special dishes and things would live on the tippy top shelves of cupboards that go all the way to the ceiling so they are accessible but not in the every day way.

A kitchen remodel isn’t in the plan this year. Moving to a bigger house is too much work. I need to find some space in the kitchen I have.

I found it!

I know I’m supposed to like having a decorating space on top of my kitchen cabinets. I tried hanging plates on the wall because that is what you are supposed to do in a kitchen, right? I didn’t like it. I tried groupings of doodads on top of the cabinets - meh. I just can’t make it work.

Topsy Turvey Bookcases

I was beyond happy when we bought our house and replaced our mish mosh of overflowing bookshelves with one wall of matching bookshelves in our computer room.  Seeing all of our books in one place made me giddy.

Then we bought more books.

And a few more.

And a few more.

We could use more shelves.

I started poking around for arty book shelves because it is way more fun than sorting through and donating our old and outdated books. Yes, yes. I’ll get to it. It is on the punch list for our computer room revamp project.

In the meantime, let’s have some fun and check out some crazy fun bookshelves. For what they don’t hold in the amount of stuff, they make up for in the amount of whimsy they add to a room.

I can’t help but look at the Woodcurve Curved Bookshelf  and smile. This piece was inspired by the Dr. Seuss books as are several of the pieces in Woodcurve’s Etsy shop.

Warning: Curves Ahead!

21 Ways to Decorate Real Halloween Pumpkins

Husband suggested I bump up my Halloween décor for Lacey since it is her first Halloween with us.

ALL of these are for me to eat?!

That’s right. He said for Lacey.

It’s not like the guy likes Halloween or pumpkins or manipulating me into doing something he wants for Lacey (and I certainly do not do this on him because it works 100% of the time on both of us.)

I usually keep the pumpkins plain because I bake, puree, and freeze our pumpkins after Halloween. Cute but not as festive.

How to Make Outdoor Flying Bat Halloween Decorations #HalloweenMP

Husband and I are decorating the house for Lacey’s first Halloween.

I asked Lacey what type of  Halloween decorations she wante on the front porch she asked for a swarm of 3D flying bats she can chase. Typical spaniel. Lacey loves to “hunt” anything that flies.





I knew how I wanted Lacey's bats to look but I wasn't sure what materials I could make them from. I can shape paper but it won't hold up outdoors in damp weather (is was drizzling when I took the outdoor photos for this post.)

Hm…think, think, thinkidy, think.

How to Fake Crown Molding with Paint

This post brought to you by FrogTape brand painter’s tape. All opinions are 100% mine.

I knew I picked the right wall color in my guest room/craft room the minute I moved my antique black and white table into the room. It it popped against the yellow wall. I am smitten with color scheme!

However, I'm not smitten with the closet.

I never liked the doors or oak stain on the molding at the top. I know I'm supposed to like wood molding but the oak stain makes it look cheap. I tried to hide the molding by painting it the same color as the wall. It is not as awful but it still use a little something while I'm thinking about what to do with the closet doors.

One Eco Dress, Three Looks, and a $75 Giveaway!

Happy news! I met my weight loss goal! I am now back into what is considered the healthy range of my Body Mass Index (BMI.) I realize BMI measurements and numbers aren’t a perfect indication of health because there are other factors in play such as muscle mass that can skew BMI numbers to the overweight range of a perfectly healthy and fit person.

I’m using BMI as a healthier target range for my height instead of  picking an arbitrary weight or saying that I want be a size 2 like I was in high school. Not realistic and probably unhealthy skinny for my only slightly older than high school body. (I may not lie about my weight but age is fair game!)

Eating a whole foods, no trans fat, no hydrogenated oil, no processed food from a box diet to lose the weight wasn’t difficult. In fact, I’m following the same no bad stuff diet that made me gain the extra 25 pounds I had to lose. I’m proof that if you eat too much of anything, even very good for you things, and get little to no exercise you will gain weight.

Thanks to my trainer and high energy exercise buddy Lacey, I lost the last of those 25 extra pounds. I feel better (especially now that my waist is no longer larger than Husband’s.) I also have a new problem. My clothes don’t fit! I need new duds.

How to Make Halloween Zombie Skull Bath Bombs

Fall brings corn mazes, jumping in leaf piles, hay rides, and other good dirty fall fun.

