A Good Stain

Parties and spilled drinks, rainy days and muddy shoes, flour on the floor from your latest cake, plates of sloppy spaghetti and a bit of wasted, splashed wine... a good life is often a messy one.  Mess in your house can often be cleaned - but sometimes a stain sets in.  If you are lucky, you can flip the couch cushion or angle the rug under the chair, or pre-treat the tablecloth.  Maybe just a quick wipe up or a little elbow grease.

But sometimes the sweating cup has done its damage or the spill has been concealed and the stain is set in.  I have quite a few in my house - from a cup ring that I hide under a box of tissues to towels that I have just dedicated as work or non-guest towels. 

Hey, stains happen.

My most recent project has been all about staining - on purpose. Like the people who spend too much time in the sun with no protection - they looked weathered and older than their age.  So, after enlisting the help from my dad (again) - we decided to stain and seal the fence and deck.

Now, the whole project could have gone the way of Tom Sawyer painting the fence - except I didn't have any friends that I could con into helping me - so we went country on the project.  Dad brought up a sprayer that we typically used to spraying weeds - we cleaned it out and filled it up with stain.

Dad sprayed - I smoothed it out.  We got my entire fence in less than 3 hours.  Then came the back deck.  While the floor could be sprayed - the railing and detail work had to be hand stained and sealed.  The deck took about 4 or so hours - I won't lie - it was painful.  But at the end of the project, I looked out into my backyard and I was proud of what I had accomplished.

In about 7 hours and less than $200 later, my back yard was transformed and protected.  The deck looks awesome and the fence has new life.  You can't tell much from the pictures as you can in real life.  I am just glad to have something other than weathered wood surrounding my house - and I know that it will last longer now that it is sealed.

Before:

After:

 

And It All Comes Crashing Down!

You are stilling in a meeting and your cell rings.  The caller is someone would not typically try to contact you at work, so you know it must be important.

I got one of those calls last week.  It is mid-morning and I look down at my phone.  Tim is calling me.  He knows I am in meetings all day and can be reached by email.  So I excuse myself and take the call. 

The conversation starts normally, so I cut to the chase - "Is this an emergency?"

"Well..."  So in the second or two that he takes to respond, I have rapid fire gone through the scenarios of what could be wrong.  He is hurt.  Something happened to the cats.  My car was stolen... and so on.

"We had some storms last night and apparently..." I jump to car damaged, house is damage, shed is damaged...

"And a tree fell" on my car... house... neighbors house...

Finally, I find out that my neighbor's tree (from 2 houses up) had fallen through the next door neighbors yard, neighbors behind me yard, and my yard.  Honestly, I can't picture how a tree could fall and hit so many peoples yards and not a house.

The tree, whose root ball was over 7 feet wide, fell diagonally and 'touched' 5 yards. 

Lucky for me - it only took out about 5 feet of my fence.

Luckier for me - my Dad came up with his chainsaws and some tools to help me fix it.  In less than 2 hours, we cleaned up the tree, hauled off the debris, and re-built the fence.

Now, don't let the pictures fool you, I got my hands dirty on this one too - I couldn't let my Dad and Tim have all the fun. 

And, I learned a few things.  First, I know now how to put up a wood fence (I knew how to do the ones on the farm with the barbed wire). Next, if an "act of God" damages your house/property - regardless of where the damaging element comes from, it comes out of your homeowners insurance (if you chose to claim it). 

Lastly, I have amazing neighbors (well, I already knew that).  I lived in an apartment for many years before I bought this house.  I never knew who lived next door to me even though I would see them several times a week. But now, I know my neighbors and would call them a friend. 

We were all outside working together- it isn't something that I thought I would get living in a big city, knowing my neighbors and hanging out with them- but I have it here.  I am really thankful and grateful to have it.

(And really grateful the tree didn't actually hit my house!)

Spring Cleaning - DIY Style

I recently was having lunch with a Vegan.  I personally am a red meat kinda girl - I enjoy eggs in the morning and steak at night with plenty of other animal products along the way.  I respect anyone that is Vegan/Veggie - I know that I could not be that dedicated - heck, I can't even turn down a doughnut. 

But I digress - so we are at lunch and somehow get on the topic of chemicals.  Now, this person is a green cleaner - with no harsh chemicals.  It is a green thing for them.

