Moving Out

I've been pondering a move...a new name... a new style for a while now. I'm finally getting around to it. You can find me in my new digs - Just Alice. Theme is temporary. New posts coming soon.

Habits that Make You Sick

Before Thanksgiving I battled back a cold. After Thanksgiving, I caught the cold. A week later, a mean virus snuck in and beat me down. I spent Wed. morning in the emergency room because I couldn't walk or sit up, I was so dizzy. It's terrifying to wake up, be hit with dizziness and nausea, be unable to walk to the bathroom so you have to crawl instead. I still fell over.

This got me wondering how to keep my house just a little cleaner and a little more germ free during these winter months. Remember last year I was in bed the first two weeks of December with an awful cold and a bit of flu.

I came across an article on WebMD that I thought was worth mentioning.

6 Daily Habits That May Make You Sick

It's a quick read, and totally worth the time.

Pretty Little Ornament

Here's a new pretty I got at Pikes Nursery this year. Such a pretty olive green, with a hint of gold and sparklys too. The shape was what attracted me.

- alice

Be sure to visit Domestic Divas for more tips and reminders.

Removing Wax from a Table Runner

I'm trying one of Martha's tips for getting wax out of table linens. A candle had an accident on my pretty red table runner, so the iron and I are in the process of cleaning up said accident. These steps should work for most fabrics.

You'll need:

Iron
Paper Towels
Blunt tipped knife/object for gentle scraping



Step One: Remove as much extra wax as possible.

Step Two: Place the table linen and spot of wax on a stack of paper towels.



Step Three: Put another stack of paper towels on top of the wax spot and then place warm (not hot) iron on top of the paper towels. Leave it there for a minute at a time, then check for progress. Depending on the amount of wax, you may have to rotate or replace the paper towels as the wax soaks into them.



Can you tell where the wax was? (I can't either!)

Planting paperwhites

It's almost that time again. Get ready to plant your paperwhites. Here's a video to help.

How to Plant Paperwhites

On the Hunt...

I'm on the hunt for a frame. You see I'm starting to gather more and more baby pictures. And pet pictures. And I'd like to add a few family pictures too. Normally I like those simple, elegant black with thick white mat frames that hold a 4 x 6 or two. But with all the variety of pictures I've been getting in the mail lately, I'm thinking I need to expand my horizons.

You see, we currently have one of those ribbon boards in the kitchen and I stick photos, business cards, etc up there. And after it gets full I take everything down and start over.

DH, sweetie that he is, has expressed interest in keeping at least one picture of the nephews out. I expressed interest in keeping a photo out of my kids, even if they have four legs and fur.

So we're thinking a picture frame with space for multiple photos...and it must be easily changeable...b/c we'd like to update it as kids grow and families change.

All that said, I'm looking for advice. Do you have a favorite frame? Place to shop for frames?

I'll let you know when we decide on something. :)

Declutter How To

I tackled the library/extra guestbedroom closet today. This is the closet that used to house all my craft supplies. Can you believe it? Now, it isn't that big....

Now it stores books, magazines and gifts that I purchase well in advance. It also actually has space to *ding* *ding* *ding* hang clothes my guests come!

But as of this morning you couldn't see the floor. I'm sure all those of us who've recently ( I say that but it's been like 8 years) "moved out" will understand this next dilemma. When mom and dad clean out there house and give you all your junk back. Oh. Boy.

This has been going on for a while. and every so often I have a giant need to purge.

So, start with a big bag or box and label it trash. Then have a box for keepsakes. And last, a box for things to keep that do not go in this room.

Ready? Set the timer for 5 minutes (you do have a kitchen timer, right?! So handy!) and get to work. Just pick up the nearest pile and start tossing.

I like to get rid of trash first. It's easy to see what's trash. Envelopes. Packaging. Slips of paper. Boxes. Bags. Olddddddd magazines. You know, trash.

Be hard on yourself. Will you ever use it again? Have you thought of it recently?

I usually come across an item that I've been looking for for a while. Those are the items to keep. Everything else needs to go bye-bye. Toss, donate, sell. Get-rid-of-it.

Your trash is someone else's treasure, so lighten your load.

Corner of a Kitchen

Thought I'd show off a corner of my kitchen. The straw holder used to be hot pink. I gave it a makeover with a special spray paint in a dark brass/bronze color. It looks like hammered metal. Not bad for a $1 purchase from Big Lots ages ago, huh? The clear tube is actually plastic, but you can't tell unless you squeeze it.

The little church inspired birdhouse is actually a little vase. Perfect for one summer flower, don't you think. I think this was a whopping $.69 at my local "junk" store.

And the little Rosemary sign I got at a great little flower nursery over in Birmingham, Alabama. I can't really hang it in a green kitchen, otherwise you can't see the Rosemary. LOL

So this is a quick reminder that it doesn't have to be expensive or perfect to incorporate into your home. You just a) have to love it, and b) be willing to change it up a bit. Spray paint is your friend.

Have a fun project you recently completed? I'd love to see it.

Project Progress

Don't have a finished project to show yet, but we do have primer on the porch. I'm taking a much needed cool down and thought I'd show the proof of the progress. :) Have a wonderful Saturday.

Tassel

As promised, here's a picture of the tassel I made. Since DH and I enjoy a good bottle of wine, I decided to use a cork. This one has a beautiful leaf detail on it. The colors are olive, champagne, and chocolate. One of the ribbons has merlot poka dots.

The long champagne fringe is a remnant from walmart. As is the green fringe. The ribbons are from Michaels. And the top brown fringe is from Joanns. DH had a ball trying to hunt down the perfect thing. He did good, don't you think?

I used a glue gun and a wood candle cup as a base for the fringe. We're really pleased with the way it came out. I have supplies for one or two more. Just need to pick out a good/pretty cork.

So there you have it. One finished project.

Yesterday, we pressure washed the front porch and the north side of the house. After years of water restrictions the poor house was a tinge green. No more water restrictions so up the ladder I went. And now it's all clean. Whoop!

Today's goal: repaint the front porch. And perhaps tidy the tool bench in the basement.