Why not extend it into bath time and give your little monsters an incentive to scrub a dub dub in the tub with a Halloween bath bomb?

Don't worry, your tub won't really explode after you plunk them in water. We are making Halloween bath fizzies!

How to Make Exploding Skull Bath Bombs for Halloween

Tank Girl and Captain Hammer Costumes

My inner costumer came out to play last year when Husband and I went to a comic convention. I took a ton of pictures of the cosplayers (the people who dress up in comic book character costumes) while Husband met and talked to some of the comic book artists he collected as a kid.

I'll admit it. I'm a costume geek. I have a Pinterest costume board to prove it. Give me a follow, won't you?

This year, Husband wanted to go to the Ohio Comic Con because his childhood hero, Stan Lee, was going to be there. For those of you who did not spend all of your paper route money on comic books, Stan Lee created Spiderman, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, and most of The Avengers. I had to learn this to stay married.

Since Husband took the opportunity to do something he's wanted to do since we was a kid, I took the opportunity to do something I wanted to do too. I gingerly dipped my toe into the cosplay water.

I pulled last year's Halloween costume out and went as Tank Girl!

Apparently good poses are part of the cosplay gig.

El Dia de los Muertos Mod Podge Flower Pots

One of my very best girl chums celebrates Mexican culture. That means a big chunk of her October holiday decorations are actually El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) decorations over Halloween decorations.

I found some Día de los Muertos sugar skull fabric while surfing Etsy. Somehow, the fabric ended up in my mailbox. It is funny how often that happens when I surf Etsy.

I took advantage of the situation to try something I have wanted to do for a while – use Modge Podge on fabric. I made Day of the Dead flower pots as a gift for my friend.

I used Outdoor Mod Podge in case my friend wants to use them outside. After I had a few coats of indoor craft paint on the flower pots, I realized the paint will not hold up outdoors and switched to spray paint. That’s why the paint on the top of the pot looks a little lumpy shiny. Let’s pretend it adds character and is not an almost oops.

I’m not sure how my fabric Mod Podge flower pots will work with a real potted plant inside. To be safe, I’d use the Modge Podge flowerpot to disguise an ugly put practical plastic flower pot. If that is not your thing, my fabric covered flower pots make a festive candy dish or candle holder.

How to Make Mod Podge Fabric Flower Pots

How to Dye a Thrift Store Shirt Bright Yellow with Turmeric

Lacey and I take several walks a day around our neighborhood. It is a good thing for both of us. Lacey drains her high energy in a positive way. I get off my duff and exercise. Everybody wins!

Except weight. That, I am losing.  

Time to get some new clothes that fit!

I love the Minions! They look like Twinkies with eyes.

How to Buy a Dishwasher: What I Bought and Why I Bought It

Long time readers know I am a fix it instead of replace it kind of gal. It is cheaper, it is greener, and it allows me to have a little more money leftover to sometimes spoil Lacey.


I want Lisa to use her smart shopping skillz to keep me rolling in grass fed T bone steaks!

Except when it comes to my High Efficiency (HE) dishwasher. At first, I liked the idea of saving water while it cleaned our dishes.  Later a plumber told us since HE dishwashers use less water, the water heat up cycle is shorter than a standard dishwasher, and we have to jack the heat on the water heater to remove the grit on my clean dishes problem.

Husband wryly observed, “We can save water, or natural gas but not both.”

How to Clean Dog Pee from Carpet WITHOUT a Carpet Cleaning Machine

Potty training Lacey is a challenge. She was litter box trained and could go pretty much when and where she wanted in her former home.

Guess what? She does here too.

Potty training Lacey to go outside was even more difficult because all of her barks where the same high pitched and loud (girlfriend is part dachshund. They are not exactly soft barkers) freaked out alert barks that we couldn't tell which one is a potty bark and which one is a  freaking out over the noises of close neighbors bark.

The result? Cleaning up a lot of pee and poo accidents might ruin the current and all future carpets in our house. Most some days we're cleaning up more than one and are frustrated and tired to haul the carpet cleaning machine from the closet to clean up the mess.

DIY Sit Stay Porch Chairs

Snow, rain, and sun faded the outdoor fabric I used to recover on my porch chairs. I took the opportunity to look for replacement chairs that are a little more plush and inviting.

