An Old Garage Door Becomes a Planter

Some of you know that my sister, her roommate, Tina, and me, are building a sustainable garden in their backyard. Our first step is to make raised bed planters; high enough to keep Gucci out (beloved Siberian Husky), as well as height proportionate to avoid unnecessary bending.  Fortunately, due to a recent garage door replacement we have plenty of wood.

By re-purposing Tina's old garage door, she saved $50 from not having to discard it--saved it from ending up in a landfill--and we felt good for being environmentally conscience. Being green really does feel good.

We laid 2x4s for the door to float on for easier cutting.  Teardrop (my Jack) checked our work.

Tina layered clothing for the project; for the cold and to create a thicker barrier from a possible explosion. Mind you, none of us had ever used a power handsaw, let alone built something using a relative of the "saw" family, so the concern of a flying blade or exploding hand tool was in the back of our minds. The fact she's wearing flip flops (we all were) and lacks protective goggles is a good indication that we've never done this. Lol. 

We laid the door on the 2x4s. All I can say is, that door was HEAVY...I mean "need three guys" kind of heavy. But we were determined and made it happen, luckily no one lost their toes. Hehe. Oh, and my sister did her victory dance.

So now we think we're ready to saw away. Umm...so who knows how to work this thing? Where's the instruction manual?

My sister's convinced she can figure it out without the manual...

We were about to pry her fingers off the handsaw but she figured it out. Beginner's luck. Lol.

And my sister does another victory dance while Tina begins to cut.

We hit a roadblock and several of them--nails! So we had to unnail the big guy before our second attempt at cutting.

Once we finished unnailing, we cut through the door for our first planter piece. Yay!  We left the support beams intact since they held the door together.

Next, we cut the piece in half (vertically).

We measured one of the halves to make ends.

As the saying goes, "Measure twice before you cut."  We measured four times.

Our first "end"! Tina's ready to pre-hole drill this sucker.

We were starting to see the planter come together, and still no lost toes!

It was dusk by the time we attached the second end.  We were tired but couldn't stop; too close to achieving the vision.

We're smiling because we're almost done! Thank God!

We're done, we're done!

This took us one late afternoon and evening (approximately 6 hours).  We're planning to build two more planters starting this Sunday, the 30th.  They should go faster since we learned a lot from the first trial. I have to say, it was very rewarding to work until we reached our final result. Wohoo!

Also, just wanted to confirm that I did help throughout the project, but as the picture-taker, I luckily got out of being in the pictures, even though it made me look like a slacker. :-p

Re-purposing a Damaged Quilt

There's something about a quilt that comforts the soul; its history, charm and aesthetic warmth--they're the feeling of home (even if you didn't grow up with one).  They're happy, playful, and like people, perfectly imperfect.

I enjoy one best on a cold day--wrapped up snugly warm, reading a book, and sipping hot cocoa.

I'm envious of those who can make them, and even more so of the recipients of these fantastic works of art.  To me, there's nothing better than a quilt that's made from love--by Nana, Mom or an Aunt.

So what do you when your favorite quilt is on its last leg of life?  Because it looks more like scrap material than a quilt.

Well, if it can't be repaired, and you're on the verge of throwing it out, then RE-PURPOSE.  By re-purposing your quilt, you're giving it new life, modernizing it, and keeping its sentimental value.  Just look at these cute rosettes made from the scrap quilt material above.

Throw pillows are a great use of quilt material, and super functional.  What a great way to remember Grandma.

I love this quilt banner I found on Etsy.  I could see this at a tea party.

A Christmas Stocking made from love.

Along with the Christmas theme, ornaments.  How cute are these!

When I was a child, my grandmothers (Nana & Nana Lou) made me stuffed animals.  I have fond memories playing with them.  Although they weren't this wild, here's a Japanese quilt stuffed animal for ideas.

Here are a few pictures of my old quilt, bought two years ago from a thrift store.  Unfortunately, half of it is ripped and missing (bought it this way with the intention of framing for art).

It is the same quilt. One area has more pinks and purples, while the other has browns and greens.  I want to kick myself for waiting so long to do this project, it literally took me about 5 minutes to create these this morning.  They're not too shabby if I say so myself...but then again, I love shabby chic so that would be good too.  A full two years later, here's the framed art. 

I think they would look darling in a child's room...inspiration below.

For now, they're going into our home office.  With all the left-over scrap quilt material, I'll be making more for my store.

Have any quilt recycling ideas?  Feel free to share. :-)

Happy Mother's Day

To my Mom and Step-Mom, 

Happy Mother's Day. 

Thank you for everything you've done,

Thank you for everything you do,

for being there, 

a guiding presence, 

a loving nudge...thank you.

