Go Here, Do This

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours:

Iraqi Bundles of Love

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This is a challenge!

Oatmeal

Yeah, in August. I eat it year-round since I found the best recipe ever! Thank you, Alton Brown.


It does take a bit of time so this isn't for those who don't plan ahead. I make a batch and then have it for the week. Along with my green smoothie, I only need a bit in the morning which I can reheat in the micro. You can top it with fresh fruit, nuts, berries, agave nectar, flax seed, cinnamon. I especially like it with a little half-and-half. But then, what's not to like with half-and-half?

Another Check on the Punch List

Punch List: a list of usually minor tasks to be completed at the end of a project Every project has one, and houses usually have long lists. When you pay someone else to build, they are responsible for those items or they don't get paid. When you do it yourself, they get done when they get done.

This job had been bugging me for a long time and it's one of those that most people probably didn't notice, thinking the variation in color was a design decision. But I recently put a swing on my front porch and this window is right by the swing, so I had to look at it every time I sat there. Yesterday, with a little flour, water, sand and a couple of hours of work-Check Mark!

First, I made flour paste by mixing a little flour with a little water and pouring that into boiling water and cooking it for a minute or so. Yes, just like a white sauce but for this, I don't mind the lumps.


Then I added sand which had been sifted to remove rocks and other debris. Inconsistency in the size of material can make a plaster job hell.

Next, with my trusty Japanese trowel, custom hawk and a few other tools, I applied the sand/paste plaster to the dampened substrate.




This window is completely protected form the elements by the porch roof otherwise this plaster would not be suitable.
Finished! Now I can really enjoy sitting in my porch swing.

Recycle, Reuse, Refashion

Just a Girl "I Can Make That Party"

While browsing at a rummage sale with a friend, she mentioned she needed a small case for her laptop. Nothing big, bulky, briefcase looking. Lightbulb! I had recently seen this post at Creative Kismet and this at Curbly. From those inspirations, I arrived at this:

Back pocket with hook-n-loop closure.
It is all the same color, the lighting was different

I used thrifted placemats that had a backing fabric so when I cut them to size, I left one seam intact and sandwiched in padding. For the padding piece, I used an old quilted mixer cover (remember those?), also found at a thrift store. Even the button was from my box of "that's too cool to throw away" treasures.

Total cost was about 2 bucks and I have a placemat leftover.