A Thousand Words

I love to read.  I always have.  My parents used to yell at me to stop reading at night to go to bed.  Granted, mandated reading during grad school stopped me from leisure reading for even a year after I graduated!  Now especially that house work has calmed down - I have been enjoying my porch swing and good books again.

I do not have a standard MO for acquiring reading materials - I use the Kindle (both bought books and using the lending library), the public library, and buying used books from Amazon.  Reading over a book a week, I prefer free and cheap is a second best. 

With Amazon Prime, you get a free Prime book every month - while the selection is not great, they now have the full Harry Potter series as Prime. 

For Atlanta-Fulton County Library systems, you can "check-out" electronic library books for a period of up to 14 days - they have a growing collection (downside - they also have a growing population of readers so the wait times can be lengthy).

Next, I turn to used books on Amazon - for older books, I can usually find them about $4-$5 a piece. 

For the new books, I generally turn to the Kindle.  I am not known for my patience, so when I am in the middle of a series, waiting for the next installation, I have to get in on my Kindle the day it comes out. 

I resisted buying a Kindle or any type of tablet/e-reader for a long time.  However, a mix weekly travel with the need to take at least 2 books with you for the week - need for space won me over.  I now actually prefer the Kindle to actual paperbacks.  I can use one hand and you can see it well in most lights (no glare).  I prefer it over my iPad - for reading. 

So what have I read this month? 
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azaban
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Freed
Shadow of Night
Harvest Moon (Virgin River Series)
Dead Reckoning: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel

What is upcoming on the reading list?
More Harry Potter
Divergent
Insurgent (if I like Divergent)

Check out my Library Page for my reviews and fav reads. 
Let me know if you have any suggestions for must reads!

Cork It.

Hi. My name is Suzanne. And I have a Pinterest problem.  Pinterest makes me feel as though I can build, cook, or create anything cheaper and just as cute (or tasty) as something that I could buy.

Sometimes it costs just as much.  Sometimes it is WAY cheaper.  Sometimes it tastes awesome.  Sometimes we get Chinese takeout.  Sometimes it is cute.  Sometimes it goes in the trash.

Even though I have had a few failures along the way - I love trying.  I like the satisfaction of making something, maybe I get that from being raised on a farm.

So when I needed a cork board to pin up things that didn't need to be filed away immediately in my office, and the cheaply framed cork boards were not an option, but neither were the super expensive ones - I turned to Amazon and Pinterest.

I originally planned on just buying cork squares and spacing 4 of them out (without frames or anything).  I ordered a pack from Amazon (I love Amazon).  After getting them and starting to place them, I didn't like the idea.  Now I have all these cork squares, no plan and still no cork board.


Then, I remembers that I had this old piece of art - I was going to donate it or sell it, but I decided to re-purpose it.  I mean if I messed it up - I wouldn't really be out anything, right?

I unscrewed and pulled out all of the nails/backing for the frame.  I removed the print and the glass.  I replaced the print section with the cork squares (I had to cut them down).  I put the backing back down and went to town on it with my staple gun (every girl should own one).

Project: Success!  I love the frame plus matting look around the cork board.  I put post-it notes on the matting part.  I now have a really cute cork board that looks nice enough to have it in front of me all day while I work.  And, the best part, it was under $10 and only took about 30 minutes to make!

Poop!

Did you know... Premium kopi luwak coffee is made from coffee beans isolated from civet poop. Civets are small mammals from tropical parts of Asia and Africa.

Did you know... The types of food animals eat can change the color of their poop. Penguins leave white or gray droppings after eating fish, pink droppings after eating krill and yellow droppings after eating squid.

Did you know... Some coprolites (ancient poop) have mineralized over time and contain beautiful swirls of color. Some of them are polished for jewelry.

Poop - enough said right? Never! Poop is a fascinating subject - if you say no, you are in denial. 

I had a "poopy" birthday this year.  Tim and I visited Fernbank for the Scoop on Poop exhibit - "the #1 exhibit on #2".  The exhibit had some fun facts, but it was really geared for a younger audience - we still had a great time. 

Tim then gave me the CitiKitty - a potty training system for my cats - as a part of my birthday gifts! That is right, we are now training my two cats how to use the toilet.  No more cleaning the litter box or having litter all over the bathroom!