Love, Angela

Happy Belated Birthday Abby

To my dear Sister, Abby.
Happy Belated Birthday.

I may be forgetful,

I may be scattered.
You may not know how often I think of you.

But in my moments of reflection,
I think of you richly, 

and I smile at my good fortune, 

for having you in my life,
 as my sister,
my friend,
my confidante.
I love you sis.

Love, Angela

32 Small, Easy, Green Choices We Can Make at Home

I'm more into good stewardship than I am into politics. To me, being intentionally eco-friendly is respecting our environment--being smart with what God gave us--and passing on those values to the next generation rather than it be some political agenda.

The thing I love most about practicing green alternatives in my home is that nine times out of ten, they are the more frugal option. And I love being frugal. Being environmentally-friendly is just good economics – in our home and budget, and with the earth God gave us.

There are many little things we can do to play a small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape. To double or triple our efforts, we can involve our friends and family--our children, nephews, nieces, neighbors--helping them understand the why to the what.

When they understand, it’ll be that much easier for them to pass it on to their friends and family; and for children it'll become second nature.

Here are some easy, green choices we can make in our homes. Choose a few that you’re not already doing, and make a point to do them this year.

1.   Turn off lights when you leave the room.

2.   Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).

3.   Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can — open your curtains and enjoy natural light.

4.   Turn off your computer completely at night.

5.   Unplug unused chargers and appliances.

6.   Research whether you can sign up for green power from your utility company.

7.   Plant an herb garden. It’s good to have a reminder around where our food originates.

8.   Create a homemade compost bin.

9.   Stop using disposable bags – use reusable bags (any bag you have at home), or make your own.

10. Make your own household cleaners with Green Cleaning recipes.

11. Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles. Watch The Story of Bottled Water, a short movie about the bottled water phenomena with your children.

12. Fix leaky faucets.

13. Collect rainwater, and use it to water your houseplants and garden.

14. Five-minute showers – make it a goal for yourself.

15. As you wait for warm running water in your shower, collect the cold water in a bucket and use to water plants, your car or floors.

16. Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.

17. Pay as many bills as possible online.

18. Put a stop to unsolicited mail — sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure you’re on the “do not call” list, just to make your life more peaceful.

19. Reuse scrap paper. Print on two sides, or let your kids color on the back side of used paper.

20. Switch to cloth diapers – or at least do a combination with disposables.

21. Use cloth instead of paper to clean your kitchen. Be frugal, and make these rags out of old towels and t-shirts.

22. Use cloth napkins daily instead of paper.

23. Before buying anything new, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle.

24. Watch The Story of Stuff with your kids, and talk about the impact your household trash has on our landfills.

25. Repurpose something – turn one of your well-worn t-shirts into basic play pants for your baby. Or save egg cartons for paint wells, seed starters, treasure boxes, or a myriad of other crafts.

26. Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.

27. Donate to – and shop at – thrift stores such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You’ll be recycling perfectly usable items, and you’ll be supporting your local economy.

28. Walk or ride a bike to your errands or work place that is two miles or closer.

29. Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.

30. Support your local economy and shop at your farmer’s market.

31. Support local restaurants that use food derived less than 100 miles away, and learn more about the benefits of eating locally.

32. Subscribe to good eco-friendly blogs. I love The Daily Green, The Living Green Solution, and Green L.A. Girl.

Which ones are you going to focus on this year? Any others you can add to the list?

Green Cleaning Recipes

What cleaning products do you use in your home? Do they pose health risks? Are they safe for the environment? Many of us use toxic chemicals in our everyday life. Sometimes we are aware of it, sometimes not.

If you think about it--household cleaners, detergents, degreasers, stain removers and pesticides have made our homes miniature chemical factories.  

If these hazardous products in our homes are ingested, absorbed through the skin or inhaled they can cause illness that may only appear years later. 

They endanger our environment by contaminating our groundwater, lakes and oceans. One of the biggest culprits in ocean pollution is phosphates, common in laundry detergents and some cleaning products. High phosphate levels can kill life in rivers, streams and oceans by causing "algae blooms."

So what choice do we have? Many. By mixing and matching well-chosen and environmentally friendly green cleaning products found in health food stores, you can easily and simply transform your home into a non-toxic and healthy haven.

Going back to the original naturally derived ingredients is a way to make cleaning products that work, won’t pollute and save you money. Most are found in your kitchen cupboards.

Below are some Green Cleaning Recipes from www.Care2.com. I use the all-purpose cleaner everywhere in my apartment, and love it. Enjoy!

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER

Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

WINDOW CLEANER
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle
Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER
1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent
Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

Have any recipes of your own to share?