Unfortunately all the outdoor chairs I like are too big for the space.

Time for a revamp!

I want something that will look decent during post summer but not quite time to decorate for Fall and Halloween. I didn’t have much luck finding replacement outdoor fabric to recover the seat and chair back. I figure the chairs can't be much worse as they are and experimented with spray painting the fabric instead of replacing it.

Yup. You can spray paint fabric. The fabric will be a bit stiff but it won’t fade as easily in the weather as my fabric. It will get me through until next year when I have a whole season to look for new outdoor fabric.
Lacey is the inspiration for this makeover.

What can I say? We are a Dog House.

How to Spray Paint Fabric

The Last of the Summer Fun and Lacey Update!

Oh Summer. I wait for you all year long and before you know it – poof! – you are gone.

Our summer got off to a weirdly slow start due to the constant heavy rain. Husband and I tag teamed a few necessary business trips so Lacey would not be face her greatest fear – being left behind. 

Lacey’s behavior is not consistent enough to earn the privilege of a vacation or to keep us from being kicked out because of her behavior. Husband and I took long weekend staycations instead because we still need time off to unplug, be silly, and recharge.

We started with short trips to the dog park. Lacey thinks she has to challenge other dogs and get them before they get her - a classic case of Little Dog Syndrome.  We keep the dog park trips short so Lacey won’t get overwhelmed.

Some of Lacey's summer adventures!

Just like with human kids, there are well behaved dogs that play well with others and sometimes there are bullies who try to challenge the other dogs or dominate them. It is critical you keep an eye on your dogs at all times to head off any potential problems and be ready to leave to avoid them even if it means you are only there for 15 minutes.

Sometimes we had to leave the park shortly after we arrived with our tail between our legs because our kid was the one whipping the other dogs into a frenzy. It doesn't happen often, and it is part of the process as we puppy step her in the right direction.

Can Small Families Save Money at Warehouse Clubs?

Bulk buying is usually the greener choice because it reduces the amount of individual packaging for the item but will bulk buying at a warehouse club save a small family like mine money?





Once upon a time Husband and I had a warehouse club membership. That particular club leans more toward small businesses than families but we regularly purchased items we needed when we performed at the renaissance festival like vats of sports drink mix (90 degree F in 3 layers of brocade yo) and an industrial bag of flour to bake the many loaves of bread we needed for The Queen’s Feast. We knew after careful tracking, that some things cost the same as in a regular grocery store but were easier to buy them at the Sam’s Club if we needed a large quantity of say, soda,  for an event.

We eventually quit Sam’s Club after we stopped performing at the renaissance festival. We didn’t need the super giant size quantities since we weren’t feeding fellow performers. We lived in a small duplex with almost no food storage space to hold giant quantities of well priced baking ingredients before they expire. It stopped making sense for us.

I’ve been thinking on and off about joining a warehouse club to cut down on our packaging waste, especially after My Zero Waste’s Zero Waste Week and the discussions of buying in bulk. I’m sure we will cut down on packaging waste if we join but will it save us money or should be keep on keeping on with our fairly low waste ways?

DIY His and Hers Diva, Maestro Signs

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FrogTape brand painter’s tape for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

While shifting items around in my craft room I found two blank plaques I bought to make His and Hers signs for the house. I figure it is about time I do the project but with a twist. Instead of labeling our items His and Hers, I invoked our old renaissance festival characters and made Diva and Maestro  signs.

How to Make Diva and Maestro Signs

13 DIY Craft Storage Ideas

I’m taking the opportunity to rethink how I organize my craft supplies as part of my craft room/guest room remodel. When I bought our house my main hobby was sewing and costume design. All of my other craft supplies fit into my vintage wood crate storage drawers.

Don’t worry. I am not giving these beauties up! 
They will get a tweak in the new room. Stay tuned!

Soda Six Pack Organizers kept all six of my craft paints organized.

Well, OK. This is a beer six pack organizer. I have several soda six pack holders covered with wrapping paper organizing other bits and bobs throughout the house and in my craft room.

How to Make a Fake Vintage Wood Crate

I need more food storage space in my kitchen. I know, I know who doesn't?

In my case we have one three shelf cupboard that holds actual food and the other cabinets hold dishes, mugs, and a bunch of empty mason jars waiting for our garden to ripen.

Replacing the current kitchen cabinets with my dream of cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling isn't on the 2013 DIY List. Someday, but not today.

 Where can I find space in our small kitchen?

Opinionated? Share Them for Rewards @Yappem

I stumbled upon a screaming good clearance sale while running errands – heavy cotton t shirts for 50 cents each. I snapped up several for future t shirt projects – the holidays are coming up soon. I wanted to get the word out quickly and to my on line social networks since it is an unadvertised sale. I figured now is as good as time as any to share the experience using Yappem (since they asked me to help them get the word out. I figured I better give it a good test!)



I learned about Yappem when I attended the Awesome Party in Chicago last month. Yappem is a new social media network where you can post your retail and brand experiences and share the  information to your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, email, and my Yappem followers at the same time using one app. 
As much as I love technology and being an early adopter, I wondered if we really need another social media network to keep tabs on, I mean, isn’t this what Yelp is for?

Well, no.

How to Deal with Allergy Face

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zyrtec for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband saw me leaning over my desk with my coffee mug pressed against my puffy left eye. "I didn't realize it was ragweed season yet, " he said.

"Yep," I replied.

I wake up most mornings during allergy season with puffy eyes and a hot mug of coffee next to my eye is the only thing I've found that makes it better. If I have to show my face in public, I wear sunglasses to avoid the "what happened to your FACE?!" questions until the Zyrtec kicks in. My introduction to Zyrtec was as a prescription, so I'm happy I can easily buy it over the counter now.

Looks like I am not alone in using the Allergy Face sunglasses trick.

How to Cut a Glass Bottle Perfectly Every Time

After a long work week Husband and I often get our TGIF on by sampling a new to us craft beer or wine – because drinking local is green, right?

Well, that and it gives me empty bottles to use in DIY projects.

 Pin this post to your Pinterest Boards for later! Share it with your friends!

The most difficult part of a wine bottle DIY project is cutting the bottle. The cutting a bottle by lighting string on fire method doesn't work for me. I can’t get a clean break. I also am afraid I’m going to burn down my house starting with my workspace in the backyard because it involves holding a bottle wrapped in string you've set on fire. Yikes!

How to Improve a Room

I want to spiff up the living room.

This will do just fine thank you.

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How to Make a Front Car Seat Protector

Husband came home from running on the trail in one of our city parks on a recent hot day. I jumped into the car after he used it and OH. MY. GOD.

Now I  understand why dogs hang their heads out of open car windows.

This doesn't happen to Husband because both Lacey and I always smell like flowers after a workout.

To his credit, Husband tries to cover the car seat with a trash bag he has stashed in the trunk. Well, until I toss the fetid mess and decontaminate the trunk and car. Rinse. Repeat.

Old towels don't work either. I need something that absorbs but has a barrier to protect the car seat and is washable. Washable is a MUST. 

I Got My Groove Back at BlogHer13

I spent last weekend at the Big Dance of female blogging conferences – BlogHer. While last year at BlogHer was good, I was determined to make this year even better because I am not grieving this year.

My goals were to learn from my fellow bloggers, network with brands to find ways to thank you for being The Best Community on the Internet, and take advantage of some the pampering and such to help me get my groove back as part of Project Me.

Kelli Edwards from HGTV and I at the La-Z-Boy party, Miss Lori and I living it up at the SocialLuxe Lounge, Kim Moldofsky The Maker Mom and I in my favorite learning space – the hotel lobby. The fabulous Amy from Mod Podge Rocks and I meet in real life! Tamara Rubin of MisLead tests my wedding ring for lead and heavy metals at the Healthy Child Healthy World party, Leah Segedie of Mamavation demonstrates the benefits of healthy diet and exercise by lifting Ted Rubin of Collective Bias. 

Oh, and the goal of not puking in the Expo Hall because I over lactosed myself again. That one is important.

18 Examples of Nautical and Lake Design Style

I'm missing boating and Lake Erie living which is crazy tunes because as soon as you could say, "graduation" I packed my bags and ran screaming from my small nautical home town on Lake Erie. The running joke is everyone in that town is rich and has a boat because of the large small boat harbors downtown and in the neighborhoods near the lake that have boat docks in their backyards. This  isn't entirely true because if you look at the registries on those boats most of them are registered to Cleveland addresses.


The town started as a fishing village and that infulence influence is everywhere. Boat anchors, lighthouses, fishing nets, floats, and the like are so common in garden and home decor it is practically a city ordinance.

I didn't know bathrooms weren't all nautical or beach themed until I moved away. True story.

Craft Room Remodel: Painting Damaged Walls

When the cat's away, this little mouse drags her tools out to play.

While Husband was out of town on a business trip, I painted the guest room/craft room. Good times!

Of course, I want to live in a bright crayon box. Why do you ask?

I'm a wild woman. This is how I party it up when Husband is out of town.

First, I had to unload the room. I ended up stashing stuff in every.single. room.of.the.house.

How to Clean Dog Urine from Carpet and Keep Your Dog from Peeing on the Carpet Again

Lacey piddles, poos, or sometimes vomits when she gets anxious or has a doggie panic attack. Building Lacey’s confidence with our behaviorist will take time and we are ready to take as much time as Lacey needs to conquer her fear demons.

In the meantime, I’m cleaning pet carpet stains and removing dog urine marks on my carpet in a way that the dog doesn't urine mark that spot again.

Hey everyone! Look what I did!

Of course once I take care of one area, Lacey thwarts me and uses a different part of the house the next time she gets upset and we start this song and dance all over again. And again. And again.

I'm an expert on cleaning dog pee, dog poo, and dog vomit from floors and carpeting - be jealous.

Recycled Bottle Suncatchers

"We have too much stuff in this garage!" Husband said as he navigated past my box of empty wine bottles in the garage. I haven't done anything clever with my impromptu bottle collection and the statue of limitations was up. I figured my next rainy day project would be clearing them out of the garage.

But before I could say "recycling bin" DecorArt sent me a very generous assortment of Americana glass paints and reusable stencils. Seriously, like the day after Husband and I had that conversation. Freaky.

I cut the bottoms off the empty flat bottomed bottles, stenciled them, and made recycled glass bottle sun catchers.

  

How to Make a Painted Bottle Sun Catcher

How to Make and Hang Wood Fruit Crate Shelves

The new floor plan and stuff switcheroo for the guest room/craft room leaves me with two vintage wooden fruit crates that won't fit in the room with the new plan.

Yay!

I want a new place to stash this stuff and allow my linen closet to hold linens again. Crazy town, I know.

I have a big boring wall above the toilet in the guest bathroom...

I have two crates and three 2013 DIY Goals: create storage, use what I have first before buying materials, and add personality to the guest bathroom...

Easy Blog Conference T Shirt

Summer is blog conference season. Yippie for meeting on line friends in person and networking and learning how to be a better blogger!

Not so yippie in trying to find your on line friends in the crowd and making sure they can find you. Last year at Blogher12 Laura from Pet Scribbles and I kept missing each other all day every day of the conference although Margaret from Nanny Goats and Panties and I always seem to find each other each year. Do you know why? Because Margaret is as smart as she is funny. Margaret wears a shirt with her blog name on it.

My new Condo Blues t shirt! I'll get to the kooky color hair in a minute.

While I'm a DIYer all the way, most of the DIY t shirt options are not as professional looking as I want when I'm advertising my blogs.

House Tour: The Ohio State House

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Husband and I took a tour of the Ohio Statehouse with visiting German friends. While the ornament style isn't something I consider my personal decorating style and architecture but it is impressive. Especially when you consider they build the Ohio Statehouse before the Civil War. In fact, Abraham Lincoln visited the Ohio Statehouse when he campaigned for President! (which they mention eleventy billion times on the tour.)

Let's get inspired!

There is a surprising amount of natural light in the statehouse via skylights. You can tell the architect and designer took pride in their work and wanted to build a grand building for the ages. This domed painted ceiling and windows are one example.

That is gold gilding paint around the windows. All of the lighting is original to the building. 

While I think the gold damask is a little busy for a typical home, it is an excellent example of paint on architecture. They beefed up the look of these otherwise plain windows with a stencil and paint instead of framing the windows with costly molding.

This is the Ohio Senate Chamber. Again, the lighting is original but updated from gas to electric. The carpeting is the same pattern as the original. They have it on file and the company that made the original is still in business.