I was so excited!  The first week, it was great and the cats had no problems using it.  Then, the next step when you punch out a ring (see 2 Train in the photo above), things went down the toilet - except not literally.  The cats wouldn't poop in the toilet.  I knew they were holding it and to my horror - they decided to use my bed instead of the toilet.  Vomit and triple washing my sheets.

I hoped it was an isolated incident.  It was really a revolt.  After another bed poop and then a poop in my dirty laundry - I was done with potty training.  But, end the end, Tim and I decided that we would not let the cats win.  So, we locked them in the bathroom (with plenty of food and water and toys). 
They are finally using the toilet again.

I think this process will take several more weeks to actually get them through training as we don't move to the next level (a larger and larger hole in the training ring) until both cats successfully use the toilet repeatedly without being locked in.

I feel like a parent, monitoring my cats bowel movements to make sure they are going - knowing when they are holding it - and then cleaning up the messes. 

Hey - but if I ever have kids they can't be more difficult to potty train than two huge cats, right?

This is Suzy Homemaker, keeping you posted on the poop!

The One Year Itch

I feel so cliche when I comment on how fast time seems to be flying - but it is really mind blowing for me.  Like, I just got a notice for my high school's 10 year reunion.  Granted, I am happy high school is well behind me - I would consider it at the bottom of an amazing ride up in my life.  But, 10 years, really?

Next month, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of buying my house.  Since I bought it in nearly perfect condition (fresh paint, recently renovated, nice lawn), I didn't have much to do house project wise. 

Now, if you look back on my blog, I have done several small projects: staining the fence and back porch, glazing the bathroom windows, painting my porch furniture, creating storage spaces, etc. 

I have also done some things that haven't made the blog - like cleaning out most of my junk - from cleaning out flower beds to organizing paperwork in my office to cleaning out my closet and attic.  If you hurry, I am sure you can find a TON of my stuff at the local GoodWill stores!

I guess I am officially settled into the house. 



So, what next?  I have been here a year, and... am bored.  I was so used to moving every year or two - but I am home now.  And my home doesn't need anything other than cleaning, ugh!

Here's to 1 year and being a happy homeowner!

Squirrels: A Rant

My yard nemesis.  Rats with fluffy tails. Squirrels.

They have taken over the neighborhood. 

They constantly chew off little branches off of my trees (which I constantly have to pick up out of my yard). 

They dig holes throughout my yard - I swear just to annoy me.

They obviously allow snakes in the yard - the supposed one benefit of having these rats around.

I hear them running on my roof and watch them run along my fence and power cords - laughing at me.

I have tried cayenne pepper and other critter solutions that should deter them away from my yard.  The squirrels haven't been deterred.

Now, back in the country - Dad would just take out a screen and shoot them from the house.  Oh, sometimes I do miss the country.

If you have any ideas on dealing with them - pass them along, please!

Squirrels - 1.  Suzy Homemaker - 0.

Call me Picasso!

I like Pinterest - and I actually do many of the pins that I re-pin.  This is where I got some of my homemade cleaners, laundry detergent, and organization tips (like putting folded sheet sets in one of the set's pillow cases to consolidate and keep together or putting magnetic strips in your bathroom door to collect your million spare bobby pins) that I use in my own house.

I also try out many of the recipes - some turn out great (like the Butterfinger pies I made for holiday gifts) and others have been gag-worthy (like the mac-n-cheese I made earlier this week).

But Pinterest can also lead down a spiral of pins and dreams that will only live on your online board (or they are out of your price range or above your skill level - read any of the hair styles or nail decorations).  Like recipes - there are several of my pins that I have a feeling that if I tried, I would fail.

But earlier this week, I took a chance.  I saw 2 separate pins on DIY painting using paint tape - so no drawing/painting skills were really needed.  I decided that I could use an old canvas that someone had given me - plus a bunch of acrylic paint and brushes from a time when I thought I was more artistic than I really was - to try this.  I went out and bought some painters tape (which I figure is good to have on hand anyway).

I took the canvas, randomly (although random is hard for me, since I like things to be symmetrical and even) put the paint tape lines on and started painting.  As it was almost dry - I removed the tape and... honestly, I was impressed with myself - the painting really worked!!

I am hanging it in my loft/den area (which is how I determined what colors to use).  I was really excited to have wall art in the right colors and size for this space - not to mention that it only cost me about $5 for the tape I needed since I had all of the other stuff laying around.  Oh, and it took less than 2 hours to paint!  I think I may do a few more...

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: