Archives for April 2010

April 30, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

The House that Dr. Seuss Built

The other day someone pointed out that I now have a Dr. Seuss house and they are right. We use the same colors!

I even have Thing 1 and Thing 2 running around the house.

I began to think about my color choices and when my infatuation with the Dr. Seuss style of decorating could have begun.

Am I merely following a fad?

Will I hate these colors a year from now?

I don’t think so and this is why.

Brace yourselves! It isn’t pretty.

Notice the eye shadow and glasses?

In 2007 I actually wore Dr. Seuss colors. I have no explanation or excuse. I have absolutely no idea why I purchased that tube of liquid eye shadow, but I do remember the feeling of absolute need when I saw it in Wal-Mart.

Call it bad taste. Call it trendsetting. Call it tacky.

But if it was good enough for Dr. Seuss, it’s good enough for me!

If you haven’t seen my living room, click HERE.

If you haven’t seen my kitchen, click HERE.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Seuss

I hope you all have a happy and colorful weekend!

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April 29, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Self-Discovery in the Kitchen

I am pleased to report that Fiona is very happy in her corner of my new and improved kitchen. If you haven’t met Fiona, please click here.

That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Do you know what I hate?

I hate when I only have one egg left in the carton. Putting it back in the fridge drives me berserk, so today I just threw an extra egg in my batch of cookies. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Have you noticed that 99% of the posts in my ‘Food’ category aren’t actually recipes with step-by-step instruction?

All these posts are just me whining and complaining about cooking. This self-discovery stinks is quite enlightening.

I also go crazy when I watch a cooking show or read a blog and someone is singing the joys and benefits of doing some homemaker overachiever thing that draws me right into their Martha Stewart world. For instance, making pasta from scratch.

Why?

There are 52 enriched, fiber filled varieties in the grocery store, but wouldn’t you know that I suddenly begin dreaming of wearing a bohemian style apron and spinning my own strands of golden dough.

It’s a moment of insanity. Thankfully I usually come back to earth and realize that if I made everything from scratch, I wouldn’t have any time to blog live life.

Today’s advice:

Some things were just meant to be purchased dried and in a box. That’s all I’m saying.

Oh ya, and use the extra egg. I just took a big fat cookie out of the oven and ate it. They are puffy bites of goodness. Recipe found on the back of a bag of Andes mint candy chips, but I substituted half whole wheat flour and the extra egg. I think that makes them healthy.

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April 28, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Redneck Vacation

My kids went back to school Monday after a week of Spring break. We enjoyed a wonderful week full of sunny days, the great outdoors, and bicycle riding; however, several children in my kid’s classes went on a cruise for Spring break.

I am happy for their families, because it’s nice to experience a week of warm weather when you live in the tundra. If I had the money, I would have been cruising myself.

So the dinner conversation naturally turned to these kid’s experiences on the cruise ship.

Finally my daughter exclaimed, “Well, we went on a cruise too!”

Time out.

I know I’m on the fast track to Alzheimer’s, but I would have at least 542 photos of me with a sunburned nose and 10 extra pounds of cruise food to remind me of my dream vacation.

Laughingly I said, “We’ve never been on a cruise. What are you talking about?”

Finally after much splanin by FringeKid, the lights turned on in my head.

“That was a ferry! NOT a cruise.” I said cracking up.

And that my friends is Red Neck Cruising.

Come July, I’m gonna tell my kids to pack their bags. We may just set sail for Staten Island. The upside of that kinda cruise is that we’ll be home in time for me to cook dinner.

Vay*Kay*tion*en

What did you do for Spring break?

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April 26, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Recycled Kitchen Renovation

Last week I showed you a sneak peek of some home renovation projects that FringeMan and I are working on. So today I thought I’d show you our DIY Kitchen Renovation, budget style with recycled cabinets.

Please understand we are not professional home renovators and we are working with no money. I don’t say that flippantly. We are really working with very little. Keep that in mind.

Thankfully recycling is in style.

We also are NOT finished with this project. This is only an update.

The original kitchen

When we purchased our home, this was the kitchen. These were the only cabinets and counter space in the room. It doesn’t look terrible in the photo, but that sink had been leaking for many years and the inside of the cabinets were completely rotted. It was gross. You’ll have to trust me on that.

The other side of the kitchen

This photo is of the other side of the kitchen. The side I will not be featuring in updated pictures just yet. Again, this photo looks better than the in-person view. Please note, there was three inches of grease covering every surface in the kitchen.

That pantry is now closed to the kitchen and has become part of the bathroom behind the wall. We needed a bigger bathroom if we wanted a shower large enough to water our entire body.

On to the updates!

We did remove the window next to the sink/counter from the first ‘original kitchen’ photo. It’s a shame to lose a window, but the glass was compromised and I had a vision of what I wanted. I would not allow a window to stand between me and my dream. Besides, I have another window in the kitchen. If nothing else, we do not lack windows.

Are you ready?

Are you really ready?

New and Improved

Several months ago, FringeMan saw an add on Craigslist for FREE cabinets. He jumped on them. Excitement budded in my heart and grew as I heard the car pull into the driveway.

I ran outside and my excitement died.

‘ll try not to exaggerate…really, but these were the worst cabinets I’d ever seen. At that moment, I thought we should have kept the rotted, moldy original cabinets. Words like disgusting, horrendous, dilapidated, and puke come to mind and unfortunately for FringeMan, they also came to my mouth. Now I’m accustomed to renovating on a budget and I have imagination, but I was sure these cabinets could not work.

FringeMan and I fought about the cabinets for months. Yes we did.

The more hatred I would spew for the 1970’s dark brown ugliness, the more determined FringeMan would become to make these cabinets work.

And it took work. Believe me!

FringeMan had to build in an extra three cabinets to fit the space and we made all new doors.

The door pulls we bought at a liquidation warehouse for 49 cents a piece. They were a score!

Originally I was going to paint everything white, but after painting my living room tables, I couldn’t resist bringing color to the cabinets. I’m so happy with end result! I really LOVE this color combination.

We also made the butcherblock countertop. That wasn’t as difficult as I first imagined. FringeMan took some good advice from a professional countertop contractor and we were in business.

After much research, I learned that you oil butcherblock countertops and you do not polyurethane them.

They sell bottles of butcherblock oil (mineral oil) at the paint store in town for under $5. Maintenance is about once a month. I can spill (and I have) an entire glass of water on the countertop and it will just pool on the surface. It’s basically waterproof now.

I like that we were able to put the microwave under the counter. It was a last-minute decision that worked really well. FringeMan installed another outlet behind it, so we are cooking with power.

I wish I didn’t have the toaster oven on the counter, but it fits 4 frozen waffles in there at once and the kids can use it, so it must stay. I make any adjustments necessary for easy mornings.

Like I said, we are far from finished, but it’s come a long way. I am happy with the journey.

FringeMan did good, even if he chose ugly cabinets. 😉

A DIY Kitchen Renovation with Butcher Blog Countertops and Recycled Cabinets

April 25, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

A Neighborhood Gone Wild

This is the only time you will ever hear me stand up for my dog. Mark the date and remind me that I was once overwhelming kind to the “O” (Oriana).

They have this little rule in town and cities. It’s called a Leash Law. I understand it, respect it, and abide by it; however, it’s unfair.

Now I know what you’re going to say – Life isn’t fair!

It’s one of my favorite sayings. In fact, my son heard it so often that I would overhear him telling kids on the playground that “Life’s not fair.” I understand that, but something must change in my neighborhood. The cats are going wild, torturing my dog, and subsequently driving me insane.

The cats literally come poke their heads in my window and smash their little whiskered faces up against the glass. It’s bad enough the kids do that, but now their cats have caught on. Do you have any idea what that does to my dog?

It’s like an episode of Tom and Jerry, except with a cat and dog and the cat is winning!

My dog runs circles around the house, nearly jumps from the windows, and knocks around my furniture. This goes on for most of the day.

I’m about to lobby congress for laws requiring cats to be leashed.

The cats also rip through my garbage, get into my garage, and spray everything in site. I am declaring war on felines!

FringeMan reached his breaking point one evening last week. The cats refused to be chased off. As the dog danced circles around crying at her highest, most feverish pitch, she also sprinkled the floor in uncontainable excitement. Finally FringeMan just opened the door and said, “Go get em’.”

A verse of The Farmer in the Dell ensued.

The cat took off at breakneck speed with the dog hot on his heels. Roughly five children entered the race, arms flapping in every direction and shouts reaching clear to Massachusetts. Although I doubt FringeMan was overcome with sympathy for the cat, he was concerned that every kid on the block was now running in and out of the street after the animals, so he joined the race.

The disjointed congo line danced their way down the street, through backyards, and ended with a treed cat. The kids are still reliving this scene from their very own nature channel episode. My dog is having active dreams in which I am certain she returns with the cat in her mouth and FringeMan is in trouble with every cat lover in a 10 mile radius.

I love that people love their cats, but I love my sanity. When your cat jumps in my window and waves hello to my dog, it’s war. Just remember, all’s fair in love and war.

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April 23, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Bathroom Break

I sure am glad this isn’t my bathroom!

I would feel terrible when my dog sauntered in and took a long, cool drink from the toilet. I know she would jump right into that white chair and drip dry.

Hope you all have a happy weekend!

Please note, this photo comes from HGTV.com and is appropriately linked.

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April 22, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

My Living Room’s New Look

I am only showing you my living room, because I know you have imaginations and you can forgive the imperfections. Sadly these photos stink. One day I’ll learn how to take great pictures, but right now I’m too busy painting and doing laundry. Since I’m not getting featured in a ‘Home’ magazine, these pictures will have to be good enough.

In my mind I’m formulating a DIY survival post and ‘good enough’ is a recurring theme; however, the gears of mind are working about as quickly as my coffee pot drips. It will be a while.

Before the big reveal, I’ve got some splanin’ to do.

I still need a rug.

Would you believe that I actually found one on clearance in Lowe’s that incorporates all my colors. Truth. However, it’s not in the budget right now. I am confident rugs will continue to be sold for years to come and my floor will be here for a little while, so no problemo. Gives me something to dream about.

I also want to get those little ring thingies to hang my curtains from, but that’s also out of the current budget.

Now before you ask, I am not ready to commit to color on the fireplace until after we flank it in bookshelves. I just don’t want to paint twice. I’m getting painter’s wrist.

The television is absolutely temporary. For me, temporary can last up to five years, but eventually a flat screen will hang on the wall opposite the couch and all the ‘equipment’ that goes along with the TV will live in an inset cabinet beneath the flat screen.

That was a lot of splanin’!

I’m sure you didn’t read a word of it, so I’ll shut up and get to the picts.

Living Room As Purchased

Yes, I’m starting at the beginning, because it makes the end product look better. I need all the help I can get!

scraping layers of wallpaper off the walls and ceiling

FringeMan removed the paneling and drop ceiling. Then I scraped a hundred years worth of wallpaper off the walls and ceiling. I vowed to spare future generations and never hang wallpaper.

The Sterile Stage

For a brief moment during this sterile stage, I considered setting up a table in the middle of the room and performing experimental surgeries. FringeMan did not approve.

With Furniture

This is my living room with furniture. I showed you this photo and asked for suggestions. You did not disappoint! Your detailed comments and emails really caused me to think outside my box. This furniture is mine for better or worse, but you gave me the push I needed to inject life, personality, and character.

I spent a minimal amount of money to revitalize the living room. I purchased 1 can of black spray paint, two cans of red spray paint, and a quart of the aqua/turquoise color (don’t know the difference between aqua/turquoise). I also purchased $30 worth of fabric and pillow stuffing. Add one $9.99 poster frame with an additional 25% off and I was done shopping. Everything else I had. So all in all, it was a low-budget make-over. The rug will be the budget buster.

current living room

I brought the curtains higher and it immediately made the room look huge. You were all absolutely right on that one. I couldn’t bring them wider, because we have some major plaster problems in the room. After we took down all that wallpaper, we had giant chunks of plaster missing and falling out. FringeMan spent a long time patching the walls so they wouldn’t all crumble. The entire room has a textured plaster finish. Keeping the walls white cuts down on glaring imperfections in the plaster. Everytime I hang something, I need to make sure it’s in a good position, so we don’t have a nightmare on our hands.

The futon doesn’t have a cover yet. I just removed the old cover and exposed the mattress.

This is a full-page newspaper article written by Amelia Earhart in 1929. The title is “What Does the Airplane Offer the Modern Girl”.

Upstairs in our bedroom we had carpeting. Under the carpeting was linoleum and under that was a thick layer of newspapers from 1929. I saved the best pages. It’s angled in the frame, because I didn’t have the extra money to buy a proper size matt. I just used the black printed paper that came with the frame and I had to cover all the white lettering.

Cheesy?

Yes. Sometimes you’ve just gotta do the unlovely.

I should have turned off the light before snapping this photo. Then there wouldn’t be a glaring shade in the picture and my reflection would disappear. Live and learn.

I love the idea of putting a metal grate in front of the fireplace with some logs in it. I’m going to look for one at a yard sale this summer.

Am I the only one who has a kitchen in her living room? My daughter has a tiny bedroom and she needed some floorspace, so her kitchen is now in the living room.

You’d be surprised at how many boys come into my house and start playing with it. I hope they cook as much when they are older and married!

So what do you think?

Improvement??

Thank you all for your help and encouragement. I’m sure my livingroom will continue to change and hopefully improve. If I stop blabbing and go wash my windows, it will be immediately better.

UPDATE

Over time, many more things have changed in our living room, so I thought I would give you a visual tour in photos.

My hubby made the bookcases on either side of the fireplace.

We still have work to do, mainly hiding wires, but time fixes all rooms. I think.

We always had a vision of flanking the fireplace (old and does not work anymore) with built-in bookcases. FringeMan made these and I think he did a smashing job. Those bookcases are deep and will hold two full rows of book on each shelf.

These bookshelves are one of the things I love most about this room.

We also painted the floors with a Benjamin Moore floor paint in brown.

If you paint your floors, please allow ample dry time. It may take more than a week for your floors to cure. Stay off them for as long as possible and keep the air circulating with fans. That is my best advice.