April 2013

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Garden Fever Prt.1: Starting Seedlings

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Minggu, 28 April 2013 0 komentar

It is definitely spring, and I've got garden fever! Yep, it is that time of year when I have gardening dreams of grandeur. And every year my plans fail miserably as I struggle to keep my unruly garden plot. Well this year I've decided to try something a little different... a minimal work deck garden! That means building raised beds that can sit on the deck, buying and prepping pots, and starting my seedlings!
Hmm, I'm thinking it's time for another little series...how about a garden prep series! I'd love to share the process as I dream big but go practical this year.

So it's time to get to it! How about you? Have you started your indoor seedlings yet? If not, c'mon, it's time to get a jump on it...hmm, by now you might be better served to wait a few weeks and direct sow depending on the vegetable type and your zone.

Seedling Starters
I started the cucumbers, tomatoes, and peas two weeks ago and they are sprouting up fast! I have not yet finished building my raised beds that I'd like to their final home, so my choice for a quick seeding is to use my recycled plastics. These are old berry containers, and since they come with a cover, and a base with holes for drainage, they make for the perfect little "green house" to get my seeds started!

Of course, there are many different seed starters I use. I tend to use whatever I have lying around, or purchasing whatever I find for a few cents at thrift stores.
A few of my other seeding containers of choice are peat pots for seedlings that will grow larger faster, gallon orange juice or milk containers also work well for large growing plants. Cut off the top, and poke holes in the bottom.

I also like using the Greenhouse Seed starter pellets. You hydrate the pellets, it is quick and easy, and they grow very well! Each year replace the pellets rather than buying the entire kit.
Consider creating your own greenhouse seed starter kit for a fraction of the cost using aluminum tins with corresponding cover.

Caring For Your Seedlings
I'm a busy mom, so I'm taking my time and staggering my seeding, and allowing the kids to have care of these fragile little plants. Of course, kids manage to make messes, even when it seems there is no possible mess to make all they need is thin air. *wry laugh*. So, I keep it simple, clean, and easy to keep my seedlings alive if possible... I allow the kids to water the newly sprouted seedlings with a small squirt bottle so as not to break the plants.

Another thing I love about using disposable aluminum tins, (besides creating a greenhouse effect for the seeds), is how simple and tidy it makes seed starting. The trays catch any water run off, makes it easy to move when it is time, and plants are clustered together to make watering as mess free as possible! I started my seeds in a sunny place in my laundry room, but will eventually moved them to a garage window where they can get the sunlight they need and begin to acclimate to the weather and more direct sun.

A little trick to aid with drainage is to place river rocks under your seedlings containers. It lifts them up a little so the water run-off doesn't pool around the base of your plants. I learned the hard way that I needed to do this for certain types of plants after my kids "drowned" a couple seedlings last year. If they were a little older and more careful with the manner they watered older seedlings, it wouldn't have been a problem. But once we graduate from the squirt bottle to a mini watering can, all bets were off so this made for a great solution!

Direct Potting
I love direct potting, there are no second or third potting necessary. Just be sure to choose the appropriate size pot for the plant. My potted plants are hanging out in my garage until the weather decides to cooperate. Keep your potted plants in a wagon and roll them out during good weather, and on days the temperature drops too low, roll them back in! This is a great minimal effort way to get an early start on your garden!
I even gave my pots a little facelift with spray paint, but I'll tell you more about that in the next blog post. If you are planning to create a potted garden, wait to seed your larger pots until my next post. I'm giving sub-irrigated planters (SIP's) a try! I need my garden to be as self sufficient as possible, because as the years have taught me, I am just not a reliable gardener come late summer. Yes, every year I have abandoned my garden for summer vacations away... this year, I have a plan! *hopeful grin*

Happy seeding!
Read Part 2 here.

