green cleaning machine

Let me talk about baking soda for a minute.  It is probably the miracle product of all time.  You can use it in baking, cleaning, laundry, beauty, etc....and I DO!  It's great for cleaning because it's softer than the finish on stoves, sinks, tubs, and various other household appliances.  As most of you already know, I live in an old apartment with really old, vintage appliances!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my vintage kitchen!  But, I've always been bothered by the baked on crud around the burners.  I knew something could be done, but I refuse to use harsh chemicals!  Cue the baking soda!  I decided to make a paste with water and asking soda and scrub the dickens out of the stains....turns out I didn't need to scrub as hard as I thought!  Some small spots didn't come out, but I'm going to try hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on those.  

Stove top before:  

This picture was taken AFTER I cleaned with glass cleaner.  How gross is that baked on crud?

Stove top after:

I think I'll take it!!

The baking soda even worked on my teapot:

I didn't take a before pick of this, but it had baked on grease all over it from cooking (I'm beginning to think I'm a sloppy cook!).

And my stove in all its vintage glory:

it's that time of year again...resolution time!

With Christmas behind us it's time to focus on the new year.  I have a lot of goals this year and have kicked my motivation into high gear!  First, I wanted to redecorate my bedroom.  On a small budget, that can be hard, so I decided to only do a little at a time, and only use recycled, thrifted, or sale items. Originally, my mother was going to buy me a cube storage unit from ikea to put in the center of the room, but I moved my furniture around, and it turns out that it won't fit.  Not with the existing couch at least.  Maybe if I bought some chairs, but it's not in the budget right now.  So, I had a problem.  I STILL need the storage--my living room is trashed with all the stuff that was in that room! My friend told me about a set of lockers that was in the high school before they ripped them out my sophomore year.  That's perfect!  Even more perfect was the price...$20!  I plan on painting them and putting them where the desk was.  I haven't decided on a cheveron pattern or chalkboard paint....maybe I can find some white chalkboard paint and dye my own so I can do a chevron pattern With chalkboard paint!  

My second goal was to be more social.  Tricky, seeing that I'm a hard core introvert...I thought I'd start out slowly and have people over once a month!  So, the idea to have a "Kick Ass Craft Night" was born.  The first one is on January 29th, and is going to have a LOT of bacon and booze....and crafts of course...no power tools though...I promise!  (Maybe)...

presents

I finished Christmas present number 1 on schedule!  I really liked how it turned out.  At first, I wasn't sure about the yarn (I've been known to be a bit of a yarn snob), but it worked out in the end.  

I made a last minute button change decision.  The original choice was bright red, but this one was bigger and more sophisticated.  I don't regret the decision.  

I went to my local yarn shop to get yarn for some more of my projects and received some surprising deals!  I got enough yarn for two hats and a scarf, PLUS two vintage knitting books for under $20!  Yay!

The yarn I bought for the scarf reminds me of a candy cane.  When I work with it, I use my peppermint lotion, so when the recipient wears it, it will smell like a candy cane too!  

funky fresh bedroom

 I'm sick of my bedroom looking like a storage area.  I really want a space where I can relax, either in bed or on furniture.   My bedroom is certainly large enough to have at least two comfortable, separate spaces.  I want sophistication and hidden storage.  Oh yeah, did I mention I need it to be cheep?  I'm going to give myself an initial budget of $200.  I won't be able to do it all at once, but I'll keep track of my budget on here!  My goal is to get as much furniture/decor items secondhand or on sale as possible.  I already have a lot of what I need, so, that's a bonus.  First thing is going to be paint and re-arranging the furniture.  So, here's a quick sketch of what I have in mind (bear in mind that the drawings are not to scale...for example, the room is square!  But, you get the jist of it!):

I like the accent wall to the right of the room.  I'm going with greys on the walls because it's a classic color that goes with just about any decor.  I really like the idea of a grey and pink chevron rug...I hope I can find one.  Of course, I could always make one if I can't find any!  To separate the spaces, I originally had the idea to put a folding screen between them, but decided on a cube shelving unit for the storage.  

