Hand crafted projects for the frugal and fabulous!
So Apartment Therapy does this thing every year called the Small Cool Contest. It’s sponsored by Benjamin Moore and our apartment is in the running! So please, if you love our apartment, take a tiny little moment out of your time and let Apartment Therapy know.
I have finally gotten around to trying my hand at canning this past weekend, and boy was it exciting. I felt all 1950s housewife–hence the photo above. All the research and reading really paid off, as it made my first canning experience much easier than I expected. But before I reveal my first canning project (which is hopefully one of many), I’d like to share the basics of hot water bath canning. Continue reading ‘Hot Water Bath Canning 101’
I hate buying fresh herbs for a recipe when I only end up using a few sprigs. The rest will usually go to waste, and that’s never a good thing. Salt infusing is one of my favorite ways to make herbs last longer, and extend their shelf life.
Last weekend I made an awesome mac n’ cheese that only required a few sprigs of thyme to flavor the sauce. The next day, I was left with a bunch of thyme and no use for it. Making a flavored salt is a fabulous way to use up some extra herbs while adding something fun and new to the kitchen cabinet.
Last weekend was my dearest friend Michael’s birthday. As per usual, I waited until the very last minute to pick up a card and was left to the minimal resources that surround my office. I had two choices–Papyrus and Duane Reade. We all know how terrible the selection at the pharmacy is, and I usually cannot bring myself to spend $6 on a soulless (though really cute) card from Papyrus. So I was cardless.
So I decided I would make one when I got home from work. But again my options were quite limited–I had my choice of white printer paper or brown packing paper. Of course I opted for the brown packing paper, because, let’s face it, I basically use it for everything. At this point I could probably write a book on the various things you can do with packing paper (ie: wine bottles, and presents).
Anyway, I pulled out my little box of stamps and got to work.
Our apartment is not big by any means. It’s not even a full 600 square feet. However, by New York standards, our 1-bedroom apartment is actually of a decent size. When we first moved in (after downsizing from our previous 2-bedroom apartment) I told Alex, “I guess this means no more dinner parties…” The truth is, we wouldn’t be able to fit a proper dining room table into the apartment even if we got rid of the couch. But I couldn’t imagine a life without dinner parties, which is when I discovered the beauty of the folding table.
Oh spray paint, how I love thee… If you’ve ever had the joy of spray painting a piece of furniture or a found object, you know how rewarding it can be. It’s one of my favorite things to do to bring beaten-down thrift store finds back to life. Whenever I get tired of something in my apartment I usually run right to the paint department at Home Depot. I can go a little wild with it sometimes (and drive the boyfriend crazy in the process), but hey, paint is the easiest way to change the entire look of something. But you still must exercise caution. I remember when I first discovered Rustoleum metallic spray paint and was about to go crazy with it. Thankfully Alex saved me from spray painting just about every metal surface in the apartment, and for that I am grateful.
If you’ve had a chance to check out our recent house tour on Apartment Therapy, then you know that our kitchen houses a shabby little bookshelf on which I keep a bunch of kitchen odds and ends. After browsing through the pictures on Apartment Therapy for the millionth time, I decided the small bookshelf needed a bit of a facelift. The yellow color was too close to the color of the walls, and looked faded and worn. Additionally, at some angles, I questioned whether it was actually shabby chic, or if it was just plain shabby. So true to form, I decided to run out to the hardware store in search of inspiration.
It’s been a very exciting last few days. On Friday our Apartment Therapy house tour went live. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, get on it! I cannot thank Jason Loper at Apartment Therapy enough for finding my blog, and for giving us such a wonderful write up. And to all the new readers, welcome!
Handjobs (For the Home) 