Me?  I actually am not longer using any store chemicals for cleaning either - but not necessary for the "green cause".  While it has the benefit of saving the world, I find that DIY cleaners are MUCH cheaper and work just as well if not better.  I don't think I would be willing to convert if they didn't - for example - I do not use DIY dishwasher detergent - my dishwasher just doesn't clean as well with it. 

What does work for me?  DIY Clog Clearers (think Drano), DIY soap scum scrub, and DIY universal cleaner.  What are you going to need for all of these?  Baking Soda, White Vinegar, and Water - easy right?  Start buying in bulk!

DIY Clog Clearer - I LOVE this - even Drano doesn't work for me all the time - this has always worked for me.  Feed about 1/2 a cup of baking soda down the drain.  Then pour 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain and immediately put a cup/bowl over the drain (it will foam like a science experiment and the cup forces it down the drain to work on the clog).  While your science experiment is working its magic, go boil some water (a big pot - around a gallon).  After it is boiling (think about 15 minutes) - remove the cup/bowl and pour the water down the drain.  Watch it flow right down - clog cleared!  All of this for under a $1 (compared to over $4 for a bottle that *may* work)!

DIY Soap Scum Scrub - I have used this a few times in my tub - I just sprinkle baking soda directly on the surface (or on my rag) and then spray on my Universal Cleaner and wipe away.  For really bad situations - I let it set for a few minutes and then wipe away.  Again - pennies to use!

DIY Universal Cleaner - My favorite and every day cleaner.  One part vinegar, one part water.  Mix in a spray bottle (Dollar Tree has great industrial ones with different handle colors for a $1 - this is nice to help distinguish what is in what bottle if you use them for many things like I do).  Just spray and wipe this stuff.  I use it on my tubs, toilets, sinks, kitchen counters, windows, mirrors, for spot clean up on my hardwoods, I spay on my tiled floors and wipe off too - it really is universal.  Again - pennies to use!

What is the catch?  Okay - these don't smell like roses - we are using vinegar here!  So what is the resolution?  First, the smell dissipates quickly - like in a minute or two - and I personally, don't find it offensive as some of the harsh cleaner's smells.  OR - you can do what I now do - follow up immediately with my DIY Frebeze (so like in the bathroom I will spray on my rugs or towels).  Then you have a clean room with a fresh scent! 

Suzy Homemaker DIY Cleaners - saving your wallet and the world - one project at a time!

Spring in the Hair

At first I thought it was fluke - all of this warm weather so early- but then again, we didn't have a really cold bitter winter like we had last year here in Atlanta.  Now, I hope it spring is here to stay.  I have been enjoying my back porch and my front porch swing.

But with the perfect warming weather, we get allergies, bugs, and yellow pollen.  I have decided that I can handle the itchy eyes and yellow car.  What is driving me insane - my cats shedding.  It is like a wild west show in my house - rolling tumbleweeds of fur no matter how much I sweep.  My cats should be bald right now due to their severe hair loss.

Aside from my hair issues - I am loving my first spring in my house.  This past weekend my parents came up and we power washed the back porch, cut down trees, re-mulched the backyard, extended my drainage pipes, cleaned up my front flower bed, removed my back flower bed, and planted lots of new stuff - transfers from my parents and grandmas house.  It is beautiful - I can't wait to have cookouts and play in the backyard!

I am Suzy Homemaker - with a green thumb!

Hiding Out in the Open

My house was built in 1922 - I think it gives it a ton of charm.  It also means that closets were miniature - just like the stairs.  And 90 years later, we in general are bigger as are our wardrobes.  Many people just say we have become slaves to consumerism and fast food.  I am not here to change those things (although I am celebrating 5 months of being "sober" from McDonalds!) - but to offer what I found to be a creative alternative to shrinking your wardrobe.


First, I am my mothers child, I do not feel the need to hoard or hold onto things.  If I haven't wore it or used in 6-8 months, it is sold, donated, or thrown away.  That said, I still have more clothes than fit in my tiny closet.

Now, you have the traditional shoes under the bed, out-of-season clothes in the attic, etc.  This solves part of the problem - but here in the south, the only thing that I truly can store is my bathing suits or heavy sweaters.  Weather can swing too much in given week during any time of the year.  Between this and travel to different regions - I needed to be able to access the majority of my clothes without having to crawl into my attic.

So... I hide them out in the open.  With a smaller bedroom, I didn't want it walled up with cabinets or more wood furniture - it would just make it seem even smaller.  Then it hit me - I would used shelving and my clothe boxes.

After some measuring, I realized my boxes would fit perfectly on the wall behind  my door.  Now that the measuring was done, it was off to Lowe's to see what they had.  $80 and some metal cutting later (by a helpful Lowe's employee), I left with everything need to put up my wall shelves.

In less than 30 minutes these shelves were up!  I love that they are partially hidden by the door - but not all the way - after all - the boxes are really nice.  I found that jeans, workout clothes, socks, shirt, scarves - just about anything fits into these boxes.  They are really easy to grab down and then put back up.

Since the shelves are adjustable, if I need to update the room, I can just get new boxes and adjust as needed.  Excellence use of a corner, right?

Bright Lights in the Big City

Lately with work, I have ended up on some late night flights.  If you know me as a traveler, you know I am a window seat traveler - even though I am 6 feet tall.  What can I say, I like to look out the window at everything below.

Getting in this late at night is a newer experience for me.  My first thoughts when I saw Atlanta lit up in the black sky was of the Nazca Lines in Peru.  The Nazca people created these geoglyphs (think ground sculptures) that could be viewed by the gods above.  This was nearly over 1500 years ago.

 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines

What they created was so amazing - no airplanes or satellite imaging.  And I look from my airplane window at what we, modern society have created.  While it is also amazing, it is also a bit disheartening.  The bright lights go on forever, but they are strictly for our utility - not for the beautification of our plant or in honor of anything.  I can see subdivisions - planned to maximize land space.  Roads that carve into the landscape.  Clusters of shopping centers and parking lots.

I am not by any means saying we should have focused our building and planning so that God above or airplane passengers would have had a pretty scene to gaze down on...  but maybe as we move forward we should think more than the local impact of our usage of this place.  The simple lines that the Nazca put on the ground are here over a thousand years later and are still beautiful.  Can we say the same about what we are creating today?  Will people still care a thousand years from now?  Will our cities one day be considered a wonder of the world or just ruins to clean up?

As far as my home relates, know I have been replacing my "bright" lights with the newer compact light bulbs that require less energy.  I have also strove to keep the lights off when possible.  I may not be able to change the hardscape of our city, but at least I can be more conscious of the resources I am using.

And as far a beautification - people from a plane can't see this and it will not stand the test of time -but I have decorated my fireplace with my 'bright lights', which I think are beautiful.  I thought this candelabra was a great addition for the house since the fireplaces are no longer functional.

 I am Suzy Homemaker - see me shine!

Can't Escape the Snakes!

Okay - I really am believing I live on a snake bed at this point.

I raked up leaves a month or 3 ago, but never quite got around to bagging them - we still had leaves falling and blowing around - so what was the point?  Then we got rain so I didn't want to bag wet leaves... and let me honest with myself here - I just didn't want to bag them but was unwilling to pay someone else to do it.

So finally, the weather has gotten nicer and I was going to start having spring cookouts - so the leaves had to go.  Now, if you recall, the last time I raked leaves, I raked up a snake - still alive.  It gives you this paranoia about raking leaves.  But, I had on my big girl panties and my thick gloves, so I was committed.

Tim opted for the manly way, bare hands and elbows deep into the leaf piles.  I cautioned him about snakes and he informed them that they would be hibernating and that they generally hibernated in large groups - so we would know by the first scoop.  I am still not sure if that was true... and I don't know if it was more calming to think we would definitely know if there were snakes or more terrifying to think that there could be multiple to deal with if they were hibernating in my piles.

So we approach the last pile.  He start scooping and I spot one.  That is right - there is a snake in my leaf pile again! It looks dead, but then again I have never seen a hibernating snake and I don't want to take chances.  We scoop it onto the rake and take it to the sidewalk.  As much as I am not cool with snakes, I wanted to see it more closely.  It didn't seem to move - but was in perfect condition - no indication of death.

We poked at it like little kids on the beach with a jellyfish.  Maybe it slightly moved.  Maybe it was my mind playing tricks.  Either way, it got a brick to the head.

We tossed it and I went back to bagging leaves with my gloved hands.  Tim opted to use the rake.

I am Suzy Homemaker, snake wrangler.