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Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Kamis, 25 April 2013 0 komentar

i don't think i ever shared with y'all the completed kitchen i designed for clients on sullivan's island. it was a new construction and the homeowners wanted something a little more modern feeling even though they live at the beach. i love how this guy turned out!!
i also thought it would be fun to share the clients' last home that i designed to show how we changed up the style a little. the previous home had much more of a coastal feeling.....which i love equally :)

*images Shannon Darby Design, bottom BHG/ Shannon Darby Design

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Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Selasa, 23 April 2013 0 komentar

i wish i was daring enough to do a dark exterior.....i think it would be really cool. i just tend to lean on the safe side....but part of me really wants to take that leap......

*images courtesy of breakfast in the morning, the inspired room, design sponge, house beautiful, brooks ballard, the stroller coaster

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DIY Spray Paint Art

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Senin, 22 April 2013 0 komentar

I have been enamored with the gorgeous hits of gold all over Pinterest. Soooo I've decided to add my own little hit of gold and sparkle via some art.

There are so many ways to obtain this, through gold leaf, or gold flecked paint, but I'm in the mood for a 15 minute project, and the gold tinted spray paint seemed like the way to go!

How to Make Your Own Art In 4 Easy Steps
Did you know you can spray paint on paper? You'll need cardstock with a slight gloss on one side, and tape or a large shipping label.
These steps aren't just easy, they are quick and it doesn't really require any thought. Some days you just need a project you can enjoy the results of without too much effort.
The spray paint I am using for all of these art pieces is the Krylon Brushed Metallic line, this one is the Satin "Sparkling Canyon" hue. I love their entire metallic line, but oooooh there is just something about this particular hue that keeps drawing me back! I always have one or more of their metallic paints on my shelf, so anytime I have an inkling to tackle a quick project like this one, I grab and go!

Arrowhead Art

1. Design arrowheads, or shape of choice on Microsoft word. Or use my chevron template here, and cut one piece into an arrowhead.
2. Print onto an 8.5 x 11 shipping label, and cut out your designs.
3. Lightly spray paint and let dry. Don't try to make your painting even, it adds more texture and unique design to allow the paint to pool lightly in some areas and heavier in others. Allow to dry thoroughly.
4. Peel the backing off your label, and adhere to card stock. Cut to size and frame it!

Painters Tape Art
Even easier than printing designs onto labels is using painters tape to create a design on your card stock, spray paint and peel before it is totally dry.

The nice thing about painters tape, before painting you can play with different designs until you have come up with something you like, and it doesn't really cost you anything to do! Just peel up the tape and place until it's just right. Just remember to use the glossy side of your card stock or some of the paper will tear when you pull it off.

Chevron Art
Create Chevron Art much in the same way you create art using painters tape. The difference? You print and cut out the chevron design onto an 8.5 x 11 shipping label and adhere it to your cardstock with a little space between each chevron. Spray paint as before, and peel before completely dry. This method is much easier than trying to create a chevron design using painters tape...it will be more consistent and a fraction of the time. Click here for my chevron template. (Ssshhhhh, it is actually a printout I created for a plastic drawer cover project, but we use our leftovers in this house! )

A few other design ideas...
Be creative and have fun with it! Don't just use printouts or tape to create your one-of-a-kind art. There is a myriad of items around your house and yard just waiting to become a template. I tried out a few other designs...after all, it didn't take any extra time or effort, but stuck with the three I liked best. Here are a sneak peak at a few other design ideas I tried out.

Use Sticky Dots>>

Cut Your Own Template>>

Use Mailbox Letters, or Scrapbook Popouts>>

Happy creating!
(See the before & after of this space here.)

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Show & Tell

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Kamis, 18 April 2013 0 komentar

I don't know about you, but for me nothing is more inspiring than seeing people's creatively organized spaces. First I "ooooo" a bit, then I "aaaahhh", then I start itching to see what fantastical spaces I can create. I get tired of just seeing and thinking "I can do that!", and soon I'm scampering off humming "anything you can do I can do better...". Yep, that's me.

Alejandra has been inspiring me with simple organizing solutions via her OUT OF THIS WORLD video series, and now I'm ready for a little show and tell of my own! Did you miss Monday's interview with Alejandra? If so, you need to go get wow'd here. One day, I'll be ready for my "close up" and give you guys an entire house tour...one day, when I grow up to be just like Alejandra! *giggle* (Let's just ignore the fact that we're nearly the same age...I'm just a little behind in my growth).