I already have a bed, desk, hope chest, bedside tables, a couch, and a bookshelf, so I don't think I'll have to spend to much on the furniture.  I bet I can get a good coffee table second hand!  I will post before pics eventually, but I want to wait until after stage one so you can compare!  

Christmas is here...

Wow!  This year has gone by fast!  I'm not saying that I can't wait until it's over.  This year can, without a doubt, be considered the worst year of my life.  Those who know me know that I have been through considerable loss this year.  But, it's almost over, and on December 31st, the slate is wiped clean.  

So, instead of dwelling on my circumstances and things that can't be changed, I've issued myself an almost impossible challenge.  I want to start getting my etsy shop up and running, so I'm using this month to get used to utilizing my time to make as many handmade items as I possibly can.  So, the challenge is to make three scarves, two hats, and possibly a couple aprons by the 21st.  I'm really hoping that I surprise myself and I hit my goal so I can surpass it.  Wouldn't it be nice if I could start stocking my etsy?

Here is a sneak peek of project number 1:  

I can't tell you who it's for yet...for obvious reasons.  I decided to go with the Red Heart yarn because of the cheapness factor, but I'm not 100% on it yet.  It's a little on the scratchy side, and I don't care for the sheen cheep acrylic yarn has, but over all, it's nice.  In any event, if I really can't stand it, I can redo it because it's a very quick knit.

crossroads

I was standing in the bathroom looking at myself in the mirror and realized that I had been staring at my reflection for a few minutes, but not actually seeing it.  The scene I was actually looking at was me standing at a fork in a road.  It was in the woods, the road was dirt, and there was an old fashioned wooden sign.  You know, the kind that have a point on one end with the destination written on it.  I had the thought that I need to get trained to do something, and fast.  The coffee shop is behind me, and my future is in front of me.  Do I turn left or right?  Do I make something of myself, or do I waste the talent that I was given?  I know that being stuck in a cubical or office somewhere is not exactly using my talents, but I do believe that it will be a stepping stone to allow me to be able to follow my dreams.

So, visions aside...I wanted to put out some positive energy into the universe...or at least my universe.  Every day I've been making sure to clean and tidy at least one small space.  Yesterday it was the dresser in my living room.  Tonight, it was my end table and couch.  I even vacuumed the carpet around the area!  So, here's the proof I've been cleaning: 

Before:

After:

You can't tell in the picture, but I'm using my end table the way it was meant to be used.  The remote controls and my iPad are on the shelf between the drawer and the top, and things like lotion, paper pads, and various other random things are tucked quietly in the drawer.  I even vacuumed the couch off...I can't get the spots off the arm though.  I'm not really worried about it, though, because I'm getting a new couch by the end if the year.

unemployment

Does anybody know what suddenly and unexpectedly being unemployed is good for?  Blogging, cleaning, and crafting!  Yeah!  There is only so many hours a day you can fill out applications.  And you definitely do NOT want to get stuck in that "I'm going to watch daytime television all day" trap.  You WILL find a job...even if it takes a while...but in the mean time, be productive.  You worked full time at the coffee shop until they sold it and you lost your job...you didn't have time to clean, craft, or blog, and your apartment and creative consciousness suffered BIG time, didn't it.  Well, now you have time. No more excuses.  And, hey, why don't you do some sit-ups while you're at it?  

So here's what this unemployed girl has been up to:

About a week ago, our group of friends sent our dear welsh girlfriend home.  We spent the day shopping (this was before I knew I should have been hoarding my money) and I asked my friend over at eyeslifted to help me pick out a new project.  I only had a general idea of what I wanted.  I told her I wanted to make a hipster scarf.  A few minutes later she hands me a couple balls of Bernat Cotton-ish in Crimson Twine.  And, the scarf pattern on the label was PERFECT!  Even though I have been knitting for the better part of a decade I had never knit with such delicate yarn (pssh...delicate...it's knit on size 6 needles...).  I'm used to projects knit on needle size 10 or larger because of my knitters ADD.    But, I'm forcing myself to work on it.  I'll find myself falling into that daytime T.V. trap, so, I make myself knit while I'm watching.  BAM!  Productive.  And, just so you know I'm cleaning, here is a pic of my newly de-cluttered, dusted, and organized chest of drawers in my living room:

Until next time, my friends!