My Happy Place

See this closet?  (pardon the very poor lighting and composition.)

This closet used to contain an awkward storage unit, a weirdly placed clothes bar that didn't actually fit anything well, and some odd sized shelves.  I had pretty much just left it alone- storing my biking, hiking and ski gear there and writing it off as a poor design decision someone else made, and an issue that I didn't want to deal with. 

Then, over Labor Day weekend, I was itching for a little DIY project and this closet was where my mind landed.  I have wanted a dedicated space where I could spread out whatever project I was working on for quite a while, and I realized that, with the right modifications, this closet might fit the bill perfectly. 

So I did some serious deconstruction work - those organizers and shelves were screwed, nailed and glued into the wall (I guess whoever put them in really didn't want them to come out).  Then I did some serious reconstruction work- I basically ended up tearing down to the sheet rock in most places, the deconstruction causing a couple of large holes in others.  I ended up patching, taping, mudding, texturing, priming and painting the closet walls before they looked right. 

Then I hung new shelves, added a table that fit the space, figured out some lighting options (although this will be upgraded in the near future) and moved my supplies into their new home. 

And.....VOILA! 

  

It doesn't look like much, but I now have a perfectly appointed space where I can sew, craft, work on jewelry, paint, whatever....

I spend a lot of my time here these days.  I am really enjoying having somewhere I can let my creative juices run wild, and the best part is that if I leave an in-process project spread out, l can shut the doors from curious little four year old hands.  

I didn't expect to enjoy this closet re-do as much as I have, but I have found that I'm more apt to work on things now that I have the space to do them without leaving a huge mess around the rest of my condo.  

Who knew?

I love it when a project comes together even better than I expected. 

By Popular Demand

I've had a ton of requests for my laundry soap recipe.
It's really very simple, but I'm happy to share it.

1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Bar Ivory Soap, grated. (I just use my kitchen grater and then wash it well and run it through the dishwasher.)

Mix it all together.
Store in an airtight container.
Shake or stir before use.
Use ~2 TSP per load (i use slightly less, but I have a baby sized washer. just play around a bit.)

-I have a High Efficiency machine and this stuff works great because it doesn't suds up at all.
-Also, I scrub a bit of this into really nasty stains, or dissolve some in the sink to pre-soak. I haven't met a stain yet that stood up to it.

A few alternatives:
-my awesome sister-in-law makes laundry soap that has the same ingredients, but it a liquid concentrate. I hear hers works great, but I didn't have the room to store a five gallon bucket.

- the lovely Elizabeth shared a link for some soap that she has used and love. It looks divine, and I will definitely be testing this recipe out when it's time for me to make more. Here is the link: http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/05/on-the-laundry-line.html

So here you go....Make your own, save the earth, and save some cash in the process.

Domestic Goodness

Little known scientific 'fact': when you spend all spring working on a kitchen update, it triggers some sort of 'domesticity gene' and you end up spending the summer indulging yourself in all sorts of household goodness.

A few of the latest examples:

Jam
Last week, one of my favorite people EVER was in town, and we spent a lovely Saturday morning turning this:

into this:
Hannah taught me the art of making jam, and I gotta say...it's mighty satisfying. We did a couple of batches of low-sugar apricot together and then I tried my hand at raspberry-blackberry later that evening. I was going to put a photo of Hannah from that morning up, but she was not feeling her best *ahem*. So, you can just see me making the second batch of apricot. I can't wait to make more.
DIY cleaning products
This next endeavor started out as a way to try to keep my little girl's sensitive skin away from harsh chemicals. I noticed that every time I cleaned my bathtub, no matter how well I rinsed it, Riley ended up with a bit of skin irritation after she bathed. I did some research on more natural cleaning methods and started cleaning the tubs and sinks using baking soda as a scrub and a vinegar rinse. Worked like magic on my tub, kept my drains very clear, and her skin was much less irritated. So I did some more research and expanded my new ways so much that I basically got rid of all commercial cleaning products and am now using only the items in this photo to clean my entire house.
(the one exception is dishwasher detergent. I'm going to start making my own after I use up what I have left.) I'm even making my own powdered laundry detergent out of borax, washing soda and ivory soap, and I am in love with it. Besides cleaning as well or better than any commercial detergent I've ever used (seriously - it got out the very worst stains easily) my skin is less dry, Riley's skin is not irritated at all, it's really easy to make, and it is super inexpensive. I estimated it to be about 7.5 cents per load (yes, I did the calculations. I'm that big of a numbers geek).

Salvaged Chair (aka glorified dumpster diving)
In my city, they do a neighborhood cleanup times when people put out things to be taken away, recycled, etc. by city workers. I happened to be driving through my neighborhood when I saw a chair that was dirty, yes, but the lines were amazing.

I thought about it all day. I could not understand why anyone would toss that chair when it was so gorgeous.

That night, Hannah and G were at my house, and around midnight, Hannah and I went and 'liberated' the chair. Here it is in all it's dirty glory.

Since then, I've had it professionally cleaned and it made a world of difference. Once I got it home, I realized it was in really solid shape and the fabric pattern is so cool. I'm looking into ways to dye it so I can keep the fabric, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying a cool, retro chair and Ican now say that I'm one of those people who will steal other people's trash.

I'm a homebody at heart, and I'm really enjoying the time I've been spending making my home more comfortable and authentic. I feel like doing these kinds of things are right in line with my values of simple living, cultivating a healthy lifestyle, being mindful of the earth and being thrifty.

This domestic goddess thing...it's a lot of fun! Who knew?