3 Fantastic Tips I Took From Alejandra

1. How to Fold And Store My Jeans:
I learned how to store folded clothes from a friend, who ironically learned it from Alejandra's video series...which I introduced her to! Good things do go around and come back to you! You can read my entire post here about drawer organization, and I'm proud to say I have finally tackled those jeans...

Because it's just too awesome, I have to share Alejandra's video that started the awesome folded jeans revolution! *grin* Go, be taught my pretties...

2. How to Store My Batteries:

My kids were always on the hunt for the batteries... first the batteries were in the cleaning cabinet, then they were in my all purpose pantry, then they were with the hardware in the garage, next they were being kept in the refrigerator (no I didn't lose my memory, my husband told me they keep longer...don't ask me if it's true or not *giggle*). Worst we were never sure where each pack of batteries might be, the D's might be in the garage, while the AAA's were in the pantry, and the C's were just MIA.
After watching Alejandra's house tour video where she shows how she organized her batteries and nails I ran out and decided plano boxes were a gift from heaven! *grin*

I took this a step further and also decided to store my picture frame hangers, and various hardware knick knacks! Details coming soon to a blog near you... *wink*

3. How to Label The Circuit Breaker
When I saw Alejandra's video on how to label circuit breakers I literally yelled at the screen "Oh my goodness, THANK YOU!! That is just genius". There is absolutely nothing I hate more than doing projects that entail electric wiring... why? Because I'm always terrified that when I hit that circuit breaker for that room I will get it wrong. Alejandra color coded her circuit breaker using stickers to make it clear which breakers linked to which rooms! You can watch her how-to video here. And because I have a little more to do on it before I'm ready to blog about it, here is just a tiny sneak peak of how mine is coming along... *wink*

Well, what about you? How has Alejandra and the other Incredibles inspired you? We have had 7 wonderful weeks of inspiration after inspiration with 7 top notch delightfully Incredible bloggers. Don't tell me you haven't gotten a little something-something done yourself. Well this is the opportunity to show it! Link-up via blog post or video post to give us a show and tell of your organized spaces and beautiful house tours! And just in case you need a little extra inspiration, I have rounded up all 7 of the Incredibles house tours for one last little peek of happiness.

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Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Rabu, 17 April 2013 0 komentar

so a lot is going on at our casa....we have officially sold our house and are in the process of building. the kicker is our new house will take 6 months....we get to stay in our home until june, then we will be homeless....i've got a lot to figure out in the next month!!

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The Incredibles: Alejandra TV

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Senin, 15 April 2013 0 komentar

You haven't seen organized until you've seen Alejandra's videos! Professional organizer with a stellar eye for creative repurposing, and she offers a productivity program? Why yes please! I promise you'll be ask hooked as I am.

I had just started a You Tube account for my (then) soon-to-be blog when I thought "hmmm, does anyone else add videos to their blogs?", well lo and behold my idea wasn't an original one... *giggle*

I pretty much marathoned her series on You Tube, then promptly told all my friends via Facebook (in no uncertain terms) that they MUST go watch right now. *hee hee* You could say I'm a fan.

Alejandra has been featured on HGTV, CBS, and Good Housekeeping just to name a few. Enjoy the interview!

Interviewing the Incredibles Part 7:

Show & Tell

Ursula: I love that you teach organizing via video! There is nothing quite like seeing something in action to know it works. How did you come up with the idea, and what was your very first video about?

Alejandra: Thank you!! There are several different things that led me to video. One of them was showing others that it is possible to live an organized life. The best way to do this is through video. With video you can capture things most photos can't. Plus, it's an opportunity to explain things in detail. I'm not a big fan of writing. In fact, I really dread writing. So the fact that I could explain everything verbally instead of typing at the computer was a huge plus in my head!!

My first video was my home tour which I filmed in 2011. At the time, I had no idea how to use a camera so I hired a videographer to shoot the video. The video changed my life. Not only did I learn that I LOVED to film videos, but the video got positive feedback that inspired me to continue filming more and more and more!

On top of that, the night before my first video shoot, HGTV put out a casting call looking for the most organized home in America. When I saw the casting call the night before the shoot, I literally got goose bumps. What are the chances that I'm filming an organized home tour tomorrow and HGTV is looking for organized homes?!?! When I received the final video, I immediately sent it to HGTV and they came to my house a few months later to film Clean Freaks! It was a cool experience!

Ursula: Not everyone is crafty enough to create or build organizers, and not everyone has the budget to purchase expensive organizing systems either. Is there hope for those with little time, and small budgets to get organized?

Alejandra: Absolutely! I do a lot of videos on small budget organization where I show cheap finds from the dollar store, TJMaxx, HomeGoods, Marshalls, IKEA, etc. There are cheap organizing products everywhere you look, you just have to look!

I'm also a big fan of repurposing things. For example, I have a new video coming out soon on how to repurpose prescription bottles for traveling. Most of the jars or cans in the pantry can be repurposed as organizing products. It's all about getting creative and thinking outside the box. Of course it's easiest to go out and buy all of your products, but you get more satisfaction when you're creative and find good deals or repurpose things from around the house!

Ursula: I am SO happy you shared that, I adore how creative you are in your solutions! What tips can you give someone who is overwhelmed and has no idea where to begin, how to stay on track, and isn’t even sure if there are real perks to organizing?

Alejandra: I could talk about this forever and I do inside my Power Productivity Program! lol. To sum it up, it's all about prioritizing. Your house didn't become a mess overnight and so it's not going to become organized by tomorrow. It's going to take time… a long time. And the bad news is that you’re never done! You'll be organizing your entire life. I always tell people that so in case they hate organizing, it's to their advantage to learn since it's a never-ending process. You just can't escape this stuff.

Going back to prioritizing, I always tell people to start in the space that is causing them the most pain as in frustration, stress, and anxiety. Since that's the most painful space, they'll see the most relief the fastest. And you don't have to start in the entire space. Instead, start in one corner or a small drawer and work your way around the room.

I also offer a Free Video Series for anyone that’s ready to start getting organized that gives you something to work on each day. Afterward you’re well on your way to getting organized.

Ursula: Oh I love that video series! I ran around my house trying to employ everything you taught like a crazy lady! *giggle*

As a professional organizer, you’ve taught the happy organizer, and the chronically disorganized. What kind of resources does your online course provide for both of these personality types?

Alejandra: The Power Productivity Program is for all types of personalities from beginners to advanced. The program walks you through the organizing process step-by-step all of the way from getting started to maintaining your organization down the road. In the new program update (due out this month) I hold your hand in the videos throughout the process and tell you what you need to do. I break everything down into "really easy to understand" concepts.

The program includes roughly 4 hours of video footage where I demonstrate everything each step of the way from the organizing process to how to effectively use your daily to-do list and calendar.

We cover soooooo much stuff. To sum it up, it's pretty much my organized life explained in lots of detail on video.

The program also includes two months of free access to my Members Forum which is like a private online support group where I answer questions each week, we post before/after photos, and we have member giveaways. It's the perfect place to be if you need motivation or inspiration. The forum also includes my categorized Knowledge Base of past Q&A. Every single question I've answered can be found there.

Ursula: Thanks so much for sharing Alejandra! I enjoy all your videos, and your new videos are even more organizational eye candy! *blissful sigh* Keep on inspiring and organizing us! Check out Alejandra's website here.

What about you? Are you a happy organizer? We’re all learning and creatively growing together, so nothing is more helpful than knowing you’re not alone! Come back on Thursday with tours of your organized spaces… link via blog post or video blog! I’ll be sharing the spaces Alejandra has inspired me to organize. I can’t wait!!

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Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Jumat, 12 April 2013 0 komentar

it's impossible for me to sit at the computer and not listen to music. tonight i discovered my "new band"...i'm sure you have heard of them b/c they play one of their songs nonstop on the radio...the lumineers. but you really need to listen to their other music...starting w/ classy girls, big parade, and morning song. i just bought the whole album b/c it's good....like friday night w/ a glass of wine and pinterest good.....

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